A few excerpts below on how the picks are doing. Read the entire article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/foo ... -sessions/It’s hard to get a true idea of where Scherff stands because these are pad-free sessions and against other rookies – some of whom will not make the team. But, the 6-foot-5, 319-pounder did display good strength and athleticism. He was strong at the point of attack while run blocking, and also did well protecting the edge as he back-pedaled in pass coverage. During a one-on-one matchup against second-round pick Preston Smith, Scherff engaged and slid further to his right to keep Smith from getting around him. Smith tried dipping to the inside, and Scherff got into Smith’s chest, despite the pass-rusher’s long reach, and locked him up, preventing him from scoring on his countermove. In another matchup, however, Smith did do a good job of swimming around Scherff.
[Preston] Smith said he feels like going forward, he’ll be able to play faster than he appeared to play in college. Mississippi State played a number of teams with zone-read quarterbacks, so Smith had to play contain, and couldn’t get caught too deep into the backfield and risk giving up a running lane to the quarterback. He aims to prove that he has better explosiveness and pass-rushing skills than he displayed in school.
Running back Matt Jones’s size jumps right out at you as well. But another thing that’s impressive about the 6-2, 231-pounder is how well he moves in space. He ran crisp pass routes, shaking linebackers frequently and displayed good hands. (Should be noted that Jones is bigger than any of Washington’s receivers). Couple his pass-catching skill set with his power running style, and Jones certainly could see the field often as a rookie. Gruden maintained that Alfred Morris is the feature back when asked about it, but he does envision Jones taking some of the workload off of Morris’s shoulders.
We’ll see how he looks against the veterans, but fourth-rounder Jamison Crowder was pretty explosive on Saturday. Coaches describe him as fearless over the middle. He’s got strong hands, and shows good acceleration after the catch.
Sixth-round pick Kyshoen Jarrett worked at free safety. He seems to have a nose for the ball. He got turned around a couple times in coverage, but other times did a good job of reading the quarterback and receiver, and reacted in time to break up the pass, or make a sure stop.
Very interesting.
