Arizona Cardinals 2008 Draft Prospects

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Centers

Charted comments are mostly drawn from NFL Draft Scouts.com narratives (shown in black) with comments from additional sources shown in different colors. BRS = Red Sporting News War Room = Orange. USA Today = Green, Surefire Scouting = Purple. PFW = Blue

Cards seem to be pretty well set with Johnson, Sendlein and Peters.

Name/School

20S

60S

John Sullivan, Notre Dame

6-3

304

5.37

1.82

3.02

8-6

4.55

7.63

Pro Day - He ran position drills and kept the rest of his numbers from the combine

BRS (Gollin) - There are no dominating center prospects this year. Sullivan is bright and plays with power. Fits our system. This gives him the nod at the top rating for the position.

The Sporting News War Room -Has the tools to be a quality NFL starter but must play with good technique more consistently.

Surefire Scouting - Lacks great athletic ability but has proven to be a strong performer. His intelligence, power and mentality will make him a success at the next level.

PFW - Plays with more power than quickness and may not have much room to improve. Could develop into a solid contributor in the pros. May be tried at guard.

Physical	Has a wide body with a firm chest, broad shoulders, wide waist and hips and good thigh and calf thickness...Teams were looking to bulk him up to 325 from his college playing weight of 303, but he participated at the Senior Bowl weighing 284 pounds
Strength	He has the feet and lower-body strength to hold his ground at the point of attack (except when he gets tall in his stance, as bull rushers can then push him back into the pocket)...Has good upper-body strength to stonewall a defender,
Athleticism	Does have balance issues due to his waist-bending when playing in space...Has good body control but gets in trouble on the move, losing balance...Needs to stop bending at the waist and show better flat feet when operating in space
Quickness/Explosion	Has just adequate quickness getting out of his stance and could be surprised by a quick bull rush...Not the type than can snap and step into his man with a fluid motion, but if he shoots his hands properly, he can shock his opponent in attempts to gain movement.
Punch	No info
Drive Blocking	Tough, aggressive drive blocker with good field smarts and vision...More of a position-type blocker, lacking the ideal explosiveness to come off the ball and engage defenders instantly
Toughness	After his initial punch, he prefers a finesse style rather than mauling his opponent.
On the Move	Tenacious blocker who works to finish, showing good urgency to get in front on pulls and traps....Good on short pulls (lacks speed and balance for long runs), as he works hard to occupy defenders and maintain the holes...Can land with good force on the move, but needs to finish better in space (rarely cuts)
Pass Blocking	Alert to coverage and does a good job combating twists and games...When he plays flat-footed (must do this with better consistency), he is able to anchor vs. the bull rush..One of his better assets is his heavy anchor in pass protection (best when stationary rather than on the move)...Can dig in and stop the push up the middle when he plants his foot into the ground...Lacks the loose hips to recover and redirect when trying to protect the pocket and will lose the battle vs. defenders with an array of moves
Coordination w Other Linemen	Works well with his guards on combo blocks in attempts to widen the rush lanes
Smarts	Gets by a lot on "field smarts," rather than raw strength...Very capable of making all the line calls and blocking adjustments and has a good feel for the flow of the game...Will easily handle a complicated playbook at the next level due to his intelligence
Intangibles	Rare to see him take plays off
Resembles	Chris Meyers

Name/School

20S

60S

Mike Pollak, Arizona St.

6-3

300

5.02

1.74

2.89

9-3

4.47

7.49

Pro Day - Had a 28-inch vertical jump, and 9-foot, 3-inch long jump. Did not run position drills and kept all other numbers from the combine.

Senior Bowl - Despite his lack of top-level athleticism, Pollak had a strong day on Monday. He showed excellent competitiveness and aggressiveness as a blocker, which enabled him to consistently lock up on his man and eliminate him from the play. Pollak also showed a surprising ability to bend his knees and sink his hips to pass block with very good base.

BRS (Gollin) - 2nd best of a mediocre lot - Don't you hate it when one draft service says the guy can't bend his knees well and another says he can?

The Sporting News War Room - Good intangibles but isn't strong or aggressive. Made good impression at Senior Bowl.

Surefire Scouting - Too often relies on his brute strength to get the job done. Consistently plays above his physical expectations; however his technique and leverage usage need improvement.

PFW - Has excellent measurables on paper. However, he does not play to them all of the time. Not a natural bender and is on the ground a little more than teams like.

