News & Notes
Minnesota Vikings rookie RB Toby Gerhart won’t be at Winter Park for the start of voluntary Organized Team Activities next week and he said Thursday that it’s unclear whether he will be at the mandatory minicamp June 11-13. Gerhart is scheduled to graduate from Stanford on June 13. He said he is trying to figure out a way that might allow him to participate in the minicamp. – Star Tribune
Minnesota Vikings WR Joe Webb said the team used him as a quarterback during their rookie minicamp and could get an opportunity to practice as a quarterback during the team’s offseason workouts. Webb said the coaches also like how he performed as a wide receiver during the minicamp. – Birmingham News
Detroit Lions DT Ndamukong Suh’s agent said Suh is planning on taking part in every offseason workout and minicamp. Suh has
Pros: A senior defensive end at Iowa, Adrian Clayborn is an incredibly talented and unique prospect. Anyone who watched the 2010 Orange Bowl will remember Clayborn’s MVP performance as he completely dominated the game and displayed massive amounts of NFL potential. Standing 6’3” and 280-plus pounds Clayborn has near prototypical size to go along with his elite foot work, burst, hip fluidity, explosiveness, leg drive and motor. After flashing potential as a sophomore, the St. Louis native busted loose in 2009 with one of the best defensive seasons in the nation: 70 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Not just an athletic talent, Clayborn is known for his
Pros: Anyone who watched Virginia Tech football last season can tell you one thing for sure: running back Ryan Williams can flat out play. Williams rumbled for 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns on his way to setting the Virginia Tech single-season rushing record. Words like durable, dependable, scoring machine, versatile and turnover-free all accurately describe the red-shirt freshman’s performance. You want consistency? The Hokie matched an ACC record with ten 100-yard rushing games. How about stamina and conditioning? The ACC Rookie of the Year started all 13 games, played in 559 snaps and carried the pigskin 292 times. Not just a workman-like runner,
Pros: The soon-to-be senior at Ohio State, Cameron Heyward, is a certified man-giant. However, the defensive end is not a lumbering behemoth; his foot-speed, lateral ability, fluid hips and short-area quickness are uncanny for a man that is 6’6” and around 290 pounds. What truly stands out about Heyward is his ability to defend the run (46 tackles total, 10 tackles for loss as a junior). He is almost impossible to run at if he isn’t double-teamed and even then it isn’t a good idea. Heyward’s long arms and strength make it difficult for offensive lineman to get into his pads and his incredibly quick feet make him very tough
Pros: The North Carolina defensive end is a relentless, athletic freak of a pass rusher that seems to enjoy smashing into ball carriers and quarterbacks. Quinn’s 11 sacks as a sophomore were second in the ACC, one fewer than 2010 first round pick Derrick Morgan’s dozen. Quinn also added 15 quarterback hurries to lead the Heels. The UNC product doesn’t just settle for the sack, he’s a turnover machine who recorded six forced fumbles and always plays until the whistle is blown. Standing at 6’5” and over 260 pounds Quinn is incredibly strong for his size to go along with his natural hip fluidity and explosion. His first step is
Pros: If an NFL general manager were allowed to go into a secret laboratory and create his perfect cornerback, that player would look like Patrick Peterson. Standing at 6’1” and 211 pounds, Peterson has the size to jam wide receivers effectively at the line of scrimmage and contest jump balls with even the biggest NFL pass catchers. Peterson’s frame is pure muscle and the length on his arms is outstanding for a cornerback. He also has very broad shoulders that allow him to carry his weight very naturally without impacting his speed or burst. In addition to his prototypical size, this Tiger also possesses the quick-twitch athleticism and raw speed to hang
Pros: For a 3-4 defensive end Marcel Dareus is a unique player. The incoming junior, who stands at 6’4”, is expected by many to be one of the elite prospects in the 2011 draft. Dareus became a household name when he won Defensive MVP honors in the BCS Championship Game last season against Texas—Dareus not only knocked Colt McCoy out of the game with a devastating hit, he returned an interception for a touchdown. But that game is hardly the only reason he’s on scouts’ radar; he is no flash in the pan. What truly stands out about Dareus is that he has an incredible fluidity for a man his size.
Pros: At 6’4” and 200-plus pounds A.J. Green is about to enter his junior season as Georgia’s main offensive threat. Green is almost impossible to cover one-on-one as his short-area burst, height and leaping ability are simply too much for one defensive back to handle. Green might not have the elite top-end speed many are expecting him to have (4.3); it is clearly more than functional as we believe it to be in the 4.4-range. He shows exceptional ability at finding soft spots in zone coverage and even when he is engaged in tight coverage, Green’s impressive frame, leaping ability, aggressiveness and mid-air acrobatics allow him to come down with