Category: 2020 Player Profiles

STRENGTHS
Michael is a big body receiver with solid speed and those soft yet strong, “absorbing type” hands to catch just about everything thrown to him. He can move the chains on third downs and against zone coverages and has the ability to go long and make the dramatic catch. He is smart and will go over the middle and make the tough catch when he knows the safety is ready to hit him like a Train wreck. Michael is a willing and good blocker and will even block when the play is not coming to his side. Inside the red zone, Michael shines with his ability to adjust to the ball in the air and because of his height, (6’4”) and long arms his advantage to go up and get the ball makes him a weapon on any pass route you could think of at any point on the field.

CONCERNS
Michael, at the next level, will struggle to free himself up deep, against single coverage. That being said when going deep he is smart and will use his body to shield his defender from the ball. He does struggle to bring in those low passes and that’s to be expected because of his long strides

BOTTOM LINE 2.28
Michael has excepted and will go to the Senior Bowl this year. That is where he will be able to improve his ability to run routes against man to man coverage and get deep but even if that continues to be an issue I believe Michael will be an impact receiver for the team that selects him no matter what round he is selected in. He reminds me a lot of former Broncos/Jets receiver Eric Decker. In this draft there are a lot of good and flashy receivers and Michael might get lost in the shuffle (so to speak) but that will not affect his ability to impact on the field, especially in the red zone with his size and pass-catching talents. The truth is, Michael is the type of receiver who is perfect for the NFL. A big body, pass-catching “absorbing hands”, type of receiver that every team and quarterback needs to have a successful passing game. I guess you could call him “Absorbing Jr.” instead of Michael Pittman Jr?

STRENGTHS
Chase is another one of those big body receivers who could be a nightmare to cover in the red zone. He shows, good hands to catch the ball and of course, that big body and long arms and legs to have the advantage most receivers could only dream about having. He has excellent overall athletic talent and can adjust to the ball in the air and make the tough catch. Chase has better than average speed and quickness for a big body receiver and I believe has tremendous upside to every aspect of his game on the field. Chase is just now discovering his ability to impact the game of football at the college level.

CONCERNS
There is no part of Chase’s overall game that he can’t improve on. From speed work to more strength work, to learning how to run routes correctly and being able to gain separation better. He seems to think that blocking is not in the job description of a receiver. Chase right now is just bigger than everyone else and it seems like his play reflects the attitude that he really doesn’t have to be perfect on the field to be good.

BOTTOM LINE 2.33
Chase has been invited and excepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl and this is a very good thing for him. Hopefully, Chase can show off his tremendous talent and also realize how much harder he will have to work to reach his full potential. His route running is rudimental to say the least, and his ability to get off the line will be challenged in that full week of practice. If he shows improvement from day to day and does not peak and then show no improvement, Chase could push himself into the latter part of the first round. If he shows the hidden speed that I think he might have he could be the talk of the Senior Bowl. The real key for Chase to establish in that week of the Senior Bowl practices is, his work ethic. If Chase can make teams understand that he feels he is just now understanding his own talents and is now, willing to work harder than he has ever worked in his life than Chase can and will become a franchise impact receiver for the team that selects him. If he can’t establish that work ethic than Chase will become a boom or bust type of player. For me personally, I would be happy to select Chase in the 2nd Round of this draft because work ethic or not this kid has a long way to go before he can become the impact receiver his talents suggest he can become, but I do like his potential to be a better and a more consistent impact player, then he has been at the college level. Of course, he will have to come up with a really good answer in his interviews for why he thinks he doesn’t have to block for his teammates and it better be a good one.

STRENGTHS
AJ is a big powerful defensive lineman. He has a solid overall athletic talent to play inside or on the outside in a 3-4 offense. He has this unique ability to make plays the most when his team needs it and seems to get stronger and quicker as the game goes on showing excellent physical stamina and therefore a solid work ethic. AJ is stout against the run and does an excellent job playing in a 2gap system. He has the size to play more that one position on your defensive line inside or outside depending on down and distance. With his size and long arms AJ has the ability to develop into an outstanding defensive lineman but he still has some work to do.

