The Confidential

Former ACC Players on NFLDRAFTSCOUT’s Top 64

With the NFL football draft looming, NFL Draft Scout has released its Top 64.  There are a number of former ACC players on the list.

In fact, the ACC should be quite proud of its representation here.  14 of the top 64 players.  To be sure, the absence of a player in the top 15 is discouraging.  But the depth of talent leaving the conference is impressive.

Here are snippets of the analyses of the ACC players:

19. Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College, 6-2, 237, 1 “his name was called on 532 tackles, an NCAA career record, including 299 solo, or an average of 14 total/7.9 solo in his 37-game stay at BC.”

20. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina, 6-6, 281, 1 “He showed pro scouts he had the toughness and tenacity to get the job done at either position and finished with 59 tackles, including 15.5 for a loss and 10 sacks.”

32. Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson, 6-2, 311, 1-2 “He has been a classroom and weight-room fanatic since high school, which earned him academic honor roll recognition in 2010 and the weight-lifting statistics of a tractor — 450-pound single bench press, 36 reps with 225 pounds, 615-pound squat lift and 370-pound power clean.”

33. Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson, 6-4, 255, 1-2 “Last season he caught 50 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns after a 2010 season in which he grabbed 33 for 373 and one TD.”

34. Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina, 6-1, 236, 1-2 “Brown is fast and fascinating, but is only beginning to learn how to maximize his exceptional athletic ability on a football field.”

35. Andre Branch, DE, Clemson, 6-4, 260, 1-2 “He was selected first-team All-ACC in 2011 after leading Clemson in sacks (10.5) and tackles for a loss (17).”

38. David Wilson, RB, Virginia Tech, 5-10, 205, 2 “Last year he collected 1,709 yards on 290 carries with nine touchdowns. That earned him ACC Player of the Year honors and he was named second-team All-American.”

40. Brandon Washington, OG, Miami, 6-4, 320, 2 “Washington is a stout, no-nonsense, get-it-done lineman who played guard and tackle at Miami but will move inside at the next level.”

43. Lamar Miller, RB, Miami, 5-11, 212, 2 “He is a tough runner with deceptive second-gear acceleration, both of which serve him well as a kickoff returner.”

46. Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State, 6-6, 308, 2 “He is a lithesome, long-limbed athlete who was very effective in FSU’s zone-slide pass protection scheme.”

54. Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia, 6-0, 185, 2 “Minnifield is a menace in press coverage as he re-routes receivers well and has exceptional ball skills, aided by excellent leaping ability and long arms.”

58. Sean Spence, OLB, Miami, 5-11, 228, 2  “Spence is not fooled often by play-action, and shows above average skills as a pass defender.”

60. Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse, 6-5, 265, 2 “Jones is a strong, fast, long-armed, raw talent who can play LDE right now, but might have upside as a decent pass rusher.”

61. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech, 6-4, 206, 2 “Hill should be worth watching at the combine, where if he surely will wow scouts who are seeking more data on this undergrad who averaged a lot of yards per catch.”

For the complete write-ups, check out the original source.