Kuechly isn’t a great athlete, nor is he a flashy personality. What he does is make plays between the numbers, racking up unheard of tackle numbers on his way to All-American honors in 2011. Kuechly is a hard-nosed throwback to simpler times. But novelty has little place in today’s innovative and specialized game.

The Luke Kuechly Profile

6’2″ | 237 lbs | Boston College

2011 stats: 183 tackles (110 solo)

Position Specific Traits

Disengage Blockers: 5.0

Routinely driven off the ball when engaged, Kuechly doesn’t show the strength to fight off blockers. He would benefit greatly from using his hands to break free, but rarely does he try. This may work in college, where Kuechly can route the blocker to the run, but in the NFL he will be controlled at the point of attack and driven off the ball.

Man Coverage: 4.0

Kuechly, in three games viewed, was not asked to cover a tight end or back in man coverage. His overall lack of speed and flexibility when dropping into zone coverage indicates a poor skill set to handle man duties.

Pass Rush: 4.5

Kuechly rarely blitzes, instead taking a two or three yard drop at the snap to read. He will then flow to the ball or drop into an intermediate cloud coverage. Kuechly doesn’t show the burst to be an effective pass rusher up the middle—nor does he have the strength to fight through the A gap.

Read & React: 7.5

The best trait in Kuechly’s game is his ability to see where the ball is going. He seems to always be in the right place at the right time, which isn’t all coincidence. His film study pays off, and he does a nice job directing traffic and recognizing what the offense is doing.

One issue is that Kuechly takes too many false steps. You even notice he will take a drop on run plays, which means he’s failing to read his keys (either the guards or nearest back). He’s brilliant when clean, but not as sound when blocked.

Run Defense: 6.5

Expectations were high in this area, but Kuechly disappointed.

No player makes more tackles, but rarely are these clean tackles where Kuechly read the play and made a dynamite pursuit and form tackle. He makes a lot of tackles in a pile, which aren’t really tackles and are more pile-ups like a traffic accident.

Kuechly is blown off the ball consistently—by guards, fullbacks and tight ends. He’s easy to wall off due to false steps taken away from the play. Florida State consistently ran at Kuechly, and throughout the game just one “plus” play was charted.

The bottom line: Kuechly makes too many tackles after the runner has gained 5-8 yards.

Tackling: 8.0

Kuechly isn’t always a wrap-up tackler, but he has the strength to pull down runners from various angles and grips. Takes his self out of the play at times, but has the vision to recover and get back in on the action downfield. Is always around the ball and will rack up high numbers and impressive stats.

Zone Coverage: 5.0

Kuechly showed good balance and light movement in his drops. This is an area of surprise. Kuechly did come out high in his stance, but this is easily correctable. Can play over the tight end and did a nice job getting depth in his drops. Flows to the ball well coming from behind the play.

Athletic Traits

Agility: 5.5

Average agility for the position. Stands up too often and plays tall. Doesn’t show the lateral agility or flexible hips to be a factor in man coverage or as a pass rusher. Is stiff from the waist down.

Speed: 6.5

Kuechly has enough recovery speed and good pursuit, but he’s not fast enough to run down backs or receivers from behind—which is where he is too often after making false reads and getting driven off the ball.

Strength: 6.0

An area where more was expected. Kuechly is strong at the point of attack, but doesn’t work off blockers well or hold his ground. Don’t expect him to control gaps.

Overall: 6.5

Kuechly is being touted by some as a Top 15 player. It doesn’t show up on film. Instead, the All-American looks like a third-rounder. And that’s on a good day.

Kuechly does nothing particularly well, other than rack up tackles credited to him by a University employee who has everything to gain by giving the tackles to the one marquee player on the defense—a rampant issue in every stadium across the country.

Take away the gaudy tackle numbers and what’s left? Not much, honestly. Kuechly is an average athlete with good vision, but poor strength and no ability to work off blockers.

Best Fit: 4-3 MIKE

Kuechly’s success in the NFL will be based solely on how well the defensive line in front of him plays. NFL guards, fullbacks and tight ends will dominate Kuechly at the point of attack. He is not the type of downhill linebacker who will crash the gaps and make plays at the line of scrimmage. Instead, he’ll fade back and make plays three, five or seven yards down field.

