Assessing Possibilities: Jamon Meredith

To provide me with better information regarding Jamon Meredith, like I did with Nick Reed, I have contacted someone who watched him play throughout his entire collegiate career. John Havard from the great South Carolina blog, Garnet and Black Attack, has taken his time to answer some of my questions about Meredith, and this is what he had to say.

Jamon Meredith, 6-4 1/2, 304lbs.
40 Time: 5.03/ Bench: 31/ 20 Yard shuttle: 4.82

- 2006 Andrew Sorensen Scholar-Athlete Award

John Harvard had this to say about Meredith:

Meredith is certainly an athletic talent and a guy with a head on his shoulders. He's played every position on the line, so he's versatile. However, it's hard for me to be TOO high on him considering the line problems we've had over the past couple of years. Meredith has been an anchor on our line and has certainly played well. Jamon was pretty clean in college. He's also been successful academically. With a 3.7 GPA, my guess is that he didn't spend too much time hanging with some of the worse elements in our program.

John also stated that since Jamon has played his entire collegiate career under the offensive system run by Steve Spurrier, it's more than likely that his skills are translatable to the NFL, and that he will jump in with a head start because he already understands the systems.

When asked about Jamon's negatives, John said:

My main complaint about Meredith would be that he generally hasn't shown the kind of urgency and drive you like to see out of a lineman. He doesn't always finish a play, doesn't always seem to have that desire to pound an end into the ground. I just never felt he lived up to his huge potential. He'll need to develop drive to play in Miami, no doubt. Part of the problem in Carolina is coaching (we fired our OL coach this past January), so with better coaches, perhaps he'll show what he's capable of.

John also stated that Meredith's only character weakness was that although he practically led the line for his time at SC, he was never really a leader.

Meredith has incredible versatility, since he has played every position in the SC O-line. He's quick enough to play LT for Steve Spurrier, which says a great deal about his ability to move quickly. His 40 time ranked second amongst all Offensive Lineman at the Indianapolis combine.

His negatives can include him relying too much on the length of his arms, causing him to at times be slow moving his feet and adjusting to the rush. In addition, he needs to develop an attitude to be able to deal with the rushing linebackers and ends at the pro level.

Overall: This is more of a depth pick than a need pick for Miami if they were to select Meredith. He provides them with the versatility they need to insure them of any possible injuries. With a great Head Coach, Sparano, who's specialty is the O-line, Meredith may potentially become a decent starter or at worst an above average backup.

I want to thank John for his thoughts on Jamon Meredith. I encourage all you Gamecock fans to drop by and add your thoughts about Jamon Meredith, and how you think he will fit not only in the NFL, but in Miami's Offensive Line.