Rashad Jennings is pretty big, but he's not powerful. He rarely drives his feet at his first contact. This is why I'm not high on the kid...
Tiquan Underwood Rutgers 6'2", 180 I think that Underwood is a very underrated player. He's raw but he's got outstanding physical tools, and I think he can become a very solid deep threat.
Analysis Good size with well-developed upper body. Played in part-time zone read offense, sometimes in I-formation. Good vision, able to change directions using quick feet. Can stiff-arm and run through tacklers in the open field by lowering his pads. Very good second gear once in the open. Runs tough inside, able to lean forward for additional yards. Looks natural catching the ball out of the backfield. Will keep his feet churning after contact and fight for the first down or goal line. Can hit an inside hole quickly. Surprisingly quick stop-start if the hole is not there immediately. http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles...profile-tab-set-1:player-profile-tab-analysis
Not from what I've seen... It must be easy for him to score TDs inside the five though - he outweighs most I-AA linebackers and defensive ends. I've never liked him as a prospect - you of all people should know how I feel about him. I don't think he'll be an effective runner in the pros. His leg drive isn't there and he more than likely won't be able to get to the outside in the NFL.
I am fully aware of your take on him, but I think he will be just as effective as a Derrick Ward/Matt Forte kind of back, if not better.
I almost dug up that thread where you compared him to those guys. I can't compare him to either of those guys - especially Forte, who had so much success at a higher level of competition.
02/19/09 - Based on how he stacked up against large-school prospects at the Senior Bowl, he might have starred anywhere. After the 2005 season, Jennings transferred from Pittsburgh to Liberty to be closer to his father, who has diabetes. Last year Jennings ran 263 times for 1,526 yards and 17 touchdowns. Jennings could be a real steal after the first round. - Frank Cooney, The Sports Xchange, NFL Draft Scout 02/17/09 - NFL Combine POTENTIAL Risers: Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty: At 6-1, 234 pounds, Jennings' quick feet could allow him to break 4.5 in the 40 and excel in position drills. That might push him into the late first/early second-round conversation with underclassman backs mentioned in the next section. - Chad Reuter, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com 01/23/09 - Senior Bowl Practice Stars, Honorable mention: RB Rashad Jennings (Liberty): His quick feet at 6-1, 234 pounds are even more impressive in person. - Chad Reuter, The Sports Xchange, NFLDraftScout.com I've been saying it all year, and now finally it isn't just me. I'm not saying he is a lock to be a good RB in the NFL - no one is a lock to be a good anything in the NFL - but I think Jennings could be a valuable contributor on the right team.
It's not like you discovered the kid - I wouldn't be surprised if you found him on NFLDraftScout.com. You haven't even been on this board for a year, so you've been saying it for like 4 to 5 months, along with a bunch of other draft fans. If he stayed at Pitt, he would've been a backup. McCoy and Stephens-Howling are both better runners. They were going to move him to fullback. It's a nice story about him moving closer to his father, but that's not the ONLY reason he left Pitt. He had no chance of success at Pittsburgh, especially after he was deemed academically ineligible. He transferred to Liberty because they gave him a shot.
Two things: 1) I have been a member on this board for under a year, but I have been a member on other boards and been scouting for a few years now. 2) I never said I discovered him - please show me where I said that. All I said was that I have been saying watch out for him all year and now he is finally getting some recognition. And the last thing you said about him is plain wrong. After he was ruled academically ineligible the Pitt coaches tried very hard to persuade him to come back. He however wanted to be closer to his father who was diagnosed with diabetes. University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, and some other high profile programs were trying to get him to transfer there since he lives in Virginia, but for whatever reason he chose Liberty, perhaps because it was the closest to home. I don't see how you are trying to tell me about Jennings when he has been under my scope for over a year.
Under your "scope"? Give me break, man. You make it seem like you're the only one that knows Jennings exists.
As someone who has seen Rashad play over 10 times in person, he certainly has leg drive to go along with good speed (for 230+). Expect to see a forty time right around 4.5 in either direction. As far as the Pitt questions, he came home (Liberty) to be with his ill-father. He got plenty of playing time as a true Freshmen at Pitt and the coaches were sad to see him go, but they clearly understood why he left.
( I think he was mentioned but whatever) Darius Butler CB UConn 5'10" 187 I've seen some mocks where he is a top 20 pick. I've heard that if he does well at the combine he is a top 10 pick. He has a very complete skill set. His production last season is not great, manly because he was not thrown to alot Brandon Gibson WR Washington State 6'0" 202 The two main reasons he is a sleeper is because a)he went to Washington State and b) he does not have a super elite skill quality. As opposed to Hakeem Nicks who has almost the complete package, Gibson also has a very nice set of skills that are probably not as complete as Nicks. Overall though I think he could be a very good receiver at the next level
Sheets is also my biggest sleeper. The only way he would make the 1st round is if he ran a sub 4.3 like Chris Johnson last year. He won't but he should run sub 4.5 easy.
Sammie Lee Hill DT/DE Stillman College 6'4", 331 lbs.- from nfldraftscout.com- Positives: Tall with muscular overall build and long arms. ... Displays excellent agility and quickness for his size. ... Uses a punch and good hand play to discard offensive tackles at the line of scrimmage. ... Swats chipping running backs away like flies on the outside. ... Good closing speed and has the length to wrap up in the backfield. ... Flashes the initial quickness inside. ... Bull rushes his man into the pocket when one-on-one inside. ... Breaks down on the edge and changes direction well for his size. ... Could project as a 3-4 defensive end. Negatives: Looks like a man among boys against lower level competition, especially when lined up on the edge, but must prove he can handle the next level physically. ... Fails to consistently get off double teams when inside. ... Must work on lowering his pad level so he's not stood up to lose the leverage battle against NFL offensive linemen and be susceptible to cut blocks. ... Doesn't chase or hustle consistently. 01/13/09 - East-West Shrine Monday practice: Tall, massive Sammie Lee Hill (Stillman College) has raw talent, to be sure, and showed an ability to bull rush…but that was about it. He seemed to take to coaching well, however, as he used a spin move to beat his man later on. - Chad Reuter, The SportsXchange, NFL Draft Scout Sounds like he'd be good to develop under Rex as a 3-4 DE.
