Big O's Senior Bowl Spotlight – Day Three
560 WQAM's Orlando "Big O" Alzugaray has taken his show on the road – literally – as he is in Mobile, Alabama for the 2017 college football Senior Bowl.
Broadcasting live each weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Big O will watch and analyze all of the participating players – keeping a watchful eye for players that should be on Dolphins' fans radar.
Leading up to the Senior Bowl, which will be played on January 28th, Big O will spotlight four players that to have stood out and could end up being assets if they found themselves drafted by Miami this coming April.
Today's players:
Cooper Kupp
• College: Eastern Washington
• Position: Wide Receiver
• Height: 6-foot-2
• Weight: 205 pounds
• 2016 stats/info: 2016 & 2015 FCS ADA National Offensive Player of the Year; 2015 Walter Payton Award winner; 2013 Jerry Rice Award winner; 4-time consensus First Team FCS All-American; 114 receptions; 1,642 receiving yards; 19 touchdowns in 2016; 73 career receiving touchdowns.
• What scouts are saying: "Cooper Kupp is a gliding straight-line athlete with a firm build and physical playing style...isn't shy about using a stiff arm...refuses to concede as a ball-carrier...uses core power to generate yardage after the catch...relies on and trusts his technique...assess his surroundings without gearing down...is an adequate athlete but lacks breakaway speed and doesn't have the fluid twitch to consistently create spacing on athleticism alone...spends a lot of time mastering his craft...is a high-character type of prospect...has a team-first mentality...reminds some of a stronger, more aggressive version of Brian Hartline." – Dane Brugler
• What Big O says: "The Dolphins may not need a receiver, but what if the negotiations with Jarvis Landry don't go well and maybe they have to part ways with him – doubt that'll happen – but if it does, they can look at a guy like Cooper Kupp. You are talking about a kid who can make plays and his fast for his size. He can play on the inside or the outside. Watching him yesterday, he ran great routes – he set up the defensive backs and knew how to use his length when catching the ball. He is a fluid player. He impresses you when you watch him."
Carlos Watkins
• College: Clemson
• Position: Defensive Tackle
• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 305 pounds
• 2016 stats/info: 50 total tackles; 10.5 sacks; 13.5 tackles for a loss; 4 pass deflections; 2016 All-ACC First Team.
• What scouts are saying: "Carlos Watkins is a physical defender who has the upper body strength to control the line of scrimmage...has long arms that allows him to keep blockers off his frame...has powerful hands...is a solid athlete for his size, but isn't an overall explosive player...needs to do a better job keeping low, firing off the ball and delivering an initial jolt...flashes high-end potential when he does stay low and fire off the ball...possesses natural athleticism and raw power...needs to tighten up his technique and play with more consistency...will likely be at the nose tackle position in a 4-3 attack – unless he can improve as a penetrator." – Jon Dove
• What Big O says: "The Dolphins need help at defensive tackle. In the second and third rounds, there will be a group of guys that could maybe help us out right away. Carlos Watkins is a disruptive player. Some scouts tell me they'd like to see him be more disruptive behind the line of scrimmage. But he's a guy that is built well and is able to generate a lot of push. He knows how to use his lower body. He's great against the run right now and he can be developed to be more of a penetrating pass rusher. The Dolphins desperately need help stopping the run, so here's a guy that Miami could look at in the second or third round."
Evan Engram
• College: Ole Miss
• Position: Tight End/Wide Receiver
• Height: 6-foot-3
• Weight: 230 pounds
• 2016 stats/info: 65 receptions; 926 yards; 8 touchdowns; Ole Miss career leader in receptions and receiving yards amongst tight ends; 2016 All-SEC First Team; 2016 Cornerly Trophy (College's Top Tight End) winner; 2016 team captain.
• What scouts are saying: "Evan Engram is an above above-average athlete for his size, with sudden release off the line of scrimmage...quickly enters his route and sits down in soft spots underneath...has agile feet and fluid change-of-direction skills...can twist his body and pluck the ball out of the air...has natural ball skills to make tough catches look easy...uses his long arms to extend and make catches even when blanketed by defenders...flashes the balance and toughness as a ball-carrier to burst through tackle attempts...as a blocker, he delivers a pop at the point of attack and isn't shy about aggressively mixing things up... lacks the bulk or power to consistently hold up inline...has strong hands, but tends to play too quick at times...is definitely a "tweener"...should find a home in the NFL as a productive "big" slot receiver." – Dane Brugler
• What Big O says: "He had a terrific day out here yesterday. He ran some great routes and made some deep ball catches. Some people questioned whether he has the bulk to hold his own at the point of attack, but in practice yesterday, he showed that he could do it. He's one of those guys, if you're a Dolphins fan, that if you see the Fins taking him in the second round – you feel confident that he's going to progress into that No. 1 tight end that his skillset would say."
Tanoh Kpassagnon
• College: Villanova
• Position: Defensive End
• Height: 6-foot-7
• Weight: 285 pounds
• 2016 stats/info: Colonial Athletic Association's 2016 Defensive Player of the Year; 45 total tackles; 11 sacks; 21.5 tackles for loss; 1 forced fumble; 2 fumble recoveries.
• What scouts are saying: "Tanoh Kpassagnon is blessed with a remarkable combination of size and explosiveness that simply screams NFL...possesses an imposing frame with broad shoulders, long arms and a sculpted physique...fires off the ball, routinely blowing past offensive tackles with his initial burst to the outside...complements his speed rush with an effective counter back to the inside...has strong hands to rip through the reach of tackles, slapping them away...has a prototypical wingspan for the position...good flexibility and core strength...uses his long arms to reach out to knock the ball free from quarterbacks, disrupt passing lanes, block kicks and drag down ball-carriers...still a bit of a project...will often blindly rushing up field only to allow ball-carriers to escape past him...he's almost too quick for his own good." – Unnamed scout
• What Big O says: "One thing I love about this guy is his combination of size and speed. He's a former track star, so you know he has explosiveness off the edge. He has a lot of flexibility and a lot of strength. He's your prototypical defensive end with his long arms. Remember, Miami does not have young defensive ends. This is a guy that will sneak into the back end of the second round and probably a solid third round pick. I don't think he'll slip to the fourth round. He's definitely a guy you want to watch here at the Senior Bowl."
