Category: 2020 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
James has good size and decent overall athletic talent. He shows quickness and strength off the line that could be hard to handle for some offensive lineman at the next level. James is relentless and because he gives the effort on every play he is always around the ball. He has quick feet and understands that one of his best assets in getting into the backfield is getting off the line quickly before his opponent can be set. He fights through double teams and if you make a mistake in blocking him he will make you pay. He has been an impact player for his college team and shows leadership skills through his play on the field.

CONCERNS
James’s athletic talent borders on the nonexistence. His foot speed lacks just that, speed and his change of direction skills a little better than a subway train tied to tracks that go straight even around corners. Right now, all James will bring to the next level is the stats he acquired, at the college level and the relentlessness that he plays with on every play no matter the down or distance. One does wonder if James could be more effective on the other side of the ball as an offensive tackle. Don’t get mad, it’s just a thought.

BOTTOM LINE 4.06
James has a lot to learn if he wants to be the impact player at the next level or more than a rotational Defensive Lineman. He will have to improve on his overall techniques to gain an advantage over an opponent at the next level and he will also have to learn that impacting as a pass rusher and collecting double-digit sacks is not in his future. That doesn’t mean that James can’t or won’t be an impact player for the team that selects him. It just means that since he has less, athletic talent that most players he will go up against, to minimize those less than athletic talents, he will have to work much harder on his techniques and raise his football IQ. James can become a player very much like former Bills Defensive Lineman Kyle Williams because like Kyle was, James is relentless. That excellent effort will allow him to impact like Kyle did for years especially in the fourth quarter, when his opponents wear down and James keeps going like the energizer bunny. Because James has so much to learn to play Defensive line at a high level, switching over to the other side of the line of scrimmage is something he should think about. Then again, maybe not, if James wants it bad enough, who knows how successful he could be.

STRENGTHS
Brandon is a playmaker. He has good athletic talent to be used up near the line of scrimmage or as a deep safety. He plays up on the line like a linebacker, strong against the run, shedding blocks or blitzing to sack quarterbacks. He can line up in the slot and cover just about any size receiver and he is a good tackler who finishes until he hears the whistle. Brando has the hands to intercept the ball and to play on special teams as a returner or on the cover units. Brandon is decisive and makes plays because he is always around the ball. Brandon will make plays and will be a leader for your defense because of high football IQ and instinctive play on the field.

CONCERNS
Like I always say, you can nitpick just about any player in a draft but I prefer not to. I guess some teams will look at Brandon’s lack of size but I just look at how he plays on film. To me, not being over 6 feet is not a requirement to play in the NFL. Others think differently.

BOTTOM LINE 1.83
Brandon measured at the combine at 5’ 11” 198 lbs. On film, I watched him in coverage against the LSU receivers in the slot and he was stride for stride with them so I know despite the fact he didn’t work out that he has the speed and quickness to cover most receivers. I watched him up on the line playing like linebacker shedding blocks, making tackles, causing fumbles and sacking the quarterback, so I know he has an excellent burst to the play and is strong enough to play linebacker at the college level. I watched him tackle a receiver and cause a fumble and I have watched him return a punt for big yardage so you tell me, what more, could you ask for from a safety? I guess the answer is two more inches. All I can tell you is, look at Rob’s value board to find out what round this 1st round talent, is likely to be selected in and get ready for some fireworks. Brandon has the talent to make plays and create turnovers and I have to think that if he was two inches taller, his playmaking ability would not increase at all. I just don’t think that causing fumbles, making interceptions, shredding blocks, making open-field tackles, returning punts has anything to do with a player’s height. But I do think all those skills have a direct correlation with the size of a player’s heart, competitiveness, football IQ and instincts along with solid athletic talent. But Height…not so much.

STRENGTHS
Damon has the size, strength, athletic talent and tackling skills to play more than one position in your defensive backfield. He is smart and can be used in both single man coverage or any zone scheme. Damon is a physical defensive back who thrives in the red zone against those big receivers. He has the athletic talent and high football IQ to play up, near the line of scrimmage or in the slot or as a deep safety. He does a good job reading receivers and using the sidelines to outmaneuver receivers to that ball. He has good enough hands to intercept the ball and the vision on run it back all the way, eluding tacklers on the way. This kid is a secrete weapon for your defense and the smart team that selects him and uses all of his talents correctly will benefit greatly.

