Michael Oher

[BillsCelticsAngelsBama]

From War Room and Nawrocki:

 

"Oher has the size, strength and athleticism to be an elite left tackle, but didn't play like it last year, raising major concerns. Details about his learning struggles have hurt his draft stock because teams are concerned about whether he can handle the mental side of the game.

 

"Struggles to pick up complex blocking schemes"

 

"Not physically or mentally tough and does not have a great feel for the game. Looks disinterested at times and can be late to recognize the blitz. Has been coddled throughout college, and his desire, passion for the game and football intelligence are questionable. Will require extra attention to absorb a playbook and is best when assignments are kept simple. Raised questions about his passion and pysche in team interviews."

 

"Questions persist about how easily he will be able to transition to the pro game. It could take years before he is ready and may need to be brought along slowly. A team investing a high pick had better be certain it properly has identified his intelligence and motivation levels and evaluated the environment he will be entering before pulling the trigger."

 

But hey, he scored higher than JP on the wonderlic.

I would like to see what was said about Jason Peters before he was -----> NOT drafted. But it's in print so he must have no shot !!

[Sisyphean Bills]

Bell is as raw as raw can be. He may be athletic, but he's a late bloomer coming from a microscopic college program, and has zero meaningful NFL snaps.

 

Walker is big and slow. He's more of a guard, really. If he's playing at LT, Joey Porter is going to have legendary games and I doubt Belichick or Ryan won't exploit the open-door policy with a huge grin on their faces.

 

Remember, some fans here say Peters was the worst LT in the NFL last year, yet Walker stayed on the right side and Bell stayed inactive all season last year. Now, they are the answer?

[Kingfish]

I would like to see what was said about Jason Peters before he was -----> NOT drafted. But it's in print so he must have no shot !!

 

Peters was a TE at the time and was projected to go as early as the 3rd but for some reason he went undrafted.

[Kingfish]

Walker is big and slow. He's more of a guard, really. If he's playing at LT, Joey Porter is going to have legendary games and I doubt Belichick or Ryan won't exploit the open-door policy with a huge grin on their faces.

 

Porter had 4 sacks against Peters last year.

[Sisyphean Bills]

Porter had 4 sacks against Peters last year.

Does that include the 3 snaps Chambers was out there? Cause Porter had 2 sacks on those 3 snaps.

[billybob]

Peters was a TE at the time and was projected to go as early as the 3rd but for some reason he went undrafted.

The reason was everyone thought he was too big for TE and he had no snaps at OL- some had him projected at DT- basically no one wanted a project- even though he ran a 4.9 at 336.

[1billsfan]

And I'm sure that by week 9 and Peters has still yet to report you'd be saying "The Buffalo Bills FO and Ralph Wilson can go f@#k themselves, why didn't we get something for Peters when we had the chance!!".

 

You're wrong. You obviously weren't here, but last offseason I wanted the Bills to give him the 9-10 million dollar a year deal he was worth last season because he was one of the few Bills who actually MADE something of himself coming from being a lowly undrafted TE to one of the top LTs in the league. There would have never been a holdout. He was the third highest paid offensive lineman on the Buffalo Bills in '08. So what have the Bills gained by this? A patchwork offensive line for Trent "China Doll" Edwards' make or break (pun intended) third season. Bravo fellas!

 

[Kingfish]

http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/draft/mock_draft

 

This mock gives us Ayers at 11 and Oher at 28.

[Wagon Circler]

The Buffalo Bills FO and Ralph Wilson can go f@#k themselves. They needed to use that pick on a nasty pass rushing DE.

 

2-14 here we come.

Unfortunately, while a agree 100% I do see Oher as a possibility.

[N.Y. Orangeman]

The guy that wrote that article for War Room or PFW obviously hasn't seen many Ole Miss games. Watch the Ole Miss-LSU game this year, as well as the Florida game. I think a fairer perspective can be found here:

 

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/559237

The subject of the New York Times bestseller by Michael Lewis, "The Blind Side: The Evolution of a Game," Oher has been the anchor of the Rebels' offensive line since being inserted into the starting lineup after the second game of his freshman season. He lined up at right offensive guard during his first season at Mississippi before shifting to the demanding left tackle position as a sophomore. He would end his career with the third-best active consecutive starts string (47) among Southeastern Conference players.

