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| 01 |
Matt Elam SS, Florida |
5-10 |
202 |
5.8 F |
Full Scouting Report |
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Scouting Report:
STRENGTHS - Elam is well built which allows him to withstand the type of punishment he dishes out himself. When he commits to the ball carrier he is capable of delivering huge hits and dislodging the ball. He takes good angles of pursuit on run fits and generally puts himself in proper position to make plays. In press coverage he is physical with his with his man and does not allow free releases off the LOS or out of breaks.
WEAKNESSES - Elam is short for his position which makes him an immediate mismatch vs. TEs in coverage. He lacks the long speed needed to consistently cover in space and does not possess the explosiveness needed to break and close effectively from off and zone coverages. He appears to struggle with instincts in coverage as he is consistently a beat late moving toward the ball when not in press man. Against both the run and pass he sacrifices sure tackles for kill shots and does not consistently bring his feet and wrap up.
SUMMARY - Matt Elam has received a ton of attention media and draft analysts because of his numerous splash plays and huge hits, but he will struggle to make a similar impact at the next level. While he has an excellent build, NFL teams will attack him with much larger TEs in coverage, as he lacks the height and length to consistently compete with bigger, stronger targets. He is not an elite athlete, as he lacks the speed and burst to consistently make plays from off the ball, and also struggles to consistently locate the ball or read the QB. If he learns to become a more disciplined tackler he has some starter potential because of his toughness against the run, but undersized, average athletes rarely start at safety in the NFL.
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| 02 |
Shawn Williams SS, Georgia |
6-1 |
217 |
5.5 I |
Full Scouting Report |
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Scouting Report:
STRENGTHS - Extremely intelligent Williams consistently reads the play correctly and ends up around the ball. He is a muscular and well built safety who looks the part "on the hoof." Able to read the QB/Pass well he shows the ability to plant, drive and close quickly on passes in front of him to make good, fundamental tackle right after the catch. He flashes the ability to get out to the sideline to help the cornerback with over-the-top coverage. His smarts and awareness help him avoid making coverage errors and enables him to consistently carry out his responsibility/assignment. When he comes up quickly in run support, he flashes the ability to bend his knees and make strong hits/tackles. Williams outstanding character, intangibles and smarts definitely increase his draft value.
WEAKNESSES - Williams is a frustrating player because he looks the part and is a good athlete, but does not make many plays. Too often he is a beat late getting to the play and ends up around the ball and not making the tackle. While he will tackle when in position, he does not fly up the field aggressively in run support and seems content to let teammates make tackle while he acts as the last line of defense. Although he has good range in coverage, he does not make big plays and often just ends up making tackles outside after the receiver catches the ball. He is much more of a smooth, fluid athlete who lacks explosiveness and is not a quick twitch athlete who can change directions quickly to stay with TE's/RB's out of their breaks. Although he has good straight line speed, he does not move through traffic/tight-quarters well, which limits his ability to consistently chase down plays in pursuit.
SUMMARY - Williams was a disappointing player to evaluate because despite his physical talent, smarts and instincts, he does not make as many plays or change games very often. At times he come sup quickly on passes and in run support to make strong, physical tackles/hits, but more often than not in the games evaluated he was around the play and not making the play. I think that with Williams intangibles he will do whatever it takes to carve out a career in the NFL, which is why he will excel on special teams while developing as a safety. Overall, I believe Williams is going to be drafted higher than I have him rated because he is a better athlete than football player and will workout well at the Combine and his pro day. However, I did not see enough consistent play-making to make me believe he can be a productive starting safety in the NFL. I think he will turn out to be an excellent third/backup safety who can spot start and makes his living on special teams.
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| 03 |
Phillip Thomas SS, Fresno State |
6-1 |
215 |
4.9 F |
Full Scouting Report |
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Scouting Report:
STRENGTHS - Thomas is a fluid athlete that can maintain spacing in transition out of his pedal as well as break down in space. While he isn't physical in man coverage, he does an excellent job of timing his jump to either reach around and bat down the pass or cut the route off to make the interception. He does an outstanding job of playing the ball in the air, as he demonstrates the ability to consistently pluck the ball away from his frame and transition upfield quickly after the interception.
WEAKNESSES - On film, Thomas looks smaller than listed, and he also plays like a smaller man. He is not a physical player in press coverage, and against the run he consistently leaves his feet and tries to make arm tackles, often resulting in clean misses. He struggles to take on and disengage blockers, and does not use his hands well to keep them from locking on. In zone coverage he appears lost at times, as he struggles to get proper depth and is slow to react to receivers through his area, and does not read the QB consistently. While he's a fluid athlete, he lacks explosiveness closing from off the ball and lacks the long speed to stay with backs and slot receivers in space.
SUMMARY - Its easy to get excited by looking at a safety's stat line and seeing eight INTs as a senior, but Thomas' film unfortunately tells a very different story. While he is a fluid athlete in transition he is not a quick twitch athlete, and struggles to break and close effectively from off the ball in time to play the ball. He also lacks the long speed to cover in space, and cannot be relied upon to consistently cover slot receivers in man to man. When in position he does an excellent job of timing his breaks and playing the ball in the air, but too often from zone coverage he struggles to identify assignments and does not get proper depth when starting in the box. He also is a poor player against the run, as he is not competitive against blockers and tends to whiff on arm tackles by leaving his feet and targeting runners too low. If Thomas does not improve his instincts in zone coverage or production against the run, he is unlikely to ever become more than a backup at the NFL level.
