Guest Aloysius Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Prospects who are rising, falling on draft boards By Nolan Nawrocki April 15, 2009 With final draft meetings having kicked off in nearly every NFL city and draft boards being crystallized, PFW takes a look at five of the top risers and five of the top sliders in this year’s draft, based on extensive feedback from NFL executives setting their boards. Risers QB Mark Sanchez, USC Not all evaluators are convinced Sanchez is a franchise-type quarterback, especially when they go back and study the tape more closely, where questions arise regarding Sanchez’s deep accuracy and frequency to toss loose wobblers. Beyond 20 yards, scouts say his accuracy diminishes greatly, where he charted 0-for-8 in one game, but he receives high praise for his placement and ability to throw well out in front of his receivers, and his pro-day opened the eyes of brass selecting in the top 10. The Seahawks have shown increased interest in the passer, and it’s conceivable he is selected in the top five. With the Lions keying in on Georgia QB Matthew Stafford, the value of the QB position will increase. WR Mohamed Massaquoi, Georgia Massaquoi may never be a true No. 1 receiver, but there are seldom many in the draft. Massaquoi has shown he can be a solid complementary target, possessing great size and a good work ethic. He is a four-year producer who has overcome some confidence issues he suffered through earlier in his career and, in a draft that is expected to see a run on receivers, will begin warranting serious attention earlier than might have been expected. C Eric Wood, Louisville Smart, strong, tough and showing surprising agility that was not as evident on tape as it was at the Combine, Wood has climbed to the top of the draft board at his position for run-first, smashmouth offensive lines, and his ability to line up at guard or center and contribute immediately anywhere inside could even give him a shot to be drafted in the first round. TE Richard Quinn, North Carolina Even in a strong TE class, it’s not easy to find many hand-in-the-dirt, physical, on-the-line tight ends such as Quinn. He shows the ability to dominate as a base blocker and is a very close second to Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew as a complete all-around tight end. Although Quinn initially graded as a middle-round talent because of his lack of production in the receiving game, NFL evaluators have opened their eyes as to why he did not factor as a pass catcher, with three very solid NFL receiving targets on the flanks. Several teams have positioned him as high as the second round on their draft boards. MLB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh Somewhat similar to Raiders 2005 third-rounder Kirk Morrison, McKillop looked out of place at the Senior Bowl, but when it came time to play in the game, he flipped the switch and showed up all over the field. A competitive gamer with good football intelligence and great intangibles, McKillop is more highly graded on some draft boards than some of the other big-name linebackers in this draft who are destined to be drafted in Round One. McKillop could potentially last until the third round, perhaps even the fourth, but he has grown on evaluators and slowly begun climbing up draft boards. Sliders DE Everette Brown, Florida State (Jr.) With nearly half of the league moving to at least some variation of a 3-4 front, Brown’s value has begun to diminish, as he was not asked to drop much in college and showed too much stiffness in reverse at his pro-day workout to project as a rush linebacker. With limited strength to stop the run, he fits best as an up-the-field, fly-at-the-snap, open-side edge rusher for a one-gap, attacking 4-3 defense. The “one-dimensional” label some evaluators have affixed to him has pushed him down as far as the fourth round for some teams. He could still easily be drafted in the first, considering the premium placed on being able to the passer, but he may fall to the second. DE Larry English, Northern Illinois Once also in the discussion as a 3-4 rush linebacker, English did not show the athletic ability or explosiveness in positional drills at his pro-day workout to convince evaluators he could easily project to the position and is more likely to be drafted as a 4-3 end. OT Eben Britton, Arizona (Jr.) Much like Sam Baker a year ago, Britton has short arms and is not viewed by teams as an elite athlete who will be able to handle the left side. A run on tackles could still potentially bring Britton off the board in the first round in the Nos. 18-25 range where Baker and Jeff Backus both were drafted. However, the team that drafts him will likely be reaching for a huge position of need, not drafting for value, which some evaluators say is somewhere in the third or fourth round for Britton, in the same area where Eric Winston and Jon Runyan were drafted. WR Derrick Williams, Penn State Grading out as highly as a return specialist as he does as a receiver, Williams has seen his value enhanced because of his ability to factor in two of three phases of the game, but average showings in the 40 have raised new questions about how well his speed will translate to the pro game. Once regarded as a borderline first-round talent, Williams could easily slide to the third round. CB Sean Smith, Utah Quickly, name a cornerback in the NFL who has been successful and who stood taller than 6-foot-3? Some may have