Yesterday, we looked at two more offensive linemen that the Cardinals may have on their board as possible selections in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Both Zebrie Sanders and Brandon Washington could become good fits on the Cardinals team, but each of them are somewhat raw and have some improvements to make.
The prospects we are going to examine today might need even more time to be NFL ready. The Sports Headquarters' Seth Cox supplied me with two more names to take under consideration. After the jump, see who these players are and why they are considered fourth round picks by Seth.
The first player we should look at is Jeff Allen, a tackle out of Illinois. He is 6'4" and weighs approximately 307 pounds, according to his Combine page on NFL.com. At the event, he ran a 5.16 second 40-yard dash, he ran the 3 cone drill in slightly over 8 seconds, coming in at 8.01 and his bench total came to 26 reps.
Here are the scouting notes from Seth on Allen:
- Great feet and smooth in pass protection.
- Locks on to defenders and doesn't let them go.
- Gets to his blocks, makes them and gets to the next guy on the next level.
- Short arms for his height and soft body type.
- Tends to let the defender get to him before trying to lock them in.
With his build, he can't play either tackle position, but with his feet and solid athleticism, he can play inside at the guard position in the NFL and succeed, but may never be an overpowering run blocker in the league. Not sure he would fit in the Cardinals power run game scheme.
One thing that I found noteworthy is that although Seth ranks Allen as a 4th round prospect, Mel Kiper Jr. from ESPN has him as a potential second round selection. Much like Adam Snyder, a new member of the Cardinals, Allen can play all along the line, but tackle is a position of worry given his lack of size.
The next player that Seth name dropped was Brandon Mosley, another possible tackle prospect. According to his NFL.com profile page, Mosley has not been a tackle for very long in a pro system. Before joining Auburn, he played tight end and defensive end at a community college. Because of that, they believe that not only is Mosley a developmental player, but that he might not go until round 7, where a team does not covet their pick nearly as much.
However, Seth grades Mosley out as a fourth round type of player. Here are the reasons why:
- Big former TE who has good feet and athletic ability.
- Long arms, big hands that uses both well for being newer to the position.
- Possesses good range in his drop step, but can over-extend in trying to get to his defender.
- Has to get stronger in his upper body, but more importantly in his trunk and base.
Mosley is a very intriguing prospect because of how raw he is at the position and that is something that you can take advantage of if you have the ability to be patient.
He is going to get better with time, but is that something the Cardinals have? Can the Cardinals wait to develop a potential left tackle?
With no second round pick in the Cardinals arsenal this season, the fourth round selection they make becomes even more vital than usual. They need to draft a player that is a 'can't miss' type of prospect. If Mosley is that guy, then so be it. But I wouldn't want to see them reach for him, either.
What are your thoughts on these two players? Should the Cardinals consider using their fourth round selection on either of them?
Tell us what you think in the comments section. To check out more of Seth's draft expertise, check out his website, The Sports Headquarters.
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