Who we're scouting

Per NFL Draft countdown we've met with the following players [Collin] we talk to all the players [/Collin]

Drew Stanton
Anthony Spencer
Marcus McCauley
Ray McDonald
Jonathan Wade
Brandon Myles
David Irons
Brady Quinn
Joe Staley
Michael Griffin

 

I'll help out where I can:
Anthony Spencer
Strengths: An explosive up-the-field player. Displays very good first-step quickness and top-end speed. Also possesses closing burst to turn the corner as a perimeter pass rusher in the NFL. His motor never stopped running as a senior and it seems that the "light finally came on" in terms of his technique and recognition skills. He plays the run hard and will give great effort pursuing from the backside. Displays good strength for his size. He shows good catch-up speed and is a powerful hitter.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal size; somewhat on the shorter side with just adequate bulk. Might struggle to get off of blocks as quickly versus bigger NFL lineman. He is quick and fast, but he doesn't possess great change-of-direction skills. He needs to continue to improve his array of pass-rush moves. He will overextend at times and will take himself out of some running plays, as a result. He shows stiffness in his hips and will be limited in terms of dropping into coverage in the NFL.

Overall: Spencer arrived at Purdue in 2002 and was redshirted. In 2003 as a redshirt freshman, he tore some foot ligaments during spring practice which limited him early on but he then saw action in 10 of 13 games as a reserve defensive end and on special teams, posting six total tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Spencer won a starting spot for all 12 contests in 2004 and recorded 33 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles. In 2005, he once again started every game (11) for Purdue and registered 23 tackles including 7.5 for loss, three sacks, one fumble recovery, and three forced fumbles. In 14 games during the 2006 season, Spencer made 93 total tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, one fumble recovery, five forced fumbles, blocked one kick, and was named to the All-Big Ten First Team.
Spencer turned in a monster season as a senior in 2006. In fact, very few prospects improved their stock as much as Spencer did over the course of the last year. After combining for 17.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks through his first three seasons, Spencer notched 26.5 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks as a senior. While some consider him a 'tweener defensive end/outside linebacker, we're not convinced he's athletic enough to play linebacker in the NFL. His best fit most likely will be as a 4-3 defensive end in a one-gap scheme similar to the Colts'. Regardless, Spencer can solidify a spot in the draft's top two rounds with a strong showing in post-season workouts.

 

Drew Stanton
Strengths: Possesses adequate height and good bulk. Has a strong arm and can make all the NFL throws. Gets good zip on deep out routes. Shows good timing and touch as a passer. Consistently is able to drop the ball in-between LB's and DS's. Also does a good job of leading his WR's to soft spots in zone. Sells pump-fakes and play-action fakes well. He is a mobile QB and is a threat to run. He throws the ball effectively on the run. Gets his shoulders square and shows good accuracy rolling to both sides. Has quick feet to avoid the rush and the speed to turn the corner as a runner. Is a dual-threat QB who can be very dangerous when he breaks contain. Shows some elusiveness as a runner. Also is a tough, competitive runner who knows where the first-down marker is when he takes off to run. A fiery leader; he is one of the toughest and most competitive prospects in this draft class. Intelligent and hard-working  both as a student and in film study. Possesses good overall intangibles.

Weaknesses: Inconsistency is the biggest issue. He must improve his overall decision making skills. He also has had a tendency to go in the tank after making a mistake. Still a bit unpolished as a pocket passer. Needs to improve his footwork. He comes from a relatively simple offensive scheme that does not require a lot of difficult coverage or progression reads. He also lacks experience throwing the ball vertically. Has become more patient in the pocket but still must improve in that area. Spends a lot of time in the shotgun and will need to adjust to making more reads on drops at the NFL level. Has had durability issues throughout his career.

Overall: Stanton redshirted in 2002. He played in all 13 games, primarily on special teams, as a redshirt freshman in 2003. He injured his knee, which required reconstructive surgery in the off-season, covering a punt in the first quarter of the Alamo Bowl that season, and also was named to the Big 10 All-Academic team. As a sophomore in 2004, Stanton started seven of the 10 games that he played, completing 64.1-percent of his attempts for 1,601 yards with eight TDs compared to six INTs, while also rushing for 687 yards on 96 attempts scoring 5 TDs. He was named to the Big 10 All-Academic team and honorable mention All-Big 10 selection that season by the coaches and media. A separated shoulder limited him as a sophomore in 2004. Stanton remained healthy throughout the entire season in 2005, when he completed 66.7-percent of his throws for 3,077 yards with 22 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions.
Stanton has been an inconsistent performer throughout his career. He makes some questionable decisions and he struggles to recover from mistakes. He comes from a system that does not require many vertical throws or NFL-style reads, and durability remains a big concern regarding Stanton's pro potential. Despite those worries, he shows enough potential to warrant late-first round consideration. Stanton possesses all the physical tools to eventually emerge as a dynamic starting quarterback in the NFL, including the size, arm strength and athletic ability. He also shows ideal toughness and competitiveness.

