4th Round: Raymond Preston

[SDS]

Please post info here.

[SDS]

From Gil Brandt:

 

5. Raymond Preston, Illinois (6-5 1/8, 314)

Had a complete workout at the combine. Ran the 40 in 5.34 and 5.44, had 32-inch vertical jump, 8-foot long jump, 4.45 short shuttle, 7.57 three-cone drill and lifted 21 times. A three-year starter that needs more strength.

[SDS]

http://www.nfl.com/draft/profiles/2005/preston_raymond

 

"Nicknamed "Duke," Preston is a football legacy. His father, Raymond II, was a standout at Syracuse, where he earned All-America honors before embarking on a nine-year NFL career with San Diego. Raymond Preston is a classic technician who does not make assignment mistakes. In his last two seasons at Illinois, he allowed only one quarterback sack.

 

Preston is a highly intelligent athlete who lettered four times in football and baseball at Mount Carmel High School, where he twice earned San Diego Tribune academic honors. "

[Albany,n.y.]

From NFL Draft Scout (Sports Xchange):

 

Name: Duke Preston

College: Illinois Number: 75

Height: 6-5 Weight: 311

Position: C Pos2:

Class/Draft Year: Sr/2005

40 Time: 5.44

Projected Round: 5-6 Stock:

Rated number 5 out of 42 C's 196 / 1474 TOTAL

 

Combine Results Pro Day Results

Combine Invite: yes

Height: 6051

Weight: 311

40 Yrd Dash: 5.44

20 Yrd Dash: 3.09

10 Yrd Dash: 1.81

Wonderlic: 33

225 Lb. Bench Reps: 21

Vertical Jump: 32

Broad Jump: 8'0"

20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.53

3-Cone Drill: 7.58

 

Dates: 03/16/2005

Height: 6051

Weight: 311

40 Yrd Dash:

20 Yrd Dash:

10 Yrd Dash:

225 Lb. Bench Reps:

Vertical Jump:

Broad Jump:

20 Yrd Shuttle:

3-Cone Drill:

 

 

DRAFT BIOGRAPHY

OVERVIEW

 

 

Nicknamed "Duke," Preston is a football legacy. His father, Raymond II, was a standout at Syracuse, where he earned All-American honors before embarking on a nine-year NFL career with San Diego. Raymond Preston is a classic technician who does not make assignment mistakes. In his last two seasons at Illinois, he allowed only one quarterback sack.

 

Preston is a highly intelligent athlete who lettered four times in football and baseball at Mount Carmel High School, where he twice earned San Diego Tribune academic honors.

 

He was named to the Prep Star All-West team and was twice selected first-team All-Palomar League. Preston added first-team All-County and All-North County honors as voted by the North County Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune. He was also named his team's Most Valuable Player in 1999. Preston was voted team lineman of the year for his junior and senior seasons.

 

Preston redshirted in 2000 for the Illini and saw only two games of action as a reserve center in 2001. He took over for Luke Butkus, starting every game at center in 2002, recording 63 knockdowns while allowing a pair of sacks. In 2003, he was credited with 71 knockdowns and gave up only one sack. As a senior, he was one of the few bright spots on the team, showing much better dominance vs. top-level competition. He finished 2004 with 74 knockdowns while allowing no quarterback sacks, despite most of the offensive unit struggling all year.

 

ANALYSIS

 

 

Positives...Has a thick upper and lower body with big thighs, wide waist, big bubble and room on his frame to add more bulk...Steady player whose experience compensates for athletic shortcomings...Durable athlete who never missed a game due to injuries...Has a quick initial step into his blocks, showing adequate explosion at the snap...Has the size and power to generate a good anchor to position, sustain and hold ground at the line of scrimmage...Works well with his guards on combo blocks...when working in concert with the guards, he demonstrates good pass protection skills...Gets good hand position and can deliver enough punch to jolt the defender...Has better playing strength than his weight room figures indicate...His lateral slide, change of direction and field awareness is evident by the way he quickly handles stunts and delay blitzes.

