In this week’s Scouting Notebook, I breakdown how NC State’s Mike Glennon stacks up versus the top quarterbacks in the country for the 2013 NFL Draft. You may be surprised to see where he’s ranked.
Also, we’ll take a look at the top junior pass rushers in the NFL draft (if they declare). Finally, the Top 10 running back carry totals in the college football this year among draft eligible prospects.
Is Mike Glennon the Best Senior Quarterback? No, But It’s Not That Farfetched
After Bucky Brooks and a few others across the internet mentioned the talent of Mike Glennon, I felt it was necessary for me to go back and watch how he’s progressed this year. To be honest, I hadn’t focused on him since the 2011 season and the Tennessee game early this season and wasn’t overly impressed in either setting. This year, however, after watching games against Maryland, North Carolina, and most recently Virginia to play catch-up, I’ve been thoroughly impressed yet still see some concerns.
Glennon has ideal arm velocity, can make all the throws on the field and from different foot platforms, spins a clean ball, and consistently stands tall in the pocket. He progresses in his reads well, shifting eye level efficiently, and has NFL level timing velocity control, and footwork. He shows patience in route development, to a fault at times that allows for overlooking reads and potential sacks. He has some rollout ability and throws an accurate ball on the move, but is limited there and needs to work from the pocket to play well. Overall, Glennon has all of the natural size, talent, arm strength, and ability to make reads from the pocket scouts and GMs will love to see. His limited mobility, sometimes poor ball placement versus zone, and overlooking of routes are where he’ll need to improve.
But now, the more important question to people who follow the draft is…where does he fall with the other top seniors in this class?
Geno Smith has seen his highs and lows this season, most recently his low points against Kansas State and TCU as a whole. He’ll still be our top 2013 NFL Draft quarterback, but Glennon has a better arm, progresses in downfield reads much better, and has made many more NFL reads/progressions/throws in his time at NC State.
Matt Barkley has been a tough quarterback to defend recently, as his game against Arizona was the straw that broke his #1 quarterback talk’s back. I still believe Barkley is an elite quarterback above the shoulders, makes pre-snap reads very well, is accurate in the short area, and can make plays on the move/outside. However, Glennon has a much more suitable NFL arm, has better size to stand tall in the pocket. Both have had concerns in consistent ball placement in the mid-level throws. I’ll still take Barkley over him, but the upside is in Glennon’s favor.
Ryan Nassib of Syracuse and Tyler Wilson have both been eratic this year. I chose Nassib over Wilson based on the fact that Nassib has been much more willing to use his big arm and quick release to take chances with poor receivers, while Wilson has been much more inconsistent in taking chances and has been innefficent as a passer, focusing far too much on Cobi Hamilton only. As I talk to our staff in our next rankings update, it’ll be hard for these two passers to be ahead of Mike Glennon in our rankings.
Glennon is a mixture of Joe Flacco (big arm, some mobility, still progressing) and Drew Bledsoe (tall in the pocket, rocket arm, ability to make multiple progressions) as a quarterback prospect, thought he’s not quite there yet. He won’t be our top ranked quarterback, but after reviewing the film, understanding where the concerns lie and where his upside could lead, I couldn’t argue with a quarterback needy team considering him in the first round
RELATED: Mike Glennon’s Game vs. North Carolina (best 1st half for a QB all year)
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Looking at the Top Junior (and likely to declare) Pass Rushers
After inspecting the top three junior offensive tackles in this year’s upcoming draft class, I thought it’d be wise to look at their future match-ups in this draft’s best edge rushers at the defensive end (or outside linebacker spot). This group as a whole as underperformed, and it went from a class that might have featured a majority of the Top 20 to a group looking for 2-3 to emerge as Top 10 picks.
Maybe the only player who hasn’t been a surprise or a slight disappointment is Florida State’s physical rusher Bjoern Werner. A rare talent in terms of his rare strength in his hands and lower body combined with his body control in his pursuit, Werner has gotten more consistent on the edge this year and his vision of the runner and in pursuit have allowed him to be consistently in ideal position. Werner seems like now the only lock to be a Top 10 pick
RELATED: Top Eligible Offensive Tackles (plus notes on AJ McCarron and General Scouting Notes)
The three top SEC defensive ends have been up and down this year, and I’m not sold on any of them as Top 10 worthy. We’ve written plenty about LSU’s Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo this year, but in short, Montgomery isn’t finishing his rushes as well as you’d like him too and Mingo has been wildly inconsistent in getting pressure, getting lost and being neutralized on far too many occasions. As for the other top rusher, Texas A&M’s Damontre Moore, he’s been a nice surprise with his burst on the edge, active hands, and ability to pinch inside. But he needs to play better with his hands and not get his body driven up and neutralized off the snap. All three still have the athleticism to make them likely late first rounders, early second rounders at worst.
A handful of other, likely not first round juniors may still consider declaring this year. Auburn’s Corey Lemioner and Virginia Tech’s JR Collins are great athletes on the edge and could be situationally a 4-3 defensive end but more likely 3-4 outside linebackers. Lemioner is the better athlete and has more upside for the future.
RELATED: Virginia Tech Preview for Last Week’s Game vs. Miami (FL)
In the more physical, power rush department, Michigan State’s William Gholston, Virginia Tech’s James Gayle, and USC’s Morgan Breslin all could consider declaring as 5-techniques or power, strong side defensive ends. Gholston pinches down inside as well as any defensive end in college football, but lacks the body control on the edge and the developed outside rush moves. Gayle has a similar game to Bjoern Werner in his strength and body control combination, but Gayle hasn’t been able to dominate a game and struggles to dominate his opponent in the passing game. And Breslin has really been a surprise this year, coming from junior college to be a power rushing and producing defensive end. He’ll still need to continue to impress if he wants to get to the 1st/2nd round level.
Finally, the only 3-4 outside linebacker rushers to consider at this point that are juniors is Jarvis Jones of Georgia, who’s long been considered a future 1st rounder, and Georgia Tech’s Jeremiah Attaochu, who impressed a lot last year situationally, but hasn’t shown the same devastating athleticism this year. Jones isn’t an elite prospect In my eyes, as he could separate better in run support downfield and doesn’t have consistent bend to the edge, but his explosive first step, ability to attack the shoulders as an inside rusher, and wrap up ability in the backfield should make him the first 3-4 outside linebacker selected. As for Attaochu, he’s a bit undersized for a fit in every 3-4 system and has struggled this year in getting separation and attacking the edge, but he’s still an active, aggressive, and physical rusher on the edge that has experience in dropping back as well as a linebacker. I’d tell him to stay in school, but he likely wouldn’t fall outside of the 3rd round.
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Top 10…Running Back Carries This Year (Draft Eligible)
1. Le’Veon Bell, Michigan State (JR) – 283 carries
2. Stefphon Jefferson, Nevada (JR) – 271 carries
3. Beau Blankenship, Ohio (JR) – 225 carries
4. Montee Ball, Wisconsin – 218 carries
5. Robbie Rouse, Fresno State – 208 carries
6. Stepfan Taylor, Stanford – 206 carries
7. David Fluellen, Toledo (JR) – 196 carries
8. Zach Line, SMU – 194 carries
9. Jawan Jamison, Rutgers – 192 carries
10. Tim Cornett, UNLV – 191 carries
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