1st Round Draft Slot Value: Ninja Goro

http://www.raiders1.ninjagoro.com/2012/1st-round-draft-slot-value/

Prospect Profile: DT Sylvester Williams - North Carolina

UNC Profile

Name:  Sylvester Williams

Height:  6' - 3"

Weight:  313 lbs.

Class:  Senior

Hometown:  Jefferson City, MO

Date of Birth:  November 21, 1988 (24 years old)

High School:  Jefferson City HS

Tarheels Career:

2012 Senior Year:  2012 All-ACC First Team Media and Coaches....started all 13 games and had 42 tackles, 13.5 tackles for losses, 6 QB hurries and 6.0 sacks.

2011 Junior Year:  Finished with 54 tackles, 7.0 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, 5 QB hurries, 3 pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.  Started all 13 games.

2009-10 Coffeyville CC: Ranked a 4 star recruit coming out of Junior College, and SI.com's 12th best JUCO talent.  Recorded 52 tackles, 12.5 TFLs, 2 sacks and 5 blocked kicks in 2010.  Only played one year of high school football prior to JUCO ball.

2012 Senior Highlights:

2011 Junior Highlights:

Strengths:

+ Possesses raw strength and powerful lower body

+ Good pass rushing moves, including a good bull rush and excellent swim move

+ Displays a high motor, plays with intensity
+ Quick and agile feet

+ Uses his arms and hands well to disengage and make plays

+ Strong enough to hold his ground versus double teams

+ Team leader with good work ethic

+ Is a quick learner with upside, having only played football for 5 years

Weaknesses:

- Isn't consistently dominant
- Doesn't always use his strength advantageously
- Technique can get sloppy and pad level can get high, letting OL get into his chest
- Needs to work on conditioning
- Can get overly-aggressive shooting gaps and being exposed to cutbacks
- Still very raw as a 24 year old rookie

Player Comparison: DT Geno Atkins - Cincinnati Bengals 

NFL Draft Outlook:
Sylvester Williams is a DT prospect who's stock has been ascending since the end of the college football season.  In a deep class of Defensive Tackles, Williams very well may be the best 3 technique prospect of the bunch.  Improving every year he was at Chapel Hill, he's still a neophyte when it comes to football, only having played for 5 seasons.  Williams came off an impressive first year after transferring from Coffeyville Community College, and played even better his senior season.  He dropped some weight and it showed on field, displaying quickness and agility to go with his already brute strength.  He has a very strong work ethic and is a quick learner, both traits that are positives for NFL teams to work with.  The problem Williams has is that though he has the power and strength to run over his opponent, he falls into stretches where he tries to out-finesse the competition.  Those are only minor and correctable issues.  Williams is currently projected in the late 1st to early 2nd round.  Don't be surprised to see him leapfrog more recognizable talents at the position come draft day.

Raiders Outlook:
Williams isn't a run stuffing DT like Star Lotulelei or Johnathan Hankins, and he also didn't have as impressive of a season as Sheldon Richardson.  However, Sylvester Williams is probably the best 1 gap, 3 technique defensive tackle in this draft.  He has very impressive burst off the snap and can create a problem for the interior of an offensive line.  Currently Williams doesn't project anywhere near any of the Raiders' draft picks.  He would be a huge reach at #3 Overall and won't be around when the Raiders pick again in the 3rd Round (currently).  If the Raiders find a trade-down partner on draft day, he would be a good fit inside as a 2nd Round pick.  He has the strength to hold the point of attack inside, but it's his disruptive play and his ability to get into the opponent's backfield that are his main strengths.  Williams' work ethic and drive to be a better player would be a welcomed addition to this roster.

Ninja Goro Covers the Raider's Defensive Salaries

Very Good Work.

http://www.raiders1.ninjagoro.com/2012/looking-at-salary-distribution-for-the-defensive-starters/

Prospect Profile: OG Larry Warford - Kentucky

Kentucky Profile:

Name:  Larry Warford

Height:  6' - 3" (Senior Bowl #)

Weight:  333 lbs. (Senior Bowl #)

Class:  Senior

Hometown:  Richmond, KY (born in San Diego, CA)

Date of Birth:  6/18/1991 (21 years old)

High School:  Madison Central HS

Wildcat Career:

2012 Senior Season:  3rd Team AP All-American at OG, Consensus 2nd Team All-SEC.  Started all 12 games at RG, finishing off a career with 37 consecutive starts, while playing in 47 games overall as a 4 year player for UK.  Helped an embattled UK squad move the ball consistently, UK Running Backs gained 4.9 yds/carry on the season.  Began the season on Lombardi and Outland Trophy watch lists.

