Analysis My Analysis Of Players We Drafted and Undrafted Free Agents (1 Viewer)

[B_doggman47]

Shaquan Davis- WR, South Carolina St.
Height- 6'5" Weight- 215# 40 Time- 4.51 Vertical- 34" Broad Jump- 130" (10'10")

I found very limited information and game tape on Davis. So I'll try to do the best I can with what I had to work with on his evaluation and analysis.

The Positives:
Davis has strong hands and extremely competitive and he has a great sense of timing when it comes to elevating and high-pointing balls. He's a catch-and -run threat and a creative runner who has good vision in the open field. He runs hard picking up yards after the catch. He's a violent runner who gets upfield quickly after the catch. Davis has the speed the speed to pick up chunks of yardage once he's broken the first tackle. Davis shows good sense as a route runner and provides an enormous catch radius over the middle of the field. He has soft hands and uses his body to effectively shield off defenders and that could make him a major threat in the red zone. His athleticism allows for him to make in-air adjustments to the throw.

The Negatives:
Davis' route lack burst at times. His playing speed is less than elite. Davis won't always run past defenders in the NFL like he did at the college level. He also has a problem with drops, the game tapes I watched were littered with drops. His hand-eye coordination is a little concerning to me. Defenders can knock him off his routes at times, due to his slight frame. He needs to get stronger and needs to work on his blocking on running plays. He gets to upright and loses his leverage.

My Final Thoughts:
Davis' size, wingspan and high-point ability are alluring. He has the size and length the Saints covet in a wide receiver. However, in the limited amount of game tape they had on Davis, shows a player who doesn't always play to his best speed and often struggles to hang onto the ball. I believe all of his deficiencies are correctable with good coaching. Also needs to add strength to his frame. Davis has the play abilities and potential that can be developed. He is a very good candidate for the practice squad for more development. Because if he doesn't become more urgent and a reliable pass-catcher, he might not get that many more opportunities. I would really like to see him develop into a solid wide receiver that can contribute to the offense.

 

[B_doggman47]

Mark Evans II- OL, Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Height- 6'2 1/2" Weight- 303# 40 Time- 5.44 Bench Press- 19 Reps. Vertical- 26 1/2" Broad Jump- 101" (8'5") 3-Cone- 7.75

The Positives:
Evans consistently takes the fight to the defender through the whistle. He fits into blocks with a forceful thud. He has a strong desire to move defenders with effort and leg drive. Evans has got big hands (10 3/8") that he uses effectively to lock into opponents pads. He's able to keep his feet sliding with pass rushers around the arc. He's also able to get into space and help in the screen game. Evans gets off the snap quickly and he is consistently able to generate movement at the point of attack and typically finish those blocks strong. He has good footwork and technique and balanced and agile in pass protection sets with excellent hand placement. In the run game, Evans explodes off the line of scrimmage and consistently gets to the second level to do damage, showing some nastiness to his game.

The Negatives:
Evans has below average size and mass. He must learn to play lower and with better leverage. He can get knocked back and out of position against power rushers. Evans tends to play a little outside of his body, whether it's putting too much weight on his outside leg in pass protection, getting him beat by inside moves, or being out of control when moving towards the second level.

My Final Thoughts:
Due to size concerns and among other deficiencies in his game, Evans will be better suited playing inside at Guard. Having Evans play in more confined spaces between the tackles will allow for his strength, foot speed and physicality to thrive while hopefully minimizing his deficiencies in body control, size and overall athleticism. Evans will need to add weight if he is moved inside to Guard, which will benefit him and multiple aspects of his game. Pairing his brute physicality with increased and power will serve him well in the long run. He will be a project and will need some time to develop. I believe he will eventually be a good solid backup at guard in the near future.

 

[B_doggman47]

I've searched all the sites for information and games that he might have had on tape, no pro day or combine numbers on him either. and couldn't find anything on this guy except for one interview and a small bio on him. This the information I gleaned from the information i was able to get on him. I hope this gives everyone a little insight into what type of player he is or could be.

