Jim Harbaugh seems to have Smith picked out as his starter in 2011 and at the very least, he’ll be a stopgap to Colin Kaepernick, their high upside 2011 2nd round pick. Harbaugh is the best offensive mind the former #1 overall pick Smith has worked with in his career so he may be able to salvage his career. I think 5 million is reasonable for him.
Grade: A
3-4 defensive end/defensive end
Arkansas State
6-5 285
40 time: 4.89
Draft roard overall prospect rank: #94
Draft board 3-4 defensive end rank: #9
Overall rating: 70*
1/27/10: He has carried his late season momentum into his Senior Bowl week and has stepped up as one of the most dominant defensive line prospects at the Senior Bowl, which is a bit of a surprise because he’s not used to top notch competition. He also has excellent size and athleticism.
1/20/10: A very strong prospect of a small school kid with 10 sacks in 2008 at 6-5 285, but he struggled some in 2009. He did end up with 9 sacks, but 6 of then were in his last 3 games, including an amazing 4 sack showing in the season finale. He is still a nice mid round prospect with similar measurables to Tyson Jackson who went #3 overall last year. He can play 4-3 left end and 3-4 defensive end and maybe some 4-3 defensive tackle in nickel packages, but his best fit is as a 3-4 defensive end where I think he’s a future starter. The level of competition is an issue for him though.
8/8/09: NFL scouts love big defensive ends who can run and Alex Carrington fits that mold. He should run a low-mid 4.8 40 at 285 pounds, which will allow him to play both 4-3 left end and 3-4 defensive end, making him very valuable. He has exceptionally quickness and pass rushing ability for someone of his size. He had 10.5 sacks last season and 19 tackles for loss last season. He didn’t play against great competition in the Sun Belt, but he put up great stats and those, combined with his athleticism and measurables make him an intriguing prospect. He’s not going to be a star at the next level, but he should be a solid starter at 3-4 defensive end in the future and with more teams switching to the 3-4 and needs ends, Carrington has a bright future. His pass rushing abilities allow him to play left end, where he size is a huge plus and he can play some 4-3 defensive tackle, on pass plays, which will make him even more valuable in the NFL. His pass rushing moves, run stopping ability, speed, and size are all only slightly worse than Tyson Jackson, who went 3rd in 2009. Pass rush ability is seen as an added plus for a 3-4 defensive end, not a necessity. Carrington has the moves and skills to get into the back field and break up plays, but also is a strong run stopper. Most importantly, he doesn’t over pursue which allows him to be strong against the pass at the right times and strong against the run at the right times. He has more to prove and needs to get himself recognized by NFL scouts more because he’s only seen as a 5th or 6th round prospect at this point, but he has 3rd or 2nd round skill if he keeps it up.
NFL Comparison: Kendall Langford
*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here
Defensive End/Rush Linebacker
Missouri
6-4 263
Draft board overall prospect rank: #17
Draft board overall defensive end rank: #6
Overall rating: 87 (1st)
40 time: 4.74
4/23/11: Aldon Smith is an athletic freak who is on the rise as a draft prospect. His measurables may not make him look like an athletic freak, but on the field, it’s clear. He can run, he’s strong, and he’s fluid. He’s got 35 and 3/8 inch arms. His athleticism often gets him compared to Jason Pierre Paul who went 15th to the Giants last year. Though athletically they are comparable, I don’t like that comparison.
Jason Pierre Paul was extremely raw coming off of school. He had dominated on the junior college level, but had yet to come close to dominating on the college level at South Florida. Aldon Smith has an impressive track record in college for his age. He’s just a redshirt sophomore coming out, but he had 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss in 2009 as a redshirt freshman. His production took a hit this past season with only 6 sacks, but injuries take the blame for that. He missed 3 games with injury and wasn’t right for half the season. Given that, 6 sacks is pretty impressive. Remember, that’s exactly how many JPP had in his only year of NCAA Division-I college football.
I’m not saying Smith isn’t raw, but he’s got a track record. He needs to become more one dimensional. He’s pretty weak against the run, though experts predict that he can play in the high 270s, low 280s and still maintain his athleticism. This, of course, would only happen if he played in a 4-3. I think he has the athleticism and fluidity to play in a 3-4. He might take some time to transition because it’s a new scheme for him and he hasn’t rushed from a standing position before, or done much in coverage, I think he projects well there long term athletically.
