Prospect Breakdown- ILB Benardrick McKinney, Mississippi State

Benardrick McKinney

ILB-Mississippi State-Redshirt Junior

HT-6-4   WT-246

40 Yard Dash-4.66  Bench Press Reps (225)-16

Projected Round-2nd

Year                School Class  G Solo  Ast  Tot Loss   Sk  Int  Yds  Avg   TD   PD   FR  Yds   TD   FF
*2012    Mississippi State    FR      45   57  102  4.5  1.0    0    0         0    4    0    0    0    0
2013     Mississippi State    SO 13   42   28   70  7.0  3.5    0    0         0    0    0    0    0    0
2014     Mississippi State    JR 13   35   36   71  8.0  3.0    0    0         0    4    0    0    0    1
Career   Mississippi State           122  121  243 19.5  7.5    0    0         0    8    0    0    0    1

    McKinney is a tackle machine. Hands down. With 243 total tackles as a 3 season starter, including 102 tackles in his redshirt freshman season, McKinney has been the face of this defense as the leader and as the All-American Linebacker.

    McKinney is huge, and it shows on the field. He loves contact and he loves to hit the big guys. His size can actually create mismatches in his favor, something you don't see too much on defense.

    While McKinney isn't an east-west player on the field, his motor is still strong, as he plays his best in north-south schemes, or in the "phonebox". He's a natural when filling a gap or hole, and being the man to take down the runner at the LOS.

    McKinney ran out of a very interesting defensive scheme that involved a lot of ILB blitzing. He can be an effective pass rusher, and his pass defense is inconsistent. He needs to work on his coverage in space, as he tends to look lost while out that far. 

    McKinney is best as a run stopper. He plugs holes well and can attack running backs with his size and skill. While he isn't one of the strongest players on the field, he has very strong instincts on the field, and he sheds blocks quickly to make the tackle. He's a sound tackler, and makes a good impression on those he does hit. 

    McKinney lacks the explosion on the play that would make him a first round pick. I believe that McKinney can still be a solution to a weaker defense at the ILB spot quickly, if not this season. He's a strong player who will have a long career in the NFL.

Prospect Breakdown- EDGE Trey Flowers, Arkansas

Trey Flowers

DE/OLB-Arkansas-Senior

HT-6-2   WT-266

40 Yard Dash-4.93   Bench Press Reps (225)-28

Projected Round-2nd/3rd

Year       School Conf Class Pos  G Solo  Ast  Tot Loss   Sk  Int  Yds  Avg   TD   PD   FR  Yds   TD   FF
*2011    Arkansas  SEC    FR  DL 13   16   12   28  5.5  1.0    0    0         0    2    0    0    0    0
2012     Arkansas  SEC    SO  DL      22   28   50 13.0  6.0    0    0         0    3    0    0    0    0
2013     Arkansas  SEC    JR  DL 11   27   17   44 13.5  5.0    1    0  0.0    0    2    0    0    0    3
2014     Arkansas  SEC    SR  DL 13   34   34   68 15.5  6.0    0    0         0    6    0    0    0    1
Career   Arkansas                     99   91  190 47.5 18.0    1    0  0.0    0   13    0    0    0    4

    Trey is another rising defensive star from the SEC, arguably the best division in college football. Flower's stats show that he is a run stopping demon. Last season, he registered 68 total tackles, 9.5 of them were behind the line run tackles, 6 were sacks. 4 of those sacks came at one a piece in the last 4 games of the season. He finished his career with 47.5 tackles for loss as a 3 year starter in the SEC. 

    Strength wise, Flowers is solid. He's not pushed off the line, he has a strong bull rush, especially for his size, he has the strength to push offensive tackles around. However, key to his play is if he is more consistent with his hands, and throughout games. 

    Flowers can line up all over the formation. While he usually lined up on the right side at Arkansas last season, he often lined up on the left, lined upright, and often would stunt and cover the delay, or the flats at times. One thing I noticed is he's a smart player, if he knows he can't take a shot at the QB on a pass rush play, he'll sit in the zone and keep him from running by. I like his patience and instinct. 