Alex Pihlstrom- OL, Illinois
Height- 6'6" Weight- 305#

My Thoughts:
From the information I obtained, this is what I could come up with. First in his bio said he was an Academic All-Big Ten Team and an All-Big Ten Team Honorable Mention. He originally a Tight-End in his freshman year at Illinois. He had to add 70# to his frame to be able to play on the O-Line. Pihlstrom can also play Center and Guard. The Saints sure like their versatility in their O-Linemen. He's only played as an O-Lineman for 3 years. From what I've read he's a high effort lunch pail type of player. So I assume he is a project and will need a lot more time to develop and may be another practice squad candidate.

 

[Wisco Steve]

Very good stuff and enjoyable reading with great format. Appreciate your efforts!

 

[B_doggman47]

Jerron Cage- DT, Ohio St.
Height- 6'2" Weight- 307#

There was very limited film on Cage. Watched several OSU games to see him in action. He didn't get that much playing time due to him a backup most of the time. But I had enough to put this analysis together.

The Positives:
Cage has above average wingspan and size as a Defensive Tackle. He has an adequate first step off the snap. He uses the slap and arm-over technique to slip past the edge. Cage has the footwork to work under and around a seal block and he has decent reactive quickness in working of blocks.

The Negatives:
Cage had minimal production during his time in college, he made just 7 career starts. The rest of the time he played as a backup. For a career at OSU he made 32 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. That's much for a guy who played 5 years in college. He was unable to consistently sustain at the point of attack when facing power run plays. I found that he he allows O-Linemen get under his pads too often losing his leverage and him getting stonewalled at the line of scrimmage and pushed back or knocked down. doesn't show much in the pass rush department.

My Final Thoughts:
Cage has average size and good length. From what I was able to see of him on tape. I thought his play looked below average. He doesn't have the play strength. He looked average against lesser competition. He needs to add more strength and Cage needs a lot of work on his technique, hand placement and how to use his leverage. He's going to be a project player. I don't know that he will even make the practice squad. I believe at this point he's just a camp body.

 

[Rexman100]

I don´t think he shows issues because of his size when you watch the tape. I get that people are concerned because typically DTs are smaller in size, but maybe he is just a DT with elite size, and those don´t come around very often.

Tall people have long arms, long arms block passes im good.

 

[B_doggman47]

Anfernee Orji- LB, Vanderbilt
Height- 6'1" Weight- 230# 40 Time- 4.53 Vertical- 38.5" Broad Jump- 122" (10'2") 3-Cone- 7.00

I was able to find a little information and watch a few Vanderbilt games and concentrate on watching Orji and how he handled himself. This is the evaluation I came up with on him.

The Positives:
Orji shows good speed and closing burst when blitzing. He shows high effort in pursuit and is at his best against the run as an instinctive downhill gap shooter. Orji has some upside making blockers miss with quick footwork. Orji can dip and bend on stunts and blitzes and has good athleticism. He gains excellent depth in coverage and shows very good awareness in zone coverage, he is also good at reading the Quarterback's eyes in coverage.

The Negatives:
Orgi's arm length and lack of power make it difficult for him to stack and shed blocks, especially when linemen get to the second level. He has below average arm length, (31 7/8'), to pair with a lack of speed and burst. There are time when he loses track of the football on play action and RPO's. I saw from watching his game tapes that Orji also has inconsistent recognition of blocking schemes. He'll take false steps at times and get caught behind blockers. He also needs to play with better control chasing ball carriers.

My Final Thoughts:
Orji is very good in zone coverage and displays surprising athleticism near the line of scrimmage, but he struggles to stop the run. His run fits are hit-or-miss, due to his lack of arm length, power and strength. That's the main reason I've seen him miss so many tackles, it's because of his tackle radius or arm length, most of the time he can't wrap up. He lacks sideline to sideline range, he plays better when everything's in front of him or he's going downhill. Too often he slips off tackles and turns into a grab-and-drag tackler, rather than a hitter and he fails to keep his legs driving through the hit. Orji lacks the upper body strength to be a stack-and-shed Linebacker. Orji will need to add some muscle to his frame to add strength and power to his game. Hw ill need to work on improving his tackling and his fundamentals and technique.

I know some on here are pretty high on him when he was signed as a rookie free agent, myself included. I really thought he would maybe a diamond in the rough. But after doing some research on him, I found more negatives about his skills than I did positives. Right now I see him as just another project player that will be relegated to the practice squad or just plain get released.

 

[football]

Who is the undrafted that will make the final 53? Remain to be seen.

 

[B_doggman47]

Who is the undrafted that will make the final 53? Remain to be seen.