 

While he lacks initial explosion, he somehow finds a way to gain movement vs. the shade and two-technique....Type of player that has to rely on his low pad level and proper blocking angles to get a surge, gain position and wall off, but he has good field instincts, doing a nice job of making all the blocking calls and knows each of his linemen's assignments...Rarely makes an assignment mistake and has the ability to set and punch in pass protection...Does have decent quickness in the short area, plays at a good pad level and stays low in his stance to establish leverage off the snap...Can reach a man over and follow up with his feet to sustain, but is not a road grader, getting movement with good angles and leg drive instead.

 

Negatives...Has good body mass, but could use some better muscle tone (fleshy mid-section)...Not the most dominating center you will find, lacking the timed speed to be even adequate blocking in space...Adequate picking up blitzes and stunts, but will struggle vs. the quicker defenders...Seems to be out of his element on the move and struggles to make the blocks in the second level, as he is not light on his feet...Likes to bang with his upper body, but needs to lock on and sustain more with his strength...Could also be more explosive through his lower frame and must dedicate more hours in the weight room, as his lack of weight room power could pose a problem at the next level...Aggressive and stays after the play, but isn't a "nasty to-the-whistle" type finisher....Uses his hands well, but will expose his pads and get knocked back some...Combos effectively, but lacks quickness working to the second level and tends to over-extend, which causes him to fall some in space.

 

CAREER NOTES

 

 

2004 SEASON

 

Earned honorable mention All-Big Ten Conference honors...Named the team's captain and offensive MVP...Started all year at center for the Illini ... Played 704 offensive plays without allowing a sack and only gave up ten quarterback pressures during that time...Was never called for a penalty...Helped the Illinois running backs to rush for over 200 yards in three

 

contests (Florida A&M, Michigan State, UCLA) and 199 vs. Indiana...Illini quarterbacks passed for over 2,000 yards for the third straight year ... Wrapped up Illini career with 35 starts...Finished with 74 knockdown blocks.

 

2004 GAME ANALYSIS

 

Florida A&M...Produced seven knockdowns, shoving linebacker Michael Foreman out of the way to give QB Jon Beutjer time to throw a 52-yard pass to Kendrick Jones and on the next play, he took down defensive tackle Clarence Laws to spring tailback Pierre Thomas up the middle of the field for a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, as the team totaled 554 yards and 295 yards on the ground...Head to Head Competition-Terrell Showers-DT-No tackles.

 

UCLA...Had another seven knockdowns for an offense that generated 456 yards...Brought down defensive tackle Kevin Brown to give Beutjer protection until he threw a 16-yard scoring strike to Franklin Payne to cap a 9-play, 66-yard drive in the second quarter...Head to Head Competition-C.J. Niusulu-DT-No tackles.

 

Purdue...Took the legs out from under defensive tackle Brandon Villarreal on Beutjer's second-&-goal 5-yard touchdown toss to Anthony McClellan in the first quarter as the team gained 390 yards...Head to Head Competition-Brent Grover-NG-Five assisted tackles.

 

Wisconsin...The offense struggled to gain 206 yards, but Preston picked up the blitz and leveled linebacker Reggie Cribbs on QB Chris Pazan's 3-yard scoring pass to Melvin Bryant in the fourth quarter...Head to Head Competition-Jason Jefferson-DT-No tackles.

 

Michigan State...Collected eight knockdowns and cleared a rush lane for a 23-yard scoring scamper by Pierre Thomas that finished a 9-play, 80-yard drive in the second quarter... Head to Head Competition-Kevin Vickerson-DT-Four tackles (2 solos).

 

Michigan...The offense would manage only 254 yards, but Raymond took down defensive end Larry Harrison on Jon Beutjer's third-&-goal second quarter 2-yard touchdown pass to Pierre Thomas that capped a 77-yard, 11-play drive...Head to Head Competition-Gabe Watson-NG-One assisted tackle.

