Scout’s Eye: Auburn

Auburn

Cameron Newton #2

-huge former Florida Gator transfer to JUCO college after allegedly stealing laptops first year as a starter

– outstanding height great bulk

– above average speed

– really emerging as bona fide playmaker for Auburn

-good athlete

– looks really comfortable in the pocket

– good arm strength

-below average arm

-accuracy excellent toughness strength and power

– plays real hard

– tough to tackle

Bartolis Quick Thought

Cam Newton has the pure raw ability to be something that hasn’t been seen in the N.F.L. level and as the draft approaches there is going to be more and more pressure on the Panthers to genuinely consider drafting Cam Newon because his upside is tremendous. It is easy for us to sit here and say it’s too risky you can’t do that with the first pick, but if y’oure on the other side of that, the on making the decision it’s much tougher. It’s like entering the lottery, sure, you have to be in it to win it. What if Newton is a better version of Big Ben and you passed on him? That could ruin your career.

Anyway, Newton is our #1 QB on our big board pre-combine and pro-days and we have a feeling that after those events he will be on a lot of other people’s boards too.

Marion Fannin #27

– pretty good size average speed for size

– always has been a backup behind Ben Tate for all of his career

-versatile

-outstanding receiver more receiving yards than rushing yards even with an 8:4 yards per catch may have a breakout Montario Hardesty like season

– looks a little underrated to me

-excellent toughness

– good strength

-good hands

-good at adjusting to the football

– good balance along the sideline

-really good vision a natural at finding holes in the defense

Lee Ziemba #73

– really tall

-good bulk

-solid athleticism

– good strength

-poor balance keeps his butt down

– tough player

– good pass blocker

-solid athleticism

-long arms

– solid toughness

– takes poor angles in run blocking

-takes very poor angles in run blocking

-good physicality

– poor balance

– solid effort

– good strength

– effective pass blocker

Mike Blanc #93

– okay athleticism

– good stats

-solid run stopper

– solid pass rusher might have the versatility for 3-4 defensive end defensive tackle not a nose tackle

– deflects a fair amount of passes

– solid height

-could add bulk enough strength to make improbable arm tackles

– excellent with the bull rush

-mediocre impact motor occasionally hot and cold

Nick Fairley #90

– dominant this season

– insane sack numbers

-excellent tackle numbers

– stock is rising

– good height

-solid bulk and speed

– just ridiculous quickness off the ball

– insane quickness

-good strength plays with outstanding on field intensity

– good strength

-mediocre instincts not a lot of speed

-had debatable offsides

Bartolis quick thought

Fairley is a good prospect, but I don’t think he’s worth the first pick overall, personally. I’m not even sure he’s better than Marcel Dareus. Fairley has tremendous upside, but I think the Panthers would be wise to look elsewhere in the draft for the first pick, even if they seem to be the odds-on-favorite as of now.

Josh Bynes #17

-decent tackle numbers

– mediocre pass rusher

– okay athleticism

-good bulk good height

-excellent tackler

-good physicality

-good tackler

-quick to react

-mediocre in coverage

– pretty good in pursuit

-hard hitter

-good tackler

-excellent on field intensity

– excellent tackler

– mediocre in coverage

-good on field intensity

– had injury

– excellent instincts

-outstanding football speed plays with excellent on field intensity

– very fast plays hard

-perfect tackler

Bartolis quick thought

Bynes just seems like a guy who gets drafted pretty low and has a very solid career in the N.F.L. a Guy who can definitely turn into a solid starter (maybe like a Jonathan Goff kind of player…a 5th round pick who rides the pines for the first two years and gets a chance and proves himself capable, but not a dynamic player or a true difference maker).

Neiko Thorpe #15

-great tackle numbers

– looks underrated

-good height

-stats suggest he is very good in coverage and he has mediocre hands

-good height

– average speed

-excellent tackler

– solid hitter good speed

– excellent athleticism

– really quick to react

– mediocre hands

– average tackler

-good instincts

-average physicality

-takes solid angles to the ball carrier

-solid tackler

-outstanding run stopper

-good speed

-excellent instincts takes good angles in pursuit

– good tackler

– good in pursuit

-good tackler plays hard

– needs a fair amount of bulk

-good tackler

-excellent instincts ‘

-poor route recognition skills

-not very aggressive or physical in coverage

Craig Stevens #46

-4-3 outside linebacker not a 3-4

– good tackle numbers

– injury issues

– solid height needs bulk

-okay athleticism

-mediocre tackler

– pretty slow short arms

– excellent tackler

-pretty good physicality

– character issues

Leave your thoughts on our Scout’s Eye version of Auburn. We’ll have a lot more of these as we approach the draft and during the college football season (although during the college football season we’ll be even more structured with the notes and it will be done by a few of our writers.

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