Breaking Down the (defense)
Safety:
I will start with the safety position, because that is the deepest position in the 2007 NFL Draft, outside of receiver. If you are an NFL team in need of a safety you are in luck. It all starts with LaRon Landry, one of the best players in this draft, Landry can do it all. He is better against the run than the pass, but with 4.39 speed, I wouldn’t test him to often if I was an opposing quarterback. Reggie Nelson, is the next best safety, Nelson has supreme pass coverage ability and is the best free safety in this draft. Michael Griffin was the top safety entering the 2006 season, it’s not that he played bad, he is still a great NFL prospect, it’s just with Landry running a 4.39, and Nelson declaring as a junior, he has been slightly over shadowed. Brandon Meriweather is an intriguing prospect for the early part of round two; he is a cover safety similar to Reggie Nelson, but can also play corner. The next best safety is Eric Weddle, he carries a second round grade, but has first round talent. Sabby Piscitelli from Oregon State and John Wendling from Wyoming are a couple of good sized work out warriors that had great combines. My sleeper pick is Darren Stone from Small School Maine.
Cornerbacks:
Not a great year for corners, some real speed daemons, but a few underclassmen and under-achievers. The pick of the litter is Leon Hall from Michigan. Hall is an experienced senior that excelled in the Big 10, he runs a 4.39 forty. Darrelle Revis has to be ranked number two behind Hall. Revis is a supreme athlete, only a junior, but opposing defenses rarely tested his side of the field last year. After the top two it gets interesting. The most physically blessed corner in the 2007 NFL Draft is Eric Wright, he is extremely explosive and can close on the ball faster than any corner in this draft. Chris Houston is right there with Wright, both are young and raw, but very fast and athletic. After those guys it gets a little dicey, Marcus McCauley is another speed daemon that carries a late first/early second round grade, but he struggled a little as a senior. I like Maryland’s Josh Wilson in the 3rd round, small but fast and very talented. Daymeion Hughes you ask? Nope, he is just to slow, a fifth rounder at best. College success doesn’t always translate to the NFL, and with a corner, speed is king. He ran a 4.67 second 40 at the combine…..ouch.
Linebackers:
I am just going to lump them all together. With the exception of Patrick Willis, it’s not a great year for linebackers. Willis is far and away the best linebacker in this 2007 NFL Draft, and the only one ranked as a top ten talent. Take a look at all the Top NFL Draft Web Sites and they all have Willis as the top linebacker. After Willis there is a huge drop off, but junior Lawrence Timmons and senior Paul Posluszny both carry a late first round grade. Posluszny played injured most of the year, but if he would have stayed healthy and had a better senior year, we might be talking about he and Willis in the same breath. Jon Beason from Miami seems to be everybody’s golden boy. I think some one rated him as a first rounder shortly after he declared early for the draft and then every one else just started copying that ranking. There is just no way he carries a first round grade folks. Short, slow and weak are a poor combination for success in the NFL. He will probably be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round, but he has 4th or 5th round talent in my opinion. Quincy Black from New Mexico has cornerback speed (4.42) but linebacker size (6’ 1” 237). My match made in heaven is inside linebacker David Harris from Michigan to the New England Patriots. The Pats like big, talented linebackers and that is what Harris is at 6’ 3” 242 lbs. My sleeper pick is Justin Durant from small school Hampton, Durant might need a year to adjust to the Pro game, but he has decent size at 6’ 1” 230 lbs. and runs a 4.51 forty. My all over rated player is Brandon Siler from Florida; he is a bust waiting to happen.
