The NFL draft – which begins with the first round Thursday – brings with it the chance for a new batch of UCLA athletes to realize their dreams. This year, five Bruins look to have a shot at hearing their names called. Here’s a look at each of those prospects and analysis on their draft hopes.
OLB Anthony Barr – Barr figures to be the first Bruin off the board Thursday and with good reason. Though Barr has taken a fall down some pundits’ draft boards in recent weeks and most likely won’t hear his name called in the top five as some had initially predicted, he won’t last much longer after that.
The 2013 All-American possesses elite athletic ability as well as the prototypical size to develop into one of the top 3-4 linebackers at the next level. However the key word for Barr is ‘develop.’ Barr’s transition from running back to linebacker is well documented, but with only two years at the position he is still a very raw player. Barr must improve his awareness and play recognition – particularly against the run – and needs to acquire second and third moves in rushing the passer as he becomes overly reliant on his excellent speed and athleticism at times.
Still, Barr is one of the most explosive players in the draft and one of its best edge rushers. Furthermore, he has one of the highest ceilings in the 2014 NFL draft and, despite his relative inexperience, is capable of having one of the biggest impacts of any rookie.
Prediction: Top 15
Possible fits: Atlanta, Tennessee, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Diego
G Xavier Su’a-Filo – His career position distribution shows only two more starts at guard than tackle, but make no mistake. The man voted by 2013 Pac-12 defensive players as the best offensive lineman in the conference is a guard through and through. ESPN’s Mel Kiper and Todd McShay regard Su’a-Filo as the best guard in the draft.
Su’a-Filo gets off of the snap and moves up to block linebackers with ease. He is an effective puller from the interior, a fact perhaps best shown in how he sprung Brett Hundley for a 11-yard touchdown run on 3rd and 6 against Nevada. He only figures to become more agile two seasons removed from completing a religious mission that kept him out of football for two years.
Most scouting reports’ critiques concern Su’a-Filo’s pass protection. His guard and tackle performances against the top-flight Stanford defense in 2013 agree with those evaluations. Su’a-Filo shows a tendency to get too upright and move backward against pass rushers, and also struggles moving laterally in response to stunts.
Projection: Late 1st round, early 2nd round
Possible fits: Denver, Seattle, New England
LB Jordan Zumwalt – Zumwalt plays a brutal sport violently. That dynamism should translate to at least special teams duties out of the gate for a mid-to-late-round prospect lacking elite NFL athleticism and build. His experience playing inside and outside linebacker, which he considers his greatest asset, would help him to make an argument for reserve defensive minutes, although scouts seem to agree that Zumwalt’s fluidity in coverage and space need work.
Beginning his UCLA career with sporadic starts through his first two seasons, Zumwalt played on the first team in 22 games during his final two years in Westwood. He became a playmaking flurry through 13 starts this past season, forcing the second most fumbles on the team with three, grabbing two interceptions and delivering jarring blows with a frequency as high as any Bruin defender.
Zumwalt punctuated his career with an exclamation point on New Year’s Eve at the Sun Bowl. He converted a tiptoe sideline interception against Virginia Tech into a cross-field 43-yard return and removed quarterback Logan Thomas from the game with a blow that left some Virginia Tech beat writers talking until the twilight hours of 2013.
The same eagerness to tackle through players and perform wrestling move-esque tackles that made him stand out as a Bruin may hurt Zumwalt’s playtime and wallet in the professional game. He put on a particularly spirited performance against Oregon that could have easily been marred with a number of late hit or unnecessary roughness flags that the increasingly safety-minded NFL would not hesitate to throw.
Projection: 5th round
Possible fits: Pittsburgh, Oakland, Philadelphia
WR Shaquelle Evans – Evans was the Bruins’ go-to receiver each of the last two seasons, although he wasn’t hyper-productive, totaling over 100 yards receiving in a game just twice in his UCLA career.
However, Evans is a strong receiver who possesses good size and solid hands. He is a good, not great, route runner who lacks top-end speed and acceleration to separate from man-to-man coverage. Though Evans timed surprisingly well at the NFL combine – 4.51 – and shockingly so at UCLA’s Pro Day – 4.32 – that speed doesn’t exactly show up on tape. Evans plays slower than timed and lacks big-play, gamebreaker ability in the open field. Still, he is capable of being a reliable possession receiver with the potential to develop into a No. 3 or No. 2 receiver in an offense.
Prediction: 5th-6th round
Possible Fits: Cleveland, Kansas City, New York Jets
DE Cassius Marsh – Marsh is a high-energy, productive player. However that energy can get the best of him as he struggled with discipline during his time with the Bruins. Marsh was ejected for throwing a punch in UCLA’s win over Cal last season, and has trouble anticipating the snap, routinely getting penalized for jumping offsides.
Though he primarily lined up at defensive end for UCLA, at 6-foot-4, 252 pounds – his measurements at the NFL combine – Marsh is a tweener prospect who currently lacks the size to play defensive end in the NFL and projects more as a 3-4 outside linebacker. Marsh does possess a nice first step and has good penetrating and pursuit skills. However Marsh is a very athletic, versatile player with good hands – which may prompt a team to consider playing him at tight end.
Still, Marsh will need to add strength no matter where teams decide to play him at the next level and he will have to learn to reign in some of that emotion. Teams love a guy who can play with a high motor so Marsh should merit a late-round selection.
Prediction: 5th-7th round
Possible Fits: Atlanta, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco