Bowl Game Observations: Part Ten

anakin Posted On January 8, 2014

It’s that time of year when I turn my focus to the college bowl games to gain insight. I will do my best to find some draft eligible players that could improve your dynasty teams. This article intends to start conversations and encourage continued thought throughout the entire draft process. These are my observations based on the bowl games, unless otherwise indicated. There will be much more in-depth, thought-provoking discussions later in the offseason. I am listing these players alphabetically.

Tajh Boyd, QB CLEM
The senior quarterback looks bigger than his 6′ 1″ 225 lbs. frame. He had a tremendous effort against Ohio State finishing with over 500 yards of offense and accounting for six total touchdowns. Boyd has good footwork, steps up in the pocket, makes quick reads and slings the ball without hesitation trying to hit his receivers in stride. The signal caller was fairly accurate in 2013, completing over 68.5% of his passes. He possesses a strong arm, has good timing with his receivers (especially Watkins) and is built to adjust to pressure in the pocket. Boyd looked his best rolling to his right and hitting Watkins on a frozen rope for a 34 yard touchdown. His running is almost as impressive. He ran up the gut on a third and two play for a 49 yard touchdown. On the way there, the quarterback broke two tackles and screamed down the sidelines. Boyd is a patient runner, but is willing to run if nothing is there as his 127 yards in the bowl game will attest. The senior did not have a perfect bowl game as he tried to jump over a defensive back and float the ball to Watkins, but the defender intercepted the pass in the end zone. He also tried to force the ball late in the game and got picked again nearing giving Ohio State a way to win. Boyd is a top five rookie quarterback option, but may need some NFL seasoning before he plays. He and Russell Wilson are similar players, but Wilson has more poise and is a smidge better at reading defenses.

Carlos Hyde, RB OSU
The senior running back certainly did his part accounting for over 150 combined yards with two touchdowns. He was bottled up at the beginning of the game, but became stronger as time went along. Hyde is a patient runner with good vision, strong legs, and a powerful trunk. The young back did a job good pass blocking as he fired out to attack his man and can sneak out on a pass pattern with his soft hands (he had two very successful wheel routes). Hyde keeps his legs churning, gets low in the hole, and can be slippery at times. You could see his explosiveness when he broke a 30 yard run from a fourth and inches play down to the four yard line with a nice high step towards the end of the run. On the next play, Hyde leapt over the line of scrimmage to score. Hyde could be the number two option in rookie drafts behind Watkins but will depend on where he lands.

Braxton Miller, QB OSU
The junior quarterback had a mixed game against Clemson. He is a very athletic player with quick feet who is willing to run the ball. Miller had two touchdown runs, his first was an amazing 33 yard run where he ran down the sidelines, starting and stopping to make the defense miss. His second run was a three yarder that he used Hyde as a human shield to hit pay dirt. These two rushes were effective, but his other 16 carries went for a total of negative one yard. While he did complete 66% of his passes, the majority of those throws were within five to fifteen yards down the field. Miller threw behind receivers, got several passes tipped at the line because he does not arch his passes, and occasionally overthrew wide open receivers due to pressure. The signal caller was more successful using play action to freeze the defense and is more accurate without the defense in his face. He does not sense backside pressure well. Miller took a few shots to his midsection in the fourth quarter. This seemed to slow him down and prevent him from fully extending himself to aim the ball. The junior quarterback accounted for two turnovers (a fumble and interception) in the last 3:12 minutes of the game that put it out of reach for the Buckeyes. Miller reportedly decided to go back to school, but plans can change. I think he could develop into an NFL starter in a year or two, but he needs to work on his arm strength and pocket presence.

Ryan Shazier, LB OSU
While the linebacker had a productive bowl game with seven tackles and two assists, I was not overly impressed with his play. He hit a lot of players high, doesn’t use his legs to drive thru the ball carrier, and doesn’t seem to have a good center of gravity. Shazier flows well to the ball, steps up and sheds blockers quickly and anticipates where the ball is going. The linebacker has the instincts and vision to be a good player, but I’m not sure he will be a great one worth drafting highly in a rookie draft. Whatever scheme Shazier plays in will decide much of his value.

Sammy Watkins, WR CLEM
Every time I watch this explosive playmaker, I come away more impressed. Watkins lined up in the backfield, as an outside receiver and as a kickoff returner. Not only did he look like a natural in each spot, he almost broke long touchdowns in the two roles he isn’t known for. The play maker sinks his hips, has amazing burst, starts and stops quickly which causes defenders to fly right by him. He is a strong, physical player who blocks well and runs thru arm tackles. The majority of the time it takes two defenders or the sidelines to stop him, until his knee acts up. Watkins twisted his knee while he blocking down field and did come back to finish the game. As a receiver, he catches the ball out front, never breaking stride, fully extending and catching it at its highest point in single, double, or triple coverage. Watkins takes short bubble screens and screams down the sidelines. His best play was an unabated full sprint from the line of scrimmage where he got behind the entire defense and caught a 34 yard touchdown pass. But if you prefer his 30 yard touchdown pass that he caught in double coverage, I don’t blame you. Watkins’ name needs to be mentioned in the same regard as Calvin, A.J., or Julio if his knee holds up.