Darian Stewart,St. Louis Rams, Free Safety

Darian Stewart was signed as a free agent by the St. Louis Rams and made the 53 man roster. What Ourlads said about him in the 2010 Draft GUIDE:

Stewart, Darian South Carolina 5110 216 4.58
Three-year starter that is athletic and versatile. Has played three secondary positions. Looks as physical as he plays in run support. Effective on edge blitzes. Plays linebacker in nickel packages. Explosive in run support. Good ability to key and diagnose a play quickly. Competitive and intense in his play. Generally a solid tackler with good body control. Productive in his play. Can be beat in coverage with the wrong mismatches.Loose hips for a smooth turn. Good timing and leaping ability. Good body control and lateral movement. Good ball reactions to knock down or strip the ball. Closes quickly on the ball carrier in front of him. A good box run playing safety. Will contribute on all special teams coverage. Over his career he had 197 tackles, 20 passes broken up, 2 interceptions, and 6 forced fumbles. BTR:left 4.35, right 4.53. OSR:14/21. Fifth/sixth round. (A-32 1/8, H-9, VJ-37, SS-4.34).

Barry Church, Dallas Cowboys, Strong Safety

Barry Church signed as a free agent with Dallas and made the 53 man Roster. What Ourlads said about him in the 2010 Draft GUIDE:

Church, Barry Toledo 6014 222 4.67
Four-year starter. Outstanding production over his career. Long arms and athletic. Good instincts. Closes quickly on the ball in front of him. Good zone awareness. Plays the run as good as any support player in this draft. Has size and loose hips to turn and run. Can cover slot receivers. Moved around for mismatches in the Rockets’ defensive scheme. He was put in a position to make plays by scouting report. Used as an edge pass rusher at times. Physical player that throws his body around. Nose for the ball. A hybrid linebacker in a 4-2-5 scheme. Can play coverage on wide receivers. Pressures the quarterback on safety blitzes. Active and a wrap tackler in the run game. Sheds blockers without holdup. Good agility getting through traffic in pursuit to make plays. Over his career he had 354 tackles, 18 passes broken up, 9 interceptions, and 6 forced fumbles. BTR:left 4.50, right 4.47. OSR:5/21. Fourth/fifth round. (A-33 1/4, H-9 3/8, VJ-36, SS-4.19).

OURLADS' HIGHEST GRADED NOT DRAFTED....BUT MADE A TEAM AS A FREE AGENT

The Arizona Cardinals signed A.J. Jefferson as a free agent and made the 53 man roster. What Ourlads said about him in the 2010 Draft GUIDE:

Jefferson, AJ Fresno State 6001 193 4.48
Two-year starter. Top rated defensive back athletic workout at the Combine. Outstanding kickoff return specialist averaging 32.2 yards per return in his career. Played only two years of high school football. Speed and athletic ability is his game. Still learning how to play corner. Needs technique work in both man to man and zone coverage concepts. Has short area and lateral quickness. Ball skills are off. Plays the receiver, not the ball. Can bend his knees and drop his butt in his backpedal. Some wasted motion and false steps in transition. However, has hip flexibility. A drag down type tackler. A developmental corner with raw tools. Productive with a 32.2 kickoff return average and 2 touchdowns in his career. Had 108 career tackles and broke up 12 passes. BTR:left 4.51, right 4.33. OSR:1/29. Fourth/fifth round. (A-32 1/2, H-9 1/4, VJ-44, SS-4.00).

ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT: DEXTER MC CLUSTER,KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Dexter McCluster set a Chiefs record with a 94-yard punt return for a touchdown in a win over San Diego. What OURLADS said about him in the 2010 GUIDE:


McCluster, Dexter Mississippi 5086 172 4.56
Started 29 games in his career. Ultra quick but undersized explosive back/receiver combination. Good route runner with dependable hands. Third down type back. Slippery. Can make the tackler miss in the open field with rare quickness. A small framed runner with a slender lower body that is dangerous and a threat to go the distance. Speed and quickness to turn the corner and shake a defensive back with his quick feet. A playmaker that is explosive into and out of the hole. Fearless to go after the ball in flight and lay out. Takes the direct snap in the Wildcat formation. Weaves and accelerates through traffic. Explosive on designed cut back plays. A tough kid with courage. Will try to block. Lacks bulk. Durability will always be a concern because of his build and running style. Electric out of Wildcat. Good contact balance. Quick stop and go moves. Can burst by the tacklers. Quickness and speed to outrun angles (see Tennessee game.) Good running skills, vision, and cutting ability. A darter. For his career he had 304 rushes for 1955 yards, 6.4 yards per carry, and 15 touchdowns. He also had 130 receptions for 1703 yards and 7 touchdowns. Has rare strength for his size. OSR:12/28. Second/third round. (A-29 1/4, H-8 3/8, BP-20, SS-4.05).

Ourlads Rehash 2009 GUIDE: ARIAN FOSTER, Houston Texans

Foster, Arian Tennessee 6006 226 4.60
Started 33 games over the past four years. Rotated with Montario Hardesty. Versatile back that can run and catch. Power runner that can turn the corner. Good balance. Effective on the inside zone running plays out of the one back set. Question ball security. Best running between the tackles. Lacks long finish speed. One speed downhill runner with limited burst. Ball control type back. Appeared to shut it down his senior year and was not nearly as productive as in previous years. Upright runner that lacks the power he showed previously. Lacked consistency and the ability to hold onto the ball. Lacked the confidence to be a playmaker at crunch time. Not dependable and reliable to make the plays when needed. Injury history is a concern. Question competitiveness. Long arms. Left the Senior Bowl with a hamstring injury after the first day. Did not workout at the Combine.Ourlads grade: Seventh round. (A-33 3/8, H-9 7/8, BP-23, SS-4.53). FOSTER HAD A BREAKOUT GAME AGAINST THE COLTS ON 9/12/10 WITH 231 YARDS. SECOND BEST OPENING DAY RUSHING PERFORMANCE IN NFL HISTORY. WAS SIGNED BY THE TEXANS AS A FREE AGENT. ELEVATED FROM THE PRACTICE SQUAD IN 2009.

2011 NFL Draft, Offensive Tackle, Nate Solder, Colorado

Three-year starter. Moved from tight end to tackle the spring of 2008. Long arms (34 ½”). A good athlete who can lock out and shock a defender in pass protection. Has a 32-inch vertical jump. Has quickness and functional strength. Easy light feet to slide laterally and adjust his block to a speed rusher. He can block the edge. Dominated Texas A&M pass rusher, Von Miller, in their head to head match up. Good body control and balance. Sudden to redirect. Knows how to use his long arms. Patient - lets the pass rusher come to him. Plays with natural knee bend. Can handle a defender’s spin move with foot quickness and balance. Uses good footwork to gain depth. Shows the ability to adjust and block different looks. Position wall off in the run game. Productive over career at left tackle.

2011 NFL Draft, Offensive Tackle, Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

Four-year starter who plays on a team that wants to run the ball. Long arms (34 ½”) and big hands (10”). Plays in a pre-set stance when the team throws the ball. A long torso guy (good trait) who works to keep his hands inside. Will compete. Had a three hour battle with Eagle first round pick Brandon Graham last year. Effective as a run blocker and pass protector. Works to keep his knees bent. Has the ability to regain body control and balance. Mentally and physically tough player. Plays with attitude and aggression while maintaining a good power base. Stays square to shadow rusher and run them up the field past the quarterback. Gets depth quickly in pass pro. Will cut off defenders away from play. Maintains contact with target and works to finish. Better in close quarters than in space.