Scouts pore over endless hours of film and leave no stone unturned when evaluating players' skill sets. It's a grueling process that can be monotonous at times, but there are certain games that can cause scouts to sit up in their chairs 12 hours into a session. This jolt of excitement comes when they see their targeted prospect line up against one of the best units or players in the nation and/or play in game with substantial implications for his team. It's these matchups and games that have arguably the greatest impact on where a player is drafted. Here are five matchups that caught my eye over the weekend and what I took from each performance.
Missouri QB Chase Daniel vs. Kansas' pass defense
Daniel showed NFL front offices that he can move his offense efficiently in big games and make plays in critical situations during Missouri's 36-28 win over Kansas. He clearly looked comfortable in completing 40 of 49 passes for 361 yards and three touchdowns, and did not throw an interception while connecting with nine different receivers. Even more impressively, the junior came through when his team needed him most, starting with a one-yard touchdown pass to TE Martin Rucker late in the first quarter. The Tigers had failed to convert a fake field goal on the previous possession, were facing fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line and momentum clearly would have swung in the Jayhawks' favor had the play failed, but Daniel and Rucker made sure that did not happen. The coaching staff called a play that allowed Rucker to walk into the end zone but Kansas did get good pressure up the middle and Daniel was able to get the ball out quickly and accurately in a very small area of the field.