Recently I looked at Justin Blackmon against Stanford. As I mentioned there the Redskins may not be able to acquire one of the free agent wide receivers and may have to look to the draft to get a guy. So I thought I would move onto South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery. The footage I got to study was against Nebraska and cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, a player of similar talent level.
Jeffery caught four passes for 148 yards and a touchdown before being ejected in the third quarter for fighting with Dennard. It was very much a tale of two games for Jeffery. When Nebraska played off-man coverage against him, he made plays; but when Nebraska put Dennard in press coverage, Jeffery struggled to cope with the physicality.
I've circled Jeffery at the top of the screen. Notice the defender is playing off-man coverage (where the corner is in man coverage, but has a cushion of seven or so yards between himself and the receiver).
Well, this is something I didn't expect to hear. SI.com columnist, Don Banks, snuck this tidbit in his latest mock draft:
Here's an interesting theory I heard recently that makes some sense: Mike Shanahan loves Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden, who he coached in the Senior Bowl, and might try to trade down into the 20s of the first round to take him. Weeden is 28 and that scares a lot of teams, but he's mature and ready to play in the NFL right away, and the Redskins don't have time to wait around for someone to develop.
I just spent some time re-reading the Senior Bowl reviews, and this rumor seems to have some validty:
From Steve Shoup: Weeden is really separating himself from the rest of the quarterbacks down in Mobile. In addition to showing good velocity and accuracy with his throws, he stands out due to his maturity as well. He appears to be communicating the best with his receivers and backs, making sure they lineup properly and acknowledging them when they make great catches. Just really looks to be a leader on the field.
From Mocking the Draft's profile (just four days ago):
The combine kicks off today in Indianapolis. I'll be flying out there tomorrow afternoon, so if there's any prospects you'd especially like me to ask questions to, please add them in the comments below. One of the biggest takeaways I had last year was how big Ryan Kerrigan was and how small Casey Matthews was. I've always thought the combine was more of a show, but it does add value in some areas:
"I think the combine actually hurts more guys than it helps," Portis said. "The microscope is on to judge you, to figure out what you can't do, they already know what you can do. Where in football does a broad jump mean anything? You don't see anyone jump from the 5 to the end zone, standing off of two feet from a standstill. Give me a running start and let me dive across! I think it hurts more people than it helps."
Clinton also thinks Andrew Luck shouldn't be the first pick of the draft. That should go to...
The Washington Redskins have questions that need to be answered at wide receiver. The general believe is that the Redskins will go down the free agent route to solve this problem, but if they can't land the guy they want, they might have to look to the draft. Justin Blackmon is widely considered the top wide receiver in this years draft class. He had an brilliant season, putting up 121 receptions for 1522 yards and 18 touchdowns. Amazingly, his stats actually regressed from his 2010 season where he caught 111 passes for 1782 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Blackmon looks destined to be selected in the top ten, or quite possibly even in the top five picks of the draft in April. Now I personally don't believe he should be a top five or top ten pick. This isn't to say he's a great talent, but I don't believe a wide receiver should be taken in the top five unless they have the complete package at wide receiver. If I'm taking a receiver in the top five, I want a guy that has the potential to be special a la Larry Fitzgerald or Calvin Johnson; a guy that can out jump a defender to go up and get the ball or can just as easily run past his defender. Justin Blackmon doesn't posses elite speed (projected 4.5 40 time) or the height (Blackmon is 6'1") to out-jump everyone he comes up against.
Again, this isn't to say he can't be a great receiver, just that I'm not sure he's worthy of a top five or top ten pick. Lets have a look how he played in the Fiesta Bowl.
Blackmon runs a quick inside route. What I like about this play is that he shields the ball from the defender with his body and then catches the ball with his hands.
Sadly, no Rich Eisen times here. Stats courtesy of Bovada. (www.Bovada.lv).
2012 NFL Combine - Fastest 40 Yard Dash Time Over 4.30 seconds Even Under 4.30 seconds -135 (Quick note: Any props without odds just means it's the same on both sides) 2012 NFL Combine - Who will have the fastest 40 Yard Dash Time? Offensive Player Defensive Player 2012 NFL Combine - Who will have a faster 40 Yard Dash Time? Robert Griffin III (QB Baylor) -140 Russell Wilson (QB Wisconsin) Even
Today's subject of 'Tale of the Tape' is Arizona State Quarterback Brock Osweiler. Yes, I know another quarterback, but the Redskins need one so we should look at all the options. Plus, this was requested by someone. I'm always open to suggestions and requests so let me know if there is anyone in particular you'd like to see in a future post.
Osweiler's stat line in this game: 25 of 32 (78.1%) for 223 yards, two touchdowns at a rating of 157.3.
One thing to note before I get started, a lot of Osweiler's throws are to the running back in the flat. I've chosen not to show any of these as they don't really show us anything about what he can do and what he could potentially do in the NFL .
On this play, the receiver is running into a gap in the defense.
This week's tale of the tape focus is highly touted Baylor quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner, Robert Griffin III. Rumors today suggest that Redskins owner Dan Synder is "very intrigued" by Griffin III, so lets have a look at the film. First on the agenda is his game against Oklahoma. Griffin III went 21 of 34 (61.8%) for 479 yards and four touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 218.9. Pretty impressive stats, lets see if the film lives up to it.
Here we have Baylor backed up near their own goal line. Griffin gets little support from his offensive line in picking up the blitz, but doesn't panic. He waits to the last possible moment to make a throw and gets the ball off as he gets hit, showing incredible toughness.
Mel Kiper just posted his second mock draft of the year:
1.) Andrew Luck - IND
2.) Justin Blackmon - STL
3.) Matt Kalil - MIN
4.) RG3 - CLE
5.) Trent Richarson - TAM
6.) Redskins....
Claiborne is listed at 6'0", 185 pounds.Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Kiper: The Redskins are a team I could certainly see moving off this pick, but if the draft broke this way, the pick makes a lot of sense on both need and value. And obviously, what the Skins could do in free agency for their offense is something I'm considering. Tyrann Mathieu got the headlines at LSU, but the best cornerback on the team was Claiborne. He's the top corner in the draft, and while the Skins have offensive needs, they should also be willing to draft best available when possible because the roster needs more talent, period. While not quite the athlete, Claiborne is actually a better pure cover corner than Patrick Peterson, the No. 5 overall pick from last year.
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