Category: 2019 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Jerry is a tall, strong, powerful defensive lineman who can play multiple defensive line position in multiple defensive fronts. He changes the line of scrimmage in his favor on every play. Jerry handles double teams and stuffs the run with the best defensive lineman in this draft. When he stays square to the line of scrimmage and uses his long arms to keep players off his body he sheds blocks and makes tackles easily. Jerry is not just a run stuffer, you can use him on the outside to rush the passer because he has the athleticism, foot speed and strength to power rush. He also has the quickness off the line on passing downs to be used over the center. Jerry might not be a guy who will get double digit sacks but he is a disrupter, getting into the back field, knocking down passes, pushing the pocket, tackling running backs before or at the line of scrimmage and yes…sacking quarterbacks. Jerry is a quality football player.

CONCERNS
Jerry needs to get into better football shape. Don’t get me wrong, Jeffrey is not overweight but the truth is if he was a little lighter it would increase his quickness and pass rush when used on the outside.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.86
Jerry has the potential to be as good as Bengals Carlos Dunlap. He is not as athletic but, he has the same overall skill set. In Spite of his tall size he comes off the line with good pad level and powerful strides. You expect that from him because of his size but what really surprises me is when he rushes the passer from the outside against tackles, because his strides are so long he is in the backfield quicker than you can fry some bacon. He also has great effort on every play and is relentless until he hears the whistle. I know if he loses a little weight and tones those muscles up, that Jerry can be even more dominating at the next level. There are a lot of players in a draft and a lot of talent but there are just a few quality football players and in this draft Jerry is one of those.

STRENGTHS
N’Keal is a powerful receiver with excellent speed and lateral agility. He has strong hands and has the athleticism to adjust to the ball in the air. He loves being physical and catching the contested pass. He is an excellent run after the catch receiver, with the change of direction skills to leave tacklers crasping for air if they are not quick enough to tackle him. He is a match up nightmare for smaller defensive backs and has the size, strength and speed to be used in the slot especially in the red zone. N’Keal specialty is catching the contested pass any place on the field and this makes him a third down weapon for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Right now, at the college level, N’Keal is a bigger and stronger athlete than most of the opponents. Because he is such a physical receiver he doesn’t worry about separating or running precise routes. He is the type of receiver the quarterback throwing to him will have to trust that he will come down with the ball and until that trust can be developed getting the ball too him will be difficult. He has to improve his route running to be able to gain that trust.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.58
N’Keal has the same type of talent and potential to impact as former NFL Receivers Terrell Owens and Michael Irvin but he has to get serious about improving his route running because the corners at the next level will match his strength. The corners at the next level will drop him right on the line of scrimmage, and push him off his routes and screw up the timing of the passing play unless N’Keal gets serious about improving his route running. When Terrel came into the NFL he struggled being consistent catching the ball. Michael Irvin didn’t break out until his third year in the NFL because he improved his route running and gain Troy Aikman’s trust. I’m not suggest both players didn’t play well at first, all I’m saying is, it took time because trust is the key for a physical receive to develop with their QB. N’Keal has excellent potential but only after he gains the trust of his QB and learns to run better routes and learns to run all of the route tree.

STRENGTHS
Marquise reminds me a lot of the Colts wide receiver T. Y. Hilton and like T. Y. when he came out in his draft, Marquise is the most dangerous receiver in this draft. He has the speed and quickness to beat double coverage and the high football IQ to adjust his routes against zone coverages. He is very smart and an excellent route runner, setting up corners and safeties to make the big play. He catches the ball on the fly like a center fielder in baseball. His size does not limit his catch radius because of his athletic talent to adjust to the ball in the air no matter where it is thrown. Marquise is not just a speed receiver. He has the strength, speed and lateral burst to gain yardage after the catch and if he is hit in stride on a crossing route you better be prepared to gang tackle him because one player will not stop him from scoring. This kid has franchise written all over him because he can catch the ball anyplace on the field and turn it into a score before you can leave the room on a TV commercial break and get back from a bathroom.