CONCERNS
AJ is limited athletically but that did not stop JJ Watt and if AJ will get serious and learn to become more explosive off the line and better hand techniques he has the potential to be just as impacting. Right now, he is a tweener for the next level. He doesn’t have the foot speed and flexibility to be a pass rusher on the outside and lacks the hand fighting techniques and bulk to be used on the inside. That being said there is no reason at all that AJ can’t become a power pass rusher very much like Watt became if he gets more serious about intensifying his workouts and become more explosive off the line of scrimmage. Otherwise, you have drafted your self a solid defensive lineman but not a dominating one as he has been at the college level.

BOTTOM LINE 2.22
I see what I see, it’s not personal to me or though I suspect it is very personnel to AJ All I can tell you is that he needs a kick in the buttocks to improve past the level he is right now. That level is fine for college but if he wants to impact at the next level he has to up his game. That means to stop this macho garbage of engaging and then throwing his opponent to the side to make tackles. At the next level, he has to use hand techniques to shed blocks and make tackles. I know he can use the correct techniques because in the fourth quarter when his team needs a sack he does it. When his team needs a stop at the line of scrimmage…he does that also. I see the potential to play above his athletic talent but I don’t see it all the time. I’m not suggesting the effort isn’t there on every play or that he is not trying but I am suggesting that he has a lot to improve on if he wants to impact at the next level as he has at the college level because he is limited athletically. JJ Watt came out and made himself even better than he was with his limited athletic ability and I know if AJ works as hard as Watt did that he can too but for the purposes of this draft, what you see is what you get with AJ and that is a solid defensive lineman and not necessary an impact one unless…. He works as hard as Watt has to become more explosive off the line of scrimmage and improves in every facet of his game.

STRENGTHS
Raekwon is an athletic wonder. He has excellent size and athletic talents along with natural strength to dominate every opponent he goes up against. He has the athletic talent, size, and natural strength to demand a double team from his opponents on every down and distance. Raekwon is a natural oversize athlete. He shows on film the lateral agility and strength to be stout against the run along with the agility to outmaneuver his opponent and rush the passer. Raekwon has remarkable athletic talent for his size and if that athletic talent ever shows up on the field he would be considered a top-five pick in any draft but alas…it has never shown up.

CONCERNS
Disappointment, I can’t even begin to express the amount of disappointment I have in Raekwon’s play on the field. Even his stats suggest this… more assisted tackles (27) than solo tackles (18). This means he getting there too late AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL. He is 6’ 7” 312lbs and athletic, and he has a half of a sack in 2019. Oh, and guess what he had in 2018… a half of a sack also. Now that’s consistency. I’m not a big stats guy when it comes to profiling players. I don’t profile by stats, I profile by what I see on the film but if I see a highly rated player not performing to anticipated standards I will go to their stats to see if I’m missing something. I’m sorry to say I’m not missing anything when he comes to Raekwon. I don’t believe he really wants to play football because it seems by his play on the field that it’s just a means to an end.

BOTTOM LINE 4.83
I hope that Raekwon gets so mad at this profile that he wants to get on an NFL field and prove me wrong with sacks and tackles and tackles for losses. If that happens I will personally go to him, print out this profile, wad it up and invite him to shove it down my throat. Nothing would make me happier for that to happen but alas, I don’t believe it will. Raekwon is just getting by. He will be drafted, because his size and workout numbers will demand it and because there will be NFL coaches who will say that they think they can “coach him up”. Of course, to that BS I will say, “are you kidding me, this kid has been on a team that has one of the best college coaches and you think you can coach him up”? Like I stated before, Raekwon is a disappointment but I don’t think he feels that way and that ladies and gentleman is the crux of the whole problem. Raekwon WILL be selected in this draft and that’s another problem, he shouldn’t be. Anyone with this type of size and athletic talent that plays like he really would prefer to be somewhere else is just taking up space. I’ll be waiting for Raekwon and believe me when I say, I hope we meet, and you have proven me wrong but somehow, I doubt it will happen. FYI. I have printed this profile out, waded it up and it now sits on my office desk in anticipation of that day that somehow I know will never happen.