CONCERNS
Damon may not be the best “pure” corner in this draft but he will be one of the most valuable Defensive Backs. He lacks the makeup speed when he gets beat but, he very rarely allows himself to get beat. Right now, he is more of a “union” Cornerback. He just wants to do his job, mind his own business and be left alone, at least that’s how he plays on the field. Damon acts like the child who never gets the credit he deserves and although it has not affected his play it has affected his leadership ability and stunted his growth to be efficient at other positions.

BOTTOM LINE 1.47
Now let’s get it straight, Damon has more talent than he is showing and that is purely an opinion, based on conjecture and film study and nothing else. I think Damon has the skills and talent to play more than one position and is not showing it because he feels slighted by the attention of others on the team. Again, this is all conjecture, based on film study and body language and nothing else. I could be wrong but, I think Damon is the best Defensive Back on this team because he can play more than one position. He may not be the best pure corner or the best athlete, but he is better overall because he is smart and understands HOW to play the cornerback position. He may not have the upside that others have on this team but he does have the skills for longevity because he has the size, tackling skills and high football IQ along with solid athletic talent. Remember what I always say, it takes more than talent to play in the NFL. In most cases, I will rate players who can play multiple positions higher than most others because I know that when a coach is fired a new system comes in and if your talent, doesn’t measure up to that new system than you will be cut or traded. If you can play more than one position than in most cases you can play in more than one style or system and that means you are more valuable. Remember, Value trumps Talent when it comes to the draft. We are not drafting Olympic Athletes and track stars, we are selecting football players and Damon is a football player and should be a dam good one.

STRENGTHS
Jordan has excellent size, natural strength, and overall athletic talent to play Defensive Tackle in a 4/3 Defense or any one of the defensive line positions in a 3/4 Defense. He has those long arms that make it easy for him to control his blocker and shed and make tackles in the hole. He has the athleticism to be used in a one-gap attack system, being a disrupting force in the backfield and making tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Jordan has solid change of direction skills to finish his pass rush and make the sack. He also has the athletic talent and foot speed to chase quarterbacks out of the pocket and make tackles. What Jordan brings to his game most of all is, the ability to come off the ball at a good pad level and his natural strength, to control the line of scrimmage.

CONCERNS
Jordan can dominate when he is used over the center but struggles with consistency in his play when used on the outside especially controlling his gap. Most of this inconsistency is because Jordan seems confused with what is expected of him when playing outside as a DE in the 3/4 defense but when playing over the center he understands exactly what is expected of him and that’s when he shows his dominating strength, athletic talent and overall ability to control the line of scrimmage.

BOTTOM LINE 1.86
What do I mean by, when Jordan plays on the outside he seems to be confused as to what is expected of him? Jordan is a big, naturally powerful, athletic player. He is not a finesse player. He is not a pass rusher who uses quickness and speed and flashy moves coming around the corner to sack the quarterback. He is a power rusher who uses good hand skills and does one quick move at the line of scrimmage that gets him quickly into the backfield on a direct line, to sack the quarterback, or tackle the running back, or to get into the passing lane and put his hands up to knock down a pass. It a mental issue that a lot of young defensive lineman get confused about because at the college level they have some success using finesse to get into the backfield because they are better athletes than the players they are going up against. At the next level, Jordan will be more of a grunt player who impacts come with dominating the line of scrimmage while others make plays. If Jordan can change his mindset and understand that, then he can become a dominating Defensive Lineman in the NFL because he has the size, athletic talent, natural strength to do it , especially if he is used over the center on passing downs. I pity that quarterback and center if the team that selects him uses him that way because he will eat their lunch all game long.

STRENGTHS
James might be the smartest receiver in this large and impressive receiver draft. I know he’s the best blocker and I know by being the smartest receiver, that’s how he gets separation when he runs his routes. James has talent and size and his upper body strength is impressive. He has good foot quickness and solid speed along with excellent eye/hand coordination to catch the ball in contested situations. But what allows him to get separation is his high football IQ and attention to detail. James reminds me a lot of a former Steelers receiver Hines Ward. Both players had solid talent to play the game but what set Hines apart from others was the blocking that he did on every play, even when the play was not to his side of the field. James has taken a page from the Hines Ward book of receiving by setting up his route running off his explosive blocking techniques. James has the ability and skills along with a high football IQ to become something special.