As a pass rusher, he’s tough to block. He’s got an amazing first step, a strong motor, and a good amount of pass rushing moves. He also showed toughness, only missing 3 games with a broken leg this year. Scouts love when kids play through injury and I’m not different. It shows he’s a team player and he loves the game.
NFL Comparison: Will Smith
Trade for Washington: Considering they were thinking about just releasing Albert Haynesworth, getting something for him was a good move, assuming they didn’t pick up any additional of Haynesworth’s salary in the deal (I don’t know the full financials).
Grade: A
Trade for New England: If anyone can motivate Albert Haynesworth it’s Bill Belichick. If he can’t, who cares, it’s just a 5th rounder. They will pay him 12 million over 2 years, but none of that is guaranteed, so this is a fairly low risk move.
Grade: A
Spotlight #1: Vanderbilt CB Casey Hayward
Spotlight #2: Alabama MLB Dont’a Hightower
1st quarter
14:50: Hayward blankets a guy, pass incomplete behind him.
13:15: Hightower sticks his nose in on a pile.
12:30: Alabama safety Barron with back to back nice coverage plays.
12:03: Hayward sticks his nose in on a tackle on a check down for a short gain.
11:19: Alabama left tackle Barrett Jones on a hold.
8:35: Hayward thrown against in the end zone, good coverage, out of bounds, inaccurate on the pass anyway.
7:36: Hightower taken down on a cut block.
6:03: Hightower gets in on a tackle for a short gain.
4:23: Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick with an awesome tackle. He’s had some coverage issues this year, but I think he’d make a hell of a safety at the next level.
3:46: Alabama nose tackle Josh Chapman on a combined tackle for a loss on a quarterback run, huge stuff.
2nd quarter
14:48: Mark Barron with a huge tackle. He’s having a huge game so far.
14:08: Hightower gives chase in the backfield on an option pitch.
12:46: Hayward goes around a block, puts a nice tackle on a ball carrier in space.
9:23: Hayward explosive into the backfield for a tackle for loss on a Trent Richardson screen. Richardson is not a guy who goes down for a loss all that often, especially with only a cornerback tackling him. Awesome play.
8:34: Hightower misses a tackle on a big play, lets the receiver gets big yards after the catch and doesn’t have the speed to recovery.
7:15: Hightower able to run down the fullback in the open field, but not before allowing a 1st round on a medium gain.
6:47: Hightower thrown on again, complete.
5:39: Hightower with a poor effort on a play.
3:40: Hayward in on another tackle in the open field.
1:50: Alabama receiver with an illegal block in the back on Casey Hayward on a running play.
1:30: Hayward with another tackle on an outside run by Trent Richardson.
1:15: Hayward with tight coverage on a tight end. He’s covered tight ends on occasion all night and he’s played very well despite their size advantage.
0:32: Hayward allows a completion on an out route. Well thrown ball, nice catch, solid coverage, but not enough.
0:21: Alabama quarterback looks Hayward’s way, nothing open, decides against it after a fake.
3rd quarter
14:43: Hightower in on a short tackle.
14:05: Mark Barron on a tackle for loss. Guy’s a stud. Can’t wait to spotlight him. He looks very improved from last season and might be the best safety in the country, unless you consider Kirkpatrick a safety.
13:24: Hightower delivers a big hit to close on a short catch.
5:49: Kirkpatrick allows receiver to get open deep on a double move, but it’s just overthrown. He’s had issues in coverage all year. If I were to rank them now, Morris Claiborne, Casey Hayward, Stephon Gilmore, and Dre Kirkpatrick would be the order of the top 4 cornerbacks in this class. Kirkpatrick would be the best safety in the country if I were counting him there. After him, it’d probably either be Mark Barron and then Markelle Martin. This is all very preliminary, however.
5:12: Hightower with a nice pressure and hit as the quarterback throws, Mark Barron with a pass deflection on the play as well.
4:28: Hayward in on a tackle for loss on Richardson after he breaks a few. This is the 2nd time Hayward has brought Richardson down for a loss tonight. Very few players ever do that, especially not cornerbacks. Love Hayward’s technique, toughness and attitude against the run. His motor never sets off.
