Anthony Russo/The ObserverNumber 74, Anthony Castonzo walks onto the field with his teammates.
President and NFL analyst of www.draftcountdown.com, Scott Wright spends his time evaluating the nation’s top senior prospects. He watches college game after college game, taking notes, and compiling a list of the top 332 draft prospects. He’s been doing this since 1997 and is relatively accurate. His long-term record is just as good as anyone’s lending him a lot of credibility.
Two players in his top 332 hail from the Heights, and they are not just in the top 332; they are actually both in the top 15. Our two standouts are Anthony Castonzo, listed as the 7th prospect, and Mark Herzlich, listed at 14th. While Wright is constantly tweaking and revising his rankings, it’s impressive that two of our own are ranked so highly.
We’ll start first with #74, senior offensive tackle Castonzo. Wright has him ranked as the #1 offensive tackle prospect in the nation, listing him as a steady blocker with solid physical tools and top-notch intangibles.
“I am a big Anthony Castonzo fan,” Wright says. “He has the ideal size you look for, is a pretty good athlete, he’s extremely smart and technically sound and he also has a ton of experience against top-notch competition.”
Anthony Russo/The ObserverNumber 94, Mark Herzlich, pumps up the SuperFans in the student section
Castonzo has started every game since arriving on BC’s campus in 2007, and he has been a very solid player. He has blocked for running back Montel Harris, who, last season, had the fourth most carries in the country and the tenth most rushing yards.
To maintain his spot, Wright says, “I think Castonzo just needs to continue doing what he has his entire career. If he does that I think he will secure a spot in the first round. I don’t see Castonzo as the type of elite, franchise left tackle prospect who is going to be a top 5 overall pick but he is going to be a very good player in the NFL for a very long time.”
In order to get to that point though, there are some things that Castonzo needs to work on. One of his biggest weaknesses, in Wright’s opinion, is maintaining proper pad level. Listed at 6’7, he has a tendency to get too upright at times because he is so tall. In addition, Castonzo isn’t the most powerful guy. “He isn’t the type who is going to physically dominate and maul his opponent,” Wright says, but “perhaps the biggest concern is his ability to handle speed off the edge.” For example, last year Castonzo struggled against North Carolina’s Robert Quinn, who could be a top 5 overall pick. The problem here is that Quinn is the type of elite pass rusher that Castonzo will have to deal with on a regular basis as a left tackle in the NFL.
One thing that could move him up in the rankings is if he goes to the Senior Bowl and impresses scouts. He has the ability to go from a mid-to-late first round pick up to an early first round pick.
From offensive left tackle to outside linebacker, we move on to #94, Mark Herzlich. Currently rated as the #3 outside linebacker prospect in the nation, Herzlich is listed with “status is clouded by medical issues but a top prospect if healthy.” If healthy being the key words. While Herzlich has racked up some tackles in his first few games back, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding him after his battle with Ewing’s Sarcoma kept him out of the entire 2009 season.
The bottom line for Herzlich and his NFL career, according to Wright, is this: “If Herzlich plays like he did in 2008 and is cleared medically he has the ability to top that list by Draft Day. Those are two major “If’s” though.”
Wright says he ranked Herzlich at 14th primarily on his play from the 2008 season when he was ACC Defensive Player of the Year and looked like a future top 10 overall pick in the NFL draft.
Wright says he really struggled with where to put Herzlich in the rankings because of all the uncertainty surrounding him right now. He says it’s important for Herzlich to play well on the field and show scouts that he has regained his previous form, but that is only one major factor. The other is his health, which is something teams will determine for themselves during the pre-draft process and medical checkups at the Scouting Combine.
“Assuming he plays well and is cleared medically, I think Herzlich is absolutely a first round talent,” says Wright, “but I wouldn’t be surprised if he slipped to round two or three due to the health issues.”
In his first couple of games back, Herzlich has accumulated some tackles, including solo tackles and tackles for losses of yards. He needs to continue to show he’s healthy and play like he did two seasons ago. While there may be rust early on, by the end of the season, scouts will need to see Herzlich making impact plays like he was known for before he got sick.
Wright thinks it will come down to each individual team and how their doctors evaluate the situation. It’s a huge “X” factor and something that may not be sorted out until after the Scouting Combine in late February, so all Herzlich can do for now is show that he is back to his old self.
“Based on the way he played in 2008 I don’t think anyone doubts Herzlich’s talent,” says Wright. “The only question about him, and it’s a big one, is the health.”
In Wright’s current mock draft, he has Castonzo going to the Chicago Bears as the #12 pick and Herzlich going to the Baltimore Ravens as the #28 pick. With over 200 days to go until the NFL draft, this is all merely speculation, but Wright has a good track record.
To see why Wright chose those two teams for Castonzo and Herzlich, as well as if he thinks Boston College can win a bowl game this season, check out the Observer’s website for a sports blog with the rest of the Scott Wright interview.
