Selvish Capers Scouting Report

Selvish Capers started his collegiate career at West Virginia as a tight end. He played there as a redshirt freshman in 2006 in a limited capacity. During the off-season (heading into the 2007 campaign), Capers was moved to the offensive line. Capers started that season as a back up, but by the middle of the season he secured the starting position at right tackle and has been there ever since. Capers has helped pave the way for some great rushing offenses. In 2006, the Mountaineers ranked third in the nation in rushing offense. In 2008 the team ranked 15th in the nation. Capers deserves a lot of credit for those impressive numbers. Capers has a little room to put on more weight and at this point he is better suited as a right tackle rather than a left tackle; that will move him down most draft boards. Capers is certainly a capable player who has great footwork, yet his best asset is his ability to stay healthy. Capers has been a starter since the 2007 season and has not missed a game since. Capers is not one of the top linemen in this class, but he could develop into a quality NFL player sooner or later, and that should make him worth a mid or late round selection. 1/24 Update: Capers finished the 2009 season relatively strong and that has led to some NFL scouts taking notice. Capers is still not one of the best offensive tackles around, but he has been invited to the NFL Combine and he can certainly work his way up into the second round with a good showing in Indianapolis. Mostly he needs to show the NFL that he can be a consistent pass blocker since he played college ball on a team that loved to run the ball. 4/10 Update: Unfortunately for Capers, he has not proven to be a consistent pass blocker. There is no doubt he has quick feet and a surprising amount of athleticism for a player his size, but offensive tackles have to block. A zone blocking scheme will cover up some of his short comings, but he is probably a couple years away from seriously contributing to an NFL team. However, he does have a high ceiling and somebody should be willing to take a chance on him around the fourth round.