Arkansas Draft Prospect: Jake Bequette-Future Cowboy?

By:  Bobby Shores

Submit your questions for ReclinerQB to answer here (Twitter) or here (Email) or just leave them in the comments.

This is the first part of a multi-part series on Arkansas Draft Prospects, coming soon Joe Adams, Jarius Wright, Greg Childs, Jerry Franklin, Broderick Green and Grant Cook

Anybody who is a regular reader (thanks mom, dad and kids) knows that I am a huge Arkansas fan, and because of that I have a very good bead on the players and if they will be good in the NFL. To that effect I want to address a few of them that are going in the draft, and partially because I think that a few of them would fit the Cowboys very well.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful #91 Jake Bequette

Jake Bequette-DE/OLB - This is one of the two players that I believe could be very useful for the Cowboys as not only a need, but also for his work ethic and leadership that he would bring to the locker room.

My favorite attribute that he brings to the table is versatility. At Arkansas he played at every position on the defensive line and I think he could do the same for the Cowboys AND also play a little linebacker in certain looks. Since Rob Ryan likes to move his players all over the field, dropping lineman back as safeties and putting corners on the line with their hand on the ground (ok maybe not quite this extreme but you get the point) he would be able to move all over. While he is slightly undersized (6'4 265) for the 3-4, I think he will put on 20+ pounds in the NFL. At the Senior Bowl he even switched from end to outside linebacker and improved greatly throughout the week, while it was definitely not natural for him, by the last day he was hanging with and blowing up some running backs. With his struggles against the run in a 3-point stance, I believe that he would play the run well standing up where its harder for an offensive tackle to get his hands on him.

He is best against the pass, and while he does not have great speed to get around the corner he plays with endless energy and hustle. Is always aware enough to try and disrupt the play by getting his arms up when the pass comes out or trying to get a hand on a running back, basically anything to throw the offense off if he can't get to the quarterback. The guy never quits, and a lot of the plays he made in college were because of effort, and effort alone. He is adequate against the run, but sometimes lets himself get pushed around by offensive tackles and after some time in an NFL weight room I think the size and strength that'd be added would make him very effective against the run.

Bequette also has some of the best intangibles in the draft in my opinion. His motor never slows down and he is in high gear all the time. He comes from a football player and is a 3rd generation Razorback (his grandfather, father and uncle all played) who takes football very seriously. He was a leader on the team and practices every practice like its a game and that will make the entire team better.

Some of the negatives on him is that he is just not a natural athlete, he has to work-and work hard-for everything he has gotten. He is not great in any one area and as I said before, his intangibles are what makes him a great football player. As kind of a "tweener" there is no guarantee that he will be able to handle the extra weight or be able to carve out a niche that I have laid out for him. He will most likely never be a Pro Bowl or an All-Pro player, or wow people with any one attribute.

2012 NFL Draft Hopeful #91 Jake Bequette

The Cowboys have an Arkansas connection, but Jerry Jones seems to stay away from Arkansas players. He has only drafted one (Felix Jones) and has signed very few in his 20+ years of being the owner/GM/CEO/Head Coach of America's Team, but as the Razorbacks become more relevant they are putting more players in the NFL and it could be detrimental to the Cowboys to not draft some of their players. Heck, I think it was 2009 that he drafted two players out of the University of Cincinnati secondary and neither one made it the entire year (may want to fact check me on this one, but I know I am close).

Bequette may never be a starter, or even an every down player in the NFL, but I think he will carve out a niche on defense and make enough plays on special teams to be able to contribute from day one. He will add much needed versatility and depth at numerous positions on the front seven. His attitude, work ethic, motor, relentless drive to make a play, etc. will, in my opinion, make him a 10-15 year player and a fan favorite. The Cowboys need people on defense who put out 100% effort on every play, and their weakest positions on defense were the defensive line and outside linebacker backups; both spots that he will upgrade and play. With the lack of depth in this draft for 3-4 defensive ends, I think taking him in the 4th round would be a good call.

Follow ReclinerQB on Twitter:  @ReclinerQB

Don't Forget to Follow ReclinerQB's other contributors on Twitter: @amazingmattyp, @mwyche2, @theffaddict, @heartsfootball,

The "X" Factor in the 2011 NFL Draft - D.J. Williams - Arkansas Tight End

Again I am writing about Arkansas players because that is what I know.  I am not giving them great marks across the board.  I am trying to be unbiased and give an honest assessment of how their abilities will translate to the NFL, and today's piece on Arkansas Tight End D.J. Williams is no exception.

