Film study: Analyzing the SEC's first-round draft prospects

Back in April, the SEC dominated the 2016 NFL Draft, having the most players selected by a conference for the 10th consecutive year. Heading into the 2016 college football campaign they once project to lead the way in first round talent.

As preseason camps open this week across the SEC, here are 14 players in the first-round discussion.

Cam Robinson, OT, Alabama

Robinson is a “designed in the laboratory” modern-age offensive tackle. He is a stunning and sudden athlete for the position, with a natural kicks-step vs speed, the ability to drop anchor and absorb power, and a fighter when pass-rushers look to counter move.

His early 2015 tape shows some concerns, he can be beaten inside and late to react. But late 2015 and his 2014 tape vs Dante Fowler and the Florida Gators cements him as the best tackle prospect in the nation heading into 2016.

His offseason arrest was a big issue around the SEC world, but charges were dismissed. And given their recent form, it will likely be a non-issue for NFL organizations.

Myles Garrett, OLB, Texas A&M

When Garrett woke up this morning he was one of the 10 most talented pass-rushers walking the earth.

Prepare yourself for plenty of Von Miller comparisons given Garrett’s skill-set and school. While he does have a lethal get-off, and is a natural edge-bender, he doesn’t quite convert speed-to-power as well as the former Aggie, and must develop a greater pass-rushing arsenal moving forward as he’s mostly a dip-and-rip outside rusher right now, though he has flashed the ability to generate pressure inside.

Garrett is the presumptive favorite to be the first non-quarterback off the board in 2017, and league scouts are already buzzing about his potential, with comparisons to both Miller and former number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney already underway. His initial explosion is about as rare a trait as you can find, and he would likely have been a top-three pick were he eligible last week.

Carl Lawson, DE, Auburn

One of the most difficult projections at this stage in the season. Like Garrett, Lawson is an explosive edge-rusher, with more violent hands. He is a speed-to-power phenom who does a really nice job of keeping lineman off his pads, maintaining leverage in the run game, and hunting quarterbacks.

Part of Lawson’s star-power is his ability to line up all over the defensive front. He can play with his hand in the dirt, stand up, or inside on third down or in obvious passing situations. His tape from Week 1 of 2015 vs Louisville is off-the-charts. He was simply unblockable, lining up at multiple spots and being consistently doubled, tripled and cut-blocked.

Here he is, lining up inside on a third down sub-package.

Despite all of that, he remains difficult to project.

His on-the-field talent is evident, but the production has not followed that talent and he missed all of 2014 with an ACL injury and had to sit out a number of games in 2015 with more injury concerns. If he can remain healthy, I believe he will be a menacing force in the SEC and have a shot at being a top-10 pick.

Leonard Fournette, RB, LSU

It’s not a very good year to have the “are running backs worthy of a first round pick” debate, with at least five potential first-round backs, and two from the SEC.

Leonard Fournette leads the way with an overwhelming combination of size, speed and power. The hype has already been immense, and expect the comparisons to Adrian Peterson to continue throughout the 2016 season.

After being a pure “see hole, hit hole” runner in 2014, Fournette’s development in 2015 was stark. He’s added more elusiveness to his game, and beyond the physical measurements he sports good vision and a willingness to initiate contact.

Jalen Tabor, CB, Florida

The Gators’ defensive backs room continues to send first-round talent to the NFL and Tabor is the next in line. He is an exceptional height-weight-speed athlete, with good change of direction skills and short area quickness.

With Vernon Hargreaves gone, it will be interesting to see how he steps up. Tabor will now be challenged one-on-one with the opposition’s No. 1 receiver and will have to do a much better job playing the game from the neck up.

There is no doubting his athletic ability, but he too often he is caught peaking in the backfield, and is too late to read-and-react.

Jonathan Allen, DL, Alabama

Allen opted to return to school for the 2016 season and should see an increase in snaps with A’Shawn Robinson and Jarran Reed moving onto the NFL.

