NFL Draft 2014 Preview (43 page)

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“(Barrow) is an explosive athlete. I like the way he runs and rolls his hips on contact. ... He’s a little bit one-dimensional. I wish he were better in coverage.”

MLB CHRIS BORLAND, #44

WISCONSIN
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Grade: 5.55

Ht: 5-11 1/2 | Wt: 248 | Sp: 4.83 | Arm: 29 1/4 | Hand: 9 7/8

History:
Linebacker-running back who also lettered in basketball, tennis and track and field as an Ohio prep. Was the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2009. Backed up weak-side linebacker Mike Taylor until Taylor was lost for the season in Week Seven — played all 13 games, starting five of the final six, and recorded 54 tackles 10 1/2 for loss and five sacks with two pass breakups, an interception, five forced fumbles and a blocked kick. Did not start against Hawaii when the badgers opened with an extra defensive back. Played through a torn left labrum, routinely dealt with his shoulder popping and had post-season surgery which sidelined him for ’10 spring practice. In the fall, managed 7-2-1 in two games played — started the season opener against UNLV, hurt his left shoulder, sat out against San Jose, then re-injured the shoulder against Arizona State prompting season-ending surgery. Also had surgery in December to repair a tear in his right labrum. Was granted a medical hardship, preserving a year of eligibility. Started all 14 games at middle linebacker in ’11 and totaled 143-19-2.5 with five pass breakups, two interceptions and five forced fumbles. Started all 12 games played at MLB in ’12, collecting 104-10-4.5 with six pass breakups and three forced fumbles. Did not play against Ohio State and Penn State (right hamstring). Earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third straight season and was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year in ’13 when he led the Badgers in tackles — amassed 112-8 1/2-4 with two pass breakups and two forced fumbles in 12 starts at MLB. Strained his right hamstring against Illinois and sat out against Iowa. His 15 career forced fumbles are second-most in FBS history. Started 45 career games.

Strengths:
Is built low to the ground and bends his knees. Keen eyes and instincts — has a nose for the ball. Quick to fill downhill (see goal-line play vs. Ohio State when he stuck RB Carlos Hyde in the hole and drove him back). Motor runs hot — pursues hard and seldom quits on plays. Flows well laterally. Aware in zone. Capable of bringing pressure as a blitzer. Good leaping ability. Intense competitor who loves to play and it shows. Defensive playmaker — piled up 50 career TFL and 14 FFs. Special intangibles.

Weaknesses:
Is short with Tyrannosaurus rex arms — too easily neutralized (struggles to disengage). Eclipsed by larger offensive linemen. Can do a better job protecting his legs. Average explosion, tackle strength and pop on contact. Lets runners escape his grasp. Exposed in space. Has man-coverage limitations, especially against tight ends (lacks length to match up). Durability could be an issue.

Future:
Short, active, athletic, instinctive tackling machine who will have to overcome physical limitations to establish himself as a dependable, long-term starter, though he has immediate special-teams ability and the makeup to push for a more prominent role.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I love the way he plays on Saturdays. I think he’ll find a way to get it done on Sundays.”

ROLB-DRE CARL BRADFORD, #52 (JUNIOR)

ARIZONA STATE
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Grade:
5.31

Ht: 6-0 3/4 | Wt: 250 | Sp: 4.76 | Arm: 30 1/4 | Hand: 9 1/2

History:
Played for Toby Gerhart’s father at Norco (Calif.) High, where he was a wingback in a double-wing offense. Was present in March ’12 when his father, Roy, died of a heart attack. Recruited as a linebacker and redshirted in 2010. Saw action as a defensive end, linebacker and special-teams player in ’11 — appeared in all 13 games, drawing the start at DE against Boise State in the Las Vegas Bowl in place of the suspended Junior Onyeali, and tallied 12 tackles, 3 1/2 for loss and zero sacks. Started all 13 games at the “Devil” position (hybrid DE/OLB) in ’12, notching 81-20 1/2-11 1/2 with four batted passes, an interception and three forced fumbles. Started all 14 games in ’13, recording 61-19-8 1/2 with four batted passes, an 18-yard interception touchdown and three forced fumbles. Was benched in the second half of the Oregon State contest after getting into an argument with Will Sutton that escalated into words with head coach Todd Graham on the sideline.

