Mr. T Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty Jennings has been extremely productive during his career, rushing for over 4,000 yards and 43 touchdowns on the ground. As a senior, he ran for 1,500 yards and 17 scores. He is an intriguing blend of size and speed, and in a week senior crop of backs, could really make some noise on draft day. Jennings tips the scales in the 230 lb range, but has the cutback ability to make the first defender miss and surprising speed to turn the corner and pick up chunks of yardage. Jennings has also shown to be a weapon out of the backfield, and those all around skills could allow him to provide an impact next season at the professional level. Brandon Gibson, WR, Washington St. Wazzu had a miserable season in 2008, but Gibson was a player to watch for the Cougars. He caught just 57 balls for 673 yards and two scores this year, but that was more reflective upon the people around him. Last season with Alex Brink throwing the ball, Gibson caught 67 passes for 1,180 yards and nine scores. He has only decent size and speed, but he is a natural at the WR position. He is a good athlete with impressive body control. Gibson can adjust to the ball in the air and has the ability to make the difficult grab look easy. He is not afraid to go over the middle and he will catch any ball in his direction. Like the running back position, the senior crop of wide receivers is average at best, so underclassmen will play a role in where Gibson lands on draft day. If he slides out of the first three rounds he has the chance to be a steal and provide an early impact. Jarrett Dillard, WR, Rice Despite all of his success, Dillard does not get the credit he deserves. All he did as a senior was lead the NCAA in receiving touchdowns(19) and become the NCAA’s all time receiving TD leader with 59. Dillard may not wow anyone with his physical skills, but he knows how to get open and has as good a pair of hands as any receiver in the draft. He does have the quickness to get open and speed to make big plays once in the open field, so he has the talent to play on Sundays. Dillard could thrive out of the slot in the NFL and make plays, as he has done his entire career in college. He is not going to be taken in the first two or three rounds, but do not be surprised to see Dillard outplay some players selected ahead of him. Pat White, WR, West Virginia Everyone knows about Pat White and what he has accomplished with the Mountaineers, but he faces a position switch in the NFL and because of that, many people write him off as a NFL prospect. Had White actually been a receiver in college, his natural gifts could have made him a prime draft pick right now. White is as dangerous as any player in the draft with the ball in his hands. He has tremendous quickness and the elusiveness to make people miss and the speed to outrun defenders to the end zone. Those tools easily translate to the WR position. He has only average size but is a great natural athlete that was drafted to play pro baseball out of high school. White has a lot of work ahead of him to make the switch to receiver at the next level, but the tools are there. Antwan Randle El, Ronald Curry, and Drew Bennett all made similar switches and have had varying levels of success in the NFL, and White’s speed and athleticism tops all of theirs. Roy Miller, DT, Texas Being named All Big 12 and playing for the Longhorns, you would think it would be difficult to slide under the radar but Miller has done just that. Miller may not be a big playmaker in the NFL, but he does one thing very well, and that is top the run. Teams are always looking for big bodies to stuff the run, so Miller is a guy that should be getting a lot more attention that he has gotten. He has a squatty build which makes him tough to move off the line of scrimmage. Miller holds his ground well and occupies blockers and should fit well on the nose for a 3-4 team. His overall size is less than ideal, but he plays even bigger than his 300lbs and is going to be a productive interior lineman in the NFL. Slade Norris, DE/OLB, Oregon St. Norris really only knows how to do one thing well, but he does it very well. He has been a force off the edge the past two seasons for the Beavers, combining for 27 tackles for loss and 18 sacks during that span. With the emergence of the 3-4 defense over the past few years, it has allowed tweeners like Norris to find a role as pass rushers. He has good speed off the edge and is relentless, so he has potential as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Kaluka Maiava, LB, USC Everyone knew about Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga entering the year, and Clay Matthews emerged from sleeper status early in the year to become a legit day one prospect at linebacker. Maiava was the unknown that would be counted on to replace Keith Rivers, and he stepped up and had a fine season for the Trojans. He has shown his toughness and tackling ability in spots as a reserve and on special teams during his career but he made the most of his only season as a starter. Maiava was third on the team in tackles(behind Maualuga and Cushing) with 62, with 7.5 of them coming for a loss. He is a quick, instinctive linebacker and flies around the field. Maiava just has a nose for the action and he aggressively attacks the ball carrier. He lacks ideal size, but he plays bigger than his size because of his toughness and intensity. He has the talent to be a productive weakside linebacker in the NFL despite ranking only fourth among Trojan linebacker prospects for the draft. Jason Phillips, LB, Texas Christian Phillips was the leader of one of the best defenses in the country this year. The intensity he plays with from his linebacker position is contagious and revs the players up around him. Phillips is a bit undersized for a traditional inside linebacker but he plays bigger. He is strong and takes on blocks well, and is a force against the run between the tackles. He has surprising speed to chase plays down on the perimeter, so he isn’t limited to playing just between the tackles. Phillips has the type of attitude you want in a linebacker and that should allow him to outplay his draft position. The draft is loaded at linebacker this year. There are plenty of headliners but there are quite a few mid round guys available, and Phillips is as good as any in the that group. Cary Harris, CB, USC USC had one of the best defensive seasons in college football history this past year, and many of the players on that defense are headed to the NFL next year. Harris is one of them. With USC having so many guys projecting as first or second rounders this year, they seem to soak up all the attention with a few players going totally unnoticed. Cary Harris has quietly been a three year starter for the Trojans and been a steady force on his side of the field. He has the athleticism, speed, and toughness that will carry over to the NFL. He does need to get stronger and he has not forced a lot of turnovers but he is a solid cover man that is not afraid to hit people. He is a guy that could possibly surprise in the post season and rise up boards but he is a great middle round option if he is on the board in April. Josh Pinkard, DB, USC One more Trojan makes the list. Their defense could have ten players selected in April, that is how loaded the unit was. It’s impossible for everyone to get their due, especially one that did not start much this past season. Pinkard is on this list for a different reason than everyone else though. After his sophomore year, Pinkard had huge expectations and was a guy who had first round potential whenever he entered the draft. Three years and two season ending knee injuries later, and Pinkard is still in college. He was once a potential jumbo corner that had the size, speed, and athleticism to be a Chris McAllister type of corner. While he did play corner as a senior for the Trojans, Pinkard’s future in the NFL lies at safety. He is the complete package from a size, athleticism, speed, and instincts standpoint. The issue holding him back is the health of his knees. He did not appear to suffer any ill effects of the injuries and had a fine senior season but medical tests will be performed to see if there is any lingering damage. Pinkard’s combination of skills and size should allow him to play free or strong safety in the NFL and he has the most potential of any player on this list. http://www.footballsfuture.com/2009/sleepers.