Category: Scouting Reports – 2015

Kevin Johnson Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Kevin Johnson CB Wake Forest #9
Ht: 6’0″
Wt: 188

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Size/Athleticism: Average height but very skinny. Used as a gunner on special teams.

Coverage: Lacks size to excel in press coverage, however, he does have the speed to stay with receivers trying to break deep even when making a false step early in the press. Played a ton of off-coverage in Wake Forest’s scheme making it easy for him to defend the deep ball. Trusts his speed and his ability to recover too much and gets burned at times.

Ball skills: Doesn’t put himself in position to make many plays. Gives up a lot of underneath routes and relies on timing to get to the ball, which is hit or miss.

Run support: Excellent closing burst but not a wrap-up tackler. Dives at the feet consistently because he doesn’t have the size to take on the ball carrier.

Intangibles: Academically ineligible in 2011. Reportedly had poor work ethic early in his career, but has matured in recent years.

Durability: Has been durable but has a skinny frame. Did not appear to play at the weight he showed at the combine.

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Kevin Johnson Chart

Overview: Johnson is a fluid athlete, but it’s tough to see him succeeding at a high level on the outside in the pros. He looks more like a nickleback due to his lack of size and fairly modest speed. That said, his balance and agility are excellent, which could make him a valuable nickel corner—but that’s not worth a first-round selection.

Marcus Peters Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Marcus Peters CB Washington #21
Ht: 6’0″
Wt: 197

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Adequate height with decent overall build. Prototypical all-around athleticism. Speed is adequate but a notch below elite.

Coverage: Has the frame to add some weight and get more physical, but plays a lot of off-coverage against bigger receivers (see Arizona State vs Jaelen Strong). Gets out-physicaled by bigger receivers and tends to get grabby as they push by him. Does a great job keeping the play in front of him as long as possible and avoiding turning his back to the quarterback.

Ball skills: Adequate ball skills. Consistent in position to play the ball. Misses some interception opportunities, but is consistently disrupting the receiver and making an impact.

Run support: Mixed results depending on when he wants to help out. He’ll fly in a make a play at times, but he’ll also pick his battles and shy away from big, bruising running backs. Definitely not the type to sell out for the good of the team.

Intangibles: Long list of off-field issues of varying degrees of concern, but the combination of all of them seriously calls into question his ability to handle life in the NFL. Had altercations with coaches which led to multiple suspensions and eventually to his dismissal from the program. Failed at least one drug test in college. Extremely competitive on the field and gets into altercations with opposing receivers.

Durability: No known issues.

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Marcus Peters Chart

Overview: Peters has it all, and could have been viewed as a potential top-10 pick. But no one will gamble on his that early with his off-field issues. While he’s mostly stayed out of trouble away from football, his inability to handle coaching is a red flag that may actually be more severe in the eyes of some coaches and GMs. Washington’s coaching staff has painted him as a stubborn, selfish player and it will almost certainly hurt his draft position. His stubbornness also shows up on the field, as he’s easily frustrated and it leads to bad mistakes and penalties. Aside from those issues, he’s the most talented corner in this class with borderline elite man-coverage skills.

Trae Waynes Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Trae Waynes CB Michigan State #15
Ht: 6’0″
Wt: 186

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Elite straight-line speed. Adequate overall athleticism but not as explosive as he is fast. Adequate height and length with above average leaping ability.

Coverage: Overaggressive in coverage. Bites hard on fakes and overcommits. Tends to get grabby when he realizes he’s beat. Takes a ton of false steps and trusts his raw athleticism over technique which will get him into trouble with more athletic receivers. Excellent balance which helps him recover when he’s beat, but he may struggle against more explosive receivers in the NFL.

Ball skills: Struggles to turn around and find the ball.

Run support: Poor recognition skills. Gets lost in traffic and takes poor angles. Aggressive and willing to help out but shaky tackling technique.

Intangibles: Good reputation as a hard worker.

Durability: Suffered broken leg, ankle and torn all three knee ligaments during his senior year of high school which forced him to miss his freshman year at MSU.

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Trae Waynes Chart

Overview: Waynes is an athletic corner who excels in man coverage. However, he tries to get by with his raw athleticism rather than solid fundamentals. He certainly has the tools to develop into a quality starting cornerback, but there will definitely be some rookie mistakes along the way.

Stephone Anthony Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Stephone Anthony LB Clemson #42
Ht: 6’3″
Wt: 243

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Ideal size. Tested extremely well at the combine but it doesn’t necessarily translate to the field. Movements are a little more choppy on the field than in his workouts. Also played baseball and basketball in high school.

Run Defense: Strong closing speed. Has the athleticism to cover ground but must improve his recognition skills. Late to react which cuts down on his ability to be a true sideline-to-sideline player. Poor angles in pursuit. Misjudges running backs speed frequently.

Pass Rush: Flashes some effectiveness slipping through gaps in the middle. A capable situational pass-rusher and can catch the offensive line off guard with his explosiveness. Pass-rush requires a lot less recognition skill, which suits him.

Coverage: Gets lost in zone coverage. Struggles to make decisions and his attention is drawn in multiple directions. Bites hard on play action. Better in man coverage when his raw athleticism can just take over.

Intangibles: Lost starting job in 2012 but earned it back in 2013. Team captain as a senior.

Durability: Missed time with an ankle injury in 2011. Surgery on his finger in 2012. Started every game over final two years.

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Stephone Anthony Chart

Overview: Anthony tested extremely well at the combine but his lack of recognition skills severely limit his ability to translate that athleticism to the field. He takes poor angles against the run, bites on fakes and often gets lost and starts to drift in coverage. He’s a developmental prospect who must work on the mental side of the game before he’s ready to be an impact player. Expect him to work on special teams early in his career.

Eric Kendricks Scouting Report

Scouting Reports - 2015
Comments
Eric Kendricks LB UCLA #6
Ht: 6’0″
Wt: 232

[level-scouting-reports]

Size/Athleticism: Short but well built. Shows a decent burst and good range. Nice blend of speed, strength and athleticism for his size. Plays much bigger than his measurables would indicate.

Run Defense: Strong wrap-up tackler. Hard hitter but plays smart and doesn’t miss often. Plays a much stronger, more physical style that you’d expect just by looking at his measurables. Doesn’t always take the best angles.

Pass Rush: Rarely used as a pass-rusher. Has a decent burst and could be effective on an occasional blitz.

Coverage: Gets boxed out in the middle of the field by tight ends. Has enough athleticism to run with most tight ends and running backs. Needs to do a better job turning to play the ball when staying with receivers down the field. Much better dropping in zone when he can keep everything in front of him.

Intangibles: Two-time team captain. Younger brother of Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks.

Durability: Played through shoulder and ankle injuries in 2013. Missed one game in 2013 with back injury. Missed 2013 bowl game after ankle surgery. Size raises some durability concerns.

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Eric Kendricks Chart

Overview: Kendricks is excellent against the run and shows enough ability versus the pass to project as a three-down linebacker. He can play inside or weak-side in the pros. His production against the run will make him an immediate asset, even if he takes some time to fully develop his skills as a coverage linebacker. His leadership and work ethic likely give his stock a boost.