been able to get away with it in a different era, but in the modern age where cornerbacks are often forced to match up with the elite quickness of a Steve Smith, Wes Welker or Greg Jennings, leggy cornerbacks do not possess enough transitional quickness to be effective. Questions about Smith’s maturity have also concerned teams. A number of teams have already eliminated Smith from consideration because he does not fit their schemes, with limited ability in man-off coverage. Many others have him positioned in the fourth round, with an expectation of him potentially competing for a backup job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Fan Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 Didn't realize Massaquoi was a Sr... He'd be a very nice grab in rd #2 (after #36) if the Crabtree/Maclin cookie crumbles. He and Braylon opposite each other could be devastating for other teams if they are both on their game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClevelandFanForLife Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 what about us taking quinn in the 4th round? not only could jim donovan yell "and quinn passes to quinn for the touchdown", but it would give lumbergh another person to hate on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OconRecon Posted April 16, 2009 Report Share Posted April 16, 2009 TE Richard Quinn, North Carolina Even in a strong TE class, it’s not easy to find many hand-in-the-dirt, physical, on-the-line tight ends such as Quinn. He shows the ability to dominate as a base blocker and is a very close second to Oklahoma State’s Brandon Pettigrew as a complete all-around tight end. Although Quinn initially graded as a middle-round talent because of his lack of production in the receiving game, NFL evaluators have opened their eyes as to why he did not factor as a pass catcher, with three very solid NFL receiving targets on the flanks. Several teams have positioned him as high as the second round on their draft boards. What the hell, let's draft this guy. Like Forrest and Bubba. The "we are not relation" connection. Good content thread as always Aloy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Didn't realize Massaquoi was a Sr... He'd be a very nice grab in rd #2 (after #36) if the Crabtree/Maclin cookie crumbles. He and Braylon opposite each other could be devastating for other teams if they are both on their game. He's struggled with drops issues (more so earlier in his career), but he's a good fit for the complementary #2 receiver role. He's also said to be a high effort/good character guy. I think he's more of a 3rd round prospect, but he could go in the mid-fifties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 Good content thread as always Aloy. PFW's been cranking out a lot of really good stuff recently. Here's some interesting comments from their Audibles section, where they post anonymous comments from scouts, coaches, and front office personnel. “(Georgia Tech DE) Michael Johnson is almost nonexistent against the run. He was never a full-time player until his senior year. He’d be a rotational, third-down, situational pass rusher for us. You can’t consider taking guys like that until the third round; we couldn’t, anyway. Someone will take him sooner.” “(Cowboys OLB) DeMarcus Ware is a fluid athlete who can bend to leverage the corner. Brian Orakpo is tight and not as natural of a pass-rush guy. Neither are great zone-dropping, but you don’t need to be as a 3-4 rush ’backer. The primary job is playing with your hand in the ground, and that’s what Orakpo does best. He’s got that explosive first step. And he is much stronger than Ware, not that Ware cannot play strong — he knows how to use his hands.” (Oklahoma WR Juaquin) Iglesias would be a good fit for Dallas. He’s tough and physical. He ran a lot of West Coast drags at OU like (Cowboys offensive coordinator) Jason Garrett likes to run. He will block. (The Cowboys) lost T.O. They do not have a physical receiver.” “If you want a physical center, (Louisville’s) Eric Wood is your guy. Flip a coin between Wood or (California's Alex) Mack, but we like Wood better. He could be the first center drafted. (Oregon’s) Max Unger is more versatile, but he won’t match up as well against power.” “If you watched (USC LB Brian) Cushing at his pro day, he opened up the wrong way twice in drills. He did the same thing once at the Combine. He’s a meathead. Rey Maualuga is going to need some reps, too. It won’t be instant for him. The safest linebacker of that group is Clay Matthews.” “Penn State OT Gerald Cadogan is going to get drafted way too high for how he plays on tape. He’s too soft. We've got him in the fifth round. He’ll go in the third, maybe the second after the run on tackles. That’s why there are so many mistakes in the draft — guys get pushed up because of needs. We had Sam Baker in the fourth round last year. He went in the first. He played well in the preseason, but once he had to go against regulars and veteran war daddies, I think we saw what he was. He was hurt most of the year, so you have to give it time to play out, but I will be surprised if he plays up to where he was drafted." “(South Carolina LB) Jasper Brinkley will be overdrafted on measurables. Go back to the tape.” “We’ve done all the research on the quarterbacks. The one that really stands out from everything we have gathered is (Kansas State’s) Josh Freeman. His character is top-notch.” “The league is moving toward four-receiver offenses. It’s so difficult to defend. Look at what the Patriots do with Tom Brady and the Colts with Peyton Manning. … (Arizona WR) Mike Thomas ran fast. Denver and New England worked him out. He would fit well as a slot guy in that offense.