The Falcons desperately needed a cornerback. They resigned Brian Williams yesterday, but he’s barely a #2. Robinson was the best cornerback on the market and, though they overpaid for him a little, they needed him. He will instantly upgrade their pass defense and allow them to focus on taking a defensive end like Brandon Graham in the 1^st round, to further upgrade their pass defense.

Grade: B+

Spotlight #1: Virginia CB Chase Minnifield

Spotlight #2: Duke S Matt Daniels 

1^st quarter

11:36: Minnifield good use of hands in press, strong.

11:26: Matt Daniels with a tackle, but also unnecessary roughness, good effort to play through whistley, but needs to be smarter about things like this.

10:44: Daniels helps bring a guy down after a sizeable again.

8:54: Minnifield with a good open field tackle after the ball carrier breaks a couple closer to the line.

5:36: Minnifield gives up inside position on a slant on the goal line, catchable ball, could have been a touchdown but physical play by Minnifield helps contribute to eventual drop.

3:00: Daniels misses a tackle, tough play, good explosive to even take a shot at it.

1:58: Daniels overpursues to the inside on a run play, good instincts to come and play ball, but poor angle.

2^nd quarter

14:05: Donovan Varner breaks a 64 yard touchdown on a crossing route over the middle.

9:22: Minnifield thrown on in the end zone with a fade route, incomplete, could have been ruled holding or pass interference.

9:12: Minnifield stays away from sticking his nose in on a goal line run, Cam Johnson with the clutch tackle.

8:25: Daniels shoots up and makes a great open field tackle, doesn’t get juked out.

3:38: Daniels has one on one coverage deep, thrown on, not the best coverage, but overthrown and incomplete.

3:34: Daniels makes a nice play to take the ball carrier down for a gain of a yard or two.

2:25: Daniels blown past downfield, could have been a long downfield, but overthrown.

1:36: Cam Johnson with a sack.

3^rd quarter

14:40: Cam Johnson deflects a short one, still complete, good motor to go back and get in on the tackle after a gain of a few.

13:56: Minnifield with the tackle on an end around by Varner for a few.

13:06: Cam Johnson hits the quarterback as he throws, faces an ill advised throw, Minnifield jumps it, pick six.

11:54: Connor Vernon beats Chase Minnifield for a big gain, tackle by Minnifield from behind to prevent touchdown, 51 yards.

11:29: Minnifield soft on a goal line run.

8:49: Matt Daniels makes a stop short of the sticks on a run, fundamental open field tackle on 2^nd down.

5:37: Minnifield blocked well on a screen for a first, can’t disengage.

1:05: Cam Johnson with a tackle for loss.

4^th quarter

11:57: Minnifield gets another interception, nullified by pass interference.

11:46: Minnifield in on a tackle after another man allows a short catch.

11:15: Varner just overthrown over the middle for a long gain that could have gone for a touchdown, just can’t quite make the tough catch in stride.

8:46: Virginia goes deep on Daniels again, should have been caught, very catchable ball, dropped.

7:54: Varner just drops one over the middle, this time actually in the end zone. Tough catch, but catchable.

7:48: Minnifield allows a reception on a slant over the middle short to convert, Minnifield had his hands on it, Vernon just rips it out of his hands.

5:54: Johnson hits the quarterback as he throws, having a dominant half since Duke’s left tackle got hurt. Varner drops another tough catch, but catchable ball on this one.

4:01: Minnifield one of two in the area on a short throw, leads with his helmet forcing the drop, not called, incomplete. Pro scouts won’t like to see that.

2:31: Daniels blocked off the play in a 9 man box on a run play.

1:02: Daniels on a 3^rd down tackle right after the sticks, game over.

0:00: Duke has two talented wide receivers, junior Conner Vernon and Donovan Varner. Virginia has a talented potential first round pick at cornerback and chose to put him on Vernon rather than Varner, which makes sense as Vernon is Duke’s leading receiver and Varner normally lines up in the slot. Vernon missed a few snaps with injury, but for the most part he played most of the game and Minnifield was on him all game. Vernon had just 3 catches for 64 yards.

