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Arkansas NFL combine thread (pro day numbers added)
Posted on 2/27/17 at 1:37 pm
Posted on 2/27/17 at 1:37 pm
Players report tomorrow. Thought we could keep all the info here.
Players participating (analysis from NFL Network):
P Toby Baker
Height- 6'3
Weight- 207
Arm Length- 30 3/8
Hands- 9 5/8
LB Brooks Ellis
Height- 6'2
Weight- 245
WR Keon Hatcher
Height- 6'2
Weight- 207
Players participating (analysis from NFL Network):
P Toby Baker
Height- 6'3
Weight- 207
Arm Length- 30 3/8
Hands- 9 5/8
quote:
Despite being a star quarterback and punter in high school, Baker had to walk on at Arkansas in 2012. He redshirted that year, and played sparingly in 2013 and 2014 before finally getting his shot as a junior. In 2015, he averaged 41.2 yards a punt, forced 16 fair catches versus just two touchbacks, and place 23-of-43 punts inside the 20-yard line. Baker missed out on all-conference honors his senior year, but he finished in the top 15 nationally in punting average (44.4), with 24 fair catches and 22 inside the 20 on 57 punts (just three ending up in touchbacks).
Strengths Has good size for the position. Had a 50-plus yard punt in 10 of the 11 games he kicked in this season. Had 36.8 percent of his total punts this year go 50 yards or more. Forced a fair catch rate of 42.1 percent and has not had a punt blocked over the last two seasons. Lauded for his mental toughness and attention to details by the coaching staff.
Weaknesses Has a low percentage of punts inside the opponent's 10-yard line over last two seasons. Will need to expedite his snap-to-punt time as it is a little below the NFL average. Hang time can use improvement.
Bottom Line Baker has enough leg strength to give him a shot to earn an NFL roster spot, but he will have to improve his directional kicking and accuracy on touch punts to be considered the total package.
LB Brooks Ellis
Height- 6'2
Weight- 245
quote:
The Razorbacks kept one of their best talents in-state when they signed Ellis, a two-time state Defensive Player of the Year and state champion. He impressed the coaches enough to get into the starting line-up for the final four games as a true freshman (33 tackles, two for loss) and racked up 10 tackles against LSU in the season finale. He made plays regularly as a sophomore starter (72 tackles, 5.5 for loss, two interceptions, five pass break-ups), and then led the Razorbacks with 102 tackles in 2015 (eight for loss, 1.5 sacks, three PBU). Ellis, a pre-med major with a 3.8 grade point average, was tops on the team again as a senior (83, seven TFL, six PBU).
Strengths Instinctive with a technician approach. Scrapes with squared shoulders and quality pad level. Slides from gap to gap, mirroring ball carrier, and is careful not to overshoot his pursuit. Plays with an authoritative punch and good arm extension when attacking blockers. In constant movement on balls of his feet and rarely caught flat-footed. Maintains vision beyond the blockers in front of him. Reliable and aware. Productive tackler who also shows an ability to squeeze receivers from zone coverage. Has three years of coverage experience on special teams.
Weaknesses Slow-twitch athlete. Lacks suddenness of movement and instant burst to overcome mistakes. Margin for error is slight. Tape reveals a lack of functional speed to chase runners to the perimeter. Misses tackles that appear to be in his grasp due to lack of close-out burst. Will have issues maintaining coverage against NFL running backs in space.
Sources Tell Us "You like so much of what you see, but once you see him open up and run, it just becomes hard to put a draftable grade on him. He's a camp body in my opinion, but I think he's a good college player." - Area scout for NFC team
Bottom Line There are so many things to like when you watch the tape. He's smart, instinctive, productive and technically sound. However, his lack of functional NFL speed will be very difficult to overcome. If Ellis tests well, he could work himself into Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) consideration. Back end of the roster might be the best he can hope for due to his lack of recovery ability and raw athleticism.
WR Keon Hatcher
Height- 6'2
Weight- 207
quote:
Hatcher was considered among the top receivers in the SEC at the start of the 2015 season, but just two games in (13-198 receiving), he broke his left foot. The Oklahoma native was a top 50 receiver prospect coming out of high school. He played in 10 games as a reserve in his first year in Fayetteville (3-21, TD), and then earned a part-time starting job in 2013 (27-346, two TD). Hatcher stepped up as a go-to guy in 12 starts as a junior, leading the team in receiving yards (43-558, six TD), which led to the high expectations going into his first senior year. His second senior year was a success, as he topped all Razorbacks in receiving yardage again (44-743, eight TD).
