Wisconsin QB Russell Wilson-
Russell Wilson posesses top notch intangibles despite his lack of quality NFL size for the position. Wilson will be an exciting and interesting player to watch and follow leading up through the 2012 NFL Draft process.
There a few things that stick out about Russell Wilson’s game when you watch him play QB. First of all, Wilson stands just 5-11 205 lbs. lacking prototypical NFL size for the position. However, Russell Wilson is not your average QB and has many intangibles that make him a very interesting NFL prospect. The first thing that needs to be discussed is just how athletic Russell Wilson is. Wilson shows a great ability to feel pressure and escape the pocket. Once he has converted from thrower to runner, Wilson can become a defensive nightmare as he shows a rare ability to make plays with his feet and keep the play alive. Wilson is such an athlete that he was selected in the 2010 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies (#140 overall). The other thing that stands out to me and is often overlooked by many in scouting circles is how quickly Wilson has become a leader for a Wisconsin Badger team that once had hopes for a potential National Title type season before suffering a heartbreaking loss to Michigan State. To come in with little to no knowledge about his teammates, the system, coaching staff, or general surroundings and go on to become a leader for your team with very little time to earn their trust and adapt is something that needs to be considered. I find myself wondering just how good this Badger team could have become if he was allowed a little more time to adapt to his new situation after transferring in from NC State, or if he had yet another year left of eligibility. Another thing that makes Russell Wilson special is how well he protects the football. To this point in the season, Wilson has thrown just 3 interceptions in 260 attempts. Which equals out to 1 interception every 86.667 pass attempts, ranking 2nd in all of the FBS QB’s who have attempted at least 250 passes on the season, behind only Houston’s Case Keenum who plays in a spread offense system. Add on to this that Wilson ranks in the top 10 for TD passes and his 10. 4 yds per pass attempt is 2nd in the nation, behind only Baylor’s Robert Griffin and Wilson ranks very favorably with many of the top leaders at his position in college football. While at NC State, Wilson also set an NCAA record by attempting an astronomical 389 consecutive passes before throwing an interception, breaking Andre Woodson’s all time record of 325. Enough with the stats, lets delve into how Russell Wilson looked in this particular game. First of all Wilson does a nice job making quick decisions and getting the ball out quickly, which would make sense considering his high completion percentage of 72.7%, also ranking in the top 5 nationally. He has a quick compact throwing motion and exhibits enough zip on the ball to fit it into tight windows. One concern I do have is Wilson’s tendency to sail the ball on stick throws downfield. I’m not sure if this has to do with footwork quite yet, but I have seen him sail a pass when trying to drive it downfield on more than one occasion this year so that is something I will be looking for in future games. Overall I have been impressed with Wilson’s ball placement and overall accuracy, especially when on the run. You can tell when watching the Badgers play that they have become a team predicated on the run, thanks to their superb offensive line and running back, which we will get into a bit later. However, when asked to make a play this season Wilson has performed his job as well as anyone in the country. Wilson displays good overall footwork and his pocket presence seems to be above average, although he sometimes will escape the pocket before he has to and try to do too much. I want to see Wilson step up in the pocket more often to evade the rush, but overall I like his awareness, overall feel for the game. I will be posting another “Instant Impressions” analysis of the Badgers vs. Purdue game soon and will be paying very close attention to this weekend’s Big Ten Championship Game against the same Michigan State team that shocked and stunned Badger nation and the rest of the college football world with their last second hall mary pass to win the game. Stay tuned for future analysis, but Russell Wilson is quickly becoming one of my most favorite players to watch and scout leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft.
Wisconsin RB Montee Ball-
Montee Ball seems to lack top-end speed and a 2nd gear to pull away from defenders and become a big play threat. However, it is Ball's vision, patience, balance, and overall nose for the end zone that will excite NFL teams.