3:06: Alabama center Williams Vlachos with 3, count them 3, 2nd level blocks on a screen that goes for a first. Vlachos is probably a 2nd or 3rd rounder and the 3rd best center in this class after Mike Brewster and Peter Konz for Ohio State and Wisconsin respectively up in the Big 10.
0:37: Hightower brings a guy down from behind on a nice tackle.
4th quarter
14:48: Barron with another huge tackle. Most impressive player on the field tonight and Casey Hayward has been pretty damn impressive.
14:17: Barron on an explosive tackle for loss on a screen.
0:00: In no particular order, Stephon Gilmore, Dre Kirkpatrick, and Morris Claiborne are the consensus top 3 cornerbacks in this class. I’ve watched all 3 and I’ll watch more, but to this point, Casey Hayward has impressed me more than any of those 3. Dre Kirkpatrick was in this game and he struggled at times. He’s consistently struggled with double moves this season. He’s got poor hips and doesn’t change speed well. He’s more straight line fast than anything. He’s a big, physical, rangy player and an excellent tackler, but probably belongs at safety at the next level.
Hayward isn’t as big as Kirkpatrick at 5-11 195, but he plays bigger. He brought down Trent Richardson in the backfield on assisted twice tonight and showed a great motor on run plays. He doesn’t take plays off and he’s got great technique, explosiveness and tenacity against the run. On top of this, he allowed 1 completion all game and it was on a perfect throw and an awesome catch. And it wasn’t like Alabama struggled to pass the ball. AJ McCarron was 23 of 30 for 237 yards and 4 touchdowns with no picks. He just couldn’t complete anything against Hayward except for that one time and most of the time didn’t even look Hayward’s way.
Hayward played well against South Carolina as well, limiting Alshon Jeffery to 2 catches and also picking off 2 passes. He has 5 picks on the season in just 7 games and 13 in his career. He also has 26 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and 2 pass deflections on the season. He’s very good in all facets of the game and should be a first rounder, though he’s underrated. I’ll continue work breaking down the cornerback class and have final rankings later, but Hayward should be pretty high.
However, Hayward wasn’t even the most impressive player on the field. That would go to Alabama safety Mark Barron. I wasn’t even spotlighting Barron, but he made so many impact plays on this game as Alabama’s defense was able to pitch a shutout. The 6-2 220 pound safety can play free safety and strong safety and has looked much improved this season after the potential 2011 day 2 pick returned for his senior season. He has 33 tackles, 3.5 for loss, 1 pick and 4 pass deflections in 7 games and could sneak into the first round in this weak safety class.
Now onto the Alabama defender I was actually spotlighting, Dont’a Hightower. Hightower was a rising prospect early this season as he was finally healthy for the first time, but he’s actually slipping a bit of late and I can see why. He just didn’t have a huge impact. He’s a big guy, 6-4 260, but he just didn’t stand out in this game. He has some nice plays, but it wasn’t enough. He struggled in coverage, he missed a few tackles, he didn’t look all that fast, and considering his injury history, I’d have a hard time using more than a 3rd rounder on him. Of course, I’ll watch plenty more of Alabama in the future so that’s not final.
Spotlight #1: Alabama S Mark Barron
Spotlight #2: Alabama WR Marquis Maze
1st quarter
14:27: Richardson with such strong hands to catch an inaccurate ball out of the backfield.
13:44: Maze in on the wildcat as a quarterback, takes the direct and and is stuffed in the backfield.
13:00: Maze targeted, but not open. McCarron forces it and senior middle linebacker Austin Johnson picks it off. The 6-2 240 pound linebacker has 40 tackles in 6 games coming in.
11:42: Dont’a Hightower with a pass deflection at the line on 4th and 4.
10:48: Maze targeted, catches it, but can’t keep it in bounds. Tough catch, good job just catching it. Dragging a toe would have been near impossible.
9:34: Josh Chapman gets a tackle for a loss as the nose tackle. Tennessee has a talented fringe draftable running back prospect in Tauren Poole, but he hasn’t gotten anything on the ground today.
8:27: Barron can’t quite get an arm tackle on a 15 yards run by Poole.
6:04: Barron sticks his nose in on a tackle against a fullback dive for a short gain.
4:57: Barron in on a tackle after the back bounces out of one pile. Good instincts and quickness.
