Scouting The Scouting Reports: Aaron Williams, Kelvin Sheppard
by MattRichWarren on May 3, 2011 11:15 AM EDT
in 2011 NFL Draft
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PrintThis morning, we take a closer look at the Buffalo Bills' second- and third-round selections, Texas CB Aaron Williams and LSU LB Kelvin Sheppard, by examining the top scouting reports compiled during the draft process.
Aaron Williams NFL Draft scouting report - Mocking The Draft
No. 43 overall and the fourth-ranked cornerback, Dan Kadar says "Williams has the tools to be an exceptional cornerback."
Aaron Williams, Texas, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
33rd overall and fourth at CB. "Williams received a second-round grade from the NFL Advisory Committee because of his prototypical height, short-area quickness and a strong ability to knock away passes. However, he does not play as physically as you would expect given his size and must refine his technique. Expect Williams to be picked at the bottom of the first round of middle of the second."
Kelvin Sheppard Scouting Report - NFL Draft Geek
"Kelvin Sheppard does not have the elite athleticism to be a star, and is not a flashy player, but he is rock solid, and his production speaks for itself. He is a very safe pick who will be a productive player in this league for a long time. He should go some time in the early-to-mid second round." He was the 35th overall player on their board.
Round 2 - CB Aaron Williams
Aaron Williams, Texas, NFL Draft - DraftCountdown.com
Listed as their top-rated safety, Williams is a "starting-caliber talent".
National Football League: NFL Draft 2011 - Aaron Williams - NFL.com
"Chan Gailey proves his commitment to rebuilding his defense by taking one of the most aggressive cornerbacks in the draft. Williams has the size and strength that defensive coordinators covet on the outside but is also smart and tenacious enough to potential move to safety in their scheme. Regardless of where he lines up, he adds another talented defender to their young secondary."
2011 NFL Draft Scouting Report: Aaron Williams, CB, Texas :: KFFL.com
"Williams should be a late first- or early second-round choice in April's draft. He has the size teams look for at the position and, with a little coaching, could develop into a formidable player for years to come. "
Aaron Williams, CB, Texas Scouting Report - 2011 NFL Draft Prospect - FFToolbox
"The NFL will like his ability to make big plays, but Williams is also a very good athlete who can cover just about anybody quite effectively."
Draft Board Insider - Scouting Report - Aaron Williams CB Texas
Their fifth-ranked corner, this scouting report gives only his workout numbers from the combine.
Sideline Scouting - Aaron Williams Scouting Report
Fifth-ranked cornerback. Here's a nice look at the positives and negatives.
Draft Breakdown — Rankings
Williams is the 40th player on their board and fourth CB but doesn't have a scouting report.
Aaron Williams Scouting Report - NFL Draft Geek
"He has well rounded technique, and has a high football IQ, he always knows what is going on, and his aggressiveness makes up a lot for his lack of athleticism. Aaron Williams is a flat-out football player who will never be a star, but will be a very valuable player to an NFL defense in some way. He will be an early 2nd round selection. Reminds me a lot of Antrel Rolle, currently of the Giants."
Round 3
Kelvin Sheppard, L.S.U., NFL Draft - DraftCountdown.com
The number two ILB on the board: "Possesses adequate physical tools but it's the top-notch intangibles that really set him apart --- Type who does a lot of things real well but nothing great --- Profiles as a potential starter in the NFL."
National Football League: NFL Draft 2011 - Kelvin Sheppard - NFL.com
"Buddy Nix has committed to adding talent to the Bills' defense through the draft. Sheppard is a tough, physical linebacker with instincts and awareness. He will push for playing time immediately at one of the inside linebacker spots and could be one of the hidden gems of the draft."
Kelvin Sheppard, LSU, NFL Draft - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com
The 7th OLB and 144th overall player: "While he is blessed with enough size to consider keeping him at inside linebacker in the NFL, Sheppard's agility might ultimately be best utilized if he's moved back to the weak side [outside linebacker in a 4-3]."
2011 NFL Draft Player Rankings: Inside linebacker :: KFFL.com
Sheppard was the fifth-ranked ILB but didn't have a scouting report written up at KFFL.
Kelvin Sheppard, ILB, LSU Scouting Report - 2011 NFL Draft Prospect - FFToolbox
"Sheppard is the unquestioned leader of the LSU defense, and that's something to write home about when you consider the SEC statistics. He is a sure tackler and an emotional leader, but he might have to improve his speed just a bit if he wants to be an elite force at the next level. Look for Sheppard to be a third-round selection in the 2011 NFL Draft."