Strengths Stout build with plenty of muscle packed on his frame. Tough player who doesn't back down from physical corners. Plus foot quickness off the line of scrimmage. Swipes and slaps away jams and redirect attempts throughout his route. Natural, fluid athlete in space. Hands were reliable this season. Can make quick, stabbing grab of the football when he finds it late. Showed great concentration to finish catches in traffic against aggressive Alabama secondary. Effective working down the field with 80 percent of his catches going for first downs. Has field awareness to gear down route and wait for the throw when working near boundary. Has history of fighting through adversity.
Weaknesses Needs to show better improvisation in adjusting routes. Goes where route takes him and will just bang into defenders. Plays tall through his patterns. Route work lacks crisp breaks and overall focus. HIs route fakes are unconvincing and won't get cornerbacks tilted in the wrong direction very often. Telegraphs double moves badly. Seem to be on different pages with his quarterback too often. Long speed is average and has trouble shaking cornerbacks on vertical routes. Will need to learn how to set up cornerbacks to create workable separation in NFL. Despite his size, wasn't asked to block very often for Hogs.
NFL Comparison Jaelen Strong
Bottom Line He has good size, but not great. He's not the fastest receiver and his routes don't do their job often enough. With that said, Hatcher has something to him. He plays with good balance and strength in his routes and flashes elevated focus when finishing catches in traffic. Hatcher has the athleticism to work intermediate and deep and could become a factor after a couple seasons of seasoning.
This post was edited on 3/15/17 at 12:06 pm
2
Posted on 2/27/17 at 1:37 pm to gohogs141
DL Jeremiah Ledbetter
Height- 6'3
Weight- 280
quote:
Ledbetter's father, Weldon, was a running back at Oklahoma from 1979 to 1982 and was drafted by Tampa Bay in the seventh round of the 1983 draft. He redshirted one season and played two more at Hutchinson Community College, finishing his career there as a second-team junior college All-American in 2014 with 24.5 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks. Ledbetter stepped into the lineup right away for the Razorbacks, making 55 tackles, 7.5 for loss, and two sacks. He topped the squad with 5.5 sacks in his senior season, and was credited with 49 total tackles, 7.5 for loss.
Strengths Compact, powerful frame. Explodes into blockers with good hip torque and consistently wins the battle of low-man at the point of attack. Has the arm length of an offensive tackle. Early with his punch and lands with good placement. Gets quick arm extension and is able to control the point of attack when asked to two-gap. Stronger than size would dictate and can handle himself against single blocks. Does his part to eat blocks when asked to in Arkansas scheme. Has power to drive through a guard's edge once he makes his way up the field.
Weaknesses Has physical limitations that could mitigate his effectiveness. Will need substantially more mass to handle duties as an NFL three-technique. Can be uprooted by down blocks and double teams and driven out of his gap. Lacks initial upfield explosiveness teams look for from penetrators. Could be a man without a clear-cut position. Struggles to get to blocker's edge as a rusher. Needs to find more pass rush. Will need to improve hand fighting for faster wins to compensate for his average athleticism.
Bottom Line Ledbetter's game is built for the interior line, but he lacks the desired mass to hold his ground against NFL power and he's not as explosive off the snap as teams would like to play in the gaps. Ledbetter's long arms and power at the point of attack might make him a candidate to play base end for a team looking for strength on the edge, but the lack of foot quickness and ability to threaten the edge as an interior rusher could limit his draft value.
WR Drew Morgan
Height- 6'0
Weight- 193
quote:
Strengths Good initial speed into his route. Very clever at setting up routes and has a good feel for using speed variance in footwork to open door to separation against man coverage. Smooth short-area quickness gets him into and out of his breaks quickly. Rarely telegraphs route intentions. Extremely tough and willing to take the licks to make catch over the middle. Adjusts to throws behind him with relative ease and can hoover the low throw without breaking stride. Shifty runner after the catch with fakes that throw tacklers way off the mark. Has feet for sudden stops.
Weaknesses Can be pushed around inside the route and knocked off-balance. Quality press coverage can stymie him at the line. Can't run past cornerbacks on a straight go route. Doesn't have big separation burst out of his breaks. Can improve his positioning to keep defensive backs out of the catch. Throws himself off-balance coming out of some of his route fakes. Gets open early but may not have the traits to be a consistent finisher down the field. Averaged just 10.8 yards per touch.
