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What's up guys. It's 1930 here and we're still hours from kickoff so I decided to do a write-up. (I actually wrote a full one earlier but the internet got screwy so it disappeared.) Anyway, today's subject is Randy Gregory, a Jacksonville native, and I would love to share what I've learned with you.
Randy Gregory is a 6'6, 245 pound senior edge player for the Nebraska Cornhuskers. They play a 43 defense with some 34 looks, and Gregory plays all over the line and even stands up on occasion. Due to his size and athletic profile (in addition to his traits, as you'll soon see), Gregory is the perfect LEO archetype. For this study, I watched his games (courtesy of the bros over at www.draftbreakdown.com ) against Miami, Rutgers, and Michigan State. These schools routinely send talent to the NFL, and have some good players this year - Miami's Duke Johnson and Michigan State's Connor Cook, specifically. It was a good look for Gregory.
The stats I recorded during these three games: 16 tackles, 0 missed, 7 QB pressures, 4 sacks, a forced fumble, and an interception. We don't scout by stats, as I say in every one of these, but these were impressive considering the fact that he was routinely double- and triple-teamed by the offense. I should say, though, that the interception was more of a case of dumb luck than instinct or skill.
Strengths:
The first thing that pops off the film with this guy is his size/speed combination. He's long, he's lean, and he's fast as hell - it seems as though he was born to play the LEO. He has straight line speed, quickness, acceleration... everything you could reasonably ask from a man his size, he's got. He uses this elite (I rarely use that word ) athleticism combined with a tremendous motor to chase the ball carrier anywhere on the field - about half his tackles were outside the tackle box, giving you an idea of just how relentless he is. There is one play from the Rutgers game that sticks out in my mind - he got a good jump off the ball, was tackled by two linemen, got up, and chased down the QB from behind for a sack. That's the kind of motor and athleticism this guy has. It's the real deal.
That being said, as much as I admire his athleticism, I was pleasantly surprised by his strength. He's not one of those cliché DPR tweeners who couldn't power through wet tissue paper - this guy, through three games (roughly thirty minutes of live ball) never once gave up ground against the run. Not once. That's incredible. Not only that, but he has a particular talent of playing through the OLman - that is to say, he doesn't have to disengage the block in order to make the tackle, which some players do occasionally, but he does every single game. And he is also excellent at turning his speed into power when coming in on the pass rush, getting his legs under him and driving the man back even though he's blocked by more than one guy. There was a play where he was being blocked by two men, was able to push them laterally as he ran across the field to make the tackle. Wow. He also shows incredible flexibility. Like seriously this guy must have abs of steel. He bends better and more often than most guys I've watched (definitely better than anyone I've yet scouted in this class). In addition, he is supremely balanced when defending against the chop block. The guy never goes to the ground. He's fun to watch.
He plays aggressively and with high motor but doesn't lose his head, always displaying good field vision. He never once broke contain, he plays with excellent angles, and has a good swim move, hand use, and an effective rip. I was really, really impressed.
Weaknesses:
This is gonna be a whole lot shorter than the 'strengths' section. Through these three games, the only real critique I have is his hand placement, which is indicative of a rather raw element to his game. He needs to learn to place his long arms on the offensive lineman and extend them, which will allow him to use his strength and speed to an even greater degree. This, however, is a technique, deal, and as such can be corrected with NFL-caliber coaching.
Grade:
Athleticism: 8.5 (elite speed and quickness with excellent lateral movement)
Field Vision: 8.5 (Contains well, uses effective angles, and plays with tremendous heart and effort)
Pass Rush: 8.5 (Routinely requires two to three blockers and still makes an impact)
Strength: 9 (Never gives ground against the run, drives well in pass rush, can play through OLmen)
Flexibility: 9 (Has tremendous core strength and bends well and often)
Block Shedding: 7.5 (Good swim, rip, and hand use, but needs to learn the finer points of placement)
Final Grade: 51/60 for a total of 85 out of 100.
This is the highest grade I've given thus far, and I feel like he deserves it.
Randy Gregory is a strong, fast, explosive, and well-balanced LEO prospect who plays with incredible effort, intelligence, and tenacity. He is just as strong against run as against pass and seems almost designed to play the LEO. He needs to work on his hand placement when shedding blocks, but this can be taught with NFL-level coaching. He is the first player I've looked at this year who feels like a blue-chip prospect, and his rating reflects that. He reminds me of a slightly less twitchy Khalil Mack (due to his speed/strength/effort combination), which is a compliment because Mack was more fluid an edge player than anyone I've ever seen. This guy is being talked about as one of the top defenders available come the draft, and with good reason. He will likely be off the board within the first five picks, and if the Jaguars have a shot, I say we bring Randy Gregory home to Jacksonville.
(Thanks for reading, guys. Leave your comments below, and check out other reports at the hub of my scouting, the link to which can be found in my signature. )
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