Do we need the team needs chart? Let's face it the Chargers need everything. Almost no one can stay healthy at any position. Some so much so that their careers may even be in jeopardy. And the ones that do seem either ineffective or are going to be free agents at the end of the season. It's a whole mess. The optimists and, as Shaun Phillips would, the real fans still see hope in this year's team and you can believe what you will about that, but rest assured next year's draft will still be important no matter the outcome of the 2011 season. This Black Friday brings another big SEC clash to focus our scouting eyes.
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It wasn't that long ago we talked about either of these teams. LSU played "The Game of the Century" against Alabama just a few weeks ago and made many of us collectively yawn. Arkansas beat the defending BCS Champion Auburn Tigers a little before that. Still, this game is interesting because of a very intriguing matchup it presents. The Razorbacks have one of the best receiving corps in the nation that includes three senior prospects. The Tigers have two of the best CBs in the country including a future 1st round pick and a playmaking Sophomore called "The Honey Badger". If this game has any chance of being more than a defensive struggle, then Arkansas' WR will have to assert themselves and in turn would make them appealing future Chargers. |
| BFTB Scouting Targets: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Barkevious Mingo | LSU | DE/OLB | So. | 6'5 | 240 lbs |
| Not draft eligible, but one of the better Tiger prospects. He's a college DE, but seems a perfect fit to move to OLB. He's fast, he's long and he has range. Could be compared to someone like "The Freak" Jevon Kearse. Plus, his name is awesome. (2nd round) | |||||
| Rueben Randle | LSU | WR | Jr. | 6'4 | 208 lbs |
| At this point you'd be a fool not to be a little wary of LSU WRs. There has been plenty of hype around a number of them and only Dwayne Bowe stands out. But, each player is their own and you can't let that wariness stand in the way of evaluating a top prospect. Randle was a little off the radar going into this year but his polished route running and some improved catching skills have put him back on. He still could go back to school, but if LSU picks up a title then he's probably NFL-bound. As I mentioned earlier, he's involved in a key matchup in this game and will get a chance to prove his worth in this game. The thing scouts will be looking especially hard at is how well he gets off the jam. (2nd or 3rd round) | |||||
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Jarius Wright |
Arkansas | WR | Sr. | 5'9 | 178 lbs |
| He's fast, but he's small. He projects as a run after the catch guy and possible deep threat. The upside here would something like a Jacoby Ford or DeSean Jackson although that's just something to dream on, otherwise he'd be projected to go in the first round. Still, he's having a great senior season and has turned from a sleeper prospect into someone that could contribute at the next level. (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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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 he's been showing off those some of those great ball skills he's blessed with, but still the recovery process has knocked down his draft grade a little. He's a good pass catcher going deep, over the middle or executing some catch and run. However, 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. (4th 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) | |||||
| Jerry Franklin | Arkansas | ILB | Sr. | 6'1 | 243 lbs |
| A little small, but has a solid build and some speed. His tackling skills might be the envy of some Chargers as he's a wrap up tackler who shows good fundamentals in that area. The speed of the game at the next level will be his challenge. It will be a big test for his recognition skills and how well he can survive in coverage. Still, there's a good set of skills there and he'll probably be a good special teameer. (5th round) | |||||
| NFL Prospects: | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Morris Claiborne | LSU | CB | Jr. | 6'0 | 173 lbs |
| A former WR, so his ball skills are better than most. Picked up 5 INTs while playing in the shadow of Arizona Cardinals 2011 1st round pick Patrick Peterson. He's lean, but can add bulk, which he'll need to do at the next level. He currently can't help much in run support. In coverage, he shows fluid hips, above average speed and can turn and run with the best the SEC has to offer. (1st round) | |||||
| Tyrann Mathieu | LSU | CB | So. | 5'9 | 175 lbs |
| The new Patrick Peterson. He even wears the same. He also returns kicks, plays the same position and is a playmaker extraordinaire. His size is his limiting factor and will make teams shy away in the first round. He makes up for that lack of size with speed and athleticism. The SEC is full of size mismatches for him, but he still makes plays. He's shown the ability to get to the QB when asked to blitz as well. (1st round?) | |||||
| Player | School | Pos. | Class | Height | Weight |
| Ryan Baker | LSU | ILB | Sr. | 5'11 | 232 lbs |
| A little bit of an oddity in that he's a sub 6 foot LB. Still, has NFL talent and he's the leader of this top defense. (late rounds) | |||||
| Deangelo Peterson | LSU | TE | Sr. | 6'4 | 235 lbs |
| Provides a big target, but his experience is in a run heavy scheme. He can play some H-back so there's versatility there. (later rounds/UDFA) | |||||
| Jarrett Lee | LSU | QB | Sr. | 6'2 | 208 lbs |
| Struggled when given opportunities in previous, but is making the most of his senior season. (late rounds/UDFA) | |||||
| T-bob Hebert | LSU | OC/OG | Sr. | 6'2 | 296 lbs |
| Has played both the center and guard positions over the last couple of years. DWI arrest last year. (UDFA) | |||||
| Ken Adams | LSU | DE/OLB | Sr. | 6'4 | 248 lbs |
| Pass rushing threat that could become a 3-4 OLB. (UDFA) | |||||
| 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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