The notes on some former players are interesting. I expect to see some guys not in the combine to get some looks too.
1. Ian Thomas: Had a good senior bowl week from reports and from what I was able to watch. Blocked MUCH better than he did this past season. Linebackers couldn’t really cover him. The scouts simply say it’s a matter of whether or not he can produce consistently, but the like the small sample size. It makes you wonder if he should’ve been red shirted in 16’. He measured in at 6’3.5” which is shorter than expected, but knowing how IU measures, I suspected he was in the 6’3” range anyway. Shouldn’t be an issue because he has good arm length. He did weigh in at 259. Teams could’ve told him to do so, but he played at 248, so we will see where his weight goes. His comparison was Jermaine Gresham, and I actually don’t think that’s a crazy comparison. We’ve only seen a small sample size of what Thomas can do. He could actually be a Jermaine Gresham as he develops this offseason.
2. Chris Covington: played well in the NFLPA game and he played his way into being a draftable player. As expected, the scouting report says his ability to play in the league will depend on whether or not he can recognize blocking schemes, which is expected for a guy who only really played 1 year as a full time starter. They view his coverage as adequate. I’d agree because we brought him in as a safety before he moved to QB, actually was a safety and QB in high school. Unlike Oliver last year, there are no questions about his coverage. He measured in at 6’2.2” which was expected. He is up to 245 which was unexpected. He hasn’t been that heavy before, but again, scouts/coaches my have told him to put on the weight. 245 is a realistic weight because he Measured in with long arms, still has a lean frame. His stock will come down to how well he can run. Can he run in the 4.6 range? He’s projected a 7th rounder, but a lot of it will come down to how he tests. Bottom line: scouts say he needs to learn FAST, and that’ll determine how long he survives in the league, because the measurables are prototypical.
3. Scales: Measured in at 6’03” and 230 pounds. Typically being 6’0” and small isn’t good, but his production was off the charts. Scouts love it. He has plenty to work on, but is highly enough rated off of production to get drafted. Rounds 3-5. Should be the highest linebacker pick to come out in a while. It’ll depend largely on how he tests. Being small is okay. Being small and slow isn’t okay. But his production alone could be enough to get drafted and I’d wager he’s a 4.6 guy easily. If he’s really feeling good he could be a high 4.5’s guy.
4. Simmie Cobbs: 6’3.1” And 220 pounds. You can’t teach size. Scouts loved that and his game vs. Ohio State obviously. No news here, but they mentioned the drop rate. It was actually pretty terrible, like 11% which is worse than I thought. He’s got a shot to be special. Really a boom or bust situation. I respect his choice to leave early though, and knowing his character, he’s put in the work. He’s projected in round 5, but scouts say how he runs will be a huge factor in where he goes. If he’s a high 4.4 guy, I’d wager he goes in round two based on his upside, size and speed. If he’s a 4.6 guy, it’s a toss up given his drop history. Hopefully he can figure out the drops and run at least in the high 4.5’s. That’ll assure that he gets drafted.
5. Fant: hasn’t measured in yet. Listed at his roster height of 5’10”, but scouts like him. A scout says he loves to play, but hates to hit. That’s fairly accurate. They see him as a dime guy I believe it said, but not an every down corner. Praised his leaping ability, but said he has the hands of a corner. They like his confidence. I thought their report was accurate. I hope fant makes it. The size and other factors will turn off half of the times, but I can see half of the teams give him a shot. Due to his competitiveness he can easily be a Malcolm butler type player who emerges after he gets used to the nfl game and Moreno physical.
In conclusion. The guy with the most upside from what I’ve read and seen is Covington. He’s the prototype for what you want at LB, and just has to find a team that will coach him up. He’s another guy who should’ve probably redshirted to get two years as a starter. In 15’ we wasted what could’ve been been a medical year, because he still was recovering from the ACL tear, and really wasn’t in a position to make an impact. But with all that said, he’s recovered now, and has a shot to Be a long-term starter IMHO.