4:23: Barron with an awesome play to make a play on the ball, but he needs to catch this one. He should have had a red zone pick and not just an awesome deflection.
4:17: Barron gets pressure on a blitz, forces a quick decision on 3rd and 9. Did not convert.
3:54: Maze muffs a kickoff, recovers it, but doesn’t go very far.
3:41: Maze catches a deep ball in stride, finally tackled by the last man to beat after a gain of 69 yards. Maze just blew past single coverage.
2nd quarter
13:00: Richardson catches a pass short of the sticks, drags the pile at least 3 yards for the first. Nice, strong hands on the catch as well as it wasn’t the most accurate pass.
10:42: Hightower in on a big pressure on the quarterback. Huge hit too.
10:36: Barron on a tackle 13 yards away from the line.
9:01: Barron in on a tackle after the opposite cornerback allows a big gain.
6:05: Hightower is standing out today. Huge hit to force a drop.
5:40: Maze catches the ball in stride on a slant, good run after the catch for a sizeable gain. Brought back by a penalty before the throw.
3:38: Maze over the middle for a 4 yard catch on first down.
1:31: Barron in on a tackle for little to no gain.
0:19: Malik Jackson, a transfer from USC, with a sack. He’s athletic and he’s had a couple good games in a row.
3rd quarter
14:08: Kirkpatrick with a nice, quick tackle.
13:28: Barron with pressure on a blitz.
12:01: Maze isn’t the tallest guy, but he makes an excellent catch to pluck it out of the air against crowded coverage.
10:52: Courtney Upshaw on a strip sack, recovered by Tennessee.
9:27: Hightower is having a huge game. Another quarterback pressure here.
7:57: Hightower in on a sack, Upshaw also giving chase.
4:18: Malik Jackson has had a few good pressures, a sack, and now draws a hold on Alabama’s William Vlachos, one of the better centers in college football.
3:51: Maze catches a short pass for a few.
3:19: Richardson somehow scores a touchdown, looked like he was going to be stopped on several occasions, but great patience, vision, toughness, and power to get it in.
2:32: Barron in on a short tackle.
4th quarter
11:03: Hightower with a pick off a deflection by another Alabama defender. Hightower looked like a running back on the return. He didn’t look like a 260 pounder there.
0:00: Mark Barron wasn’t as good as he was against Vanderbilt, but he still had a solid game. He had a pass deflection and should have had a pick and he was around the ball quite a bit. This was a pretty neutral game for him and it should keep his stock around late 1st or early 2nd round. He remains the top safety in a very weak safety class.
Ironically, I was spotlighting Hightower against Vanderbilt when Barron had his awesome game. Hightower was fairly neutral in that game, but tonight he made all sort of plays. He had several pressures, a couple big hits, a quarterback hit, a sack, and a pick and I wasn’t even watching him on every play. He’s finally healthy and he has first round talent, but injuries are the issue for him. I think he’s a 2nd rounder because of his history of knee problems.
As for Maze, he had one of his better games of the season, catching 5 balls for 106 yards. On the season, he has 39 catches for 482 yards and a touchdown in 8 games. He looks like a decent player. He’s not particularly big or fast, but he understands how to get open and he has good hands and at worst, I think he can stick as a 4th receiver and a return man at the next level. He could be a solid slot receiver at the next level. He looks like a mid to late rounder.
As for other Alabama players, Richardson had another great game of tape. He’s so big and powerful and has great hands and always makes at least 2 or 3 highlight reel plays in every game. He only had 77 yards on 17 carries with 2 scores, but as far as bad games go, this was a pretty impressive one. Courtney Upshaw had another strip sack. Dre Kirkpatrick wasn’t thrown on a lot, which is a good thing. That helps his stock as he’s struggled when thrown on in past games. He’ll have a tougher matchup in LSU’s Reuben Randle in his next game.
Tauren Poole had a decent game for Tennessee, rushing for 67 yards on 19 carries against an Alabama defense that doesn’t give up a lot of rushing yards. This game will help him get drafted, but he’s been just too inconsistent this season to be anything more than a 6th or 7th rounder. He had 7 yards against Georgia and 18 against Florida. Inexcusable.
