Tag: former texas player

What draft analysts are saying about Malcolm Roach

Malcolm Roach is heading to the NFL after four seasons in Austin, what are the analysts saying about his potential?

Malcolm Roach is the lesser talked about NFL prospect behind the trio of Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson and Brandon Jones. He is a bit of a difficult player to scout due to the defensive scheme that they played in under Todd Orlando. Roach even said so himself when he spoke to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.

“We understood the reason why we were running what we were running,” Roach said. “That style of play didn’t transfer to the NFL and the NFL didn’t understand what type of player this guy was. Or what type of player they would be getting because of the scheme we ran. I just feel 3-4 didn’t let us showcase our abilities the way we wanted to. But we understood why we were running it. I feel the 4-3 will help those guys to show their talents and more people will come out of Texas.” – Roach to Hill

Lance Zierlein on Malcom Roach:

While Roach did what was asked of him at Texas, it was rare that you could feel his presence in terms of taking over a game or even a half. He’s a short-limbed, tight-legged defender with natural power and some funk in his hands. Roach needs an efficient pathway to the backfield and is better-suited as a gapping 3-technique or maybe even a shade nose if he can add good mass on his frame. The lack of length and below-average pass rush is a concern, but a move inside should bolster his chances of making a roster or practice squad as a rotational interior defender in an upfield 4-3 scheme.

 

 

What draft analysts are saying about Brandon Jones

Brandon Jones is looking to be the next Texas safety to make an impact in the NFL. Here are what draft analyst have said about him.

Over the last decade plus, the Texas Longhorns have produced plenty of safety talent to make the jump to the NFL. Making him another safety product from the University that produced Earl Thomas, Michael Huff, Michael Giffin, Quandre Diggs and Kenny Vaccaro.  He is known for his physical play but his mentality both on and off the field might be what separates him from others in the class.

Lance Zierlein’s NFL Combine Profile on Jones:

He’s got a thumper’s heart but doesn’t have the frame to carry the pop necessary to handle that role. While Jones played boundary, field, and nickel safety position at Texas, he’ll likely be pegged as a two-deep or single-high free safety due to man coverage limitations but above-average speed. He plays with good urgency and has soft hands, but just average instincts, which limited his ball production. He could get pushed up a round if he’s a big tester. He has third-safety potential and offers early help on special teams.

 

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What draft analysts are saying about Collin Johnson

Collin Johnson is a big wide receiver who can be a mismatch at the NFL level. Read what analysts are saying about him as a prospect.

Collin Johnson has the size that NFL teams will love. It isn’t just his size that allows him to win but his frame, catch radius and length that will also serve him well at the next level. Not to mention that he has been known to make the circus catch that makes you question just how he was able to come down with it.

Johnson will get plenty of chances to show what he is capable of at the NFL level. Recently he has been connected with the New Orleans Saints in mock drafts. That would reunite him with former teammate Lil’Jordan Humphrey. The Saints could use another receiving threat next to Michael Thomas. Johnson gives them the freedom to move Thomas around.

Lance Zierlein’s Combine Profile:

Productive outside receiver with great size and ball skills, but below-average speed. May need to find an offense that allows him to work downfield, where size overrides quickness once the ball is in the air. He missed a chunk of 2019 due to a lingering hamstring issue, but looked fairly pedestrian against LSU’s talented cornerbacks. He should work well against zone, but needs to play stronger to battle back against the contested catches he’s going to see. Johnson may need a more limited route-tree that allows him to open up his stride and exploit size mismatches down the field.

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What draft analysts are saying about Devin Duvernay

Longhorns Wire scoured the web to find out how NFL Draft analysts feel about Devin Duvernay as a NFL prospect.

The NFL Draft is just a few days away and there are several hopefuls that are looking to make their impact at the NFL level. One such player is Devin Duvernay. The Longhorns wide receiver finished his career with the second best season in Longhorns history for a pass catcher. His 106 catches in a season finished 10 behind the mark set by Jordan Shipley in 2008.

His 12 receptions against LSU and Oklahoma State give him the fourth-most in a single game, tied with Eric Metcalf who accomplished that feat against Arkansas. Not to mention his 1,386 yards receiver in a season finished second to Jordan Shipley once again. Duvernay finished out his career with the eighth-most yards in Longhorns history.

The Draft Wire‘s thoughts on Devin Duvernay:

A compact slot receiver with plenty of ability after the catch, Duvernay is an electric playmaker who brings athleticism and toughness to the wide receiver position. His skill set isn’t one of anything more than a complementary weapon at the next level, but he should be a serviceable starter in the pros. – Jacob Infante

The NFL Combine profile from Lance Zierlein:

Straight-line speedster with a fireplug build who needs to close the ability gap between when the ball is in his hands and when it’s not. Duvernay is a challenging study because he carries long speed but he’s not a ball winner. He’s a slot receiver with tight hips and below-average routes but has outstanding hands and uses power to add yards after catch. The pieces don’t quite fit together, but great hands, YAC and speed are traits teams might look to mold. He’s not a classic developmental prospect but could become one if a team has a plan for him and can improve his routes.

