Robert Woods

Robert Woods will be a perennial pro bowl talent.  He is that good.  You don't catch 111 balls, rack up nearly 1300 yards, and score 15 TD's playing for USC and not have a bright future.  What is truly scary is that he is only becoming a better player.  Alot of people wish to attribute his success to having Matt Barkley as a quarterback.  Don't fall for that crap.  Woods may have SLIGHTLY better numbers with Barkley throwing to him, but nobody complained about Blackmon/Green having NFL caliber QB's throwing to them.  Woods has elite speed, expect to see sub 4.40 times, along with great agility that allows him to make sharp cuts with ease.  His route running ability is already good and will only improve with time.  Hands...if you catch 111 passes I don't think "Hands" need to be questioned.  He has an uncanny ability to settle in the soft spots of zone coverage and make the QB's job easy.  Is a deep ball threat, showing the acceleration and top end speed necessary to beat coverage deep.  Although he is only 6'1" 180lbs, Woods plays like he is much bigger.  He is aggressive in the air and always battles for the ball.  Has surprising strength for a rather thin receiver.  Durability shouldn't be concern, nor toughness; he played 2011 with an injured right ankle he suffered before the season.

Woods isn't the largest WR in the world, and needs to continue to add muscle to his frame.  At USC he hasn't been asked to block much; that will change in the NFL.  Woods will need to improve his blocking ability, but that isn't a factor limiting his success in the NFL.  The list of negatives isn't really there for Woods.  Do you want a guy who is larger? Yeah, but he isn't going to grow any taller or weigh 200+ lbs.

Woods has all the tools to be a force in the NFL.  He has no glaring holes in his game, and will continue to get stronger as he matures.  His potential at the next level is to be a game-breaking #1 WR.  If he fails to reach that lofty status, Woods still should be, at worst, a great #2 WR or a dangerous  slot receiver.  Expect a top 5 pick if he puts up anything resembling the 2011 season.

RATINGS
SPEED: A-
AGILITY: A
HANDS: A
ROUTE RUNNING: A-
STRENGTH: C-
AWARENESS: A-
DURABILITY: A
POTENTIAL: A
OVERALL: A/A-

Marcus Lattimore

Big, bruising running backs are becoming a thing of the past. Current NFL teams seem enamored with small, quick backs who can double as receivers.  If Marcus Lattimore came around 20 years ago, teams would be drooling over the rights to draft him.  He is big, really big, weighing in around 230lbs, and carries it extremely well.  He is powerful, extremely powerful, and breaks tackles left and right using that power.  He has excellent vision and hits the hole with gusto.  When Marcus decides its time to go, there is no hesitation in his movements.  A common issue with big backs is the they all lack speed, with times around 4.6 in the 40.  Lattimore is expected to run a 4.55 at worst, with some estimates claiming a 4.5 flat and faster is attainable.  He also has unusually good agility for such a large back.  His ability to change direction is something special on a RB this size and will be a valuable asset in the NFL.  Being a 3 down back is becoming a lost art in the NFL, and Lattimore is more than capable of being one.  48 receptions and 600 yards over 18 games highlight the great receiver Lattimore has become, and will only continue to improve and put up numbers with Connor Shaw checking down to him.  The ability to pass protect is another notch in Lattimore's belt and will be a big asset in the NFL as more and more running backs are being asked to function as a pass protector.  This was already mentioned, but Lattimore is excellent at breaking tackles, and when he reaches the secondary defenders scatter.  Although he posses very good agility, Lattimore is going to run over defenders, and this will serve him well in the NFL as more and more DBs focus on coverage and ball skills while neglecting tackling.  Lattimore has all the looks of a dominating college RB and a feature back in the NFL.

Of course everything has drawbacks, and with Marcus its a big one-Injuries.  A season ending knee injury in 2011 sidelined what was becoming another monster year.  Torn ligaments and cartilage damage are not damning injuries, but they do have a lengthy recover time and can the player can have trouble returning to his previous form.  There is always a risk when taking a player that has suffered a major injury like this, but this is also the only glaring problem with Lattimore.  A criticism of Lattimore may be that he does not have elite break away speed-but who does at 230lbs+ not named Vernon Davis? Along that same line, he is not an elusive back, but doesn't need to be-it is much more effective trucking someone as opposed to dipsy-doing around them.

