Penn State's Still Not Lacking Self Confidence
Defensive lineman Devon Still is a candidate to come off NFL Draft boards late in the first round, perhaps where the Packers pick.
Despite competing with names like Memphis' Dontari Poe, LSU's Michael Brockers and Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox, Devon Still of Penn State didn't hesitate to say where he thought he stacked up with the top defensive tackles in the NFL Draft.
"I think hands down I’m the best defensive tackle in this draft, just because I feel like I want it more," said Still at the NFL Combine in February. "I was able to take over a lot of games this season. Just the production that I had, I was able to disrupt plays even if I wasn’t making tackles or sacks."
Still was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American by the Associated Press after racking up 55 tackles, 17 for a loss and 4.5 sacks in 2011.
But it was a long road to Still's dominating senior season in college considering what happened his first few years on the Penn State campus when he arrived as a highly-touted recruit.
Following an ACL tear to his right knee during his true freshman season in 2007, Still was forced to redshirt. Then he broke his left fibula early in the 2008 season and only saw limited action in three games, not accumulating so much as a single tackle.
Still could hear the rumblings, fans saying he wouldn't live up to the hype. But he persevered.
He worked extra hard with Nittany Lions defensive line coach Larry Johnson to battle back from adversity and reach his true potential.
"One of the things that I learned from Coach Johnson is when you see players get injured, coaches tend to forget about them and just move onto the next person," said Still. "I was injured two years back-to-back, which gave Coach Johnson every reason to go find the next D-tackle out there and move on.
"But he stood by my side the whole time and I think he pushed me harder than he did any other player there, just because he wanted me to prove all my critics wrong."
From that point on, Still began his upward climb. He played in all of Penn State's 13 games as a sophomore, starting one, and was a modest contributor. He wasn't fully developed yet, but it was a start.
Still took another step forward during his junior year. He wasn't the elite player he was in his senior season, but he was headed in the right direction when he totaled 39 tackles, 10 for a loss and four sacks.
It was at the end of that junior season in 2010 that the light bulb clicked for Still, that he knew he had a chance to overshadow his competition his last year in college.
In the 2011 Outback Bowl played on New Year's Day against Florida, Still held his own while facing off against Gators center Mike Pouncey who went on to become a first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins. Penn State didn't win, and Still didn't have any sacks or impact plays, but he did accumulate what was then a single-game career-high seven tackles.
"I kind of felt that after my bowl game my junior year, when we played against Florida, I thought I was able to play with them because I played against a top-15 pick, their center," said Still. "That right there just springboarded me into the following season."
Still's senior year was overshadowed by the scandal at Penn State and coach Joe Paterno's retirement, but it made him no less a player.
The Nittany Lions defensive lineman is now headed for the NFL and could be a first-round draft choice, perhaps where the Packers select at No. 28. There are concerns about his play, however.
"Still has a great body, a great skill set," said NFL Network Draft analyst Mike Mayock on a conference call with the media. "He helped himself this year but there is a consistency or lack of consistency factor that he's got to work on when he's talking to scouts and coaches about his ability to show up on every snap."
There's also the question of where Still fits along the defensive line.
He's played three-technique (lined up over the offensive guard) the majority of his college career, but he's also lined up anywhere from defensive end to nose tackle in his time at Penn State.
Figuring out his ideal position could have a major impact on how much the Packers value Still's services.
"I think I’m very scheme diverse," said Still. "I think I can play in both a 4-3 and a 3-4 just because I don’t see the five-technique being that much different from playing the three-technique."
Thursday April 26 is the day when Still finds out if his versatility is enough to push him into the first round of the Draft.
Comments (7)
April 01, 2012 at 12:56 pm
At 28, I want TT to take an impact player and I don't think it's Still. Some draftniks say he lacks effort, one even saying outright he's lazy. Seems the Badger OL held him in check. I think some have said he's better in a 4-3.
His uncle is NFLer Art Still. And some players will give it more effort now that it's their career but don't want to chance it in the 1st round.
April 01, 2012 at 01:12 pm
My problem with Still at 28 is his injury history, first and foremost. The Packers have had two high-round DTs in Harrell and Neal buckle and/or bust by having injuries in college continue into the NFL. Do they really want to spend their first round pick this year on a guy who is, by some measure, already damaged goods?
Skills or no skills, he can't help if he's not healthy.
April 01, 2012 at 03:32 pm
My first impression of Still was to avoid him like the plague, we don't need another injury prone Dlineman.
However, after watching him in 4 of his games from last season and breaking everything down I could find on the guy, im convinced hes worth a shot at 28 for the Pack if he falls that far. He had 2 pretty significant injuries to start his college career but has been healthy ever since.
My top 3 choices for pick 28 are Whitney Mercilus, Devon Still and Mark Barron. If none of those guys are there then I would value a trade down from 28 to pick up an extra 3rd rounder or possibly a 2nd depending how far down into the 2nd we go.
April 01, 2012 at 05:29 pm
Huddle Report (sub req.)
" plays to his competition, only showed up to play in his Senior year and even then, only the games he thought were important. He is not a good teammate, does not work with other linemen very well on stunts, guesses too much and can't be trusted to always play his responsibilities first."
Again, maybe now that's it's his profession and w/ some guidance from his uncle he steps up his game but...
I wonder if the games you watched were the "important" ones.
Not a fan of Mercilus at 28. Read he lacks instincts and got most of his sacks by chasing down the QB, rather than creating the plays himself. I'm not yet firm on who I would take but so far Barron and Hightower are in the mix though I'm more inclined to trade down and get an extra pick (to KC for 44 & 74 would work for me). And I would be mighty tempted to trade up to 22 for Fletcher Cox if he's still there (would cost picks 28 & 90).
April 01, 2012 at 04:46 pm
The last thing we need is a lazy guy. If his motor wasn't running every snap, stay away from him, moreso at the DL.
April 02, 2012 at 08:28 am
For all the numbers and "film" that we have access to as fans this is a perfect example of why we really know very little compared to the coaches and scouts. We dissect the combine numbers and watch tv feeds of games/youtube highlights but the interviews, of both the player and his college staff, and the med checks that we don't have much if any access to are such a huge factor, if not the biggest, in deciding whether or not a player is worth taking a chance on. I certainly do, and i think many of us diehards, like to play amateur scout and with so much information available we like to think we know the whole story on a prospect but we really just see the tip of the iceberg. It took me personally a long time to realize that.
April 02, 2012 at 10:56 am
Nagler had a great article about draftniks at his new spot. Reading what you said, it absolutely translates to the casual "draftniks" as well. Very true. In the end all we have, no matter how much we look and "study", are hunches.