Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee, 6’4” 210 LBS, 40 time: 4.98

 

 

Jordan: Largely a product of the system. I realize he calls his own plays—so did Jim Kelley. The Colts run a modern day version of the K-gun offense (which was a variation of the run-and-shoot in which the QB could call his own plays). Offensive coordinator Tom Moore serves as basically nothing more than a sounding board for Peyton Manning—this is Manning’s offense, Moore draws up the plays, and Manning calls the game pretty much all by himself with Moore just lending some advice every once in a while. However, as intelligent as Manning is, he is HARDLY the only quarterback who could pick apart everyone to shreds in this system—he’s NOT the only smart quarterback in the league. I mean, it’s not like Chad Pennington (healthy), Ben Roethlisberger, Brett Favre, Matt Hasselbeck, Tim Rattay, and Marc Bulger couldn't do what he's doing if they were on the Colts. So I'm just going to evaluate him based on what I see from him physically and mentally as an individual. He has a fairly strong, accurate arm and has a full grasp of the offense. He was able to master the offense at Tennessee as well. He's far more mobile than you'd think--he probably runs around 4.8 now and shows pretty nimble feet. He has tremendous size. He has the quickest set-up in the NFL and gets rid of the ball with urgency. Then again, the ability to get rid of the ball quickly is contingent upon how well the plays called are matching up with the defense. He reads coverages well, but believe me--he still has plenty of room for improvement in that area. So he's not the greatest quarterback in history, and his statistics don't mean as much as people think. But I'd still take him on my team any day. He could fit pretty much any system in the NFL, and that says quite a bit.

 

Set Up-8

Delivery-7-

Read Coverages-6+

Throw Short-7

Throw Deep-7+

Mobility-6

Leadership-7-

 

Overall Rating: 7.1

 

 

 

Marvin Harrison, WR, Syracuse, 6’0” 175 LBS, 40 time: 4.45

 

 

Jordan: Everything is so fluid and natural for him. He has arguably the best pair of hands in the NFL. His body control is unreal. He knows all the tricks in the book for getting open and he’s a small target for defensive backs to try to defend; that works to his advantage. He and Peyton Manning have the top rapport of any QB-WR duo in the NFL right now. He has excellent speed but it’s not so much his pure straight-line speed that separates him, nor is it his route running, although he certainly can work defensive backs and run particular routes. It’s his hands. His hand-eye coordination is unbelievable, he can make one-handed catches, catches behind him, catches over his head, over both shoulders, anywhere. He drops almost nothing and the incredible catching ability and footwork he possesses are breathtaking. It’s like he has superglue attached to his hands, everything sticks. He might be the best sideline receiver in the NFL today--he can drag his feet as well as anyone since Cris Carter. He has the ability to close the cushion in zone coverage and then blow by the defensive backs deep with his quickness and acceleration. The only realy weakness in his game is he’s not a very creative receiver after the catch; he just wants to go down and get out of there as quickly as possible unless he has a wide open path to the endzone. He’s very shy with the ball in his hands, but in getting the ball, he is extremely tenacious and will do everything in his power to come down with it. And his ability to come down with it is almost second to none, as I’ve stated earlier.

 

Hands-8

Patterns-7

Receive Short-8-

Receive Deep-7+

Catch In Traffic-7

Run After Catch-4

Block-5

 

Overall Rating: 7.1

Greg_C: Very gifted receiver with great speed (legitimate sub-4.3 40). Had his best season in 2002 when he caught 143 passes for 1700+ yards. He caught so many balls that season (and catches so many in general) because CBs are scared shitless to play him at the line of scrimmage. Because if you fail to jam him at the line, you're finished. He'll be wide open 20 yards downfield and looking in a perfectly-thrown Manning deep ball with a clear path to the end zone. So while a lot of Harrison's receptions are for minimal gains (to take advantage of the corners that are playing 10+ yards off of him because they don't want to be beaten deep), they're still receptions and they keep the chains moving. The thing with these short receptions too though, is he lulls DBs to sleep with them. He'll catch 7 or 8 short passes, and then he'll suddenly blaze past the corner he has lulled to sleep for a 60+ yard touchdown. And it's always such a shock because you don't really realize how quickly he gets downfield until he "makes his move", so to speak. This is completely Marvin Harrison's game.