Bottom Line Has adequate size to give a team some snaps from an outside receiver spot, but the slot may be his final home. Morgan wins with crisp routes and sticky hands and there is plenty of tape showing the toughness to finish catches despite taking big hits. Morgan has the talent to earn a roster spot and work his way up the ladder, but he needs to show off good quickness numbers and adequate speed during his combine workout.
OL Dan Skipper
Height- 6'10
Weight- 319
quote:
Even among the big-bodied tackles in the SEC, the 6-foot-10 Skipper stands out. That size has served him well at Arkansas, where he's started each game since the midway point of his true freshman season. Skipper lined up at guard the last eight games of that season, and he also used his height to set a school record with three blocked field goals. He moved from guard to left tackle for his sophomore year, also changing his jersey number to put costly penalties in the past. Skipper started all 39 games at the left tackle spot since 2014, earning second-team All-SEC notice as a junior and a first-team all-conference nod in his senior season.
Strengths Very tall for the position with decent functional athleticism. Has experience starting at both tackle spots. Has operated in a pro-style rushing attack and has experience firing off the ball and working with guards. Decent timing with his pass-pro punch. Can pull and is able to operate in space as a run blocker. While not always fluid with it, shows ability to transition from first to second block. Intelligent and aware of his responsibilities against twists.
Weaknesses At times, height works against him due to lack of anchor. Is consistently jolted by power players at first punch. Will default to wide, engulfing hands in pass protection, which opens his chest to bull-rushers. Rarely able to get his pad level into leveraged position due to center of gravity. Missing leg drive to consistently pop and secure his down blocks. Hand placement is spotty and he lacks power in them. As run blocker, will be unable to turn NFL defenders out of the hole with footwork and technique.
Bottom Line Size will be appealing to some NFL teams as will his experience at both tackle positions. His experience in Arkansas' physical rushing attack should work in his favor, but he lacks the sand in his pants to consistently match power with power against bigger, NFL-caliber talent at the point of attack. The same height that will intrigue some teams might ultimately rob Skipper of the necessary leverage he needs at the next level. Could project as a third-day (Rounds 4-7) swing tackle prospect who will have to battle to win a roster spot.
This post was edited on 3/15/17 at 12:04 pm
Posted on 2/27/17 at 1:38 pm to gohogs141
TE Jeremy Sprinkle
Height- 6'5
Weight- 256
Arm Length- 34 1/8
Hands- 10 5/8
DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
Height- 6'5
Weight- 271
Height- 6'5
Weight- 256
Arm Length- 34 1/8
Hands- 10 5/8
quote:
One of the perks of going to a bowl game is getting a "gift bag" from the game sponsor. The Razorbacks went to the Belk Bowl this year, and as a bonus, got $450 to spend at a Belk department store the week before the game. Unfortunately, Sprinkle tried to take more than that amount from the store, and was cited with shoplifting the extra items and suspended for the game. He had played well in his senior year, however, making 33 catches for 380 yards and four scores in 11 starts for Razorbacks. In fact, Sprinkle has been a productive player ever since his freshman year (two starts, catching four passes for 68 yards). He caught seven passes for 84 yards as a sophomore and started seven games, making 27 receptions for 389 yards and six touchdowns (tops for SEC tight ends).
Strengths Combination tight end who doesn't have to leave the field. Has arm length and base to help in pass protection. Effective blocker willing to do the physical work. Snaps into down blocks and secures. Strong hands lead to sustained blocks. Able to engage and sustain against safeties in space. Long frame with room to carry more weight. Has arm length and hand size of an NFL offensive tackle. Big, presentable target over the middle. Plus red-zone worker. Sells blocks on delayed-release play-action. Burrows into holes of zone and protects passes with his frame. Goes down to pick low throws off top of grass. Sneaky build-up of speed in routes. Long strides eat up ground as route progresses. Can pull away from linebackers on intermediate routes. Uses height, arm length, and high-point technique to go way up the ladder and over top of defenders. Nasty stiff-arm after catch. Above-average body control for size.
Weaknesses Needs more work on arm day in the gym. Upper-body thickness hasn't caught up with frame yet. Feet a bit heavy out of release and into routes. Legs and arms flail away into some of his breaks. Below-average at utilizing route leverage to create additional throwing room for quarterbacks. Needs to adjust crossing routes to keep defenders on his hip. Lacks short-area quickness to make defenders miss after catch. Needs to work back to ball more often. If block assignment vacates, he doesn't find new work. Instincts as blocker need work as he appears lost at times. Hand placement is average. Ankle injury limited his effectiveness for about a month.