Montee Ball plays with some very great pieces around him. He has one of the best and biggest offensive lines in the nation that would rival and challenge some NFL rosters with big men Ricky Wagner, Peter Konz, and Kevin Zeitler leading the way. Forward charging and all around under-rated and under-appreciated FB Bradie Ewing is also a vital component of the Badgers overall running game. Montee Ball is no slouch either though as he plays the game with incredible patience, balance, and vision. I love how well he follows his blocks and waits for the hole to open up before getting up field and gaining positive yards, making him a better overall fit for a zone blocking scheme. As evidenced by his astounding and potentially record-breaking pace of 29 rushing td’s and 34 td’s overall, it is easy to see why these attributes have allowed him to be so accustomed to finding his way into the end zone. The one thing Montee Ball will not do too often however is break away from the pack. He does an above average job at attacking and pressing the LOS, but Ball will never astound you with his overall burst, acceleration or top end speed. He will however excite you by his lateral agility and overall feel for creating cut-back lanes. This is perhaps the most apparent aspect of Ball’s game as he consistently bounces and keeps his feet moving and chopping before getting up field. This ability to plant his foot in the ground and go makes Ball a better overall back, even though he doesn’t display the necessary burst to become a big play threat at the next level. Another thing I noticed the Ball does exceptionally well is making the first man miss. This is something that cannot be taught and is innate in Ball’s overall athletic ability. Ball doesn’t break too many tackles but he also doesn’t shy away from contact as he will lower his head and fight for extra yards when the opportunity presents itself. Out of the backfield Montee Ball has done his part this season, however there was a couple instances in this game where he was late getting his head around when escaping the backfield. This nearly lead to an interception and later lead to an incompletion that could have went for a big gain had Ball been more prepared to get the ball. This is not to say that Ball does not posses above average ability as a receiver out of the backfield, just that he still has some aspects of this part of his game to work on. Not in this game but in past games I have also noticed that Ball doesn’t always do a good enough job in pass protection as he will sometimes only throw a shoulder at an oncoming defender. I need to see him become more physical and show the type of aggressiveness to hold up against pass rushers before I can trust him protecting my QB on passing downs. Overall I am a fan of Ball’s game, although I admit his upside is somewhat limited due to his lack of top-end speed. With that said I believe it is Ball’s ability to find his way into the end zone and create positive yards consistently that will make him a staple in his future NFL teams running attack.
Wisconsin WR Nick Toon-
Nick Toon has great NFL size and comes from a lineage that makes him an attractive prospect. However, Toon has seemed to disappear for long stretches in games this season and I have questions about his ability to create separation at the next level.
Nick Toon is a WR that possesses a great NFL frame at 6-2 225 lbs and also a great heritage as his father Al Toon was an All-Pro receiver with the New York Jets. In the two games I have watched of Toon he has either disappeared or become ineffective in getting open and making an impact in the passing game. I dont know if this has to do with his inability to seperate or if teams have been bracketing him and throwing more coverage his way because of his capability to impact the game. Toon’s numbers on the season aren’t anything to get supremely excited about as he currently has 52 receptions on the season for 788 yds. and 9 td’s. His 15.2 YPC average is in the top 20 nationally for receivers with at least 50 catches on the season, suggesting he has some ability to stretch the field and create yards after the catch. An aspect of Toon’s game that is strongly apparent when watching his film is his strong and natural hands as a pass catcher. Toon does a nice job attacking the ball in the air while catching the ball at its highest point. Toon also displays very good body control, using his body to create separation from the defender as well as the ability to adjust to the ball while it’s in the air. In this game Toon also displayed great spacial and field awareness on a couple passes in knowing where the sideline was to come down with the catch in bounds. I’m not quite sold on Toon’s ability to separate at the next level and I need to do more work on him to get a better feel for his route running ability. Right now I see Toon as a possession type receiver in the NFL who will struggle to consistently create separation and become a playmaker at the next level. I still need to see more from Toon, but to this point I have been underwhelmed by his overall performances and ability. Hopefully Toon will get more opportunities in the next coming games as he could very well be the one defenses have targeted in on to stop Wisconsin’s aerial attack, seeing as only Toon, Pederson and Abberderis seem to be the one’s who are catching ball’s in the Wisconsin offense consistently.
Wisconsin C Peter Konz-
Peter Konz has NFL size and NFL ability. Barring any set-back Konz should declare a year early and should hear his name called fairly early as the top Center in the draft...he's that good.