STRENGTHS
Yetur has good size and the natural strength to become an excellent all-around defensive lineman for the team that selects him. He is stout against the run and has a good enough burst off the line to become an effective pass rusher. Yetur has those long legs that allow him to cover a lot of ground quickly and get into his opponent’s backfield shocking offensive lineman and luring them into making mistakes against him. Because of his natural strength, Yetur is more of a power pass rusher than a finesse rusher with the hand quickness that surprises offensive lineman. Yetur has more to learn but with a team that has good coaching and a good strength and conditioning program, Yetur has the upside and potential similar to former Defensive lineman Julius Peppers.

CONCERNS
Yetur has to become more consistent in all aspects of his game. His pass-rushing moves need refining and his play against the run needs better understanding of how offensive lineman are moving him out of his gap assignment and how to hand fight better when that happens. He also looks on film to lack the passion in his overall play and aggressiveness needed to reach the impact player his talents suggest he can become.

BOTTOM LINE 2.00
Although Yetur has similar potential as Julius Peppers, right now he is not playing up to his potential much less the play of Peppers. He lacks consistency and passion in his overall play and although he has made impact plays on defense for his team he has not shown the consistency to make more impact plays. I’m not suggesting that he takes plays off but I am suggesting that he seems to not play to the whistle. In this draft, I suspect Yetur will be selected earlier than I have him rated and I understand that because he has excellent potential and upside and like I suggested earlier, right coach, right program and given the time, Yetur could become an impact player and selecting potential impact players is what the draft is all about.

STRENGTHS
Prince has excellent overall athletic talent along with the size and strength to be a dominating offensive lineman. He shows on film, solid lateral agility, and solid foot quickness to be effective when pass blocking or run blocking. He is tall but comes off the line when run blocking, with a quick burst getting into his opponent quickly with a strong upper body. Prince is smart and uses solid techniques to minimize his athletic limitations to play his position brought on by his natural height reported (as of this writing) to be 6’ 7”. Prince in the right system and playing the right position should become a solid offensive lineman for the team that selects him.

CONCERNS
Prince is an aggressive run blocker and because of his physic that aggressiveness sometimes overpowers his techniques and he will fall off blocks. He is tight in the hips and that affects his change of direction to block out in space. Using him to pull or to block on sweeps and screens will be a 50/50 proposition and, the type of blocking system that will magnify his lack of ability to change direction quickly and make blocks. He struggles losing leverage when getting bull-rushed and needs to work on his lower body strength and techniques to get better. Prince might be too big to move into guard and not fluid enough to be a tackle.

BOTTOM LINE 2.13
Prince has the straight-line, foot quickness and solid lateral agility along with a high football IQ to work with him at the tackle position. He does an excellent job of turning his hips and pushing his man up the field when he is beat on a pass rush but as a tackle that still leaves a lot of open space for him to get beat and to crush his quarterback. His talents and aggressive run blocking and solid pass blocking fit the guard position more than the tackle position for the next level and as a guard, if he can keep his pad level low enough not to get out leveraged, then I have no doubt of his potential to be a pro bowl guard. Selecting Prince early is not a bad choice but selecting him early with the thought process that he will be an excellent Left Tackle as he has been at the college level might be more than he can handle physically. So, I say, selecting Prince is a smart move but selecting him with a closed mind as to the position he will play for you is a dumb move. I’m not saying he can’t play tackle, all I’m saying is keep an open mind and let this kid show you in his play on the field what the best position is for him. He reminds me a lot of #Bears OG Kyle Long who was selected and assumed he would be a tackle because of his height but finally the Bears after trying to fit a square peg into a round hole settled on playing guard.

STRENGTHS
Chase is an impact defensive player who can change the outcome of a game with a strip-sack, an interception on a swing pass, a tackle for a loss on a third down play or just a scowl from the bench to an opposing quarterback. He is the triggerman for a dominating college defense. He has the size, athletic talent, and high football IQ to play more than one position in your defensive front and in multiple defensive systems but attacking the line of scrimmage is where he can truly show his dominating skills. Chase has Kahlil Mack type pass-rushing talent and Lawrence Taylor type dominating linebacker talent. He has quick feet, strong hands and the flexibility to turn the corner on sacks with the body strength and leverage that is more than any offensive tackle can handle one on one. Chase is a Franchise Defensive player. You select him and build your defensive around him and never look back. He will be your team’s triggerman to your new dominating defense for sure.