As a 6'2" 245lb Tight End you wouldn't think that D.J. Williams would be as intriguing an NFL prospect as he is.  The guy's game is not perfect, he is undersized, needs to work on his blocking, will not outrun all NFL DB's like Vernon Davis, and does not make a ton of "highlight reel" grabs.  He brings with him 3 years experience in Bobby Petrino's pro style offense that deployed him all over the field.  What else does he bring?  Versatility, rough life experiences that have made him mature beyond his years, and a team first mentality that makes him a "must have" for NFL teams.  His resume is thick with awards such as:
**The John Mackey Award - Given to the best Tight End in 2010
**1st Team All SEC in 2008 & 2010
**2010 Disney Spirit Award Winner - Given to college football's most inspirational figure

D.J. Williams had a rough upbringing, his father was a drug abusing, alcoholic, physically abusive man who terrorized Wiliam's family until he was able to sneak away with his mother and sister. Williams watched numerous times as his abusive father (currently in jail) nearly killed his mother, and when they finally fled to a local Dallas area shelter, they were told it was still to dangerous and to get farther away, so to Little Rock they went.  You can read the details of the story right here, and more about how great of a person he is right here, and I suggest you do, as it is an amazing story and these guys tell it much better than I ever could.  The best thing to come out of this story is what D.J. is doing now to help other people that are in abusive relationships or anybody needing help.  He uses his fame and his story to help people through community outreach programs ranging from Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, Children's hospital, and  attends elementary schools to mentor kids with fellow teammate Ryan Mallett.  His easy going and approachable attitude allow him to make an impact anywhere he goes.

Enough about what made him what he is today, what can he do for your team on the field?  The tight ends in the NFL today that I can compare him with are Dallas's Jason Witten and the Redskins Chris Cooley.  I know, I know, Jason Witten is a 6'6" potential Hall of Fame tight end, and Chris Cooley is a guy that deserves Pro Bowl consideration every year.  When I say that Williams game reminds me of theirs, its because he is a tight end that in the NFL will probably be used more as an H-Back; a tight end that is used in motion a lot, will line up in the backfield using his shorter stout frame to get solid leverage on D-linemen and linebackers when run blocking.  Yes, he will need to work on his blocking skills, but a guy with his team first mentality and work ethic should have no problem picking it up.  The other part of his game that reminds me of Witten and Cooley is that he works the field like a seasoned veteran, finding holes in zone coverage and sitting down in the open spots; while not incredibly athletic (neither are Witten or Cooley) he is extremely effective in the short passing/screen game where he will make a guy or two miss and turn a short gain into a 1st down.  He has great soft hands and while he will not make the acrobatic catches, he will catch almost everything thrown to him useing his body to shield defenders from the game (just like Witten).  And you want durable? Then he is your guy!

D.J. Williams, if put in the proper system will be an elite contributor at the next level, and I think that someone will trade up to grab him at the end of the 2nd or the beginning of the 3rd, if he is not snatched up early to middle 2nd round.  No matter what system he is in, he will make plays, but to truly maximize his unique potential and gifts, he needs a creative offensive mind or a team that employs versatile tight ends.  Teams that come to mind for me are:  Indianapolis Colts (he would be a more versatile Dallas Clark but they don't need a TE), New England Patriots (even though they are set at TE for years to come), Houston Texans (again fairly set with Owen Daniels), Arizona Cardinals (they need a short to intermediate threat for whoever their QB of the future is), St. Louis Rams (Bradford needs more weapons, and face it not even I know who their TE's are).  I am sure there are many other teams that could use him, but these are the ones that jumped out to me.

Not only will D.J. Williams make an impact between the white lines on Sunday's for whatever team is lucky enough to draft him, he will become an instant leader in the community and locker room, and provide valuable help for children and families in need.  In 5 years, I see D.J. Williams as being labeled one of the biggest "steals" of the 2011 draft, on the field, and just as importantly for the community that drafts him.

How Two Arkansas O-Linemen will benefit in the NFL due to Bobby Petrino's offense

While it may seem that I am singling out Razorbacks to talk about in my articles lately, it is.  The reason is because I have rarely missed their games in the past 10+ years (especially since Petrino took over and there games are actually on TV in my area) and I know about them, so I am going to write what I know.  In a previous article I talked a lot about how Bobby Petrino's offense greatly benefited Ryan Mallett, and D.J. Williams, well it benefits most all the players on the offensive side of the ball, and since they have a couple of tackles and what I consider to be an elite Tight End available in the draft I thought I would talk about how they were helped also.

Another position that benefited from Petrino's offense is the linemen, specifically the tackles, and to a lesser extent the guards.  For this exercise we are focusing on the two tackles that are draft eligible:  DeMarcus Love and Ray Dominguez.  In Petrino's offense there is not a "left tackle" and a "right tackle" there is the "strong tackle" and the "weak tackle".  The tackles are constantly switching sides trying to take advantage of specific match ups the defense gives them.  For a tackle (even though Dominguez will probably be a guard in the NFL) this means that both guys have experience playing with either hand down, and will be comfortable playing on either side of the line in the NFL.  And we all know that NFL coaches value a "swing tackle" or any versatile player (especially O-linemen) very much at the pro level.  This gives NFL teams flexibility, and increased continuity if there is an injury on the line, it's another aspect that gives NFL coaches more control (and NFL coaches are super control freaks).  Another big advantage these two players have is that at Arkansas they ran a lot of zone blocking which translates to quite a few teams in the NFL.