Honestly, I don't see but maybe one or two making the roster only as special teams players. The rest will probably be signed to the practice squad or be released. Some sooner than others I'm sure.

 

[football]

Honestly, I don't see but maybe one or two making the roster only as special teams players. The rest will probably be signed to the practice squad or be released. Some sooner than others I'm sure.

I try not to get excited with undrafted anymore.... But I do hope that one or two will make a run for a roster spot

 

[B_doggman47]

Nick Anderson- LB, Tulane
Height- 5'10" Weight-225# 40 Time- 4.63 Vertical- 36.5 Broad Jump- 121" (10'1") Bench Press- 20 Reps. 3-Cone- 7.21

Believe it or not there was more game tape and other information on Nick Anderson than I thought there would be. He has some impressive skills.

The Positives:
Anderson is a solid athlete with very good closing burst. He's explosive when moving downhill and he has good change of direction skills. Has good play strength when moving forward, he really delivers a punch. Anderson has solid acceleration, speed, agility and foot speed in pursuit of the ball carrier or running down a Quarterback. He has good mental processing to key and diagnose running concepts. Very good penetration ability, he understands how to get small/skinny through narrow gaps. Anderson does a good job overall of staying square to the line of scrimmage and attacking downhill to fill. His hips open and close well enough to allow him to stay in step against TE's on vertical routes. Anderson also has solid ball skills when given the opportunity to disrupt stick routes from the RB's or TE's.

The Negatives:
Anderson's height and length might cause some issues. His height seemed to play a factor at times, in allowing him to key on the ball and see over bigger O-Linemen. He has a limited tackle radius due to his short arms. Andersons lack of length allows O-Linemen to take him out of the play at the second level if they make contact. While Anderson moves well laterally, he doesn't always get to the edge in pursuit of the ball carrier. Hw lacks strength in the pass rush and struggles at times to disengage and too easily gets pushed past the pocket.

My Final Thoughts:
All the scouts and analysts I listened to talk about Andersons height and how his arms are short and he probably won't make it in the NFL. Well if Sam Mills were still alive, he'd have something to say about that to prove them wrong. These are my thoughts on the type of player we could have in Nick Anderson.

Anderson is a smart player who uses good angles to get downhill and get to the ball carrier. He's a short player who uses his natural leverage to his advantage. He's also a productive Linebacker with a versatile skill set. It was fun to watch WR's try to block him, He would embarrass them with his power. Anderson is a violent tackler, he lays the boom. He's also good in coverage on RB's and TE's. While watching Anderson in some of his games, he was used as a pass rusher on the edge and looked pretty decent. He used several different pass rushing moves with solid body control and explosiveness. He maximizes his bull-rush by using his low leverage and leg drive. Won high-side with speed and a nice rip move. He also uses a spin move either inside or outside pretty well. Though sometimes can be blocked past the pocket and out of the play. I really liked what I saw watching him play.

If there is on guy that could sneak onto the roster, it's Anderson. I can see him starting out playing special teams. If not he will definitely make the practice squad, but don't expect him to stay there long. He will be pushing for a roster spot at some point.

 

[Saintscuffy]

Nick Anderson- LB, Tulane

Anderson is a smart player who uses good angles to get downhill and get to the ball carrier. He's a short player who uses his natural leverage to his advantage. He's also a productive Linebacker with a versatile skill set. It was fun to watch WR's try to block him, He would embarrass them with his power. Anderson is a violent tackler, he lays the boom. He's also good in coverage on RB's and TE's. While watching Anderson in some of his games, he was used as a pass rusher on the edge and looked pretty decent. He used several different pass rushing moves with solid body control and explosiveness. He maximizes his bull-rush by using his low leverage and leg dribe.

If there is on guy that could sneak onto the roster, it's Anderson. I can see him starting out playing special teams. If not he will definitely make the practice squad, but don't expect him to stay there long. He will be pushing for a roster spot at some point.

see... I could actually see his short stature helping him win with leverage and being hard to mark on the feild. speed and smarts kill... size nust helps.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I try not to get excited with undrafted anymore.... But I do hope that one or two will make a run for a roster spot

It does feel like we do better with finding undrafted diamonds in the rough than any other team in the league

 

[B_doggman47]

Sorry it took so long to do this next analysis. But living on a farm I had some work to catch up on. We are putting up about 200 yds of new fence and I just caught a break with some rain. We worked all day yesterday and part of the morning today.