Physical	Looks a little soft in the midsection, but shows good upper-body thickness and strong hands to generate the punishing jolt to rock defenders back on their heels...Has natural strength, rather than ripped muscle tone, but has been a weight-room award winner for the Sun Devils in each of his last four seasons...Despite his impressive weight room numbers, he has only adequate muscle tone and a soft midsection
Strength	Does not have the anchor to sustain vs. nose guards (can get pushed back by defenders lining over his helmet).
Athleticism	Has very good timed speed (does not translate in the open field when he takes poor angles into the second level)...Must do a better job adjusting to counter moves, but comes off the snap with arms raised, ready to lock on and establish leverage and position...Plays on his feet and uses his hands effectively to redirect the defender with authority...Generates efficient initial quickness into the defender lining up over his head, but struggles with foot quickness and agility to engage a slanting defensive tackle or to quickly adjust to a counter move across his face
Quickness/Explosion	Doesn't explode with his hips, but can generate decent pop on contact
Punch	Can shock defenders once he shoots his hands and has the reach to extend in his blocks and steer (good mauler)...Consistent in gaining movement when he keeps his hands active...When he keeps his pads down, he is very effective in setting, sliding and executing a hand jolt to protect the pocket
Drive Blocking	On drive blocks, he works hard to position and wall off (struggles vs. slants and counters)...Not really a road grader, but gets good movement through proper knee bend...Needs to demonstrate better consistency in sustaining blocks
Toughness	All-out battler in one-on-one situations
On the Move	Is adequate at reaching his block point on the short pull (will get overaggressive and struggle to engage defenders in the second level)...struggles some locating a moving linebacker when working in space...slow to reach the second level and takes poor angles in attempts to finish off linebackers (had just five downfield blocks as a senior)
Pass Blocking	Easily picks up the blitz.
Coordination w Other Linemen	Anticipates switches well
Smarts	Shows good awareness to stunts and games, coming off the snap with good desire and intent to control and finish
Intangibles	has a good grasp of the playbook, making all of the blocking calls up front...Good team leader whose work ethic is emulated by the squad's younger players...Marginal deep snapper and is not effective on his shotgun snaps.
Resembles	Jeff Faine

Name/School

20S

60S

Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green

6-2

297

5.33

1.83

3.03

8-7

4.55

7.61

Pro Day - Not present. He did everything at the combine.

Senior Bowl - Lichtensteiger showed excellent competitiveness, which helped him to block some much bigger defensive tackles in 1-on-1 pass rush drills. He moved well in a small area to stay over his feet and maintain. While he was effective at center, he struggled on the few snaps he lined up at guard.

BRS (Gollin) - May not have the physical talent or numbers but at least appears to have the techniques and intangibles.

The Sporting News War Room - Gets overlooked because he lacks great size and athleticism, but definitely helped himself at the Senior Bowl

Surefire Scouting - Has limited quickness and lateral movement. Plays with a low base and displays good pad-level and balance. Will initially serve as a backup center or guard but has the intelligence and work ethic to potentially earn a spot in the lineup.

PFW - A solid, versatile interior lineman whose lack of arm length and recovery quickness limitations will follow him to the pros.

Physical	Has good chest thickness, broad shoulders and a squat frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness...Has strong, thick legs, with good hip rotation and lateral agility to get out front on traps and pulls
Strength	Plays with good strength, keeping himself flat-footed with his hands inside his frame to shock and jolt the defender..
Athleticism	A little stiff in his straight-line burst, but shows good balance and body control.. functional body control and foot agility to quickly move off the snap...Bit of a waist bender, but is quick to recover, as he shows proper knee bend to gain position, anchor and sustain
Quickness/Explosion	Shows excellent quickness as a snap-and-step center, getting a strong surge when making initial contact....Has enough quickness coming out of his stance, clearing defenders off the ball with his leg drive, hand jolt and explosion...More explosive coming out of his stance from shotgun formation, but also shows fluid motion when the quarterback lines up under center..
Punch	Generates a strong hand punch blocking on the move...Uses his hands efficiently to get inside the frame of a defender to rock him back with a jarring hand punch
Drive Blocking	Clamps on tightly to ride the defender wide and is a physical drive blocker who simply runs over people...Drives with force coming out of his stance, staying with the defender while keeping a wide leg base to maintain balance
Toughness	Active, tough competitor who always gives a second effort.... plays with an aggressive nature... plays with great effort, as he is always looking for targets to strike
On the Move	Powerful trap blocker who does a very nice job of locating defenders in space...Excels at pulling to trap when uncovered, cutting off on the front side of the gap...Has enough lateral quickness and movement skills to get position on the linebacker moving downfield and shows the slide ability in both directions when blocking an angle...Shows better pop with his hands when blocking on the move than when he's stationary...Demonstrates good balance and body control on the move, but will bend at the waist at times and when he does this, he is slow to recover...earlier in his career that he has the ability to pull for the ground game from the left guard position (made 184 knockdowns with 27 touchdown-resulting blocks during his first two years as a guard
Pass Blocking	Moves well in the box, showing good range and has improved a fluid drop-and-set with his head on a swivel, displaying good footwork in pass sets...Can anchor down with force in pass protection and extends his arms properly to contain the bull rush...Shows the patience needed to take on blockers, as it is rare to see him lunge or over-extend to land on a target...Adjusts well in space
Coordination w Other Linemen	Does a nice job either in one-on-one situations or combining with his guards to shut down the rush...A true interior blocker, as he seems more comfortable working in unison with his guards on blocks
Smarts	Alert to defensive schemes, easily picking up the stunts and blitzes...Instinctive player who does a solid job making blocking-assignment calls
Intangibles	Quality snapper in the shotgun, but the team does not place their quarterback under center much to get a true gauge of his hand quickness in that category...Versatile, with the ability to play center or guard....Durable athlete who has started every game during his college career..Can make the shotgun snap - because of this, he might have to return to guard early in his professional career until he can show he has the same snap quickness and hand speed needed for the traditional quarterback snap
Resembles	Brad Meester