CONCERNS
James has average athletic talent, average speed, quickness, and size. So, teams looking for more explosive athletic talent will not be impressed with James’s overall athletic talent. James also needs to work on his hands, right now he has too many drops. That being said, the drop issue has nothing to do with him not having the eye/hand coordination to catch the ball. He is just trying to be too cute. trying to deceive the defender as to when he is ready to catch the ball in the middle of running his route. Trust me James will work on this and he will improve.

BOTTOM LINE 2.47
James explosive, jolting type of blocking is the key to his success for the next level. He blocks on every play and he hits his defender on every play, knocking them back and making his defender off balance. So, you tell me, what are you to do if you are the defender? I can tell you this if I was defending, I would not take my eyes off James for fear he would lay me out on the ground. I am also not looking into the backfield ready to jump routes because all I am thinking about is James blocking me. And if I am in zone coverage, I’m still waiting for him to come out to me and block me because that’s what he does on every play, zone or man coverage. If I know I’m more athletic than James, and can make plays against him, James intimidates me enough, to make his athletic talent equal to mine and that is why James is one of the smartest receivers in this draft. James makes his opponents on every play, run or pass, to his side or not to his side, think that he is going to block them and put them on the ground. That is how he gets separation when he runs his routes. Defensive backs are off-balanced and intimidated and all they think about is James and what he is going to do instead of what they should be doing. James will get deep when it is needed, and he will be open to moving the chains, and he will impact in the red zone and its all because defenders will have no idea if he is going to explode into them with a jarring block or run a route that gets him free. It’s a head game and James like Hines Ward will be in his opponent’s head all game long and on every play.

STRENGTHS
KJ has the speed and quickness to be a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties playing in the slot. He is quick and when running free through a defense on crossing routes he will challenge a Defensive Coordinator to use a man to man defense freeing up his teammate receivers. He can adjust to the ball in the air and has the hands to make catches that are not necessarily on target. KJ is the type of receiver from the slot that can stretch a defense because of his speed when matched up against those linebackers and safeties. He is a willing blocker and gives good effort on every play and has the “team attitude” you would expect from every player who you select in a draft. KJ has been an impact player for his college team when he plays in the slot and reminds me a lot of former Giants receiver Victor Cruz.

CONCERNS
KJ has a small catch radius and that has nothing to do with his size. He is also, more quick than fast, so putting him on the outside against those fast CB’s and expecting him to catch the deep ball and run routes on the outside that he hasn’t run yet, is asking way too much from him at this point in his career. If KJ wants to move outside and be more than a slot receiver or used as an “in motion” receiver, he has to learn to run the route tree. He also has to develop and get more physical, improve his catch radius, learn how to get off press coverages, and catch contested passes against bigger, stronger and as fast or faster cornerbacks than he is.

BOTTOM LINE 4.06
The two things I look for in a slot receiver is how well do they block, and how big their catch radius is. Most of them can get open but can they catch a ball that is on them quick, down low, up high, behind them, and when the ball is deflected? Most teams look for speed or quickness and the big play but I know a slot receiver has to be able to make the catch close to the line of scrimmage, first. A slot receiver has to be able to catch the ball that helps the QB when he is under duress and before that QB can set up to make a pass. KJ has good hands but his catch radius is very small and he also needs to understand about blitzes better and understand the QB position better to be able to understand (like a QB), when and where a defense is attacking the offense. KJ also needs to prove he can take the physical play of the slot position. The punishment that comes with catching the ball and getting hit by bigger, faster, and players who are ready to take his head off and use it for a soccer ball. KJ can impact in the right system, with the right QB, and if he wants to improve his football IQ. But that means he is not a fit for everyone and I’m sure 32 teams will have him rated differently depending on their offensive systems and needs for a slot receiver who still needs time to develop.

STRENGTHS
Cam reminds me a lot of Eagles, Bills, Chiefs LeSean McCoy. He has the quick feet and that long lean look to his body that makes it easy for him to slip through the line of scrimmage into the open field quickly. He shows on film excellent lateral agility to make players miss him once he gets into an opponent’s backfield or in open space. Cam has long speed and can take it to the end zone if he breaks into the open. He has the talent to be an excellent all-around running back for the team that selects him but as I always say, it takes more than talent to play in the NFL.