NFL Comparison: James Laurinaitis, St. Louis Rams

Unlike Laurinaitis, Kuechly doesn’t show the strength to be an every down player in the NFL. Both players left college with loads of hype, but talent evaluators correctly saw that Laurinaitis was limited athletically and would need considerable help from his defensive line if he were to ever become even serviceable at the position.
2012 NFL Draft Grade: Third Round

Many are ready to elevate Tannehill to the first round based on this need at the position, but does his play actually warrant a first-round selection? 

AGILITY: 8.5

A former wide receiver, Tannehill brings athleticism to the position that few quarterbacks possess. This can be a positive and a negative, though.

Tannehill does have quick feet, which will aid in him making the transition to a drop-back quarterback once in the NFL, but he’s also relying too often on his athleticism instead of his mechanics.

Tannehill will see comparisons to Tim Tebow as he’s an able runner who made big plays as a designed runner in the Aggies’ offense. 

ACCURACY: 6.0

Tannehill is able to accurately deliver the football on intermediate, crossing and short routes to the flats. He throws a very catchable pass that has good placement with the receiver running both left and right. What I didn’t see, at all, was deep accuracy.

Tannehill doesn’t push the ball upfield often, and when he did the ball was underthrown with poor accuracy leading the receiver to the boundary. This will be an area that is scrutinized when scouts can dictate which throws Tannehill is making. 

ARM STRENGTH: 6.5

Tannehill showed good arm strength—better than I expected. He’s able to get the ball to the sideline from midfield, but he’s also not throwing the ball deep often at all. While we didn’t see the deep ball, Tannehill’s velocity is good. The ball pops out with good spin and nice trajectory.

Tannehill will need a full work-up at the Senior Bowl to see just how strong his arm is vertically. There is a delayed hitch in his motion (shown below) that if cleaned up could improve his arm strength down field. 

DECISION MAKING: 5.5

Film study:

Overall: Check down. Check down. Check down. Sideline into coverage.

This is commonplace in the A&M offense. Only Landry Jones threw more checkdowns in a three-game charting this season. Tannehill doesn’t look deep, he’s not asked to make reads and he’s not ready to step up to the line in the NFL and decipher where to put the football.

Anyone expecting this player to be a rookie starter needs to take a long look at what he actually does in this offense. 

FIELD VISION: 5.5

In three games I saw Tannehill check off the No. 1 read five times. He comes out of center, looks at the free safety, finds his read and throws the ball. The A&M offense may be asking him to make one read (free safety) and deliver the ball from where he’s lining up, and if so this is a very remedial offense.

Tannehill will need work—as most young quarterbacks do—at reading the defense. Unlike other quarterbacks in this class, Tannehill has half the time devoted to the position that they do. His learning curve will be high. 

MECHANICS: 6.5

You will hear mention many times to the fact that Tannehill formerly played wide receiver. Many people mention this as a positive, but to me it’s a current problem. Tannehill has just 1.5 seasons as a quarterback under his belt, and his mechanics show this.

Tannehill has a wasted motion in his throw, which I’ll break down here.

See how his elbow is dropped down below his breast-line in this image? That’s not where you want an elbow or the angle you want a shoulder at for throwing a football.

Same play, this is the next motion from Tannehill. He’s dropping his elbow and then bringing it back up. This causes not only a delay that NFL cornerbacks will jump on, but added stress on the shoulder. This has to be fixed quickly in the NFL. 

POCKET PRESENCE: 7.0

When you hear a mobile quarterback you automatically think someone who will tuck and run at the first sign of trouble, but that’s not the case with Tannehill. He stands tall in the pocket and moves his feet very well coming out of center and shotgun sets.

He isn’t pressured much as A&M moves him around on designed waggles and bootlegs. Through three games I found very little evidence of him handling pressure in his face. This play was encouraging because Tannehill felt the pressure bending around him and made a good move to step up in the pocket and give himself a run-pass opportunity. This is what scouts will need to see. 

