Louisiana Tech representation...
Position, Name, Ranking, 40 Time
QB - J'Mar Smith - 39/60, 4.84
RB - Jaqwis Dancy - 93/100, 4.58
OT - Gewhite Stallworth - 54/66, 5.29
CB - Amik Robertson - 10/100, N/A (#79 overall)
BACKGROUND: Amik (UH-meek) Robertson was a four-year letterman in football and track at Thibodaux High School. He was a do-everything performer on offense, lining up at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, playing cornerback and safety on defense. As a senior, Robertson finished with 1,212 rushing yards and 450 receiving yards, scoring 24 times (14 rushing, six receiving, three passing and one punt return). He earned first-team all-state honors as a return man and was named all-district and all-region MVP. In track, Robertson set several personal bests as a senior in the 100 meters (10.62) and 200 meters (23.30). A three-star cornerback recruit out of high school, Robertson was the No. 108 cornerback in the class and the No. 41 recruit in Louisiana. He originally verballed to Louisiana Tech, but his recruitment caught fire toward the end of his senior season, including an offer from LSU (his dream school). Robertson re-opened his recruitment, but decided to honor his original commitment, signing with Louisiana Tech over offers from LSU, Oklahoma State and Texas. His son (Ayden) was born prior to Amik’s sophomore season in high school (August 2014). His father (Arthur Watts) spent the first five years of Amik’s life in prison because of cocaine, but is now a positive influence in his life. His paternal grandfather played semi-pro football. Robertson, who became the first in his family to attend college, elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
STRENGTHS: Elite ball skills and instincts…shows the innate ability to find the football, time his attack and disrupt the catch point…composed feet with natural sink to smoothly redirect in his transition…quickly recognizes route breaks and corrects himself mid-pedal to stay on track…small, but tough as a run defender…impressive drive and blitzing skills, making plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage…outstanding ball production with 48 passes defended and 14 interceptions in 38 starts…averaged 18.9 yards per interception with three pick-sixes…his coaches use words like “humble” and “ignitor” to describe his leadership abilities…competes with fierce confidence.
WEAKNESSES: Extremely short and lacks the ideal body type for NFL work…lack of length shows in press and as a tackler (12 missed tackles in 2019)…can be posted up downfield, struggling vs. receiver size…allowed too many completions from off coverage, sacrificing spacing to try and bait throws…didn’t face top-tier receiver talent in Conference USA…lack of size and physical demeanor could lead to durability concerns…was unable to work out at the combine due to a groin injury that required a procedure (January 2020); played his junior season of high school with a partially torn ACL in his left knee (August 2015), requiring a muscle fiber from his hamstring to fix the tear; missed the playoffs of his senior year due to an AC separation in his shoulder (November 2016). [202]
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Louisiana Tech, Robertson was the boundary cornerback in former defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s scheme, playing mostly in off coverage with man-to-man mixed in. Growing up just south of Baton Rouge, he looked up to Tyrann Mathieu and adopted the same ball-hawking mindset, posting elite ball production in college (Robertson and TCU’s Jeff Gladney are the only two FBS players with 15-plus passes defended each of the last two seasons). Robertson does a great job settling his feet to stay attached to routes and trusts what he sees to routinely make plays on the ball (his 14 career interceptions tied with Xavier Woods for fifth-best in school history). Although he is undersized, he plays much bigger than he is, crowding receivers and getting his man on the ground as a tackler. Overall, Robertson won’t meet the size benchmarks for several NFL teams, but his foot quickness, diagnose skills and nose for the football make him a prime candidate for nickel work, displaying the toughness to see meaningful snaps from Day 1.
GRADE: 3rd Round
CB - L'Jarius Sneed - 22/100, 4.37
BACKGROUND: L’Jarius (luh-JAIR-EE-us) Sneed played on both sides of the ball at Minden High School (just outside of Shreveport). After earning a starting role as a sophomore, he made a splash as a junior with seven interceptions on defense, including four returned for touchdowns to earn first-team all-district honors. As a senior, Sneed missed the first three games with a broken jaw, but was a playmaker at multiple offensive positions when he returned (19 touchdowns on only 64 offensive touches). Also, a hard-hitting safety on defense, he again earned first-team all-district honors and led Minden to a 9-3 record and the 4A state playoffs. A three-star safety recruit out of high school, Sneed was the No. 141 safety in the country and the No. 82 recruit in Louisiana. He received three FBS-level scholarship offers, committing to Louisiana Tech over Arkansas State and Louisiana Lafayette. His older brother (T.Q. Mims) played football at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2010-13). Sneed accepted his invitation to the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Outstanding play speed matches his stopwatch speed…long-framed athlete experienced at cornerback and safety…composed footwork to stay on the same plan vertically…quick to read pattern breaks and attach himself to routes…swarms the catch windows to challenge targets, showing a knack for attacking the ball at the earliest/highest point…offensive background shows with his catching skills and return ability, scoring three touchdowns and averaging 19.3 yards per interception return (8/154/3)…well-conditioned and rarely came off the field the last two seasons (91.1% of defensive snaps)…senior captain.
