Category: Scouting Reports – 2012

Peter Konz scouting report

Peter Konz C Wisconsin #66
Ht: 6’5″

Wt: 315

 
Strengths:
Impressive size and strength. A nasty run blocker; gets great leverage, especially considering his height. Strong lower body allows him to hold his ground against bull rushers. Strong motor and plays with a nasty demeanor; consistently finishes off his blocks. Great awareness; keeps his head on a swivel and quick to identify blitzes. Great fundamentals in pass protection, stays low, has quick feet and excellent footwork. Impressive mobility for an interior lineman. Some experience at guard and tackle early in career. Three-year starter with plenty of experience against top competition.
Weaknesses:
Some injury concerns. Missed time in each of past three seasons with ankle injuries. Height may concern some teams, especially those with shorter quarterbacks.
Comments:
Konz is as well-rounded and polished as any center to enter the draft since Nick Mangold in 2006. Has the ability to play any position on the line if necessary, and some teams may consider him at right tackle. As long as his health checks out at the combine he’ll be a 1st-round pick, but his recurring ankle injuries are a fairly serious concern.
Videos:
2011 vs Ohio State
2011 vs Nebraska 

David DeCastro scouting report

David DeCastro OG Stanford #52
Ht: 6’5″

Wt: 315

 
Strengths:
Elite size and strength. Dominant run blocker; does a great job staying low and using good leverage. Decent athleticism for an interior lineman; capable of getting to the second level. Well respected by teammates and coaches. Excellent work ethic. Three-year starter with plenty of experience. Has the skills necessary to play in any blocking scheme.
Weaknesses:
Adequate in pass protection, but is sort of a bend-but-don’t break blocker; gets knocked back relatively often, but continues to fight.
Comments:
DeCastro is an elite prospect, with the size, strength and mobility to play in any scheme. He is much better as a run blocker, but generally holds his ground in pass protection. He may struggle with some of the elite interior pass rushers at the next level at first, but as he continues to develop his strength and technique he should become one of the league’s top interior offensive linemen.
Videos:
2011 vs UCLA
2011 vs Notre Dame 

Ryan Lindley scouting report

Ryan Lindley QB San Diego State #14
Ht: 6’4″

Wt: 230

 
Strengths:
Prototypical height and overall size. Four-year starter with plenty of experience. Elite arm strength; can make any NFL throw with ease. Experienced in shotgun and under center. Does a nice job looking off his target; doesn’t stare receivers down. Played under three head coaches and three offensive coordinators, which is likely partially to blame for his limited growth throughout his career; but seemed to handle each transition well. A team leader and hard worker; well respected by coaches and teammates. Understands his weaknesses and is willing to own up to his mistakes; seems to understand what he needs to do to improve – a great sign of maturity.
Weaknesses:
Accuracy is an issue; very inconsistent, and has been throughout his career. Not a great athlete; isn’t a threat to run. Needs to improve his touch; has a strong arm and likes to fire the ball whenever possible; needs to slow things down sometimes. Doesn’t always see the whole field; looks for his first read down field, and when it isn’t there hits his check-down receiver; rarely appears to look at more than two reads, and tends to stay focused on one side of the field. Missed time with a shoulder injury in 2008. Played through an ankle injury in 2010.
Comments:
Lindley has a lot of the skills you can’t teach – size, arm strength, leadership – but his accuracy has definitely held him back in terms of his growth as a quarterback. He definitely has the intangibles you want in a quarterback, and is willing to work to improve, making him worth a mid-to-late round selection as a developmental prospect. However, if his accuracy cannot improve, he won’t be long for this league.
Videos:
2011 vs La-Lafayette (bowl game)
2011 vs Michigan

Brandon Weeden scouting report

Brandon Weeden QB Oklahoma State #3
Ht: 6’4″

Wt: 217

 
Strengths:
Prototypical height. A decent athlete; pitched in the Yankees minor league system before returning to football. Fairly mobile; looks comfortable on roll outs; capable of buying time with his feet and occasionally taking off running. Strong arm; can make any throw on the field. Accuracy is shaky at times, but often appears due to footwork issues which are easily fixed. Mature for a rookie due to his age. A team leader; well respected by teammates and coaches.
Weaknesses:
Already 28 years old. Tends to lose his accuracy when throwing on the run. Decision making needs to improve; forces the ball into tight coverage, often when trying to force-feed Justin Blackmon the ball. Primarily took snaps out of the shotgun and did not play in an offense that translates well to the NFL; may take some time to adjust to an NFL playbook. Accuracy on throws beyond 15 yards is inconsistent. Mechanics are shaky at times; looks good when given time, but often rushes his throw and fails to set his feet; has a tendancy to throw from an open stance. Shoulder injury ended his baseball career; claims he only feels pain when throwing baseballs, not footballs, but it’s an issue that could pop up again as he ages.
Comments:
If Weeden were 22 he could potentially be worth a 2nd-round or even late-1st-round pick, but his age significantly limits his value. To draft a 28-year-old before the 3rd or 4th round, you’d have to be confident in his ability to start and be effective almost immediately. While there is a lot to like about Weeden – his arm strength, leadership, work ethic – he still needs to improve his footwork and become more comfortable with his decision-making skills under pressure. While he definitely has starter potential, he’ll be 30 before he’s ready to make a significant impact.
Videos:
2011 vs Stanford (bowl game)
2011 vs Oklahoma
2011 vs Iowa State 

Brock Osweiler scouting report

Brock Osweiler QB Arizona State #17
Ht: 6’8″

Wt: 240

 
Strengths:
Impressive height with a strong overall build. Elite athleticism for a quarterback of his size; originally committed to Gonzaga to play basketball before deciding to focus on a football career. A threat to run the ball, and tough to bring down. Consistent accuracy on shorter routes. Strong arm; can make any throw asked of him. A team leader; selected as team captain in 2011 as a junior.
Weaknesses:
Has a naturally long throwing motion due to his size, but the issue is compounded by an awkward almost sidearm delivery. Motion is also very inconsistent; looks completely different from one throw to the next. Mechanics crumble under pressure; needs to remain calm and maintain his composure in the pocket. Takes a long stride when throwing from the pocket; the stride, coupled with side-arm motion takes away from his height advantage. A good athlete, but kind of awkward when he runs – looks like he doesn’t quite know what to do with all 6’8″ of himself. Tends to lock on to his first read; needs to make significant improvement in his ability to go through his progressions. Accuracy on throws beyond 15 yards is shaky. Limited experience; only one full year as the starter. Decision to turn pro after just one relatively mediocre year raises some questions (is he just in it for the money?) – he has stated it was due to the firing of Arizona State’s coaching staff.
Comments:
Based purely on potential, there’s a lot to like about Osweiler. His size, athleticism, arm strength and leadership are all pluses, and his accuracy is at least acceptable. In terms of NFL readiness, however, it’s difficult to accept any reason he gives for entering the draft and raises some questions about his motives which teams will need to addressnz during the interview process. There are moments, primarily when given time in the pocket, when Osweiler looks like a future star. Unfortunately, he just doesn’t have the consistency to warrant a high pick. He would fit best in an organization with a stable situation at quarterback, where he can do nothing but stand on the sidelines and learn for at least the first two years of career. Throwing him into the fire too early could be detrimental to his long-term development.
Videos:
2011 vs Boise State (bowl game)
2011 vs USC 
2011 vs Illinois