Of course, don't expect Harrison to have any more 140+ catch seasons--as Peyton Manning has developed (as a QB) to the point where he doesn't need to focus on Harrison, or anyone for that matter. He'll just go through his reads unassumingly, and hit whoever he sees open first. And with Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Marcus Pollard, etc, etc, etc as Manning's passing options, the ball will definitely be spread around more than it was in 2002.

Marvin Harrison is very similar to Jerry Rice, in terms of talent. He's quick out of his breaks, he runs perfect routes, rarely drops anything, and has great speed (obviously better than Rice ever had, though). If Marvin Harrison isn't better than Rice was (in his heyday), he's at least on the same level. Rice may have the rings, but I'm sure Harrison would have just as good success if he were drafted by the 49ers in the '80s when they were just blowing up and so forth.

But the one thing Harrison will never have (that Rice has always had), is the competitive heart of a Champion. He just doesn't have a lot of heart or competitiveness. He's not a leader by any means. He's not the kind of guy that will take a team on his back en route to a Championship. He really tends to disappear in big games--and I'm not talking about the 2003-2004 AFC Championship where Ty Law held him all game, I'm talking about almost every playoff game the Colts have been to over the past several years. His demeanor is boring--which isn't a bad thing, and is part of the reason why he lulls CBs to sleep--but the bad thing about him is that he isn't gritty, tough, and determined when it counts. Basically, he's soft.

He has the speed to make things happen after the catch, but he almost never bothers to try. He doesn't try to elude people, either. He'd rather step out of bounds or fall down on the ground to avoid being tackled. Really, the only way he really gets YAC (or RAC) is when he catches those deep bombs by Manning and is running alone. He's a very productive receiver, but is really an underachiever when you look at how many yards he could really get if he worked hard to gain more yards after the catch. This is why his catches/TD ratio and his yards per catch hasn't been anywhere close to where it should be, considering his talents and the offense he's in (not to mention his QB, Peyton Manning). Harrison should be catching 17-20 TDs a year with Peyton Manning in that Indy offense--no questions asked. Also, his Yards per Catch average should be at least 16-17--not 12-13. Really, 12-13 yards a reception is practically a joke in that Colts offense, with Peyton Manning under center. Not to mention, when you've got 4.3 speed. I'm not saying Marvin Harrison doesn't work hard, or is a slacker, I'm just saying that he doesn't have that incredible determination to score, he doesn't have the heart of a champion. He's not the warrior that will say "fuck it" and do everything and anything he can to get a victory. In essence, he's passive. He takes what the defense gives him and doesn't try to get anything more (completely opposite to a guy like Terrell Owens--who is determined and hungry to score every time he touches the ball).

But regardless, he's still a great player that will probably have a very long career (with the so-very-few hits he takes, along with his athletic talents). You can win with him, but just don't expect him to stand up and will his team to victory in a playoff game, when things are looking really bleak.

 

 

 

Reggie Wayne, WR, Miami, 6’1” 205 LBS, 40 time: 4.43

 

 

Jordan: He has really gotten faster since coming into the NFL. The man can fly now, although part of that may be the surface and the wide open scheme, but still, the guy has some breakaway speed. He's a big, tough receiver, too. He can be very physical and runs his routes aggressively and with toughness. Big, incredibly strong hands. Can snatch it and has the leaping ability to go along with that. There are a number of teams he could be the #1 on. An excellent redzone target with his footwork and smooth big man body control to drag his feet in the back of the endzone, with his long arms and big hands. Kind of a poor man’s Cris Carter in that aspect, but he brings MUCH more big-play ability to the table. Overall, though, he has really improved his overall game since entering the NFL—he has added more speed and burst, though he was always a good runner after the catch in college anyway. And with Peyton Manning’s ability to hit him on the hot reads, he’s always going to be an extremely productive #2 receiver, and one you wonder what he could do if given a shot to be a #1 elsewhere. No doubt, he’d be damn good. Oh, and by the way, he is a FEROCIOUS blocker. Absolutely devastating.