One catch he beat Minnifield over the middle for 51 yards one on one. He got separation and Minnifield needed to tackle him from behind to prevent the touchdown. His 2^nd catch was wide open in space on a screen, but Minnifield couldn’t get off a block to make the tackle, which someone else had to do after a gain of few. His 3^rd catch could have been an interception, but Vernon simply outmuscled him and ripped the ball out of his hands for a completion on a slant.

Other than that though, Minnifield limited a talented receiver well. The athletic 6-1 195 pounder is a physical player who plays with great technique and is a student of the game. He sends his game tape every week to his dad Frank Minnifield, a former Pro Bowl cornerback, and goes over it with him. He’s had a bit of an inconsistent senior year, but solid stats, 50 tackles, 7 for loss, 8 deflections, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 3 interceptions, including one in this game which was his first pick six of his career and his 13^th interception of his career, including 6 in a fantastic junior year.

He hasn’t great lived up to his junior season this year, but still figures to get drafted in either the 2^nd round or even the late 1^st round. He could have had a couple more interceptions in this game, but he had one ripped out of his hands, and another one nullified by pass interference. There was also another play in the end zone which should have been pass interference. He also should have been whistled for leading with his helmet. He was generally solid against the run, but struggled to get off a couple blocks and missed a tackle, finishing with, 5 tackles in the game. He’s a long, lanky player who needs to get stronger and become more physical against the run. He’s already physical in pass coverage and would be best in a man press scheme. In my book, he’s a 2^nd rounder.

With Vernon kept in check for most of the game by Minnifield, Duke threw to Varner instead. Varner was a frequent target and caught 7 passes for 132 yards and a score, but could have had more. He dropped 3 tough, but catchable balls, including two which could have been touchdowns. They were all tough, but I would have liked to have seen him catch at least 1 or two. He still did have a good game and showed himself again to be a good route runner and possession receiver at 5-9 175. His stats aren’t great with 61 catches for 713 yards and 3 scores on the season, but he’s had a good career and he has a talented Vernon takes catches away from him on already an average at best passing offense. He could still end up as a depth receiver at the next level, but it’ll probably have to be as an undrafted free agent.

Another talented defensive player on the Virginia side is defensive end Cam Johnson. He had a huge game with 2 tackles for loss, a sack, a deflection, a couple of quarterback hits and generally consistent pressure. One of those quarterback hits occurred on the Minnifield interception and the hit definitely forced the bad throw that was jumped by Minnifield. I’m torn on where to stand on him.

I’ve seen a couple of Virginia games, this one and one against Miami, and he’s been awesome in each, but generally his numbers haven’t been that great this season as he has just 30 tackles, 11 for loss, and 4 sacks, but 4 of those tackles for loss and 2 sacks have been in games I’ve seen him. The 6-4 275 pound defensive end is generally regarded as a mid rounder, but the tape I’ve seen on him suggests a 2^nd round or even a 1^st rounder. It’s worth noting that Virginia had the most success in this game against Duke’s backup left tackle.

Duke’s best defensive player is safety Matt Daniels. The safety has 126 tackles on the season and is a 3 year starter, but needed to prove he was more than a box safety because at 6-1 210 he’s a little small to be just a box safety at the next level. He didn’t do that and really struggled in coverage. He was consistent beat deep and looked really stiff in coverage, but luckily for him Virginia’s quarterback was inaccurate on all 3 plays he was beaten deep on because he could have surrendered 3 huge gains. He had another solid game in run support with 9 tackles. He’s a fundamentally sound player who has a nose for the ball and takes good routes to the ball, though he tends to be a little overly aggressive. He looks like a mid to late day 3 prospect.

Trade for Jets: Stanton demanded a trade after the Jets signed Tim Tebow as the career backup was promised he’d be the 2^nd string quarterback in New York when he signed. When I heard this I tweeted “Drew Stanton demands a trade. Uh…you’re Drew Stanton. You don’t demand a trade. You just get cut.” Looks like the Jets found a taker, however. They’re not getting much in return (they get a 6^th rounder for Stanton and a 7^th rounder), but it’s better than nothing.