 

Iowa...The Illini could produce only 268 yards, but Raymond upended linebacker Abdul Hodge on QB Brad Bower's 8-yard scoring pass to Kendrick Jones on a third-&-7 play in the first quarter that concluded a 9-play, 49-yard drive...Head to Head Competition-Tyler Luebke-DT-Two tackles (1 solo).

 

2003 SEASON

 

Started every game and was the only Illini to play in all 826 plays...Helped the offense average 340.3 yards per game...Allowed only one quarterback sack and six pressures while posting 71 knockdown blocks.

 

2003 GAME ANALYSIS

 

Missouri...Credited with nine knockdowns as the offense totaled 411 yards...Brought down nose guard C.J. Moseley on QB Jon Beutjer's 6-yard scoring strike to Kelvin Hayden.

 

Illinois State...Came up with seven first half knockdowns...Cleared a rush lane used by Virgil Morris for a 35-yard touchdown jaunt...Helped the Illini amass 461 yards.

 

Minnesota...Picked up the blitz, leveling linebacker Ben West on QB Dustin Ward's 4-yard touchdown pass to fullback Carey Davis as the team collected 339 yards.

 

Northwestern...Simply flattened All-Big Ten nose guard Luis Castillo to spring tailback E.B. Halsey for a 1-yard touchdown run, making eight knockdowns as the team gained 403 yards.

 

2002 SEASON

 

Started every game for the Illini at center...Was a major reason the offense set a school season-record with 5,356 yards, an average of 446.3 per game, topping the 5,000 mark for the second straight season and second time in school history...The total offense yardage ranked ninth in the country and the passing average of 282.3 yards per game ranked 16th... Aided running back Antoineo Harris to a single-season rushing record with 1,330 yards... Registered 63 knockdown blocks and allowed only two quarterback sacks.

 

2001 SEASON

 

Played in two games as the backup to All-American center Luke Butkus...Logged playing time in the season-opener at California and at Purdue.

 

2000 SEASON

 

Redshirted the 2000 season.

 

INJURY REPORT

 

 

No injuries reported.

 

AGILITY TESTS

 

 

CAMPUS: 5.42 in the 40-yard dash...380-pound bench press...Bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times...470-pound squat...285-pound incline...300-pound power clean...28-inch vertical jump...7'10" broad jump...Right-handed...27/30 Wonderlic score.

 

COMBINE: 5.42 in the 40-yard dash...3.12 20-yard dash...1.85 10-yard dash...4.45 20-yard shuttle... 7.57 three-cone drill...32-inch vertical jump...8'0" broad jump...Bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times...33 7/8-inch arm length...10 3/8-inch hands...33 Wonderlic score.

 

HIGH SCHOOL

 

 

Attended Mt. Carmel (San Diego, Cal.) High School, playing football for coach Gary Jolk...

 

Lettered four times in football and baseball...Twice earned San Diego Tribune academic honors...Named to the Prep Star All-West team and was twice selected first-team All-Palomar League...Added first-team All-County and All-North County honors as voted by the North County Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune...Named his team's Most Valuable Player in 1999...Voted team lineman of the year for his junior and senior seasons.

 

PERSONAL

 

 

Graduated in May 2004 with an undergraduate degree in speech communication...Son of Raymond and Susan Preston...Father played for nine years with the San Diego Chargers and was a Kodak All-American for Syracuse University...Raymond goes by the nickname of "Duke"...Born Raymond Newton Preston III on 6/12/82 in San Diego, California.

 

PLAYER STATISTICS

 

BLOCKING STATISTICS...Based on review of game film by our scouting department...SGP-season grade percentage...GM-games played...PLAY-amount of snaps played in...KB-key blocks (pancake/ knockdowns)...TDB-touchdown resulting blocks... DWF-downfield blocks... PRS-pressures allowed...SKA-sacks allowed...High Grade Game-best graded game for the season.