 

Marcus McCauley #3 ranked CB
Strengths: Possesses an outstanding combination of size and speed. He is tall with adequate bulk. Aggressive cornerback that is capable of taking bigger wide receivers out of their routes with press coverage. He has outstanding burst and shows the ability to make up a lot of ground when the ball is in the air. He displays excellent balance and body control. Hips are fluid, especially for a taller cornerback. Does a good job of reading receivers' body language and of getting his arms up at the last second when covering downfield. He shows some willingness when filling versus the run.

Weaknesses: Still has room to improve his footwork. Will get turned around too easily by savvy route runners at times. Will bite occasionally on the play-action and must show more discipline. He lacks ideal ball skills and will drop some passes that should be intercepted. He gambles too much and will occasionally get caught taking false steps. He doesn't always get his head around quickly enough in coverage. Seems to take too long finding the ball over his shoulder. Lacks ideal ball skills. Can be inconsistent as a tackler in space and must learn to take better pursuit angles when chasing across the field. He is aggressive in coverage but he does not show the same aggressiveness when filling versus bigger ball carriers in run support.

Overall: McCauley sat out the 2002 season as a redshirt. In 2003, he appeared in all 14 games (one start) recording 11 total tackles, 0.5 tackle for loss, and two blocked kicks. McCauley played in all 12 games (10 starts) in 2004 and finished the season with 31 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), and eight pass-breakups. He started all 13 contests in 2005 registering 45 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception, seven pass-breakups, and two forced fumbles. In 2006, McCauley started all 12 games, recording 56 total tackles, three tackles for loss, seven-pass breakups, and two forced fumbles.
McCauley still has much room to grow in terms of his footwork, recognition and tackling skills. He outplayed Richard Marshall (Panthers' second-round pick last year) during the 2005 season but McCauley regressed as a senior in 2006. He got beat deep entirely too much and he seemed to mail it in emotionally down the stretch, especially after suffering a concussion versus Oregon State. With all that said, McCauley still possesses the physical tools of a premier NFL cover corner, including an exceptional combination of size, athletic ability and speed. McCauley could slip to the end of the first round or beginning of the second round, in which case he's worth the gamble as a risk-reward prospect with loads of upside.

 

Ray McDonald #11 ranked DE
Strengths: Possesses good athleticism for his size. A versatile prospect with experience at defensive end and defensive tackle. He has some upside as an interior pass rusher because of his initial quickness and burst. He shows good upper-body power and flashes some power moves as a pass rusher. He gives a good effort in terms of pursuing the run. He is at his best in space and shows good mobility. Is a solid wrap-up tackler with some power at the point of attack. He is a hard worker on and off the field. Plays the game with a lot of passion.

Weaknesses: Durability is the biggest concern after missing the majority of the 2005 season with two separate knee injuries. Lacks ideal top-end speed as a perimeter pass rusher but also lacks the size of an every-down defensive tackle in the NFL. He needs to play with more consistent leverage. When he comes out of his stance too high he becomes much less effective anchoring versus the run.

Overall: McDonald was redshirted in 2002 while practicing at defensive end. He moved to defensive tackle for the 2003 season, won a starting spot for the year (12 games), made 54 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, four sacks, and forced two fumbles. McDonald played in 11 games in 2004 (seven starts), recorded 39 total tackles, 10 tackles for loss, three sacks, and one fumble recovery. In 2005, he switched back to defensive end, started the first three games before having knee surgery that forced him to sit out the next three contests. McDonald returned, appearing in two more games before having season-ending left knee surgery. For the year, he made eight tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack. In 2006 he started all 14 games, registering 36 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, one blocked kick, and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown.
McDonald is a 'tweener DE/DT prospect with experience at both positions at the collegiate level. While he may be forced to settle on one position in the NFL, we think he has the potential to contribute in a hybrid role in the right system. He is quick enough to make an impact as an interior pass rusher, but he must improve his lower-body strength and technique versus the run in order to compete for an every-down role in the NFL. Regardless, McDonald is a fringe first-round prospect that could slip a half of a round due to his history of injuries.