2011 Junior Season:  Consensus 2nd Team All-SEC selection.  Started every game for the Wildcats at RG.  Lead the team with 34 knockdowns and earned an 87.5% average for the season.  Was named to the Outland and Lombardi Trophy watch lists during the year as the Nation's best lineman.  Helped Kentucky beat rival Tennessee for the first time in 26 seasons.

2010 Sophomore Season:  Consensus 2nd Team All-SEC selection.  Started every game for UK at Right Guard.  Warford had 43 knockdown blocks on the season (team high) while helping UK to a 2nd best SEC finish in sacks allowed.  Blocked for Randall Cobb in a season where Cobb set the SEC's all-time single season mark for all-purpose yards (2,396).

2009 Freshman Season:  Named to Coach's SEC All-Freshman Team.  Played in 10 games for UK, mostly at Right Guard.

2012 Senior Season Highlights (#67 playing RG):

2011 Junior Season (#67 playing RG):



2010 Sophomore Season (#67 playing RG):



Positives (+):
+ Massive, thumping, mauling right guard prospect with Samoan blood
+ Adequate in pulls, uses his mass and creates running space quickly after impact in the hole
+ Consistently dominant in the Power run game, wins majority of one-on-ones
+ Excellent in pass pro, fills up a lot of space and has strong punch
+ Has one of the best anchors in college football, showed it off at Senior Bowl week, walling off Georgia's massive Nose Tackle John Jenkins numerous times
+ Uses his size like a bully, loves to lean into contact and maul whenever he can
+ Shows a decent ability to reach block, locking his hands inside and rotating his center to the strong side of the play, agile feet for a big man
+ Uses what arm length he has in pass pro very well, extends into pass rushers early and keeps them away from his body
+ Raises game to level of competition, had two of his better games vs. Florida's Sharrif Floyd and Mizzou's Sheldon Richardson

Negatives (-):
- Conditioning needs some work, while his mass is an asset, it works against him later in games
- Limited athletically, can get lost in space chasing down defenders to block
- Speedy inside rushers can give him trouble in pass pro
- 4 extensive years of SEC play leave a lot of wear on a body
- Probably limited to Right Guard only in the NFL
- Average at best in zone and stretch plays, struggles to keep up with defenders down the line

NFL Analysis:
A team looking for a mauling right guard in the NFL Draft need not look further than Warford.  He does Right Guard very well, but it's also likely that's all he'll offer to the NFL.  His draft stock has solidified into the late 2nd to the early 3rd Round after his solid week at the Senior Bowl in Mobile.  Warford demonstrates good overall game in a Power Blocking Scheme...he mauls in the run game and shows very good skills in pass pro for a man of his size.  Warford will likely be a mid to late Day 2 pick, but a team with a very specific RG need may go for him in the Top 50 picks.

Outlook as a Raider:
Barring a trade down, 2nd Round pick gained scenario, the Raiders likely have Larry Warford high on their Round 3 list.  Currently, the Raiders own the No. 66 Overall pick...a good spot to take a position of need.  What about Brisiel?  While Brisiel did just sign a 4 year contract, it's clear that in a Power scheme, of which Greg Olson is said to favor, Brisiel will be very average.  Brisiel is also coming off a 2011 with Houston in which he was battling a bad leg injury...and in 2012 with an ankle, an ankle he just had surgery on.  A guy like Warford would help solidify any flux at the RG position...either taking the RG spot altogether or forcing Tony Bergstrom, Lucas Nix or Mike Brisiel out, either positionally (Berg plays some LG and RT) or off the team entirely.

Congratulations fo the Baltimore Ravens

Super Bowl XLVII Champions

Quick Notes, Combine, Super Bowl

All Prospect Profiles are updated daily as new information becomes available.

A full list of likely Raider targets (including Rd. Value Grades) will be assessed when the Official 2013 NFL Combine Invitee List is made available.  Subsequently, those Rd. Value Grades will be updated as the Combine Numbers reveal themselves.

Congratulations to two of the strongest organizations in the NFL right now: the Baltimore Ravens, and the San Francisco 49ers.  They have built their respective teams from the ground up and have thrived in recent years.  This should be a very, very good Super Bowl, and the Editors here at ORDW pray for a competitive, injury-free game today in New Orleans.

Behind the Shield: 2/2/13

Prospect Profile: CB Tyrann Mathieu - LSU

LSU Tigers Profile

Name:  Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu

Height:  5' - 9"

Weight:  180 lbs.

