g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Donald StephensonOLT-OLG Oklahoma6'5 1/2"312lbs.4.98/4034 7/8" Arms9 7/8" HandNotes:The Missouri prep played in only three games as a senior because of a broken toe. Redshirted in 2007. Saw action in seven games as a reserve offensive lineman in '08. Was suspended for the '09 season for a violation of team rules. Started 10-of-14 games in which he played at left tackle in '10, recording 103 knockdown blocks. Started all 13 games at left tackle in '11.Positives:Very good athlete with outstanding arm length and good feet to shuffle, slide and cut off the corner in pass protection (even if he does not always use it). Clocked the best 40 time (4.98 seconds) among offensive tackles and the best vertical jump (35 1/2 inches) of any lineman at the combine.Negatives:Soft playing disposition and on-field temperment. Average hand use - too often catches and lets defenders into his body. Does not play with power or physicality. Weight room numbers do not consistently correlate to the field. Undisciplined off the field. Average anchor strength. Needs to spend more time in the weight room - bench-pressed 225 only 19 times. Can do a better job finishing blocks. Is only a one year full-time starter.Summary:A highly athletic, undisciplined college left tackle who waited until his senior season for the light to flicker and opened some eyes at the combine. Has clear starting-caliber athletic traits, but must prove that he is willing to work, commit himself to the game and will not cash-out mentally after a big payday. Developmental zone blocker.NFL Projection: Fourth-to-Fifth Round PickPFW Ranking: #15th best Offensive Tackle, #160 overall NFL draft prospect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird310 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 No thank you ......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 about 1:50 into the video they talk about Donald Stephenson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Stephenson is a "boom or bust" developmental prospect to me - has all the tools but has not played much at college level, does not sound like a hard worker and has had some off-field issues - I want to know what he did to get suspended for an ENTIRE YEAR in 2009.....guys are smokin' weed and stealing computers and only get suspended for a game or two - but he got suspended for one year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FlyDirty Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Geez. Those bench numbers are pretty paltry. I know weight room isn't everything...but I wonder how many offensive linemen have been NFL starters with such low reps. I was high on the guy as a sleeper- after reading this- I have some doubts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Jeff Allen vs. Donald StephensonJeff Allen = not ideal size/physique/arms but is a technician who has done nothing but produce and is solid citizen on and off the field - steady player.Donald Stephenson = body beautiful, very athletic, long arms who has a short history in college game and has work ethic and character issues.One of these guys sounds like a Falcons type player while the other sounds like a Raiders/Bengals type.We will know Falcons are shifting to more athletes and less choir boys if they take Stephenson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird310 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 This guy is just another Reynolds ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftfield Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 yes this guy has the talent - he needs discipline and mentoring. If the character issue for the year long ban is not to heinous then we should see if the Falcon filter can occasionally groom and rehab someone who walks the line!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niels petersen Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) I'm just not sure about this guy.. I know he's a developmental player and all, but I really don't like it when players on the line of scrimmage don't use their hands well. Good hand usage can help an average athlete be much better, than a great athlete who lacks good hand usage. I just don't know about this guy...I'd rather have a better technician than a physical wonder if he's not doing it right. Edited April 17, 2012 by niels petersen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capologist Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Jeff Allen = Sam Baker... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niels petersen Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 We will know Falcons are shifting to more athletes and less choir boys if they take Stephenson.Except he doesn't really play hard. Doesn't mean much if he's essentially a choir boy when playing on the field. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 my problem w/ Stephenson is he just sounds LAZY to me - this guy should be a first round pick given his athleticism and size - but he's going to go between the 3rd and 5th rounds. Why? Because he is a lazy, undisciplined young man and player. 19 reps at 225 for a 300+lb player = LAZY.Can he grow up? "yeah"Will he? "most don't" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Jeff Allen = Sam Baker...cappy, you might as well say Jeff Allen is SATAN himself if you are going to compare him to Sam Baker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Carasik Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Stephenson is a "boom or bust" developmental prospect to me - has all the tools but has not played much at college level, does not sound like a hard worker and has had some off-field issues - I want to know what he did to get suspended for an ENTIRE YEAR in 2009.....guys are smokin' weed and stealing computers and only get suspended for a game or two - but he got suspended for one year!He wasn't academically eligible for fall semester that year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niels petersen Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 my problem w/ Stephenson is he just sounds LAZY to me - this guy should be a first round pick given his athleticism and size - but he's going to go between the 3rd and 5th rounds. Why? Because he is a lazy, undisciplined young man and player. 