Another Tennessee guy, Malik Jackson, had a good game. At 6-5 270, he’s playing defensive tackle for Tennessee. He helped Tennessee hold Richardson to 77 yards. Tennessee’s defensive line as a whole played well against Alabama’s defensive line, which is part of why Richardson had his 2nd lowest rushing total of the year. Jackson is extremely athletic and belongs at defensive end at the next level, but he’s put together 2 good games in a row and if he keeps this up, with his athletic ability, he’ll be intrigue someone in the mid rounds.
1st quarter
14:42: Kirkpatrick burned on the first play of the game by Andre Dubose for a 65 yard touchdown on the first offensive play of the game. Kirkpatrick played up close to the line in bump and run and Dubose just ran past him and a perfectly thrown ball by John Brantley found him for 6. Robert Lester, another potential first round pick on Alabama’s defense, didn’t give Kirkpatrick any help on that play. He needs to show better instincts on a play like that.
13:52: Trent Richardson breaks the first tackle and carries a pile with him for the first on 2nd and 4.
12:43: Richardson finds some space and then drags some more guys with him for a 1st on 2nd and 7.
12:21: Richardson on the outside here and almost picks up another first down. 2nd and 1.
11:30: Richardson finds the hole and has another first down run. He’s keeping them efficient and moving the chains for them.
10:36: Richardson runs for another first down. He’s facing stacked boxes and he’s still running well. He doesn’t go down on first contact ever, he drags guys with him, it’s as if he tackles the defense, and he has a nose for the first down. 35 yards on 5 carries on this first drive.
8:01: Robert Lester can’t cover a guy on a deep crossing route. I’m not spotlighting him, but I will be commenting on a lot of guy I’m not spotlighting because of how many NFL prospects are on the field right now.
5:28: DuBose blows past Dre Kirkpatrick again in the end zone. DuBose can’t control the ball and the play is overturned on a replay. Nonetheless, it wasn’t a very good play with Dre Kirkpatrick. He got lucky.
5:22: Kirkpatrick rebounds. He just muscles the receiver out of bounds and out of the play. Great job of establishing position and rendering his man useless.
5:04: Marquis Maze had a punt return last week. This week he has an extremely impressive looking kickoff return. He breaks several tackles and blows past several other guys. 70 yards. He’s also their leading receiver with 20 catches this year, taking over the #1 receiver role from Julio Jones, though he does have a drop in the end zone today. His stock is on the rise as a return man/receiver.
4:54: Richardson cuts to the outside, armbars one guy drags another for a 9 yard run on first down.
4:20: Richardson finishes what he started, running for the first on 2nd and 1 for a few. He has all 5 Alabama first downs today. He has 7 carries for 49 yards.
3:41: Richardson stuffed at the line. That doesn’t happen often. It’s worth noting he fought and it took multiple guys to do it.
2:38: Richardson gets low, bowling through the line and breaks another tackle for a 6 yards on 1st down.
2:14: Richardson breaks a couple tackles in the backfield, goes to the outside and is almost able to power his way for the 1st, but the play is called back on a holding penalty. 3rd and 14. The hold is on William Vlachos, a potential day 2 pick at center.
1:48: Maze makes up for that dropped touchdown earlier, Maze makes things happen on a wide receiver screen and is stopped just short on the end zone on the stretch. First and goal on the 1.
0:56: Richardson is targeted on 1st and goal, but he’s blanketed by double coverage and the pass is incomplete on a deflection out of bounds.
0:52: Richardson runs for the touchdown from the 6 after a penalty. He emerges from the pile and then it was nothing but the punch in. All tied at 10-10. Excellent block by a potential day 2 prospect Barrett Jones on the play. Jones is Alabama’s left tackle, but is probably a guard at the next level. He has an awesome run block here to bulldoze a hole for Richardson.
2nd quarter
14:18: Chris Rainey is one of the fastest guys in college football. Courtney Upshaw doesn’t seem to care. He tackles him in the backfield for a loss of 5 or 6 yards.
12:57: Courtney Upshaw with the pick 6. 17-10 Alabama. Brantley pretty much just threw it straight to him. Just when I thought maybe Brantley was deserving of a spotlight at a later date. As for Upshaw, the versatile linebacker should be a first round pick by a 3-4 team looking for an outside/rush linebacker.
12:07: Demps tries to run to the outside. Kirkpatrick chases him, throws off a block and tackles him. Demps is very fast. Kirkpatrick is just as fast and delivers a huge hit on him.