    One thing he doesn't have is speed. While he is strong and has some suddenness, he hasn't got the speed to keep up with the majority of football players. Flowers might fit very well in the NFL as a 3-4 DE, because of his run stop ability.

    His run defense is much better then average. His body is built to stop big running backs, and he had opportunities to do so all throughout his career in the SEC. He uses his strength very well on the line, and has a knack for getting to the runner behind the LOS. 

    Flowers has a good variety of pass rushing moves, but because of his lack of speed, I don't think it'll do to much in the NFL. He did have a habit of getting to QB's in perfect points during games, and he had a good amount of hurries, however, because of his limits, he often misses sacks simply by getting dodged. 

    I think Flowers can be a quality starter in the NFL, with traits much like former Bears DE Alex Brown, for 5-7 years. He has a lot of good in his abilities, and that will be a plus for him moving into his NFL career. 

Underrated Prospects- QB Bryce Petty, Baylor

Bryce Petty

QB-Baylor-Red Shirted Senior

HT-6-3   WT-230  

40 Dash-4.87   

Projected Round-4th

Year     School   Conf Class Pos  G  Cmp  Att  Pct  Yds  Y/A AY/A   TD  Int  Rate
*2011    Baylor Big 12    FR  QB  6    3    4 75.0   43 10.8 10.8    0    0 165.3
*2012    Baylor Big 12    SO  QB  6    7   10 70.0   97  9.7 11.7    1    0 184.5
2013     Baylor Big 12    JR  QB 13  250  403 62.0 4200 10.4 11.7   32    3 174.3
2014     Baylor Big 12    SR  QB 12  270  428 63.1 3855  9.0  9.6   29    7 157.8
Career   Baylor                      530  845 62.7 8195  9.7 10.6   62   10 166.0

Year     School   Conf Class Pos  G  Att  Yds  Avg   TD  Rec  Yds  Avg   TD Plays  Yds  Avg   TD
*2011    Baylor Big 12    FR  QB  6    4   15  3.8    0                         4   15  3.8    0
*2012    Baylor Big 12    SO  QB  6   10   13  1.3    1                        10   13  1.3    1
2013     Baylor Big 12    JR  QB 13   94  209  2.2   14    0    0         0    94  209  2.2   14
2014     Baylor Big 12    SR  QB 12   84  101  1.2    6    0    0         0    84  101  1.2    6
Career   Baylor                      192  338  1.8   21    0    0         0   192  338  1.8   21

    Bryce Petty is a strong armed passer who can make all of the throws, he's athletic, and is a mature player born a natural leader. He's got the stats to prove it from Baylor, that he's a legitimate red zone threat with both his arm and his legs. 

    Let's look at Petty here a little bit. In Baylor, he played in a spread scheme that involved a lot of empty backfields, grouped receiver settings timed with quick throws. He was sacked 24 times in 2014, 7 more then he was in 2013, but he's got a quick release and he's hard to get to on slant and hitch pattern passes. 

    His arm strength is impressive. He can launch tight accurate balls downfield with his quick release, and he's tough. I really like watching him take hits and come back the next play unflustered to make another great throw. He's willing to stick in the pocket and take a hit to make a good throw. 

    I think one of his major concerns entering the NFL is his spread offense he played in college. He got a chance to play strong in the Senior Bowl, but didn't take advantage of the situation. Many scouts and analysts see "bust" written on Petty's forehead. Why don't I?

     I think when you have a guy with the mix of a strong arm and maturity, he's not going to be a bust. He needs to get to the right team, and with the right coaches, and if he sits and learns for a few years, I think Petty has a chance to be a good starting quality QB. The right team for Petty right now could be a 4th round pick to the Texans, to pick up the slack in a couple years if Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett don't work out. Philadelphia might pick him up as a developmental pick. Carolina is another option, if they're looking to move on from Cam Newton in a few years. Cincinnati. Several teams could use him to just sit and wait his turn, and then give him the chance to shine later in his career.

    I'm going to go as far as to compare Petty to Andrew Luck, who Petty says he models his game after, because of his athleticism, his arm, and his overall playing style. Watch the film. Look at this guy. He deserves better then a 4th round pick.