 

STATS

GM

SGP

PLAYS

KB

TDB

DWF

PRS

SKA

High Grade Game

 

2002

12

81.1

915

63

7

14

6

2.0

87% vs. Purdue

 

2003

12

82.8

826

71

8

16

6

1.0

89% vs. Northwestern

 

2004

11

83.1

704

74

9

15

10

0.0

90% vs. Florida A&M

 

TOTAL

35

82.3

2445

208

24

45

22

3.0

90% vs. Florida A&M

 

 

DRAFT SCOUT SHEET

 

Player School

Jersey

Year Entered

Test

 

PRESTON,RAYMOND “Duke”

ILLINOIS

75

2000

27/30

 

Height

Weight

Birth date

College Position

Pro Position

 

6:04.4

309

6/12/82

OC

OC-OG

 

Bench Press

Squat

Power Clean

Vertical Jump

Broad Jump

 

380 21x225 reps

470

300

28

7’10”

 

Arms

Hands

Time (1)

Time (2)

Time (3)

 

31 5/8

9 ¾ Right-handed

5.65

5.5

 

 

Grade One

Grade Two

Grade Three

 

 

 

1.57

1.49

 

 

 

 

2004 Best Games

Florida A&M, UCLA, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana.

 

2004 Worst Games

Western Michigan, Purdue, Northwestern.

 

2003 Best Games

Missouri, Illinois State, Minnesota, Northwestern.

 

2003 Worst Games

California, Purdue, Michigan.

 

Body Structure

Duke has a thick upper body with big thighs, wide waist (soft and fleshy) and bubble, but needs to add more overall body muscle definition. He has a frame that can carry additional bulk (20-25 pounds). He shows a good knot in his calves.

 

General Report

1.42

 

 

Athletic Ability

1.6

Raymond has been a consistent performer at Illinois, but lacks good athletic ability. He has a taller than ideal frame (possibly could move to guard at the next level). He shows good field instincts for the position. His big frame could be even more effective if he adds more bulk. He has marginal foot speed that hinders him when moving up field, but does display decent flexibility.

 

Football Sense

1.3

He is a bright kid who learns well. He makes all the calls and adjustments for the line and knows each of his linemates’ assignments. He also excels in the classroom, garnering academic honors.

 

Character

1.3

Coaches call him a quality person from a good family (father played nine years with the Chargers). He is a respected leader and offensive co-captain. He is a tough player on the field and very accountable in practice and the weight room.

 

Competitiveness

1.4

He is very tough and highly competitive. He will compete and challenge defenders with good energy, but needs to work harder in the weight room to add more strength. Duke shows solid ability in both the running and passing game. He is a take-charge type in games.

 

Work Habits

1.5

He has good work habits and is dependable on the field and in the weight room. He’s a classic blue-collar worker who gets the most out of the talent he has. He needs to dedicate more hours in the weight room. He appears very soft in the midsection, but does compete with a fiery attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

Athletic Report

1.51

 

 

Initial Quickness

1.4

Duke has adequate quickness off the ball, but is best working near the line than moving up field. He has the ability to generate explosion in order to establish position. He compensates for a lack of sustained speed with technique and a sharp initial step to gain advantage (this is one area that he showed marked improvement in this area during 2004).

 

Lateral Movement

1.5

He has average lateral quickness to work down the line of scrimmage or to cut off the backside penetration. Duke stays square in his base in a short area. His base and balance allow him to get underneath the defender and deliver a strong hand jolt to sustain. However, when working in space, he fails to maintain speed in order to get out and neutralize the linebackers. The thing you notice on film is his ability to help out and to stay in front on drive blocks.

 

Balance/Stays On Feet

1.4

He shows good balance and body position to turn the defender and widen him. He plays with pretty good base, showing the ability to wall off and turn effectively when working in the short area. He also does a decent job of gaining position to sustain.

 

Explosion/Pop

1.5

He has average hip role and explosiveness and will get movement at the point of attack.

 

He has good upper pop, but could be more explosive through his hips. He relies more on positioning, as his up field quickness is marginal.

