Pro Football Draft Network | 2012 Pro Football Draft Analysis

PFDN evaluates the performance of the more promising senior and eligible underclassmen prospects for the next draft:

QB Ryan Lindley, San Diego State State, Senior: The Aztecs’ four-year starter had his best game of the season in the New Orleans Bowl.  San Diego State was unable to run the football and Lindley carried the team with his powerful right arm.  He finished the game with 28 completions in 49 attempts (57%) for 413 yards (8.4 yards per attempt) and 3 touchdowns.  Lindley did not turn the ball over and was sacked only once.  The 2011 New Orleans Bowl was really an away game for San Diego State as the crowd was very much behind Louisiana-Lafayette for obvious reasons.  Lindley played like he was right at home and made his final collegiate start an impressive one.

Lindley led his team on a 69-yard touchdown drive with under 2 minutes to play to give San Diego State a 30-29 lead with 35 seconds left in the game.  His 12-yard dart to culminate the drive where he looked off the safety on a post route and then delivered a strike was a big-time play.  He also displayed patience on the drive and calmly led his team down the field by taking what the defense gave him.  Unfortunately for SDSU, the comeback drive did not hold-up, as Louisiana-Lafayette was able to move the ball to kick a game winning 50-yard field goal with seconds on the clock.

Lindley has a terrific arm even by NFL standards.  The ball explodes out of his hand and he delivers plenty of tight spirals.  His throwing motion is efficient and looks effortless.  He operates out of a pro-style offense and is comfortable dropping back to pass.  Lindley has the size (6’ 4” and 230 lbs) to hang in the pocket and look downfield for open receivers.  He delivered the ball on time consistently on this night.  Lindley is not a great athlete and he clearly is a pocket passer who will not scramble or extend plays very well.  However, he does sense pressure and step up or slide to his left or right to deliver passes.  

His best pass of the game was a 16-yard touchdown strike on a corner route to complete a 99-yard touchdown drive in the 3^rd quarter.  The pass was a quality NFL throw that beat solid coverage.  The pass was delivered with the perfect combination of loft and velocity to prevent the defensive back from stopping the touchdown.  It was the type of pass that NFL quarterbacks have to make and Lindley is capable of throwing.  His worst pass came early in the 4^th quarter.  Lindley dropped back to pass on 1^st and 10 and had a receiver open on a post route.  The play likely would have resulted in a touchdown, but Lindley overthrew his receiver.  His accuracy is not at the elite level and this was a pass that a top NFL quarterback rarely misses. 

Lindley needs to improve upon his accuracy, but he was hurt in this game and all season by drops and inexperienced receivers.  He clearly did not have a strong receiving corps to work with this year.  SDSU’s leading receiver this year was a sophomore (Colin Lockett) who is still learning to play the position after being converted from cornerback.  The team’s top senior receiver was Marcus Russell who is not a pro prospect.  This was very different from last year when Lindley had Vincent Brown (3^rd round pick of the San Diego Chargers in the 2011 NFL Draft) and DeMarco Sampson (7^th round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2011 NFL Draft) as quality wideouts.  The inexperience at wide receiver led to communication problems and generally a lack of consistent playmaking ability.  Ryan Lindley looks like an interesting mid-round draft pick with potential. 

TE Ladarius Green, Louisiana-Lafayette, Senior: The 2012 NFL Draft does not feature an exceptional group of senior tight ends.  Green is one of the top pass receiving tight ends available in upcoming draft.  He showed this ability against SDSU by hauling in 5 receptions for 121 yards (24.2 per) with a touchdown.  Green looks like a natural catching the football.  He can be deceptive with how he varies his running speed. This helps him get open.

Green’s most explosive play was when he caught a seam pass after beating the safety and broke away for a 44-yard catch and run.  He also displayed fine concentration when he caught a deep sideline pass in the 1^st quarter despite close coverage.  Green’s 20-yard touchdown pass going over the middle put his team up 19-3 in the 3^rd quarter.  His height (6’ 6”) and long arms make him an attractive red zone target.

The problem is that Green is closer to being a big wide receiver than a tight end in the NFL.  He has a build that is like a basketball player with long and thin legs.  He was not used in-line very much in college and will have to be an H-back in the NFL.  His lack of strength will make it harder for him to escape jams at the next level.  An NFL team should not expect much help from him in the blocking department, either.  Green is a decent route runner, but his long legs make it harder for him to explode out of his breaks.  Green is going to have to gain strength in his lower body and gain some quality weight to improve his chances of making it in the NFL.  His pass catching ability and athleticism make him a solid mid-round selection.