2015 NFL Draft #58 - DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Find all the profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Parker compares with the top WRs of the draft.

DeVante Parker, WR, Louisville - 6'3, 212 - Senior - 4.45 40

There are certainly a lot of talented wide receivers at the college level these days and while there is a feeling amongst some football minds that it is folly to over-pay and over-value this position based on this high supply to meet the demand, we must not lose sight of what special means.  Special is a term we throw around a lot, but in football it means everything.  It is the ability to defy the Xs and Os.  Often, when we structure offensive strategy, there is a hope to deceive and perhaps to leave you with a real math problem where you caught the defense in a deployment issue where they simply don't have enough troops dedicated to a certain area of the field which you will now exploit.  This is the very basis of Chip Kelly's system and the zone read in general - trying to catch you out of place or not on your guard.

But, that is different than requiring special talents.  That actually is a design that is based on "plug and play" pieces that are interchangeable.  But, "Special" is all about defying the Xs and Os.  The defense does have enough guys deployed to deal with this special player, but he just beats them all with his amazing skills and talent.  That is who you value.  That is who you pay.  And that is the type of player you consider taking with a high 1st round pick.

So, in this draft, we are looking for special wide receivers.  And I believe we have found another one with DeVante Parker, a player who missed the 1st 7 games in 2014 with a broken bone in his foot.  But, when he returned, he put up 855 yards in short order and thrust his way back up high in this draft.  I looked at Florida State, Kentucky, and Georgia for this study.

Parker wears #9 in these clips.

What I liked:  Parker is a large man who has all of the physical traits.  He is tall, thick, fast, long arms, and quick in short spaces.  He is elusive underneath and runs tunnel screens and quick outs as well as any 6'3 receiver you will encounter.  Then, he dominates with down field skills that are really impressive because he can push any corner off his path and then go up and get the ball at the high point with ease.  His hands are fantastic and natural and his arm length is comical.  Very seldom do you find a receiver that you can't press because he is too quick and strong, but you also can't out-run because he is a 4.4 guy.  Parker is flat-out dominant in most of his games.  On top of this, he is a very willing and effective blocker and a terror underneath.  Then, his best attribute might be his YAC (yards after catch) game which makes you think he is a slot receiver for his elusive skills.  Defensive backs drip off him as they try to tackle him in space and you must put a safety over the top because he can out-leap and out-reach single coverage.

What I did not like:  You really have to reach to find something to complain about with Parker.  He is, at the very least, "fine" in every measurable category and trait.  Perhaps, we at least sound the alarm that we wonder about his durability because he takes a beating with the way he fights for every yard.  Sometimes, you can save your health if you go down a bit easier, so we need to watch that.  Beyond that, I don't see anything to reasonably complain about.  He really does it all.

Summary:  When ranking Amari Cooper versus DeVante Parker, you are honestly ranking two fantastic prospects against each other.  I see the consensus is that Cooper is the "best in class" and although (as you have read) I believe Cooper is the real deal, I would personally lean in Parker's direction as the better player and the guy I would select first.  I find him better underneath, quicker and more elusive in short spaces, having better hands, and 2 inches taller.  That isn't to say I don't believe Cooper is also a top receiver, but for me, let the history books show that I am going to be ranking Parker higher.  I think this guy has real star qualities and no deficiencies at all.  He is a dominant receiver who should only get better in the NFL where he gets more favorable throws and opportunities to shine.  I think he is slightly under-valued because he is not on that Alabama stage and also missed half of his senior year, but make no mistake - DeVante Parker is special.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

And, if you don't mind, please check out the Bob and Dan (BaD) Radio show in Dallas-Fort Worth, from 12p-3p, Monday-Friday, on Sportsradio 1310 and 96.7fm, The Ticket.  www.theticket.com 

2015 NFL Draft #27 - Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

Find all the profiles here.

Boise State running back Jay Ajayi (27) breaks loose for a touchdown during the first quarter of the Fiesta Bowl NCAA college football game in Glendale, Ariz., on Wednesday Dec. 31, 2014. Boise State won 38-30.

Jay Ajayi, RB , Boise State - 6'0, 221 - Junior

Every draft, there are a couple players that are your cup of tea.  You try not to get caught up in this personal appeal and let it outweigh the number of components that could be considered beyond "he is my kind of player", but invariably, that concept breaks all ties in a beauty pageant like the NFL Draft.

So, allow me to confess, when I pop on a tape of Boise State from 2014 and watch this Metroplex product (although he was born in England to Nigerian parents and lived in Maryland before playing ball in Plano and Frisco), I automatically default to "I want to go get him for my team" mode.  He is one of a number of top RBs in this draft and enough to make you think that if you are considering a major contract with your current RB, perhaps the solution is in this group of 21-year old college stars that will be available in the top few rounds.  For Ajayi, I looked at his games against Mississippi, Colorado State, and Arizona.

What I liked:  When you talk about a guy who can do it all, you have to look at Ajayi as maybe the best example in this draft.  Unlike Melvin Gordon, Ajayi is maybe the best receiving RB in this entire group (and that says something).  Unlike Tevin Coleman, Ajayi's inside runs are great, showing you that he will get you 5 yards between the tackles on a regular basis.  Unlike Todd Gurley, he is completely healthy.  Unlike Ameer Abdullah, he is the perfect size to take on the NFL game.  He just does everything well.  I like his burst to the outside and I really like his vision where he can find a solution to many problems in mid-play.  He can beat you to the corner, but he can also go "Beast Mode" or "J-Train" and just run you over.  He has superior balance and has demonstrated a multitude of times that he will not go down on first contact.  He is a real workhorse who does not look fun to tackle as the game goes on.  He really is good at squeezing through smaller holes and finding positive space inside, while remaining a smaller target for linebackers.