 

Run Blocking

1.5

Duke can generate decent leg drive in the short area, but his feet seem to go dead when on the move. He is not a road grader, but shows good use of his leg drive and takes proper angles to get some movement. He struggles when blocking in space, but at the point of attack, he is quite effective vs. the shade and two-technique. He is good on his down blocks collapsing defenders and is solid getting movement on combo blocks with average ability to sustain on the linebacker.

 

Pass Blocking

1.5

He shows a good pass set, slide and adjustment agility in a short area. He is much better vs. the power charge than vs. quickness, though. He has the ability to set and pop and stop the charge, but struggles to redirect and pick up the blitz on the outside shoulder. He can anchor decently, but has only adequate knee bend and marginal hip snap. At the line of scrimmage, he has enough foot quickness to mirror and slide the circle with good ability to redirect.

 

Pulling/Trapping

1.3

Duke has made great strides in 2004 to improve in this area. He stays on his feet well in-line, but will generally overextend and fall off blocks when blocking in space. He is certainly not light on his feet on the move, preventing from gaining acceleration pulling out, but when asked to log on the edge, he manages to position and angle block with consistency.

 

Adjust on Linebacker

 

Downfield

2.0

He continues to have trouble taking on linebackers in space due to his poor timed speed. He gets his leg base too narrow on the move, which causes him to be on the ground too much.

 

Use of Hands/Punch

1.3

He will extend his hands properly and shows enough strength in his punch to shock the defender. He somehow shows more strength in this area than in the weight room. He doesn't maul the defenders with his hands, but he extends well and locks out effectively. He has enough hand punch to stop the charge and gain separation. He has the strength, but will catch at times. His hand placement is wide and he doesn't have a very strong punch when moving up field, but does show the strength to sustain.

 

Reactions/Awareness

1.4

He shows good awareness on twists, but needs to play with better balance when asked to move into the second level. He will miss a blitz on occasion due to his lack of speed, but overall, he has good awareness and reaction quickness. Even though he lacks foot speed, he plays flat-footed and adjusts with lateral slide to movement.

 

Long Snap Skills

1.8

He does not long snap, but has good quickness and accuracy on limited chances to shotgun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summation

 

 

 

Nicknamed Duke, Raymond is a football legacy, as his father, Raymond II was a standout at Syracuse before embarking on a nine-year NFL career with San Diego. Preston is a highly intelligent athlete who lettered four times in football and base-ball at Mount Carmel High. He redshirted in 2000 for the Illini and saw only two games of action as a reserve center in 2001. He took over for Luke Butkus, starting every game at center in 2002, recording 63 knockdowns while allowing a pair of sacks. In 2003, he was credited with 71 knockdowns. As a senior, he was one of the few bright spots on the team, showing much better dominance vs. top-level competition. He finished 2004 with 74 knockdowns while allowing only 1.5 quarter-back sacks, despite most of the unit struggling all year. He is not the most dominating center you will find, lacking the timed speed to be even adequate blocking in space.

 

 

 

He lacks initial explosion, but somehow finds a way to gain movement vs. the shade and two-technique. Preston is the type of player that has to rely on his low pad level and proper blocking angles to get a surge, gain position and wall off. He has good field instincts, doing a nice job of making all the blocking calls and knows each of his linemen’s assignments. Preston does not make many assignment mistakes and has the ability to set and punch in pass protection. Duke is adequate picking up blitzes and stunts, but will struggle vs. the quicker defenders. Preston seems to be out of his element on the move and struggles to make the blocks in the second level, as he is not light on his feet. He does have decent quickness in the short area, plays at a good pad level and stays low in his stance to establish leverage off the snap. He can reach a man over and follow up with his feet to sustain, but is not a road grader, getting movement with good angles and leg drive instead. Preston likes to bang with his upper body, but needs to lock on and sustain more with his strength.