Strengths:
Plays with urgency and beelines to the ball. Explosive — can power-clean 400 pounds and hits on the rise with power. Is effective stunting and looping. Flashes playmaking ability (see UCLA). Explosive tackler. Can play on his feet off the ball and times up the blitz well. Good hands. Athletic enough to fold back into coverage. Solid instincts and diagnose — sniffs out screens and has a feel for locating the ball quickly. Excellent leaping ability — posted a 37 1/2-inch vertical.

Weaknesses:
Has a short, compact frame with very short arms and gets hung on blocks. Gets locked down by big-bodied blockers when they get their hands on him. Spins in place and lacks variety of pass-rush moves. Cannot convert speed to power. Needs to improve his hand use.

Future:
An undersized college defensive end, Bradford projects to outside linebacker in a 3-4 front in the pros, where his physical dimensions and rush ability are best suited. Would profile best in an aggressive, one-gapping odd front such as the Colts, Jets, Ravens or Steelers.

Draft projection:
Third- to fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“(Bradford) did not look natural in space as a linebacker (at his pro day workout). He’s a rush guy. He’s best moving forward.”

OLB JONATHAN BROWN, #45

ILLINOIS
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Grade: 5.20

Ht: 6-0 3/8 | Wt: 238 | Sp: 5.03 | Arm: 33 | Hand: 9 3/8

History:
Prepped in Tennessee, where he played linebacker and running back. Played 12 games as a true freshman in 2010 and recorded 31 tackles, one-half for loss and 1 1/2 sacks with an interception and a forced fumble. Started 11-of-12 games played at Will linebacker in ’11 and was U of I’s leading tackler —produced 108-6-19 1/2 with four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. Was benched for the opening series against Western Michigan — said then-defensive coordinator: “For lack of a better way of saying it, we all have commitments that we have to make and he just didn’t completely finish his commitment that he had to do.” Kneed a Northwestern player in the groin and was suspended for the Indiana contest. Started 7-of-9 games played in ’12 (nursed an ankle injury in October and did not start against Wisconsin and Michigan) and collected 59-9 1/2-2 1/2 with a pass breakup and a forced fumble before suffering a season-ending injury — pectoral muscle separated from his right shoulder, requiring surgery which sidelined him for ’13 spring practice. Was Illinois’ leading tackler in the fall, amassing 119-15-5 with four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble in 12 starts. Team captain.

Strengths:
Nice arm length for his size. Athletic with good feet. Quick to shoot gaps. Natural bender who moves very well laterally. Excellent range — thrives in pursuit. Productive tackler who flashes pop on contact. Has special-teams experience. Football smart. Three-year starter. Was a 21-year-old senior.

Weaknesses:
Safety size. Shoddy instincts and eye discipline. Does not play a big man’s game — skirts blocks instead of taking on with force. Unschooled to blocking schemes. Leaky contain player. Loses gap integrity, takes some inaccurate angles and runs himself out of position to make plays. Effectiveness wanes in traffic. Struggles in man coverage and zone awareness is limited. Intermittent intensity and urgency. Uneven performance. Alarmingly disappointing at the Combine, raising questions about his conditioning and work ethic: totaled just 16 bench-press reps, broad jumped 8 feet, 11 inches, vertical jumped 31 inches, recorded a 7.77-second 3-cone drill, recorded a 4.56-seecond short shuttle and ran a 12.38-second 60-yard shuttle — all of which ranked at or near the bottom of linebackers.

Future:
Undersized, athletic, finesse, inconsistent Will linebacker who needs to be kept clean to be effective. Small frame, deficient instincts and soft run defense likely relegate him to a backup role, and he will have to excel on special teams.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

Scout’s take:
“He’s a solid player. He plays faster than he times. He played through a lot of injuries as a junior. I thought he had starter potential last year, though you could see he was hobbling around a lot. I like his instincts.”