1. Ian Thomas: Had a good senior bowl week from reports and from what I was able to watch. Blocked MUCH better than he did this past season. Linebackers couldn’t really cover him. The scouts simply say it’s a matter of whether or not he can produce consistently, but the like the small sample size. It makes you wonder if he should’ve been red shirted in 16’. He measured in at 6’3.5” which is shorter than expected, but knowing how IU measures, I suspected he was in the 6’3” range anyway. Shouldn’t be an issue because he has good arm length. He did weigh in at 259. Teams could’ve told him to do so, but he played at 248, so we will see where his weight goes. His comparison was Jermaine Gresham, and I actually don’t think that’s a crazy comparison. We’ve only seen a small sample size of what Thomas can do. He could actually be a Jermaine Gresham as he develops this offseason.
2. Chris Covington: played well in the NFLPA game and he played his way into being a draftable player. As expected, the scouting report says his ability to play in the league will depend on whether or not he can recognize blocking schemes, which is expected for a guy who only really played 1 year as a full time starter. They view his coverage as adequate. I’d agree because we brought him in as a safety before he moved to QB, actually was a safety and QB in high school. Unlike Oliver last year, there are no questions about his coverage. He measured in at 6’2.2” which was expected. He is up to 245 which was unexpected. He hasn’t been that heavy before, but again, scouts/coaches my have told him to put on the weight. 245 is a realistic weight because he Measured in with long arms, still has a lean frame. His stock will come down to how well he can run. Can he run in the 4.6 range? He’s projected a 7th rounder, but a lot of it will come down to how he tests. Bottom line: scouts say he needs to learn FAST, and that’ll determine how long he survives in the league, because the measurables are prototypical.
3. Scales: Measured in at 6’03” and 230 pounds. Typically being 6’0” and small isn’t good, but his production was off the charts. Scouts love it. He has plenty to work on, but is highly enough rated off of production to get drafted. Rounds 3-5. Should be the highest linebacker pick to come out in a while. It’ll depend largely on how he tests. Being small is okay. Being small and slow isn’t okay. But his production alone could be enough to get drafted and I’d wager he’s a 4.6 guy easily. If he’s really feeling good he could be a high 4.5’s guy.
4. Simmie Cobbs: 6’3.1” And 220 pounds. You can’t teach size. Scouts loved that and his game vs. Ohio State obviously. No news here, but they mentioned the drop rate. It was actually pretty terrible, like 11% which is worse than I thought. He’s got a shot to be special. Really a boom or bust situation. I respect his choice to leave early though, and knowing his character, he’s put in the work. He’s projected in round 5, but scouts say how he runs will be a huge factor in where he goes. If he’s a high 4.4 guy, I’d wager he goes in round two based on his upside, size and speed. If he’s a 4.6 guy, it’s a toss up given his drop history. Hopefully he can figure out the drops and run at least in the high 4.5’s. That’ll assure that he gets drafted.
5. Fant: hasn’t measured in yet. Listed at his roster height of 5’10”, but scouts like him. A scout says he loves to play, but hates to hit. That’s fairly accurate. They see him as a dime guy I believe it said, but not an every down corner. Praised his leaping ability, but said he has the hands of a corner. They like his confidence. I thought their report was accurate. I hope fant makes it. The size and other factors will turn off half of the times, but I can see half of the teams give him a shot. Due to his competitiveness he can easily be a Malcolm butler type player who emerges after he gets used to the nfl game and Moreno physical.
In conclusion. The guy with the most upside from what I’ve read and seen is Covington. He’s the prototype for what you want at LB, and just has to find a team that will coach him up. He’s another guy who should’ve probably redshirted to get two years as a starter. In 15’ we wasted what could’ve been been a medical year, because he still was recovering from the ACL tear, and really wasn’t in a position to make an impact. But with all that said, he’s recovered now, and has a shot to Be a long-term starter IMHO.
