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Christian Kirk

Is Anthony Averett the Key to Victory Sunday?

by Jermaine Lockett September 22, 2019

Is Anthony Averett the Key to Victory Sunday?

Lamar Jackson vs. Pat Mahomes is all the media is screaming about. These are two players who will never take the field at the same time this weekend unless they are team captains for the coin toss. Baltimore (in my Ed Reed voice), we have bigger concerns. Our secondary came into the preseason as one of the most feared units in the league. Due to injuries in the last few weeks, does Pat have much to fear? Sure, Marlon Humphrey and Earl Thomas are exceptional players but can Anthony Averett show up Sunday to help secure the “W” for the Ravens?

Burn Baby Burn!

I went back to the Arizona tape to see how Kyler Murray racked up 349-yards in the air. He made his money targeting whoever was being covered by Averett. Kyler showed veteran intelligence by recognizing where the weak link the D was an exploiting it. Averett was responsible most to of the game for covering the “burners”. In this case, Christian Kirk and Damiere Byrd were those “burners”. The former Alabama player was placed on them respectfully because of his 4.36-40 speed. Unfortunately, he was picked on a great deal Sunday and gave up the lion’s share of the 15-catches for 159-yards between the two speedy players.

The reason I bring any of this up is that tomorrow, Bryant McKinnie’s nephew will be charged with covering the Chiefs’ fastest “burner” in Mecole Hardman. Hardman runs a 4.33 -40 time according to NFL.COM. Speed is not the issue I saw with Averett. His ability to shadow WRs and make tough tackles via Nick Saban’s training is acceptable. The former Roll Tide player reminds me of Cary Williams when he was here in Baltimore.

All about the Jam!

The New Jersey Native needs to focus more on his ability to jam when on the line of scrimmage. Last Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, the second-year player used more of an opening swing-gate approach to press coverage. I am a firm believer that if you are on the line of scrimmage, you are there to interrupt the flow of the receiver, not escort him there to the destination.

Of course, Earl Thomas will be there in support in case the speed is too much for Jimmy Smith‘s stand-in. According to BaltimoreRavens.com, He had this to say on the matter.

“Luckily the Ravens have me playing free safety, controlling the deep end,” Thomas said. “I plan on eliminating all the big plays.”

If Averett can jack up the flow of Hardman Sunday, one step to victory will be secured.

Jermaine Lockett is a Writer and CEO for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter

September 22, 2019 0 comment

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2018 Draft Prospects: Eugene’s Top 5 WRs

by EUGENE Holt February 24, 2018

written by EUGENE Holt

2018 Draft Prospects: Eugene’s Top 5 WRs

Draft time is here and it’s time to get to know some of the hot names coming out. It’s a fairly deep class so I’ll be throwing more names out there as time goes on. To start here are my top 5 Wide Receivers coming out of college:

Calvin Ridley Alabama 6’1 190 – Speed, route running, hands….the kid has it all. He has legit speed to beat his man deep. He ran an array of routes in college and was very precise at each route. Very good lateral quickness allows him to explode out of his breaks, creating instant separation. Very reliable catching the football. catches with his hands and doesn’t let the ball into his body. Can play outside or in the slot. The only knock on him would be his strength. Generously listed at 190, he may need to bulk up to deal with stronger defensive backs at the next level. PRO COMPARISON: Nelson Agholor

Anthony Miller Memphis 5’11 190 – Very similar to Ridley, Anthony Miller is blessed with a great combination of speed, hands, and route running ability. Add to that a special type of tenacity and fire and you’re looking at potential game-changer. Miller aggressively goes after the football in a way you wouldn’t expect from a player his size. Routes are sharp and he shows deep speed along with quickness to gain separation underneath. Again size is the only concern. He’s probably smaller than what he’s listed as and may need to add muscle. Also, there are medical concerns that must be addressed. PRO COMPARISON: Steve Smith (former Panther)

Courtland Sutton SMU 6’4 218 – A big body type Receiver. Sutton uses his height and big-body to his advantage every snap. Shields defenders from the ball with his wide frame. Goes up and gets the jump ball with his long arms and leaping ability. Not a burner, but has decent speed and offers some run after the catch ability. Doesn’t gain a ton of separation because he lacks the lateral quickness and explosiveness, but he makes up for that by making the contested catch. PRO COMPARISON: Alshon Jeffery