Class:  Junior (DNP in 2012)

Hometown:  New Orleans, LA

Date of Birth:  May 12, 1992 (20 years old)

High School:  St. Augustine High School

Tigers Career:

2012 Junior Year: Dismissed from the team August 10, 1992 for violating team rules.....vowed to come back the following year but later withdrew from the university a week later and entered a drug rehab program in Houston.....in October was arrested with former LSU teammates for possession of marijuana.

2011 Sophomore Year: MVP of SEC Championship game.... recipient of the Chuck Benarik Award....Heisman Trophy Finalist.....suspended for one game in October for violation of LSU's drug policy.....finished the season with 76 total tackles (59 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 3 QB hurries, 2 interceptions, 9 passes broken up, 6 forced fumbles, 4 fumble recoveries with 2 touchdowns.....27 punt returns for 421 yards (15.6 average) and 2 touchdowns.

2010 Freshman Year: Defensive MVP of Cotton Bowl as a true freshman.....played in all 13 games with one start, finishing the year with 57 total tackles (34 solo), 8.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 1 QB hurry, 2 interceptions, 7 passes broken up, 5 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries.

2011 Sophomore Highlights:

2010 Freshman Highlights:

Strengths:

+ Instincts and football awareness are his top traits

+ Playmaker, from punt returns to returning fumbles for TDs, has a knack for big plays

+ Adept at jumping routes and breaks to the ball effectively; tracks the ball well in the air

+ Ballhawk who always tries to create turnovers 

+ Very competitive and plays with a chip on his shoulder; plays bigger than his size

+ Willing tackler in run support

+ Good blitzer off the edge 

+ Plays well in the spotlight

Weaknesses (-):

- Big red flags after multiple suspensions for drugs and getting kicked off the team

- Lacks ideal measurables at the position

- More quick than fast, displays average straight line speed

- Puts himself in bad tackling positions in run support trying to go for the strip

- Inconsistent technique of squaring up and breaking down in space

- Aggressiveness on the field sometimes leaves him susceptible to double moves and pump fakes

Player Comparison: CB Brandon Carr - Kansas City

NFL Draft Outlook: 

Tyrann Mathieu's stock is a wildcard in the 2013 NFL Draft.  Prior to his ultimate dismissal from LSU and his subsequent drug arrest and rehab, Mathieu was seen by many as one of the top defensive players going into the 2012 college football season.  His play was befitting of his Honey Badger moniker.  NFL scouts and front offices will have to do a lot of homework and interviews to see if Mathieu is a player worth taking the risk on draft day.  Outside of his off-field issues, if Mathieu were 3 inches taller, he would probably been seen as a sure-fire top 15 pick.  Now working with former teammate Patrick Peterson in preparation of the upcoming Combine, Mathieu looks like he's heading in the right direction to repair his image.  In terms of sheer talent, Mathieu is the ultimate competitor who's play can set the tempo for the entire defense.  If he doesn't show that he has the speed to play outside, his future may be playing the slot corner position, which in today's NFL, is on the field the majority of the time.  His penchant for creating turnovers and his football instincts will get him drafted, but where and when he goes will be largely dictated by team interviews.

Raiders Outlook:

Reggie McKenzie has shown in his short time in Oakland, that character plays a big part in the types of prospects he targets.  Having said that, it remains unseen if Tyrann Mathieu's rehabilitation of his image is enough for McKenzie to consider him, even if he is available after the 3rd round.  On the football field, Mathieu has a lot to offer, and if his off-field issues are behind him, he would be a great value pick in terms of talent in the 4th round or later.  His strength as a playmaker is something that would be a welcomed addition to the Raiders defense that was sorely lacking in that department last season.  He is also versatile enough to play multiple positions in the secondary and provide a spark in the punt return game.  The Honey Badger has the potential to easily become a fan favorite in Oakland if everything falls into place. 

Prospect Profile: OG Jonathan Cooper - North Carolina

North Carolina Profile:

Name:  Jonathan Cooper
Height:  6' - 3"
Weight:  295 lbs.
Class:  Redshirt Senior
Hometown:  Wilmington, NC
Date of Birth:  1/19/90 (23 Years Old)
High School:  Hoggard HS





Tar Heel Career:

2012 RSr. Year:  Consensus 1st Team All-American at OG, Outland Trophy Finalist, Consensus 1st Team All-ACC and named ACC Jacobs Blocking Trophy Winner, 2012 Lombardi Award Candidate.  Started all 12 games at Left Guard.  Consistently graded out about 85% for every start in 2012, including 10+ knockdown blocks in each effort.  Helped lead RB Giovanni Bernard to over 1200 yards rushing in 2012.  Helped form a pocket for the Tar Heels with a FBS 9th Best Sack Allowance of 0.92 Sacks/Game.

