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3rd Round #1: Mohamed Sanu


ArmyBengal

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CBS:

Release: Too big and strong for most defenders at this level to test him in press coverage. Good hand placement and upper body strength to fight off the jam when he gets it and is a threat to beat the defender over the top due to good acceleration and better straight-line speed than he's often credited with possessing. Eats up the cushion, showing better agility and precision as a route-runner than most receivers with his bulk.

Hands: Sanu has several outstanding qualities but none more impressive than his natural receiving skills. Possesses very reliable hands and a wide catch radius due to his long arms, impressive flexibility, and hand-eye coordination. Extends and plucks the ball away from his frame when he senses the defender near. Quickly secures the ball and carries it tight to his frame. Very good jump-ball candidate due to strong leaping skills, long arms and timing.

Route running: Quick burst off the line of scrimmage perhaps masking a lack of elite straight-line speed. Has enough speed to challenge vertically. Throttles down quickly, sinks his hips and has good burst left and right to generate separation on underneath routes. Used from a variety of positions, lining up inside in the slot, outside and put in motion. Courageous over the middle, often pulling away on drag routes and quick posts.

After the catch: Exciting blend of size, strength and speed once the ball is in his hands. Strong receiver capable of ripping free of arm tackles and shucking off defenders with a stiff-arm. Lacks elite lateral agility to make defenders miss in tight quarters, but has good flexibility, balance and vision to weave through the defense. Rushed for 653 yards and nine touchdowns over his career and isn't opposed to cutting back inside amidst the big bodies if he sees a lane. Some question about his true timed speed but has an explosive burst to accelerate through gaps and separate.

Blocking: Takes his role as a blocker seriously. Shows good strength and very good effort blocking downfield, locking up the corner and working to seal his opponent from the action. Often sent in motion so he can provide a crack back block on an unsuspecting defensive end and looks to peel back and knock out the trailing defender when a teammate has a chance for a big play.

Intangibles: A selfless player who head coach Greg Schiano raved about when Sanu announced that he was leaving early. ?He?s meant a ton to this program,? Schiano said. ?He?s the guy who does everything. He?ll be very hard to replace. I don?t know if you ever replace him. You?ll just have to have a few guys do his thing.? Played all three years he was at Rutgers but will turn 23 early in his rookie season due to the fact that he turned 19 a week before his senior season of high school football began and he was ruled ineligible... --Rob Rang

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Walter:

Strengths:

Phenomenal hands

Excellent size

Superb route-runner

Knows the route tree from every receiver position

Dangerous with ball in his hands

Picks up yards after the catch

Quickness

Great body control

Very good working the middle of the field

Versatile athlete, lots of carries at running back

Physical with cornerbacks

Is a red-zone weapon

Great third-down receiver

Good blocker

Leaping ability

Tough; can take big hits and comes back

Fiery

Quality guy in the locker room

Ideal fit in a West Coast offense

Weaknesses:

Not a natural deep threat who will stretch the field

Had injury issues in 2010

Varying times in the 40-yard dash

Summary: Sanu was a playmaker the past three seasons at Rutgers. After arriving as a freshman, he was an integral part of the Scarlet Knights' offense. Sanu ran the ball from a wildcat set along with playing wide receiver in 2009 and 2010. He is a rare commodity as a hard-nosed wide receiver who could have had even better college production if Rutgers had quality quarterback play.

As a junior, Sanu was used as a wide receiver when the team shifted to a more pro-style offense. He showed what he could do with a phenomenal season. Sanu was one of the country's most productive wideouts with 115 catches for 1,206 yards and seven touchdowns. Of the top wide receivers in the 2012 draft class, only Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon had more receptions than Sanu.

Sanu had a disappointing 40 time of 4.67 at the Combine, but improved on that at his Pro Day with a time in the 4.4s. He performed well in the field-receiving drills at both events.

Sanu is a dynamic receiver who does everything well. He has big strong hands and is very reliable. Teams can know that Sanu will go across the middle of the field and make tough catches. He has fantastic body control, which allows him to make highlight-reel catches along the sideline.

Sanu is physical with corners and is a good route-runner. He played at X (split end), Z (flanker) and the slot in college. Sanu uses quickness and route running to get separation from defensive backs. His size allows him to shield off defenders. Sanu should be a reliable NFL receiver to move the chains. He'll make a big impact on third downs and produce points in the red zone.

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Mem, he may not time real fast, but watch his game. He's quick and was running the wildcat there at Rutgers as well.

The Bengals also said it was more important to find a technically sound WR that had good hands (unlike Simpson) and that speed was secondary.

This is a great pick of a player that was considered a late first, early second rounder.

AWESOME !!!

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Nevermind, I warmed up to it very quickly when reading through those reports. Add in that I just remembered how slow Anquan Boldin timed before he came out, and I am real good with this pick.

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