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| 04 |
Drew Frey SS, Cincinnati |
6-3 |
212 |
4.8 I |
Full Scouting Report |
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Scouting Report:
STRENGTHS - A quick and agile safety, Frey has a good, compact backpedal. Able to stay over feet and under control in pedal is what enables him to transition quickly out of pedal to close fast on passes in front of him. Blessed with quick feet he accelerates to full speed fast and the has playing speed to have sideline range against the run and in coverage. Instinctive and aware, Frey consistently reads and reacts quickly and is able to make plays all over the field. Able to flip hips without losing a step, Frey can stay on tight end's hip all over field in man coverage. An aggressive player, Frey flashes the willingness to come up the field fast in run support and shows no hesitation trying to make a hard/violent hit/tackle. With his acceleration, speed and willingness to hit, Frey has what it takes to be effective on special teams.
WEAKNESSES - Although Frey flashes a willingness to try and make hard hits, he has a very bad habit of going for the knockout hit rather than wrapping up, which leads to him missing too many tackles for the last line of defense. While he has good playing speed, if he allows separation in coverage he lacks the explosive burst to get back into good coverage position. These struggles to recover make me leery that he can be an effective man coverage safety in the NFL. Willingness to take on blockers aggressively is a positive sign, but he must get quicker shedding blocks to be a productive defender.
SUMMARY - A tall safety with good size and deceptive quickness and speed, Frey has the physical talent to at worst be a quality backup safety and high end special teams player. His good instincts and playing speed give him sideline range versus the run and in coverage and combined with his ball skills he has the tools to break up passes thrown in front of him. I love his willingness to come up and make hard hits/tackles in run support, but he has to become a much more consistent tackler if he is going to get on the field on defense in the NFL. Overall, while I would not draft Frey early due to his inconsistent tackling and struggles recovering in man coverage, I think on the third day of the Draft he has value because he could potentially be an excellent third safety and impact special teams player.
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| 05 |
Zeke Motta SS, Notre Dame |
6-2 |
215 |
3.9 F |
Full Scouting Report |
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Scouting Report:
STRENGTHS - Motta has outstanding height, bulk and length for the safety position. Against the run he attacks the LOS with solid base and leverage, and shows the ability to wrap up and drive through the ball carrier to finish tackles. Because of his strong tackling technique he consistently delivers heavy hits in coverage, and has the strength to jar the ball loose on contact. He stays low in his pedal and flashes the foot quickness to transition smoothly into his chase.
WEAKNESSES - Motta is a slow-twitch athlete that lacks the burst and speed to consistently make plays in space. He struggles to pursue plays to the boundary and has to take conservative angles in order to meet the ball carrier on the edge. When in zone coverage he lacks the burst to close effectively from off the ball, and in man coverage he does not display the long speed needed to stay with backs and TE's down-field. At times he takes false steps toward the LOS on PA fakes, and generally seems a beat late moving toward the ball. Although he displays the ability to break down in space, he tends to get flat-footed and struggles to change directions and adjust to moving targets, and consequently misses too many tackles against quick ball carriers with cutback ability.
SUMMARY - Zeke Motta is a classic tweener that will struggle to make an NFL roster because he does not have a natural position for the next level. He lacks the speed and explosiveness need to break and close effectively in off and zone coverage, and also struggles to stay with targets downfield when lined up in press man. While he possesses the height, bulk and natural strength of a TE he is still too undersized to be considered for a transition to LB. Also complicating a potential position change is his suspect instincts, as from a safety alignment he struggles to identify the ball quickly and is consistently a step late to the POA. He is a solid, fundamental tackler when he stays on the balls of his feet, but too often he gets caught on his heels and can't change directions in time to adjust to moving targets. Motta is likely to get a camp opportunity because of his toughness, durability and experience on special teams, but with his athletic limitations he is unlikely to ever become more than a special teams player or emergency backup.
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| 06 |
Robert Lester SS, Alabama |
6-2 |
210 |
3.8 F |
Full Scouting Report |
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Scouting Report:
STRENGTHS - Lester is a well-built man with the height and bulk NFL teams love at the position. He demonstrates the aggressiveness and strength to take on and shed blockers at the POA in time to get involved on run plays. In zone coverage he reads the QB well and is quick to get a beat on his man and close to the boundary. When in position, he flashes the ability to break in front of his man and high point the ball for interceptions.
WEAKNESSES - Lester is a tweener that lacks the growth potential to switch to LB and the athleticism needed to cover in space as a safety. In man coverage he is continually exposed on the break, as he is stiff in transition and lacks the acceleration needed to recover once he loses a step. He struggles to change directions fluidly, and does not have the speed to stay with faster TE's down-field. He also struggles to close on outside runs effectively, and has to take very conservative angles of pursuit. He must become more physical and aggressive when faced with man press situations.
SUMMARY - Robert Lester does not have a natural NFL position and is unlikely to ever make a final roster. He is a slow-twitch athlete that looks stiff changing directions, and does not possess the acceleration needed to recover once beaten or close from off the ball. His poor speed and change of direction limits his effectiveness against faster TEs, making him a liability in all forms of coverage. Despite being an aggressive, physical run defender, he struggles to make plays on the boundary and looks physically maxed out at 220 lbs., making him very undersized for the LB position. While a 43 team could attempt to convert him to a WILL, his athletic limitations even for this position will likely make him a practice squad player.
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