CONCERNS
Cam runs high and without much power between the tackles. He has good lateral agility to make a player miss in the open field but once again lacks the quickness with the lateral explosion to make yardage by himself. He has no clue what a route is and what routes he does run, he runs with a lack of attention to detail and consistency. As far as his blocking is concerned, Cam doesn’t think that’s something he should be involved in so his effort is half-assed at best.

BOTTOM LINE 4.56
I don’t think I have ever seen a player walking around on the field, while a play is in progress, as much as Cam does. It’s like he’s out for a morning stroll, watching nature pass him by. After one of his half-assed efforts to block, Cam will stand around while his teammates continue to play until they hear a whistle. He just gives up, right in the middle of it and watches. This style of play is unique to players who are “me” players. Cam has no power in his legs to break tackles and his lack of quickness to hit the hole and make yardage lacks strength, quickness and pad level. That being said, he does have speed and can make players miss him in open space. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and once he gains speed, take it to the house so I guess there is some value to selecting him for some spread option teams. It just wouldn’t be for my team. I’m sure Cam can be effective for some teams that run a spread offense. After all, he does have the talent to catch the ball and to block but, I have never been impressed by “me” players. As I said, he runs well, and has talent similar and looks on the field a lot like LeSean McCoy. To some people LeSean is or was a very good player with a lot of stats and money so, you just never know when it comes to the draft how a player will react and play once they get into the NFL. Or can you?

STRENGTHS
Lloyd has the size to play guard or center for the team that selects him. He is smart and does a good job leading his linemates and understanding blocking schemes. He has solid athletic talents and is quick enough out of his stance to deal with those big nose tackles at the next level. In fact, Lloyd does an excellent job blocking opponents when he is one on one with them. He has the foot quickness to go out to the second level and just enough footspeed to be used on sweeps and screens as well as pulling. He can make all the snaps and when he keeps his pad level down and has the advantage of using his leverage, Lloyd is as hard to move like one of those massive rocks at Stonehenge.

CONCERNS
Lloyd has the athletic talent of a right guard but the high football IQ of a center. Lloyd struggle with consistency when both pass blocking and run blocking. When pass blocking he loses leverage and struggles to move quickly enough laterally. When run blocking he is like a lot of marginal offensive lineman and that is he lacks to keep moving his feet once he is engaged.

BOTTOM LINE 4.06
Although Lloyd can play center mentally, playing it at the next level will be difficult for him athletically. That’s the bad, the good is that he can make all the snaps and mentally has excellent High football IQ. I never pass to many rounds, on players who have High Football IQ because I know they are smart enough to play and minimize their athletic negatives. That being said Lloyds value does override his athletic talent because although I project him as a guard at the next level, in a pinch, and in certain systems, he can play center.

STRENGTHS
Antoine reminds me of Cardinals, Texans, Chiefs Defensive back Tyrann Mathieu. Antoine like Tyrann is an instinctive Defensive Back with excellent, athletic talent to play more than one position in the Defensive Backfield. He is a quick-twitch athletic, with excellent foot quickness along with the unique combination of speed and quickness that only a few athletes possess. Antoine is a ball hawk with the hands to intercept the ball as good as any receiver in this draft. Those competent hands also lend themselves to returning punts and along with his return and special Teams skills will add value to his overall game that should be attractive to all 32 teams. Because Antoine is an instinctive and aggressive tackler, he can play up near the line of scrimmage, supporting the run and in coverages against those pesky running backs coming out of the backfield. He can and will fight through blocks and make tackles on sweeps and screens because he anticipates and understands blocking assignments of his opponents on offense. Antoine is one of the better Defensive Backs/ safeties in this draft.

CONCERNS
Antione is vertically challenged and as far as most NFL teams are concerned, this along with some medicals and injuries will affect his draft status. Not for me, but for them.