 

 

 

He could also be more explosive through his lower frame and must dedicate more hours in the weight room, as his lack of weight room power could pose a problem at the next level. He is aggressive and stays after the play, but isn't a “nasty to-the-whistle” type finisher. However, Preston is a good technician who stays square and maintains his blocks with patience and control. He uses his hands well, but will expose his pads and get knocked back some. Preston combos effectively, but lacks quickness working to the second level and tends to over-extend, which causes him to fall some in space. He has pretty good awareness, but will miss a blitz pickup on occasion. Overall, Preston sets and extends well in his pass blocks and maintains good balance in his base. He slides his feet and can adjust well in a short area, but will struggle vs. quicker athletes and is more comfortable as an in-line power player. His height might see him move to guard in the pros, but I feel that he could be a nice find in the later rounds.

 

Medical

No injuries reported.

 

Statistics

Games Played-35

 

KD TDB DWF PRES SACK

 

218 23 37 18 6.5

 

Compares To

DAMIEN WOODY-Detroit (like Woody, he has very good short area ability, but lacks the speed to be effective working in space. They can both move people out, but he has to rely more on power rather than quickness. Much like Woody, I feel he has a better chance of making it as a guard than center, but worry about his trap blocking skills).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINI-PROFILE, DRAFT SCOUT NEWS

04/14/2005 - Nicknamed Duke, Raymond is a football legacy, as his father, Raymond II was a standout at Syracuse before embarking on a nine-year NFL career with San Diego. Preston is a highly intelligent athlete who lettered four times in football and base-ball at Mount Carmel High. He redshirted in 2000 for the Illini and saw only two games of action as a reserve center in 2001. He took over for Luke Butkus, starting every game at center in 2002, recording 63 knockdowns while allowing a pair of sacks.

 

In 2003, he was credited with 71 knockdowns. As a senior, he was one of the few bright spots on the team, showing much better dominance vs. top-level competition. He finished 2004 with 74 knockdowns while allowing only 1.5 quarterback sacks, despite most of the unit struggling all year.

 

He is not the most dominating center you will find, lacking the timed speed to be even adequate blocking in space. He lacks initial explosion, but somehow finds a way to gain movement vs. the shade and two-technique. Preston is the type of player that has to rely on his low pad level and proper blocking angles to get a surge, gain position and wall off. He has good field instincts, doing a nice job of making all the blocking calls and knows each of his linemen's assignments.

 

Preston does not make many assignment mistakes and has the ability to set and punch in pass protection. Duke is adequate picking up blitzes and stunts, but will struggle vs. the quicker defenders. Preston seems to be out of his element on the move and struggles to make the blocks in the second level, as he is not light on his feet. He does have decent quickness in the short area, plays at a good pad level and stays low in his stance to establish leverage off the snap. He can reach a man over and follow up with his feet to sustain, but is not a road grader, getting movement with good angles and leg drive instead.

 

Preston likes to bang with his upper body, but needs to lock on and sustain more with his strength. He could also be more explosive through his lower frame and must dedicate more hours in the weight room, as his lack of weight room power could pose a problem at the next level. He is aggressive and stays after the play, but isn't a "nasty to-the-whistle" type finisher. However, Preston is a good technician who stays square and maintains his blocks with patience and control. He uses his hands well, but will expose his pads and get knocked back some.

 

Preston combos effectively, but lacks quickness working to the second level and tends to over-extend, which causes him to fall some in space. He has pretty good awareness, but will miss a blitz pickup on occasion. Overall, Preston sets and extends well in his pass blocks and maintains good balance in his base. He slides his feet and can adjust well in a short area, but will struggle vs. quicker athletes and is more comfortable as an in-line power player. His height might see him move to guard in the pros, but I feel that he could be a nice find in the later rounds.

[Webster Guy]

From FOX NEWS - CENTER Raymond Preston

[Nanker]

Is he better than Teague?

Will he beat out Tucker?

 

That's all I want to know.

[Coach Tuesday]

Don't forget we'll be using a lot of shotgun this year. That explains the pick IMO - this guy can snap shotgun, not sure if Jason Brown can.

[LabattBlue]

from espn.com(scouts inc.)....

