Analysis

11/19/21

6 min read

3 Matchups NFL Scouts Will Be Watching In Week 12

3 Matchups NFL Scouts Will Be Watching In Week 12

Every weekend college football showcases intriguing matchups between future professional players battling in one-on-one situations. The result of these matchups will have implications in the 2022 NFL Draft order. Although the draft is still months away, NFL teams have their sights on players to preemptively stack their boards and assign grades to players. All of these prospects are eligible for the draft and some even have the opportunity to be drafted early. These matchups will allow NFL front offices to see how they produce against the best competition. NFL scouts will have their eyes on these upcoming matchups in Week 10 to help answer questions throughout the draft process.

Arkansas WR Treylon Burks vs. Alabama CB Josh Jobe 

Saturday 3:30 PM

Arkansas will be counting on Treylon Burks to put pressure on Alabama’s secondary when they match up this weekend. Burks is a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior receiver who was second-team All SEC in 2020. He provides a big-bodied receiver presence that is agile enough to play the Z and in the slot for Arkansas’s offense. He is a threat at every level with the long speed to stack corners and the change of direction to separate underneath.

Burks has shown snaps lined up in split back sets to run routes out of the back field. He is one of those players offensive coordinators try to get the ball to every chance they can. This weekend will be a tough matchup for Burks when he faces the Crimson Tide defense that has been extremely stout all year. NFL scouts will be keying this game to see how he matchups up against an experienced Alabama secondary. 

Every year it seems Alabama replaces starters lost to the draft with depth players who step up and improve the following year. Josh Jobe has done a good job improving his play from 2020 where he was the cornerback opposite of Patrick Surtain II.

Jobe is a 6-foot-1, 194-pound senior who is a physical and experienced cornerback. Jobe’s best trait is his press coverage ability and twitch in his hands to fight at the line of scrimmage. He has the burst and change of direction to stick with receivers off of their release and maintain inside leverage consistently. Jobe can sometimes be susceptible to double moves or curls due to being overzealous on his vertical transitions. Jobe has a tendency to try and do more than his job in zone coverage which can leave the defense compromised when the play is extended.

This weekend will be an entertaining matchup between two of the most physical skilled position players in the SEC. 

Ohio State DL Haskell Garrett s vs. Michigan State OL Blake Bueter

Saturday 12:00 PM 

This Big Ten matchup could very well have College Football Playoff implications which heightens the importance of playing well for both players. On the defensive side, Ohio State will be counting on Haskell Garett to have a big day when taking on an experienced Michigan State offensive line.

Garrett is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound graduate student defensive tackle who plays anywhere from a 0-tech to 3-tech. He is very athletic for the position and shows violent hand strikes when disengaging blocks. His first step is a little inconsistent but has shown flashes of being very good to create knockback against the run. Garrett creates a lot of disruption on the line of scrimmage due to his agility and strength. He can engage fold blocks with his hands to then scrap playside. He has shown the ability to split double teams but only if he fires out of his stance. He can sometimes get wide in his foot placement which causes him to absorb contact instead of delivering a strike.

Blake Bueter has the responsibility of mitigating the damage Ohio State’s defensive line can do with their athletic pass rushers. Bueter is a 6-foot-4, 320-pound redshirt senior who has started 21 games in his career.

Bueter has started at both guard spots and center but has primarily played left guard this year. His best trait is his drive and motor on zone blocking assignments. He has the strength to move defenders out of gaps and the flexibility to stay low on contact. Bueter shows adequate athleticism in pass protection and shows good hand placement when attacking on quick sets. His anchor strength is good enough to keep the integrity of the pocket against power rush moves.

NFL scouts will be eyeing up this weekend’s game to see how Bueter can handle athletic interior linemen in both the run and pass. 

Clemson CB Andrew Booth Jr. vs. Wake Forest WR Jaquarii Roberson 

Saturday 12:00 PM 

A bright spot on Clemson’s defense has been their talent at the cornerback position this year. Andrew Booth Jr. burst onto the scene in the ACC when he made an incredible one handed catch in 2020. He has been a consistent starter for them since then.

Booth is a 6-foot, 200-pound junior who was named 2nd team All-ACC in 2020. Booth is a highly athletic corner who plays with physicality at the catch point and has great ball skills. He displays good speed out of his transition to break on short routes in off coverage. Booth’s fluid hips allow him to transition in and out of phase to make plays on the ball down field. He has the prototypical height and athleticism for the next level. NFL scouts will be looking to see how he handles taller receivers and explosive offenses when facing Wake Forest this weekend. 

Wake Forest’s offense has been extremely explosive this year. They lead the entire FBS in offensive touchdowns scored with a total of 55. Jaquarii Roberson's development has been a big part of this offensive domination.

Roberson is a 6-foot-1, 182-pound redshirt junior who was named 2nd team All-ACC in 2020. His growth from the end of last year to this season has had a large impact on Wake Forest's success this year. Roberson primarily plays in the slot but has seen a good number of snaps as the Z receiver and outside in their offense. His best trait is his route running. Roberson’s footwork is very sudden and can help him win leverage on routes at all 3 levels of the field. His speed and smooth acceleration on double moves allows him to stack defensive backs vertically and create a lot more separation than is anticipated.

Scouts will be eyeing this matchup to see how each of these players handles highly athletic NFL talent. 

RELATED