Scouting Report - Kelvin Sheppard ILB LSU - Draft Board Insider
He was the third-ranked ILB and you can find his combine numbers here.
Sideline Scouting - Kelvin Sheppard Scouting Report
This on the the list of ILBs. Here's a good rundown of his positives and negatives. "Limited upside, does everything fairly well, but doesn't appear to have a high ceiling in any particular facet of the game."
WalterFootball.com: 2011 NFL Draft: Inside Linebacker Rankings
"Sheppard has gotten a lot of hype this season, but I haven't seen him really produce on tape yet. I think he needs to step it up." Their fourth-ranked ILB.
Kelvin Sheppard NFL Draft Scouting Report - Mocking The Draft
Fifth-ranked MLB but Jon Dove doesn't particularly like this guy. He does like his strength and ability to engage blockers so he could be a great fit as a thumper. Labels him a fifth-round talent.
Draft Breakdown - Rankings
Sheppard is the 70th prospect on their board and second ILB. No scouting report.
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Shepperd reminds me of daryll,,,,
Talley….
Aeneas and Talley…..oh my!
gobills!
That OT we drafted reminds me a lot of Jackie Slater, the ex-ram who played more games than any non-kicker I think….20 seasons with one team.
He also reminds me of Sheppard as you can list many positives easily….great size, long arms, a left tackle moving to right (it seems that is a good way to find a right OT) A 3 yr starter at left (I wonder how many 3 yr. division one LOT’s with NFL size were in the draft? 5, 6 maybe?) 32 reps, no red flags, seems like a lot to me for a 4th rounder.
gobills!
PodunkO - The great post ender!
Pretty wild the Bills first two picks were guys who took out current starting QB’s in the NFL while in college.
Dareus injured McCory
Williams injured Bradford..
Follow Me here: http://twitter.com/Michael_Necci
Oh and one of our picks last yr
took out Mr. Iron man himself, Brett Favre
if you cant beat them BEAT them
where oh where has aaron maybin gone oh where can he be
was picked so high and not one has seen oh where can maybin be
seriously where the hell is he ?
Reading these reports makes me even more concerned about Williams
Perhaps Buddy Nix knows what he is doing, but everything I have read on Williams leads me to believe that he is far better suited for FS than CB, which makes him a terrible fit for the Bills. Indeed, just about everything Dan Kadar says about him strikes me as negative if one wants him to be a starting CB. He lacks everything — speed, instincts, good hands for interceptions, ability to stay with his man in man coverage (he is said to be better in “off-man coverage,” giving the receiver a wide cushion), etc. Rang at CBS writes “Lacks recovery speed if beaten off the line and does not gain ground running down the field.” Like Kadar, Rang describes him as not very physical, an “inconsistent tackler,” and lacking good instincts to play CB. And on it goes.
He does sound like he would make a good FS (although there it helps to be able to catch the ball for picks and to be tough and physical). However, we already have an excellent FS in Jarius Byrd, who is only entering his 3rd year in the NFL and has a long career ahead of him. We also have George Wilson who can take over at FS if Byrd is injured, and now Searcy.
All of which leads to the question: why in blazes did the Bills waste a high 2nd round pick on Williams, especially when there were so many other mouth-watering choices available (Kyle Rudolph, for example)? It’s not that I have anything against this kid — he could do very well on another team — but in the context of the Bills he may very well turn out to be a bust of a draft pick (as opposed to a bust of a player).
Sheppard I continue to like a lot, even though the reports on him are mixed.
Byrd to SS
look at his numbers last year….he is becoming a much bett tackler. Donte isnt coming back, and Wilson was just resigned, but is more of a backup than starter. I see at first Byrd at FS and Wilson at SS to start the season, but wouldnt be surprised if Byrd was starting at SS and Williams at FS by the end of the year.
Byrd is WAY too small to be a SS.............
The score dictated they pass
by norcaliangelsfan on May 3, 2011 1:09 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't think its a big distinction
One of the scouts was talking about it over the weekend, but with every year there is less and less difference between FS and SS, due to teams splitting more guys out wide and than shifting them around. As a result, the guy you have lined up at SS has to get deep, and vice versa for the FS.
The main idea, than, is you have to be able to do both, or the player becomes a liability that the other team will exploit.
For a team like the Bills who have a hard time stopping the run.........
A guy who is barely 200 lbs (and thats on a good day after lunch before a dump) is not really someone you want coming down in the box from time to time for run support.
The score dictated they pass
by norcaliangelsfan on May 3, 2011 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions
If he’s playing safety at either spot, he has to. And he showed marked improvement last year, so let’s hope that trend continues.
Also, Polumalu is only 207, and Leonhard is 188; weighing 200 lbs is not a problem.
