by Dave Syvertsen, Ourlads’ Draft Analyst
AKRON
#55 RG Tommy Brown – 6’4/310
Transferred from Ohio State prior to the 2014 season. He couldn’t get on the fie;d there. He has become a leader of the team but in the one game I saw him, he looked like a guy that struggled to get out of his stance with any sort of quickness and accuracy. Slow to react. He has a power element to his game and he can move in space well. UDFA type.
#1 LB Jartavis Brown – 5’11/222
A definite possibility for the 2015 MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Despite being very undersized. Brown finished the year with 17.5 TFL and 10.5 sacks. He is one of those guys that understands how to make his lack of size a true advantage. I question what he can do in the NFL though. He isn’t a blazer in pursuit and he doesn’t deliver a violent blow as a tackler. UDFA type, possible late rounder.
Other Notables:
#3 LB Darryl Monroe – 6’1/235
#9 DT Rodney Coe – 6’3/305
#36 DT Cody Grice – 5’11/275
UTAH STATE
#9 OLB Kyler Fackrell – 6’5/250
Fifth year senior. Scouts have been talking about this guy for four years now and I think it has gotten to a point here he is a tad overrated. He has the look, that’s for sure. He is tall and long, has some natural thickness to him and has really molded in to a good looking player. He moves well in tight spaces. Smart and instinctive. But if you are bringing him in to rush the edge, I don’t see anything more than a 4th or 5th round grade. Some are saying he is a top 45 guy. He missed 2014 with a torn knee so its possible he is slow to recover, but I’ve seen him plenty in 2015 and fail to see the high upside.
Other Notables:
#4 WR Hunter Sharp – 6’0/200
#11 WR Brandon Swindall – 6’4/205
#97 DT Jordan Nielsen – 6’5/275
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TEMPLE
#19 WR Robby Anderson – 6’3/190
Fifth year senior. Has had a pretty wild ride. Started off at CB, quit the team during the spring of 2013 but returned for the regular season. Made the switch to WR at that point. Redshirt in 2011 and had to sit out in 2014 because of academic reasons. Frail-bodied long strider that can really get up and get the football. He has the skill set with nice catching ability and speed. Is he guy that can keep his head on straight and work his tail off to keep improving? That’s the question that many are asking. Red flags in a few different places off the field. UDFA type, maybe a late rounder.
#8 LB Tyler Matakevich – 6’1/232
4 year starter that is the heart and soul of the Temple team, not just the defense. Appears to be a thumper between the tackles but he has enough range in coverage to stay on the field. He is a very solid but unspectacular MIKE prospect. I don’t think he is the gamechanger that some will say he is, but he can be a starter. I think he is slow to the sidelines and he gets caught up with blockers too often and those are really important attributes for me when grading LBs. He does show natural flow to the action and his game doesn’t require top tier athletic ability. In the right system he can be a 100+ tackle per season guy easily. You won’t find many, if any, defenders in this class with the career production he has. 3rd or 4th rounder.
#9 DT Matt Ioannidis – 6’4/292
3 year starter. Leader of the defensive line. Lacks true talent and tools but you’ll have a hard time finding a DT that hustles more than him. Numerous times I’ll be watching a Temple defense tape and you see him running to the action 30 yards downfield. Coaches are drawn to that more so than scouts. He’ll have plenty of guys around the league fighting for him in the UDFA period. There is backup caliber upside here.
Other Notables:
#79 C Kyle Friend – 6’2/305
#72 DT Hershey Walton – 6’4/314
#1 CB Tavon Young – 5’10/180
TOLEDO
*#3 RB Kareem Hunt – 5’11/224
Junior that has not yet declared. If you asked me in August I would have said he was almost a sure thing to declare, but 2015 didn’t go as planned. He was suspended for 2 games and he battled a hamstring injury early. He had one of the best statistic-based seasons in the nation in 2014, ranking 2nd in yards per carry. Hunt runs in a zone scheme and he shows the proper patience and north/south explosion to do well in that role. He kind of reminds me of Robert Turbin or Christine Michael. Thick, NFL ready body that can move the pile but won’t do much in the open field. If he comes out maybe a 5th-6th rounder.
Other Notables:
#65 C Ruben Carter – 6’4/306
#9 WR Alonzo Russell – 6’4/205
#97 DT Orion Jones – 6’2/285
#99 DE Allen Covington – 6’2/275
#42 DE Trent Voss – 6’3/235
#8 S Chaz Whittaker – 6’2/212
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