EVAN BOEHM/C/MISSOURI 6’3/320 #77
Although most of the pub has gone to MIZZOU Edge-Rushers in recent years, HC GARY PINKEL and his staff have also turned out some serous OL talent for the NFL. BOEHM should be the next serious NFL-level talent following up on recent grads MITCH MORSE and JUSTIN BRITT, who both start in the NFL these days. BOEHM has been a starter since his true Freshman season, with 40 starts heading into the 2015 season. He has excellent, well proportioned size and is a good athlete. Despite weighing well over 300 lb., which is a lot for OC in recent years, he is athletic and moves his feet well. He looks agile in pass pro, and I saw him handle second level blocks in the running game quite well against UCONN, which features a very stout DL group. His arms look pretty long to me, and if that pans out at the Combine it will excite NFL personnel people. Many NFL OC are short armed, but a long armed guy makes the bend and reach a bit easier for a QB under center.
KENTRELL BROTHERS/OLB/MISSOURI 6’1/235 #10
BROTHERS is a guy who probably would have been packing his bags to play in Canada next season about 6 years ago. But in today’s pass happy NFL he stands out as a really good early Day 3 Draft Prospect, because he covers the whole field and can drop into pass coverage effectively. He is a solid tackler and pursues all over the field with a combination of speed, FBI and desire. He is everywhere and acts like he has a desire to make every tackle in a game during his career. At the end of most plays he is in the camera shot of the ball, either at the bottom of the pile or near by. He led a very talented 2014 MIZZOU D with a whopping 122 tackles. He had his typical effort last weekend against UCONN when the MIZZOU defense held the Huskies O to 2 FG on the game, with 10 tackles and a PBU. I really thought I saw him do more than that during actual game action. I’m also thinking that come Combine time some of his measurables are going to look like those of the S group.
LAMARCUS BRUTUS/SS/FLORIDA STATE 6’0/208 #42
It’s always fun as a talent scout, so to speak, to find a guy who is something of a late bloomer. BRUTUS may fit that category as we work through the 2015 season. BRUTUS has been a back-up in the Seminoles loaded secondary group until this season. But he got my attention on a couple of occasions during the game with BC. He had played in 31 games in 3 years at FSU never starting until now. He has nice size and as expected good athleticism. He got my attention with a Red Zone INT in the 1st Quarter. Then I noticed him roaming the secondary and coming up in run support on multiple occasions. He came very close to a second INT in the 4th Quarter as FSU was protecting a slim lead. I’ve not seen him on any prospect watch lists, but I am adding him to mine. You know he is a good athlete or he would have been off the FSU roster by now, instead of starting. He’s worth another watch or two now that he is playing regularly. His size and athleticism certainly tease that he’d be solid on Special Teams prospect at the very least.
JAMES BURGESS/LB/LOUISVILLE 6’0/229 #17
This is another player who may not get drafted because of size and speed issues, but I’ve seen him deliver big plays for Louisville over the past 3 seasons. He’s listed at 6′ tall, but is likely 5’11 or so. He plays like an in-the-box S more than a LB. Against Clemson he had a very athletic over-the-shoulder INT about 20-25 yards down the sideline, with good coverage all the way. He was also in the backfield disrupting things a couple of times on running plays. Moves his feet well, whether in reverse or forward motion. Not afraid at all to stick his nose into the pile in pursuit of the ball. Should project as a very good Special Teams candidate as a pro. Check out the versatility of his 2014 season stats: 71 tackles, 3 sacks, 7 TFL, 5 PBU, 2 INT. With versatility, which he showcased again in this contest, if my team had an extra Round 6 or 7 Pick in the 2016 Draft he would be on my radar.
JEREMY CASH/S/DUKE 6’2/205 #16
The Ohio State transfer plays all over the field for the Blue Devils, but primarily acts a an in-the-box Safety. He’s very aggressive peaking into the backfield, without ignoring his coverage assignments. He has been a tackling machine since arriving at Duke and has enough athleticism, and a nose for the ball, to play at the next level. He was his usual self in the loss to Northwestern registering over 10 tackles, with 3 of them being TFL. During his coverage work he broke up a sideline throw on a crucial 3rd down. At the collegiate level he forces smart QB to locate him, pre-snap, every down. His 2014 stats give you an idea of how versatile and productive a defender he is: 111 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 5 TFL, 7 PBU & 2 INT. If he stays healthy look for him to top those numbers n 2015.
