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Matt Miller’s Week 1 NFL Scouting Notebook
- Updated: September 9, 2016
For some, the beginning of college and NFL seasons means that football is back. For others, it means the beginning of draft season.
Every Friday from now until the 2017 NFL draft kicks off in Philadelphia, you’ll get an inside look at what’s happening around the league as it pertains to the draft. Which players are moving up, and which are moving down? How are NFL scouts viewing the upcoming draft class? You’ll find out in the Scouting Notebook.
Following a great first weekend of college football (Hook ‘Em Horns!!!), here’s what I’m hearing and seeing regarding the upcoming class.
The Scout’s Report
— The college football season kicked off with talk of Clemson’s Deshaun Watson being the No. 1 quarterback in the nation. And then Notre Dame played. One scout I talked to this week said DeShone Kizer has “the best arm in college football,” while another said the redshirt sophomore “was the most impressive quarterback on the field in Week 1.”
— There is a lot of time for Kizer to move up or down the board, but the early look on him is impressive. My own notes on Kizer highlighted his poise in the pocket, arm strength, downfield vision and his ability to create with his legs when the play breaks down. Kizer is a capable runner, but he doesn’t panic and look to run too early in his progressions. Over the next four months, he may fall flat on his face and bottom out as a prospect, but the tools are all there for him to be a No. 1 quarterback.
— The best receiver in college football? That’s Clemson’s Mike Williams, according to NFL scouts I spoke with this week. One AFC West scout said Williams has the “best hands and best route adjustment” among draft-eligible receivers. The Clemson pipeline to the NFL at wide receiver doesn’t hurt his cause either.
— “We heard all summer how good (Conor McDermott) was and then Myles Garrett ate his lunch.” That’s from an AFC pro personnel director who commented on UCLA left tackle McDermott and what Texas A&M’s junior defensive end did to him in the Week 1 opener. According to Jordan Plocher of Pro Football Focus, Garrett graded out higher against UCLA than he did at any time last year.
— An Ole Miss fan asked my opinion on quarterback Chad Kelly before the game against Florida State on Monday night. My comparison for Kelly has been Jay Cutler for a while now, and we saw that on the field with his hot-and-cold throwing (4 TDs, 3 INTs). And as one NFL scout texted me Thursday morning, Kelly’s off-field concerns from his days at Clemson—that led to his dismissal there—will be a huge red flag for any player but more so for a quarterback.
— The Cleveland Browns didn’t see top-20 NFL quarterback talent from Carson Wentz, according to ESPN Cleveland’s Tony Grossi. After so many in the media and the NFL world fell in love with the North Dakota State prospect, it’s interesting that Hue Jackson and the Browns weren’t sold on him.
— “Don’t sleep on (Marlon) Humphrey. He could be CB1 in a few weeks.” The Alabama cornerback opened eyes against USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster (who has some Round 1 buzz). Humphrey has the size (6’1″, 198 lbs) and technique to impress as a man-coverage cornerback.
5 Names to Know
5. Defensive Lineman DeMarcus Walker, FSU
After finishing the 2015 season with 10.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss, DeMarcus Walker got right back on track with 4.5 sacks against Ole Miss in Week 1. That got him ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors and a big move up the board.
Walker (6’4″, 280 lbs) has NFL size and power for a traditional defensive end—he’s in that Greg Hardy mold athletically—and has shown the production to be a force from the jump in the pros.
4. Edge Defender Dawuane Smoot, Illinois
As I talked to area scouts to develop my list of players to watch this summer, Illinois defensive end Dawuane Smoot kept getting mentioned as a Round 1-tier player.
Smoot flashed last year when scouts turned up to watch Jihad Ward, and his 15 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 2015 showed he can produce off the edge. At 6’3″ and 265 pounds, Smoot also has the size and power NFL teams look for in a 4-3 defensive end.
3. Edge Defender Ryan Anderson, Alabama
The Alabama defense is loaded with NFL talent, and when watching the team perform against USC, it was obvious that Jonathan Allen, Reuben Foster, Tim Williams and Marlon Humphrey have Round 1 potential. However, the lesser-known star who took over the game and wowed NFL …