OVERALL: 6.5

Tannehill doesn’t live up to the hype some are handing him on my report. I see him more as a late second-rounder who could move up with a great showing at the Senior Bowl and NFL Scouting Combine.

Tannehill does many things well, but he doesn’t do any one thing perfect and is more a product of the system and routes around him than anything else. In three games I didn’t see Tannehill break outside the system to make a play. He makes his predetermined reads and executes. This isn’t a bad thing, necessarily, but NFL coaches want players who can think for themselves on the field. 

NFL Comparison: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Buffalo Bills

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

Tannehill will utlimately grade out as more athletic than Fitzpatrick, but the two are very similar. Both work in an offense built on timing and zone routes, and they do well in this system. Neither player has great arm strength, but gets by with catchable passes and an ability to execute under pressure.

Like Fitzpatrick, Tannehill will need time to develop into an NFL starter and will need exceptional talent around him at wide receiver. If his receivers cannot get open and sit down in zones, Tannehill is not the type of quarterback to throw his receivers open or push the ball vertically.

Is this four-year starter worthy of being selected in the first round? Has he shown scouts and GMs that his undersized body will not be an issue at the next level? Let’s take a closer look at the Baylor product.

Acceleration: 9.0

Film Study: This clip is a perfect example of how Wright’s instant acceleration makes him so dangerous after the catch. He makes his first cut hard to the left and is already at full speed, so the defense has no chance to recover. This is the kind of play that gets you excited about this kid.

Overall: Wright’s acceleration is a tremendous asset. He has the ability to get to full speed almost instantly. He routinely shows that his elite acceleration in and out of breaks creates separation from the defender, both before and after the catch. After bursting off the line of scrimmage, he is at full speed within a few steps, and eating up the initial cushion created by the defender.

Agility: 9.0

Film Study: The balance and agility it takes to make the play in this clip is remarkable. One obviously astounding part is the tight rope act he performs down the sideline, but the whole play shows his amazing agility. First he is able to get open by making a quick swim move to get inside the defender, and then he adjusts to a high throw. Wright then is able to make two defenders miss tackles in the open field because of his agility and balance. After that, his skills are on full display as he is able to tight rope for nearly 20 yards.

Overall: Wright has an ability to utilize his agility and balance with or without the ball. He gets in and out of his breaks smoothly and with fluidity. This attribute is a big reason why he is so explosive in the open field. He is able to make sudden cuts and breaks while maintaining balance and speed. This is an elite element of Wright’s game.

Blocking: 7.5

Overall: This is an area of Wright’s game that may have some question marks. I am not saying he can’t block, but unfortunately Baylor didn’t ask him to block a lot in college, so there isn’t much film on that aspect of his game. He is slightly undersized, but a fiery competitor. He is willing and that is half of the battle with young wide receivers. He will require some work in this area at the NFL level.

Hands: 8.5

Film Study: This clip shows the ability of Wright to make a spectacular catch using just his hands. The deep ball is overthrown and he must dive in order to just get his hands on it, much less make the catch. Obviously in order to make this play there are a lot of other skills involved, but if you just focus on the use of his hands and the coordination it takes to complete the process of a catch like that, it’s pretty amazing.

Overall: Wright routinely makes catches in traffic with his hands, aggressively plucking the ball out of the air amongst defenders. He makes difficult catches when passes are both too high and too low. He makes some drops that are concerning where he lets the ball get into his body instead of using his hands to catch the pass. The drops were mostly over the middle on crossing routes.

Release: 8.0

Film Study: This clip shows the fear that Wright instills in his opposing defenders. The cornerback is nearly 10 yards off and still gets beat deep. Corners even played off coverage 10 yards from their own endzone this shows ultimate respect. The consistent off coverage opened up a lot of different screen routes that were very effective.

Overall: In all the film I watched on Wright, I never saw press coverage against him. I am interested to see how he will handle it in the NFL; he will undoubtedly see press at the next level. If his aggressiveness and physicality in traffic gives any indication he will be just fine.

Route Running: 8.0
Overall: Wright relies on his athletic ability to create the separation. As I mentioned, his suddenness gives him an advantage in running the routes that are asked of him. He can run a lot of different routes and has a lot of repetition with screens, reverses, and sweeps. As one can imagine, his deep speed allows him to run a lot of double moves and stops. These routes were very effective for him in college. His footwork is balanced and consistent with a variety of routes.