Name/School

20S

60S

Cody Wallace, Tex. A&M

6-3

291

5.17

1.79

3.00

9-5

4.55

7.45

Pro Day - Ran the 40 in 5.18 and 5.17, ran position drills and stood on the rest of his numbers from the combine.

Senior Bowl - Wallace wasn't quick out of his stance, which made him struggle vs. pass rushers over his outside shoulder, especially at guard. At center, he lacked strength and got driven backwards too easily by power rushers. He's no doubt an undersized center who is going to have to learn to get by with technique.

BRS (Gollin) - Nothing to make us jump up and do a dance. Another power running offense fit though.

The Sporting News War Room - Better athlete than football player and must improve his technique. Struggled at the Senior Bowl

Surefire Scouting - Natural knee-bender with good lateral movement. A hard worker who will only improve over time. His greatest weakness is lack of speed and marginal footwork. Makes most sense for a power running team.

PFW - Has the physical tools to compete for a starting job on a bad team where the talent is weak in the pros.

Physical	Taller than most centers, but has a solid build with good chest development, wide hips, thick thighs and legs, broad shoulders, good arm length and a firm midsection
Strength	Physically strong player who is a productive in-line blocker, but will get pushed back into the pocket when he gets too tall in his stance...Uses his upper body strength to torque and control defenders when he fires low off the snap
Athleticism	Best when blocking in-line...Has the functional hip snap to redirect playing inside the tackles and is quick to recognize twists and games...Stays square in his base and shows enough lateral agility to get in front on the short pull
Quickness/Explosion	Very quick to get into position and gets his head up instantly after snapping the ball....Has a quick initial step to create movement off the snap and shows good in-line kick slide to mirror the bull rushers at the line of scrimmage...Despite marginal playing speed, he takes good angles and shows body adjustment skills working along the line of scrimmage....Generates good pop on initial contact...better playing vs. power than quickness...struggles often when asked to contain the quicker blitzers
Punch	Strong hand punch but doesn't consistently make contact with defenders in space, as he does not deliver that strong in-line hand punch when on the move because he gets taken off balance and will start swiping wildly with his arms
Drive Blocking	His hand punch can be violent at the point of attack and he works hard to finish.
Toughness	Has a good work ethic and toughness...classic mauler with good lock-out ability
On the Move	A better inline blocker than in space...Shows only marginal playing speed to get to the second level, with poor body adjustment working in space...Struggles to stay in front when having to pull past the short area...does not sustain blocks long when on the move.
Pass Blocking	Plays with a strong anchor, thanks to proper knee bend and does a nice job of staying on top of the bull rusher...good hand placement vs. counter moves...Also shows a good slide and lower body adjustments getting back to protect the pocket...Easily controls the defender once he latches on to the opponent with his hands... Extends, separates and remains active in attempts to sustain ands has good recoil action...Has a quick kick step when redirecting and is alert to stunts, using his knee bend to recover.
Coordination w Other Linemen	No info
Smarts	Plays with his head on a swivel and works well in supporting his guards on combo blocks.
Intangibles	Has been a durable athlete who will play with pain...takes pride in his leadership role, as he will not hesitate to mentor a younger lineman...Efficient shot-gun snapper with good quickness and accuracy getting the ball back cleanly to the quarterback.
Resembles	Eric Ghiaciuc

Name/School

20S

60S

Steve Justice, Wake For.

