The big battle of Week 3 happened last night in the ACC, as Florida State met Clemson without sophomore quarterback Jameis Winston, and two of this game’s top prospects were lined up against each other for the second straight season. Last year, Florida State left tackle Cameron Erving held his own against Clemson defensive end Vic Beasley, holding the potential first-round pick to just two tackles. Beasley got revenge this season, sacking backup quarterback Sam Maguire twice in the first half and getting the best of Erving around the edge.
Erving, who was given a second-round grade by the NFL Draft Advisory Board prior to the 2014 Draft, was too slow in his kick slide and struggled setting the edge against Beasley in pass protection. Beasley displayed his trademark burst off the line, great bend around the edge and improving hands to dominate Erving early.
By Chris Tripodi
In comparison to his early performance, Beasley was quiet in the second half. Adjustments in the locker room gave Erving more help on Beasley, and Florida State was able to run at him effectively. Beasley’s size (6-3, 235) and tendency to get washed out of running plays will lead to questions around draft time, but as a naturally-gifted pass rusher entering a passing-heavy league, Beasley will be a highly-coveted prospect regardless of his issues against the run.
Erving, on the other hand, has the physical traits to be a good offensive tackle in the NFL, showing excellent athletic ability for a 6-6, 308-pound lineman. He was exposed against Beasley’s pure speed in this game, which is something he rarely sees in college but will face consistently in the NFL. Erving needs to refine his footwork and work on getting out to the edge to at least impede speed rushers. He has the natural ability to improve in that regard, and certainly wouldn’t be the first offensive line prospect to thrive with an NFL coaching staff.
– Florida State senior running back Karlos Williams’ stock continues to drop – for those who had him rated as highly as the second round – as he’s proven to be far more effective as a space back and receiver out of the backfield than on the interior. His upright, straight-linish running style prevents him from being as good between the tackles as he is to the flanks, and Williams consistently bails on plays that don’t develop immediately by bouncing outside. His lack of rushing instincts is apparent in small spaces, and those need to improve if he wants to take full advantage of his physical tools.
– Florida State junior defensive tackle Eddie Goldman put a statement game on tape against Clemson, making several key plays at the end of Saturday’s game. First, Goldman ripped the ball out late to force a fumble with Clemson heading towards the game-winning field goal, sending the game to overtime. Goldman picked up a big second-down sack to force third-and-long in overtime, then got inside push into the backfield to disrupt a crucial fourth-and-one that helped Florida State all but seal an overtime win. This game will likely be the springboard for his draft stock, and may end up pushing him to leave school early.
– Another defensive linemen with his stock rising is Clemson senior defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. His size (6-0, 290) isn’t ideal, even for a 4-3 alignment, but Jarrett consistently creates chaos in opposing backfields. He impresses every time out as a gap-shooter and could fill that role as a mid-round NFL pick.
– Clemson senior linebacker Stephone Anthony was always around the ball for the Tigers, looking like a missile on blitzes up the middle and finding his way into the backfield against the run as well. An explosive tackler who excels playing downhill thanks to his size (6-3, 245), Anthony has been an impact player who is making a name for himself as a potential mid-round pick after his eight-tackle performance on the big stage, including two for loss.
– Moving on to other ACC action, Georgia Tech senior receiver DeAndre Smelter got the best of Virginia Tech sophomore corner Kendall Fuller on Saturday, using his size (6-3, 222) to get open for five receptions, 101 yards and a touchdown. Smelter boxes out well at the top of his stem, keeping corners from getting around his frame and giving his quarterback a big target to hit. He had four catches on the team’s final two drives, including the game-tying 31-yard touchdown and a big third-and-seven conversion to put the Yellow Jackets in field-goal range. He also caught five of the seven passes that quarterback Justin Thomas completed and is another toolsy Georgia Tech receiver that will prove to be a difficult evaluation for NFL scouts.
– Syracuse senior running back Prince Tyson-Gulley displays nice feet, utilizing quick, compact steps in and out of his breaks. He has good change-of-direction ability and shows power while falling forward, using his low center of gravity (5-8, 193) to create leverage. He was one of Syracuse’s few bright spots against Maryland, rushing for 138 yards on 14 carries. Tyson-Gulley isn’t explosive enough to start in the NFL given his size, but could bounce around as depth for a few seasons.
– Virginia senior receiver Miles Gooch uses all of his 6-3, 210-pound frame and shows an impressive catch radius on balls thrown his way. Gooch has strong hands that he uses to win out in battles for the football, and is impressive coming back to the football to help out his quarterback. With six receptions for 65 yards, Gooch had by far his most impressive performance of the season and could continue to improve in his first season as a starter. Players with his body type and matching production usually find their way into the NFL somehow.
– Syracuse senior outside linebacker Cameron Lynch now has 4.5 sacks this season, showing good pass-rushing skills both on stunts and off the edge. At 5-11, 226, he’s undersized for the pro game, but could get an opportunity in training camp to be a special teams player and sub-package rusher. His 30 tackles through three games prove he’s not just a rusher, but a player who can make plays all over the field.
– Miami junior running back Duke Johnson showed off great vision and quickness in and out of cuts, but lost a huge fumble at the end of the third quarter that was returned for a touchdown just as the Hurricanes drove into Nebraska territory. Johnson has good size (5-9, 206) and registered his fourth 90-yard rushing game of the season without going over 100 yards. Johnson did show off his prowess in the passing game with five receptions for 84 yards, but was upstaged by Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah, who ran for 229 yards on 35 carries. Both are patient runners with good vision, but Johnson is nowhere near as explosive as the Nebraska star and projects as a mid-late round pick if he declares for the draft.
– Pittsburgh sophomore running back James Connor continues to impress. While he’s not explosive at the point of the handoff, he stays patient and uses good vision to find a hole, get going and burst through it once he makes up his mind. His size keeps him from getting stuffed early in the play without falling forward and he is able to stay skinny in the hole, making him hard to square up and even harder to bring down with a head of steam. After 155 yards on 29 carries, Connor has started the year with four straight 150-yard games.
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