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 Rashad Jennings isn't a late-rounder anymore. Brandon Gibson has shown flashes at the Senior Bowl, but has been inconsistent Jarrett Dillard is very interesting, but he's not very tall and is rail-thin Roy Miller may not be stout enough to play 3-4 NT. If anything, his fit would be as a very short DE Jason Phillips was disappointing in the Shrine Game practices last week Last I heard, Josh Pinkard received a medical hardship year; he may be returning to USC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JewDago Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 just to add to what alo said, pat white will be gone in the fourth if not before it. his vision and throwing ability make him too versatile a prospect. some team will snatch him. the only question is who. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB&J Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 I am all over Jarret Dillard's balls, I love the guy. He is small but he runs such crisp routes, is fast and catches the ball well. His skillset reminds me of Marvin Harrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest AdaM Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 I am all over Jarret Dillard's balls, I love the guy. He is small but he runs such crisp routes, is fast and catches the ball well. His skillset reminds me of Marvin Harrison. Sounds a lot like Ocho Stinko. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Here's a really good breakdown of Dillard's skills: nfldraftscout has Dillard projected as a 4th Round pick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gips Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I like what i see in the dillard footage if he can avoid a bump at the line he will be dangerous smallish or not he has a nice set of skills...i never have and never will buy fully into the big receiver theory the smallish guys can do some stuff the taller guys cant and vica versa... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_illness Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 i hope ManKok sees this thread..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 i hope ManKok sees this thread..... ManKok is dreaming this tread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRU STatus Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 He looked like he had some great moves. In the 4th depending on what we got before I would not mind using a pick on him. Guy does look sick on the change of direction Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silverback Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Most of these guys are middle round guys, not late rounders, and hardly sleepers. Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty - 2nd or 3rd rounder Brandon Gibson, WR, Washington St.- solid 3rd rounder Pat White, WR, West Virginia - should be a 3rd rounder Jason Phillips, LB, Texas Christian - mid rounder - 4th or 5th rounder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geech Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 At worst, Dillard looks like a solid #3. If Jasper Brinkley is gone by the time we pick in the 4th and this guy is still available, I hope we give him some serious consideration. -Al Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcrow1945 Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 just to add to what alo said, pat white will be gone in the fourth if not before it. his vision and throwing ability make him too versatile a prospect. some team will snatch him. the only question is who. It seems this WildDawg formation is gaining momentum. If it continues to do so, White will fit perfectly into a scheme that wants to use this from time to time. We've seen first hand what an athletic college Qb can contribute to an NFL team. I'd be shocked if he lasted very far into the 4th round. I think late 3rd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Mike Mayock seems to think White will be taken in the second round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oldcrow1945 Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 At worst, Dillard looks like a solid #3. If Jasper Brinkley is gone by the time we pick in the 4th and this guy is still available, I hope we give him some serious consideration. -Al I worry about injuries a little but I like Virginia's Kevin Olgetree a lot in the 4th round. He's coming out early and yet he's already graduated. He's obviously an intelligent guy. 6'1" and nearly 200 lbs with the ability to gain more bulk. Instead of TO....It's KO! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 From TFY Draft: Rice Receiver Jarett Dillard ran times of 4.51 seconds today besides posting a broad jump of 10'11''. He looked terrific running routes and catching the ball. Dillard will workout for the Houston Texans next week and the Chicago Bears are expected to set up a private workout with him. Tight end James Casey ran similar forty times to his performance at the combine, low to mid 4.7's. Though not poor times they are not fast enough to secure Casey as a top 75 choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaBrownsFan Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 What do you guys think about Brandon Tate? Was having a strong senior year before tearing his MCL and ACL. If he can fully recover from his injuries, I really think he would be a poor man's Percy Harvin and possibly even Reggie Bush. He plays at a faster speed than he is timed (4.5) and has a knack for making some great catches. Here's his scouting report: http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingrepo...randon-Tate.php and here's a highlight video: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosar_For_President Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 What do you guys think about Brandon Tate? Was having a strong senior year before tearing his MCL and ACL. If he can fully recover from his injuries, I really think he would be a poor man's Percy Harvin and possibly even Reggie Bush. He plays at a faster speed than he is timed (4.5) and has a knack for making some great catches. Here's his scouting report: http://www.draftcountdown.com/scoutingrepo...randon-Tate.php and here's a highlight video: He looks promising, but that is a hell of an injury to come back from. Could be something to look at in the late rounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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