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tobalaz Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 C Eric Wood, Louisville Smart, strong, tough and showing surprising agility that was not as evident on tape as it was at the Combine, Wood has climbed to the top of the draft board at his position for run-first, smashmouth offensive lines, and his ability to line up at guard or center and contribute immediately anywhere inside could even give him a shot to be drafted in the first round. and... “If you want a physical center, (Louisville’s) Eric Wood is your guy. Flip a coin between Wood or (California's Alex) Mack, but we like Wood better. He could be the first center drafted. (Oregon’s) Max Unger is more versatile, but he won’t match up as well against power.” I've been shouting for (Eric) Wood for a few weeks now. He's stayed healthy for every game for the last 4 years and made all conference 4 seasons (second team first season, first team the last 3). I'm looking at a big strong kid who matches up against the big NTs in our division that has a history of being healthy and with all of our injury problems I'd take him in a heartbeat for reliability's sake alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legacy Fan Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 He's struggled with drops issues (more so earlier in his career), but he's a good fit for the complementary #2 receiver role. He's also said to be a high effort/good character guy. I think he's more of a 3rd round prospect, but he could go in the mid-fifties. Yeah I read that also. I think the high effort/ high character thing will help him jump into late rd 2 like you're saying, particularly with the Stalworth & Plex stories that will get pounded into our heads in the next week by some negative nancy when Crabtree or Maclin or Robeski get talked about. (Not inferring those guys have major character/heart issues). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calfoxwc Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 That's the first I've heard about Smith's maturity. He would be a dynamite safety for the Browns, though. If the Browns could get Curry, and draft Wood or Meredith, and Smith in the second, I'd be happy with that. The Steelers are going to draft Mack or Wood. I still think we need a third round pick to nab a RT, if only to be backup to Tucker and learn from him. But Meredith is a tackle I'd love to see on the Browns' offensive line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aloysius Posted April 17, 2009 Report Share Posted April 17, 2009 That's the first I've heard about Smith's maturity. He would be a dynamite safety for the Browns, though. It's the first I've heard about it as well, but I suspected it may be an issue. In one game, I saw him get tackled after making a nice pick, then jump back up, tear off his helmet, and start jawing with the guy who brought him down. Kind of soured me on him. But you're right: Smith does project very well to free safety. He's got good size, tackling skills, and shows a nice burst breaking on the ball. We're more in need of a strong safety, but Smith wouldn't be such a bad pick at #50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flugel Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 He's struggled with drops issues (more so earlier in his career), but he's a good fit for the complementary #2 receiver role. He's also said to be a high effort/good character guy. I think he's more of a 3rd round prospect, but he could go in the mid-fifties. I LIKE your take on him Aloy. They were talking about what an overall disappointment he was at GA based on the expectations from recruiting him. Another WR I think you nail being overrated is Kenny Britt. People will fall in love with his size BUT he reminds me so much of Miachale Jackson where he'll get wide open and drop a perfect pass too frequently for comfort. Then he'll make a difficult catch you're not expecting. To me, that's too much unpredictability you can't count on. I wouldn't COMPLAIN if we landed Crabtree because I think he'll be a good one. Not sure he's the immediate impact some think he'll be though. He's got quite a few adjustments ahead of him system wise and it's conceivable a BAD coached team drafting near the top of the draft might not maximize his skills the way leach could. I prefer Maclin's size and speed because even if the receiving is coming slow - we may have a place for him in the return game if this staff knows how to make better use of Cribbs in the offense. I'm sure Hines Ward would still be a terrific STs player in Pitt, BUT he's much more valuable being a fulltime starter on offense. I'd like to see Cribbs matching up in open fields with LBers, 3rd Corners or Safeties trying to cover him from the Slot. With Winslow missing, we're going to need to help Royal out with replacing Winslow's reception volumes. - Tom F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solon16 Posted April 18, 2009 Report Share Posted April 18, 2009 Cornelias Ingram from Fla...at #50??? might drop but doubt it...maybe at #36 only if we get NYG's pick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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