I'm happy to say that there were no new serious injuries to report this week. On the other hand, there is a growing concern about what the future holds for Antonio Gates and we all know that Randy McMichael and Kory Sperry aren't ready to step in and present the kind of matchup problems that NFL offenses covet from their TEs. Also, Randy McMichael ain't no spring chicken himself. So, I'm added TE to the list of team needs. I've had some questions about the positions on the chart recently. The key here is not to say that we need to fill these positions next year, but rather that they are potential needs. When scouting for the future we don't know how certain contract situations will work out and therefore need to cover our bases as much as possible. Realistically, every position needs to be scouted even if there is a competent starter on a long term contract in place, but I've got to have some way to limit the scope or else these posts would get too long to produce on a weekly basis.
| Team Needs | |||
| Starter | Starter Competition | Depth | Projects |
| Current starter is FA next year and has no surefire understudy | Current starter is FA next year and has understudy or current starter is inexperienced | One or more backups are FAs next year | May need a new starter or backup after 2012 season |
| S, FB, C, DT | S, ILB, WR, C, DT, TE |
S, ILB, WR, RB, TE |
QB, K, OG, OLB, DT, DE, TE |
The top game this week is probably Florida at LSU. Once again our scouts will take a pass on what might be considered the best game, but don't fret the two featured games are the next best thing. Why are we doing this? Because despite the quality of their football teams Florida and LSU just don't have that much talent that would appeal to the Bolts. The two games I have chosen do have appeal.
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The Red River shootout. Every year this seems like it's one of the best games of the year for scouting for NFL talent. Typically, this is the toughest game either team will play all season. Which is why I'm bring Oklahoma back to the scouting report even though I featured them only 2 weeks ago. Much of the focus of this game will be on potential first round pick QB Landry Jones and the Texas QB tandem of Case McCoy and David Ash. But, that won't be our focus. Okahoma's flashy WR will once again be our target, as well as a could of LBs and potential 3-4 DE for Texas. |
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If you follow college football rankings then you'd probably know that, like the Oklahoma-Texas game, this game features two ranked teams. Both have one loss, but both lost to teams currently in the top 10 (Clemson and Alabama respectively). The appeal to this game are the Arkansas WRs. Both of them were big contributors with, now New England Patriot, Ryan Mallett at the helm and have returned this year with something to prove for NFL scouts. Auburn basically plays the role here of being top competition to evaluate these players against, but also has an OT that perhaps could be looked at as an OG prospect for the Chargers. |
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
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Kheeston Randall |
Texas | DE/DT | Sr. | 6'4 | 294 lbs |
| He's the equivalent of a giant wall in the run game. Double teams don't make him budge. That also means that he's not much of a pass rusher and if a running back gets outside the tackle box Randall is not going to catch him. Those skills better fit a DT position in a 4-3 who comes off the field on 3rd downs, but maybe there's some development potential for Randall. Watch closely to see if he can be more than a one dimension gap plugger. (1st Round) |
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Keenan Robinson |
Texas | OLB | Sr. | 6'2 | 237 lbs |
| Have you already looked at his height, weight and position and figured out what I'm going to say? Yes, this is another OLB that could transition to a 3-4 ILB. He's a rangy athlete who translate that ability into run stopping. He can chase down RBs outside the tackle box and can get a good closing burst before a tackle. He can play zone and man to man in coverage, which is definitely his strength in that area since he's not much for getting sacks. Good character.(2nd round) |
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Greg Childs |
Arkansas | WR | Sr. | 6'3 | 211 lbs |
| Childs probably would have been a regular last year in the BFTB scouting reports, but he tore his patella tendon, which knocked him out for the rest of the season. This year he's back and showing off those great ball skills he's blessed with. He's a good pass catcher going deep, over the middle or executing some catch and run. All phases are excellent in that area. His top end speed and elusiveness are two of the biggest questions. His route running also isn't anything special and he can't use his speed to get separation. He is a big body receiver and can throw his weight around to get open. (2nd round) |
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| Ryan Broyles | Oklahoma | WR | Sr. | 5'10 | 187 lbs |
