The Nose Tackle Nobody Is Talking About
The Kansas City Chiefs are in need of a nose tackle and there is one interesting prospect out there that not a lot of people are talking about.
I just got done reading this really fascinating article by Mike Silver at Yahoo! Sports. Silver has been doing absolutely fantastic work lately and his columns are becoming must reads. In this latest effort, he talks with the “Rogue Scout” by the name of Dave Razzano. Razzano has two Super Bowl rings and while he is currently unemployed, Silver seems to think a lot of his ability. Razzano also runs his own blog.
As you peruse the article, there is one moment where Silver asks Razzano for a prospect that is flying “off-the-radar pick that he regards as a potential Pro Bowl performer.”
Here is what Razzano says:
"“There’s a defensive tackle at USC named Jurrell Casey, and he’s the protypical nose [tackle],” Razzano said. “He’s like another Michael Carter, who we got in the fifth round in San Francisco – one of the all-time steals. I see he’s rated as the ninth-best defensive tackle. If they do a [mock] re-draft in a few years, he’ll be a top-seven pick.”"
Wow.
Now this is just one opinion but it is really cool to hear directly from an NFL scout, particularly one with two Super Bowl rings.
Let’s take a look at Casey, after the jump.
Casey played his ball at USC and is 6-0, 300 pounds.
300 pounds? Come on Paddy! Everyone knows that a NT has to be much bigger than that! How is this guy going to play NT in the NFL?
I don’t know. I’m no scout but the one scout I have heard from on Casey says he is a “protypical” nose tackle. Then he compares him to Casey Hampton!
More from Razzano while watching tape of Casey:
“Watch him split the double-team here,” Razzano said as Casey burst between the Bears’ center and left guard. “Look at that nasty explosiveness. I’m telling you, it’s [like the Pittsburgh Steelers’] Casey Hampton. He has short-area quickness and enough of a motor to satisfy me. You have to realize, defensive linemen don’t all have great work ethic. That’s why they’re big. But [Jurrell Casey’s] a naturally explosive guy, and they’re hard to find.”
Draft Tek projects Casey as a 4-3 DE. In fact, I couldn’t really find a single scouting report that had him as a top NT prospect. Quickness seems to be what most scouts love about Casey. He displays a quick first step and has the ability to get into the backfield quick and cause trouble.
We know that the Chiefs don’t appear to be THAT concerned with size at the NT position, having Ron Edwards cover the position the last two years. Is it possible that KC will go for this under-the-radar pick? Is Razzano right about Casey?
Right now it looks like Casey could go in the third round but Razzano is saying that in a few years he will be considered a top 7 pick! What do you think? Do you trust the word of one scout? Sound off.