UCLA Bruins Top NFL Draft Prospects for 2012 and Beyond
23 Johnathan Franklin, Running Back, Junior 5’10” 195
Pros:
Very quick….Good second level burst…runs with pretty good patience…a weapon in the draw game…runs well off tackle, despite his size…decent array of shimmy moves
Cons:
Fumbles too much…Pretty lean, doesn’t break many tackles…doesn’t run in between the tackles that great on standard plays in part because he doesn’t show the same kind of patience…needs a lot of polish in the receiving game if he wants to be a third down back in the N.F.L.
Player comparison:
Justin Forsett, Seahawks
Thoughts:
Jonathan Franklin should probably return to college and make himself available for the 2013 N.F.L. draft. As of right now he doesn’t quite have the strength he needs at the N.F.L. level (in part to hold onto the football better as well) and he also needs a lot of polish as a receiver because at his current stature and abilities he’s likely going to be slated to be more of a change of pace back and third down back, not a bell-cow. This running back class is also pretty deep and will probably be a third day pick if he declared this year.
83 Nelson Rosario, Wide Receiver, Senior 6’5″ 219
Rosario is really breaking out in his senior season, showing off some big play ability and going over 1,000 yards on the year. He will probably be best known for his amazing catch behind a defender against Houston, but he has some upside at the next level. His size allows him to get position over almost every defender he faces, and he doesn’t need to have blazing speed to be effective at the next level. You would like to see him have more touchdowns, but UCLA didn’t exactly have a consistent season in 2011 offensively. His height allows him to shield defenders, and you have to give him a lot of credit for going over a thousand yards in UCLA’s pistol offense. Very good athlete who also participated in track and field in the long jump at UCLA. Has had ankle issues in his time at UCLA, but has not missed any games in 2011. Solid quickness but not blazing speed, and might not run a great 40 yard dash at the scouting combine.
PROS: Size, quick, good athlete, capable of making big plays, productive in an offense where receivers are not utilized well at all, able to box out defenders, great build
CONS: Ankle issues, not great speed, sometimes catches the ball with his body rather than snatching it out of the air, needs to be more aggressive
8 Joseph Fauria, Tight End, Junior 6’8″ 252
Pros:
Extremely tall, which gives him a very wide radius to throw to…He’s athletic for his size and has a frame to add more weight…Can really catch the ball in traffic, has pretty soft hands…Good bloodlines, his uncle played in the N.F.L….has improved a lot as a blocker…
Cons:
Needs a lot of polish in his game as a receiver and blocker…As a receiver he doesn’t have a lot of experience and could improve his route running as a blocker he needs to continue to work on his leverage. 6’8 is big and it’s not easy to maintain your leverage at that size, however UCLA does run a lot and he’s improving in this area quite a bit…He hasn’t been extremely productive, but not a ton of Tight Ends are…He also transferred from Norte Dame for “personal reasons” but there were rumors that he had been kicked off campus, that will need to be looked into…
Player comparison: Mercedes Lewis, Jaguars
I don’t like making player comparisons of players from the same school because it seems lazy, but it’s a fairly apt comparison to me.
56 Datone Jones, Defensive End, Junior 6’5″ 275
With contributions from Derek Hart of Go Joe Bruin.com
Pros
Great upside…Great size for a 43 defensive end…high effort…good athlete…long arms…
Cons
Has largely disappointed along with rest of UCLA defensive line as they’ve given up at 200 yards rushing in 5 games this year…hasn’t pressure quarterback enough…Could get a bit stronger….plays high too often..has to fight through blocks more…could use more pass rush moves….injury history
6 Tony Dye, Safety, Senior 6’1″ 217
Pros:
Smart football player and leader for the Bruins defense…reads the QB’s eyes well, plays the ball well in front of him…at his best attacking the line of scrimmage and tackling the ball carrier (strong safety in the N.F.L.)…Good be a solid blitzing option in the N.F.L….team leader…
Cons:
average athlete and not a really fluid athlete…not asked to cover much man to man and probably shouldn’t be in the NFL either…only 1 career interception…injuries derailed his 2011 season, but had some minor injuries before that as well..realiable tackler, but doesn’t intimdate the field from the strong safety position
Round Projection:
6th-7th
Thoughts:
Dye had a chance to slip into the back end of round three prior to this season but injuries have ruined that chance and now he looks to be an after-thought who will be drafted late on day three. Dye isn’t a great athlete and doesn’t have the range team desire in today’s passing league. He’s very good tackling in the open field and attacking down hill. He doesn’t get fooled often but he doesn’t make many plays on the football either. Dye is probably a back upsafety and special teams ace in the N.F.L. A good locker room presence who could be regarded highly as a spot starter at the strong safety position