NFL Draft 2014 Preview (55 page)

Strengths:
Outstanding size-speed ratio and athletic ability — pumped 20 benchpress reps and was the fastest cornerback at the Combine. Long arms. Fluid movement skills — makes it look easy flipping his hips and reacting to the thrown ball. Very good transitional quickness and recovery speed. Superb feet and agility to pop out of his breaks and close on the ball — explosively quick. Natural interceptor with very good hand-eye coordination, leaping ability and overall ball skills. Very good vision and traffic burst as a returner (6 career kickoff-return TDs).

Weaknesses:
Is a bit soft-tempered — not as aggressive or physical in run support as you would expect for his size. Can do a better job shedding blockers. Too often lets teammates arrive first at the scene. Spent time in the doghouse as a young player. Has some growing up to do — maintains a lockdown corner’s ego, at times coasts on his natural talent and is not immune to mental errors.

Future:
The most talented cover corner in this year’s draft class, Gilbert has size, speed and flexibility to blanket receivers at the next level. Also brings impact ability as a kick returner. Is capable of stepping into the starting lineup from Day One and playing at a high level if he adheres to a professional approach to the craft. Could stand to improve in run support.

Draft projection:
Top-10 pick.

Scout’s take:
“(Gilbert) struggled as a junior. I don’t think he is a bad kid. He may be naive and a little soft. But where do you find corners that are big, fast and athletic. From what I have seen, he is top 15 easy. I go across the country, and I haven’t seen one better yet. ...Watch him vs. West Virginia last year and he and Steadman Bailey went at it and got the best of each other. I’m not sure how overall tough he is in the run game. He has a medium build with a really tight waist. Ball skills is what he has — he can turn it over.”

RCB DEMETRI “MEECH” GOODSON, #3

BAYLOR
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Grade: 5.05

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 194 | Sp: 4.52 | Arm: 31 3/4 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
His brother, Mike, is a running back for the Jets. Demetri began his college career as a basketball player at Gonzaga, averaging 5.1 points per game in 103 contests over three seasons. In 2011, he decided to give football another try and transferred to Baylor. Saw action in four games as a defensive reserve and on special teams, recording one tackle and returning three kickoffs for 100 yards and zero touchdowns (33.3-yard average). Tore ligaments in his right ankle on a kickoff October 8, missing the rest of the season. Earned a starting cornerback job in ’12 and started the first three games of the season. Did not start the fourth game, but fractured his right forearm in two spots in the first quarter against West Virginia and missed the remainder of the year. Had 16 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception with two tackles for loss. Also was 2-49-0 (24.5) returning kickoffs. He was granted a medical-hardship waiver to play in ’13 and saw his most extensive gridiron action, appearing in 11 games (10 starts) and tallying 26-13-3. Led the team in interceptions, including a pick against Central Florida’s Blake Bortles in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Missed the first two games of the season with a bone bruise after reinjuring his right arm in one of the final fall scrimmages.

Strengths:
Excellent size. Good athletic ability, hand-eye coordination and ball production. Can turn and run vertical. Nice plant-and-drive — breaks on throws. Has a 37-inch vertical. Has some upside. Comes from an athletic family and has NFL bloodlines.

Weaknesses:
Has been unable to stay in one piece and durability is a major concern. Has short arms and small hands. Needs to get stronger. Relatively inexperienced with green instincts. Press technique needs to be coached up. Loses separation at the break point. Limited tackle production — gets stuck on blocks and doesn’t set a hard edge. Will be a 25-year-old rookie.

Future:
Overaged, injury-prone, height-weight-speed prospect with a basketball background. Shows in flashes when he’s able to rely on his reactionary skills and natural athleticism to break up throws, but he is raw and will have to prove he offers developmental value.

Draft projection:
Priority free agent.