Anthony Johnson- CB, Virginia
Height- 6'2" Weight- 205# 40-Time- 4.63 Bench Press- 15 Reps. Vertical- 30.5" Broad Jump- 116" (9'7") 3-Cone- 7.06

The Positives:
Johnson is physical downfield and matches up well with bigger receivers. He's tough and fiery with very good competitiveness and a high effort player. Johnson is instinctive, adept at reading routes and anticipating throws and he is strong in zone coverage. He's savvy using his hands to get to the ball without drawing flags in off man coverage. I saw this several times while watching him in a few of Virginia's games. He's a willing tackler. Johnson plays with natural balance and ultra-quick feet to mirror underneath routes and he's tremendous at reading routes and reading QB's. He gets his head around to locate the football and has impressive ball skills on 50/50 balls. He has a quick downhill trigger on short throws and knows when to squeeze receiver routes along the sideline. He flashes some physicality as a hitter.

The Negatives:
Johnson plays high and tends to struggle with change of direction and he also shows some stiffness when he has to flip his hips. He will slip off tackles at times and needs to wrap up and finish more consistently. Sometime Johnson gets sloppy with his backpedal when playing off-man. He tends to drag players down for tackles instead of driving through them. He is sometimes early to open his hips, which leaves him vulnerable to double moves inside or outside.

My Final Thoughts:
Johnson is an outside Cornerback with excellent arm length, ball skills and the size the Saints really likes, but he lacks aggression when defeating blocks and making tackles. He also suffers from some tightness in the hips. From what I've seen he's better suited to play in zone than he is in playing man-to-man. He got flagged too many times playing man. Johnson looks like he has the the size to play Safety if the Saints would ask him to transition to that position. Either way, whether he plays Cornerback or transitions to Safety, he will need to be put on the practice squad and get some more development at playing man and work on his tackling and clean up some of his deficiencies. He does have have the potential to be a solid Cornerback.

 

[Trey W.]

Sorry it took so long to do this next analysis. But living on a farm I had some work to catch up on. We are putting up about 200 yds of new fence and I just caught a break with some rain. We worked all day yesterday and part of the morning today.

Anthony Johnson- CB, Virginia
Height- 6'2" Weight- 205# 40-Time- 4.63 Bench Press- 15 Reps. Vertical- 30.5" Broad Jump- 116" (9'7") 3-Cone- 7.06

The Positives:
Johnson is physical downfield and matches up well with bigger receivers. He's tough and fiery with very good competitiveness and a high effort player. Johnson is instinctive, adept at reading routes and anticipating throws and he is strong in zone coverage. He's savvy using his hands to get to the ball without drawing flags in off man coverage. I saw this several times while watching him in a few of Virginia's games. He's a willing tackler. Johnson plays with natural balance and ultra-quick feet to mirror underneath routes and he's tremendous at reading routes and reading QB's. He gets his head around to locate the football and has impressive ball skills on 50/50 balls. He has a quick downhill trigger on short throws and knows when to squeeze receiver routes along the sideline. He flashes some physicality as a hitter.

The Negatives:
Johnson plays high and tends to struggle with change of direction and he also shows some stiffness when he has to flip his hips. He will slip off tackles at times and needs to wrap up and finish more consistently. Sometime Johnson gets sloppy with his backpedal when playing off-man. He tends to drag players down for tackles instead of driving through them. He is sometimes early to open his hips, which leaves him vulnerable to double moves inside or outside.

My Final Thoughts:
Johnson is an outside Cornerback with excellent arm length, ball skills and the size the Saints really likes, but he lacks aggression when defeating blocks and making tackles. He also suffers from some tightness in the hips. From what I've seen he's better suited to play in zone than he is in playing man-to-man. He got flagged too many times playing man. Johnson looks like he has the the size to play Safety if the Saints would ask him to transition to that position. Either way, whether he plays Cornerback or transitions to Safety, he will need to be put on the practice squad and get some more development at playing man and work on his tackling and clean up some of his deficiencies. He does have have the potential to be a solid Cornerback.

Johnson's strengths seem to fit an NFL Safety more than a CB, especially if he's better in zone, reading routes, and QB's. If he does well and progresses, he may be Honey Badger's replacement.