This week’s Scouting Spotlight features a pair of potential first round prospects from the SEC. Both bring versatility to win at multiple positions, which should lead to heavy NFL interest for their respective services.
Kentucky’s senior DE Alvin “Bud” Dupree is a plus physical specimen that’s developed into an outstanding football player. He was the bright spot on some bad Kentucky teams as an underclassman, and remains the centerpiece for a 5-1 Kentucky squad that –believe it or not– is a contender in the SEC East this season.
On the other side of the line, LSU senior LT La’el Collins is a mauling blocker that imposes his will at the point of attack. So while last week was the first time LSU fell completely out of the AP Poll Top 25 since the November 28th of 2008, there’s always NFL talent to breakdown in the Bayou.
By: Alex Brown
Kentucky’s Killer Pass Rusher
In going back over the Kentucky-Florida game tape, I was surprised to see Bud Dupree utilized on early downs as a Sam linebacker. You see plus body control and suddenness to fight off blockers, and also comfortable movements as a standup outside linebacker. NFL teams have tape of Dupree doing it all for the Kentucky defense and that will only be a positive for his scouting report. Physical, instinctive and fast athletes find their way onto the field and that’s Bud Dupree.
Ideally, I feel like you let him play with his hand in the dirt and make the most of his upfield burst, ability to locate the football and explosively change directions. Still, the versatility to play as a 3-4 rush linebacker, 4-3 Sam or 4-3 defensive end will draw high attention and demand from multiple NFL teams.
When it comes to evaluating Bud Dupree’s pass rush ability, he’s got natural speed and the ability to bend the arc. Dupree makes it look easy at times, but has developed tremendously in terms of setting up his move off the snap and being more physical with his hand usage. Even with a noticeably filled out frame with obvious time spent in the weight room, Dupree is still a flexible, explosive and fast athlete.
Last season, he either won with pure speed or tried to use his lateral quickness to work around the blocker. For those reasons, I compared him to Anthony Barr -who has transitioned smoothly into a standup linebacker role at the next level. This year, he’s pressing the blocker away from his intended rush track and showing increased variety in his moves.
With all that being said, Bud Dupree is still no finished product and that’s what scouts should be excited about. He’s finally tapping into his full potential and capable of being an every down, impact starter. And while Dupree certainly is athletic enough to make the transition to be a full-time standup linebacker at the next level, I am far more intrigued with his upside as pass rusher and want to evaluate him as a defensive end first and foremost.
LSU’s Long-Armed Brawler
Opposing Dupree this week is LSU senior LT La’el Collins. Originally an offensive guard and potentially one at the next level, Collins has displayed the length and strength skill set to dominate at left tackle for the Tigers. The question scouts have to ask is, “Where is his best fit?” For any number of teams and offensive schemes, you could make the case for him being a left tackle, right tackle or offensive guard.
Comparing favorably to recent first round offensive tackle prospects in DJ Fluker (Chargers) and Ja’Wuan James (Dolphins), La’el Collins doesn’t always look pretty but he’s one hell of an effective blocker. He’s aggressive off the snap to engage, lock out at the point of attack and steer his target out of the frame. He’s always looking to put his man in the dirt and finish with a pancake block. When you see that “finisher” mentality on a repeat-basis from Collins, it’s easy to tell how much the game means to him.
Collins does his best work in the zone running game, where he can put his man on skates and run his feet through the contact point. You don’t see tremendous balance when working upfield to second level targets but you see sellout effort and a good understanding of cutoff angles. And as far as pass protection is concerned, Collins demonstrates elite latch and secure ability once he’s within striking range. His broad shouldered frame, long arms, powerful lower half and heavy hands make for an easy RT protection in my mind.
Moving forward, there are certainly areas requiring improvement and refining however, foremost of which is his hand positioning in pass protection. So while he’s able to end the play once he lands his hands, Collins has developed a bad habit of loading up his punches and allowing his elbows to widen outside through his kick slide.
You may be wondering, “Why is that important?” It’s important because 1) he’s exposing his upper half to hand strikes, and 2) he’s wasting movement and slowing down his efficiency from base setup to punch delivery. Facing a speedier athlete in Bud Dupree, LSU LT La’el Collins will need to be as efficient as possible in order to maximize his length-strength advantage.
Final Thoughts
Since we’re well past the midpoint of the college football season, I’ve begun to reassess preseason evaluations and update grades for my assigned prospects. Both Dupree and Collins entered the year as high upside day two prospects on my board, and are looking more and more like potential day one draft choices.
This game will help scouts determine how effectively Kentucky DE Bud Dupree can set the edge and operate against the strength of Collins, while Dupree will conversely test the foot speed and balance of LSU LT La’El Collins.
So be sure tune in at 7:30 PM EST on the SEC Network and take notes on this matchup, as it’ll be game that NFL decision makers look back on come draft season.
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