Grade: A

Trade for Colts: The Colts needed a veteran backup for Andrew Luck and I guess they liked Stanton more than the other available options, guys like Billy Volek, AJ Feeley, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, Charlie Batch, and Curtis Painter (LOL). I don’t see much difference between Stanton and someone like Volek or Batch, but whatever, they didn’t give much up.

Grade: B

Cornerback/Safety

Alabama

6-2 186

Draft board overall prospect rank: #26

Draft board overall cornerback rank: #3

Overall rating: 82 (Borderline 1st/2nd round prospect)

40 time: 4.46

Games watched: Alabama/Florida, Alabama/Vanderbilt, Alabama/Tennessee, LSU/Alabama, Alabama/Auburn, Alabama/LSU (Part 2) 

Positives

·         Rare size for a cornerback (6-2)

·         Great 40 time for his size (4.46)

·         Long and rangy

·         Great athleticism

·         Great leaping ability

·         Excellent straight line speed

·         Physical in coverage

·         Above average against the run

·         Not afraid to get physical with the ball carrier

·         Powerful hitter

·         Shut down most receivers he played this season (Rueben Randle combined for 5 catches for 32 yards in 2 games against him)

·         Can run deep with any receiver

·         Uses his hands well

·         Well coached

·         Was often thrown away from last season

·         Excellent closing speed 

Negatives

·         Stiff hips

·         Lacks explosion

·         Can get blown off the line of scrimmage

·         Takes a while to get into full speed

·         Not great change of direction

·         Doesn’t play as fast as his 40 time

·         Can get burned by speed receivers

·         No interceptions in 2011 (only 3 in 2010)

·         Minimal ball skills

·         Short arms for his height (could contribute to poor ball skills)

·         Off the field problems

·         Didn’t interview well

·         A bit thin (6-2 186)

·         Goes for the big hit over the safe tackle

·         Struggles with man press

NFL Comparison: Antonio Cromartie

Like Antonio Cromartie, Dre Kirkpatrick has elite athleticism, speed, and size at the cornerback position. Cromartie is 6-3 and he’s one of the few cornerbacks in the NFL any taller than 6-1 or 6-2. Kirkpatrick was listed at 6-3 at Alabama and measured in at slightly over 6-2 at The Combine. He also showed good 4.4 speed.

At his top speed, Kirkpatrick is one of the fastest cornerbacks and he has the ability to run with any wide receiver. Cromartie is the same way, but like Cromartie, Kirkpatrick takes a bit to get up to full speed. He doesn’t have elite explosion and can get blown off the line of scrimmage by faster, quicker receivers. He also doesn’t have elite change of direction or hip fluidity and struggles with quicker receivers for this reason too. Another comparison is Dominique Rodgers Cromartie. Both of the Cromarties have games similar to Kirkpatrick’s. In fact, Kirkpatrick might be a long lost Cromartie (you never know with that family).

Like the Cromarties, Kirkpatrick is at his best lined up in deep zone or man off the line of scrimmage. He’s not going to come up and bump and run very well because he’ll just be blown past, but if you give him some room to work with, very few receivers can run past him and he’s got excellent closing speed to come in and bust up short completions either with a tackle for a short gain or a drop after a big hit. He did very well against Reuben Randle in their two matchups this season and that’s the type of player he can absolutely dominate. Randle’s height is not an advantage against the 6-2 Kirkpatrick and he doesn’t have the elite speed to burn him.

There’s also the off the field problems with Kirkpatrick. He was arrested for marijuana possession earlier this year and while that’s not a huge concern, teams didn’t like how he handled it in interviews and didn’t feel they could trust him. That could land him in the 20s. Tennessee, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Denver are all options for him in the 20-25 pick range. I have a late first round grade on him all things considered. He has elite athleticism, but such a specific skill set and off the field problems that he falls into the late first round. I also have a late first round grade on him for this reason.

This is a fun idea I saw in other places on the internet, a dream draft. The point is, to give myself the 16.5^th pick (right in the middle of the round) in every round, and take the best available player on my board, not paying any attention to team need, and knowing who would be available in the next round. Let’s see some results.

1^st round: CB Prince Amukamara (Nebraska)

Amukamara inexplicably fell on draft day, but he was a consensus top 10 prospect among draftniks (though obvious not among NFL teams). I had him 7^th so I snatch him up here at pick 16.5 before he can go to the Giants at 19.