 

Hands-7-

Patterns-6

Receive Short-6

Receive Deep-5

Catch In Traffic-6

Run After Catch-7-

Block-8

 

Overall Rating: 6.6

 

 

 

Dallas Clark, TE, Iowa, 40 time: 4.51

 

 

Jordan: Tremendous speed and quickness. You kinda think you’re facing a fullback with him wearing #44 out there and his 6’3” 257 LB frame. But he’s an excellent athlete and he’ll run away from everyone with his 4.5 speed and catch everything he can get to. He’s also a very strong blocker who keeps his head low and can blow you off the ball, at least he could in college. It will be interesting to see if he develops into the kind of player all of this talent suggests because he has a chance to force Marcus Pollard into being an afterthought. He was starting to develop a rapport with Manning before the injury.

 

Hands-6+

Patterns-6

Receive Short-6

Receive Deep-6+

Catch In Traffic-6-

Run After Catch-6+

Block-6+

 

Overall Rating: 6.6^

 

 

 

Tarik Glenn, OT, California, 6'5" 332 LBS

 

 

Jordan: Huge, athletic, great feet. You can compare him to a tap dancing grizzly bear. Great hand punch, all of the tools of any other premier tackle in the game, and he uses them to near perfection. I’d rank him right below the Willie Roaf/Jonathan Ogden/Walter Jones class. I think he’s definitely ahead of Orlando Pace and much more difficult to beat as a pass blocker, although granted, a big part of that is Manning’s quick release and sense of the rush. And of course, you can’t really say the same thing about anyone Pace has blocked, and the Ram offense takes a bit longer to get rid of the football, so I can see the argument for Pace here. But this guy has the kind of power and quickness combination that has been giving defensive ends nightmares these past several years in the NFL in which there has been a shift towards elite pass rushing ends coming from the other side against the slower, actually human and beatable right tackles. Glenn is part of that elite class of left tackles that is redefining the game as we speak. He also is a powerful run blocker who can get out on pulls and down the field and just obliterate people and also lock down and drive someone out of the picture for Edgerrin James.

 

Run Block In Line-7+

Run Block On Move-7

Pass Block-7+

Ability to Adjust-7-

 

Overall Rating: 7.3

 

 

 

Ryan Diem, G

 

 

Jordan: From a superficial glance, he appears to be a blue-collar offensive lineman with very limited tools. He doesn’t appear to be much of an athlete nor all that strong, but he fights hard every down and is reliable. But I’m not comfortable giving him an in-depth report just yet.

 

NOT RATED

 

 

 

Jeff Saturday, C

 


Jordan: He’s certainly adequate for what they want to do. He’s not particularly athletic, he’s certainly not overpowering, but he makes all of the calls and is masterful at it. He has good footwork, he keeps his feet under him, and he has mastered the angles at which their blocking scheme requires linemen to block from. Pass blocking, it’s just flat-out impossible to gauge him. He hardly ever has to block anyone, and with Peyton Manning being the greatest play action pass artist in the history of the NFL, defensive lines are just at an ENORMOUS disadvantage. He just doesn’t have to do much but screen and wall off.

 

Run Block In Line-5+

Run Block On Move-5+

Pass Block-5

Ability to Adjust-5

 

Overall Rating: 5.4

 

 

 

Dwight Freeney, DE, Syracuse, 6’1” 260 LBS, 40 time: 4.48

 

 

Jordan: Greatest pass rusher in NFL history. Not even in question. Sub-4.5 speed and a bowling ball type build. He has the greatest spin move ever seen and just blows up-field. Nobody ever gets a firm handle on him, and if they do, he just spins around. His motor is unmatched. He refuses to stay blocked and plays at full throttle on every single play. If it's a run play, he'll explode off the snap and spin and jerk and rip and do whatever the hell he has to do to get to the ball carrier. If it's a pass, as soon as he is free, he's to the quarterback in 2 steps. He must've had 100 QB pressures in 2004. Really, with him, you would be better off counting how many times he's NOT pressuring the quarterback. He's unblockable. He made Jonathan Ogden look like a fat piece of shit. If he wants to beat you around the edge, there's not a DAMN THING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT. He could just line up and do that every down, but he doesn't. He has that wicked spin move and just plays in a neverbeforeseen type of frenzy at defensive end. He's the most explosive defensive lineman the game's ever seen, and will go down as the greatest pass rusher who ever lived, without question.