What I did not like:   There is a hint of ball security issues, but again, when a guy has 400 touches in a season, there will be a fumble or two for the type of runner that fights to the whistle.  He also is a product of a zone read type scheme, so we must at least consider the fact that with a QB like Tony Romo, any benefit that Coleman or Ajayi get from that deception will not be available in the NFL (or at least in Dallas).  It is tough to say that he has the same breakaway gear as Coleman or Gurley, but not many do. He did have a bout or two with immaturity as a freshman at Boise, but it seems he has grown into a mature prospect.

Summary:  I might have tipped my hands early, but I really like this guy to a point that if there was one guy you might cheer to fall to #60 in Round 2, this could be him.  He can just do it all and looks like a Day 1 starter who can pass protect, receive, and run inside or outside.  He looks the part of a legitimate NFL starter who will compete for the 3rd guy off the board.  I don't see a lot to not like about him and he has a competitive level about him that is very admirable and contagious.  I continue to say that this is a group of running backs that is as deep and talented as many of us can recall, but Ajayi is a quality player that deserves to be in that conversation for 3rd best behind Gurley and Gordon.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.

2015 NFL Draft #10 - Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma

I have never been a scout or a NFL General Manager, but I am willing to watch a ton of football. By watching about 200 snaps of each prospect, we can really get a feel for a player and then know what we are talking about a bit better. It is no exact science, but the NFL hasn't quite figured out drafting either, so we are going to do the best we can.

See all of Bob Sturm's profiles here.

Click here to see an interactive of how Phillips compares with the top DTs of the draft.

Jordan Phillips, DT, Oklahoma - 6'6, 335 - Age 22

Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Jordan Phillips (80) runs back a fumble he recovered during the first half against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium on Sept. 6, 2014. (Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

The impressively built Jordan Phillips is next up on our tour through the available defensive line prospects, and he is a complicated case to examine.  No stranger to those of us who follow the Big 12 closely, Phillips has been a legendary athlete to place on the radar for several years when we were told about his size/athleticism combo that gave him a chance to be a rare freak of nature that doesn't come along often.  Stories of backflips in full pads are certainly things that defensive backs can pull off, but the biggest man on the roster?  No way.

Unfortunately, the ability to do backflips does not have much application in the NFL once the novelty wears off, and what will be left is how disruptive a player he will be in the opponents backfield if they have to deal with him for 65 snaps on any given Sunday over the next few years.  Then, we add to the mix the health red flags of chronic back issues - those that took his 2013 season away and those that might have help convince him to turn pro before it gets worse.  Production, health, and what the tape tells us makes him complicated for this exercise.  We watched Tennessee, TCU, Baylor, and Texas to get a good look at big Jordan Phillips.

What I liked:  Well, we start with the size.  At that height and weight, he is just not a player you would see line up at nose tackle (0 tech) right over the center in most traditional spots.  He moves well enough laterally and forward to cause some issues in the gaps and can certainly demand double team attention to keep him from ripping into the backfield.  He spins pretty well and  also feeds off stunts because the off-center opportunities are seized and he is quick to pop through and make a play against Tennessee.  He is huge and that gives him an exceptional advantage against most interior players as long as he maintains his leverage.  This is why often, the DTs are not that tall because they are Greco-Roman wrestling with those more stout centers and guards and sometimes being so tall is a disadvantage.  Low man wins, so he needs to employ more bending to keep his strength advantage where he does pretty well most of the time.  He can be a bit awkward, but still a force in close quarters.

What I did not like:   He just doesn't move a whole lot on most plays.  In fact, some plays he doesn't move at all.  Against TCU, his battle with Horned Frogs center Joey Hunt was a real disappointing performance where he was single-teamed a lot and did not cause any real disruptive plays all day.  As the season went along, he was on the ground a bit too much making you wonder if he was at full health as his best football was in September for sure.  For me, I want to know about the production issues.  Of all of the DTs we have looked at, there was production.  Malcom Brown had 21.5 explosives (sacks + tackles for loss in 2014), Danny Shelton had 23.5, Michael Bennett 21.  We must consider that only Shelton was a pure 0-tech, but still, those guys need to be in the backfield more.  And here is Phillips with just 9.  In fact, there was almost no production his entire time at Norman and while that can happen for health reasons, I just don't think I can risk a 1st rounder who has never demonstrated production at the college level with those massive physical attributes.

Summary:  You pop on the Tennessee games and you can see it.  He looks like some top level DT quality and potential.  Otherwise, in those other games, while surrounded with plenty of NFL talent in Geneo Grissom, Charles Tapper, Eric Striker, he was still not filling the boxscore or performing jaw-dropping feats.  I can only guess that he is trying to deal with chronic back issues. That means that we have to consider that this sort of thing might follow a guy who has to trench-wrestle for a living.  Generally, you don't get healthier in the NFL as you age.  The Cowboys gambled and won on Ron Leary when health scared everyone off, but that was simply an un-drafted free agent bonus check.  This would likely have to be a 1st round pick.  At best he is a project with untapped potential which will develop nicely.  At worst, he is a player who is already a diminished version of himself and cannot handle the 6 months of stress on his back that his living will require.  There will come a time where you might be on the clock and compare him to what is there, but from this spot in January, I am going to need the spring for him to prove that he is physically able at age 22 to be a productive player for me until at least his 30th birthday or I am not touching him in the 1st round.

You can view plenty of his tape here at Draftbreakdown.com.