It seems like the 2020 NFL Draft just happened, but we move fast here at The Draft Network.
Currently going through summer evaluations for the 2021 NFL Draft class, our scouting team of Kyle Crabbs, Joe Marino, Jordan Reid, and Drae Harris are meeting up every day to discuss prospects, traits, and concepts. New to TDN is a daily scouting roundtable where we go through and identify the most important points of conversation from that day’s meeting.
On Wednesday, we talked about Jack Anderson, Mohamed Ibrahim, and how defensive backs handle bunch sets.
Jack Anderson, IOL, Texas Tech
Texas Tech isn’t exactly a breeding ground for offensive linemen, but it looks like Anderson is about to change all that.
“You don’t expect a lot of quality offensive linemen to come out of Texas Tech, and I was really surprised by his film,” Reid stated.
A 6-foot-5, 320-pound guard who performed exceptionally well in 2018, Anderson is a strong and nasty player from the interior. He, unfortunately, missed most of last season with a torn labrum, but that didn’t stop Reid from giving him an early day-three grade heading into 2020.
“He’s a solidly built prospect who looks every bit the part,” Reid noted. “He has a well-developed body overall and he shows comfort as a pass protector. His hands are always ready to fire and his strength really stood out.”
Going on to highlight his scheme versatility, Reid did point out some negatives in Anderson's evaluation, but the summation of his report was largely positive.
“His strength and sheer will have been his saving grace on many plays,” Reid stated. “At times he displays poor technique and just tries to outmuscle guys at the point of attack and it really gets him in trouble. For me, I’d be comfortable taking him in the fourth or fifth round in a gap power scheme where you can hide some of his limitations.”
Mohammed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota
Currently a redshirt junior, the 5-foot-10, 210 pound Ibrahim has yet to get much national attention. That’s surely going to change in 2020.
Praising the former 3-star recruit in both his toughness and contact balance, Crabbs was extremely impressed by what the Golden Gopher had to offer, stating as much in his evaluation of the prospect.
“I really liked his tape,” Crabbs stated. “(His) contact balance and suddenness are standout traits. He has an angry running style and a punishing finishing ability as a ball-carrier. (Ibrahim) was (also) highly productive on a per-touch basis and had large performances in big games.”
Despite not being a full-fledged starter at any point throughout his collegiate career, Ibrahim seems scheduled to take the starting reigns this upcoming season, which is assuredly a positive regarding his draft stock. No, he's not perfect (as Crabbs made sure to mention), but the foundation of something promising is there.
“He’s not going to win any foot races in the open field and he's failed to capitalize on advantageous angles,” Crabbs stated. “Injuries will (also) be something to monitor as he’s missed approximately ¼ of his games with lower-body injuries."
https://twitter.com/GrindingTheTape/status/1280624838193876995?s=20
Regarding a comparison for the squatty, energetic back, Crabbs offered up a familiar name.
“(Ibrahim) reminded me a lot of David Montgomery. He'll blow you up and he's got pretty dynamic lower-half agility. I gave him an early day-three grade, but he’s really, really impressive.”
Basics of the Bunch
A commonly used formation, the bunch seems to be an ever-growing concept used in both the collegiate and pro ranks. Harris, a former NFL corner, quickly took us through how a bunch is (typically) covered.
“If you’re in a bunch formation, what typically happens is that whoever is pressed takes whoever is at the top of the bunch and whoever is playing off takes the other guy. You usually want your corners on separate levels so they don't end up crossing. They’re either playing it that way or they’re going to play combo, where whoever is playing press at the top of the bunch takes whoever is going outside and whoever is playing off takes inside. Those are the two most common ways.
“(Also), part of the reason it’s important to have guys on different levels is that the guy who is typically playing press can choose whatever he chooses and then the guy who plays off has the chance to be able to read and adjust off of that press player’s decision.”
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