 

Recognition-5+

Pursuit-8

Run Defense (POA)-6-

Pass Rush-8

 

Overall Rating: 7.8

Robert Mathis, DE, Alabama A&M, 6'2" 235 LBS, 40 yard dash: 4.64

Jordan: He could not be in a system that makes better use of his talents. In the cover II defense, they don't worry about having their defensive ends maintain run responsibilities, so he is free to be a pure pass rusher, which is exactly what he is. He's not as fast and explosive a rusher as Freeney, but believe it or not, he may be even more natural as a classical pass rusher. He effortlessly shifts his frame without losing leverage, he is at top speed in only a couple of steps, and he has a real knack for taking the proper angles to the quarterback. That said, he's a tremendous athlete as well, though it's more along the lines of what you'd expect from someone at least 30 pounds lighter than most defensive ends. True, they do like to slant him and he isn't a run defender at all, but he really doesn't need to be. That's why they have their safeties and the one-gap defensive tackles with a tendency to throw off an opposing offense's blocking schemes for the running game.

Recognition-6
Pursuit-7-
Run Defense (POA)-4
Pass Rush-7+

Overall Rating: 6.7

 

 

 

Larry Tripplett, DT, Washington State

 

 

Jordan: A bit undersized but very active up front. Nothing special athletically in terms of MEASURABLES but plays athletic. Has good quickness and a motor. Plays with excellent leverage and has an outstanding arsenal of moves. With his motor in that defense, you would’ve thought he’d become a star by now, but even Warren Sapp isn’t getting sacks anymore these days, so you have to think that interior defensive linemen just aren’t going to post the high sack numbers very often anymore, regardless. So I think Triplett is a pretty solid starter, but he’s definitely not someone you want to have run at constantly, so they needed to rotate their defensive linemen and keep them fresh.

 

Recognition-5+

Pursuit-6

Run Defense (POA)-4+

Pass Rush-5+

 

Overall Rating: 5.3^

 

 

Corey Simon, DT, Florida St.

 

 

Jordan: Great quickness and burst to the ball. He has quick, active hands, he can use a quick club move and get into the backfield, he can pick a side and power his way through. He’s a top 3 pass rushing defensive tackle. His problems come against the run. He lacks the size, bulk, and strength to hold a double team—not that he draws any anyway—and he doesn’t really hold his ground one on one either. He kind of gets swallowed up inside.

 

Recognition-6

Pursuit-6+

Run Defense (POA)-5

Pass Rush-7-

 

Overall Rating: 6.4

 

 

 

Josh Williams, DT, Michigan, 6'3" 285 LBS

 

 

Jordan: Big (I don't know if I buy those listed height/weight ratio listings for him), athletic defensive tackle—probably the most gifted DT on the team, but he never put it together. Very strong and powerful, flashes an explosive first step and the ability to move laterally. Once in a while, he’s absolutely devastating. The rest of the time, he is wearing down or injured or misreading plays. If he could ever find that consistency, he’d be a damn good starter, but I think they’re ready to move on at the position without him. Which I’m not sure I quite understand considering he is still a pretty decent defensive tackle.

 

Recognition-6

Pursuit-6

Run Defense (POA)-6

Pass Rush-5+

 

Overall Rating: 5.9

 

 

 

Rob Morris, MLB, BYU

 

 

Jordan: Intense, blue collar MLB. A strong, steady guy who reads keys extremely well and flows to the ball. Not the most athletic linebacker, but gets a quick jump on plays and plays more athletic that way. Willing to take on lead blocks and uses his hands well to give him a chance to defeat the block. He just doesn’t do that consistently enough. Overall, it’s his instincts that make him a good starter. He’s an extremely intelligent player who just has a feel for football plays and where it’s gonna go.

