Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
2020 NFL Draft Prospects
J’Mar Davis-Smith, QB
Positives: Athletic quarterback with a next-level arm. Powers the ball into targets, easily airs out deep throws and spreads the ball around to all his receivers. Puts touch on passes and throws a catchable ball. Effectively picks up yardage with his legs.
Negatives: Late to deliver throws and makes receivers wait on the ball. Can be all over the place and really must improve his accuracy.
Analysis: Smith is an athletic quarterback with a next-level arm and the tools to play in the NFL, but he is more thrower than passer. He’ll need a lot of work on his game from the ground up, but Smith is worth practice-squad consideration this summer.
Ethan Reed, OG
Positives: Strong, small-area blocker with NFL size. Plays with terrific pad level, stays square and jolts defenders with violent hand punch. Quick, blocks with leverage and effectively seals defenders from the play. Fires across the line of scrimmage when asked to block in motion.
Negatives: Lacks agility, struggles to adjust and gets exploited by speed rushers. Minimally effective at the second level.
Analysis: Reed is rarely mentioned in scouting circles, but he has the size, tenacity and intelligence to get consideration as an eighth offensive lineman on the depth chart.
Amik Robertson, CB
Positives: Productive college cornerback who displayed consistent progress the past three years. Quick and explosive in every direction of the field, flips his hips at the line of scrimmage and loses nothing in transition to run with opponents. Displays a tremendous burst to the ball out of his plant, quickly closes to the action and works hard to get involved. Remains disciplined with assignments, displays a good head for the ball and possesses next-level ball skills. Works hard to get up the field and defend the run.
Negatives: Lacks size and gets outmatched or outmuscled by larger receivers. Possesses short arms. Sustained an injury late in the season and never tested for scouts prior to the draft.
Analysis: Robertson was a playmaking cornerback at Louisiana Tech and possesses all the necessary skills to line up as a nickel back in the NFL. His height will be an issue for some teams, but if he’s able to stay healthy and refine his game, I expect Robertson to be a productive corner at the next level.
L’Jarius Sneed, CB
Positives: Athletically gifted defensive back with a versatile game. Keeps the action in front of him, displays solid range and has a terrific burst to the ball. Effective facing the play, nicely covers receivers on crossing patterns and mixes it up with opponents. Quickly flips his hips off the line of scrimmage, quickly gets his head back around and locates the pass in the air.
Negatives: Showed a lot of hesitation last year when moved to safety and was very streaky on the field. Has a tendency to peek at the quarterback, which will cost him.
Analysis: Sneed looked like a top potential top-100 choice as a cornerback in 2018, but his game took a step back when he moved to safety as a senior. He’s an athletic prospect with outstanding size, and he’ll be a steal during the last day of the draft for the team that moves Sneed back to cornerback and properly develops him.
Gewhite Stallworth, OT
Positives: Large, dominant tackle who is overlooked in scouting quarters. Terrific position blocker who quickly sets up in pass protection, keeps his feet moving and seals opponents from the action. Strong and keeps his head on a swivel. Anchors in pass protection and moves defenders off the line as a run blocker. Jolts defenders with tremendous hand punch, blocks with excellent lean and gets good leverage on opponents for a tall lineman.
Negatives: Lacks footwork and the ability to slide off the edge. Stiff and struggles to adjust. Overaged prospect who will be a 25-year-old rookie.
Analysis: Stallworth is a large, mature right-tackle prospect with terrific size and upside. He won’t be selected during the draft, but Stallworth will be a solid free-agent signing who should end up on a practice squad this fall.
Michael Sam, CB
Positives: Underrated cornerback with the size and speed to play at the next level. Stays with opponents downfield and properly positions himself to defend the throw. Strong open-field tackler who displays good recognition and keeps the play in front of him. Instinctive, gets teammates in proper position and tracks the pass in the air.
Negatives: Slow to get his head back around in man coverage. Stiff and mechanical in reverse. Lacks great burst out of his plant.
Analysis: Sam is rarely mentioned in scouting circles, but he’s an athletic corner with excellent size who watched his game take off last season. He’s a developmental prospect with all the skills necessary to develop into a dime back and special-teams player.
Marshall Thundering Herd
2020 NFL Draft Prospects
Omari Cobb, OLB
Positives: Instinctive linebacker who makes a lot of plays with his head. Breaks down well, easily changes direction and effectively uses his hands to protect himself. Shows a good head for the ball, remains disciplined with assignments and keeps the action in front of him. Efficient, flows well laterally and works to get involved in the action.
Negatives: Displays limited speed in pursuit and isn’t fast to the flanks. Lacks balance, gets caught up in the trash and struggles to get off blocks. Better up the field than in reverse.
Analysis: Cobb was a productive run defender for Marshall and offers solid size, but he comes with limited athleticism. He’s a two-down, run-defending linebacker who must play well on special teams this summer.
Chris Jackson, CB
Positives: Underrated cornerback with solid ball skills. Keeps the action in front of him, correctly reads the quarterback’s eyes and makes his move to the throw. Backpedals quickly in reverse, sticks with receivers everywhere on the field and mixes it up with opponents throughout the route. Physically beats down receivers to defend the pass and gives effort against the run. Has a burst to the ball and plays faster than his 40 time.
Negatives: Lacks balance in his backpedal. Slow to get his head around to locate the pass and faceguards too often. Not a stout tackler.
Analysis: Though he comes off a somewhat disappointing season, Jackson is a solid cover corner who could line up in dime packages at the next level, primarily in a zone system.
Levi Brown, C
Positives: Hard-working center who gets the most from his ability. Tough, blocks with outstanding vision and effectively quarterbacks the offensive line. Quickly sets up off the snap, keeps his feet moving and works to bend his knees. Most effective as a run blocker, stays square and works his hands throughout the action.
Negatives: Must improve his overall balance. Lacks size and struggles to finish blocks.
Analysis: Brown was an efficient center and a hard-working blocker who overachieved at the college level. He lacks great upside, but his approach to the game will give him a chance in camp this summer.
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