 

Received more national attention as a senior, as the Southeastern Conference's Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipient, the honor going to the league's top offensive linemen. Behind Oher's drive blocking, the Rebels improved from ranking 84th in the nation in rushing (131.5 yards per game) to 28th (second in the SEC) in 2008 (186.46 yards per game).

 

New coach Houston Nutt was very confident in putting young quarterback Javon Snead on the field, knowing that Oher would help protect his passer's blind side. Ole Miss let its left tackle carry them to a 2009 Cotton Bowl victory, as the 2008 squad went from being the 91st-ranked offense in the nation (345.25 yards per game) in 2007 to 29th overall and third in the SEC with an average of 407.62 yards per game in '08.

 

Oher was regarded as one of the finest offensive linemen in the nation at Briarcrest Christian School. The EA Sports and USA Today All-American choice was a member of the 2005 Tennessee Athletic Coaches Association All-Star team selected to compete against the Kentucky prep all-stars. He also competed in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, and was named to Rivals.com's All-American Bowl All-Time Team.

 

Oher was picked by Tom Lemming/ESPN as the nation's top offensive tackle and named to the Super Prep All-America team (ranked No. 24 among offensive linemen by that service), which also had him on its Dixie Team. He was rated the fifth-best offensive lineman in the country and eighth-best overall prospect in the South by Scout.com, as well picking up first-team All-American recognition.

 

Oher was named the best player in the state of Tennessee by the Knoxville News-Sentinel and rated the second-best player in the South by the Mobile Register as a member of its Super Southeast 120 squad. He was named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 and chosen Tennessee "Mr. Football" and Offensive Lineman of the Year.

 

As a senior, the first-team All-South selection by Fox Sports and the Orlando Sentinel was credited with 130 knockdown blocks, grading over 90% for blocking consistency, as he did not allow a quarterback sack. As a junior, he posted 83 knockdowns and graded 85%, helping lead Briarcrest to a 10-3 record and 2004 state championship.

 

In addition to earning two letters in football, Oher also lettered twice in both basketball and track. The basketball team went 27-6 in 2004, winning the district championship, as Oher averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds per game, earning All-State honors as well as making the Sun Coast All-Tourney team. In track, he was state runner-up in the discus.

 

Heavily recruited by many major colleges, Oher enrolled at Mississippi in 2005. He moved into the starting lineup in the second game of the season, starting the final 10 contests at right offensive guard. He produced 64 knockdowns, a remarkable total for a team that managed to average only 73.27 yards per game rushing, as the ground attack produced just six touchdowns for the season. For his performance, he was selected Freshman All-American first-team by Rivals.com and The Sporting News.

 

Oher was named All-Southeastern Conference second-team as a sophomore. He shifted to left offensive tackle in 2006, delivering 83 knockdowns while clearing the way for BenJarvus Green-Ellis to become just the third player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season.

 

Rated the third-best offensive tackle in college football by Lindy's magazine in 2007, Oher received All-American fourth-team accolades. He started all 12 games at left tackle, coming up with 99 knockdowns that included 12 touchdown-resulting blocks, including each of the team's eight rushing scores. Green-Ellis gained more than 70% of his 1,137 yards rushing (second-best season total by an Ole Miss player) running behind Oher.

 

Oher contemplated leaving school after his junior year. He originally applied for inclusion in the 2008 NFL Draft, but two days after announcing his intention to leave, the left tackle had a change of heart and withdrew his application. "While I felt good about being projected as a possible first-round pick and had everybody in my corner, it just kept coming back to me that I was leaving some unfinished business at Ole Miss," Oher said. "It's really about winning more games and going to a bowl game. I wanted to be a part of making that happen."

 

Oher worked hard in the offseason, greatly improving his overall strength and increased his bench press by over 70 pounds. He was a consensus All-American and unanimous All-Southeastern Conference first-team pick. The team captain won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and was one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's top blocker. He was also one of three finalists for the Conerly Trophy, given to the state of Mississippi's top collegiate player. He led the SEC blockers with an 87.77% grade for blocking consistency, en route to producing 99 knockdowns with a league-high seventeen touchdown-resulting blocks.

 

Scouting Report

GENERAL REPORT: GRADE: 6.92

 

Body Structure: Oher has a tall frame with impressive lower-body thickness, long arms with large hands, broad shoulders, good chest muscle development, thick thighs and room on his frame to carry more weight.