The difference between Polumalu and Byrd is much more than just the 7-10 lbs........
The score dictated they pass
by norcaliangelsfan on May 3, 2011 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Sure
But the point you raised implied that his weight was insufficient to be a good run safety, which I don’t agree with.
Why would you want to move Byrd to SS?
He is such a great center-fielder, with very good hands. He is perfect for FS. And besides, we have George Wilson, who I always thought was a better SS than Whitner, as well as Bryan Scott, who is also underappreciated (he is about as good as it gets at covering TE’s). And added to that, the Bills have now drafted Searcy, who is built to be a SS and has all the skills you want want at that position. So we are overloaded at SS. If that is true, what sense would it make to move Byrd there? And if you are not going to move Byrd, why on earth pick Williams (a natural FS) at pick #34?
Depth.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
Absolutely
But it’s not like “depth” and the other reasons you draft a player (need, starting potential, scheme fit, elite player potential) are mutually exclusive. Dareus was drafted for depth, among other reasons.
Also, I disagree that Williams is better suited at FS than at CB.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
They are all speculation, and based more on the conclusion of the guys writing them than any mutual understanding amongst NFL personnel people.
Watch Buddy’s comments, and that’s not the impression you walk away with.
Yeah, I agree.
The way Buddy sounds, Williams is going to be a CB on this team.
Lets Go Buff a lo!!!
Dan Kadar and Rob Rang were not engaging in “speculation,” but rather summing up the EVIDENCE they saw while watching Williams perform on the field during college. Buddy was engaged in the usual hype GM provide after a player is drafted. There a huge difference between evidence and hype.
1) Evidence would be the tape, first hand accounts, and physical attributes. Scouting reports are the interpretation of that Kadar and Rang’s opinions of what position Williams will play, especially when it is change from what he played in college, are certainly speculation.
2) Dan Kadar and Rob Rang are two guys who have no experience scouting. I’m not saying that means they don’t do a good job, or can’t provide insight; however it also means we shouldn’t be taking their reports as gospel.
3) If there’s one area where Buddy at the rest of the staff are direct, it’s how they plan to use players. Obviously things can change, but I don’t think “hyperbole” is an appropriate word here.
Another note...
By scouting I mean actually working as a scout for a team. I understand journalists do their best to emulate that, but it’s impossible to simulate exposure to the internal forces scouts have to deal with.
Those “scouting reports” are anything but gospel, and I’m usually the one who is being critical of them, but so many of them seem to be saying the same thing about this prospect. As for professional scouts, they can get things wrong as well (see Maybin, Aaron). We will know for sure when Williams finally gets on the field.
I didn't propose moving Byrd to SS
I said you need both skill sets to play either position in the NFL, especially when you run Cover 2.
Also, I think the idea that Williams is a natural FS is a big assumption. My feeling is he is going to be playing mostly CB for us, based on Buddy’s comments of the need to get bigger at that position, bigger WRs in the NFL, and our current depth chart.
Why do we need to get bigger at CB? Both Leo and Drayton Florence (who is likely coming back) are pretty tall.
you answered your own question.
big or tall are 2 different things
When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.
by J2 on May 3, 2011 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Williams has 2 inches and about 20 pounds on McKelvin, and 10 pounds at the same height as Florence.
Also, Florence isn’t likely coming back, we’re likely going to make him an offer. Florence is no certainty to comeback, especially if another team offers significantly more. We have to be ready in the event he leaves.
why in blazes did the Bills waste a high 2nd round pick on Williams, especially when there were so many other mouth-watering choices available (Kyle Rudolph, for example)?
I think it’s pretty clear that if Williams is what Buddy thinks he is it won’t be a waste at all. I wanted to take Rudolph as well, but the depth at CB was harrowing before the draft. Finally, CB is a more important position than TE, so that factored in as well.
I agree that CB is a more important position than TE, but it seems to me that the scoutign reports say clearly that Williams is not a natural CB. He is a much better fit at nickel back or FS. Yes, nickel back is also important, but do you use a #34 overall pick on someone who can play the nickel but not the sidelines?
The scouting reports aren’t exactly consistent, and they had him at both depending on the which “scout” was talking. It’s way too early too talk definitively about Williams role within the defense, and a position change is possible after his career starts. A lot will depend on his performance, obviously.
That said, I think there’s no way we would draft Williams if the scouts didn’t see him potentially being a very good starting corner. Even the reports that projected him as a safety made mention of enough tools that would allow him to achieve that.
However, we already have an excellent FS in Jarius Byrd
Look, I like Byrd too, but hes hardly excellent.