6-3

290

5.25

1.80

3.02

8-1

4.58

7.33

BRS (Gollin) - Zone blocker. Ho Hum.

The Sporting News War Room - Frustrating prospect because his technique slips too often. Has decent bulk but doesn't play as strong as he should.

Surefire Scouting - Lacks ideal explosion and anchor strength...An overachiever who struggled against top-level competition during Senior Bowl week. He is quick, moves well in space and is best suited for a zone blocking scheme.

PFW - Could struggle to match up with big wide bodies in the pro game and will not fit a power blocking scheme.

Physical	Lacks ideal muscle tone or upper-body strength to be a mauler, but is a solid finesse-type blocker with the balance and body control to mirror most in-line movement...Needs to improve his physique, as he has marginal muscle tone, undersized legs and adequate upper-body chest thickness...Lacks solid anchor strength in pass protection and can be pushed back at the point of attack vs. a strong bull rush
Strength	Has learned to compensate for a lack of ideal strength by taking proper angles and sliding his feet to maintain leverage...lack of upper-body power prevents him from dominating the bigger linemen
Athleticism	Demonstrates good flexibility, balance, and body control and gets his hips turned around properly to wall off defenders...Very effective at using his flexibility and balance to snap and lead on screens...Shows good ability to snap with proper knee-bend and explode off the snap with a flat back...
Quickness/Explosion	Extremely quick off the rise to get into his man, showing good hand placement but lacks punch...Gains advantage on a lethargic defender most of the time due to his quickness off the snap...Has enough explosiveness in his initial step to open the hole
Punch	Not a strong puncher, but compensates by using his hands to lock on and steer in the passing situations...Does a fine job of keeping his hands inside the frame in order to latch on and control his man...gets his hands up quickly in pass protection
Drive Blocking	Has enough functional leg drive to gain movement, coming on the rise with hands properly extended
Toughness	No info
On the Move	Opens his hips to maintain balance on the move...Climbs into the second level with good flexibility...Has the balance to get out front on pulls, as he is light enough on his feet to impact along the edge to turn and seal...Has the feet to adjust to movement and fluid lateral kick when changing direction...needs to do a better job of sustaining in space...will sometimes overextend and lunge making reach blocks...
Pass Blocking	Slides his feet smoothly to mirror on the pass rush, as he is quicker out of his stance than most centers....Lacks the strength you need to destroy the bull rush, but he has the hand set to stop the rusher's feet, doing a good job of adjusting to counter moves...will get walked back trying to widen the rush lanes when his pad level gets too high.
Coordination w Other Linemen	Shows good communication on combo blocks with his guards
Smarts	Smart, instinctive athlete, who is quick to pick up stunts and games...Will not have problems taking plays from the chalkboard to the playing field.
Intangibles	.Very passionate about the game, putting in the extra hours in practices and the film room to prepare for his upcoming opponent...Plays through pain and takes well to hard coaching.
Resembles	Tom Nalen.

Name/School

20S

60S

Corey Actis, Ole Miss

6-4

295

5.20

BRS (Gollin) - Po-tential. But that's about it. Maybe in a late round or more likely, as an UDFA.

The Sporting News War Room - Solid in college but lacks size, strength and athleticism to produce in the NFL but has great intangibles that will help him.

Surefire Scouting - No write up

PFW - No write up

Physical	Undersized
Strength	No info
Athleticism	Lacks flexibility to block with good leverage
Quickness/Explosion	Quick footwork to get out of his stance and into DT's quickly
Punch	No info
Drive Blocking	No info
Toughness	No info
On the Move	Surprisingly effective getting to the next level. Lacks speed to pull and lead to the perimeter.
Pass Blocking	Sets up quickly. Keeps legs churning after contact. Can be bull rushed. Waist bender.
Coordination w Other Linemen	Communicates well with teammates to negate line stunts
Smarts	Smart and instinctive
Intangibles	Made bad decisions, including a one-game suspension for a violation of team rules and a tendency toward penalties, particularly the late-hit varieties. After getting flagged for two personal fouls against LSU on Nov. 17, Actis picked up another personal foul for a late hit in the second quarter of the Mississippi State game on Nov. 23. At that point he was benched and replaced for the rest of the game.
Resembles	No info

Name/School

20S

60S

John Rochford, Miami (FL)

6-2

280

5.10

BRS (Gollin) - When your #7 center only weighs 280, you know the talent pool for the position is a trifle thin.

The Sporting News War Room - Has moved up the rankings due to his intangibles and competitiveness.