Size: 8.0
Overall: Size is a very important aspect when scouting a WR. But receivers can sometimes use athletic ability to play bigger than their size; This is definitely the case with Wright. He is listed as 5’10” 190 lbs., but he expands his catching radius with a tremendous leaping ability (42 inch vertical leap) and long arms. He has a strong solid frame and will likely add a few pounds.

Speed: 9.5

Film Study: Watch this clip here. Wright makes the catch, the cornerback falls down, and then the safety comes to make the tackle. Even though the safety has a great angle to make the tackle, Wright’s speed immobilizes the great angle, and the safety fails to make the tackle.

Overall: Wright is projected to run a 4.3-4.4, 40 at the combine. That is an elite speed. More importantly than that, he plays very fast in pads and separates himself from defenders with ease.

NFL Comparison: Greg Jennings, Green Bay Packers
There are a lot of comparisons between Wright and Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith due to similarity in size and speed measurable along with aggressive ability to go get the ball in traffic. I see that comparison, but I see more of Greg Jennings in Wright’s game. Some of you may be surprised to know that Jennings in only 5’11”. When comparing the games of Jennings and Wright, what I see is the ability to get behind the defense and make long touchdown plays. They both track the deep ball beautifully making it almost impossible to overthrow them deep. Wright is more explosive in the open field but Jennings has a little better hands than Wright.

Overall: 8.5
Wright is a very dangerous prospect, and is worthy of being one of the rare first-round selections of a WR under six feet tall, especially with new developments of some underclassmen deciding to stay in school.

He has the production and experience that you like to see from a wide receiver. He has played through some mild injuries and is a tough competitor. He is versatile having played both outside and in the slot.

Wright would be a very valuable weapon for any team. He will bring an ability to get behind the defense and blow the top off of coverages a lot, similar to what Titus Young has accomplished this year with the Lions. He has the mental toughness along with the ability to make an immediate impact at a position that usually requires time to develop.

As part of the pre-draft process, all draft-eligible players are scouted a minimum of three games and graded on seven traits. The traits for a quarterback are shown below, with Griffin’s grade for each and his overall score—an average of the seven traits.

Height: 6’2″  Weight: 220lbs  40 Time: 4.49 (projected)

Accuracy: 8

Film Study: Throwing accurately on the run is a skill few quarterbacks have. Griffin has it. Few quarterbacks have the balance, flexibility or strength to make this throw the way Griffin does. Watch the ball to see how he keeps it at throwing-level while running. When RG3 throws, the ball doesn’t arc, but travels on a line to the target, who is able to catch the ball without extending. This is perfection.

Overall: While Griffin’s accuracy is very good, especially for a mobile quarterback, I would like to see him more consistent on both out routes and up the seam. You will see Griffin slightly overthrow players if you spend time watching his film, something that can be helped in the NFL by faster receivers, but more patience in his throwing motion and more consistency in his drop steps and follow through will help Griffin become more accurate.

What I like to see is accuracy to all levels, and RG3 has that. His throw to beat Oklahoma showed the deep accuracy to attack defenses, and his throw here shows the intermediate accuracy and timing to pick apart a zone or press bail coverage while in the pocket or on the move.

Arm Strength: 10

Film Study: An underrated characteristic of RG3 is his arm strength. Too many look at the Baylor offense and assume Griffin is throwing check downs and bubble screens. Not so. On this play, which is now infamous, Griffin delivers a strike across the field, under pressure, and does so accurately to a receiver with two defenders in the area.

Two things to note on this play, just on the throw alone. The ball traveled 42 yards in the air and did so on a line. The football wasn’t thrown up for the receiver to jump and catch, this was a straight throw to the end zone. That’s impressive. Second, the accuracy with which this ball is delivered is unreal. Watch this play over and over again if you need proof that RG3 can succeed in the NFL.

Overall: Among Griffin’s best traits is his ability to throw the football to all levels of the field with velocity. Griffin has a live arm and can attack deep coverage. He has an easy, smooth throwing motion that shows little effort, but the ball jumps out of his hands with surprising speed and tight spirals. Much like Cam Newton’s rookie season, Griffin could be an immediate impact if asked to stretch the field and exploit deep coverage.

