Following up on
last week's breakdown of Jay Ward, Mekhi Wingo, Will Campbell and Malik Nabers I will give my personal scouting report on 4 players picked last week (Brian Thomas, Emery Jones, Harold Perkins, Mason Taylor). Feel free to suggest some more to be done next week.
** On player comps: You never comp someone to an average player. That said, by no means does a player comp mean that said player will be as good as the comp.
Harold Perkins: 6-1, 225, Freshman
Player Comp: Lavonte David
Strengths:
Insane speed
Athleticism
Instincts
Multi-level 3-down potential
Fluidity
Aggressiveness
Closing speed
Solid tackler
There's so much to love about this young man's game. He is a modern do-it-all athlete at the linebacker position and his physical abilities mirror that of some LSU greats in recent years: Devin White, Patrick Queen, Kwon Alexander most notably. Perkins ability to close on the ball carrier is unique and reminiscent of Buccaneers great Lavonte David. He is young, so you see some initial steps out of position at times, but his ability to recover and finish is as good as anyone in the country and he is still a freshman. Perkins's ability to flip his hips and change direction are elite and one of the traits that should help him transition into a multi-level defender, as he's relegated to blitz packages and run fitting. His overall athleticism, fluidity and speed should allow him to become a versatile piece that can also provide contributions in coverage.
LSU has used him well, although not enough at times, by allowing him to bring pressure or play the spy against mobile quarterbacks. Perkins's burst and closing speed is often noticed most when he is the backside defender chasing down stretch and jet sweeps from the backside. He takes hard angles in pursuit and reacts well to his keys for a young linebacker. This kid has future All-American written all over him.
Emery Jones: 6-4, 315, Freshman
Player Comp: La'El Collins
Strengths:
Physicality
Athleticism
Punch
Finishing Blocks
Leg Drive
Improving footwork
Nastiness
The right side of LSU's line has been stellar in the running game and has been fairly solid in pass protection in recent weeks. Freshman Emery Jones is a big reason why as the young mauler has proven to be worthy and capable of being LSU's starting right tackle. Jones isn't the tallest tackle (LSU lists him at 6-6 LoL) and he adds to the natural advantages it may present in regards to playing leverage, but Jones amplifies it by firing off low and showing tremendous power in his hips as he uncoils to initiate contact. He does a good job getting his feet in position for the assignment and shows the athleticism to handle the edge in kick step or climb to the second level in certain blocking schemes. His initial punch is powerful, although he can get caught lunging from time to time, but he recovers fairly well. Jones shows great lower and upper body strength for his age which is apparent in his ability to bend back the opposition and create a thud with his initial punch. But it is his leg drive that puts the most pressure on defenders as he often obliterates the down lineman in front of him while maintaining a flat back and the desire to finish with authority.
Jones is a finisher. He is extremely physical at this stage of his development which was paramount in getting him the lineup early. He is magnificent on kick out blocks using good foot quickness to get in position which allows his strength and tenacity to take hold. Jones is longer than he is tall, with quite a wingspan for a guy sniffing 6-4, which he uses well to lock out at times. Like Campbell, he can initially lose the hand fighting battle but does a good job grappling for position.
Brain Thomas: 6-4, 215, Sophomore
Player Comp: Herman Moore
Strengths:
High Pointing
Smooth out of his breaks
Soft Hands
Athleticism
Short area quickness
Skillset for bigger receiver
Everyone knew there was a lot of talent in the LSU wide receiver room and it was guys like Brian Thomas that we were all looking forward to seeing. Well, he has shown all the ability necessary to be an impact receiver in this league. BT's best attributes are his frame/athleticism combo that he takes full advantage of to high point balls and contort his body to make tougher catches. He is a solid 6-4 with long arms and big hands that he uses in unison to tower over smaller defenders. His basketball background is apparent when Thomas attacks the ball. This is something we all knew he had coming out of high school, but is his ever-improving skillset and fluidity that is turning him into an all-around receiver. Thomas has shown some craftiness in his releases, the way he attacks leverage and his ability to set someone up for exploitation at the top of the route. His ability to transition, shift his body weight and get out of his breaks is impressive for a guy his size.
While Thomas has above average short area quickness for his size, likely attributed to basketball, he is still 6-4 and over 200 pounds, so gearing down and accelerating is still below that of smaller, quicker receivers. There are times corners seize the moment and close the cushion while he is transition or simply are able to undercut routes with a smoother transition of their own. This will always be his biggest hinderance, but he has already shown that he is quickly improving in this regard. Thomas is looking like a solid NFL prospect at this stage of his development.
Mason Taylor: 6-5, 240, Freshman
Player Comp: Kyle Rudolph
Strengths:
Well rounded game
Reliable hands
Decent athleticism
Run Blocking
Strength
Technique/Skill
Physicality
It wasn't a surprise to see LSU give freshman tight end Mason Taylor significant snaps early, but it has been somewhat surprising to see him lockdown the starting spot and not look back. Tight ends don't routinely transition to early playing time in the SEC, but Taylor's game is so well rounded that he checks off a lot of boxes. Once you take his physique, physicality and his willingness and ability as a run blocker, you have yourself an All-Freshmen Team candidate. MT has won his fair share of battles in the trenches blocking the edge for LSU. He fights in the running game, showing good strength, technique and tenacity. He has shown above average athleticism for the position as well, which shows up as a pass catcher for LSU. He does a good job working in between the hashes, shows an understanding of zone coverage and when to sit and possesses enough athleticism to make things difficult for linebackers trying to run with him. He is assertive after the catch as well which has allowed him to be productive after the catch. He doesn't fight the ball as a pass catcher and the only issues that have surfaced thus far are concentration related. He shows both soft hands when catching uncontested balls and strong hands when securing the ball in traffic.
Taylor doesn't have elite explosiveness, speed or quickness, but he is adequate enough in those aspects to be really good when coupled with his ability to catch the ball, his overall skillset and his advanced technical level as a blocker. He won't likely become a vertical threat, but one has to respect his ability to work 15-yards and in in the passing game. He should be a valuable redzone option in time as well.
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