Category: Scouting Reports – 2012

Cordy Glenn scouting report

Cordy Glenn OG Georgia #71
Ht: 6’6″

Wt: 346

 
Strengths:
Elite size and strength. Impressive upper body strength allows him to knock smaller pass rushers off their course with ease. Has the lower body strength to anchor against bull rushers. Decent athleticism for his size; could be viewed as a right tackle prospect by some teams. Quick feet for his size. A nasty run blocker who has the ability to swallow up defenders. Gets to the second level quicker than most interior linemen. Experience at both guard and tackle; started at left tackle throughout senior year.
Weaknesses:
Occasionally struggles with speed rushers off the edge; just doesn’t have the mobility to match their explosiveness off the snap. Stamina may be a slight issue; appears to wear down throughout the course of the game and will get sloppy with his fundamentals, playing too high at times.
Comments:
Glenn was put in a tough position switching to left tackle prior to his senior year. He was surprisingly effective, but lacks the athleticism to play the position in the NFL. Most teams will view him as a guard, where he has the potential to be among the best in the game. Some more run-oriented teams may view him as a right tackle. As a guard or right tackle he is definitely a 1st-round prospect, and should be able to play at a high level from day one.
Videos:
2011 vs LSU

Courtney Upshaw scouting report

Courtney Upshaw OLB Alabama #41
Ht: 6’2″Wt: 273  
Strengths:
Decent athlete for his size; well above-average mobility for a defensive end. A smart, disciplined player; isn’t overaggressive in pursuit. Stays in his zone and keeps his eyes in the backfield. Impressive change-of-direction ability for an end/linebacker. A scrappy player; very active hands – can really get under an offensive lineman’s skin throughout the course of a game. Explosive off the snap. Does a nice job making himself small to slip through holes when blitzing on the inside. Also has the speed and quickness to win off the edge. Strong wrap-up tackler. Has experience playing linebacker in a 3-4, and with his hand on the ground in some 4-3 sets. Tough defender who plays through the whistle.
Weaknesses:
Sort of a ‘tweener who doesn’t fit perfectly at end or linebacker. Struggles to shed blocks against the run. A much better run defender when when at linebacker, and given more space to move. Easily tossed around by more physically imposing offensive tackles, especially when running play is headed his direction. Arrested for domestic assault in 2009; chargers were later dropped.
Comments:
Upshaw is a tough player to evaluate, because each team will view him differently based on their scheme. He has the ability to start and be an effective pass rusher in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme. However, due to his struggles against the run, he would probably be more valuable at linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He works much better against the run when given space, and can be a true three-down linebacker in that system.
Videos:
2011 vs LSU (National Championship Game)
2011 vs Auburn
2011 vs Florida 

Chandler Jones scouting report

Chandler Jones DE Syracuse #99
Ht: 6’5″

Wt: 265

 
Strengths:
Prototypical build for a pass-rushing end; tall with long, strong arms. Explosive off the snap; consistently beats offensive tackles off the edge. Strong wrap-up tackler who can also deliver the big hit. Does a nice job keeping his eyes on the backfield; good all-around awareness on the field. An intense player who plays with an impressive motor. Has some experience dropping into zone coverage. NFL bloodlines; older brother Arthur plays for Ravens. Top intangibles; coaches speak very highly of his leadership skills. Intelligent on and off the field.
Weaknesses:
Struggles to shed blocks against the run; has the frame to add some weight, which would help him against more powerful offensive linemen. Needs to develop an array of pass rush moves; too reliant on pure speed and athleticism at this stage in his career. Missed five games with an undisclosed knee injury in 2011.
Comments:
Jones would have benefited from returning to school, as he still needs to get stronger against the run, but should still draw interest from teams as early as the late 1st-round based on his potential. He has the size, strength and athleticism of a prototypical left defensive end in the 4-3 scheme, and could develop into an elite three-down lineman. Some 3-4 teams may also view him as a candidate to shift to outside linebacker, where he could make an immediate impact as a pure pass rusher. Had Jones returned to school and improved upon his weaknesses, he potentially could have climbed into the top-10 discussion. As a result, someone could wind up with a steal in the late 1st or 2nd round.
Videos:
2011 vs West Virginia 

Whitney Mercilus scouting report

Whitney Mercilus DE Illinois #85
Ht: 6’4″

Wt: 265

 
Strengths:
Prototypical size for a 4-3 end or 3-4 outside linebacker. Uses his speed to consistently get into the backfield. Does a nice job keeping his eyes on the quarterback and getting his hands up into passing lanes. Impressive motor; saw a lot of double teams, but continued to fight through the whistle. Experienced lining up at various spots on the line due to Illinois’ hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense, but at his best as the five-technique (lining up outside the offensive tackle). Some experience playing with his hand off the ground. A mature team leader.
Weaknesses:
Inconsistent off the snap; dangerous when he explodes off the snap, but too often the last man out of his stance. Struggles to shed blocks against the run, but does hold his ground fairly well. Only one full year of starting experience.
Comments:
Mercilus is a unique prospect who has experience lining up all over the field at Illinois – 3-4 end, 4-3 end, 4-3 tackle, and outside linebacker – and he excelled wherever his coaches placed him in 2011. The one major concern with Mercilus is his lack of sustained production, which raises some concern that he may be a one-year wonder. He spent most of his career playing with his hand in the dirt, but he actually looks most explosive and natural at linebacker. If he lands in the right system, he could be a dangerous pass-rush threat from day one.
Videos:
2011 vs Arizona State
2011 vs UCLA
2011 vs Northwestern
2011 vs Penn State

Melvin Ingram scouting report

Melvin Ingram DE South Carolina #6
Ht: 6’2″Wt: 276  
Strengths:
Impressive strength. Plays with a constant motor. Impressive speed and athleticism for his size. Speed/strength combination makes him tough to block; can lower his shoulder and get around the edge, or simply bull rush his way into the backfield. Also has a nice spin move in his repertoire. Surprisingly effective dropping into coverage. Effective wrap-up tackler and a hard hitter. Experienced lining up at end, tackle and linebacker.
Weaknesses:
Only one year of starting experience. Kind of an awkward athlete, and would probably benefit from losing some weight. Plays out of control at times; doesn’t take good angles in pursuit. Doesn’t always play with good balance and leverage. Spends too much time on the ground. Needs to do a better job keeping his eyes in the backfield; seems to lose track of the ball carrier too often. Missed entire 2008 season with broken foot. Suffered a broken hand in 2010, but played through.
Comments:
Ingram has a ton of potential, which will likely land him in the mid-to-late 1st round. However, there are some concerns about his ability to transition to the next level. At South Carolina he lined up at various spots on the field in different situations to best utilize his strengths. That type of versatility is certainly an asset for a players trying to earn playing time, but few starters rotate positions throughout the course of a game. Due to his versatility and overall skill set, he may be most valuable to the teams which run some form of a hybrid 3-4/4-3 defense, and need players capable of adjusting their roles (Colts, Ravens, Jets, Patriots – to name a few). Ingram definitely has a high bust factor because, despite his talent, he just doesn’t have an obvious role in the NFL.
Videos:
2011 vs Nebraska
2011 vs Auburn
2011 vs Georgia
2011 vs East Carolina