CODY KESSLER/QB/SOUTHERN CAL 6’1/215 #6
KESSLER just gets better and better every season in SoCal and is really refining his game under HC STEVE SARKISIAN. I really appreciate his calm demeanor in the pocket. That will serve him well transitioning to the pro level. Against Stanford he did everything asked of him as the Trojans Defense just ran out of gas and allowed Stanford to run out the clock basically. KESSLER went 25/32 (78%)- 272 yards- 3 TD- 0 INT. He shows an above average arm and the ability to keep the play alive with his legs. He will make some plays with his legs as needed. His play reminds me of a slightly larger DREW BREES. When he checks in at an even 6’0 at the Combine the too small talk will begin, but when you roll in his FBI, I indeed potentially see the next DREW BREES as a pro! I’m projecting he could really help himself with an appearance in Mobile next January.
SHAQ LAWSON/DE/ER/CLEMSON/JR 6’3/275 #90
VIC BEASLEY, was a flash player at Clemson, and ended up as a Top 10 Draft Pick. LAWSON tied BEASLEY with 34 tackles last season, in about half the playing time. He’s not the blazing fast Edge-Rusher that BEASLEY is, but is naturally bigger and can set the edge at the DE slot. He’s listed at the D’s Bandit position, but he’s really a stout 4-3 DE who plays both the run and the pass. In essence I see him as more of a complete player as a pro prospect than BEASLEY was. He got good pressure on Louisville QBs all night and was flagged twice for roughing the QB, neither of which I saw as justified. He recorded a big pocket sack to stop a drive in the 3rd Quarter and pressured two other times in the 4th Quarter. On one play late in the game he hit the QB as he threw, which resulted in an INT, but the secondary was flagged for PI. LAWSON did not have a big statistical night in the Win over Louisville, but he was a force all night long and came up big on multiple occasions. If he comes out early, which I would expect to happen, He’s the kind of guy who could blow-up the Combine. IMO, he has a chance to be a First Rounder based on his play in this game.
DEAN LOWRY/DE/NORTHWESTERN 6’5/290 #94
LOWRY actually first caught my eye in the Wildcats upset victory over Stanford in their opener. But he really cemented his prospect status with me after what he did at Duke. He’s a long, athletic guy in the JJ WATT mold. He’s not that good, no one is, but he does so many things well that this could be a big breakout year for him. He’s been starting games since his true freshman year. He has a bit of pass-rusher in him, but his real talent is reading the QB and reacting to the thrown ball. I counted 3 tipped passes by him in the game with Duke, with the first one being a tip to himself for an INT. I also noted that he was 5-10 yards downfield in short zone coverage on another 3-4 occasions. He recorded 8 PBU last season, so this talent is not a fluke in this game. He also recorded 4 sacks last season. He’s very long and my guess is that will impress when they measure arm length and hand spread at the Combine. My first inclination is to say he projects as a 3-4 DE, with some special skills. Also appears to have team leadership qualities.
JUSTIN SIMMONS/FS/BOSTON COLLEGE 6’3/200 #27
I saw a really solid, smart football player, in the game against FSU, who probably just misses the mark when it comes to strength and speed. But he looks natural on the field and is always around the ball. I’d like to see a bit more beef on the bone with this kid for the next level of play. The FSU game was his 25th start at BC. He was the team’s leading returning tackler this year (76 last season) who also led the returnees with a modest 2 INT. He’s another guy who will have to play and test his way into a draftable grade in this his senior campaign. Bt he clearly is part of he backbone of a very solid BC defensive unit this year.
ANTWAUN WOODS/DT/SOUTHERN CAL 6’1/320 #99
WOODS has his limitations, but for teams who need a hustling, naturally strong inside guy WOODS looks like your man to me. I was really impressed by his energy level, and his apparent FBI. I saw him pointing out things in the Stanford alignment,to his teammates, on multiple occasions pre-snap. He will chase, but has too much bulk to catch up once outside the interior of the line of scrimmage. But in a phone booth he can do some major damage. He plays low, with good hand strength and usage. His best spot is on the Nose in either a 3-4 or 4-3 scheme. Not quite as good as, but his playing style reminds me of a guy named RAJI. Will need to be rotated in and out, but he’ll give you all he’s got when on the field. He would be well served to attend an All-Star game in the post season to compete in front of scouts and NFL level coaching in Mobile.