Neither one of these guys is expected to be a high pick, I project them both to be mid-round guys (3-5 for Love and 5-7 for Dominguez), but they bring other assets to the table.  For DeMarcus Love he has good size for a left tackle, but will probably play right tackle in the league, but his work ethic on and off the field are unrivaled, along with his dedication to community service, he is quiet but leads by example.  Ray Dominguez on the other hand is to slow with to short of arms and not powerful enough to be an effective tackle in the NFL at this point.  Given some time in an NFL weight room I believe he will be at most an effective Right Guard in the NFL, and at the worst he will be a great insurance policy as a guy that can line up at many spots on the line.

So no matter which way you slice it these two guys provide good value in this draft.

Why Ryan Mallett is my hands down #1 QB in the 2011 Draft

I have openly said before that I think the hands down, no questions asked #1 overall QB in this upcoming draft is Ryan Mallett, and I am not saying this as a Razorback "homer", in fact I am taking my "hog glasses" off to write this piece.  I will go ahead and openly admit that as an Arkansas Alumnus and die hard Razorback fan, that I do have a bias toward Razorback players, but right now I am writing a completely unbiased piece about the advantages that Ryan Mallett has going into the draft because of Bobby Petrino's offense. 
Why do I believe Ryan Mallett is the best QB in the draft?  Well he came out of Bobby Petrino's pro-style offense at Arkansas.  Yes, it is an "open style" pro offense, but a pro offense none the less.  For Mallett it gave him experience calling plays in the huddle and then giving him the freedom to change them at the line of scrimmage, just like an NFL offense.  He would be given a play to call in the huddle, and at the same time he would be given another play or two that he could audible to at the line of scrimmage depending on what the defense showed him.  Did he make some bad audibles, especially in some big games in college? Yes.  But it also gave him the experience and the tools to do it.  Now compare this to a QB like Blaine Gabbert or Cam Newton, these guys were essentially given a formation and half a play call to make in the huddle.  When they reached the line of scrimmage, and saw how the defense was set, the players would all turn their heads and look to the sidelines where there would be 5-10 coaches or backup players making a myriad of hand signals, gestures, or holding up signs that would tell each player what to do, including the QB, so at least Mallett has already had plenty of "on the job training".  So essentially the coaches are reading the defense and telling the individual players what they should do.  So how does that translate to the NFL?  It doesn't.  Does that mean that in 3-5 years Cam Newton or Blaine Gabbert won't be a better QB than Ryan Mallett?  No it doesn't, it just means that they have a much steeper learning curve, and maybe in 2 years the team that drafts them finds out that they just do not have the ability to read a defense at all, ever.  Then the team is set back a few years and has to start all over at the most important position on the field.

There are some questions out there about the character of Mallett, and I have heard some of them myself, but most of them come from him being labeled as "cocky" which is not necessarily a bad trait for an NFL QB.  Other concerns are that of past drug use, while I did hear of some "marijuana use" in college by him, the majority of players in the NFL either did use or still use to some extent, it does not mean that it is a problem (heck a lot of non-NFL people use it on a regular basis and most tried it in college).  At the most I believe he just needs a solid support system at the next level (which all teams should be providing to their rookies anyways, except the Bengals of course).  I think the background of his parents, both are teachers and his dad is a football coach, should be viewed as a positive by most NFL clubs.  I do not think his leadership can be challenged, not only did he turn himself into a leader at Arkansas by his final year, I read numerous reports of him at the combine being the leader of his QB group and also of other players congregating around him because of his leadership qualities, and these are future NFL players so he should have no problem commanding an NFL locker room or huddle. 

I did not touch on his physical abilities much in this piece because I think by now everybody knows there is not much to talk about there.  He has the height to see over even the tallest offensive linemen and clearly see the field and plays develop.  His arm strength is unparalleled and once he in the NFL will be regularly talked about as one of, if not the, strongest arm in the league.  He can make all the throws with ease, and his accuracy is only questioned when he has to throw on the move (even then there is not much bad you can say), and with some work it is an easily fixable problem at the next level.  While he may have been ridiculed as of late due to a slow even for O-line standards 40 yard dash, he moves around the pocket very well and has solid, though not spectacular footwork.  He is not a QB that will make plays with his feet, his arm strength, mechanics, and even footwork makes up for his lack of athletic ability.

Of course, even though Mallett came from a pro system and appears to be a solid leader it does not guarantee success at the pro level,  but in my opinion it gives him a distinct advantage over other college QB's, combine that with his throwing ability and other physical tools, and it looks to me like you have a pretty sure bet of a player that will be effective in the NFL.