There were some outstanding performances as well as some disappointments. The game provided some clarification as some but not all of the good and bad performances carried over to the game. The players are listed in general how the scouts ranked them for the week.
Quarterbacks
Brave and stays strong in pocket. Keeps eyes downfield and had the best combination of power and accuracy on his passes – all levels. Doesn’t always feel back side defenders, gets locked on to where and who he’s throwing and just made some head scratchers.
His athleticism stacks up with some of the best athletes here. Looked very comfortable managing the offense in tempo drill. Cleanest passer there. Quick release and hits his targets in stride. Impressive velocity was seen on deep balls and intermediate throws outside the numbers. Perfect ball placement in some tight windows in red zone 7 on 7. Gets lost in the shuffle in a crowded pocket. He showed some struggles rolling to his right. Passes outside the hash sailed at times. In the game he led an impressive opening drive for a touchdown.
Arm talent is real. He makes some things look really easy and fluid. Big kid too and underrated athlete. His side line accuracy and deep throws stand out with this group. Inconsistent as he made some great throws and then missed some easy ones. Often high on crossers in the middle of the field. Some of his intermediate middle of the field passes were underthrown.
Had a tough first day struggling with accuracy and footwork. Made some deep throws across the field with precise accuracy later in the week. Power arm with easy velocity he gets it out quickly. Shows potential to be a productive downfield passer. However it’s impossible to ignore the mistakes, some poor decisions. Threw into coverage more often than you like to see including an interception by Jack Kiser. Several balls bounced in front of receivers. His struggles carried over to the game. He showed off ability on the run but needs considerable development as a passer.
Easy player to like both as a person and athlete. Excellent runner with agility in traffic and the open field. Completes the easy ones with great accuracy – sets his guys up to run after the catch. Release is inconsistent and struggled to put the ball where he needed to with guys in his face. Did not like his erratic downfield ball placement.
Taylor Elgersma - Laurier
The Canadian showed off notable power and velocity in his passes. Raw but made some wow throws deep. Hard not to think of a young Kurt Warner on those – same release too. He led the group in complete ducks. Footwork is a work in progress as he was tripping over his feet a few times. Needs to put a little more air under his passes on fade routes. Some hesitancy to get the ball out. Does not show a consistently quick release. Made an impressive deep sideline throw to Pat Bryant in the game.
Plays on time and gets the ball out fast. Anticipated and showed nice touch between layers of field. Limitation on arm power showed up on throws to the outside. Physically unimpressive.
Wide Receivers
Dominant in traffic. He is always the aggressor and it’s remarkable how well he times his leaps for the ball. Shows several ways to get open – knows how to sell as he’s able to separate with head fakes and quickness in and out of breaks. Comes back to ball hard. Made some spectacular catches throughout the week, including a 50-yard contested ball he caught between two defenders. Good blocking skills with a sturdy base and hand usage. He carried it over to the game, winning the MVP award after catching the winning touchdown pass. Probably won’t test very well and there is some tightness that shows up against pro caliber man coverage.
The biggest riser of the week. He was a non-factor for four years and dropped a lot of passes. But his speed and deceleration are truly elite. May run in 4.2s and he plays that way. He showed quick and easy separation to all levels – not just deep. He is a hard guy to ignore when looking for high ceiling. He is small and light – got caught up vs. jam at times. Does trap the ball between his body on too many underneath throws.
Speedster with excellent route running ability. Won every rep easily on day 1 in one on ones. None of the DBs could hang with him. His catch mechanics are fantastic. Smooth and just plain fast. Can’t hide from the fact he weights 156. If you get hands on him you are slowing him down. Some inconsistency with his routes, rounds cuts too much and isn’t observed coming back to the ball.
Eye opening speed for someone of his size. Looked better than what was observed on tape because of how fluid he could move. He could weave in and out of breaks smoothly. High points well and secures the ball fast. He is not going to be an easy guy to tackle at all. Questionable ability on contested catches. Not sure he has the explosiveness he may need to be a real weapon there.
Sinks his hips effortlessly. Difficult to cover on comeback routes. Slot only. Acceleration plus deceleration was impressive. Everything about his game is fast and sudden. Doesn’t waste time off the line. Gets covered up by bigger corners. Catch radius is small and there’s little margin for error by the quarterback as he needs an accurate thrower.
Fastest WR there, he can really move. He can be quick and shifty when his footwork is right. Made some touch catches in traffic. Does not run routes with different tempos as for the most part he’s a one speed type. Dropped a couple easy ones.
Really smooth with his foot plants and change of direction. Solid deceleration and acceleration in and out of route breaks. Really solid frame that plays big. He bullied some corners around in practice. Caught everything. Did not separate downfield much and corners could stay in phase. Looked a little rigid after the catch. That said, he flashed functional speed at times including a nice catch on a deep ball in the game. Also made a nice play on a 50/50 ball.
We loved his hustle and play strength. Plays the game hard and has the legs of a running back. Competes hard for the ball and gets north and south post catch fast. Such a small frame as he lacks length and height. There is some tightness, straight line only kind of guy.
He was sudden off the line with solid route running ability and change of direction. He has extra twitch. Was not the strongest guy vs. press and he let a few through his hands.
Excellent straight line speed has shown up a number of times throughout the week, wins lots of one on one reps. Big body receiver with the speed, athleticism and physicality to be an enticing X at the next level. Sure-handed and physical. If he can get his hands to the ball, he is going to bring it in. Not deterred by contact and showed excellent concentration. He didn’t drop a pass in his 2 years at Arkansas. Speed and overall athletic ability limited. May not be refined enough to make up for it when it comes to getting open vs. man coverage.
Savvy off the line. Knows how to get open and create leverage. Caught everything. Nothing stands out physically. Average athlete with questionable long speed and agility for anything beyond a quality backup.
Didn’t see him after day one. Flashed above average movement traits.
Visually a very impressive body type. Looks the part and he will get behind some guys. Long strider who can work well in space vertically. A little tight-hipped but very shifty as a route runner. Telegraphs his moves at times and is an easy target to stuff at the line. He is a willing blocker, but would like to see more violence and hands inside.
Late add. Good contested catch guy downfield – well timed and accurate hands. Too many steps off the line, was not on time and let a few drops that he got hands on.
Showed better than what we saw during the season. Caught the ball on the move well and he has an extra gear post-catch many do not have. Was a little late off the line, too many steps to avoid press. Hard to play on time with.
Catches everything. Very sturdy through contact and showed smooth post catch movement. Really struggled off the line. He looked slow and heavy-footed. Lacks catch radius and fast twitch reactions.
Shifty and quick. Plays with urgency. Caught mostly everything on the move. Very small and lacks catch radius. Not sure he can break tackles next level and never got over the top of anybody.