Athleticism/Mobility: 10

Film Study: This play is a great example of how Griffin’s mobility translates to the NFL. Too often we see college quarterbacks simply outrun the defense, which isn’t always valid once they are facing faster defenders in the NFL. What I look for is the presence of mind to feel the rush, the vision to find the opening and then the speed to pick up available yards. That’s what RG3 does here.

Overall: A former track star, Griffin is an electric and dangerous runner. He has the speed and agility to jump out of the pocket and pick up yards, or can be used on designed runs. Throws well on the move and has the strength to throw across his body. Is able to start-and-stop on the move to set up for deep throws, but also has the arm strength to throw deep routes on the move without setting up.

Decision Making: 7

Film Study: The film shows a rare mistake by Griffin, who gets frustrated with the lack of protection and starts to work away from the line of scrimmage instead of throwing the ball away. As RG3 moves to the next level he will have to learn when to throw the ball away, and also to never work away from the line of scrimmage to avoid a pass rush.

Overall: Does a fair amount of pre-snap recognition based on Baylor game film study. Griffin, unlike many college quarterbacks, does not take direction from the sideline and is tasked with reading the defense.

Field Vision: 9

Film Study: Two plays to look at here. The first play shows Baylor with two wide receivers at the bottom of the screen. What’s important to note here is how quickly Griffin recognizes the coverage and that he makes the right read in getting the football to Kendall Wright, who sat down against the off coverage from Rice. This is the same read Tom Brady makes when deciding if he should hit Wes Welker or Rob Gronkowski.

The second play gives RG3 a run/pass option, and again he makes the right decision by pulling two defenders toward him (being a run threat will do this in the NFL too) and then throwing the ball behind the defenders who pursued him. This is easy pitch-and-catch, but shows the threat that RG3 will be against defenses.

Overall: Most mobile quarterbacks struggle to maintain field vision as they lock in on defenders coming at them instead of keeping their eyes up-field and toward the coverage. Griffin does a great job keeping his eyes up, and continuing to read the defense even as he moves around and out of the pocket. Griffin doesn’t have the experience of Andrew Luck at reading a defense and making checks at the line, but he does have a very high IQ and a high football IQ, two things that will quickly enable him to learn and adapt at the NFL level.

Mechanics: 9

Film Study: Here we see a rear-view shot of Griffin throwing under pressure. Note that while his release point drops to below his shoulder, the ball comes out with good velocity and with good arc. The key here is that Griffin’s foot work is solid. He sees the pressure coming, but sets his feet and doesn’t throw off his back foot, which would be what most young quarterbacks do in this situation as they shy away from the big hit.

Overall: Griffin has a quick delivery and does not waste time or motion in delivering the ball. While his motion can change, generally seen as a negative, there is no change in accuracy or velocity from various release points. Does not have classic over-the-top motion, but the end result is the same.

Has played both under center and in shotgun sets and has the feet to quickly transition if asked to move to a system that requires him to come under center. Will need coached up to time his drop steps.

Pocket Presence: 9

Film Study: On this play we see a breakdown by the Baylor offensive line, but RG3 stands tall in the pocket and delivers the football without backing down, and without making the mistake of backing into his end-zone to evade the pass rush coming off both edges and up the middle of the field. This is a trait that is very hard to teach, and can be the difference between Cam Newton-like success and Blaine Gabbert-like failure.

Overall: Griffin does need work to become more consistent in his pocket presence. At the college level he has the speed to quickly jump outside the pocket and pick up yards, or out-run the defenders to gain a passing window. That will not be the case in the NFL. If RG3 is to make a successful transition to the next level, learning to be a pocket passer first and runner second will be his biggest hurdle.

Overall: 8.85

Robert Griffin has made a fast climb up my pre-draft rankings, starting the season as No. 33 overall and ending the regular season as the No. 2 overall player in the country. Griffin answered doubts about his deep accuracy, his mechanics and his ability to lead.