 

Jonathon Wade #10 ranked CB

Strengths: A tall, fast cover corner with loads of upside. Light finally began to come on as a senior. Possesses outstanding quickness, initial burst and acceleration. Has the height and speed to turn-and-run with almost any receiver in the NFL. He explodes out of his pedal and can make up ground when the ball is in the air. His footwork and overall technique continue to improve with more experience. He possesses above-average ball skills and is improving as a playmaker. He showed more willingness in run support as a senior.

Weaknesses: Late-bloomer; still needs work on technique and recognition skills. Opens his hips too early at times and will get exposed by savvy receivers when he does. Takes too many false steps and will get caught peeking in the backfield. Is a bit lean and lacks adequate strength. Not aggressive or physical enough. Does not like to support the run and he gets rag-dolled by bigger blockers that reach him. He is a drag-down tackler that misses too frequently in space. Work ethic and maturity were questionable early in his career.

Overall: Wade appeared in 12 of 13 games (three starts) as a true freshman in 2002 at wide receiver and caught eight passes for 84 yards (10.5 average), carried nine times for 82 yards, and made two tackles. In 2003, he played offense and defense off the bench in two games, caught one pass for five yards, but was then redshirted after suffering a season-ending left shoulder injury that required surgery. Wade returned in 2004 as a fulltime defensive back, saw action in 13 of 14 games (five starts), made 24 total tackles, broke up one pass, and forced a fumble. He played in 11 contests (seven starts) in 2005, collecting 32 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown), five passes defended, and one fumble recovery. In 2006, he started all 13 games and recorded 52 total tackles, six tackles for loss, four interceptions, 13 pass-breakups, and one forced fumble. Wade also ran track at Tennessee.
Wade was slow to develop in college. Early in his career he was considered a track star attempting to find a niche on the football field -- first at receiver and then as a cornerback. There were also some concerns regarding his work ethic and maturity during his first few seasons. However, Wade noticeably matured -- as a person and football player -- during his final two seasons at Tennessee and he finally found a home at cornerback as a senior. While he still needs polishing, Wade displays the height, speed and athletic ability to emerge as a starter or sub-package contributor in the NFL. His stock has risen significantly and it wouldn't be surprising to see Wade drafted by the end of Day 1.

 

Three CB's and a WR on the list and I don't think any of them return kicks, odd!

 

Brandon Myles #31 ranked WR

Strengths: Has quick feet, flashes the ability to get a clean release working against press coverage and is fast enough to make some plays downfield. Can adjust to passes thrown outside frame and generally does a good job of tracking balls when running downfield. Stays focused when the ball is in the air, can catch ball away from frame and flashes the ability to make spectacular catches. Times jumps well, can catch the ball at highest point and has the potential to develop into a productive red zone target. Flashes the ability to make first defender miss and is fast enough to produce after the catch.

Weaknesses: Doesn't read defenses all that well and has some problems locating seams when working against zone-coverage. Doesn't show great footwork, rounds cuts off at times and isn't a crisp short-to-intermediate route-runner. While flashes ability to beat press-coverage, doesn't use hands all that well and lacks the explosive second gear to recover when gets slowed down at the line of scrimmage. Lacks ideal bulk and can get pushed around by bigger corners. Doesn't play with a mean streak, frequently fails to lock onto defender's frame and isn't a great blocker despite playing in a run-heavy scheme. Though durability isn't a substantial concern, he missed two games with a sprained left foot in 2004.

Overall: Myles did not play football in 2002 because of academic issues and he received limited playing tine in 2003. He started five of the 10 games he played in during the 2004 season and he caught six passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns. Myles started all 12 games of the 2005 season and he caught 34 passes for 536 yards and three touchdowns.
West Virginia's run-heavy scheme makes it harder to evaluate Myles and probably hurt his progression as a receiver. However, he is athletic, he is fast enough and he has good hands so there's enough potential to warrant taking him in the later rounds or signing him as a free agent.

