Draft Season At Vikings Territory: OLB/S Su’a Cravens Scouting Report

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text][This Su’a Cravens Scouting Report, with a Vikings slant, has been provided to Vikings Territory by Draft Season. Be sure to check back for more and also be sure to visit Draft Season to quench your NFL Draft thirst. All previously published scouting reports can be found by clicking here.]

Su’a Cravens | OLB/Safety, USC

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Measurements

Height – 6′ 1″
Weight – 225 lbs.
Age – 20 yrs.

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At First Glance

Three-year starter, Freshman All-American Team

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Projected Round:

1st – 2nd Round

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Pros

Excellent form tackler. If I was showing a group of young kids how to properly tackle, I’d put on film of Cravens. He lowers his shoulder, keeps his head up, and wraps up.

Aggressive against the run. Cravens’ sure tackling helps him wrap up powerful backs, who would shake off a lesser talent.

Fights through blocks well. Cravens uses his hands and upper body strength well to fend off blockers.

Smart player. Su’a diagnoses plays quickly, not often getting fooled by misdirection.

Good hands. If the ball is up in the air in the vicinity of Cravens, there’s a good chance he’s coming down with it.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]

Cons

Adequate speed but by no means a burner. Cravens can get to where he needs to, but doesn’t have elite speed.

Not a big hitter. I love the way Cravens tackles, but he is more of a technician. Doesn’t often lay the big, bone-crushing hit, opting to wrap up and throw his man down.

Needs to work on his coverage skills. Cravens occasionally gets caught peeking into the backfield, and then subsequently gets burnt. He’ll need to shore that up, especially if he winds up at safety.

Tweener. Teams aren’t sure if Cravens will end up at safety or outside linebacker. That could cause a few teams to pass on him.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1457198131577{padding-top: 15px ;background-color: #dbdbdb ;}”]

NFL Player Comparison:

Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers

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The Vikings Slant

Vikings fit? Yes

The Vikings need both a safety and an outside linebacker, so Cravens is someone the team will definitely consider. There’s a gaping hole next to Harrison Smith just waiting to be filled. Cravens could fit in as more of an “in-the-box” type of safety leaving Smith free to roam the secondary. The Vikings will also be looking for a replacement for Chad Greenway. Chances are Greenway comes back for one last farewell season. If he does, it’s likely his old bones can’t handle a full 16-game workload. The team would be smart to have his replacement on the roster, learning from the great veteran and spelling him every now and then. Cravens could definitely fit in as the future weak side linebacker for the Vikings, as he’s proven to be a sound tackler and a smart, aggressive player. His versatility, among other factors, make him seem like a player Mike Zimmer would like.

It’s tough to peg exactly where Cravens might come off the board on Draft Day. While he could be late round pick, his tweener status could cause him to fall to the second round. If he’s on the board when the Vikings pick in round 2, they will have to think long and hard about taking Cravens and making him Harrison Smith’s partner in the secondary or the heir apparent to Chad Greenway.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]