CONCERNS
The biggest concern you will have is how to replace his talent and impact on your defense if and when he gets injured. Of course, that’s no reason not to draft him.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.34
If your team needs a franchise quarterback and instead selects Chase I would have to say don’t worry about it because you don’t need a franchise quarterback if this kid is on your defense. All you need is a solid quarterback and some good play calling to score points and let Chase (the triggerman) do the rest. Chase is not just a pass rusher; he plays the run with the strength and leverage of any good defensive lineman. His pass-rushing skills are what we see but his overall game and his ability to work with his teammates in the front seven are what impresses me. He does not run around just making flashy plays he works within the context of the defensive game plan and picks his spots to impact very much like former Buffalo Bills great Bruce Smith. I expect Chase will impact his team’s defense at the next level the same way Bruce Smith impacted his team’s defense. It’s very rare that in a draft I would select a potential defensive lineman over a potential franchise quarterback if I had the need at both positions but there are exceptions to every rule and there are potential franchise quarterbacks in just about every draft but Chase is that rare exception to my rule of never passing on a franchise quarterback if you need one. Unless Chase has some off-field issues that would make me downgrade him over a quarterback I would say the rule be dammed. Select Chase and don’t look back. Isn’t it obvious!

STRENGTHS
Justin has excellent size and athletic talent to play his position at a high level. He has the arm strength to make all the throws and the talent to extend plays in and out of the pocket. Justin looks to have the respect of his coaches and the players around him. Justin has had a successful college career in this style of offense. He has started in a lot of games and taken a lot of snaps and this should help him in his workouts and at the next level.

CONCERNS
Although Justin has a lot of experience playing his position his lack of instincts and moxie along with a lack of leadership skills in adverse situations is lacking. He does a good job getting his teammates in the right positions to run plays but lacks the understanding that if plays do not work as they do in practice that he is the one on the field that has to find a way to make them work. In short, Justin is too robotic

TALENT BOARD ROUND 3.17
With all the experience that Justin has, it shocks how robotic he is with just running plays and thinking that’s all that needs to be done. Justin will run the same play, the same way, without understanding that sometimes the hot receiver is not the hot receiver because of the defense he is up against. He will do the same progressions on that play every single time it is called. He has to understand that once a play is called from the sidelines the play is his play and the success or failure is all his. Justin has to learn that sometimes you change the progression of that play depending on the changes of a defense. You just don’t run the play the way it was called all the time. This is what is called instincts and in my opinion, this is what Justin seems to lack. This year it’s almost like he was just running plays to run plays. If they didn’t work, they didn’t work and he had no clue as to why. I know I’m out on a limb here in suggesting this because I’m not on the field but I see what I see and at this point I see Justin lacking the instincts and moxie and overall leadership skills that are required for the next level. Until he gains those attributes he will struggle being consistent and getting his team above an 8and 8 record.

STRENGTHS
Joe has “Peyton Manning” type of football intellect. He has the size and arm strength to make all the throws and the athletic talent and moxie to manipulate the pocket and extend plays. He will run for first downs but the strength of his game is working from the pocket. Joe has the needed arm strength in the Red Zone to make the difficult pass and although he is not adept at throwing from different angles I suspect when it’s needed he will do just that, successfully. Joe shows excellent leadership skills, leading talent on the field these last two years that never seem to achieve the level expected of them in years past. Joe has the talent to become a franchise quarterback for the team that selects him in this draft.