2011 RJr. Year:  Consensus 2nd Team All-ACC at Left Guard, started all 13 games with action in 864 plays from the line of scrimmage.  Graded out at 86% average for the season.  Helped pave the way for RB Giovanni Bernard to a 1000+ yard season, North Carolina's first since 1997.

2010 RSo. Year:  Consensus 2nd Team All-ACC at OG, started all 13 games in the regular season and showed remarkable durability playing a team high 875 snaps.  Led Tar Heels with 55 knockdown blocks, his second straight season of leading UNC in that category.  Showed great progress and consistency as he graded at 80% or higher for the majority of the season.

2009 RFr. Year:  Named to the All-ACC Freshman Team by The Sporting News.  Started 10 games at Left Guard, missing 3 games due to injury, played 579 snaps.  Recorded a 73% Grading throughout the season compiling 40 total knockdown blocks as RFr.

2012 RSr, Year Highlights (#64 playing Left Guard):



2011 RJr. Highlights (#64 playing Left Guard):




2012 Independence Bowl (UNC vs. Missouri): Link

2010 RSo. Year Highlights (#64 playing Left Guard):




Positives (+):
+ Prototypical skill set in a heavy Zone Blocking Scheme
+ Very active feet in pass pro and in space, engages well, uses his hands effectively and works hard to establish and maintain his center on defenders
+ Fundamentally very sound, shifts well laterally and rarely gets beat due to poor positioning, seals open running lanes consistently
+ Excellent on pulls, gets out quickly and into the hole very well, was almost exclusively asked to be QB's personal protector in moving pocket scenarios
+ Demonstrates good communication with center and left tackle on switches, combos and scoops blocks, rarely see Cooper out of place in a pass pro set
+ Does well at the second level, established engagement and centers up quickly quickly, doesn't overpursue and typically blocks the biggest defensive threat
+ Essentially a 4 years starter at LG, very experienced
+ Shows an affinity for getting at defenders' lower half in space and on the backside, eliminating them from plays

Negatives (-):
- Has a couple of injuries in his college career, ankle (2009) and a shoulder surgery that forced him to miss spring ball (2011)
- Will likely be limited to a Zone Blocking Scheme in the NFL, has the frame to add mass and strength to convert to the PBS in the NFL but it will take a little bit of time
- While the 4 years of college experience are a testament to his ability, it is a lot of wear and tear on an interior offensive lineman prior to entering the NFL
- Susceptible to the bull rush if he gets a little lax on his pad level
- Can be pushed and pulled by quicker more explosive defenders

NFL Analysis:
Jon Cooper is clearly one of the best Offensive Line prospects in the 2013 NFL Draft.  He has started for 4 years at Chapel Hill, paving the way for numerous Tar Hell backs to be drafted in recent years.  Cooper had one of the most prolific senior seasons in the ACC as an offensive lineman, and is peaking at the right time.  His athleticism and technique will likely make him a plug and play starter for teams in a Zone heavy scheme early in his career, and depending on his health and willingness to conform, he could add the mass and strength necessary to get into some more Power blocking in the NFL.  A likely mid 1st to early 2nd Round selection, teams like Washington, Cleveland, Green Bay, Houston, Indianapolis, Minnesota, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee and Cooper's hometown favorite, the Carolina Panthers, could all use his services to boost their rushing attacks, and maintain an in-tact passing pocket.

Outlook as a Raider:
If Greg Knapp had demonstrated any competency as an Offensive Coordinator, there would probably be a high chance that Cooper could become a Raider in 2013.  A trade down into the mid/late 1st would definitely add "Coop" to the conversation, with Cooper Carlisle and Mike Brisiel under-performing.  However, with the inclusion of Greg Olson and with Darren McFadden's lack of success in the Zone, it looks more and more like it's full speed ahead in Oakland with the Power Scheme.  Now. while Cooper isn't the most adept in the PBS based on his experiences at UNC, he is still a high quality lineman who demonstrates flash in the Power game and could become one of the better Offensive Guards in the AFC for Oakland should the Raiders not fully convert to a PBS, rather, running a mixed set of looks in Power and Zone.  As a pocket protector, Cooper is a solid player and would definitely help Oakland maintain the pocket for whoever is taking the snaps.