Category: Scouting Reports – 2014

Dee Ford Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2014
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Dee Ford DE Auburn #30
Ht: 6’2″
Wt: 252

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Size/Athleticism: Lacks ideal strength to be a well-rounded defender. Athleticism tests well but it doesn’t show up on the field. He’s more fast than quick.

Run Defense: Lacks the power to hold up at the point of attack. Easily swallowed up by bigger offensive linemen. Above average speed allows him to cover a lot of ground. Fast enough to make some plays in pursuit. Lacks awareness at times. Doesn’t do a great job keeping his eyes in the backfield and is often late to react. Takes inconsistent angles in pursuit.

Pass Rush: A pure speed rusher. Relies on winning off his first step, but his snap anticipation is inconsistent at best. Often the last lineman to react. A pure speed rusher and struggles to convert that speed to power. Once he’s locked up with an offensive lineman, he struggles to disengage. Shows a decent spin move at times.

Versatility: Occasionally used in coverage, both man and zone. Will sometimes rush the quarterback, but then slide off in man coverage with a running back swinging out into the flat. Has experience lining up with his hand on the ground and standing up.

Intangibles: Hard worker. Added over 40 pounds during his college career.

Durability: Did not participate at combined due to a spine injury. Missed time in 2012 due to an abdominal injury. Suffered a herniated disk in 2011 which ended his season. Missed a game with an undisclosed injury in 2010.

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Comments: What you see is what you get with Ford. He’s a pure speed rusher and certainly capable of making an impact at the next level but he probably isn’t going to be a three-down lineman. His stock may also be affected by his significant injury history. Even if the injuries are unrelated and don’t pose a risk of reoccurring, it’s tough to ignore the fact that he’s been injured nearly every year of his career. He should ultimately land in the top 50, even if it’s only to be used as a situational pass-rusher.

Kony Ealy Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2014
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Kony Ealy DE Missouri #47
Ht: 6’4″
Wt: 273

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Size/Athleticism: Good blend of size, speed and all-around athleticism. Doesn’t have elite strength and frame doesn’t provide much room for growth.

Run Defense: A true playmaker against the run. Does a great job disengaging from blocks and fighting through the junk to pursue the ball carrier. Takes efficient angles and is fast enough to make some plays down the field in pursuit.

Pass Rush: Limited power, and can get stonewalled by stronger offensive linemen when trying to use his bull rush. But he has violent hands and is capable of disengaging to pursue an alternate angle. Tends to over-pursue and will get directed upfield beyond the pocket by savvy offensive tackles capable of matching his quickness off the snap. Does a nice job keeping his eyes on the quarterback and reacting to rollouts. Needs to develop an array of moves so that he doesn’t have to rely so heavily on his pure speed.

Versatility: Occasionally lined up at tackle, but lacks the power to excel in this role at the next level. At his best when lined up wide to give him space to gain momentum and choose angles as a pass-rusher. May be best suited standing up as a 3-4 linebacker.

Intangibles: Has a reputation as a leader on and off the field. Coaches and teammates speak highly of him.

Durability: No known issues.

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Comments: Ealy isn’t an elite pass-rusher, which will be a significant knock against him in the eyes of some talent evaluators given the pass-heavy nature of today’s game. But he is extremely well rounded and a clear three-down lineman who can play immediately. His ability to make plays in pursuit will be considered a strong asset in certain schemes. His grades will range for each team, but he is worthy of first-round consideration if it’s a good scheme fit.

Jadeveon Clowney Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2014
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Jadeveon Clowney DE South Carolina #7
Ht: 6’5″
Wt: 266

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Size/Athleticism: The prototypical defensive end in every way. Ideal height and length. Exceptional blend of power and agility. Has the speed to run down quarterbacks and ball carriers.

Run Defense: A very underrated aspect of his game. Impressive closing speed for his size. Shows good awareness and takes correct angles in pursuit. Does a nice job fighting through traffic to chase down the ball carrier. Despite his pass-rush abilities, he doesn’t explode into the backfield on every play like some overzealous young edge rushers—he’s patient and willing to hesitate off the snap to remain in position to stop the run.

Pass Rush: Elite potential, but somewhat inconsistent. Explosive first step, which is where he typically wins. He’s a speed rusher first, but definitely has a power component to his game. Can deliver a devastating punch to knock an offensive lineman on his heels, especially with a step or two of momentum. Rarely stonewalled by offensive linemen. Even when he’s engaged and controlled, he’s powerful enough to walk them back into the pocket. Does a great job keeping an eye on the quarterback and adjusting to his movements and getting his arms up into passing lanes.