19 reps at 225 for a 300+lb player = LAZY.Can he grow up? "yeah"Will he? "most don't"Yeah, I'd much rather have a less athletically gifted player who really wants to play hard, than a gifted one with no intention on getting better after getting a paycheck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftfield Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 (edited) Another project is Nate Potter who seems to be a little bit light in the upper body strength dept....apart from that he has the skillsNate Potter Positives: Tall, reliable blocker with long arms, good agility and a solid initial punch. Knocks rushers off their route. Has experience at guard. Shows the speed to recover and slide back into his set but gets too narrow-based. Has jackhammer hands and delivers constant hits until the play is over. Has light, quick feet sliding but only adequate overall burst. Strong enough to control and plant linebackers and safeties attacking gaps.Negatives: Average upper-body strength. Lacks the sand in his pants to withstand bull rushers in the NFL. Adequate initial burst should be far better and isn't good enough to consistently hold out elite pass rushers. Doesn't always get his arms up and extended and can be hip-tossed off balance.from cbshe projects from the 4th - 6th rnds Edited April 17, 2012 by Vinrouge Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Carasik Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Jeff Allen vs. Donald StephensonJeff Allen = not ideal size/physique/arms but is a technician who has done nothing but produce and is solid citizen on and off the field - steady player.Donald Stephenson = body beautiful, very athletic, long arms who has a short history in college game and has work ethic and character issues.One of these guys sounds like a Falcons type player while the other sounds like a Raiders/Bengals type.We will know Falcons are shifting to more athletes and less choir boys if they take Stephenson.Stephenson is one that I've looked into myself heavily. He doesn't have character issues. He has educational issues. He isn't a good student and that's why he got suspended for a year (Academically ineligible). On the field his thing is that he is just vastly inexperienced. I think he would be great to pick and then develop for a year with Will Svitek. Have him compete for his job every year and see what happens. I'd take him with the 5th rounder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Yeah, I'd much rather have a less athletically gifted player who really wants to play hard, than a gifted one with no intention on getting better after getting a paycheck!I would be OK if Falcons took a flyer on Stephenson in the 5th round but we don't need to use one of our premium 2nd/3rd round picks on a guy that does not try to be the best player that he can be........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Carasik Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Another project is Nate Potter who seems to be a little bit light in the upper body strength dept....apart from that he has the skillsNate Potter Positives: Tall, reliable blocker with long arms, good agility and a solid initial punch. Knocks rushers off their route. Has experience at guard. Shows the speed to recover and slide back into his set but gets too narrow-based. Has jackhammer hands and delivers constant hits until the play is over. Has light, quick feet sliding but only adequate overall burst. Strong enough to control and plant linebackers and safeties attacking gaps.Negatives: Average upper-body strength. Lacks the sand in his pants to withstand bull rushers in the NFL. Adequate initial burst should be far better and isn't good enough to consistently hold out elite pass rushers. Doesn't always get his arms up and extended and can be hip-tossed off balance.from cbshe projects from the 4th - 6th rndsHe's one of my favorites as well. Potter has excellent agility and is easily a man to play at Left Tackle in the pros. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 Stephenson is one that I've looked into myself heavily. He doesn't have character issues. He has educational issues. He isn't a good student and that's why he got suspended for a year (Academically ineligible). On the field his thing is that he is just vastly inexperienced. I think he would be great to pick and then develop for a year with Will Svitek. Have him compete for his job every year and see what happens. I'd take him with the 5th rounder.agreed......but Scott he will likely be gone by the time we get to Falcons Fifth Rounder - so if you want him, you probably have to take him in 4th round. Nolan Narwocki of PFW said he has heard that a few teams have him w/ a first round grade - having said that, Narwocki said he thought he was 4th/5th round prospect.He's one of my favorites as well. Potter has excellent agility and is easily a man to play at Left Tackle in the pros.I love Nate Potter with 5th round pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebird310 Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Why not just wait and go LT next year when we actually have a #1 pick instead of wasting a roster spot on this flotsam ?........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Carasik Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 agreed......but Scott he will likely be gone by the time we get to Falcons Fifth Rounder - so if you want him, you probably have to take him in 4th round. Nolan Narwocki of PFW said he has heard that a few teams have him w/ a first round grade - having said that, Narwocki said he thought he was 4th/5th round prospect.I love Nate Potter with 5th round pick.I'm sure a few teams do have a 1st round grade on him... talent wise. But they will lower him for other reasons.Potter is a good OT too. All this being said, Stephenson is the most athletic OT I have ever graded in my short time doing this. I've never seen one with such high marks in my speed and agility scores, and his leg explosion is through the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psychic Gibbon Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I never like to hear the descriptor 'soft' in O-line prospects. Well, I don't like hearing that for any football player, but I really don't like it in O-line prospects. He also comes off as if he's a pain in the *** in the locker room as well. No thank you. Has PFW done pieces on Mitchell Schwartz or Tom Compton yet? The Falcons have shown interest in both and Schwartz interests me as a possible 3rd round pickup. He seems to have all the tools you'd like but just lacks the technique to put them all together. Similarly for Compton, but I see him being put inside instead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niels petersen Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 I would be OK if Falcons took a flyer on Stephenson in the 5th round but we don't need to use one of our premium 2nd/3rd round picks on a guy that does not try to be the best player that he can be........If we want an athletic dude, what about James Brown in the 3rd (is he's not gone by then)?? Or is that also too much of a gamble, given it is a 3rd round pick, and Brown projects to be a Guard in the NFL despite only playing LT in college? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
g-dawg Posted April 17, 2012 Author Share Posted April 17, 2012 I never like to hear the descriptor 'soft' in O-line prospects. Well, I don't like hearing that for any football player, but I really don't like it in O-line prospects. He also comes off as if he's a pain in the *** in the locker room as well. No thank you. Has PFW done pieces on Mitchell Schwartz or Tom Compton yet? The Falcons have shown interest in both and Schwartz interests me as a possible 3rd round pickup. He seems to have all the tools you'd like but just lacks the technique to put them all together. Similarly for Compton, but I see him being put inside instead.I will try and post later as time permits......I have to type each of these things out by hand because I have it in a book - not on-line where I can cut/paste. That is how much I love you guys (in a very hetero kind of way) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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