2^nd round: CB Brandon Harris (Miami)

Two cornerbacks? Why not? I don’t have anyone on my team. Harris went late 2^nd to the Texans, but I was a huge fan of his abilities and had him ranked 12^th. He’s short, lacks elite speed and elite ball skills, but he shuts guys down. Until Michael Floyd (a first round talent) burned him in Miami’s bowl game, he held his own with every receiver he faced, until Jonathan Baldwin, the 26^th pick in the first round, who has at least 6 or 7 inches on him.

3^rd round: DT Drake Nevis (LSU)

I had a borderline first round grade on Nevis as a 4-3 player, but he doesn’t fit a 3-4 at all. The Colts took him in the 3^rd, but I don’t give them a chance to do so by taking him ahead of him. He’s a little small, but he fits the 4-3 under tackle role like a glove. He’s a good pass rusher and has a great motor.

4^th round: MLB Casey Matthews (Oregon)

I had a 2^nd round grade on Casey Matthews. Casey Matthews is Clay Matthews’ younger brother and he’s essentially Clay without Clay’s athleticism. He’s undersized and slow, but he’s got great instincts, he’s intelligent, and he’s extremely hard working. He won’t let you cut him. At the very least, he’s a strong special teamer and I think he can start at middle linebacker in this league for a long time. Middle linebacker is the one position on a defense where hustle and instincts are more valuable than 40 times, size, and leaping ability.

5^th round: OLB Greg Jones (Michigan State)

Jones technically would have been available when I picked in the 6^th, but Jerrell Powe would have been as well as he’s the 2^nd best available at this point according to my board (of all players that wouldn’t be available in the 7^th). I was shocked when Jones fell to the late 6^th. Leave it to the Giants to snatch him up. I had a low first round grade on him and thought he was a lock for the first 3 rounds (and I wasn’t alone in that). I think he’s a future above average starter at any of the 3 linebacker positions.

6^th round: DT Jerrell Powe (Mississippi)

Given the premium on nose tackles, I was surprised that Powe fell to round 6. I had a 3^rd round grade on him and thought he wouldn’t get out of the first 4 rounds. He moves like 330 pounders shouldn’t be able to. He’s got character issues in his past, but he’s had a clean record for a couple years.

7^th round: S Deunta Williams (North Carolina)

Williams presumably went undrafted because his leg injury. I’m not a doctor and I don’t have the x-rays or the medical on him, but at full health I had a 2^nd round grade on the North Carolina safety so he’s worth the risk in the 7^th round. I find it ridiculous he didn’t get drafted.

3 undrafted:

S DeAndre McDaniel (Clemson)

I don’t understand how McDaniel went undrafted. He probably would have been a 2^nd round pick had he come out after his 9 interception junior season in 2010. He definitely had a down year as a senior, but I thought he was at least a 4^th round value. The upside is definitely there. It just needs to be coached out him.

MLB Josh Bynes (Auburn)

What Casey Matthews was to Oregon, Bynes was to Auburn’s defense. He was the emotional leader of that defense, a very instinctual and hard working player that lacks elite athleticism. I’m not surprised he went undrafted. He didn’t even get invited to The Combine, but plenty of starters in the NFL today didn’t get invited to The Combine either and I think Bynes can be the next in that line.

CB Kendric Burney (North Carolina)

Short and slow is bad for cornerbacks so when Burney ran in the 4.7s at 5-9, I had him dropping out of day 2 into the 4^th and 5^th round. But undrafted? Anyone who watched the Senior Bowl knows this was the best defensive back there. Size and speed is important, but this guy has phenomenal technique and ball skills and figures to start as a Tampa 2 cornerback in the future.

This is a fun idea I saw in other places on the internet, a dream draft. The point is, to give myself the 17^th pick (right in the middle of the round) in every round, and take the best available player on my board, not paying any attention to team need, and knowing who would be available in the next round. Let’s see some results.

