Category: Scouting Reports – 2015

Hau’oli Kikaha Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Hau’oli Kikaha DE/LB Washington #8
Ht: 6’2″
Wt: 253

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Size/Athleticism: Elite speed and explosive ability for an edge player. Adequate size, but lacks dominant strength. A very fluid all-around athlete who looks natural moving around the field both as a pass-rusher and when dropping in coverage.

Run Defense: Lack of size limits his ability to anchor at the point of attack. Appears to be lacking lower body strength and gets knocked off his spot fairly easily, which may limit his ability to be an every-down player at the next level. Great speed for the position and gives an excellent effort in pursuit. Keeps his eyes on the ball carrier and takes consistent angles.

Pass-Rush: Explosive off the edge. At his best standing up when he can more easily avoid immediate contact. Struggles to shed blocks once he’s engaged and can get swallowed up by more physical linemen. Needs to win off the snap, despite constant effort he struggles to win if the offensive line can take away his ability to immediate get to the edge and win with speed.

Versatility: Has plenty of experience playing a tradition 4-3 end, and lining up at linebacker in 3-4 sets. Limited experience dropping into coverage but appears to have the athleticism necessary to drop into zone coverage and match up against certain tight ends.

Intangibles: Team captain. Has been praised by two coaching staffs (Sarkisian, Petersen) for his leadership ability.

Durability: Major concerns due to two ACL tears in his left knee which caused him to miss 2011 and 2012 seasons.

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Hauoli Kikaha Chart

Overview: Injuries will be a major factor in how teams place grades on Kikaha, but he is an explosive playmaker who has the ability to make a consistent impact as a pass-rusher. His lack of elite strength may limit him to a role as a pass-rush specialist, but it’s clear that he has the tools to make plays at the next level and should be a solid Day 2 pick at worst. Named pronounced ha-OH-lee KEY-kah-HA

Leonard Williams Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Leonard Williams DE USC #94
Ht: 6’5″
Wt: 300

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Size/Athleticism: Impressive height and length. Above average overall strength. Athleticism is an asset as an interior lineman but below average for a 4-3 end.

Run Defense: Elite strength and nearly impossible to control in one-on-one blocking assignments. Shows great awareness and keeps his eyes on the backfield. Limited speed to make plays in pursuit. Solid tackling technique but lacks a dominant closing burst for an edge defender.

Pass-Rush: Lacks explosive athleticism to be a threat on the edge. Does a great job using his length to keep defenders from getting into his chest. Plays with great leverage. Bull rush is his weapon of choice for getting into the backfield. Late to react off the snap which further limits his ability on the edge.

Versatility: Primarily lined up in the five-tech position at USC. Some experience shifting around on the defensive line. Probably best suited as a five-tech lineman (most likely in 3-4) or a three-tech defensive tackle in the 4-3 scheme.

Intangibles: No known issues.

Durability: Suffered torn labrum (shoulder) which required surgery. Suffered high ankle sprain in 2014 preseason practices. 35 starts and only one missed game in college.

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Leonard Williams Chart

Overview: Williams is close to a perfect prospect. If he isn’t No. 1 on someone’s board, it’s due to positional value. He played the five-tech position, even in 4-3 sets, for USC but will be better suited as a 3-4 end or a 4-3 three-tech tackle in the pros. These types of players are difficult to project, and many top 10 picks have a poor track record in the pros for unexplained reasons (Tyson Jackson, Glenn Dorsey come to mind as examples). But in terms of his college production, there’s very little to criticize about Williams.

Lael Collins Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
La’el Collins OT LSU #70
Ht: 6’5″
Wt: 315

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Size/Athleticism: Built more like a guard than a tackler. Does not have ideal length for a tackle (arms are on the short side at 33″). Athleticism is moderate for a tackle but would be an asset if he shifted inside to guard.