11:11: Florida throws complete short to Jeff Demps. Kirkpatrick’s closing speed is amazing. The Demps has space when he caught the ball. A split second later, Kirkpatrick has him on the ground with a huge hit. Keep in mind, Demps is very fast.
7:29: Richardson back into the game after taking a series off. He gets a small gain, tries to spin off for more, but is stopped for about 2 yards.
6:17: Richardson stuffed for a short gain again on 1st down.
5:31: This looks more like Richardson. On 2nd and 9 he powers his way to near the first down.
4:36: Richardson with another small gain on 2nd and 10.
3:54: Alabama quarterback McCarron under heavy pressure, checks down to Richardson who takes the catch 22 yards. Just for good measure, he once again did not go down on first contact. Actually he didn’t go down at all. He was just pushed out, but not taken down.
3:18: Richardson takes the goal line carry from about 5 yards out and almost punches it in.
0:40: Upshaw is doing everything. Now he has a sack. He’s having a very impressive game matched up with Xavier Nixon, a potential 2nd or even 1st round pick should he declare this year as a true junior.
3rd quarter
14:49: Pass incomplete and inaccurate to Trent Richardson.
14:41: Richardson on the run to the outside. Solid gain and again, doesn’t go down on first contact. I want to see him break one soon. The defense is getting tired.
14:05: Doesn’t break one, but Richardson is able to convert for yet another 1st down.
13:00: Richardson on another short gain.
12:03: Richardson taken down by multiple guys in the backfield. This is rare.
2:47: Richardson back in the game and stuffed by multiple guys in the backfield. That’s on the offensive line.
1:40: Richardson bounces back with a nice 5 yard run. Still want to see him break one. He hasn’t done that much this year at all. In 4 of his 5 games, his longest run has been 31 or fewer yards. The only exception was against lowly North Texas.
0:53: Richardson with his longest run of the night, a powerful 17 yard run. Florida’s defense has to be getting worn out trying to tackle this guy. I want to see how he abuses them in the 4th quarter.
4th quarter
14:08: Richardson pounded in another short first down.
13:55: Richardson on a pass catch. He hasn’t had as many of those tonight as he normally has.
12:25: There we go. Richardson abuses a tired and confused Florida defense for the 36 yard touchdown. 26 carries for 155 yards and a score, with 2 catches for 27 more yards.
10:03: Richardson takes a direct snap for 5 yards on 1st and 10.
9:20: Richardson fighting his way for the first on 2nd and 5, again out of the wildcat. It looks like he’s now been taken out of the game leading 31-10. 181 yards and a score on 29 carries.
8:45: Richardson’s backup Eddie Lacey hasn’t done much today. Now he scores on about a 20 yard touchdown.
0:00: Trent Richardson is the real deal. He’s a true 3 down back. He’s got the whole package. He’s one of the most physical runners I’ve seen in the college game, but he’s got the ability to get to the outside when he needs to and he picks his spots well. He’s got great vision and patience and he can pass catch. He’s more of a grind it out back, but he’ll keep the chains moving for you and though he doesn’t have excellent breakaway speed, he’s definitely got the ability to take advantage of a tired defense in the 4th quarter after he’s worn them out for the first 3. He’s in great shape and doesn’t get winded and can carry a 300 carry load.
With 622 yards and 10 touchdowns on 96 carries, he’s definitely a Heisman candidate and could be the favorite should Alabama run the table and make it to the National Title game. He’s also caught 11 passes for 148 yards and another score and this is all in 5 games.
As for Kirkpatrick, I didn’t come away convinced he was the best cornerback in this class. Stephon Gilmore had a better spotlight game against Vanderbilt and Morris Claiborne is a rising prospect. This game didn’t give us a lot of tape on Kirkpatrick because Florida struggled at quarterback after John Brantley went down, but Kirkpatrick was burned on the first play of the game and could have given up a 2nd score had the receiver held onto the ball. He doesn’t seem comfortable in bump and run. He’s a great track athlete, but he’s more straight line fast than anything. He’s stiff in backpedal and doesn’t change direction well.