MLB PRESTON BROWN, #2

LOUISVILLE
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Grade: 5.42

Ht: 6-1 1/4 | Wt: 251 | Sp: 4.86 | Arm: 33 1/2 | Hand: 10 1/4

History:
Cincinnati native. Appeared in all 13 games in 2010 and recorded 10 tackles, one for loss and one sack. Played strong-side linebacker in ’11 — started 11-of-13 games and produced 84-5-1 1/2. Did not start against Marshall (gave way to extra defensive back) and Syracuse. Moved to middle linebacker in ’12 when he started all 13 games and racked up 109-3-0 with four pass breakups and an interception. Was the Cardinals’ leading tackler for the second straight season in ’13, amassing 98-12 1/2-4 1/2 with a pass breakup, three forced fumbles and a 48-yard fumble return touchdown. Did not start against UCONN (nickel).

Strengths:
Outstanding size. Physical tackler. Steps downhill and attacks the run with the proper shoulder. Good eyes and instincts. Delivers some pop on contact and strikes with force. Experienced three-year starter. Good football intelligence — makes the calls and lines up a defense. Has large hands and a big wing span for his size.

Weaknesses:
Shows some tightness in his movement. Struggles to carry backs and match up with athletic tight ends in man coverage. Limited depth in coverage drops — is best in small areas. Average coverage instincts. Requires some motivation.

Future:
Aggressive, high-collision ‘Mike’ linebacker best paired with a demanding position coach who will extract the most from him.

Draft projection:
Third- to fourth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I like his size and toughness. He’ll step up in the hole and take on blocks and fill. He’s a strong tackler. You can hear his pads clicking in practice.”

MLB MAX BULLOUGH, #40

MICHIGAN STATE
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Grade: 5.25

Ht: 6-3 1/2 | Wt: 249 | Sp: 4.78 | Arm: 31 | Hand: 9 3/8

History:
Michigan native who grew up in a football family — father, grandfather and two uncles played at MSU, and another grandfather and uncle played at Notre Dame. Younger brother, Riley, is a fullback for the Spartans. Max played linebacker, fullback and tight end as a Michigan prep, winning two state championships. Appeared in all 13 games in 2010 and recorded 23 tackles (13 on special teams), 1 1/2 for loss and one-half sack. Was arrested in March ’11 in Colorado and charged with eluding police and underage possession of alcohol — ultimately received nine months probation. Stepped into the lineup in ’11, starting all 14 games, and produced 83-18 1/2-11 with three pass breakups. Was the leading tackler in ’12 — amassed 111-12 1/2-2 1/2 with four pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble in 13 starts. Started all 13 games played in ’13 and was credited with 76-9 1/2-1 1/2 with two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Was suspended for the Rose Bowl against Stanford (undisclosed). Two-time captain.

Strengths:
Terrific football intelligence. Keys and diagnoses quickly, understands run fits and spills willingly. Physical — good take-on/tackle strength between the tackles. Pursues hard. Good tackler when he’s able to square up ball carriers. Two-year captain with outstanding football character. Leads vocally and by example. Football is in his blood and approaches the game accordingly. Pumped 30 bench press reps, tied for most among linebackers at the Combine.

Weaknesses:
Average athlete. Tight hips (exposed in space). Limited foot speed, lateral agility and range. Can be late to the perimeter. Struggles in man coverage and is stiff dropping/turning in coverage. Non-explosive athlete — his 31-inch vertical and 9-foot, 3-inch broad jump were among the worst posted by linebackers at the Combine.

Future:
Big, tough, experienced, durable, competitive ‘Mike’ linebacker who was a heart-and-soul type for the stingiest defense in college football. Like a coach on the field, Bullough is a throwback talent whose instincts and technique will have to compensate for athletic limitations for him to win a starting role.

Draft projection:
Fourth- to fifth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“He can’t run very well, and he’s not physical. I think he lives off his name and reputation. (The coaches) love him, but put on the tape. Someone will take him as a 3-4 Mike linebacker. He has size, but he does not play with any pop to me. ... He’s a throwback type. I don’t see a lot of physical talent. He’s a smart overachiever who likes to play the game.”

ROLB-DRE-PRS DEE FORD, #95

AUBURN
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Grade: 5.57

Ht: 6-2 1/8 | Wt: 244 | Sp: 4.61 | Arm: 32 7/8 | Hand: 10 1/4