I know you are all waiting for my breakdown on the Penn State guys so here goes.
Jesse James - already discussed. I would love to grab him Rd 3 or later. He's a very good athlete, hard worker, leader. Due to the PSU OL being so bad last year, he had to stay in to block and that hurt his production but it ultimately may have made him a better player.
Donovan Smith OT - 6'5 338, experienced LT. Huge. Athletic. had a 32 inch vertical at 338 lbs. Got raves at Senior Bowl week. Here's the problem. He's lazy and an underachiever. Rumor is that he was encouraged to leave PSU because they were afraid his lack of work ethic would rub off on the younger guys. I don't know if that's true but he was never as dominant as he should have been for his physical talents. Probably going in the 2nd or possible late 1st. Too steep a price for me.
Mike Hull LB 5'11 237. Think Sean Lee, not just because he's a white LB from PSU. He's very smart and instinctive. Coach on the field. Undersized and quick. Had one of the best 3 cone times at LB. If you need a zone coverage LB, Hull is the guy. With the steelers drafting Shazier, i don't see him as a Steeler unless he falls pretty far.
Adrian Amos CB/S 6' 218. Tested well at combine. Lack of depth at PSU meant Amos switching back and forth between CB and S. He also had 4 different defensive coordinators at PSU. He's a good zone CB with ball skills. Sure tackler but not physical. Switching back and forth he seemed less sure of himself at S. This is a really weak draft for DBs. Amos is a good prospect for safety, zone CB, or nickel.
Deion Barnes DE/OLB. Came out early and was not invited to the combine. Good athlete. He'll have a lot riding on his pro day. This draft seems deep at edge rushers. He may fall to rd 6 or 7 unless he kills his pro day. He'd be a great prospect that late.
Sam Ficken - Kicker - has a great leg. PSU had a senior K who transferred to be closer to home in Texas. This meant Ficken had to play before he was ready. He struggled mightily and lost all confidence. After working with Robbie Gould, his accuracy improved and his confidence grew. By his senior year, he was one of the best kickers in the country. Kicking is part leg and part mental. Ficken already overcame some huge mental hurdles. Plus his name means **** in German.