LCB ANDRE HAL, #23

VANDERBILT
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Grade: 5.23

Ht: 5-10 3/8 | Wt: 188 | Sp: 4.51 | Arm: 30 1/2 | Hand: 8 5/8

History:
His last name is pronounced “HAL.” The Baton Rouge-area prep was a four-year starter at defensive back. Also lettered in basketball and track, and was a member of a state champion 4x200-meter relay team. Played in 12 games (two starts at cornerback) as a true freshman in 2010, recording 15 tackles, one pass breakup and zero interceptions. Returned 11 kickoffs for 260 yards (23.6-yard average) and zero touchdowns. Appeared in all 13 games in ’11 as a reserve defensive back, tallying 21-1-1. As a kickoff returner, he was 31-738-1 (23.8) with a 96-yard touchdown against Georgia. Moved into the starting lineup in ’12 and made 13 starts at cornerback, registering 48-14-2 with two tackles for loss. Was 12-275-0 (22.9) returning kickoffs. In ’13, he tallied 49-15-3 with 6 1/2 tackles for loss in 12 games (11 starts). His overall 18 passes defended led the SEC. Missed one game with an injury. Team captain.

Strengths:
Has man-cover skills — good balance and flexibility to mirror receivers off the line. Enough speed to run with receivers. Good zone awareness, read-and-react and plant-and-drive. Confident and competitive. Has kickoff-return experience. Solid intangibles.

Weaknesses:
Lacks ideal length — has short arms and small hands. Disadvantaged vs. bigger, physical receivers. Limited functional strength to pry himself off blocks. Could stand to refine his technique. Tends to clutch and grab when he’s beat, which happens too frequently. Gets out of phase and does not demonstrate a feel for routes. Average leaping ability.

Future:
Adequate-sized, pesky corner lacking desirable length and physicality to survive outside. Has competitive makeup for the position to vie for a No. 4 or No. 5 corner spot.

Draft projection:
Fifth- to sixth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I thought he was decent coming downhill and supporting. He really struggled in coverage — wide receivers were able to turn him around and beat him out of breaks and over the top. He always loses route awareness and route leverage. Others liked him more than I did. I thought I would see a solid mid-round guy. I beat him up pretty good. I’ve heard as high as the fourth or fifth. I did not give him a good grade personally.”

RCB-SS VICTOR HAMPTON, #27 (JUNIOR)

SOUTH CAROLINA
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Grade: 5.24

Ht: 5-9 | Wt: 197 | Sp: 4.59 | Arm: 31 1/4 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Had a checkered prep career, getting kicked off three high school teams before moving to Darlington (SC) High in 2009 — earned all-state honors despite playing only six games due to eligibility issues following a transfer. Originally committed to Florida, but the Gators backed off after his dismissal from his football team in Charlotte. Signed with South Carolina in February 2010, and was arrested for underage drinking two days later. Redshirted in ’10. The following June, he was kicked off the team for breaking unspecified team rules; he was reinstated the following week and hit with a three-game suspension. Finally saw his first Gamecocks action in the fall of ’11 as a reserve cornerback and kick returner, recording 14 tackles, three pass breakups and one interception. As a starting cornerback in ’12, he tallied 40-6-1 with three tackles for loss and one sack. Made 12 starts; in the non-start against Florida, the first defensive play was a goal-line situation. In that game, he returned a blocked extra point for a two-point conversion. Played in all 13 games in ’13, and was in the starting lineup 10 times. Did not start against Georgia or in the Capital One Bowl against Wisconsin after unspecified violations of team rules. Recorded 51-9-3 with five tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Had 10 career kickoff returns for 242 yards (24.2-yard average) and 11 punt returns for 25 yards (2.3).

Strengths:
Well put together. Good movement skill. Plays with attitude and brings a swagger. Supports the run aggressively and is a physical tackler. Reads the quarterback and jumps routes. Good transitional quickness for his size. Drives hard on the ball. Good anticipation and ball skills. Offers safety-cornerback versatility.

Weaknesses:
Character will require careful evaluation — has been troubled by a number of off-field issues dating back to high school, when he attended four different schools. Has had issues with anger management, emotional outbursts and team suspensions. Could be susceptible to unsportsmanlike conduct penalties given tendency to talk and taunt. Lacks ideal height. Below-average timed speed and leaping ability for a corner. Can do a better job using his hands to reroute receivers in press coverage. Weight has ballooned as high as 215.

Future:
Thick-bodied defensive back with cornerback and safety traits whose size and speed likely dictate his future at safety in the NFL. Character concerns will cloud his draft status and have already knocked him off some draft boards, and bust potential might outweigh his upside.