Surefire Scouting - No write up

PFW - No write up

Physical	Lacks ideal bulk and size
Strength	Can be jolted and driven backward too easily by aggressive power rushers
Athleticism	Lacks agility to move through traffic
Quickness/Explosion	Quick footwork off the snap
Punch	Delivers hard initial blow to LB's
Drive Blocking	Waist bender who leans and reaches too often
Toughness	No info
On the Move	Reaches second level quickly
Pass Blocking	No info
Coordination w Other Linemen	Switches off nicely to neutralize stunts and blitzes
Smarts	Smart - consistently makes the right line calls
Intangibles	Handled the long snapping duties for punts all season. Did not have any bad snaps. Also saw action as a blocker at H-back and fullback.
Resembles	No info

Name/School

20S

60S

Jamey Richard, Buffalo

6-4

296

5.03

1.81

2.98

8-10

4.68

7.57

Pro Day - Ran the 40 in 5.03 and 5.09, had a 32 ½-inch vertical jump, 9-foot long jump, 4.53 short shuttle, 7.31 cone drill, 27 reps in the bench press, and ran position drills.

BRS (Gollin) - Another zone guy.

The Sporting News War Room - Strong and tough but lacks the athleticism to stick with quick and agile defenders. May be more suited at guard

Surefire Scouting - No write up

PFW - His leverage deficiencies and height will always be limiting but he could be effective in a zone blocking scheme.

Physical	Has very good upper body development, with muscular arms, thick chest, wide waist and a frame that can easily carry another 20-25 pounds of bulk
Strength	Could use more lower body strength to follow through and create movement...Needs to improve his lower body strength and add bulk to his lower torso...Because of his marginal base, he is not consistent at creating movement off the snap and does struggle to anchor vs. a power rush...Does not have the leg drive to move a pile
Athleticism	Is a very efficient zone blocker, but best when staying in the short area due to his lower body strength and agility issues...Good knee bender who might be taller than you want at center, but knows how to sink his weight and play at a low pad level
Quickness/Explosion	Keeps his head up and comes off the ball with his hands extended, ready to punch, shock and jolt.
Punch	Sudden enough to shock a lethargic defender and gets most of his knockdowns on his hand punch alone...When he follows through with his punch, the battle with his opponent is quickly over...Sudden enough to get some surge after initial contact
Drive Blocking	More of a zone blocking guy than road grader...Shows no wasted steps when angle blocking and does a nice job positioning for the scoop block...Can swing his hips to position, wall off and sustain.
Toughness	Plays the game like they did in the leather helmet days - with extreme aggression and a lot of nastiness...Plays with great aggression, but the coaches sometimes have to keep him in check, as he will get too rambunctious, leading to foolish penalties
On the Move	Not used much on pulls and traps, but on those seen on film, he seems to be able to uncover and cut off on the front side gap... feet will go out from under him when he has to take angles and block into the second level
Pass Blocking	Has a functional kick slide in the short area, showing good body control getting back to protect the pocket...His head is always on a swivel, looking for secondary targets to attack...Works hard to finish and even when he is over-powered, he won't give up without a fight...Can reach and scoop in an instant after the snap and is very effective at gaining initial position in his pass set...Lacks bulk to anchor consistently, but has the quick feet to mirror and adjust when he bends at the knees... Will recoil in a hurry when he keeps his hands inside his frame (hands are his best asset) and is also effective at finesse blocking, using his hands to turn and steer the defender. Can lose some sustain vs. the quick twitch pass rushers, but once he gets his mitts on that defender, he can extend and anchor better...Physical defenders can walk him back into the pocket when he fails to plant his feet and anchor, especially when he gets too tall in his stance.
Coordination w Other Linemen	Has enough lateral quickness to slide either way and help out his guards with a second move
Smarts	Has that great feel for the action on the field, as it is rare to see him make a bad line call
Intangibles	Ambidextrous and can snap with either hand...Pushes himself in practices...Will have no problems taking plays from the chalkboard to the field...Moves better when playing along the X's than he does in space...Must improve his stamina, as he tires late in games.
Resembles	Mike Flanagan

Name/School

20S

60S

Kyle DeVan, Oregon St.

6-1

301

5.40

East-West Shrine Wednesday Practice: Seems to be really overmatched in most situations this week. He lacks great feet and hands, regularly getting beat by inside penetrators with swim and violent arm moves. He's inconsistent with his anchor, as well.

BRS (Gollin) - Journeyman. Effort guy.

The Sporting News War Room - Type of center that normally gets written off due to height and lack of athleticism.