The prestigious Big 12 conference. A football conference built on winning traditions, hard work and pursuing excellence year in and year out. A football conference, in which next level scouts every season constantly keep an eye on for a wide array of pro prospects. Football prospects, who all offer a wide variety of skills, traits and physical gifts. Whether it is past Big 12 alumni, such as legendary Oklahoma Running Back, Adrian Peterson to budding Texas safety, Michael Griffin. Looking up to this 2009 NFL Entry draft, this class is by no means different than any other year. This class is home to potential first overall pick Jason Smith, game breaker Michael Crabtree, and the project potential Franchise QB that is Josh Freeman. The legendary Big 12 is yet again going to be firmly represented for April 25th at the Radio City Music Hall. In this article, I break down the top 10 Big 12 prospects of all positions and expose the strengths of each player, and the negatives. From selections 1-5 on my chart, they were all very tough ranks. Something you grow very accustom to when you follow the Big 12 and NFL Draft Prospects.
1. Brian Orakpo. Defensive End, Texas.
Strengths:
When you watch Orakpo play, you see a consistent balance of controlled anger. A very distinct controlled anger, that is very rare and tough to find. Every play and every snap the guy is giving is putting maximum effort out on that football field. He never quits on a play, numerous times this year, I saw a running back start up to the left -- cut back to his right to be found in the grasp of 6'3 265 pound Brian Orakpo up the field. Orakpo will consistently find a way to disrupt an offensive play. If Orakpo cannot finish the quarterback with a sack, he will let that Quarterback know that he is there with a nice little shot. He is a constant presence and I think that is what the NFL scouts are drooling over, a guy who is going to constantly hustle and give his all on every down. Many naysayers questioned what kind of athlete Brian Orakpo was coming into the combine. They felt that Orakpo was a very solid football player, but he lacked a lot of athleticism that is needed to play in the NFL. I do not like to put real value into the combine, I feel that a lot of the drills are overrated but you do get a decent sense of a guy. However, with numbers like:
40 Yard Dash - 4.63
Vertical - 39.5 Inches
Bench - 31 Reps of 225
I think it is clear to say, Brian Orakpo is an athletic, pure freak of nature.
Weaknesses:
As much as Orakpo is an absolute force on every play, he must be able to get quicker for the much stronger and much more athletic NFL Tackles. He at times this year used his speed moves to try and surprise Linemen and got stonewalled. When he used his aggressive, power moves he was a lot more affective getting to the QB and breaking up a play. A lot of people, like myself are still debating at which position is best for Orakpo. A 43 defensive end or a 34 rush linebacker. At times this year, he would occasionally drop back into coverage and did pretty solid in Muschamp's zone defense. However, Scouts have been questioning whether he can be solid in the passing game in the NFL. We obviously know, the rushing of the quarterback is there, but can Brian Orakpo drop back into coverage. That is the question on everyone’s mind until we see his position when he gets drafted.
2. Jason Smith. Offensive Tackle, Baylor.
Strengths:
This 6’5, 305 pound giant is simply put, every team’s dream prospect. Capping off his illustrious Baylor career with three years of starting experience, Smith is everything that the Bears thought he could be – and a heck of a lot more from when they recruited him. The soft spoken, “green giant” as I like to call him is in my opinion bar none the most athletic offensive linemen in the draft. Possessing all the tools such as long arms, quick feet and a very underrated jump off the line. Smith owns the one thing, that you simply can’t teach – a level head. Smith was quoted many times this year in various interviews and made it pretty clear, it was not “I” winning but it was “the team winning” in circumstances. As a run blocker, Jason Smith I believe is a lot more effective than a pass blocking Left Tackle. In his three year career as a starter at Baylor, Smith was always known as a very strong run blocker who can move and make key blocks in the second level. That being said, Smith’s pass blocking is not by any means at all weak. A constant willingness to learn and excel as a Left Tackle really helped Jason Smith continue this year to work on his technique. He looked a lot better this year, against quicker rushers which he struggled a little bit with in years past. With his frame at 6’5, if needed, Smith will have no problem putting muscle on and bulking up for the NFL.
Weaknesses:
A weakness that I believe is always thought about with tall, imposing offensive linemen – but maybe not so critical to others, is his height. At 6’5 Jason Smith at times had some difficulty with rushers being able to get low on him and become the low man. Smith needs to do a better job of using his hands when the rusher tries to go low, by jabbing and punching him to the turf. As solid as Jason Smith is as a run blocker, he needs to fine tune his passing game to the NFL standards. He needs to continue to work hard on his technique and as a player who is so willingly open to learning new things I think he is really going to excel with coaching at the next level. Recently, more and more debates have been sparked about the lack of competition of rushers that Smith faced this year in the Big 12. His matchup with Texas Defensive End Brian Orakpo, turned out not to be successful as Orakpo was injured and did not play in that football game. A game, scouts around the nation would have loved to see how Smith could handle a power rusher like Orakpo. That match up would have been an even better gauge of how talented Jason Smith as a prospect is.
