Stripe Hype » Star Lotulelei

NFL Draft Roundtable: Analyzing Best Prospects, Potential AFC North Additions

Sean McMahon — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:10:11 +0000

There’s been a lot of debate about who is this year’s best player (s) is in an NFL Draft class that’s being regarded as one of the weaker drafts in recent memory. So we got our staff together to dissect the best prospects and pinpoint who could potentially end up in the AFC North.

“Who do you think the best player in this year’s draft is?”

Nov 10, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Utah Utes defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (92) during the game against the Washington Huskies at CenturyLink Field. Washington defeated Utah 34-15. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Guttersnake

I’m a man for the trench work, so I think its toss-up between either Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei or Alabama guard Chance Warmack. Lotulelei is King Kong in a nose tackle’s body, and his aggressiveness is just sick to think about if you’re a quarterback with any offensive line questions. If Kansas City took him at number one overall, I wouldn’t be shocked, but because of regardless of being cleared medically, his heart concerns will have people looking past him.

Their loss – he’s going to be one of the dominant nose tackles in the NFL within two years. On the other side, Warmack is the common denominator between Trent Richardson and Eddie Lacy. This guy is an uncommonly talent to reads second and third blocks as well as being a dominating competitor and strength at the position. To be honest, I hope that I get to see these two square off at some point next season.

Blake Meek

I think Alabama guard Chance Warmack is the best player in this draft. He is an absolute beast from the guard position. He does everything extremely well. He will be a pro bowl-caliber OG for 8-10 years.

Shawn Maher

I’m a big upside guy, so Oregon linebacker Dion Jordan is my favorite player in this year’s draft. Doesn’t matter the position, system or scheme, he’s going to be making plays. BYU’s Ezekial Ansah is another tempting, high-upside player, as is the impeccable Tavon Austin, but Jordan is the player that I think could revolutionize whatever position he plays with his athleticism.

Sean McMahon

Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei. I believe he is going to be the best player from this year’s draft. A heart condition made his draft stock drop, but he has medically checked out after that. Since then, Shariff Floyd has jumped him on quite a few big boards because of this, but one can look at the tape and realize how great of a pro Star could become.

He is disruptive and explosive after the snap. He is a tremendous run-defender and is almost impossible to move out of his gap. Star’s motor is always going and he is also extremely durable. He is also a great character guy and has seemed to be mature. Star would be a great addition to any NFL team and is going to be in numerous Pro Bowls throughout his career. He has all the talent in the world and a high ceiling.

Dustin Meritt

It is so hard to nail down one guy, Oregon’s Dion Jordan and Alabama’s Chance Warmack are neck and neck in my opinion, with West Virginia’s Tavon Austin peeking around the corner. Jordan has a chance to be real special and if he goes to a team that can use him properly and teach him a better inside pass rush move, he is going to be real good, read option QB’s watch out.

However the best player right now is, yes a guard Chance Warmack. It’s not just his ability to start day one, his natural strength, ability to pull and erase LB’s, it’s when he knows he won’t be able to get a clean block he still gets in the way and keeps the defender out of the running lane, that is experience and field smarts.

NFL Draft: Heart Condition Could Cost Utah’s Star Lotulelei

Jason — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 22:46:05 +0000

While the NFL Scouting Combine is regarded as an opportunity for NFL Draft prospects to showcase their athletic abilities and have formal interviews with NFL teams interested in them, the most overlooked event at the combine is the medical checks. While these typically don’t reveal anything that could cause a prospect’s stock to fall, there’s typically one case each year where red flags are raised during medicals, and that appears to be the case with Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei:

Utah DT Star Lotulelei, projected top five 5 draft pick, will not work out after echocardiogram detected heart condition. Filed to ESPN.

— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) February 24, 2013

Re: Lotulelei — I suffered from atrial fibrillation and my heart was pumping at 45%. Had an ablation surgery and is well over 60% now.

— James Christensen (@NEPatriotsDraft) February 24, 2013

If this turns out to be a serious condition(which it looks like it is), this could cause him to fall all the way out of the first-round, and could affect his ability to continue to play football if it’s a life-threatening condition.

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NFL Draft News: Updates on Star Lotulelei, Giovani Bernard, & T.J. Moe

Jason — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 23:55:37 +0000

Nov 10, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; Utah Utes defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (92) reaches for Washington Huskies quarterback Keith Price (17) during the 2nd half at CenturyLink Field. Washington defeated Utah 34-15. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

Utah definitive tackle Star Lotulelei is listed as the top prospect on ESPN Draft Analyst Todd McShay’s updated big board. He says Lotulelei needs some polish as a pass-rusher, but his natural gifts are clearly a cut above every other draft prospect. The 6’4” 320 lb mammoth is built for taking up two gaps as a 3-4 nose tackle, which is what many experts believe is his best fit at the NFL level. Fortunately for Lotulelei, many teams selecting in the top-10 are running or transitioning to the 3-4.

One of the sleepers of this year’s draft might just be Missouri receiver T.J. Moe. After posting 92 receptions for 1045 and six touchdowns in 2010 with Blaine Gabbert as his quarterback, Moe struggled to develop chemistry with the more “dual-threat” James Franklin, leading him to catch just 94 balls for 1048 yards and five TDs in his last two years in Columbia. Former NFL scout Bryan Broaddus said Moe “might be a hard guy to get rid of if you brought him on your squad.”