 

Athletic Ability: Oher has a developing frame to carry more bulk, but he needs to improve his upper-body power, as he does not strike with a forceful punch. Because of upper-body strength issues, he tries to compensate with explosion off the snap, but he can get too reckless and when he overextends, his adequate change-of-direction agility makes him look sluggish trying to recover. He has the functional hip snap and enough flexibility to sink his pads and run fluidly off the line of scrimmage, along with the heavy feet to anchor vs. the bull rush. GRADE: 8.2

 

Football Sense: Oher has a learning disability. He lacks awareness picking up the blitz. He has good quickness, but needs to attack defenders away from the play more often, as he prefers to stay with his man rather than look for secondary targets to attack. He needs more than several reps to retain plays, but has to play with better instincts to pick up how the defense is attacking. GRADE: 5.3

 

Character: Oher is a true gentleman in the locker room. His childhood was well documented in the book, "The Blind Side: The Evolution of the Game." He was one of 13 children of a single mother with serious drug-related issues and lacked good education in his life, but has worked hard to remain the good character he has become. GRADE: 7.7

 

Competitiveness: Has a business-like approach to the game. Some would like to see much more aggression from a left tackle. For a player blessed with his strength, especially in his arms and hands, he should destroy defenders. He loves football, but more than a few scouts have concerns that he does not have the flashy intensity or burning desire in his play. GRADE: 6.2

 

Work Habits: Has long arms but needs a coach to teach proper technique to punch, grab and extend to neutralize and control defenders. He is very coachable and even though he plays with inconsistent aggression, he has good maturity from his life experiences and appreciates the opportunity afforded him at Mississippi. GRADE: 7.2

 

ATHLETIC REPORT: GRADE: 6.65

 

Initial Quickness: Oher has quick, nimble feet with good balance and body control playing in the trenches (struggles in space). He moves well going forward off the snap and uses his frame to pinch defenders back inside. When he stays low in his pads, he can fire low off the snap with good explosion to gain instant advantage. While not explosive, is rarely late off the line and is quick to make contact and impact the defender. With long arms and strong hands, he is very good at gaining advantage on a defender when he flashes suddenness coming off the ball. With a good get-off and proper hand technique, it should put him in the right place to make the block most of the time. GRADE: 6.7

 

Lateral Movement: Oher shows active, quick feet in the trenches (lacks great balance on the move, as he does not always adjust well downfield). He has enough agility to slide or pick up the blitz and defensive line stunts. When in-line blocking, he has shown better ability to sink his weight, which allows him to cave the defensive line with his leg drive and leverage. His improved concept for taking angles has seen him to a better job of locking on and winning battles in the short area. He also demonstrates good knee bend, which helps him when redirecting down the line. GRADE: 6.4

 

Balance/Stays On Feet: Oher is better served blocking along the line, as he doesn't have the burst or the balance to get out and make plays in space (gets narrow and crosses his feet). However, he is a good position blocker with nimble feet moving along the line. He demonstrates the functional hip snap needed to generate movement, but he needs to do a better job of keeping his feet and staying on the defender when working in the second level. Looks fluid enough working down the line, but will get sluggish running long distances and lose balance when he gets narrow-based. Can be inconsistent working in space. GRADE: 6.3

 

Explosion/Pop: Oher has a thick frame, but could still use more bulk in attempts to position and sustain (has the frame to carry more weight). With more bulk, along with more explosive quickness when he sets his base, he should separate from defenders easily but additional weight could result in a loss of quickness. He has the reach to keep defenders at a distance and, while not explosive rolling his hips, at least he is not a waist-bender. He sustains best at the line of scrimmage, where he does a good job running his feet, locking on and finishing (not as good playing in space). Might be a better fit at offensive guard early in his career -- works well in combination with other linemen, but despite his quick feet and athleticism, he tends to wait for edge rushers to come to him rather than stepping forward to attack. Despite good weight-room numbers, his strength doesn't always translate to the field, as he tries to finesse rather than maul his opponent. GRADE: 6.5

 

Run Blocking: As a drive blocker, he uses his body to root out the defender and when his pad level is down, he can move the pile and drive block with leverage (could be exceptional here with added weight). Oher has a good get-off coming out of his stance and his quick feet will put him in position to make the in-line block. He could be a better fit at guard because he shows good body control rolling his hips and drives with his legs to flash a line surge. He also has a guard-like approach when pulling in-line and knows how to attack the shoulders of a defender. Inconsistent, but when he rolls his hips, he has good success in gaining movement. GRADE: 8.0