Versatility: Has some experience lining up inside at tackle and even a few snaps at linebacker, dropping into zone coverage.

Intangibles: Work ethic isn’t ideal which has been well documented and confirmed by comments from Steve Spurrier. Cited for speeding (once over 100 mph) twice during 2013 offseason, but has no other legal issues. Characters concerns all stem from his work ethic and a perception that he lacks the motivation to be elite.

Durability: Questionable injury history. Sat out a game in 2013 with bruised ribs despite being cleared medically, which raised some concerns about his willingness to play through pain and definitely frustrated his South Carolina coaches. Missed two games in his career with a nagging foot injury (reportedly bone spurs) which has bothered him since 2012.

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Comments: Clowney is a special athlete with the raw tools to develop into a Hall of Famer. Assuming he stays healthy, the only thing that can come between him and greatness is himself. If he wants to put in the work and stays motivated, he will be a force in the NFL. That said, when college players lack motivation they very rarely change once they’re earning millions of dollars. It’s probably safe to assume that Clowney will never reach his full potential, but even 80% of Clowney’s full potential is probably still worthy of a top-10 pick.

David Yankey Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2014
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David Yankey OG Stanford #54
Ht: 6’6″
Wt: 315

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Size/Athleticism: Impressive size for an interior lineman. Has long arms. Overall height and length may cause some teams to give him a look at right tackle. Moves fairly well for his size.

Pass Protection: Not really a finisher, and seems to be hanging on for dear life sometimes, especially against bigger defensive tackles. Stays low and uses leverage to to handle the initial pop from stronger interior linemen. Very sturdy base and shows good balance to recover from mistakes or when he’s jolted by an initial punch from a bull-rusher. Rarely finishes off his blocks and often loses control as the play extends. A tough fighter, and often gets the job done even if it doesn’t always look easy.

Run Blocking: Asked to do a lot of pulling in Stanford’s run game and usually looked very smooth and balanced on the move. Diagnoses his assignment quickly and takes efficient angles when working to the second level. Not a finisher. He isn’t the type of road grader that can plow holes when moving straight ahead, but on the move he’s definitely an asset.

Intangibles: Very intelligent player with plenty of experience. Played left tackle in 2012.

Durability: Suffered a season-ending injury in 2010 but remained durable since.

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Comments: Yankey will receive a variety of grades from teams depending on their offensive scheme. He isn’t an overpowering blocker but he moves well and should be a nice fit in a zone-blocking scheme. With his lack of power he’ll never dominate, but he can be a quality starter if he’s inserted in the right system which highlights his strengths.

Xavier Su’a-Filo Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2014
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Xavier Su’a-Filo OG UCLA #56
Ht: 6’4″
Wt: 307

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Size/Athleticism: Adequate size, but definitely lacking the dominant size and strength. Fairly quick and capable of getting to the second level. Shows quick footwork. Has the frame to add some weight.

Pass Protection: Does a nice job staying low and getting underneath the defender and using leverage to stand him up and take away momentum. Struggles to recover when a more athletic lineman is able to dip his shoulder and gain a step on him. Awareness is lacking. Late to react to stunts and delayed blitzes and often lunges to recover.

Run Blocking: Quick off the snap but doesn’t have a ton of power in his initial punch. Rarely delivers the first punch that knocks his assignment back and, at best, usually plays to a stalemate. Not a road grader who can clear space. Capable of getting to the second level but gets lost in space. Doesn’t always quickly identify his assignment at the second level and wastes steps trying to locate and pin down the angle to take.

Intangibles: Three-year starter. Leaving school after junior year. Will be a 24-year-old rookie. Served a two-year Mormon mission from 2010 to 2011. Has some experience at left tackle.

Durability: Started all 40 career games.

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Comments: Su’a-Filo has a decent blend of strength and quickness but he isn’t elite in either area. He appears to have the frame to add some weight and would definitely benefit from improving his power. He fights extremely hard, but he rarely finishes off defenders. As of right now, he’s a bend-but-don’t break blocker in pass-protection and struggles to clear space as a run blocker. His run blocking grade may vary greatly from team to team. He’s probably better suited for a scheme that will utilize his athleticism, rather than a power-run team.