NFL Network Draft Analyst Offers Penn State Evaluations
Monday afternoon, running back Miles Sanders posted to Instagram his view on an Indianapolis highway, Lucas Oil Stadium coming into view in the distance.
This is the week that Sanders and six of his former Nittany Lion teammates have been waiting for, the NFL Combine beginning Tuesday and running through next Monday with on-field workouts.
Beginning with off-field interviews, measurements, and medical examinations, the likes of Sanders, quarterback Trace McSorley, offensive linemen Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern, defensive linemen Kevin Givens and Shareef Miller, and corner Amani Oruwariye will all go through the process before taking the field for workouts.
Leading into this weekend’s made-for-TV event, NFL Network Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah met with reporters via conference call to discuss a variety of topics. Among them, Penn State’s contingent of Combine participants were given evaluations and projections based on what Jeremiah has already observed.
Let’s take a look at some of those early, pre-Combine evaluations, here:
Quarterback Trace McSorley
6-foot, 201 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.19 - Better-than-average chance to make NFL roster
DJ: “McSorley to me is just kind of somebody who's probably going to find his way in the middle to late rounds in this draft.
“Accuracy-wise was kind of the one area where you want to see him just be a little bit more consistent. He obviously doesn't have that prototypical size. But he's somebody that's ultra competitive. When it's the money downs, when it's the money time of the game, throughout his career he's found a way to get that done.
“I kind of envision for him a career like Colt McCoy has had where he's hung around the NFL for a long time. I could see McSorley kind of being in that boat and being a really, really good backup that can get you through a game or two if you need him to.”
Running Back Miles Sanders
5-foot-11, 215 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.73 - Chance to become NFL starter
DJ: “Miles Sanders… man, what are you going to do? It's not his fault he was stuck behind Saquon Barkley.
“He's a really, really good player. In talking to teams around the league, they're fired up with him. The burst, he's got lateral quickness, he's loose. You see him in pass protection, which is nice to see. He can anchor down. He had one mental error that I saw, but other than that was solid in that area, and he's just got some real burst, 215 pounds and he can scoot.
“He's somebody that, ceiling-wise, it wouldn't shock me if he fought his way into the second round if he kind of aced the tests from here to the draft.”
Offensive Lineman Ryan Bates
6-foot-4, 302 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.15 - Better-than-average chance to make NFL roster
DJ: “Left tackle, average foot quickness, more of a position blocker in the run game. He's late with his punch. He'll open up his gait a little bit.
“He's just raw and developmental. So to me, he's kind of in that fifth, sixth-round range if you're kind of trying to guess this early on in the process where somebody like that can go.”
Offensive Lineman Connor McGovern
6-foot-5, 323 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.80 - Chance to become NFL starter
DJ: “McGovern is a fun one for me… He's one that I highlighted. He can really uproot defensive linemen. He's a drive blocker. He's nasty. He's a finisher. He's got the ability to play any of those three interior spots. He's very, very football smart and savvy when they're running twists and games on him.
“He's somebody that I think is going to probably fall in that second-round range, at worst I would think maybe the third round. But I think he's a plug-and-play guy who's ready to go.”
Defensive Lineman Kevin Givens
6-foot-1, 285 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.00 - 50-50 chance to make NFL roster
DJ: “Kevin Givens. 3-technique, he got swallowed up a little bit, I thought he played small. I didn't see a lot of power. I thought the effort was average and collected some garbage sacks. I kind of gave him a practice squad developmental-type grade to me, so I did not have him as a draftable player. That's where I was on him.”
Defensive End Shareef Miller
6-foot-5, 260 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.56 - Chance to become NFL starter
DJ: “To me it's just about athleticism, his ability to change direction, how explosive and athletic is he. I thought the effort and chase is outstanding. He's great just stacking tight ends. He can push the pocket. I see some power. I want to see just how athletic he is in some of the change-of-direction things. That will be the area where I think he could help himself a little bit.
“Right now I have him more kind of in that four-, five-round range. It'll be big for him just from an athletic standpoint to see what he looks like.”
Cornerback Amani Oruwariye
6-foot-1, 203 pounds
NFL.com Prospect Grade: 5.74 - Chance to become NFL starter
DJ: “I need to do a little bit more work on (Oruwariye). The big question I had with what I have seen so far was could he really run. That was my knock and my concern. That will be big for him at the combine.”