DRAFT TRACKER 2010

Moeaki has been a bit of a disappointment since coming to Iowa as the top-ranked high school tight end in the country. He has struggled to stay on the field as he has missed games in virtually every season of his career at Iowa. He is a good athlete but lacks a second gear to stretch the secondary down the middle and lacks a big burst coming out of his cuts to separate from defenders. He shows effort as a blocker but lacks the lower body strength to block with much power. His best shot may be as an H-back or a tight end that is generally split out and lined up off the line of scrimmage.

Pike is a bit of a product of the system that has been in place with the Cincinnati Bearcats. He gets a lot of completions due to their dink and dunk passing attack that spreads the field out and relies primarily on their passing game to move the ball. He knows how to read coverages but will get stuck on his primary receiver at times rather than go to his second or third option. He is effective throwing from the pocket or when rolling to his right but will struggle when rolling left and having to throw back against the grain. He has struggled to stay healthy for a full season in college and will need to bulk up if he wants to survive the rigors of a full NFL season.

Troup was a productive three-year starter for the Central Florida defense. He is a short, bulky interior defender who flashes initial quickness in the middle. He shows natural power to hold the point versus the run as well as push the pocket as a pass rusher. He needs to expand his pass-rush package with more counter moves. He lacks range outside the tackle box and can be inconsistent to shed blockers quickly. Troup will fit best as a nose tackle in a 3-4 defensive scheme with enough tools to develop.

Goethel was a productive, three-year starter for the Sun Devils. He has a good combination of size and strength with above-average athleticism. He is a very instinctive player who is quick to react as plays unfold. Goethel is a tough, hard-nosed defender who attacks downhill with purpose but lacks great pop and power on contact. He can be solid in zone coverage but doesn't have great burst and quickness to be effective in pure zone schemes. Goethel is likely to contribute on special teams as well as giving depth at the linebacker position at the next level.

Williams is an intense run blocker that played on the left side his senior year but will find a better fit as a right tackle at the next level. He has good size, but could still add quite a bit of bulk after a few years in the NFL. He does a good job of playing over his feet on run blocks which allows him to sustain blocks and redirect with movement. Once he smells blood he will drive opponents into the ground. As a pass blocker he shows good technique but lacks the top lateral range to stay with premier pass rushers coming off the edge.

Lindley was banged up some in his senior season (therefore production is down) but for the most part has been a durable defender for the University of Kentucky over his career. Lindley is a slender built player with great athleticism that was the Wildcats most active coverage defender. Not a physical run support player but is a willing tackler and leverages the ball well. Solid reactor in zone and man schemes to jump patterns and make plays on the ball. Lindley isn’t an elite corner but has the tools to develop into a solid contributor as a corner in sub packages (nickel back) as well as special teams.

Holliday is an explosive return specialist who has the ability to take it all the way virtually every time he touches the ball. He gets a quick jump on the ball as it comes off the kicker's foot and does a good job of settling under it to make the catch. He has the kind of elusiveness that can make would-be tacklers grab air and knows how to set up his blockers. He does have a tendency to rely on his pure speed alone and needs to learn how to alter his speed and save something in reserve. With his speed and acceleration, he has a chance to be drafted late in spite of his lack of size and severe limitations as a wide receiver.

Alualu appears to be a bit of a tweener (combination of height and weight) for an NFL defensive lineman. He doesn’t have the great bulk as an interior lineman in a 4-3 front or the ideal height to play end in a 3-4 scheme. Alualu shows deceptive power for his size that can push the pocket as a pass rusher as well as penetrate the line of scrimmage as a run defender. He has quick hands to control and separate from blockers as well as solid instincts to feel pad pressure and maintain leverage in his gap responsibility. Alualu has enough tools and talent to contribute giving depth to an NFL defensive line.

Tucker is a good sized receiver with excellent receiving skills and good straight-line speed. He will struggle making the hard cuts and multiple cuts needed for the next level. He is a little stiff in the hips and does not do a great job of dropping his hips to get in and out of hard breaks. He shows good ball skills and will extend to catch the ball away from his frame and can adjust to slightly off target throws. He is not that elusive in the open field and needs a seam to use his speed if he wants to advance the ball.

Oghobaase is a big body with power to hold the point when he plays with good pad level. He has enough size and strength to be interior linemen in a 4-3 scheme or move to a defensive end position in a 3-4 front. Oghobaase has lots of potential to develop but needs more consistency with his technique (hand use, moves and counters, ability to separate) to become a productive player at the next level. His durability, endurance and natural instincts to react quickly are concerns but he could answer many of those questions this spring as we approach the 2010 draft. Oghobaase is a bit of a project but his length and strength give him a chance to play in the NFL if he can stay healthy.

Ducasse is a three-year starter at tackle that translates inside to guard for the next level. He came to the U.S. from Haiti in 2002 and that was his first exposure to playing the game of football. He is very athletic for his size with foot quickness, agility and body control but due to his limited experience he often takes poor angles and is not always very quick to recognize stunts and twists by the defensive front. When he has no doubt as to what he is supposed to do, Ducasse looks dominating and powerful. While he is not apt to be an instant impact player, Ducasse has a chance to become a quality starter due to his size, power and athleticism.

Thurmond has adequate size with excellent athleticism and deceptive strength for the position. He had been the Ducks most active coverage defender over his career before a season-ending injury (after four games) in 2009. Thurmond is a tough, competitive cornerback that has the speed, quickness and agility to be effective in man schemes as well as combination zone coverage’s. He can transition well out of his peddle and can flip his hips quickly to run with speed receivers. Thurmond is an aggressive perimeter defender that can re-route receivers off the line of scrimmage as well as leverage the ball effectively as a run defender. Thurmond is an instinctive player with good ball skills and brings an added dimension to his game as a return specialist. He should be a highly valued cornerback in this year's draft if his knee is completely healthy.

Willie has excellent height and enough athleticism to consider him a versatile player. He may fit as a defensive end in a 4-3 front or outside backer in a 3-4 scheme. Willie has little experience as a coverage defender but shows enough balance, speed and agility to develop in this area. He needs added bulk and technique work to develop into a consistent contributor at the next level but appears to have the intelligence, effort and raw physical attributes to be successful. Young is a player with a high ceiling that may take a year or two before he shows his worth to where he is likely to be drafted.

Robinson is a two-year starter that has shown the ability to lead his team and put points on the scoreboard, but is not a classic pocket passer that can make all the throws needed for the next level. He has adequate arm strength but compensates with a live arm that allows him to get the ball out quickly and does not give defenders a lot of time to get a jump on his throws. He needs work on going through his progressions and looking defenders off and will force too many passes causing more interceptions than he should throw. He is athletic and can extend the pocket or throw the ball on the move but will likely never be more than a second or third quarterback on an NFL team.

Beadles is a four-year starter that played guard in 2006 but has been Utah’s starting left tackle for the past three years. He will require some re-tooling becuase he is used to playing out of a two point stance and needs to line up with a hand on the ground in the NFL. He is an adequate athlete that would struggle with the kind of speed coming off the edge in the NFL and needs to move back inside to guard. He understands angles and blocking schemes and should be a quick study at the next level.

Mesko is a four-year starter that had his best season punting the football in 2009. He averaged 44.5 yards in 52 attempts with 0 blocked. Mesko is excellent at dropping the ball inside the twenty yard line to pin opponents deep into their own territory. Mesko has good size and athleticism for the position with above average leg strength. Mesko has been effective in tough weather conditions and shows poise under pressure. He has been solid with his hang time and distance but isn’t an elite punter in this years draft. Mesko is a solid prospect that will likely get his named called late in the draft.