 

Read and React-7

Pursuit-6-

Blitz/Rush-5+

Run Defense (POA)-6-

Pass Coverage-5+

Tackle-6

 

Overall Rating: 6.2

 

 

 

David Thornton, OLB

 

 

Jordan: Emerged as a big-time playmaker in this scheme. Runs very well despite being kind of stiff. Gets good depth in his drops and does a nice job of reading the QB’s eyes. Flows to the ball and shows a good, quick first step. But overall, he’s just pretty average. He has the potential to be a good starter, but that’s his limit. He’s not the kind of rare athlete that you’re looking for to be a difference-maker.

 

Read and React-6-

Pursuit-6-

Blitz/Rush-4+

Run Defense (POA)-5

Pass Coverage-5-

Tackle-6

 

Overall Rating: 5.5

 

 

 

Gary Brackett, LB

 

 

Jordan: A very stiff, straight-line player. You just have to wonder how the Colts ended up with such a stiff trio of linebackers considering the scheme they supposedly want to run. I highly doubt they’re ever going to improve with this chaotic unit.

 

Read and React-6-

Pursuit-4+

Blitz/Rush-4

Run Defense (POA)-5

Pass Coverage-5+

Tackle-5

 

Overall Rating: 5.0

Bob Sanders, S, Iowa, 5'8" 206 LBS, 40 yard dash: 4.39

Jordan: He's not Troy Polamalu, but he might be the next best thing. He is, pardon the cliche, an extra linebacker against the run. He is purely a guided missile--as soon as it's a run, he's shooting up to the line of scrimmage, and he will put his head down and drop you. He's an outstanding wrap-up tackler also capable of the huge hit. But he's not limited to hitting--he has sensational range and athleticism. He plays much more like he's 6"3" than 5'8," and this is just another example of how scouts don't know what they're talking about. And yes, the Colts run a variation of the cover II, but what's interesting is that Tony Dungy's version isn't exactly like Monte Kiffen's. It's not the same gimmick. Before Sanders started, they couldn't really stop anyone from passing all over them. Now they're one of the top units in football. His athleticism, along with Cato June's, has masked a lot of the weaknesses in that scheme. And because of he and Mike Doss, they're not a total abomination against the run anymore.

Key and Diagnose-7+
Man Coverage-6
Zone Coverage-6+
Hands-5
Run Support-7+
Tackle-7+

Overall Rating: 7.1

 

 

 

Mike Doss, S, Ohio State, 5'10" 207 LBS, 40 time: 4.42

 

 

Jordan: While not the biggest guy in the World, he makes up for it with outstanding speed, quickness, and hard hitting. He will really lay the wood. He's not going to oblierate you like some other safeties in this league, but you'll feel the hit. However, what makes him such a good player to have is his versatility. He came to Ohio State as a corner prospect allegedly running 4.2 in the 40-yard-dash. While he's more of a 4.4-4.45 type of guy, he's still an excellent athlete, and he has an extremely quick break on the ball in zone coverage. He's also an extremely intelligent player. The only negative is that he isn't smart enough to not fire a gun in the back alley.

 

Key and Diagnose-6

Man Coverage-5

Zone Coverage-6+

Hands-7

Run Support-6+

Tackle-6+

 

Overall Rating: 6.4

 

 

Nick Harper, CB, Fort Valley State, 5'10" 182 LBS

 

 

Jordan: A cover II corner I never paid much attention to.

 

NOT RATED

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike Vanderjagt, K

 

 

Jordan: Largely a product of the dome—still a great kicker, though. You can't really hold it against him because no other dome kickers have even approached his kind of consistency. He has a cannon leg and outstanding elevation, and has become somewhat more clutch as he has gained experience in the league.

 

Hunter Smith, P

 

 

Jordan: Has the leg strength and hang time that is accentuated in a dome. Has an electrically quick get-off and is consistent and reliable. Definitely someone they want to keep around for a long, long time.

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