Peter Konz has to be the best center in this class and he should come out this year, even though he has another year left of eligibility. Konz stands a strong 6-5 315 lbs. and plays with violent and heavy hands. Konz’s hand usage overall is very good and you have to be impressed by the way Konz finishes his blocks. Peter does a superb job of driving his defender to the ground and it is the way he finishes the job by pancacking his opponent that gets you excited about his level and style of play. Konz displays good leg drive and consistently moves his opponent off the ball on running plays. His initial pop off the LOS allows Konz to generate sound leverage in winning nearly evey battle he has at the point of attack. Another area of Konz’s game that he does exceptionally well is executing seal blocks and thus creating running lanes off his back side. In pass protection you can tell that Konz has a great feel and awareness for his blocking assignments and zone. It is in this area that Konz shows great discipline as he repeatedly picks up the first defender that crosses his face or attacks his zone. When not engaged with a defender, Konz is more than willing to help out his fellow teammates in chipping and assisting with blocking assignments. At times I have seen Konz over-engage and get knocked down, but not enough times for it to become a concern as he seems to play with excellent balance and overall technique to wear down his opponent. Konz fights to the whistle and works hard to sustain blocks when locked on with his defender. In this particular game Konz did a nice job pulling, as Wisconsin seems to like his ability to get out in front of the runner and open up running holes. Konz did an excellent job locking on and taking out the 1st defender and showed the ability to reach and hit moving targets at the 2nd level. Konz also shows a nice ability to anchor and prevent bull rushers from collapsing or penetrating the pocket. As you can tell there isn’t much I don’t like about Konz game and there is no doubt he is playing exceptionally well and better than any other Center in all of college football right now. If Konz does declare I could see him cracking the first round as he has day one starting ability.
Wisconsin G Kevin Zeitler-
Kevin Zeitler is a physically big and imposing blocker who excels in the run game by opening up holes. His game has some flaws but he is soundly becoming one of the better Guard prospects in the country.
Kevin Zeitler displays the type of talent that would put him up there with the other top G prospects in Stanford’s David Decastro, Georgia’s Cordy Glenn, and Iowa State’s Keleche Osemele. The aspect of Zeitler’s game that is fun to watch is his ability to open up holes in the run game. I absolutely love Zeitler’s effort in the run game as he shows the ability to fire out of his stance and gain proper leverage and initial advantage and positioning on his opponent by playing with proper pad level. Zeitler also displays sound balance and technique and consistently stymies his defender with his overall form and size at 6-4 315 lbs. Zeitler is developing into a sound run blocker who takes great pride in his craft and has the ability to become an absolute road-grader as he is big, mean, and physical and best suited for a power run scheme at the next level. Zeitler displays above average feet and athleticism and can get out in front when asked to pull and be a lead blocker, but he needs to be more decisive and come around the corner hard and with his head on a swivel. On one pulling play in this game this was evident as Zeitler didn’t show the type of aggressiveness to get up into the hole and thus was beat to get position by a defender looking to fill the hole. It is in this area that Kevin could also take better angles as he tends to get a little out in front of himself. Zeitler does however do a good job at getting to the 2nd level and does a nice job controlling his opponent with proper positioning and technique, although he sometimes tries to penetrate the 2nd level before truly finishing off his first block. This is where Zeitler needs to show some patience and make sure his defender has been taken out of the play before proceeding to his next assignment. In pass protection Zeitler does a good job of mirroring his opponent while playing with a good solid wide base to anchor. He always seems to be in control and in solid position and has enough athleticism to recover when beaten initially. Overall Zeitler is a better prospect than former Badger Guard John Moffitt, who was taken 75th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. This is in large part thanks to his ability to become an effective pass blocker and really excel in the running game where he is a reliable in opening up running lanes. I’m excited to watch more film of Zeitler as both he and Konz play very sound football and work very well next to each other. Presenting what is most likely the most balanced, gifted, and special interior offensive line play in not only the Big Ten but the entire NCAA.
Ohio State OT Mike Adams-
Mike Adams will have to answer questions about the Ohio State Tatoo Scandal that kept him sidelined for much of his senior season. Adam's has good size and possesses very good awareness, but his lack of foot agility concerns me in his ability to stay at LT in the NFL.
