This is a busy time of the year for Notre Dame fans. The team is heading into winter conditioning, early enrollees are now on campus, the final signing day for the 2019 class is just weeks away, and a number of Notre Dame players are preparing for the NFL Draft.
It is a big week for a trio of former Notre Dame players. The Reese’s Senior Bowl is this week, and it is an opportunity for linebackers Drue Tranquill and Te’von Coney, as well as running back Dexter Williams to improve their draft stock against other top players from around the country.
A look at those three players and what they have to prove this week:
LB TE'VON CONEY
Height: 6-0.7
Weight: 244
Arm Length: 32 1/4”
Hands: 9 1/8”
Wingspan: 77 1/4"
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 6 ILB
Draft Countdown Draft Projection: Rounds 4-5
Career Stats: 313 tackles, 24 TFL's, 7 sacks, 4 break ups, 12 hurries, 1 INT
Overview: Coney checked in about where I expected him to from a height and weight standpoint. He is a thickly built player with a powerful upper body, and his impressive arm length and wing span will help ease any concerns about his lack of ideal height.
The Senior Bowl is an opportunity for Coney to answer questions about his coverage. It was a liability of his during his first three seasons, but Coney showed improvement in that regards as a senior. Pro Football Focus graded out his coverage much higher than I did, but Coney certainly improved here. A good week in coverage at the Senior Bowl would be a huge boost for Coney’s draft stock.
Playing with discipline against the run is another area where Coney can answer some questions. He was a bit inconsistent at times when it came to either making a decision, or making the right decision. Coney got swallowed up more at times as a senior than he did as a junior when he was used more as a downhill attacking player.
Some draft projections have Coney as a first round pick, and I have a hard time seeing that based on his senior season. Draft Countdown’s Scott Wright has him as an early to mid Day 3 player. A good week at the Senior Bowl will give Coney a chance to shoot up many draft boards and get a chance to be a Day 2 pick.
LB DRUE TRANQUILL
Height: 6-2
Weight: 228
Arm Length: 31”
Hands: 9 3/4"
Wingspan: 74”
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 11 ILB
Draft Countdown Draft Projection: Rounds 4-5
Career Stats: 292 tackles, 25 TFL’s, 5.5 sacks, 11 break ups, 8 hurries, 3 INT’s
Overview: Tranquill began his career at safety, eventually moved to rover and as a fifth-year senior he moved to inside linebacker. Part of that move was based on Notre Dame getting its best 11 players on the field, but another part was that when he went through the draft process a year ago he was told that playing inside linebacker was his best option for the NFL.
Tranquill is down a few pounds from where he was during the season, and I’m curious to see how that impacts his movement. The former Irish captain is a good athlete that plays well side-to-side and was good in coverage this season. At times he would get beat on pure verticals routes because he lacks top-end speed, and that will be something I expect scouts to keep an eye on this week during one-on-one’s. Tranquill is still learning inside linebacker, and I’m curious to see how well he handles coverage during 7-on-7 and team periods. If he builds on what he did during the season I’m sure it will catch the eye of scouts.
Tranquill struggled to stay healthy this season, batting hand and ankle issues, and the fact he was banged up for much of his one season inside would give me pause if I was a scout. He also wasn’t great at taking on and beating blockers, relying more on using his athleticism to beat blockers to spots. If he can show better hand play when it comes to taking on blockers and show the ability to hold up better at the point of attack on runs between the tackles I think that will help improve his stock.
You can see from his weigh in that Tranquill lacks ideal length. He’s got good height (6-2), but his arms are short and his wingspan isn’t great. That means he has to be on point when it comes to reads, technique and timing. A strong week at the Senior Bowl combined with his versatility and special teams work could go a long way towards establishing his draft stock, but he’ll also need to test west at the Combine.
RB DEXTER WILLIAMS
Height: 5-11.2
Weight: 215
Arm Length: 32 5/8”
Hands: 9 1/2"
Wingspan: 76 3/4"
Draft Countdown Position Ranking: No. 5 RB
Draft Countdown Draft Projection: Rounds 3-5
Career Stats: 257 carries, 1,636 rush yards, 6.4 YPC, 20 TD’s / 22 receptions, 162 yards, 2 TD’s
Overview: Williams is an intriguing player in that he is considered a potential top back in this class by some despite the fact he’s never had a 1,000-yard season and only once has he carried the ball more than 40 times in a season. That will help him in some ways because he lacks the wear and tear of other tops backs. Only Oklahoma’s Rodney Anderson has fewer career touches than Williams among Draft Countdown’s top 10 backs.
There are things about Williams that scouts will love. He averaged 6.9 yards per carry the last two years, and his burst combines with his second gear to make him a home run threat. Williams shows a good downhill burst and he attacks the line of scrimmage quickly once he commits. He showed improved patience as a senior and showed a better overall feel for the position, after mostly relying on blocking and his athleticism his first three seasons on campus.
Williams shows really good second level recognition and anticipation, which means he is making cuts not just off the first level, but also how the linebackers are moving around and reacting.
All of those traits will impress scouts, but there are also holes in his game that will need to be addressed, and the Senior Bowl practices are an opportunity for him to answer those questions. First and foremost, Williams isn’t an overly physical back and he doesn’t break many tackles. Putting his foot in the ground and pounding the line to maximize yards isn’t something we’ve see much of from him, and he doesn’t show much power when he gets to contact. It would be nice to see him show some leg drive when he goes against linebackers and safeties this week.
Williams blocked better as a senior and he caught 16 passes after catching just six in his first three seasons combined. A good week in the pass game as a blocker and pass catcher will greatly improve his stock when you consider how pass-heavy the NFL has become. Williams also needs a good week in regards to showing he is coachable, and interviews will be huge for him throughout the process based on his off the field issues at Notre Dame.
If he can answer the questions I mentioned above then scouts will be able to focus more on his athleticism and explosiveness, and that is very good for his possible draft stock.
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