BOTTOM LINE 1.83
Size matters in the Draft but like I always say, size doesn’t matter once a player is on the field. Playmakers on offense and defense come in all different sizes and from players playing all different positions on a football field. The key to being a playmaker is, you have to be on the field and sometimes size makes that difficult because coaches are so enamored by big players and have convinced themselves that only big players make big plays. Budda Baker is 5’ 10” 195 lbs had 104 solo tackles last year and was selected in the 2nd Round of his draft. Tyrann Mathieu at 5’ 9” 190 lbs had 76 solos tackles, 4 interceptions. Antoine Winfield was listed at the combine at 5’ 9” 203 lbs and in a season has had 62 solos tackles and 7 interceptions and returned a punt for a touchdown. Now I know stats do not tell the whole story because if they did they would show everyone the emotional impact Antoine has had for his defense, and that can only be shown by watching the film. I don’t care what size a player is when that player on film, is making those amounts of tackles for your defense. The law of averages that he could get injured will be against that player no matter his size. So, dropping a playmaker because of size or injuries is not very smart business. That being said, even though Antoine is a playmaker on defense, he will be selected later than I have him rated, no doubt. It’s the history of the draft that Antoine and small players like him are fighting. For me, If I needed a safety and this kid was on the board in the 1st round, your dam straight I would select him. I don’t believe in passing on proven playmakers especially on the defensive side of the board.

STRENGTHS
Justin has very good athletic talent to be a Defensive Tackle in a 4/3 system or a Defensive End in a 3/4 system. He also has good quickness off the snap to be used on the nose in passing situations. This makes Justin’s value and talent attractive to all 32 teams in the NFL. He shows good foot quickness to be used for stunts and has the ability to change the line of scrimmage in his favor on almost every down. Justin is solid against the run, working against those big guards and centers, shedding blocks and making tackles in the hole. When coming off the snap he has good pad level keeping his leverage. Justin should be a solid Defensive Lineman at the next level because along with his size and athletic abilities he gives good effort on every play.

CONCERNS
Justin needs a lot of work on being more consistent in every phase of his game. He needs to improve his football IQ on why and how he is being blocked during a play so that he can defeat blocks quicker and not be controlled. He has to keep his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage when defending the run or when his job is to push the pocket on every down. Justin has to build up his hand strength to shed blocks quicker and to better control double teams consistently.

BOTTOM LINE 3.67
Playing defensive line is mostly in the details when you have the size and talent that Justin has. Justin has the talent needed to defend against the run or be a force on passing downs but he has to pay more attention to the details of his position. Understanding down and distance and what teams are trying to accomplish and also understanding how and why he is being blocked so that he can better defeat those offensive linemen is imperative. For example, understanding and anticipating were the double team might come from before the snap, so that Justin can get into his opponents quicker before the double team gets into him and controls him. I could go on but hopefully, you get the drift. Justin has talent athletically and needs to improve his strength and conditioning like most players coming out in the draft but what he needs to improve on is the details of playing his position. When he does he should become more than just a rotational Defensive lineman for the team that selects him. That being said, for the purposes of this draft, Justin has to be projected as a rotational Defensive Lineman because his length till impact (LTI) is further down the road as a starting Defensive Lineman and likely to go beyond his first contract.

STRENGTHS
Marlon has the size to play multiple positions in specific down and distance situations. He has the long arms needed to shed blocks and make tackles and the burst off the line to shoot gaps and cause havoc in the backfield of his opponents. Marlon gives good effort on every play and is smart and shows leadership skills through his play on the field. He is an excellent teammate giving up personal playmaking ability to make his teammates around him better. He is proud and will do the grunt work moving to different positions even when he is overmatched. Marlon is a quality defensive player who should become a core player and a fan favorite for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Marlon doesn’t have the bulk and strength to play inside and lacks the quickness to play on the outside. His techniques are all screwed up and he struggles to be consistent with those techniques. The team that selects him will need a plan to establish Marlon’s best position to impact for the next level. I have no doubt, that Marlon can be very effective if the plan is right.

BOTTOM LINE 2.33
Here’s the plan, you either bulk Marlon up and play him inside or you ask him to lose some weight, get down to the 280 LB’s area and hope his quickness off the line of scrimmage will help him to become a power pass rusher similar to Michael Strahan or JJ Watt. I’m not suggesting that Marlon can become as impacting as those two were and are, I’m saying he can play the same style of game as those two players. How impacting he can become is up to him. Personally, my plan would be, to ask him to lose weight and use his athletic quickness off the line, along with learning some solid pass-rushing techniques to become an impact power pass rusher because he is excellent against the run right now. He can and will be able to add weight and could be a good rotational defensive tackle but I believe just buy his play on film that he has been wasted on his college team playing all of the different line positions inside and out and it has set him back in his ability to play one position consistently. But that’s just me talking to myself. Marlon is a quality football player and should become a core player and a fan favorite because he will do anything he can, play any position asked of him to make his teammates around him better. Give Marlon some time and one position to learn and I think he could become something special.