CONCERNS
Marquise talents are not replaceable once he is off the field so, keeping him healthy will be the priority for the team that selects him. His medicals at the combine will be a priority for most teams and will dictate what round most teams will be willing to select him in. That’s the norm for any receiver who lacks the prototypical size for the next level.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.38
Marquise has the type talent that defensive coordinators have to account for on EVERY play. He can break a game wide open on any play. He can gain the needed yardage a team needs for a 1st down…on any play. There is no down and distance that Marquise doesn’t require covering. He can beat double teams over the top, he can settle into zones, catch the ball, and make yards after the catch. He can run any route and his ability to separate is without question. The big question will be, can your quarterback get him the ball on time so that Marquise can stay healthy? Marquise doesn’t drop the deep ball for a touchdown like so many other speed receivers and because he is so adept at running routes and separating, you don’t have to worry about him catching the contested ball either, although he does that easily. In the Red zone his quickness is like a strike of lighting with the thunder of cheers after. They call him Hollywood but I think they should call him Marquise (Lighting) Brown because the defense will have no warning when like a flash of light he strikes and scores but they will hear the thunder of the cheering crowd after because light travels faster than sound.

STRENGTHS
Mack has the size, strength, speed and arm length of the prototypical linebacker for the next level. He might be one of the better linebackers at shedding blocks and making tackles between the tackles stuffing the run with the aggression you very rarely see from a linebacker in today’s modern football. He does a good job rushing the passer when on the edge, and can turn the corner better than a lot of edge rushers. Mack looks on film, to have the athleticism to cover the bigger slot receivers. Mack has played with plenty of talent around him and has still made plays especially in the running game between the tackles.

CONCERNS
Mack struggles taking the correct angles on plays outside of the tackles because he seems to lack playing with the same aggression, outside the tackles that he plays with, inside the tackles. He also seems to trail plays putting himself in poor position to make tackles.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 2.53
This is one of the hardest profiles I have ever done because there is no doubt about Mack’s talent but I do question his enthusiasm to play every down with the aggressiveness needed for the next level. I’m not suggesting that Mack took downs off but, I think with so much talent around him that he has gotten into some very bad habits. Inside the tackles and against the run, this kid might be one of the best linebackers since former Ravens Ray Lewis. He’s aggressive, meeting bigger offensive lineman with power, setting them back and shedding them and making tackles but outside the tackles, he struggles with consistency and lacks instincts. Outside the tackles, he reacts slow and trails plays and doesn’t play till he hears the whistle. I don’t understand why, but I know he has the speed to go sideline to sideline and the burst with power to make tackles but just doesn’t seem to engage with any consistency. Maybe it’s the system he is in and maybe Mack is being coached to play with aggressiveness inside the tackles but outside the tackles let his teammates make the play. I know this…when I see him on the field I know in my gut he can play better, be a better leader and make more plays like Ray Lewis did. I also know this…I don’t know why he doesn’t.

STRENGTHS
Julian has good size, speed and change of direction skills to be an excellent cornerback for the team that selects him. He shows leadership skills through his play on the field. Julian is smart and does an excellent in zone coverages working well with his teammates. He has the skill set to be used in single coverage, using good techniques and fights for the ball in the air. Julian in man to man coverage does a good job reading his opponent and making a play on the ball in the air with excellent timing to knock balls down and frustrate receivers, quarterbacks and offensive play caller’s. He has good enough hands to intercept the ball and make plays when he knows he will be challenged. Julian is smart and understands the importance of working in concert with other defensive backs to make a dominating defense for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Julian at times, has his weight back on his heels when he seems not to be confident with what he is seeing in front of him. This is not a problem at the college level but in spite of his makeup burst and speed it can cause him to get beat deep at the next level. He also needs to get stronger in his upper body and form tackle with more consistency. He has no problems coming up and supporting the run but he tends to fall of his opponent, lunging and not bring his feet. At the next level this will be a problem with broken tackles. Getting stronger in his upper body will allow Julian, not to get abused by the more physical receivers at the next level also.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.72
Julian is a quality football player and has the coverage skills to be an impact corner at the next level. His versatility to be used in any style zone coverage and singe coverages is what will make him attractive to any team in this draft that plays any style of defense. When he gets stronger he will be able to work in the slot and this will make him more valuable. Julian will get stronger because of his high football IQ and an obvious excellent work ethic. When you turn on the film it surprises me how many teams went after Julian in spite of his talent but he stood up to the challenged and wound up with 18 PD’s in 2017 and another 16 PD’s in 2018 showing that Julian was used to defend and cover every teams number one receiver, both years. He also had 42 solo tackles in 2017 and 49 solo tackles in 2018, showing that Julian can tackle and will support the run, he just needs to get a little stronger to continue to impact the way he has at the college level for the team that selects him at the next level.