Ohio State’s OT Mike Adams possesses good overall size and length standing 6-6 320 lbs. The thing I really like and appreciate about Mike Adam’s is his overall awareness and ability to keep his head and eyes up to pick up oncoming defenders. Adam’s is very successful when asking to re-direct and always plays with his head on a swivel, knowing when and where blitzers may be twisting or stunting off the edge. Mike also displays an above average punch and overall strength to jolt and stymie defenders to get them off-balance and temporarily out of the play. Adam’s is also a very effective blocker when asked to down block at an angle and seal the edge. He was extremely effective at taking a proper blocking angles and getting good hand placement on his opponents’ to drive them out of the play and on more than one occasion all the way to the ground. You can also tell that Adam’s is a competitor in short or goal-line situations as he routinely fires off the ball and displays the type of passion and enthusiasm you want in somebody trying to move his defender off the ball as he plays hard through the whistle. One area that Mike Adams needs to improve on is his tendency to pop-up a bit when coming out of his stance. He needs to do a better job of creating leverage by playing with better pad level and sinking his hips to get into proper position. I also noticed that Adam’s somewhat struggles to keep his legs driving through contact and develops somewhat of a lean in the running game. Although Adams has great size and overall ability, it is this lack of discipline and technique that gives him trouble in sustaining his blocks for a long enough period of time. When coming set into his pass protection I am not quite sold yet on his ability to stay at LT in the NFL due to his footwork as it seems at bit sloppy and slow at times. Adam’s doesn’t possess superior athleticism, or feet and his lack of agility and foot quickness leave something to be desired for a man who is asked to protect the QB’s blind side. I’m just not sure I can trust him matching up against speed rushers off the edge, even though I have yet to see him get beat to the outside as of yet. I do know that Mike struggles with shorter athletes who possess the ability to beat him with their overall quickness and use of spin moves. Adam’s sometimes is a bit slow to recover when beaten initially and struggled to rebound when his hands and feet were out of position and he was knocked off balance. Overall I like his skill set and I would like to believe at worst he can become an effective RT but I need to see more of him in this department before I can make this assumption. Adam’s will also have some very tough questions to answer leading up to the 2012 NFL Draft pertaining to his involvement in the Ohio State Tatoo Scandal that kept him sidelined for much of his senior season.
Ohio State C Mike Brewster-
Brewster's lacks the type of aggressiveness and tenacity I like to see in my offensive lineman. However, his starting experience, leadership ability, and overall knowledge and intelligence for the game make him a good center prospect moving forward.
Standing 6-4 305 lbs, Mike Brewster has a good frame to fill the position in the NFL. Mike Brewster is a four-year starter who has now tallied 47 consecutive starts for the Buckeyes and has become a leader on the team. His excellent blend of starting experience, intelligence, and durability is a testament to his hard work and dedication to the game of football. The one area of Brewster’s game that I have pin-pointed as my personal favorite is his ability to position himself between the ball carrier and defender to create adequate holes and rushing lanes to run off his backside. He is able to do this because of his ability to maneuver himself into position quickly, while reacting fast enough to shuffle, slide, and mirror his opponent. By doing this Brewster consistently opens up cut-back lanes and gives his runners enough space to run and make defenders miss in space. Although Brewster is quick to get into position he doesn’t always fire off the snap like he should and has a tendency to get knocked off balanced. When firing out of his stance he has a tendency to drop his head and lose sight of his opponent, making him susceptible to defenders with good swim and push-pull techniques to beat their man one on one. Another area I would like to see improvement from Brewster is in his physicality and aggressiveness as he doesn’t show the type of want to or mean streak of a player like Peter Konz who works to finish his blocks. At times it seems Brewster can become satisfied with executing only one blocking assignment and doesn’t always continue to work towards a 2nd block that can be the difference between a 3 yard gain and a potential hole busting block. To me this type of blocking is more of an attitude thing and I know Brewster has the capability to be a good 2nd level blocker, it will just depend on if he wants or has the desire to become this type of player for his team. It should also be noted that in the two games I have watched of Brewster (Wisconsin & Penn State) I saw a total of four errant snaps where Brewster either thought his QB was under center and not in the shotgun, or just simply rushed his snap and delivered an errant ball. Either way this type of thing is inexcusable and seems to be uncharacteristic of a player of Brewster’s caliber. With this said Brewster does do an exceptional job sealing off his player from the ball while moving well laterally to get himself into position. Mike could stand to develop a little more strength, although he seems to get a decent push in the run game. Right now it is hard to gauge where Brewster stands as an NFL prospect for me as I feel the two games I have watched were inconsistent and possibly uncharacteristically bad play from a usually sound football player. Time in the film room will tell, but Brewster seems to be one of the top 3 centers eligible for this year’s NFL Draft.
*Sorry this was such a long post, but it involved multiple games of film study for each prospect listed so I wanted to go into a little more detail. I also wanted to give mention to a few other players who flashed and stood out in this game. Players like Wisconsin FB Bradie Ewing, LB’s Chris Borland and Mike Taylor, FS Aaron Henry, OT Ricky Wagner, and TE Jacob Pederson all had good games and will be players to focus on for Wisconsin in future games/seasons. On Ohio State DE John Simon consistently put pressure and forced Russell Wilson out of the pocket. FB Zach Boren, RB Dan Herron, TE Jake Stoneburner, and QB Braxton Miller all did very good as well and deserve to be mentioned in this post. Thanks again, hope you enjoyed the read and can come away with some valuable information and insight.
Sincerely,
Brandon
Brandon Holstein's NFL Draft Round-Up 