Tavon Austin

“WVU WR/RS Tavon Austin might be the quickest human being I’ve ever studied on tape… Sent from my iPad” -Todd McShay.

McShay’s colleague at Scouts Inc. Kevin Weidl responded to the tweet with “not getting out of the first round.” Austin is mustering up comparisons of both Percy Harvin and Desean Jackson for his ability to effect the game both on offense and special teams.

I have a feeling that Austin will be turning heads during the combine and will help his stock immensely. He’s currently looked at as a late first round to early second round pick. If he does perform well at the combine I could see him sneaking into the top-15.

He’ll never be your prototypical number one outside receivers, but as a play maker and possession receiver, plus a creative offensive coordinator, Austin will be electric. He still needs to show he can perform against bigger defensive backs, struggling against Texas safety Kenny Vaccaro.

I think Tavon Austin would be a nice fit in either San Francisco at 31 or New England at 29.

Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisDommermuth

Those same scouts said they love his motor and versatility as a down-lineman or pass rushing linebacker, but he doesn’t use his hands well and takes awful angles at times.

Moore is a polarizing prospect because scouts and draft experts have been so torn on what kind of talent he can become. Doug Farrar of Yahoo! Sports wrote about Moore last week saying that he could be the next Aldon Smith.

On the flip side of that coin, CBS Sports’ Dane Brugler wrote that Moore wasn’t an elite talent and would struggle at both of his potential positions. Former NFL scout Russ Lande recently said he hasn’t spoken with a scout that has Moore with a first round grade.

It will be interesting to see where Moore is taken in April. He’s got talent and athleticism  but is somewhat of a project. If a team were to take him in the first round, it’s likely to be based off the potential player a team believes he can become more than what he is now.

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Kiper went a step further with his latest mock draft that had a total of zero QB’s taken in the first round. He spoke about how some teams in desperate need of a QB may be tempted enough to trade into the end of the first round, but says the value isn’t there for a QB to be taken in the top-10 of this draft.

No matter how Mel Kiper feels about the QB’s in this draft, someone will be taken in the top-10. Someone will fall in love with the talent and potential of somebody and take them at least in the top-20 picks.

There are so many different opinions on just how the top-5 QB’s should be ranked. It will become a little more clear as we get closer to the draft, but it’s going to be interesting to see how what teams like what players or what teams don’t like others.

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I’ve been on the record thinking Nassib and Arkansas QB Tyler Wilson will be the most successful QB’s among the class, but for Lande to put him first on his big board will certainly drop some jaws. Nassib is currently projected as a second round pick, but seems to be moving up the board (use Lande’s board as proof).

Florida State DE Bjoern Werner was also given a top overall grade on Lande’s board, but Nassib was given the nod because of the importance of his position. I’m not a huge fan of Werners. I think he has all the skills to be a good DE, but I don’t see him as a perennial All-Pro. He tends to take plays off which should throw up some red flags for potential teams.

Nassib tends to be “jittery” in the pocket when defenders are in his face, but has improved his ability to read defenses every season at Syracuse. He has shown strong arm strength and propensity to make the big play when it’s needed. His accuracy is spotty at times, but his footwork has been night and day to when he was a freshman.

Buffalo Bills head coach Doug Marrone is widely credited for developing Nassib into an NFL-caliber QB. If Nassib drops past the 40th pick (the Bills second round), we’ll know his own head coach didn’t think he was a 2nd round worthy pick. Remember, players like Colin Kaepernick, Andy Dalton, and Russell Wilson all took their teams to the playoffs this season despite not being 1st-round picks.

After Nassib, Lande ranked Tyler Wilson, Matt Barkley, Mike Glennon, and Gino Smith. Gino Smith is expected to be the first QB taken off the board, but it’s a crap-shoot from there. The combine will show us a lot more once it comes. Don’t put too much stock in what teams are saying or what the combine shows. How they perform on tape will be the main factor for teams selecting their QB. It should be a fun weekend.

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QB Tyler Bray was almost a lock as a first round pick coming into the season, but maturity issues and lack of consistent footwork have caused some scouts to question his ability to be a “Franchise Quarterback.”

According to draft insider Tony Pauline, Bray has been trying to improve in one of those areas by working with former NFL QB Ty Detmer. Detmer is helping Bray learn what it takes to be a professional QB. The work should also improve Bray’s confidence at being a leader; something Bray lacked during his time with the Vols.

Bray has the best arm in the draft but is still a work in progress. He has the size teams look for (6’6”), but his skills are still raw and struggles with his decision making and gets rattled too easily when hit (something done often while playing in the SEC).

The player I’ve most often seen him compared to has been Philip Rivers. I see Bray being taken sometime in the 2nd round. It will likely change as the off season moves on, but I have him ranked as my 5th QB overall.

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According to ESPN West blogger Bill Williamson, the pick may not be decided based on what the draft class holds in talent, but more about whether or not the Chiefs can re-sign Free Agent left tackle Brendan Albert.

Williamson writes on about Utah DT Star Lotelelui being the best fit for the Chiefs’ 3-4 defense, but if they were unable to sign Albert, Texas A&M LT Luke Joekel would be the likely pick.

I think taking Joekel over Lotelelui would be a mistake. The Chiefs have enough holes on their roster that they should be taking the best player available every time their pick comes up.

Unless you’re a team that’s a few positions away from contending for a Super Bowl, the mindset should always be to draft the best player available.

In an ideal draft, the Chiefs would find a partner that would trade up for the first pick, giving the Chiefs more early picks. I think they need to grab a QB sometime in the first two rounds, but unless they fall in love with one of them enough to take that player with the first pick, they should wait until the second round to select their guy.

The QB class doesn’t have an elite prospect, but it does have 5-6 QB’s that warrant at least a second round pick. A few of these guys will end up being above average QB’s.