Scott Crichton treats every snap the same. And the Oregon State defensive end is in line to be a top draft pick because of it. (USA Today Sports Images)
NEPD Editor: Oliver Thomas
In the coming weeks and months leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, NEPatriotsDraft.com will profile college prospects that potentially fit the needs and draft seating of the New England Patriots. In this 11th installment, we will take a closer look at the film behind Oregon State defensive end Scott Crichton.
Scott Crichton won’t win every battle at the line, but he approaches each one the same.
Full bore.
That mentality is what turned the Tacoma, Wash., native into a three-year letterman at Henry Foss High School, where he played defensive end, linebacker and tight end. It is what netted the then-6’3”, 225-pound Falcon 78 solo tackles, 10 pass breakups, four forced fumbles and an interception during his senior season. It is what named him Narrows League Defensive MVP, a 4A first-team All-State selection and Tacoma Weekly Player of the Year.
Even so, Crichton remained concealed in recruiting circles. Rivals.com ranked him 44th among defensive ends in the 2010 class; Scout.com ranked him 127th at the position; 247Sports.com ranked him 602nd overall.
The weak-side defender was a fringe three-star prospect, but he was also a player driven by effort. And as signing day drew near, that was a something the University of Oregon, the University of Washington and Washington State University all made note of.
Yet in the end, Crichton decided to trek 226 miles southward, enrolling at Oregon State University in the fall of 2010. (more…)