Pass Protection: Plays out of control, frequently lunging at pass-rusher. Very inconsistent hand use. Tendency to lunge to made worse by his short arms. Does not have the athleticism and balance to quickly recover. Fights hard but doesn’t really have the elite strength to be a true finisher—pass-rusher frequently are able to disengage if the play extends. Foot quickness is below average—he can be fooled by edge rusher that start outside and shift in, and does not have the quickness to recover.

Run Blocking: Fights extremely hard as a run blocker. Strong lower body allows him to drive his man off his spot. Capable of getting to the second level and his move blocking would be an asset as a guard.

Intangibles: Played left guard as a sophomore before shifting to left tackle. Team captain. Received high praise from coaching staff.

Durability: Four-year starter with only one game missed with undisclosed injury.

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Lael Collins Chart

Overview: Collins’ physical build makes him look like a better fit at guard, and he may end up there. However, he still moves well enough to play right tackle and his nasty demeanor will endear him to teams interested in developing a physical running game. At tackle, he lacks the fundamentals to be consistent in pass-protection. A contender would probably need to play him at guard initially, awhile a rebuilding franchise may be willing to tolerate him learning on the job at right tackle. The LSU coaching staff loved him and he was voted a team captain. While the upside may be somewhat limited, he’s probably among the safer bets in this class to have a long NFL career.

Cameron Erving Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
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Cameron Erving C Florida State #75
Ht: 6’5″
Wt: 313

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Size/Athleticism: Checks off all the boxes in terms of measurables and workout numbers. Elite size/athleticism combination for an interior lineman. Has the physical tools to play any of the five positions on the offensive line.

Pass Protection: Struggled with awareness, reaction skills and balance when working in space at tackle, but those issues were cut down significantly when shifting to the interior line. Despite athleticism, struggled to contain speed rushers when playing left tackle (Vic Beasley dominated him in 2014). Does not play with enough intensity and lets up before the whistle frequently.

Run Blocking: Quickness is an asset as an interior linemen. Does a great job setting the edges to create running lanes. Lacks dominant strength to be a finisher. Limited lower body strength hinders his ability to drive defenders off their spot to clear space.

Intangibles: Made multiple position changes and fairly quickly adjusted each time.

Durability: Missed 2010 season with a back injury. Started 42 straight games to finish career.

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Cameron Erving Chart

Overview: Erving is a converted defense tackle who displayed the athleticism necessary to excel at left tackle, but flopped in that role. Excelled almost immediately upon switching to center late in the 2014 season, which rejuvenated his draft stock. His ability to pick up the position quickly bodes well for a transition to the NFL.

Donovan Smith Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Donovan Smith OG Penn State #76
Ht: 6’6″
Wt: 338

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Impressive size. Weighed 338 at combine but dropped 10 pounds for Pro Day. Not only has height and weight, but also impressive length with 34 3/8″ arms.

Pass Protection: Mobility was limited as a left tackle and his technique further left him susceptible to counter moves. Quick to get set, but the doesn’t react quickly enough to more athletic edge-rushers. Does not have ideal change-of-direction ability for a tackle. Plays too high and won’t be able to get away with it in the pros when he isn’t the bigger and strongest man on the field. Handles bull rushers fairly well, which should translate to a shift to guard.

Run Blocking: Very quick to the second level for a man his size, which bodes well for a smooth transition to guard. Strong lower body allows him to generate a decent push.

Intangibles: Has been labeled as lazy by some scouts.

Durability: Missed two games with undisclosed injury in 2014.

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Donovan Smith Chart

Overview: Smith would probably be viewed in a different light if he weren’t forced to play left tackle at Penn State. He has the size and lower body strength to develop into a dominant guard at the next level. He flashed some brilliant moments against Joey Bosa in the 2014 Ohio State game which bodes well for his transition to guard where he’ll face more powerful pass-rushers like Bosa, as opposed to speed-rushers on the edge. He has to answer questions regarding his perceived laziness, but there is definite upside for him as a starting right tackle and a potentially elite ceiling as an interior lineman.