WEAKNESSES: Straight-line tendencies, struggling to sink and spring laterally…upright in his stance with clear stiffness when changing directions…looks outmatched trying to cover from deep alignment…doesn’t have a great feel for angles or spacing…tends to grab instead of trusting his footwork…flag magnet in coverage with six penalties in 2019, including three pass interference and two defensive holding penalties…play strength concerns…frequently misses tackles as a drive defender, struggling to break down in space.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Louisiana Tech, Sneed lined up at free safety in former defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s scheme, playing mostly single-high. He played cornerback his first three seasons and often looked out of position at safety in 2019, which is why most NFL teams are evaluating him as a corner prospect. Sneed wanted to play wide receiver in college and he shows off those soft hands and ball-handling skills with eight career interceptions and three pix-sixes (no FBS player had more over the last four seasons). He doesn’t lack for toughness, but needs to develop his play strength and tackling technique to be more reliable. Overall, Sneed will struggle with sudden route technicians from press, but he has the length, ball skills and straight-line speed that will give him a fighting chance to earn a roster spot in training camp.
GRADE: 5th Round
CB - Michael Sam, 96/110, 4.56
Other notes...
Position, Name, Ranking, 40 Time
QB - J'Mar Smith - 39/60, 4.84
RB - Jaqwis Dancy - 93/100, 4.58
OT - Gewhite Stallworth - 54/66, 5.29
CB - Amik Robertson - 10/100, N/A (#79 overall)
BACKGROUND: Amik (UH-meek) Robertson was a four-year letterman in football and track at Thibodaux High School. He was a do-everything performer on offense, lining up at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, playing cornerback and safety on defense. As a senior, Robertson finished with 1,212 rushing yards and 450 receiving yards, scoring 24 times (14 rushing, six receiving, three passing and one punt return). He earned first-team all-state honors as a return man and was named all-district and all-region MVP. In track, Robertson set several personal bests as a senior in the 100 meters (10.62) and 200 meters (23.30). A three-star cornerback recruit out of high school, Robertson was the No. 108 cornerback in the class and the No. 41 recruit in Louisiana. He originally verballed to Louisiana Tech, but his recruitment caught fire toward the end of his senior season, including an offer from LSU (his dream school). Robertson re-opened his recruitment, but decided to honor his original commitment, signing with Louisiana Tech over offers from LSU, Oklahoma State and Texas. His son (Ayden) was born prior to Amik’s sophomore season in high school (August 2014). His father (Arthur Watts) spent the first five years of Amik’s life in prison because of cocaine, but is now a positive influence in his life. His paternal grandfather played semi-pro football. Robertson, who became the first in his family to attend college, elected to skip his senior season and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
STRENGTHS: Elite ball skills and instincts…shows the innate ability to find the football, time his attack and disrupt the catch point…composed feet with natural sink to smoothly redirect in his transition…quickly recognizes route breaks and corrects himself mid-pedal to stay on track…small, but tough as a run defender…impressive drive and blitzing skills, making plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage…outstanding ball production with 48 passes defended and 14 interceptions in 38 starts…averaged 18.9 yards per interception with three pick-sixes…his coaches use words like “humble” and “ignitor” to describe his leadership abilities…competes with fierce confidence.