Sources Tell Us "I think Sprinkle is a much better blocker (than Michigan's Jake Butt) and he's got more of an NFL body type." -- NFC South regional scout
NFL Comparison Larry Donnell
Bottom Line True "Y" tight end with outstanding length and a frame that can handle more weight. Has the toughness to be an NFL blocker, but might need to add more upper- and lower-body strength before he's ready. He's a big, reliable target in the red zone and underneath against zone, but needs a longer runway to create separation in his routes. Sprinkle isn't great in any one area, but he's good in most and should be a safe pick and quality starter in the league.
DE Deatrich Wise Jr.
Height- 6'5
Weight- 271
quote:
Deatrich Wise, Sr. was a ninth-round pick in 1998 by Seattle and also played in the Canadian Football League. Junior wasn't a starter until his senior year, and then he only did so in the opening eight games as he dealt with a hand injury suffered in the opener along with other injuries that limited his snaps later in the year. He did produce in that role, however, ending up with 49 stops, 5.5 for loss, and 3.5 sacks for the season. Wise got on scouts' radars by racking up eight sacks and two forced fumbles as a reserve in 2015. He also played regularly off the bench in 2013 (one start, 17 tackles, three TFL, two sacks) and 2014 (one start, 13 tackles, three TFL, two sacks).
Strengths Uncommon arm length (35 inches) with enormous hands. Terrific power in his punch and is able to jolt tackles with it. Uses brute force to set a strong edge. Can rag-doll blockers with stack-and-jerk upper body power. Effective use of arm length to keep blockers out of his frame. Heavy tackler engulfing ball carrier with full weight of his frame. Uses long strides to gain ground up the field as pass rusher. Powers through contact when he's at the edge. Legitimate bull-rush potential when pad level is good. Has frame that will accept more mass. Quick getting hands into passing lane when rush stalls. Deflected six passes over last two seasons. His "try-hard" is never in doubt. Has experience as a five-technique in Arkansas' defensive front.
Weaknesses Production fell well below expectations. Lost early down reps during senior season. Heavy-stepper with excessive stride length for short-area movement. Lacks lateral quickness and ability needed in twist games as rusher. Painfully slow to restart engine after changing direction. Below average reactive quickness allows running backs to dart past him. Tackling range has limitations. Hands have power but not suddenness. Won't get many quick wins at point of attack in the backfield. Pad level rises as rep rolls on. Upfield rush doesn't threaten the edge. Tackles drop early anchors to counter his power. Needs active feet after contact. Lacks edge rush ability to stay outside on third downs.
NFL Comparison Malliciah Goodman
Bottom Line Slow-twitch power player with rare physical attributes but a lack of functional athleticism to chalk up a stat sheet. Might have been miscast as a 4-3 defensive end considering his lack of quickness and rush talent. But his length and power at the point of attack could make him an attractive Day 3 (Rounds 4-7) draft option for 3-4 teams looking for a two-gapping defensive end with the traits to bounce back from a disappointing senior season.
This post was edited on 2/27/17 at 1:47 pm
Posted on 2/27/17 at 3:13 pm to gohogs141
Honestly had no idea we had this many players going to the combine. Makes the past few seasons even a little more disappointing TBH 
Posted on 2/27/17 at 3:25 pm to GoldenSombrero
Seems slow-twitch is a common theme there.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 3:27 pm to GoldenSombrero
Didn't utilize a top tight end in sprinkle near enough. Should've thrown the ball more than we did total. Should've been a 65-35, maybe even 70-30 pass heavy team this past season. We had the lineman to play a 3-4 last season bit idk if we have the linebackers. (Same question I have for this upcoming year.) You can win with less talent but to-do so you have to have a clear idea of what type of team you wanna be. A clear identity on both sides of the ball and you have to recruit to fit that. Beilama still hasn't proven he can do that
This post was edited on 2/27/17 at 3:28 pm
Posted on 2/27/17 at 4:49 pm to Hawgnsincebirth55
Sprinkle couldn't hold onto the ball when he was targeted.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 6:13 pm to BarkRuffalo
quote:
Sprinkle couldn't hold onto the ball when he was targeted.
