This evaluation is part of an ongoing series of prospect writeups. My Grades are based on the scale used by Josh Norris (@JoshNorris on Twitter) and are purely based on film performance, though I will reference Combine numbers if they’re relevant. The Grading Scale can be found here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AstbiM26zqkmdEV5OWxkNDJEc2Rsa0RTcHdheXlBb2c&gid=19
Devon Still/DT/Penn State:
Very active in the backfield, disruptive in run defense. Fires off the snap with very good burst, often beats his man with a combination of quickness and a strong swim move. Powerful hands, and uses them well to move his man or maintain leverage and shed a block. Dominated the Alabama game and was strong in the Illinois game, but did not show up in the Ohio State, Indiana, or Houston games. Seemed to lack a motor and was often stopped cold by one guy. Ends up on the ground too often. Sometimes overruns the play. On the one hand, it’s good he’s in
the backfield, but not if he doesn’t make a play when he’s there. Seems to abandon his gap at times. Sometimes will just get moved in the run game. Lengthy cold streaks that seem to be the result of a bad motor. The variation in his performance on a game-to-game basis is infuriating. Can he consistently play like he did vs. Alabama? Or will he always be dragged down by games like vs. Houston? Scary, but has talent.
Games Watched: Alabama, Illinois, Ohio State, Indiana, Houston
Grade: 6.0
Current Series Rankings:
DT:
1. Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State) 6.6
2. Malik Jackson (Tennessee) 6.1
3. Devon Still (Penn State) 6.0
4. Dontari Poe (Memphis) 5.9
5. Michael Brockers (LSU) 5.9
NT:
1. Dontari Poe (Memphis) 5.9
DE (3-4):
1. Fletcher Cox (Mississippi State) 6.6
2. Malik Jackson (Tennessee) 6.1
3. Devon Still (Penn State) 6.0
4. Dontari Poe (Memphis) 5.9
5. Michael Brockers (LSU) 5.9