HBCU NFL Draft Prospect: Darian Barnes, DE/LB, Tuskegee University

Prospect Darian Barnes was a defensive end in college but is projected to be a rush outside linebacker at the next level in a 3-4 alignment for NFL teams. Barnes has an impressive frame with an athletic looking build at 6-3, 245 lbs and 34 inch arms. His athletic ability jumps out on film, but he is raw. He explodes off the snap with a great first step, keeps his feet moving on contact, and is fluid in changing direction. Barnes plays with a good degree of quickness, immediately alters his angle of attack and shows a burst of closing speed baring down on the play. On film, Barnes shows good spin, dip and swim moves when rushing the passer. He effectively uses his hands, plays with good knee bend and pad level. Breaks down well and gives a lot of effort hustling around the field. Barnes showed his pass rushing skills during the HBCU Bowl week getting the best against most of the selected offensive lineman in one-on-one drills and in team sessions. He stood out in the HBCU Bowl All-Star Game constantly getting pressure on the quarterback and registering two sacks. He did not run for scouts at the HBCU Bowl combine, but is reported to run in the mid 4.6s. Barnes did show his strength for scouts with 22 reps on the bench. In watching film on Barnes, it shows that he has a tendency to bite on play-action passes and get caught up the field and out of position. Sometimes Barnes gets easily blocked on plays away from the ball which leaves him lost in traffic during the play. Barnes primarily lined up in a three-point stance in college and was not asked to drop back in coverage, which is a concern for scouts in projecting his transition to fit as a LB in a 3-4 scheme. Barnes is the type of player that teams look to develop on practice squad and hope will contribute over time. He will also have to impress and contribute on special teams to increase his chances at the next level. Barnes offers a good degree of upside potential and is a solid developmental prospect for the next level.
Darian Barnes youtube film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBhC_eWnQ6s

HBCU NFL Draft Prospect: Phillip Sylvester, RB, Florida A&M

Phillip Sylvester, FAMU RB, started off slow in 2010, but finished the season very strong with some big performances against then undefeated Bethune-Cookman, Hampton and NC A&T. In watching Sylvester, the things that stood out to me were his speed, quickness and elusiveness. He's a smaller back at 5-8, 185 lbs, which is a concern for NFL scouts, but they love the fact that he has the speed and acceleration to take it the distance on any play. Sylvester has the feet, wiggle and change of direction that you like in a back. He also displays good instincts and has the ability to make the first defender miss. He does a decent job of setting up his blocks, but needs to show more consistency in this area and he also needs to run with better pad level as he has a up right running style. After watching film, it is evident that Sylvester runs hard, breaks tackles, and does not go down on the initial contact. Sylvester is the type of player that you want to put in space to make plays. Durability is not a big concern for Phillip, but he has battled some injuries in his career. During the HBCU Bowl week he was the most impressive back on the East roster. He also impressed the NFL scouts on hand at the HBCU Bowl Georgia Dome combine with his 4.3 and 4.4 40-yard dash times. Sylvester is currently training at the Success Athletic Training Facilities and I expect him to put up an even faster forty time at his pro day in March. Sylvester catches the ball well out of the back field and will have to make his mark at the next level as a return guy and change of pace back. He's a good blocker for someone his size but might not fair well against the linebackers that he will face at the next level. Sylvester should get an opportunity in a NFL training camp where he may surprise some people, but he will have to establish himself as a return man to better his chances at the next level.

HBCU NFL Draft Prospect: Jordan Miller, DT, Southern University

After watching film on Southern University's DT Jordan Miller this past season; the first thing that stood out to me was his explosive first step and quickness off the ball. He stays low out of his stance and gets good leverage at the point of attack; he's also very active with his hands and displays good strength while holding his gap. Miller showed a lot of his quickness and strength against the offensive lineman during the HBCU Bowl week last month and was unblockable at times; especially in one-on-one drills. He put up very good workout numbers at the GA Dome HBCU Bowl Combine held on Monday during the week with 30 reps on the bench and running a 5.1 in the 40 (considering he just finished a full football season).  Miller has a unique football story, he didn't play football until his senior year in high school and only played in a few games. He decided to walk-on at Southern University and was still learning the nuances of the game his first two seasons. Everything started coming together for him in his Junior year at Southern with leading the team with five and a half sacks and eleven tackles for loss. Miller had an even more productive Senior year with nine sacks and fifteen tackles for loss, but it was over shadowed by his team losing record and two other DT prospects in the SWAC conference in Arkansas Pine-Bluff Ibraham Abdulah and Alabama A&M's Frank Kearse getting most of the publicity. But Miller deserves to be mentioned with them in his own right and scouts have taken notice.

Jordan Miller youtube film
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_xPGxk6b6Y