Uhhh - his one and only dropped ball all season happened in the bowl game, if my brain hasn't completely crapped out.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 6:27 pm to ocelot4ark
He didn't play in the bowl game. Remember he robbed belk . That still cracks me up
. That still cracks me up
Posted on 2/27/17 at 6:43 pm to GoldenSombrero
quote:
Honestly had no idea we had this many players going to the combine. Makes the past few seasons even a little more disappointing TBH
I'm no BB defender. He has done a lot of bed shitting here, but to be fair all of our opponents except the likes of Missouri probably had a comparable number invited to the combine.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 6:52 pm to ocelot4ark
quote:
Uhhh - his one and only ropped ball all season happened in the bowl game, if my brain hasn't completely crapped out.
He had an abysmal drop % early in his career which is probably what he's remembering. He had one season where it was right at 50%. His improvement from year one to 4, from a catching perspective, was actually pretty impressive in my opinion.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 7:55 pm to TheCheshireHog
I think we should've ran more routes like at the end of tcu. Give sprinkle a jump ball against a corner or nickel back and we get chunk ystdsgr all day. This would absolutely kill bama because of how much man coverage they run. the route isn't slow developing either so it negates the pass rush and it doesn't matter how good of an athlete that corner or safety is or how well coached they are if they're 6' 6'1 and sprinkle is 6'6 they can't stop the back shoulder fade. 8-15 yards right down the field. That's what Clemson did in the 4th Damn near same play over and over again. It's what ole miss does with they're big physical receivers when they beat bama
This post was edited on 2/27/17 at 7:58 pm
Posted on 2/27/17 at 8:38 pm to Hawgnsincebirth55
(no message)
This post was edited on 4/28/17 at 1:54 am
Posted on 2/27/17 at 8:51 pm to Hawgnsincebirth55
I must be thinking Mizzou? I know it was late in the season, though.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 8:56 pm to ocelot4ark
It was Mizzou. He dropped the potential game winning TD IIRC.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 8:58 pm to Arkansasrazorback
YES. That's the one. Gracias, amigo.
Posted on 2/27/17 at 9:07 pm to ocelot4ark
Well he made plenty of good plays for us over the years. Liek against tcu and auburn the year before. I'm fact people who aren't the most sure handed but have a huge physical advantage are the ones you feed. They may not make the play every time but they're almost always gonna be in position to make the play. So you keep feeding them until they come up with it
Posted on 3/2/17 at 2:26 pm to gohogs141
If Hatcher can stay healthy he'll be in the NFL for a long time, he's got the right work ethic, attitude, hands, and build. We didn't showcase his ability in run blocking as much in his senior season compared to previous years or else NFL GMs would be eating it up.
Morgan will latch on somewhere out of the draft but his longevity all depends on the right team picking him up. Hopefully NE scoops him up and he becomes the next "great white hope."
Ledbetter will get a shot but I don't see him lasting long; Ellis may go undrafted or late in the 7th, but after that I doubt he stays on. I have a hard time getting a handle on Sprinkle's longevity because he has the potential to be a starter, it just depends on his work ethic and size gains. He'll definitely get drafted and make a 53-man roster.
Baker will last a long time in the NFL if he can gain a little more finesse on his punts. Teams will love his size and athleticism. I could see him sitting behind a veteran for a season or two before starting for the rest of his career.
Wise will make a roster and I could see him being a Flowers-like surprise to the team that takes him. I could see him being a starter after gaining some power/muscle.
Morgan will latch on somewhere out of the draft but his longevity all depends on the right team picking him up. Hopefully NE scoops him up and he becomes the next "great white hope."
Ledbetter will get a shot but I don't see him lasting long; Ellis may go undrafted or late in the 7th, but after that I doubt he stays on. I have a hard time getting a handle on Sprinkle's longevity because he has the potential to be a starter, it just depends on his work ethic and size gains. He'll definitely get drafted and make a 53-man roster.
Baker will last a long time in the NFL if he can gain a little more finesse on his punts. Teams will love his size and athleticism. I could see him sitting behind a veteran for a season or two before starting for the rest of his career.
Wise will make a roster and I could see him being a Flowers-like surprise to the team that takes him. I could see him being a starter after gaining some power/muscle.
This post was edited on 3/2/17 at 2:29 pm
Posted on 3/2/17 at 2:45 pm to RazorBroncs
Difference between wise and flowers is flowers made a ton of plays for the hogs. He was a force against every team. Wise didn't even start his senior year. Doesn't have near the strength or run stopping ablitli of flowers
Posted on 3/2/17 at 2:55 pm to Hawgnsincebirth55
quote:
@CEmma670
Reporter asks Arkansas tackle Dan Skipper if he thinks a hot dog is a sandwich. He answers yes, a red flag for scouts.
Ok then...
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