STRENGTHS
Joejuan is a long legged, long arm cornerback with excellent change of direction skills and speed to mirror just about any size receiver. Joejuan has the size teams are looking for in cornerbacks. He can handle those big receivers in the red zone, on those fade passes but still has the quickness to defend against those back-shoulder passes. He is a good tackler and does a good job in zone coverages also. Joejuan’s strength is matching up in tight single coverage. He reads the receiver and is smart to understand down and distance and anticipate likely routes that will be run in those situations. Joejuan shows on film good enough hands to make interceptions and will fight for the ball in the air. He reminds me a lot of Richard Sherman and has that type of potential to impact at the next level.

CONCERNS
Joejuan has to improve his overall strength to handle a 16-game schedule at the next level. He has to get stronger in his lower and upper body without it affecting his speed, quickness. I don’t think this will be a problem but it might take some time.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.94
Joejuan looks to be a pure outside cornerback. I don’t believe you can use him in the slot because he needs to get stronger and I don’t believe he can be used as a safety because he lacks the bulk to handle that position and doesn’t have the body type to bulk up. Nevertheless, he’s a hell of a cornerback right now and could be your best cover corner in his first year for the team that selects him. His size and athletic talent is obvious and he will give just about any size receiver a hard time all game long. I like the way he reads the receiver and I like the way he has been coached and how well he takes the techniques he has learned in practice into the game. He doesn’t panic and when does get beat he knows why and turns the page quickly. Like I stated before, Joejuan has Richard Sherman type athletic talent and high football IQ and that is what teams are now looking for in their cornerbacks. Joejuan is a bit of a sleeper right now but I suspect after the combine teams will wake up quickly on this kid.

STRENGTHS
Deionte has very good cover skills and this alone will allow him to play more than one position in the defensive backfield. He is quick to support the run and has the athleticism talent to change direction well enough to cover big receivers. He has excellent size with those long arms and legs that teams are looking for in their defensive backs. He has solid speed and works well with his teammates on defense. Deionte is always looking for the ball on every play. He does a good job tackling in space but the truth is Deionte cover skills are the impressive aspect of his game, and make him a player who can be used all over your defensive back field.

CONCERNS
Deionte struggles when used in single free safety position. It’s a technique issue that can be corrected. It’s a matter of timing his reads better. He has made plays, playing this position but he also has been late to help and has taken poor angles and this will allow an accurate quarterback at the next level to beat him deep. As a safety in single free safety coverage, you can not get beat deep and you cannot play sloppy thinking the pass rush in going to bail you out. Also, Deionte is going to have to clean up his tackling for the next level. Although he gets the job done, he is a bit sloppy and this will be magnified at the next level.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.97
Deionte has good enough cover skills to be used on the outside in the Red Zone. He can also shut down those receiving tight ends, used up the slot and he will cover those pesky running backs out of the back field or when they line up in the slot also. I like him in coverage and although he is a sloppy tackler in open space as I stated before, he does get the job done. Deionte is a ball hawk and always looking to make the big play. Sometimes this can be counter productive but I think as he matures on the field and gains some notoriety he will learn to let the play come to him rather than force the issue. That being said, you don’t pass on defensive players who make plays and Deionte makes plays because, he can be used in coverage all over your defensive back field.

STRENGTHS
Kelvin is what I call a power receiver. He reminds me a lot of former Texans Receiver André Johnson. He has deceiving speed and is an excellent blocking receiver. He is smart and does excellent job against zone coverages. When he is up against single coverage, Kelvin seems to have just enough speed, at just the right time, to separate when the ball is in the air. Kelvin is a physical receiver with strong hands and a big catch radius and you better be a good tackler after he catches the ball because if you’re not, he will run right over you. Kelvin is the type of receiver every team needs to get into the playoffs. He has the body type, strength, strong hands to catch any contested pass and the run after the catch talent, to be your number one receiver, you just have to trust him.