3. Michael Crabtree. Wide Receiver, Texas Tech.
Strengths:
“The college football prototype receiver” is what everyone around the Nation has called Crabtree since his first laced them up for the Red Raiders. The (eligible) sophomore put up a total of 19 TD’s this past year and a total of 1165 yards. Remember, Crabtree put up all of this numbers playing injured for the last few remaining games in the College Football season. Crabtree’s name has been tossed around various times and compared to players such as Andre Johnson, Calvin Johnson etc. I believe that the very best comparison for Michael Crabtree is a little less talented Andre Johnson. Crabtree has a very nice pair of soft hands that allows him to make some tough catches in traffic and to adjust to the football. Crabtree runs very nice, crisp routes that are one of his best possessed traits in my opinion and allows him to get separation even if he lacks a little bit of speed. Michael Crabtree has some of the most elite strength as a Wide Receiver that I have ever seen. He has a very solid body, with a very strong core that makes him a load to move in the air – and a load to bring down when he catches the football.
Weaknesses:
Like any top Wide Receiver, coming from a “huck and chuck” offense which is the spread that Texas Tech runs is going to be questioned about his reads and NFL routes. Crabtree in his time at Texas Tech faced a lot of soft zone coverage allowing him to find the soft spot and just “sit”. Crabtree was usually faced to make one read and was very effective finding the hole in the defensive scheme. Michael Crabtree will be questioned about his speed, much in tune with his foot injury and the extent in which it will affect him as a player in the NFL. Crabtree elected not to run at the NFL Combine and then again, elected not to run at the Texas Tech pro day. He believes that the injury would have dragged his time down and in return, would have lowered his stock in many NFL Scouts eyes. Scouts were really banking that he would run on one of these two days to get a more clear sense, of how his speed and game will translate to the ferocious speed of the NFL.
4. Jeremy Maclin. Wide Receiver, Mizzou.
Strengths:
Watching Missouri, you learn pretty fast and grow accustom to the saying “Maclin, see’s a little room and he is gone, touchdown Missouri”. You give the man, the slightest inch and he will find a way to burn you. The biggest pure playmaker in this Draft has all the shiftiness and breakway speed to be a dominant return man in the NFL. However, Maclin has a lot more skills to just be touted as a “pure return man”. Maclin was very successful this year in Mizzou’s offense and was their large threat in the passing game. Maclin caught a total of 102 balls amounting into 13 touchdowns this year at Mizzou and clearly showed that he should be regarded as one of the most elite Wide Receiver products in America.
Weaknesses:
At 6’1, 200 pounds Maclin has some very average size. However, watching Maclin he tends has a habit in which he tends to play a lot smaller then what he is listed at. Sometimes he gets a little careless with the football, resulting in fumbles when he takes a good shot. Maclin also is going to need to work very hard on making his NFL routes a lot crisp, as he lacks a lot of experience at playing Wide Receiver. He is going to face a little bit of trouble adjusting to the NFL routes which is why I also believe that he is going to take a few years to fully develop to his maximum ability. He is not going to step in right away and tear up the NFL, as a Wide Receiver. Maclin may be able to hurt some NFL special teams, with is dynamic speed and cuts right away. Maclin is a very rare prospect that does not “come around the block” so to speak often – but he is going to need some time to develop.
5. Josh Freeman. Quarterback, Kansas State.
Strengths:
Every year in the NFL Draft there is a player, a player who maybe needs to clean up some footwork and some touch but he is a very smart, intelligent player and may be able to fix those things with some experience in the NFL. That player in 2009 is Josh Freeman from Kansas State. The 6’5, 250 pound monster has all of the athletic tools and smarts that make NFL scouts drool. Freeman also has a very rare ability from a big quarterback to be able to tuck the ball and run for gains. He finished the 2008 season with 14 TD’s on the ground and continually impressed and improved that he can run with the football this past season. Freeman has a very strong, powerful arm that I believe with some fine tuning is going to be able to make big NFL throws with some coaching and time. Freeman this year at Kansas State really took the reins of the motivator and the team captain.
Weaknesses:
In my opinion, Freeman would have been very smart to spend another year at Kansas State, a very important year it would have been for the progression of his mechanics. Freeman is getting such high looks this draft because the lack of talent at the Quarterback position – and the need in the NFL. Freeman, any other year would probably be a solid second round talent. However, this year there is a lot of discussion and people like me who think he will probably go at No. 17 to the New York Jets. Freeman needed to come back one more year to become a star prospect for next year’s draft and to be named an elite talent. Freeman in order to become a talent at the next level must put in lots of work to fix his mechanics and develop into a NFL Quarterback.
Written by Kristian Dignazio of Smashmouth Draft Inc. /2009