Lets Go Buff a lo!!!
Who did? If he didn’t, he was close.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
Florence did.
Florence: 3 int’s, 2 fr
Byrd: 1 int, 2 fr
Wilson: 2 int’s, 1 fr
Our turnovers were less than stellar last year. And Byrd only had 3. Only 1 interception. Which is why I originally said he isnt excellent. And also you could argue that majority of his interceptions from ’09 were air-mailed to him on a silver platter.
Again I like Byrd, but he isnt as good as he seems. Tackling did improve tho.
Lets Go Buff a lo!!!
Some of the fumble recoveries by other players were forced by Byrd though. I realize we’re not really arguing about anything, but didn’t he cause 5 or 6 fumbles last year?
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
Pro Football Reference has him with 3 FF’s but doesnt say whether or not they were recovered by Buffalo or recovered by the offense.
Lets Go Buff a lo!!!
Where did you get your info? You are incorrect bflo.
NFL .com says otherwise. Please note where you get your stats, if you dont your argurments are useless.
http://www.nfl.com/players/jairusbyrd/profile?id=BYR449897
http://www.nfl.com/players/draytonflorence/profile?id=FLO150404
Byrd to SS
i posted this earlier but it seems to have been taken down? I see Byrd FS and Wilson at SS, then as the year progresses i see Williams winning the FS job and Byrd being moved to SS. His tackling is getting alot better, and this would give us two playmaking safeties.
It hasn't
It has been responded to several times above.
"An offensive lineman from BC comes with a guaranteed pedigree stamp" - Wash. Post
When I read about him I kept thinking nickel corner. He’s not going to line up against Wes Welker and be great but he can cover a tight end or fill if they run it.
You can't have CHANGE without CHAN.
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by MattRichWarren on May 3, 2011 2:52 PM EDT up reply actions
It's funny
He doesn’t seem like the best guy to cover Welkah, but given how he’s built, it leads me to wonder if he might be the best guy to cover bigger elite guys like Braylon Edwards pretty early in his career.
But everyone, including Buddy Nix, says that he can’t keep up with speedy receivers going deep — they keep getting by him and gain major separation. That’s what happened with him repeatedly in college, which is why he learned to try to give speedy WR’s a big cushion. That’s of course what a FS does — or a mediocre CB.
I'd have to go back and watch the press conference again...
But I’m pretty sure that’s not how Buddy worded it, which would significantly alter the meaning.
Also, a corner can be really good without being an elite cover guy. Antoine Winfield comes to mind.
he said he he’d have trouble keeping up with guys 40-50 yards down the field.
at that point, though, the safety would come into play -which is probably why he doesn’t care
When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts.
by J2 on May 3, 2011 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
^ this
Official ledge-talker-offer of the Buffalo Bills.
Citi Field loves the mets so much it smothers them. -the caveman
Probably because Chad had him in the Senior Bowl
And Chad and the Bills scouts know a lot more about talent than any football writer does.
Wasn’t he a junior coming out of college? If so, he could not have played at the Senior Bowl (and I don’t remember him there).
I had been opposed to the Kyle Rudolph pick
in the second round. But I would have been much, much more satisfied with Rudolph than Aaron Williams. Williams lacks speed, instincts, aggressiveness, ball skills, etc…. The list of negatives seemed endless for this kid. Not only does appear unworthy of a second round pick, I’m not sure why he was ever on the Bills radar. After the Dareus pick, I think our regime did very, very poorly not only to draft players that can make an impact now, but also anytime in the future. This goes back to the old adage, you can’t teach speed. It seemed like Chix was more concerned about ‘character’ players than they were with actual talent and athleticism. Very disheartening.
This has been brought up before
But I honestly think that McGee is the best fit at strong safety for us. Before you jump to conclusions here, think about it.
- He’s one of the best open field tacklers we’ve got.
- He’s a ball hawk, and could be great at hunting down tight ends and receivers in open space.
- He’s got great instincts.
- And he deserves a shot to stay on this team in a starting role. He’s been a loyal player, great in the community, and he’s close to all the guys.
A lineup that looks like this wouldn’t disappoint me at all:
CB: Florence
SS: McGee
FS: Byrd
CB: McKelvin
NCB: Williams
NCB2: Corner
McKelvin may end up being the better nickel CB and Williams may be better outside. But either way, I like this group. Plus we’ve got Wilson and Scott as situational backups at the safety positions as well.
Then we’ve got Da’Norris Searcy to groom behind McGee, Scott, and Wilson. I like our depth a lot this season on defense.