 

Strengths: Takes good angles to blocks, wastes very little motion and is fundamentally sound. Has adequate overall strength. Plays with excellent intensity and is physical at the point of attack. Uses hands well, plays with a wide base and works hard to sustain blocks. Gives great effort on every snap, rarely makes mistakes and is consistent. Possesses good size, does an adequate job of bending at the knees in pass protection and can hold his ground working against bull rushers. Keeps head up, shows good awareness and can adjust to line stunts as well as the blitz. Makes good line calls and is a leader on the field.

 

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal range, will struggle if asked to regularly pull around the play-side corner and will have problems reaching some blocks at the second level. Doesn't have an explosive first step, won't knock many defenders back at the point of attack and will struggle to keep quicker one-gap defenders out of the backfield. Lacks ideal lateral mobility, has some problems adjusting to the moving target in the open field and is vulnerable to double moves in pass protection.

 

Overall: Preston red-shirted in 2000 and he appeared in two games of the 2001 season. He took over as a starter in 2002 and has been the fulltime starter the past three seasons. Preston is a blue-collar player that never stops working and rarely makes mistakes, but his potential is limited by his lack of natural ability. He doesn't run well enough to consistently reach his blocks at the second level and he isn't quick enough to prevent penetration in pass protection against elite one-gap DT's. That said; Preston's work ethic, size and sound technique are enough to give him a chance to compete for a roster spot as a reserve in the NFL. In our opinion, he's worth taking a chance on in the seventh round but not any earlier.

[cåblelady]

We got an O-man. We got an O-man.

[Campy]

That said; Preston's work ethic, size and sound technique are enough to give him a chance to compete for a roster spot as a reserve in the NFL. In our opinion, he's worth taking a chance on in the seventh round but not any earlier.

316376[/snapback]

 

And from CBSsportsline.com...

Preston redshirted in 2000 for the Illini and saw only two games of action as a reserve center in 2001. He took over for Luke Butkus, starting every game at center in 2002, recording 63 knockdowns while allowing a pair of sacks. In 2003, he was credited with 71 knockdowns and gave up only one sack. As a senior, he was one of the few bright spots on the team, showing much better dominance vs. top-level competition. He finished 2004 with 74 knockdowns while allowing no quarterback sacks, despite most of the offensive unit struggling all year.

[mead107]

i like the pick

[Sound_n_Fury]

From the Sporting News' War Room:

 

Strengths: Has excellent size and upper-body strength. Has good toughness, intelligence and durability. Has long arms, and uses hands well. Has a powerful punch. Has the size and strength to smother defenders at the point of attack. Is experienced, and is a good leader.

 

Weaknesses: Plays too high, and must learn to bend his knees. Lacks mobility, and struggles to mirror and slide with pass rushers. Is less effective in the open field. Has some durability issues stemming from a broken foot in '01.

 

Bottom line: Geisinger's stock is on the rise. Considered a powerful run blocker with excellent size, he has shown better athletic ability than expected at the postseason workouts. He should be selected late on Day 2.

 

Dan Pompei analysis

Isn't the most gifted athlete, but doesn't have many bad plays. Smart, tough, competitive overachiever with a lunch-pail mentality. Could be considered at right tackle, but doesn't have ideal height or foot quickness for the position.

 

News

 

Geisinger was projected anywhere from the fourth through the seventh round and pronounced himself "relieved" after being taken with the 197th overall selection. "It was a long day," he said. "I guess it's better late than never."

 

A couple of Pittsburgh connections helped Geisinger land in Buffalo. GM Tom Donahoe is a former resident of suburban Mount Lebanon and knows Geisnger's father. Mount Lebanon High School coach Chris Haering put in a good word to Bills scout Joe Haering, who is his uncle.

Geisinger played left tackle at Vanderbilt but is projected to play guard. -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[The Jokeman]

Is he better than Teague?

Will he beat out Tucker?

 

That's all I want to know.

316348[/snapback]

For what it's worth TSN's Draft magazine compared him to Trey Teague.