Posted Jan 24, 2014
Ryan MinkBaltimoreRavens.com Staff Writer@Ravens All Ryan Mink ArticlesRavens Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz breaks down six top players.
By the time the Senior Bowl rolls around, the Ravens already have a pretty extensive file on each of the prospects from their scouts.
But there’s nothing like seeing a player in person, competing in football drills against some the best players in his class.
The Ravens soaked up four days of practice in Mobile, Ala. Here’s Director of College Scouting Joe Hortiz’s take on a few top, or alluring, prospects at positions of need:
OG Cyril Richardson (Baylor)
6-foot-4, 345 pounds
“Big guy, powerful, very aggressive off the snap. He’s just a brute-type blocker. He certainly fills the gap. He plays in a quick pass scheme so he didn’t have to do much pass protection. But I like the way he comes off the ball, hits with his hands, he can absorb with his frame and control guys.”
OT Zack Martin (Notre Dame)
6-foot-4, 301 pounds
“A really efficient player from Notre Dame. He’s probably more of a guard, body suited for guard. He doesn’t have ideal length for a tackle. Not to say he won’t be drafted and played as a tackle, but when you draw the prototype up you look for the longer-armed guy. But he’s really smart, he’s tough, he’s a great leader. He does a lot of good things for them and he’s been really reliable. He’s a very consistent player for Notre Dame and he’s done well down here in Mobile.”
OT Seantrel Henderson (Miami)
6-foot-7, 331 pounds
“Big man. Highly, highly touted coming out of high school. I think he was the No. 1 recruit in the country. Committed to USC and switched to Miami. He’s a big man, he’s come out here and looked good. He was a right tackle in his career. I think that’s where you feel comfortable with him, but when you look at his size and athleticism, you’d certainly say he’s worth giving a shot at left tackle. He’s done a good job out here, done a good job in one-on-one pass protection. He eats up space and can move mass.”
C Travis Swanson (Arkansas)
6-foot-5, 310 pounds
“This year at center, that’s probably one offensive line position where there’s no top elite guy. That said, there will probably be three or four starters drafted at the position. He was a four-year starter at Arkansas, has good size for the position and has the frame to get a little bigger on top of that. He’s out here competing well this week. He’s pretty aware in his play and that’s probably because of his experience.”
WR Jordan Matthews (Vanderbilt)
6-foot-3, 209 pounds
“Jordan is a guy that has been ultra-productive throughout his career. He was a catalyst for something that Vanderbilt has never done before, going to two straight bowl games and winning two straight. He’s very productive and does it in a variety of ways. They run a lot of quick pass and slip screens. He’s a guy that’s fun because he catches the ball well, but he’s a really good player with the ball in his hands after the catch. He’s a big man with a good catch radius and a good athlete with the ball in his hands. He has a good future ahead of him.”
S Terrence Brooks (Florida State)
5-foot-11, 197 pounds
“He’s got good size, he’s got good speed and he was everywhere during the national championship game. Being at the game, every time I thought Auburn had a chance to get outside with the running back or quarterback, it was Brooks or [outside linebacker] Telvin Smith closing on them and making the play. He’s a really good competitor. The staff at Florida State has nothing but praise for him. He’s had a really good career, speed, toughness and range. He’s what you like to see in a safety and defensive player. He plays with the right mentality. Good kid. He’s big enough to be a strong, and has enough speed and range to be a back-end guy too.”