Its good in theory, and could work...
but I just dont see an injury-plagued, smallish ex-corner going to SS. I just dont see him playing “in the box.” I think we’re more able to see McGee be the nickel.
Lets Go Buff a lo!!!
But again read the scouting reports. Williams is NOT better on the outside. As Buddy himself said after the pick, if the play is going 30 to 40 yards down the field Williams is not going to be able to keep up (Rang from CBSSports said the same thing in the line I quoted above). If you can’t do that you can’t be an effective outside CB.
And yes, we do now have excessive depth among our DB’s this year. But do we have any pass-rushing OLB’s at all (aside from Merriman, who is a big health risk)? And if we can’t put pressure on the QB, aren’t the DB’s going to have a much harder time being effective?
It would be nice to have more depth at OLB. Right now we’ve got Merriman, Kelsay, Moats, Coleman, Maybin, and Batten. A lot of our success this year depends on Merriman having something left in the tank. Moats and Coleman showed a lot of promise last season, and could be better in their 2nd year after adding some strength and experience. Kelsay came on a bit late in the season. But nothing is expected of Maybin and Batten, at least from the fans.
This fan believes that Batten may well be the best passing-rushing OLB we currently have aside from Merriman (who remains a big question mark because of his medical issues). Moats and Coleman did improve — especially Moats — but it remains to be seen if either is going to develop into a significant pass-rusher from the edge. And while Kelsay may have come on “a bit,” it was so small that I for one never saw it.
I don’t think it’s correct to say that “It would be nice to have more depth at OLB.” I would put it: “It would be nice to have one reliable pass-rushing OLB.”
I’m not so sure it means he can’t be on the outside. It means he’s got to have some safety help over the top, definitely. Then again, how many tall WRs are the downfield threats, also? I think not that many.
Official ledge-talker-offer of the Buffalo Bills.
Citi Field loves the mets so much it smothers them. -the caveman
Only thing I think of is at least if we do not have a pass rush that dareus, williams, and edwards should be able to effectivly collapse the pocket.
"This is a chance to shine some light on the city, They say it’s too cold. I’m going to bring some warmth to it." Marcell Dareus
I think a lot of people downplay Dareus’s ability to pass rush. He wasn’t a dominant rusher in college, but he got to the QB, and I have no reason to think that he won’t get 5-7 sacks a year in the NFL too.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
Yah we need someone to start getting 10 sacks a year though is what most people are looking for. Thats what a true pass rusher is for.
"This is a chance to shine some light on the city, They say it’s too cold. I’m going to bring some warmth to it." Marcell Dareus
In an OLB, sure, but a 3-4 DE? I’d rather they be backfield presence and stop the run.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
i never said out of a 3-4 end so do not put that in my mouth. Dareus is going to be a 3-4 de he may get 5-7 sacks a year but that is it. He will have a bigger efffect in the run game and taking double teams. Yes he has better pas rush skills then people would expect but this team wills till have a very bad pass rush if merriman is not healthy and moats and batten do not come in their one this year. When I said 10 sacks it was not dealing with dareus just how he is not the pass rush we are looking for and over the course of a season his impact stat wise in that area will be minimal. He could be the best rookie this year but he is not going to winn defensive rookie of the year.
"This is a chance to shine some light on the city, They say it’s too cold. I’m going to bring some warmth to it." Marcell Dareus
Without putting “that in your mouth”, I will say that Dareus’s taking up of two blockers will make the job of getting to the QB much easier for the LBs, which is another way in which he will add to the pass rush. Your point was that we should have drafted for the pass rush, and mine was that we did, just not in the way you may have wanted.
"Slowly all the roles we act out become our identity. And in the end we are what we pretend to be." - Jerry Cantrell.
Other successful strong safeties in the league close to McGee's size:
Atari Bigby: 5’11", 213
Troy Palamalu: 5’10", 207
OJ Atogwe: 5’11", 210
He’s definitely getting older. But I think he might have a couple good years in him.
Eric Weddle is a FA
If he was drafted while Buddy Nix was at SD, then maybe he has the inside track on signing him away. Would be an awesome FA pick-up, and solve all Safety worries.
"Does this look as bad as it looks?" -Archer
He’s a great name to keep an eye on.
You can't have CHANGE without CHAN.
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by MattRichWarren on May 3, 2011 10:32 PM EDT up reply actions
Can't complain about this!
From CBS Sports
Run Support: Solid run defender on the edge. Not afraid to take on large outside receivers and reacts quickly to get around potential blockers to make the tackle on running plays to his side of the field. Gets outside of the blocker to funnel plays back inside, but could do a better job shedding blocks when he’s not able to elude them. Takes deep angles to be a last line of defense.
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