James Washington Oklahoma State 6’0 205 – A total deep threat. Average 20 yards per catch in college. Excellent at tracking the ball in the air and making the catch. His thickly built and muscular frame allows him to make catches with defenders hanging on him. Good strong hands when catching, doesn’t let the ball get into his body. Gets good separation on comeback routes because his speed must be respected. Didn’t run a variety of routes in school. Washington is fast, but not explosive. The OK product has more of a build up speed, not sudden explosion. Will need to work on beating press coverage and route running at the next level. PRO COMPARISON: Dez Bryant

Michael Gallup Colorado State 6’1 202 – Strong route runner, shows good speed for deep routes as well as twitchy explosiveness for underneath routes. Gains separation with precise route running. Shows good flexibility in his hips to get defenders to lean to one side then explode out of his break to create room for the catch. Strong enough to fight through press coverage and fast enough to get over top of a defender. He looks like the total package but lack of talented competition may lead him to be overrated. has some drops where he simply loses focus. PRO COMPARISON Marvin Jones

*Bonus* Some good names that could easily jump into the top 5

Christian Kirk

Daesean Hamilton

DJ Chark

J’mon Moore

DJ Moore

Dante Pettis

Auden Tate

Equanimeous St. Brown

Darren Carrington

Antonio Callaway

Eugene Holt is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

February 24, 2018 0 comment

NFL NFL Draft

2018 NFL Draft: Eric’s top 5 WR rankings

by Eric Kirschenbaum February 15, 2018

written by Eric Kirschenbaum

For the third installment of the 2018 NFL draft rankings, comes the wide receiver group which features a couple of jewels up top and plenty of depth.

1 Calvin Ridley, Alabama

Ridley is an electric receiver with smooth route running abilities, top-end speed, and reliable hands. Ridley has a knack for creating separation and is a real threat after the catch. He has fluid hips and can make up for a bad throw by his quarterback. The Alabama product possesses a small frame and is soft when on man coverage. He has had quite a few concentration drops that will not fly in the NFL. He is the top WR in the 2018 NFL draft.

2 James Washington, Oklahoma State

Washington catches everything you throw at him, something he reassured at the senior bowl. Possessing a pair of the best hands in the draft, he consistently bailed out Mason Rudolph during the season. The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, which honors the nation’s top wide receiver each season is an amazing deep threat having averaged over 20 yards per catch and has solid route running abilities. Like many other receivers coming from spread offenses, Washington hasn’t been able to work the full route tree, which means he won’t be able to handle WR1 duties from day 1.

3 Courtland Sutton, SMU

Sutton is a big bodied receiver with downfield physicality and strong reliable hands who is great at winning the 50/50 ball. Sutton is a matchup nightmare in the red zone. He easily boxes out defenders, times his jump and catches the ball at the highest point. The SMU star has the potential to be a great possession receiver. Sutton lacks elite speed, hasn’t played a lot of elite competition and was shut down by TCU. An underrated part of a wide receiver is his ability to block and he does that very well. When asked to block, he does a great job at driving smaller defenders backward.

4 Equanimeous St. Brown, Notre Dame

St Brown’s decline in production this year has him falling all the way to number 4. He showcased his 6’5 205lb frame last year with explosive speed and solid route running that will outweigh his lack of production from this year. The Notre Dame product is not only a redzone target but also a very effective deep threat. He still needs to use his body better to high point the ball and win those 50/50 balls that he should win given his size and athleticism.

5 Christian Kirk, Texas A&M

Kirk brings value not only as a receiver but also as a returner. He played a lot in the slot this year, but he has potential to play outside too. Kirk is a crisp route runner and electric after the catch. The Texas A&M speedster lacked elite production this year due to shaky play at the QB position.

6 ) Deon Cain, Clemson

7) Auden Tate, FSU

8) Simmie Cobbs Jr, Indiana

9) Dante Pettis, Washington

10) Anthony Miller, Memphis

Honorable mention: D.J. Charke, LSU

Here is also my top 5 quarterback rankings: https://www.couchriderreport.net/2018-nfl-draft-quarterback-rankings-scouting-reports-top-prospects/

Eric Kirschenbaum is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

February 15, 2018 0 comment