Like Robinson and Reed, Allen is a powerful player who can line up inside or outside. He is a massive two-gapping lineman, who holds the point of attack well and offers more than Reed or Robinson as a pass-rusher.

Tim Williams, OLB, Alabama

The 2017 Draft is the year of edge-rushers and running backs.

A former top recruit, Williams projects as a sub-package pass-rusher and dominated in that role for Alabama – I wrote more about how the Tide gets the most out of Williams here. Whether he can develop into a three-down player will be the biggest question mark, and while that hasn’t stopped the likes of ex-Clemson edge-rusher Vic Beasley going in the first round, it is something to watch for throughout the year.

Jarrad Davis, LB, Florida

Davis is a twitchy linebacker, with good enough sideline-to-sideline range and enough athleticism to stay on the field for all three downs. He is at his best when coming downhill and shooting gaps, penetrating the offensive line and flying into the backfield.

Davis passed up a chance to leave school early to return to Florida, and while the inside linebacker/weakside role has been diminished in the first round, if Davis can flash more coverage skills he will work his way into the first-round discussion.

Derek Barnett, DE, Tennessee

Barnett didn’t receive the same recruiting hype as Garrett, but he is now drawing similar traction from scouts excited to see what he can produce in his final year with the Vols.

Unlike Garrett, Barnett is a natural defensive end in a four-man front.

He is a dominant run defender who can overwhelm lineman at the point of attack, and wreaks havoc in the opposition backfield. As a pass-rusher he has grown immensely. He can play stiff at times and be too upright at the point of attack, but as last year went along he improved as an edge-bender, and he converts speed-to-power as well as any player in the nation.

How he handles being consistently double-teamed in 2016 will be interesting, when teams leave him one-on-one he can singlehandedly wreck a drive.

O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama

In a weak tight end class, Howard would have had a chance to be the first tight end of the board in this past draft. Though his production has been lacking, his measurables are off-the-charts, and his explosion against Clemson in the national championship game showed what he his capable of when force-fed and consistently given the ball.

He is a quality athlete for the position, with very good top-end speed, good short area quickness and a naturally big catching radius.

If he is fully used in 2016 he will challenge Michigan’s Jake Butt to be the first tight end taken in next year’s draft.

Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

How Chubb recovers from his injuries will be the key to his draft stock. As a runner, he is powerful, elusive and has unparalleled short area quickness and balance. His tape and production are stunning. Remaining healthy will be the key to his first round status.

Charles Harris, DE/OLB, Missouri

Harris is another in a long line of Missouri edge defenders moving on to the NFL. Though he can get overwhelmed at the POA, he is a technician and hand-fighter when rushing the passer. His motor improved last year, and his play in space gets better game by game.

Like Lawson, part of Harris’ appeal is his versatility; he can stand up as a linebacker, put his hand in the dirt, and align all across the defensive formation. Unlike other pass-rushers in the class, Harris has shown a plethora of pass-rushing moves; winning inside and outside with bull, swim and rip moves.

The school has churned out NFL talent across their defensive-front in the past five years, and Harris may be the most talented one since Aldon Smith.

Jamal Adams, S, LSU

Adams is a versatile safety who can make plays from centerfield, in the slot, or at the line of scrimmage. As a deep centerfielder he shows good range, anticipation and diagnose and attack instincts. However, Adams is at his best when closer to the line of scrimmage, or attacking of the edge. He takes quality angles to the ball carrier, can stack-and-shed, and never avoids contact.

In an era when all NFL teams are playing nickel and dime packages a minimum of 60 percent of the time, we are seeing more and more three-safety packages. Adams’ athletic profile/skills have taken him from a traditional “tweener” to a modern-age moveable chess piece.

Other Considerations; Chad Kelly (QB, Ole Miss), Jalen Reeves-Maybin (LB, Tennessee), Tre’Davious White (CB, LSU), Malachi Dupree (WR, LSU), Armani Watts (S, Texas A&M).