CONCERNS
Joe will have to work more on his mechanics to gain even more arm strength. I just wrote that because I really have nothing much to write negatively except he has to continue to improve in all phases just like any other quarterback coming out.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.36
I have this draft saying, “When you see the obvious, you draft the obvious.” I don’t believe in negatively nitpicking the obvious and second-guessing yourself out of, selecting the obvious. It’s obvious to me that Joe has all that is required to be a top quarterback at the next level and should develop into a franchise quarterback because of his leadership skills. I’m sure there is some “media expert” out there that will tell you all about how he holds the ball wrong or his hands are small or he might be pigeon-toed and that will affect his ability to make first downs on his own. I’m sure they will say how he looks thin or is not muscular or compare him to other quarterbacks who run faster and jump higher. I’m not going to do that. All I’m going to do is tell you is, if your favorite team needs a potential franchise quarterback than you need to get in your car, drive to their stadium office, pound on the door and show them this profile. No team should be nitpicking this type of athletic talent along with “Peyton Manning” type football intellect if they need a quarterback in the top ten of this draft… No team!

STRENGTHS
Isaiah is a multi-talented, multi-position, impact defensive player who can play in any style of defense. He has excellent athletic talent to cover opponents in the passing game, to rush the passer on the line of scrimmage and to play on or off the line in your front seven. Isaiah has the burst and speed along with the change of direction skills that are unique in his size and strength player. He has those long arms that will allow him to sit on the hip of his opponent when in single coverage and knock down passes against those tall pass-catching Tight Ends and bigger slot receivers. Isaiah is a pass-rushing nightmare of a matchup because of his quickness and flexibility when on the line of scrimmage and has the speed to be used off the line in blitz packages also. Isaiah reminds me a lot of Los Angles Charges Derwin James and if used the same way he will be just as impacting. Isaiah plays the game with the speed, strength, and wingspan of a vulture, silently hunting its prey until it is successful.

CONCERNS
Isaiah will struggle when used as a Linebacker who is expected to take on big offensive linemen and shed them to make tackles. He needs to work free and in the open field to impact. He is the type of player you move around your defense to impact therefore he has to have a high football IQ. As far as I can tell he does but sometimes it takes some time to be free enough mentally in a new system to impact.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 1.36
Defensive players with this type of size and athletic talent to do just about anything you ask of them on the field are few and far between. When Derwin James came out in his draft I listed him on my talent board as THE very best player in that draft. It would not surprise me if in this draft Isaiah after his workouts, is listed on many team’s boards as the very best player in this draft. I know that’s a bold statement considering some of the talents in this draft but the truth is Isaiah’s ability to play anywhere in a team’s front seven and also in the defensive backfield makes his value along with that talent and size almost too much to pass up. Not many teams in the NFL have a vulture on their roster so the temptation will be there to be the first team to select Isaiah for sure.

STRENGTHS
Derrick is a solid Defensive Lineman who has the athletic talent to play multiple positions in your front four. He does a solid job against both the run and the pass taking up double teams that allow others in the front seven to make plays. Derrick shows excellent effort on every play changing the line of scrimmage in his favor when he is being blocked one on one and also against the double teams and this is one of the most important attributes a defensive tackle with Derrick’s size and strength needs to have to be successful at the next level. Derrick should become a core player for the team that selects him because of his talent, work ethic, and mental strength.

CONCERNS
Derrick has to improve his overall techniques and increase his football intelligence on how and why he is being blocked by an offensive lineman. He has to learn to shed blocks quicker, get his hands up more consistency, keep his shoulders square to the line of scrimmage and not allow double teams and single blocks to turn him off his point of attack easily. Derrick also has to learn better hand usage and when pushing the pocket the timing in getting his hands up and not getting pushed off his line to the quarterback being moved off the quarterbacks passing lanes. Right now Derrick doesn’t have the balance and change of direction skills to be a pass-rushing lineman but that doesn’t mean that Derrick doesn’t have the ability to be effective on passing downs. It just means he still has to learn the intricate techniques of his position to be effective on passing downs.

TALENT BOARD ROUND 3.28
I love Defense lineman and offensive lineman. To me, they are the key to having a great team. That being said, for the purposes of this draft Derrick most likely will be considered as a rotation player until he learns more consistency in every phase of his game. When he does (and I have no doubt that he will), he could be a pro bowl defensive lineman for the team that selects him. His work ethic, effort on every down and play along with his size and overall athletic talent dictate that to me.