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Mock Draft Monday: Texas Longhorns roundup

On a mock draft Monday, three seven-round mock drafts are observed to find out where former Texas Longhorns could wind up next week.

The NFL Draft is just 10 days away and for five Texas Longhorns, they are hoping to get the phone call they have worked hard to receive. For Brandon Jones, Collin Johnson, Devin Duvernay, Zack Shackelford and Malcolm Roach this is the first step towards continuing their football careers at the next level. Starting on April 23rd the draft will run over the following two days and conclude on the 25th.

With the NFL Draft approaching in just over a week, three mock drafts are featured on this Mock Draft Monday. Our colleagues at the Draft Wire have put together another seven-round mock that features four of the five draft hopefuls that wore burnt orange in their college career. Here is the latest mock by Luke Easterling.

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Draft Wire

3.80: Brandon Jones Las Vegas Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders could use some depth at the position that lost their former first round pick Karl Joseph. Jones would get a shot to start immediately even as a third-round pick.

4.142: Collin Johnson Washington Redskins

Washington is in dire need of playmakers on the outside to team up with Terry McLaurin who burst onto the scene in 2019. The team has a young quarterback in Dwayne Haskins under a new staff. Johnson helps bolster that receiving corp.

5.157: Devin Duvernay Baltimore Ravens

In this particular scenario the Baltimore Ravens add yet another wide receiver that hails from the Big 12 Conference to go along with Marquise Brown and Antoine Wesley. Duvernay adds slot depth and a reliable target that dropped just five passes during his time at Texas.

5.174: Malcolm Roach Tennessee Titans

Malcolm Roach joins Mike Vrabel’s 3-4 defense where he would like line up at either defensive end spot. His depth would allow him to plug right in as a rotational piece with promise to work his way up the depth chart. Roach feels like a New England type selection so landing with Vrabel seems like a perfect fit.

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2020 NFL Draft: Brandon Jones ready to step up

Texas Longhorns safety Brandon Jones is ready to step up to the next level, watch this video produced by the Green Bay Packers.

A lot has been made about Brandon Jones this offseason. While he was unable to participate, Jones didn’t let that stop him from impressing scouts and teams with his football IQ. It was made known that he spent countless hours grinding film while nursing an injury, breaking down each teams defense shows another way that he can make an impact at the NFL level. The Green Bay Packers put together this video on a prospect that the team could use, Brandon Jones.

Jones has been mocked pretty consistently in the third round of most NFL mock drafts. So when the Green Bay Packers come up in the third round with the 94th overall selection it would come as no surprise if they do indeed take Jones to help that defense.

The Packers aren’t the only team that is in need of a safety but one that makes sense from a selection standpoint. Other teams that have been linked to Jones are the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and Las Vegas Raiders in most mock simulations.

 

 

Texas Longhorns Football: Mock Draft Monday

The latest mock draft roundup for the Texas Longhorns with Brandon Jones, Devin Duvernay, Collin Johnson and Malcolm Roach.

Our colleagues at the Draft Wire have released their latest mock draft. Luke Easterling has one Texas Longhorn in his latest three-round mock that has the Las Vegas Raiders landing safety Brandon Jones. Jones has frequently been the highest rated former Longhorn mocked through various media outlets.

80. Las Vegas Raiders: Brandon Jones

The addition of Jones would help bolster a defensive backfield that has added former Dallas Cowboy Jeff Heath and former Cleveland Brown Damarious Randall. While Randall has starter capability, Heath is more of a depth and special teams specialist for the Raiders. Brandon Jones would immediately get an opportunity to start for Paul Guenther’s defense.

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Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson could sneak their way into day two of the NFL Draft during the compensatory part of round three. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller actually mocked Duvernay to the Tennessee Titans with his latest mock draft at pick 93 in the third round.

The full breakdown of Miller’s mock for the Longhorns:

93: Tennessee Titans- Devin Duvernay

109: Detroit Lions- Brandon Jones

130: New Orleans Saints- Collin Johnson

241: New England Patriots- Malcolm Roach

 

 

2020 NFL Draft plans adjusted, public events canceled

As the CDC now recommends no public gatherings over 50 people, the NFL Draft committed to adjusting its plans.

Health and safety is undeniably the top priority. As the nation attempts to contain the sudden outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), numerous sporting events around the world have been canceled or postponed.

The Centers of Disease Control now recommends that Americans do not conduct gatherings of 50 or more people for the next eight weeks. Merely a day after this announcement, the 2020 NFL Draft committed to adjusting its plans.

The NFL Draft was scheduled to take place on April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada. While the draft will still proceed without the typical public events or fans present, the league is still exploring innovative ways for how the process will be conducted.

It’s likely that all draft selections will be digital from remote locations. This shouldn’t impact NFL organizations from their usual selection process as they typically work from within the war room inside of their own headquarters. However, for some prospects, hearing your name called to the stage is a lifelong dream that unfortunately won’t materialize.

The Texas trio of safety Brandon Jones and wide receivers Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay will be anxiously awaiting that special phone call.