 

Pass Blocking: Oher is a bit inconsistent, but when he keeps his head on a swivel when retreating in pass protection, he shows good urgency moving underneath to cut down backside pursuit. Has the lower-body strength and long arms to engulf smaller defenders and stymie the bull rush. Moves his feet well to shield and wall off the interior defender in pass protection (needs to be quicker moving out to challenge edge rushers). Can multiple defenders, but does get a bit upright in his stance, causing his base to narrow (this results in stronger defenders having success pushing him back into the pocket). Will sometimes try to use his body too much to lean into an opponent rather than extend his arms to lock out and control. When he anchors firmly, he can slide and find ways to adjust to the action in front of him. GRADE: 7.6

 

Pulling/Trapping: Not the ideal trap blocker, doesn't always fire off the line with intent and must do a better job of angling getting into the second level. He has adequate body control but needs to fix footwork to improve quickness and balance to hit a moving target. He is better flashing pop on contact when executing the short traps. GRADE: 6.4

 

Adjust on Linebacker Downfield: Oher has a tendency to put his head down before connecting when playing into the second level. He must do it with more consistency, but has the ability to take good angles and adjust to second level defenders. GRADE: 6.3

 

Use of Hands/Punch: During his first three seasons, Oher was more of a push-and-shove, grabby type and needed to refine his hand technique. Appeared to carry his hands low, letting defenders get a piece of his jersey and leaving his chest exposed. He worked hard to improve his hand placement, but when he gets outside his frame shooting his hands, it makes him look slow when trying to recoil and reset them. He is still learning how to use his hand punch, but he has the reach and large hands to pop, lock out and maintain separation. When he does generate force behind his punch, he can knock his opponent off balance. His developing strength can improve, but he showed in 2008 that he has the ability to use his hands to control and can create a good surge off the snap due to his balance. When he uses his hands, he has the ability to get under the defender's pads, jolt and dominate. GRADE: 6.9

 

Reactions/Awareness: Has had problems retaining plays and struggles to digest a complicated playbook, needing more than several reps to retain. He is not always alert to twists and games and needs to show better awareness reading the defense. Has problems with games up front and needs to do a better job of recognizing. GRADE: 5.4

 

Compares To: CHRIS WILLIAMS, Chicago -- Oher is a fine athlete yet to mature physically. With teams looking for more mobility at left tackle, he could eventually be a nice fit. As a rookie, he needs to add more bulk to his frame to handle more physical NFL linemen. He is still a neophyte at the tackle position, with just three years of experience and he might not have the natural intelligence to digest a complicated playbook. Athletically, he is a fine specimen, but it will take patient coaching to help him unearth his potential.

 

OVERALL GRADE: 6.70

[Leonidas]

Can somebody tell me about William Beatty from Connecticut? His measureables are impressive. From http://blackandgold.com/blogs/hagan714/89-...arm-length.html:

 

William Beatty, Connecticut (6-6, 307), arm length: 34¾ inches

Beatty does a great job getting out of his stance quickly and extending his long arms in pass protection. He showcases impressive hand placement on the outside and is consistently able to engage quickly and keep defensive ends off his body. Beatty possesses the coordination, foot speed and length to man the left tackle spot in the NFL.

 

He would probably be there at #28. Would he not be a better pick than Oher who appears to have serious question marks? That would also allow us to take the best player available at #11.

 

Has anyone actually seen this guy play?

[H2o]

Can somebody tell me about William Beatty from Connecticut? His measureables are impressive. From http://blackandgold.com/blogs/hagan714/89-...arm-length.html:

 

William Beatty, Connecticut (6-6, 307), arm length: 34¾ inches

Beatty does a great job getting out of his stance quickly and extending his long arms in pass protection. He showcases impressive hand placement on the outside and is consistently able to engage quickly and keep defensive ends off his body. Beatty possesses the coordination, foot speed and length to man the left tackle spot in the NFL.

 

He would probably be there at #28. Would he not be a better pick than Oher who appears to have serious question marks? That would also allow us to take the best player available at #11.

 

Has anyone actually seen this guy play?

He opened many a hole for Donald Brown this past season, who rushed for 2,000+ thanks to Beatty on numerous occasions.

