Steal of the Draft?

Try telling BC's QB Dave Shinskie that Jurrell Casey is too small for the pros

While he isn’t a great fit for the Bills, I do want to give some love to a relatively unheralded prospect from USC, Jurrell Casey.

Casey probably made a poor decision declaring for the draft after his junior season, considering the depth at the defensive tackle position in this class.  That aside, he’ll end up providing great value for a team in the 3rd-4th round (where most seem to have him projected).  He’s undersized, around 6-foot and 300 pounds, but he is one of the most violent defensive tackles I’ve ever scouted.

He has outstanding quickness and can get low to shoot by linemen, which is what a smaller guy needs in order to overcome his size.  Despite his smaller arms (32 inches), he understands hand placement in order to manipulate the guy in front of him.  His strong burst off the snap allows for him to disrupt the backfield and split double teams.  He can simply embarrass guys and can only be described as relentless when he is fresh.

The only real concern with his game is his possible size limitation, but I feel he is quick enough to overcome it.  There is a slight character concern in the sense of the environment he grew up in, but you can’t really knock him for his brother’s mistake (convicted of murder).

At any rate, Casey is a devastating pass rusher who, if he can maintain consistency, can become one of the best in the game.  To be honest, I have a 1st round grade on him because I feel he’ll become a Pro Bowler.  His best fit would be in a 4-3, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he could play NT in a 3-4 as well.