CONCERNS
Kelvin is what I call a trust receiver. He does not get separation until the ball is in the air. QB have to throw the ball to him when it looks like he is covered but trust me he will uncover once the ball is in the air. Until Kelvin establishes this trust with the quarterback and offensive coordinator play caller, Kelvin will struggle to impact.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.58
The fact that Kelvin blocks and does it well, will be the key to him gaining the trust of his QB and play caller. Most will see him working hard and start to throw to him. Once they see his unique talent to separate when the ball is in the air, there will be no stopping this kid’s ability to impact. Andre Johnson might have run in the 4.6 range but I bet it was more like 4.8 but that did not stop him from being an excellent receiver for his team. Kelvin might not have the combine numbers some others will have in this draft and that might drop him a round or two but don’t be dismayed if your team selects him because, this kid will impact, you just have to trust him enough to throw him the dam ball. He’s a good route runner and knows how to set up the defense. Because he blocks, his opponent is never sure when Kelvin comes off the line if he is blocking or running a route. They seem to be flat footed most of the time and this is one-way Kelvin surprise them on deep balls using his body to shield and then separating, once the ball is in the air. The big, smart receivers do this and their speed and strength become more of a weapon once they catch the ball. Kelvin is not a sleeper in this draft, most everyone knows about his talent but he is the type of receiver that most ‘experts” will downgrade if he doesn’t have good combine numbers. For me personally, I go by the film and the film says this kid should be an impact receiver with the potential to carry your passing game into the playoffs.

STRENGTHS
Dexter is a big, powerful defensive lineman. He has the physical talent to take on double teams and still push the pocket. He shows on film solid lateral agility to help string out plays and when he plays on the nose he can over power most centers one on one and get into the back field and scare the living crap, out of anyone who has the ball, quarterback or running back. He has those long arms that help keep blockers of his body and good enough foot quickness to change the line of scrimmage in his favor on every snap. Dexter has the potential to be a dominating nose tackle in a 3/4 Defense who can stuff then run and push the pocket and a dominating DT in a 4/3 defense takeing on double teams to free up his teammates to get into the backfield on stunts.

CONCERNS
Dexter’s weight is a big concern. Too much weight, like he had this season, affects his stamina and his foot quickness. Gaining too much weight also shows a questionable work ethic. Dexter has to gain more strength in his upper body to shed tacklers quicker. Right now, Dexter just out weighs everyone he is up against, but at the next level that will not work because most offensive lineman are much stronger, smarter, and will gain leverage against him to nullify him being bigger than they are. There are no short cuts to getting stronger and Dexter may have found that out this year after he got suspended. Also, Dexter has to understand what his job and purpose is on the field. It is not to rush the passer or make plays in the back field, it is to stuff the run at the line of scrimmage and to push the pocket so that quarterbacks can not step up. Until he understands that, he will look like that bigger chubby puppy trailing the litter of siblings because he is not able to keep up with the other puppies.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 2.72
Will Dexter be the type of player who shows up for two years out of his four-year contract or has this suspension shocked him enough for him to understand that he has to become more serious about his conditioning and his purpose on the field? You better get some solid answers to those question if you going to select Dexter in the first round. To me, true nose tackles are hard to find with this type of size and athletic talent. Your whole defense is based off the ability for a nose tackle who can take on double teams, push the pocket and stuff the run between the hash marks. If your defense can’t stop the run and push the pocket on pass plays than forgetaboutit, you’re are not going to win very many games. Dexter has this type of talent but… he has to get stronger in his upper body and use his techniques CONSISTENTLY and not just rely on his size and weight to defeat his opponent. He has done a good job at the college level but at the next level his job will be to DEMAND double teams on every play or he will be just be another average over weight defensive tackle. I want this kid to be the player his talents suggest he should be because I value players who play the position of nose tackle and defensive tackle higher than most do. So, I’m hoping he gets selected in the first round and becomes as good as Vince Wilfork was for the Patriots. He has that type of talent.