| Ryan Broyles is off to a hot start after I professed my love for him 2 weeks ago. The last two weeks combined: 17 receptions for 263 yards. I didn't give much of a scouting report last year, so I'll give some pros and cons this time. His smallish size could be a problem in the NFL. His speed is good but not at an elite level. He's more of a slot receiver where he can pick up a lot of YAC. He's very quick and hard to cover, he breaks effortlessly out of routes. Some character concerns as he was arrested for attempted larceny back in 2007, but now he's a team leader and seems to have matured. He should be able to return kicks and punts in the NFL. (1st or 2nd round) |
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Travis Lewis |
Oklahoma |
OLB | Sr. | 6'1 | 232 lbs |
| I skipped over Lewis last time around because he missed that game with an injury. He should be healthy now. Last year he was very highly thought of and I glowingly referred to him as a playmaker would could transition to being a 3-4 ILB. Right now, his scouting grade has dropped because he's seen as undersized. He's a intense competitor, but that doesn't translate to big hits on the field. Instead he's a fundamentally sound tackler who takes excellent pursuit angles. He looks like he could be an asset in coverage. (3rd Round) |
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| Brandon Moseley |
Auburn | OT |
Sr. | 6'5 | 300 lbs |
| Big body OT that might be able to a project at that position in the NFL or transition to OG. He's got that mean streak you look for and he's a heck of an athlete. If he were to play OG he'd need a loot of work on pulling since he's not that great in space. (3rd round) |
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Jake Bequette |
Arkansas | DE |
Sr. | 6'4 | 263 lbs |
| With that body size he's pretty much the prototypical 4-3 DE size, but it's worth taking a look at him as a 3-4 OLB. If he does make that transition, then the upside is that with his size he could stay in and put his hand down on 3rd downs as a pass rusher. Good character, had worker, plays hard, never gives up on a play. (3rd round) | |||||
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Joe Adams |
Arkansas | WR |
Sr. | 5'10 | 177 lbs |
| Productive WR for Arkansas, especially when Mallett was there and Childs was hurt. He's not very big and he has some medical red flags. He works hard and his outstanding speed plus great initial burst helps him to threaten CBs on a regular basis. Unfortunately, his pass catching leaves something to be desired. (4th round) | |||||
| Emmanuel Acho | Texas |
ILB |
Sr. | 6'1 | 237 lbs |
| Excellent student and he gets high grades for character. Very active in community service. He's got good instincts, especially against the run, but is overly aggressive and can get caught out of position. Not a great athlete and would be easy pickings if he had to take someone on one-on-one. (5th round) | |||||
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Jerry Franklin |
Arkansas | DE |
Sr. | 6'4 | 263 lbs |
| Four year starter who is a solid wrap up tackle. Athleticism is below average for his position and he could be a liability in coverage at the next level. He can hustle and make plays with his determination and mean streak. (5th round) | |||||
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Blake Gideon |
Texas |
S |
Sr. | 6'0 | 207 lbs |
| Texas has a reputation for producing lots of NFL defensive backs, but surprising Gideon is the best of the prospects currently playing for the Longhorns. He's durable and has starter every game he's played in college. He seems to be a natural when it comes to picking off passes. Good timing and hand-eye coordination in that area. His trouble area is speed. He's got the size for the position, but not the wheels. (6th round) | |||||
| Cody Johnson |
Texas | FB |
Sr. | 5'11 |
257lbs |
| More of a road grader and that may discourage the Chargers, but he's the top FB in the draft and Jacob Hester's future is up in the air. (6th round) | |||||
| NFL Prospects: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Landry Jones | Oklahoma | QB | Sr. | 6'4 | 230 lbs |
| The #2 or #3 ranked QB that could be in this draft. (1st round) |
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| Sleepers: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Jamell Fleming | Oklahoma | CB | Sr. | 5'10 | 192 lbs |
| CB not a need for Chargers. (Late Rounds) |
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Jarius Wright |
Arkansas | WR | Sr. | 5'9 | 178 lbs |
| Another Razorbacks WR, but he's even smaller than the others (Late Rounds) |
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| Frank Alexander | Oklahoma | DE | Sr. | 6'3 | 262 lbs |
| If he can be a 3-4 OLB, then that might increase his draft stock and be of interest to the Chargers. (UDFA) |
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| James Hanna | Oklahoma | TE | Sr. | 6'3 | 235 lbs |
| A nice weapon for the Sooner offense, Chargers always looking for TE competition. (UDFA) |
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| Tremain Thomas | Arkansas | S | Sr. | 5'11 | 192 lbs |
| Top Arkansas safety. Seems a bit undersized. Maybe he has the speed to make up for it. (UDFA) |
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| Justin Tucker | Texas | K | Sr. | 6'0 | 187 lbs |
| One of the top kicking prospects this year. (UDFA) | |||||