No player in college football or in the 2012 NFL draft class has the ability to take over a game like Griffin. His threat as a run/pass option and his exceptional arm strength and deep accuracy make him as exciting a prospect as I can remember scouting.

Instincts: A three-year back up at cornerback, Conte is still learning how to play free safety. He was predictably a little slow at times in reacting to plays and was sucked in on play-action too often. He’s still learning, and based on how fast he picked things up in 2010, it won’t take him long to be making plays in the NFL.

Man coverage: Former cornerback has good cover skills. Can turn and run with wide receivers and will have no trouble locking up with tight ends.

Size: Has prototypical size and good athleticism for a free safety. Looks the part. Long arms and is able to break up plays. Has a very good frame with good bulk and definition.

Speed:Excellent mix of size and speed. A natural athlete who moves easily.

Tackling: Is a physical player who is not afraid to stick his nose on the ball. Was a very reliable and consistent open-field tackler in 2010. A technically sound tackler who breaks down and wraps up. Takes smart angles and doesn’t take himself out of position.

Zone coverage: Does a good job reading the quarterback’s eyes. Has good enough speed and range to close on the ball in the air. Can take false steps and put himself out of position to make plays.

Final word: Conte is a relative newbie to the position but picked up the nuances quickly in 2010. In just one season as a starter he looked promising enough to warrant a look in the 100 picks of the draft.

Instincts: Carter is a safety loaded with speed and power. He’s played both free and strong, which will help him get on the field quickly in the NFL. Can be late to see plays going to the sideline.

Man coverage: He has valuable versatility, enough to be used at either safety position and perhaps even to slide inside and cover the slot. In pass coverage, he can play man, zone and bracket coverage. He’s best when playing over the top with a corner underneath. Could be seen as a cornerback in Cover 2 defenses.

Size: Has ideal size for NFL defensive back.

Speed: 4.57s in the 40 might be okay for a safety but it’s not good enough for a cornerback. Could limit Carter’s perceived ability in the NFL.

Tackling: He’s very good supporting against the run and is quick to break up field. Has a free-flowing game where he works sideline-to-sideline with good effect. Can be effective as a traditional wrap-up tackler, but likes to lower his head and hit. Can be an intimidator in the deep center. Teams stayed away from his part of the field at times. As fun as Carter can be to watch hitting people, sometimes he’ll strikeout going for the big shot. As good as he can be against the run, Carter will sometimes have trouble shedding blocks.

Zone coverage: Has the speed and playmaking ability to be an effective centerfielder. Can be an intimidator in the deep center. Teams stayed away from his part of the field at times.

Final word: Carter is one of the better all-around safeties in this year’s class. He’s experienced in several different styles of pass defense and is a good run defender. He also has the skill set to be a thumper of a safety who teams can use as a last line of defense enforcer.

We like Carter as a third-round guy who can come in and play early in his career.

Instincts: Has been a very good backfield and receiver awareness. Will get overaggressive at times and needs to be more patient when jumping routes.

Man coverage: Has a smooth backpedal with terrific natural athleticism to get in and out of his breaks. Can play in press or press-bail coverage or even cover slot receivers if asked, although he may struggle with speedy receivers here. Has good change-of-direction skills.

Size: Has ideal size and bulk with long arms and a big stride. Could stand to use that size better in disengaging off blocks and making plays on the ball.

Speed: Ran a too-slow 4.59s in the 40-yard dash. Flashes good quickness but may not be fast enough to turn and run with NFL receivers.

Tackling: Is very willing to come up in run support. Patrick diagnoses run plays fairly quickly and breaks down well to make tackles. Keeps his eyes and head up. Is a physical player.

Zone coverage: Often lined up off the ball and will be best in a read and react situation where he can sit back and diagnose. Is at his best ten yards off the ball. Is a sure tackler and is good at coming up to make plays.

Final word: Patrick was involved in a domestic incident that eventually was ruled by the courts to be an accident. He had also been charged with operating a vehicle with a suspended license.

These two incidents will cause NFL scouts to red flag Patrick’s file for character concerns.

The saving grace for Patrick is that he has NFL-caliber physical attributes and cover skills- and not many guys have this. He’s still a top 120 pick for us.