STRENGTHS
Taylor is a playmaker because you can use him all over your defense as a free safety, as an in the box safety, in nickel dime coverage, as your slot cover DB and even near the line on blitzes and stunts. He has excellent quickness to get up to his full speed in about three steps. He has good size and will support the run like a linebacker. He can cover running backs out of the back field. He can be used to cover bigger receivers because he is smart and instinctive. He is a leader through his play on the field and, because of his high football IQ he can be used all over your defense. He has excellent hands and I believe would be an excellent slot receiver for your offense if you wanted to use him that way. There is no doubt that he can be an impact special teams’ player on the cover unit and also return kicks or punts if you needed him too. Taylor is a multi-talent football player and there is not much that he can’t do on the football field.

CONCERNS
I liked to see him add a little more bulk and move to the linebacker position without it affecting his speed and burst because he could be as good as Luke Kuechly. He also has the potential to be used like former Steelers Troy Polamalu, not quite as fast but, Taylor has better cover skills. The biggest concern is…he might be considered by some teams as a tweener. Not by me… but by some who tend to over analyze and not trust film.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.67
Most defenses are in nickel/dime coverage almost 70% of the time in a game and Taylor is perfect fit for a 4-2-5 defense. He is a perfect fit for this style of defense because of his high football IQ, speed, burst, excellent tackling in space and overall coverage skills. Taylor played all over his defense in college similar to how the Steelers used Troy Polamalu. Some teams call that position a Cover 2 robber and some call it a bandit. Taylor can be used in this type of defense because as a free safety he can read run, and filter down as a ninth defender or, be used anywhere in the defensive scheme close to the line of scrimmage or in the slot to help stop the run. He can also be used to get into the backfield from the slot and disrupt or sack the QB. In that cover 2 robber free safety position on passing downs, he can read crossing routes and disrupt them or read and rob those curl and shallow routes or… if someone goes vertical he can take them. It’s a position that has to have the instincts and high football IQ to understand what plays the offense is most likely to use on every down and distance. Taylor has this type of talent physically and mentally. If I’m right Taylor will be selected early in this draft. If I’m wrong most likely, he will be selected in the third or fourth rounds. For me personal, if I’m doing the selecting I’m taking Taylor off the board in the first round because this type of player usually winds up in the pro bowl and the playoffs.

STRENGTHS
Deebo has outstanding size, speed, and overall talent to play football and be an impact player at a very high level. He can play inside in the slot or, play on the outside because of his size and speed. He shows decent hands when he wants to catch the ball and has good run after the catch skills to gain the needed yardage with excellent strength and power in his lower body to break tackles, when he wants too. Deebo can run good and smart routes and he will block if he feels it’s necessary. There is no doubt how much talent Deebo has and there is no argument that he has top fifteen talent but as I always say it takes more than talent to play in the NFL.

CONCERNS
If you turn on the film of the Clemson game this year you will see Deebo’s potential to impact at the next level. Than turn on just about any other game and you will see play that contradicts Deebo’s play in that Clemson game. You will see him not block, have alligator arms, dropping passes and in general not running routes unless he is the hot receiver. In general, not impacting they way he did in the Clemson game. I guess it’s possible that he didn’t want to get hurt but Deebo’s lack of strong hands to catch contested balls is disturbing and it makes me think he will also have a problem holding on to the ball when he runs with it.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 3.39
Deebo has the talent to be a franchise receiver but I’m not sure he has the mental strength to produce CONSISTENTLY. He seems to turn on the talent when he wants to and that is disturbing. All I can tell you is what I see on film, I can’t tell you why Deebo didn’t play every game with the same aggressiveness that he played in the Clemson game. Don’t get me wrong Deebo showed up in the other games but with less enthusiasm. He had good yardage and scored TB’s but it’s the lack of attention to details that was disturbing. His blocking was nowhere to be seen in those games and his route running when he wasn’t the hot receiver, was poor to say the least. He can line up anywhere in your offense and he can impact but what I see on film inconsistent consistent play, game in and game out. For me personally, I would struggle to select him early in this draft although his talent suggest that he should be. But that’s just me and I’m sure others will disagree but I wonder if Deebo himself, turned on the film and evaluate himself, if he would disagree with me? I’m not sure he would.