When the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets take the field against the Air Force Academy in the 2010 Independence Bowl on December 27, the team would feature at least three legitimate pro prospects and an array of fringe players who could play on Sundays.
With many scouts watching, it is imperative for Tech’s top NFL prospects playing on Monday to show more than they have demonstrated so far this season in order to improve their draft status.
On offense the scouts would be looking at mainly at running back Anthony Allen, a bruising 6-foot-0, 231 pound power back that lacks top end speed (4.63 in the 40 yard dash) but posses intriguing possibilities.
Allen, who transferred from Louisville, is projected as a late Day Two pick, possible going in the bottom part of the fifth round.
The senior led Georgia Tech in rushing this past season with 1,198 yards on 217 attempts. He average 5.5 ypc while scoring 6 TDs.
He does posses deceptive agility inside the tackle box, showing good balance and the ability to get his shoulder square when running north and south.
On the minus side, but does not offer anything outside. He does have good burst inside but the lack of speed would limit his value as a feature back.
His hands, which have not been regularly tested in Tech’s Flexbone offense (he only caught 3 balls in 2010), are above average. But he needs to work on route running.
Need to show: He will need to show versatile as a pass catcher and improve his outside agility. He would also need to demonstrate more than he has showed as a lead blocker this year. He is willing to block but shows poor technique.
Of course, most of the attention of the public would go to Tech’s highly productive quarterback Joshua Nesbitt.
The 6-foot-1 signal caller is viewed by most NFL scouts as a running back as he lacks the polish passing skills to play the QB position at the next level.
As a RB, Nesbitt have shown deceptive good speed (4.5) and bulk (a solid 217 pound frame) to merit a serious discussion, but overall, he is no more than a curiosity at this point.
Despite being billed as an agile runner with burst, Nesbitt average only 3.6 ypc in 2010.
More problematic for his draft status, he did not display the raw explosiveness out of the corner as he showed in 2009.
He also lacks any experience as a pass catcher and blocker.
His 2010 numbers were that not impressive as a runner either.
He rushed 166 times for only 598 yards. That’s almost 500 yards less than the previous campaign.
On the plus side, he scored 10 times on the ground and had a 71-yard TD score run, which showed that there’s a degree of explosiveness in him.
Need to show: Nesbitt needs to show burst and agility outside the tackle box in order to improve his draft status which right now hovers in the Free Agent region. It would not hurt either to show more power inside the box.
On defense, cornerback Mario Butler could be the star of the unit, but something seems to be missing despite having all the physical tools desired in a top shelf defensive back.
He has the height, 6-foot-1, and although he could add bulk (182 pounds), is well framed for the position.
Butler does not use his size to his advantaged as he is prone to shy away from contact during running plays.
Aside size, his most important trait is his football speed. He is fast in the 40-yard dash (4.49) but he plays faster on the field.
His numbers were never going to be impressive, but he looked like he lost his agility to turn his hips on a dime, something that separated him from many of his peers in 2009.
Need to show: That he is football ready. That his hips can turn like in 2009 and that he would assist on run support.
By Raul Colon