1^st round- QB Jimmy Clausen

Perfect. Clausen was a franchise quarterback in my mind and my team of no one needs a quarterback. Quarterback is the most important position on the field. A good quarterback can mask other needs. A good quarterbacks opens up lanes for running backs, makes receivers look good, can make the offensive line look good, and put up points to take leads and allows your defense to blitz, create pressure, and force turnovers. Unfortunately, Clausen did not last to the 17^th pick in the 2^nd round. He went with the 16^th pick in the 2^nd to Carolina. However, I’m still more than happy to have him in the first.

2^nd round- OT Charles Brown

Brown slipped out of the first round due to a couple of minor injury concerns and questions about lack of size. However, Brown a talented tackle who fits a zone blocking scheme perfectly. He should be a 10 year starter in the NFL at left tackle with good smart footwork and solid lateral agility. Getting a blindside protector for my quarterback is very helpful and it just so happens I can get a solid one here.

3^rd round- OT Bruce Campbell

I swear I’m not going crazy over positional value. Campbell is my BPA at this point and happens to play a high positional value position so that’s even better. Campbell could be a left tackle in this league, but he’ll be a solid right tackle as well.

4^th round- OLB/DE Eric Norwood

Norwood could serve the Brian Orakpo role on my team and I love what the ‘Skins did with Orakpo last year and hope that other defensive coordinators do similar things with similar players in the future. There were concerns about Orakpo’s ability to cover as a linebacker and to stop the run as an end so the Redskins stuck him at end on passing downs and at linebacker on running downs. Norwood is a similar player, albeit not quite as talented, but he can serve a similar role and be a starter on my team and create a strong pass rush. He’s also my best available out of any player left that wouldn’t be available in the 5^th.

5^th round- RB Jonathan Dwyer

I thought I was lower on Dwyer than most and when he fell all the way to the 6^th, I was shocked. I guess NFL scouts were even more afraid of his option spread background and work ethic concerns than I was. However, he was very productive last year and he’s only 20 years old so I’ll give the kid a shot in the 5^th.

6^th round- WR Dezmon Briscoe

Like Danario Alexander (before the news of his nasty knee injury surfaced), I felt Dezmon Briscoe was productive enough last year to merit a shot in the mid rounds, despite concerns about his speed and the scheme he played in. Briscoe fell to the late 6^th, but I’ll take him here. What he lacks in speed, he makes up for in strength as he looked like a running back in the open field last year. He had good hands on the outside last year too, though he struggled to make catches going over the middle at times.

7^th round- CB/S Donovan Warren

I had a borderline first round grade on Warren so when he fell out of the draft completely because of concerns about his speed, people started to doubt me. However, the Jets snatched him as soon as the draft was over and now reports say that Warren may not only be competing for a starting job at free safety this offseason, but he may be the favorite to be their week 1 starter at free safety. Still doubt me?

I don’t like giving long terms to players over the age of 30 unless they’re elite. Florence is not only not elite, he isn’t much more than an average starter. He’s only going to get worse as he turns 31 in December. I don’t think he’s worth 5 million per year now, let alone in 3 years after his contract is done. Why did the Bills draft all those cornerbacks when they were just planning on overpaying Florence to return?

Grade: D

Defensive Tackle

LSU

6-1 298

Draft board overall prospect rank: #37

Draft board overall defensive tackle rank: #7

Overall rating: 80

40 time: 4.92

4/12/10: Drake Nevis is a talented player who is limited in terms of the amount of positions he can play as a defensive lineman, and thus could fall into the 3^rd round. He lacks the elite height and size to move over to defensive end in a 3-4, even though he’s a proven pass rusher. I think he would get swallowed up by offensive tackles in the NFL so he can’t play that position. He is too light to play the 3-4 nose tackle so I don’t think he has a position in a 3-4 and 3-4 teams probably won’t even have him on their boards.

In a 4-3, he’s an under tackle and nothing else. Again, he’s too light to play the 4-3 nose. He’s a one gap penetrator only, but he’s very good at what he does. He’s feisty and has a track record of production in college with 7 sacks last season. He’s got a great motor and a great work ethic and he’s in good physical shape, but he struggles when run at and when you look at him, you see why. NFL teams who have seen him in person are turned off by just how small he is. He doesn’t look like an NFL defensive tackle.