 

David Irons #18 ranked CB

Strengths: Is aggressive and appears comfortable playing close to the line of scrimmage despite size. Does an adequate job of getting hands into the receiver's frame and flashes the ability to slow receivers down at the line of scrimmage. Opens hips quickly, shows a second gear when tracking the ball and is fast enough to run with most receivers downfield. Shows good burst coming out of cuts, can change directions quickly and has very good short-area cover skills. Shows adequate instincts and can cover a lot of ground when asked to drop into zone coverage. He's physical and willing in run support. Stronger than his size indicates. Shows good closing speed at times and has the potential to develop into quality special teams' contributor.

Weaknesses: Is undersized, doesn't have great upper-body strength and gets pushed around at times. Isn't tall enough to regularly compete for jump balls, bigger receivers will have some success shielding him from the ball and teams will look to attack him in the red zone. He is raw and his technique needs polishing. Opens hips too quickly at times, occasionally gives receivers too much of a cushion and is vulnerable to comeback routes. Doesn't read keys all that well and is often a step slow filling against the run. Lacks ideal ball skills and hasn't shown a lot of big-play ability despite speed and athletic ability. He's physical and aggressive versus the run, but he doesn't show great instincts as a run defender and has problems locating the ball carrier at times. Needs to become more consistent with his pursuit angles. Missed 2004 season because of a knee injury, so durability is a significant concern.

Overall: Irons originally attended Butler County Junior College in 2001, but missed the entire season with a knee injury that required surgery. In 2002, he made 45 total tackles, two interceptions, 11 pass-breakups, and forced two fumbles. Irons recorded 59 total tackles, three interceptions, and nine pass-breakups for the 2003 season. Irons then transferred to Auburn in 2004 but underwent a second ACL surgery and was forced to miss another season. He returned in 2005 to start 11 games (missed the Ball State game) and registered 48 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and 11 pass-breakups. On January 24, 2006 Irons won an appeal granting him a sixth year of eligibility for the 2006 season. Irons started all 13 games in 2006 and finished with 40 total tackles, three tackles for loss, 12 pass-breakups, one forced fumble, and two interceptions. He is the brother of Auburn RB Kenny Irons.
Irons is lean and his technique needs polishing. He also has a history of knee injuries that will undoubtedly affect his draft stock. However, Irons has the athletic ability, speed and toughness to develop into a quality sub-package cover corner that can also contribute on special teams in the NFL. Overall, Irons is a fringe-first day talent that will slip to the second-day due to durability concerns.

 

Joe Staley #4 ranked OT
Strengths: Displays outstanding agility for an offensive tackle prospect. Has good initial quickness, takes good angles to blocks and generally gets into good position. Plays with a good motor, does an adequate job of locking onto defender's frame and is relentless once in position. Possesses great range and pulls well. Possesses good lateral mobility and flashes the ability to reach defensive tackles lined up inside of him. Plays under control in space and can adjust to the moving target at the second level. Gets set quickly and uses his long arms to ride edge rushers past the pocket. Possesses good lateral mobility, can redirect inside after starting outside and is capable of countering double moves when he plays with sound technique.

Weaknesses: While he has added weight to his frame, he is still somewhat lean for his tall frame and isn't going to overwhelm defenders at the point of attack. Doesn't deliver a violent initial punch, doesn't roll his hips into blocks and isn't going to knock defenders back. Lacks ideal lower-body strength and is going to have problems driving defenders off the ball. Doesn't always get great knee bend in pass set and is vulnerable to bull rushers. Still needs to improve his hand-placement in pass pro.

Overall: Staley played in 11 games as a tight end during his true freshman year in 2003, catching 11 passes for 130 yards and one touchdown. In 2004 he was converted to right tackle where he started all 11 games for the Chippewas. Staley again started all 11 games in 2006, this time at left tackle, and did not allow a sack. Staley started all 14 games at left tackle in 2006.
Staley is a converted tight end who has gained more than 70 pounds since stepping on campus at Central Michigan as a true freshman in 2003. He isn't a powerful drive blocker and he must continue to improve his overall strength. What impresses us most; however, are Staley's outstanding feet and mobility. On the flip side, it's rare to find an offensive lineman with such quick feet and 4.8-second speed in the 40-yard dash. Staley held his own early in the 2006 season against top-competition (Boston College and Michigan), which helps considering most of his playing time came against mid-major defenders. While he's far from a finished product, we think Staley has enough upside and proven skills to warrant a late-first or an early-second round selection in the 2007 draft.