Marcus Lattimore has the look of a star running back in the NFL.  He has tremendous size, great power, and unlike Adrian Peterson, doesn't fumble.  His ability to be a receiver as well as a blocker means he is a 3 down back.  The biggest question about Lattimore is durability-specifically if he can return from his knee injury as the dominant RB he once was.  Lattimore looks to be a top 10 pick if he stays healthy and returns to form; the other end of the spectrum is a 3-5th round pick if questions arise about his health.  The team that drafts him isn't looking down the road, he is already a game changer and will continue to improve in the mental aspects of the game, but physically is near his max.

RATINGS
SPEED: B
AGILITY: B
POWER: A
CARRY: A-
HANDS: B+
BLOCKING: B+
VISION: A-
DURABILITY: B?
POTENTIAL: B+
OVERALL: A-

Sam Montgomery

Each year there is at least one elite pass rushing talent that takes college football by storm, and Sam Montgomery is this year's man.  As a redshirt sophomore, Montgomery put up monster numbers at LSU, earning All-American honors across the board from Rivals, SI, and FoxSports.  9 sacks, with at least 0.5 sacks in 8 games, reveals just how effective AND consistent he is.  This is not a guy who puts up big numbers in 2 to 3 games and is silent the rest of the year; he is a game changer, and is only going to be even more impressive this upcoming season.  Standing 6'4" and weighing in at 245-250 lbs, he has the look of a HIGHLY athletic DE at the next level.  Don't let the weight fool you, he has the frame to add on at least another 20-30lbs and still be a beast.  Montgomery has the ability and versatility at the next level to play either as a rush backer in a 3-4 D or continue doing what he does best and put his hand in the dirt as a DE in a 4-3 and terrorize QBs.  When you watch him on tape, the first thing you notice is elite quickness.  Put on the Oregon tape and you see him all over the field making plays-and chasing guys down.  This seems to be a new label, but he has a great motor and never gives up on a play.  He engages blockers and can use either his solid inside move or beat them on the outside using pure speed.  He has great moves for a young guy, and will only improve as he matures and continues to learn the game.  As athletic as he is, the ability to get leverage on a blocker is also evident when watching Montgomery.  Even though he is consistently outweighed 50-70lbs most weeks, Sam still drives linemen back by getting great position.

The negatives associated with Montgomery are the usual suspects with elite pass rushing talents.  He does not have brute strength, and will not ever.  He is occasionally taken out of the play simply because the blocker is that much stronger than him and is able to manhandle him.  The Alabama-LSU game was a great example of this, as Barrett Jones put on a clinic against him.  His tackling ability is average, nothing glaringly wrong, but nothing to be proud about either.  At 245-250lbs, he needs to add bulk if he wants to be a 4-3 DE at the next level, or at least improve his strength if he is looking to be a  3-4 outside linebacker.  A big issue with Montgomery, and something that will only improve with proper coaching and more reps, is his inability to fire off the line.  Watch tape on him, and you notice 60-70% of the time he is a count late off the snap.  In college he can overcome this by shear athleticism; in the NFL he will be pancaked.  Some people say he has an injury risk-he suffered a season ending knee injury in 2010, but he has not shown any propensity since then for injuries being a concern.

The overall package Sam Montgomery presents is very intriguing heading into the 2013 college football season.  He has established a reputation as an elite, if not the elite, pass rusher.  A pedestrian season will knock Sam down a few notches, but baring a season ending injury/epic collapse he is still going to be a hot commodity based solely on his potential and athleticism.  The flip side of this is that Montgomery has all the ability to put up monster numbers, and solidify himself as a top 5, maybe even top 2 pick.

RATINGS
STRENGTH: C
SPEED: B+
AGILITY: A-
PASS RUSH: A
RUN STOP: C+
TACKLING: C+
DURABILITY: B
POTENTIAL: A+
OVERALL: A-/B+