My initial post was more about how the cbssports.com website (& many others) doesn't update player rankings in-season very well at all. A player, from a major college that leads the FBS in the middle of the season in Sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles, should not be ranked as the #17 DE and #189-overall. that is what is RIDICULOUS.
As to the player, Carl Nassib, He's a first year starting SENIOR, and as such he is indeed raw and will need NFL coaching (as all will) to achieve his best. He indeed lacks experience and needs to add to his pass rushing acumen. That would all be reason at the start of this season for him to be ranked #17 DE in the class. However, he's got the best #'s out of the gate, better than ANY other in his draft class. Many may consider him a 1/2 year wonder, but wouldn't he be even better with some good NFL coaching? I’m sorry but I'm not sure that watching 1 game of his will be enough to properly evaluate his talents.
The Football Educator website:
http://www.thefootballeducator.com/impa ... stics-nfl/
advocates watching a minimum of 4-6 games of a player and performance stats are very much used as a part of the total evaluation process. In fact in the linked piece above, they feel that there is a need for even more defensive comprehensive stats in the NFL (and I'd assume college) as well. Note the comparison of total tackles by Kuetchly & our own Bobby Wagner. (Interesting, maybe BW is even the better player as I've felt all along?)
Personally, I don't "scout from a stat sheet", but I feel that accumulated statistics are an important resource in the evaluation process. It may be hard for some to tell "potential performance" from "actual performance". Actual performances = Actual Results. Potential performances = Best guess of future results. It also should be noted there have been a lot of “looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane” players drafted based on their hyped "potential". One may ask, if they are so good, why haven't they performed when given the chance?
Maryland DE Ngakoue is a JUNIOR, thus until he declares, sites like cbssports.com won’t even list him. I see him as a decent player, a possible LEO type candidate, That may not happen until the 2017 draft if he doesn’t come out.
IMO: I see Nassib as more of a standard DE/DT rotational type guy (IE: Bennett/Clark) if he can add a little more muscle and improve his moves. From the broadcast talk during the Penn St vs: Illinois game, he sounds like a potential Seahawk player to me. I'd say if he continues his performance he's a lock for at least the 2-nd round. Right now, If he's on the board for either of the Seahawks 3-rd round picks, I'd expect they would jump on him (Hill was a 3-rd), not sure they'd spend a 2-nd with the other team needs (OT, OG/C) so evident.