Conference Call Replay with ESPN NFL Draft Analyst Todd McShay
ESPN conducted a NFL Draft media conference call Wednesday, March 23, with Scouts Inc. director of college football scouting Todd McShay who discussed a number of this year’s prospects. ESPN will provide comprehensive coverage of the 2011 NFL Draft April 28-30. (A full replay of the call; McShay photos). Select comments:
On the 2011 quarterback class…
“I don’t think there’s a Matt Ryan or Sam Bradford in this class. What do I mean by that? At the time that those quarterbacks came out, last year with Bradford and two years ago with Matt Ryan…I just had no doubt in my mind those guys were ready mentally and physically to contribute in the NFL and could handle everything that went on and were prepared to do so from a scheme standpoint coming out of college to a technique standpoint in overall mechanics.”
On Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert…
“As much as I like Blaine Gabbert – and I do think he can become, maybe not Aaron Rodgers, but someone in that ballpark a few years down the road – that we have to kind of take a step back from the last few years and maybe go back to the old mentality of sitting a guy and developing him…He’s got to become more consistent throwing the ball down the field and I just think there’s going to be a little bit of a learning curve coming from that system to the NFL. But does he have it, absolutely. I think he has it mentally. I think he has the work ethic. And, most importantly, he’s accurate enough to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. He’s the only quarterback in this class that I would draft in the top 10.”
On Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett…
“He has a rifle for an arm and he can make throws that no other quarterback in this class can make. I’ve watched him on tape, and some of the throws he makes blow your mind, that he’s able to not only drive the ball down the field with that velocity but to do so accurately. But, here’s the problem. First of all, he really struggles handling pressure. Part of it has to do with the mental, how quickly he digests things and how quickly he is able to make reads. Also, with his feet, being so tall he struggles…when you see him having to make a quick move and then reset his feet inside the pocket, which is something you have to do all the time as a quarterback in the NFL, if you really study these guys. You’ve got to be able to avoid the rush, reset your feet and make accurate throws. Teams like Alabama in the second half and Ohio State that have gotten pressure on him and forced him to do that have really exposed him. And the second part is all the off-field stuff and that is going to come down to individual NFL teams and whether they’re comfortable with him as a leader, with his football character and some of the concerns that have gone on off the field.”
On Alabama running back Mark Ingram…
“It’s highly likely that Ingram is the only running back taken off the board in the first round. I know he’s not your ideal measurables guy, if you will. He doesn’t have the prototypical body and he doesn’t run the fast 40 time, but his instincts and the way he runs – pad level, low center of gravity, ability to create yards after contact – he has such a great sense of the cut-back lane and I think more so than any running back in this class, he feels blocks happening ahead of time. He has that innate sense that the great backs have. I have no problem with him coming off the board in the first 20 picks and if he falls a little bit, I think the teams in the final 12 of the first round will wind up getting a steal.”
On the most underrated player in this year’s Draft, UNC running back Johnny White…
“Maybe one of the most underrated players, regardless of position, in this year’s draft is Johnny White from North Carolina. He played different positions early in this career. He was a defensive back, they moved him over as wide receiver. They tinkered with him. Right around 5-10, little over 200 pounds. He’s your average NFL back size basically. He has quickness. He has that lateral agility and the ability to make the sharp cuts and stick his foot in the dirt and explode. He has tremendous ball skills.”
On wide receivers Julio Jones of Alabama and A.J. Green of Georgia…
“Throw the combine numbers out and just study the tape of these two receivers. Julio Jones is very, very, very good, but A.J. Green is special. I think he’s at a different level. That’s why if I was the Bengals and I decided I’m picking a receiver and choosing between these two, I wouldn’t waste a minute turning in the card for A.J. Green.”
On Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers possibly being drafted by the Cleveland Browns…
“Bowers can be a top four prospect if he clears medically and there is no concern…As a football player, in my opinion, he’s one of the top five players in this draft. He belongs in the top five, six or seven picks, in that range. If Cleveland passes him medically and he’s still there with the Browns moving to a 4-3 defense, he’d be a great fit. You can plug him in right away. He’s a big strong, defensive end that can play on both sides…He certainly belongs in that 4-3 type scheme.”
On evaluating Draft prospects and finding the “diamond in the rough”…
“It’s a percentages game and obviously the percentages are much higher of getting a star player, a great starter in the first round, than they are in the second and all the way down. If you look at the numbers, they reflect that. There are always players coming in and contributing from undrafted free agents and that’s part of the fun of the process is finding those guys and scouts finding that diamond in the rough. But, ultimately you’ve got to hit on your first and second round draft picks and you have to get at least three quality starters from the Draft for it to be considered a success.”
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