Draft projection:
Fifth- to sixth-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“They call him Pacman. He has a lot of pent-up anger. Structure would be very good for him. He’s had a lot of issues and is going to be high-maintenance. ... He has some talent though — he really does. He gets in trouble grabbing too much, but he does a good job in man coverage.”

FS-LCB marqueston Huff, #2

Wyoming
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Grade: 5.57

Ht: 5-11 1/8 | Wt: 196 | Sp: 4.49 | Arm: 31 3/8 | Hand: 9

History:
The Texas prep lettered in football and track and field. Arrived at Wyoming in 2010 and appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman, recording 18 tackles, one pass breakup and one interception. Saw action as a nickel back and on special teams. Moved into the lineup in ’11 and started 13 games at cornerback, registering 47-2-3 with 2 1/2 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. Accounted for both of Wyoming’s defensive scores, scooping up fumbles for TD runs of eight yards at Bowling Green and 48 yards at Air Force. Played in 12 games (10 starts) at cornerback in ’12 and had 57-7-0 with 1 1/2 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and one blocked extra-point attempt. Production blossomed after taking over the free safety role in ’13, tallying 127-6-2 with three tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one blocked field goal attempt. Team captain.

Strengths:
Lean, athletic build. Fluid and sudden with terrific balance. Outstanding speed — carries receivers vertically and flies around the field. Sudden plant and drive. Can elevate to contend in the air and make athletic interceptions. Does not hesitate to support the run. Scheme versatile. Sharp mentally. Three-year starter. Rose to the occasion against better competition and produced big against Nebraska.

Weaknesses:
Has very small hands. Gets lax with his technique. Inconsistent, subpar tackler as a safety. Average ball production. Performance is up and down — tapered off as the season wound down.

Future:
Fast, rangy, tough, loquacious defensive back who was pushed to play safety to fill a need in his senior season, and offers intriguing versatility on the back end. Projects ideally as a cornerback in the pros, where his explosiveness and physicality will appeal to a wide range of teams. Should contribute readily on special teams and has eventual starter potential.

Draft projection:
Third-round pick.

Scout’s take:
“I really liked him on my school call at the beginning of the fall. His speed is legit, and he plays it. He had a killer game against Nebraska, and I peeked at him later in the year and he wasn’t doing much. He kind of shut it down. That was his M.O. — he was an underachiever his whole career. Maybe an agent got in his ear. Who knows — the team was not very good. He is tough and fast. I think he has to be a corner. He was playing safety this year. He’s an interesting guy.”

RCB BENNETT JACKSON, #2

NOTRE DAME
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Grade:
5.20

Ht: 5-11 7/8 | Wt: 195 | Sp: 4.51 | Arm: 31 3/8 | Hand: 9 1/4

History:
Receiver-defensive back who also competed in sprints and hurdles as a New Jersey prep. Arrived at Notre Dame as a wide receiver in ’10 and saw action in 13 games as a true freshman — returned 29 kickoffs for 645 yards (22.2-yard average). Also recorded 10 special-teams tackles. Was primarily used on special teams in ’11 as he made the conversion from wide receiver to cornerback, appearing in 13 games — had 18 tackles, including seven on special teams, and was 3-32 (10.7) on kickoff returns. Ran the 60-meter high hurdles for the Notre Dame track team during the ’12 indoor season. In the fall, he moved into a full-time role in the secondary, starting 13 games at cornerback and tallying 65 tackles, four pass breakups and four interceptions with 1 1/2 tackles for loss. Played all year with a torn right labrum, which required off-season surgery. Started all 13 games in ’13 and registered 64-3-2 with five tackles for loss and one forced fumble. Scored his first Irish touchdown on a 34-yard interception return against Purdue. Team captain.

Strengths:
Intriguing height and athleticism. Good hands to intercept (former WR). Demonstrated explosion and lateral agility at the Combine — recorded impressive marks in the vertical jump (38 inches), broad jump (10 feet, 8 inches) and 20-yard shuttle (4.00 seconds). Tough and durable. Has special-teams experience. Team captain with leadership traits and solid football and personal character.