[ans4e64]

Can somebody tell me about William Beatty from Connecticut? His measureables are impressive. From http://blackandgold.com/blogs/hagan714/89-...arm-length.html:

 

William Beatty, Connecticut (6-6, 307), arm length: 34¾ inches

Beatty does a great job getting out of his stance quickly and extending his long arms in pass protection. He showcases impressive hand placement on the outside and is consistently able to engage quickly and keep defensive ends off his body. Beatty possesses the coordination, foot speed and length to man the left tackle spot in the NFL.

 

He would probably be there at #28. Would he not be a better pick than Oher who appears to have serious question marks? That would also allow us to take the best player available at #11.

 

Has anyone actually seen this guy play?

 

I've seen him play. He has a very weak upper body, and gets easily bull rushed. His technique is poor, but can be worked on. IMO he's not the type of lineman that's going to be able to play right away. He's going to need work, but the ability is there. Think of D. Bell at a bigger program. Although, IMO, I think Bell has more raw talent.

 

If he gets drafted, gets into a camp, and really does some work (wight lifting and technique wise) I think he could come in and play right away, but I wouldn't bet on it.

[The Dean]

Can somebody tell me about William Beatty from Connecticut? His measureables are impressive. From http://blackandgold.com/blogs/hagan714/89-...arm-length.html:

 

William Beatty, Connecticut (6-6, 307), arm length: 34¾ inches

Beatty does a great job getting out of his stance quickly and extending his long arms in pass protection. He showcases impressive hand placement on the outside and is consistently able to engage quickly and keep defensive ends off his body. Beatty possesses the coordination, foot speed and length to man the left tackle spot in the NFL.

 

He would probably be there at #28. Would he not be a better pick than Oher who appears to have serious question marks? That would also allow us to take the best player available at #11.

 

Has anyone actually seen this guy play?

 

 

No, I haven't. his write up here is pretty darn good, actually...with some concern about his work ethic offseason:

 

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/537431

 

I thought this was a humorous and interesting:

 

 

Compares To: DEMETRIUS BELL, Buffalo -- Bell saw limited action last season for the Bills and isn't a household name, but Beatty and Bell are quite similar. They are late bloomers with great foot speed, hip snap and developing frame. Beatty, too, might need a year or two in the training room to add bulk and strength, but you can see the natural foot speed and with his long reach, he could be a quality pass protector. However, he might be better at right tackle. Still, he should be drafted earlier than his grade indicates if a team has become enamored with his solid performance during the week of Senior Bowl practices.

[Leonidas]

That is pretty funny. But now wait a minute, didn't Bell only do 10 reps on the bench? Beatty did 27. Eugene Monroe only did 23, Oher did 21. Am I missing something here??

[seadog]

That is pretty funny. But now wait a minute, didn't Bell only do 10 reps on the bench? Beatty did 27. Eugene Monroe only did 23, Oher did 21. Am I missing something here??

Bell only did 10 reps? OH my God that's pathetic, some qb's could do that.

[The Dean]

That is pretty funny. But now wait a minute, didn't Bell only do 10 reps on the bench? Beatty did 27. Eugene Monroe only did 23, Oher did 21. Am I missing something here??

 

 

I don't know anything about that. Does any linemen lift that few? If he did, maybe there was a reason for it. (I'd have to think he'd get a do-over on some other day.)

[Leonidas]

Maybe it was less??

 

http://gnb.scout.com/2/731358.html

 

Northwestern State (La.) offensive lineman Demetrius Bell probably wishes none of them came out. In an era when 20-30 repetitions of 225 pounds is considered average for offensive linemen, Bell's nine reps won't make the impression a small school prospect desperately needs.

 

There's a distinct difference between 9/10 reps and 27. I'm not so sure you can actually recover from 9/10 reps to the mid-twenties. But it seems to me like Beatty isn't all that far off in his strength and conditioning.

[The Dean]

Maybe it was less??

 

http://gnb.scout.com/2/731358.html

 

 

That's pretty bad. Fortunately, I hear the Bills have had him working pretty hard at weight training. So maybe he CAN do 10 reps now.

 

Just kidding. I hope the kid pans out. He is supposed to be quick and have talent.

[Leonidas]

That's pretty bad. Fortunately, I hear the Bills have had him working pretty hard at weight training. So maybe he CAN do 10 reps now.

 

Just kidding. I hope the kid pans out. He is supposed to be quick and have talent.

 

If the Bills got him from 9 reps to 25 in one season while teaching him how to play the game at the professional level, nobody should ever speak badly about the organization again. That would be an incredible feat.