Still, I grade him high because of his pass rushing ability and his work ethic. He is a perfect fit for a 4-3 under tackle as a one gap penetrator. He can get into the backfield and take down running backs behind the line of scrimmage. He’s a great tackler and he has good closing speed. Pass rushing is so valuable in the NFL and this guy can get after the quarterback from the inside of the defensive line. Worst case scenario, I think he’s a nickel rusher. He has a role in the NFL.

NFL Comparison: Glenn Dorsey

The 2010 draft could be one of the more talented ones of the decade, not because college football has more talented NFL caliber players right now, but because more of them will declare. There could be a rookie pay scale in 2011 so players could lose millions if they stay in school, especially quarterbacks, even if they actually improve their draft stock by returning. We could see a lot more redshirt sophomores and juniors declare this year than most years.

This year’s defensive line class is interesting. Normally, the bulk of the good defensive line prospects are at defensive end, but this year, at least when you consider elite top 10 prospects, they are all, for the most part, at defensive tackle. Ndamukong Suh might be the best collegiate defensive player in the country and Gerald McCoy is not far behind. Both fit into both a 3-4 and a 4-3 defensive system and both are incredibly mobile for their size. The defensive tackle class also has depth with big pass rushers such as Jared Odrick, Arthur Jones, and Brian Price. Derrick Morgan is my top rated defensive end prospect because of his size and agility combination. Brandon Graham is not far behind. Carlos Dunlap gets the hype, but he has not lived up to it this season and appears unmotivated on tape. He could be a Jamaal Anderson clone rather than a Mario Williams clone. Rush linebackers are plentiful in this draft class with guys such as Von Miller, Jerry Hughes, and my personal favorite as a sleeper, Jermaine Cunningham. Everson Griffen has great athleticism and could go in the first ten picks on upside alone as either a defensive end or rush linebacker.

This linebacking class is better than most. Travis Lewis, Greg Jones, and Sean Weatherspoon all have first round talent, but might not go there because of their position. All three can play outside linebacker in a 4-3, but Weatherspoon and Lewis can also play 3-4 middle linebacker. Rolando McClain has shot up my board to be my top rated middle linebacker. He is drawing premature comparisons to Ray Lewis, but those aren’t far off in terms of upside. Brandon Spikes is the big name middle linebacker, but I have concerns about his ability to defend the pass and his explosion. Eric Norwood has awful measurables, but could be a very good outside linebacker in either the 4-3 system or the 3-4 as a rush linebacker. He’ll have to make the transition from defensive end though because of his size. Rennie Curran covers the whole field well and is drawing premature comparisons to Derrick Brooks. He needs to bulk up, but could go in the 2^ndround on upside alone.

My top three atop my cornerback board are very good first round prospects, but very different. Trevard Lindley has mastered the art of the man to man coverage and bump and run coverage, but doesn’t have good athleticism to play zone and is very small against the run. Ras-I Dowling is a natural zone corner with elite size, but struggles with man-to-man coverage. Joe Haden plays in a man-to-man scheme at Florida, but gets burnt too often for a first round prospect. However, he’s a freak athlete who is strong in run support and projects as a #1 zone corner at the next level. Kyle Wilson could go off the board in the early 2^ndround. Javier Arenas is technically a corner, but projects as a fantastic kick returner at the next level and possibly a receiver. Syd’Quan Thomspon is an NFL ready nickel corner, but gets burnt too much to be an elite cornerback at the next level.

Eric Berry headlines an above average safety class. He is one of the smartest safeties I’ve ever scouted at this level. He has excellent hands, defends man-to-man, supports the run despite a small frame, and has amazing instincts. Earl Thomas is turning some heads at Texas with his excellent understanding of being a ball hawker, but is not a great run supporter. Taylor Mays is the big name, but I hate his fundamentals and see him as either a Roy Williams type safety or a cover 2 linebacker. He sadly may be the first safety off the board over Thomas and Berry who I like a lot more. Reshad Jones could make it 4 safeties in the first round and the 2^nd round could be equally as promising with guys like Darrell Stuckey and Morgan Burnett. Myron Rolle is the wildcard. He has top fifteen pick potential, but hasn’t played in a year and has aspirations of being a neurosurgeon.