The NFLPA collegiate bowl players are set to display their talent in front of numerous professional football scouts Saturday, Jan. 19th. The collegiate all-star game will air live on ESPN 2 at 6 p.m eastern.
We’ve begun installing our Washington Redskins 2012 positional evaluations -
Now it’s all about how the Redskins will improve their team this off-season. Free agency and the NFL draft are two of the best ways to upgrade your football team. So, this is the time of the year the foundation gets laid for potential new additions when the new league year begins in March.
In the 2012 draft, the Washington Redskins selected DB Richard Crawford, who played in last year’s first NFLPA Bowl. Crawford reflected on his bowl experience here .
Collegiate all-star games like the NFLPA bowl is a great way to discover talent that could be had in later rounds. So, here are a few names from each team that could draw interest from the Redskins -
American Team:
- Jeff Nady, OT, Nevada – This is a 6ft 5, 302 lb lineman, who scouts say showed good footwork and mobility. That is a staple in a Shanahan zone blocking scheme. Scouts believe his position would be right tackle.
- Caylin Hauptmann, OT, Florida International - Scouts have said Caylin was likely the best tackle against the top pass rushers at practice this week. He’s also a linemen with good feet and mobility.
- Jakar Hamilton, FS/CB, South Carolina State (Georgia transfer) - Hamilton is receiving great reviews from scouts because of his fluid hips and great transition out of backpedals.
- Orhian Johnson, FS, Ohio State - This is a 6ft 2, 206 lb safety that scouts have called one of the more physical and vocal defenders at this week’s NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
- Marquis Goodwin, Utility Receiver, Texas - Goodwin went down earlier in the week with what scouts called a leg injury. But this is a guy that I call a utility receiver. He has world-class speed (Olympic qualifier in the long jump) and scouts have called him the best athlete at the NFLPA Bowl. However, he’s undersized at 5ft 8, 177 with small hands.
- Greg Jenkins, QB/Utility Receiver, Alabama State - If there’s any guy that opened the eyes of scouts this week, it’s Greg Jenkins. ESPN Analyst and NFLPA bowl coach Herm Edwards raved about him as both a passer and receiver. Jenkins measured in slightly shorter than 6ft 1, 211 lbs.
National Team:
- Andrew Schaffer, OG/OC, Washington - This is a 6ft 4, 292 lb lineman that’s receiving excellent reviews from scouts. The tag he’s receiving is – “great athlete.” Which is typically music to Mike Shanahan’s ears.
- Bruce Taylor, LB, Virginia Tech - The overall consensus among scouts is that Bruce Taylor is the best player in this game. His stock could really rise after this week. Taylor is 6ft 2, but has long arms and could be a fit inside a 3-4 alignment. Scouts are calling him an “instinctive” football player.
- Demetrius McCray, CB, Appalachian State - Scouts have called McCray the best corner in this game. McCray stands 6ft, but is long. Scouts say he has great anticipation and ball skills.
- Duron Harmon, SS, Rutgers - Scouts consider Harmon the best athlete at his position in this bowl game. There has been estimated 40 times for him around the 4.6 range, which is really slow. But scouts called him the most explosive defensive back at the NFLPA bowl, with great instincts. He plays faster than his “estimated” time.
