10. Mike Evans
As a true outside receiver, Evans’ skillset is overrated. His stiffness, lack of short area quickness, and lazy route running, along with a limited route tree, make him too unpolished to be an impact receiver on the outside. In reality, he will need to be used almost like Jimmy Graham to succeed. Really, Evans is overrated to a minimal extent, but that is why he barely made the list.
9. Taylor Lewan
Similar to Richardson, Lewan is an alarmingly large lineman. Although, it is the technical issues that take away from such size. In pass protection, Lewan appears to get lazy after his first few initial steps. Related to that, his redirection when defenders attempt a counter move is rather sloppy. On a similar note, Lewan will occasionally overextend much too far, allowing the defender to beat him effortlessly. It is not a problem that occurs on an every-drive basis, but it happens enough to where it could lead to multiple negative plays.
8. Antonio Richardson
At 6’6” and 317 pounds, Richardson’s size alone suggests that he is a top tier tackle, but he is not. His initial step is rather quick, but every movement after that is noticeably slower. He struggles handling speed rushers, which will be fatal as a blindside protector. His best opportunity for success is to play right tackle. That, along with his simple inability should keep him out of the first round.
7. Marqise Lee
No, Lee is not on this list based solely on his 2013 season. It was a disappointment, but even prior to this year, he was being overrated. As a route runner, he shows room to grow, but is raw, as of now. He rounds off his break and shows little creativity. When catching passes, Lee has stunning hand issues, primarily in traffic. Lee dropped roughly 12% of his targets in 2013. One may bring up the knee injury, but his knee is not his hands.
6. Blake Bortles
Few quarterbacks in this class have better tools than Bortles, but as of now, he is little more than “just tools.” His ideal frame and athleticism lead people to think he is a talented quarterback, but he lacks the traits that make up a quarterback.
Bortles’ footwork, primarily his weight transfer, is poor. He fails to step into throws correctly, leading to inaccuracy. More importantly, his ability to read defenses is elementary. Against simple coverage looks, like a Cover 2, he is fine, but get more complicated than that and he cracks. On a tangent to that, Bortles’ ability to toy with safeties or even notice them is unimpressive.
5. Jace Amaro
Amaro is a stunning athlete, but he lacks certain qualities required of a first round tight end. Yes, he can block and be a threat after the catch, but in traffic, where a tight end should be at his best, Amaro struggles. He seldom makes contested catches, making him a tight end that lacks tight end ability, yet he is too large to be a true receiver. As of now, he is a prospect without a position.
4. Zach Mettenberger
The “strong” arm that Mettenberger has may lead one to thinking he can be special, but really, that trait, his most coveted, is overblown. Much like Joe Flacco, Mettenberger’s deep throws have the ability to travel far, yet they are flat. They fly slowly, allowing defenders time to react. The lack of velocity along with his lack of deep accuracy make for a combo that exposes his “best trait.”
Above the shoulders and below the knees, Mettenberger is equally as unimpressive. He maneuvers the pocket as if he has lead cleats. Also, Mettenberger rarely makes proper decisions. Considering the talent of his receivers, he often forces passes in hope that they make an outstanding play.
3. Tre Mason
Statistically, Mason is a machine, but in reality, he is merely a cog in the real machine that is Malzahn’s offense. His vision is poor and he does too much shuffling behind the line of scrimmage, but Auburn’s stellar offensive line play masks that. Not only that, but Mason takes too long to accelerate. At the next level, that will be detrimental, especially considering his top speed is not overly impressive once reached. He is also not naturally strong enough to bounce of a number of tacklers without relying on momentum, which he does not create.
2. Kelvin Benjamin
All tall, bulky, athletic players are not refined and Benjamin certainly fits that category. His size is enticing, but that alone does not make a good football player. Benjamin is raw in nearly every department that makes up a wide receiver. Primarily, his routes are elementary and his hands are inconsistent. Benjamin’s ability to high point well is the sole reason he is talked about as highly as he is, yet he is too unrefined to be deserving of such praise.
1. AJ McCarron
McCarron is a “winner,” right? Wrong. Simply being able to “win” can not be measured for a single player because that ability is related to the overall state of the team. Alabama has been a powerhouse with forgettable quarterbacks such as John Parker-Wilson and Greg McElroy.
To be fair, McCarron is the best of the three, but that does not say much. Just like his predecessors, McCarron was carried by an outstanding offensive line, supportive running game, and top notch receiving weapons. His arm strength is not NFL caliber, nor is his general ball placement. As if his translatability was not already low enough, his pocket presence is quite poor despite being labeled as a “poised” quarterback.