He might be more of a safety than anything. He’s a huge hitter at 6-3 195 and he’s so fast that he’s like a bullet coming at you. He closes well on receivers and plays best when he can play deep off the receiver. He’ll allow short completions and then close on you in a hurry and not let you get anywhere. Anyway, this game didn’t provide a ton of tape on him. Alabama has so many pro prospects that I’ll definitely be seeing more of Kirkpatrick this season, but for now, I’m not sold on him as the top cornerback in this class.
As for Alabama’s other pro prospects, the two linebacker Dont’a Hightower and Courtney Upshaw both had huge games. Upshaw had a sack, a tackle for loss of a speedy back, and a pick six, as well as 4 total tackles. He’s cementing himself as a first round pick and looks similar to another former Alabama linebacker Jarrett Johnson. Hightower, meanwhile, is finally healthy and showing the first round potential he’s always had. He had 4 tackles in the game to give him 29 on the season.
Robert Lester was once a first round caliber safety, but he’s not having a good season. After 8 picks as a sophomore, he has none this season and he showed poor instincts after Kirkpatrick was burnt on the touchdown. He didn’t help nearly fast enough. He might benefit from another year in school.
1st quarter
13:14: Chapman breaks into the backfield.
9:57: Jones opens a hole for Richardson.
0:04: Jones asked to block for a long time as the quarterback pump fakes one too many times, Jones allows the strip sack deep in their own territory, returned for a touchdown.
2nd quarter
14:24: Jones stands up a spin move well. Other than that sack fumble, which was somewhat on the quarterback, Jones has been winning his matchup with Auburn’s Corey Lemonier, a speedy sophomore defensive end who now has 9.5 sacks on the season.
11:07: Jones gets beat by Lemonier this time, no sack, but a borderline quarterback pressure.
10:21: Jones helps clear out a hole for a powerful highlight reel run for Trent Richardson, where he literally drags like 9 or 10 guys before he goes down.
8:21: Courtney Upshaw gets a sack.
0:59: Upshaw in on a tackle for loss here.
3rd quarter
4th quarter
0:00: I left during halftime of this game thinking I could watch the rest on ESPN3, but it wasn’t on there. I’ll respotlight Jones and Chapman in their bowl game, hopefully against LSU.
Rush Linebacker/Outside Linebacker
UCLA
6-3 254
Draft Board Overall Prospect Rank: #17
Draft Board Overall Rush Linebacker Rank: #5
Rating: 87 (mid 1st)
40 time: 4.68
3/30/11: Ayers cleaned up that nasty 4.80 40 at The Combine with a 4.68 at his Pro Day. Pop in the tape and there’s no doubt this is an athletic guy. He can do everything you want an outside backer in any scheme to do, stuff the run, drop into coverage, and pass rush. He has a little bit more value in a 3-4, but 4-3 teams like the Giants and the Eagles will look at him 19 and 24 respectively, as well as the Patriots at 17 and 28, the Chiefs at 21, and the Ravens at 26.
3/21/11: Ayers is still a versatile player and a first round lock, but a 4.80 40 does hurt.
2/19/11: When I think Akeem Ayers, I think versatility. He played 4-3 outside linebacker at UCLA, but he blitzes well enough and is big enough to play 3-4 rush linebacker. I could also see him sliding inside in either scheme. As a rush linebacker, he’s not going to be a big sacks guy, a Clay Matthews, James Harrison, DeMarcus Ware type who gets you 10+ sacks every year. He’s not that good as a pass rusher. What he is is an adaquate pass rusher who stuffs the run well and drops into coverage with the best of them. Unlike a lot of defensive ends who turn into rush linebackers at the next level, Ayers has a ton of experience playing standing up, which will make the transition that much smoother for him.
As a 4-3 outside linebacker, he will again do everything. He has good speed to the outside. He wraps up his tackles well. He drops into coverage well. He’s a leader on the field and of course he can blitz better than your average 4-3 outside linebacker. He’s naturally very athletic and should post a 4.5 40 in the 250s, with good height and muscle tone. I see him as a jack of all trades and a master of none type player. He’s really just a versatile do everything linebacker and, in my opinion, one of the more NFL ready defenders in this draft class.
NFL Comparison: Mike Vrabel
AJ Hawk is nothing but an average starter in this league and with the Packers’ depth at inside linebacker, I don’t think they had to overpay him, 5 years 30 million, to keep him around. A decent amount of that, 10 million, is guaranteed.
Grade: C
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