WEAKNESSES: Extremely short and lacks the ideal body type for NFL work…lack of length shows in press and as a tackler (12 missed tackles in 2019)…can be posted up downfield, struggling vs. receiver size…allowed too many completions from off coverage, sacrificing spacing to try and bait throws…didn’t face top-tier receiver talent in Conference USA…lack of size and physical demeanor could lead to durability concerns…was unable to work out at the combine due to a groin injury that required a procedure (January 2020); played his junior season of high school with a partially torn ACL in his left knee (August 2015), requiring a muscle fiber from his hamstring to fix the tear; missed the playoffs of his senior year due to an AC separation in his shoulder (November 2016). [202]
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Louisiana Tech, Robertson was the boundary cornerback in former defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s scheme, playing mostly in off coverage with man-to-man mixed in. Growing up just south of Baton Rouge, he looked up to Tyrann Mathieu and adopted the same ball-hawking mindset, posting elite ball production in college (Robertson and TCU’s Jeff Gladney are the only two FBS players with 15-plus passes defended each of the last two seasons). Robertson does a great job settling his feet to stay attached to routes and trusts what he sees to routinely make plays on the ball (his 14 career interceptions tied with Xavier Woods for fifth-best in school history). Although he is undersized, he plays much bigger than he is, crowding receivers and getting his man on the ground as a tackler. Overall, Robertson won’t meet the size benchmarks for several NFL teams, but his foot quickness, diagnose skills and nose for the football make him a prime candidate for nickel work, displaying the toughness to see meaningful snaps from Day 1.
GRADE: 3rd Round
CB - L'Jarius Sneed - 22/100, 4.37
BACKGROUND: L’Jarius (luh-JAIR-EE-us) Sneed played on both sides of the ball at Minden High School (just outside of Shreveport). After earning a starting role as a sophomore, he made a splash as a junior with seven interceptions on defense, including four returned for touchdowns to earn first-team all-district honors. As a senior, Sneed missed the first three games with a broken jaw, but was a playmaker at multiple offensive positions when he returned (19 touchdowns on only 64 offensive touches). Also, a hard-hitting safety on defense, he again earned first-team all-district honors and led Minden to a 9-3 record and the 4A state playoffs. A three-star safety recruit out of high school, Sneed was the No. 141 safety in the country and the No. 82 recruit in Louisiana. He received three FBS-level scholarship offers, committing to Louisiana Tech over Arkansas State and Louisiana Lafayette. His older brother (T.Q. Mims) played football at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (2010-13). Sneed accepted his invitation to the 2020 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Outstanding play speed matches his stopwatch speed…long-framed athlete experienced at cornerback and safety…composed footwork to stay on the same plan vertically…quick to read pattern breaks and attach himself to routes…swarms the catch windows to challenge targets, showing a knack for attacking the ball at the earliest/highest point…offensive background shows with his catching skills and return ability, scoring three touchdowns and averaging 19.3 yards per interception return (8/154/3)…well-conditioned and rarely came off the field the last two seasons (91.1% of defensive snaps)…senior captain.
WEAKNESSES: Straight-line tendencies, struggling to sink and spring laterally…upright in his stance with clear stiffness when changing directions…looks outmatched trying to cover from deep alignment…doesn’t have a great feel for angles or spacing…tends to grab instead of trusting his footwork…flag magnet in coverage with six penalties in 2019, including three pass interference and two defensive holding penalties…play strength concerns…frequently misses tackles as a drive defender, struggling to break down in space.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Louisiana Tech, Sneed lined up at free safety in former defensive coordinator Bob Diaco’s scheme, playing mostly single-high. He played cornerback his first three seasons and often looked out of position at safety in 2019, which is why most NFL teams are evaluating him as a corner prospect. Sneed wanted to play wide receiver in college and he shows off those soft hands and ball-handling skills with eight career interceptions and three pix-sixes (no FBS player had more over the last four seasons). He doesn’t lack for toughness, but needs to develop his play strength and tackling technique to be more reliable. Overall, Sneed will struggle with sudden route technicians from press, but he has the length, ball skills and straight-line speed that will give him a fighting chance to earn a roster spot in training camp.
GRADE: 5th Round
CB - Michael Sam, 96/110, 4.56
Other notes...
- Kai Lockley/UTEP is considered a Priority FA as the 22/60 of QBs
; Fine is 17/60)
- Tech was #1 Center Lloyd Cushenberry's first offer. He was the #71 recruit in LA & was a 3 star
- Kevin Dotson, the #7 guard, chose ULL over Tech and Tulane as the #112 recruit in the state & a 2 star
- Patrick Queen, the #2 LB, chose LSU over LA Tech & Nebraska. He was the #12 recruit in LA.
- Cam Dantzler, #11 CB chose Mississippi State over Tech, Texas Tech, & Utah