Defensive Tackles:
A real poor year for tackles, the only guy that makes you say “WOW” is Amobi Okoye from Louisville. With a little more upper body strength he will remind me of the Bears Tommy Harris. Justin Harrell might have been a top ten pick but he missed the 2006 season with a torn bicep. He has now worked his way back into the first round and presents good value late in round one. Alan Branch from Michigan is huge at 6’ 5” 325 pounds; he is very athletic but didn’t make as many plays this year as his size would dictate. He is a boom or bust prospect in my opinion. I also like Tank Tyler from NC State, he is very disruptive, but at 6’ 2” 310 plus pounds he has got to keep himself in shape. If you run the 3-4 defense and need a nose tackle, are you listening Jerry Jones? You have to consider a nose tackle like Utah’s Paul Solaia, he is a mammoth of a man at 6’ 4 335 pounds. Paul ran a 5.10 forty at the combine, that’s good for a 335 pounder. An interesting monster for the late rounds is from a tiny community college, his name is Walter Thomas and he is 6' 7" 355 lbs.
Defensive Ends:
This is a strong position with some real playmakers. The top dog being Gaines Adams from Clemson, a much decorated ACC playmaker, he should hear his name called in the 2007 NFL Draft within the first 5 picks. Next up is junior Jamaal Anderson from Arkansas, he (Anderson) came out of no where to have a spectacular season rushing the QB. Nebraska’s Adam Carriker is a 6’ 6” 292 pound monster that can really run. He will make a nice addition to any type of defense with that size and speed. Jarvis Moss from Florida is another guy right there with Carriker, both very talented mid-first round guys that have the attributes to line up in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense. Anthony Spencer was almost un-blockable in college, a little smaller at 6-2 261 pounds; he might be moved to outside linebacker ala DeMarcus Ware and Shawn Merriman. LaMarr Woodley from Michigan is my pick to be a bust, but Turk McBride from Tennessee is my pick to be a good value. Jacob Ford from tiny Central Arkansas is my small school sleeper pick.
I will start with the safety position, because that is the deepest position in the 2007 NFL Draft, outside of receiver. If you are an NFL team in need of a safety you are in luck. It all starts with LaRon Landry, one of the best players in this draft, Landry can do it all. He is better against the run than the pass, but with 4.39 speed, I wouldn’t test him to often if I was an opposing quarterback. Reggie Nelson, is the next best safety, Nelson has supreme pass coverage ability and is the best free safety in this draft. Michael Griffin was the top safety entering the 2006 season, it’s not that he played bad, he is still a great NFL prospect, it’s just with Landry running a 4.39, and Nelson declaring as a junior, he has been slightly over shadowed. Brandon Meriweather is an intriguing prospect for the early part of round two; he is a cover safety similar to Reggie Nelson, but can also play corner. The next best safety is Eric Weddle, he carries a second round grade, but has first round talent. Sabby Piscitelli from Oregon State and John Wendling from Wyoming are a couple of good sized work out warriors that had great combines. My sleeper pick is Darren Stone from Small School Maine.
Cornerbacks:
Not a great year for corners, some real speed daemons, but a few underclassmen and under-achievers. The pick of the litter is Leon Hall from Michigan. Hall is an experienced senior that excelled in the Big 10, he runs a 4.39 forty. Darrelle Revis has to be ranked number two behind Hall. Revis is a supreme athlete, only a junior, but opposing defenses rarely tested his side of the field last year. After the top two it gets interesting. The most physically blessed corner in the 2007 NFL Draft is Eric Wright, he is extremely explosive and can close on the ball faster than any corner in this draft. Chris Houston is right there with Wright, both are young and raw, but very fast and athletic. After those guys it gets a little dicey, Marcus McCauley is another speed daemon that carries a late first/early second round grade, but he struggled a little as a senior. I like Maryland’s Josh Wilson in the 3rd round, small but fast and very talented. Daymeion Hughes you ask? Nope, he is just to slow, a fifth rounder at best. College success doesn’t always translate to the NFL, and with a corner, speed is king. He ran a 4.67 second 40 at the combine…..ouch.
Linebackers:
I am just going to lump them all together. With the exception of Patrick Willis, it’s not a great year for linebackers. Willis is far and away the best linebacker in this 2007 NFL Draft, and the only one ranked as a top ten talent. Take a look at all the Top NFL Draft Web Sites and they all have Willis as the top linebacker. After Willis there is a huge drop off, but junior Lawrence Timmons and senior Paul Posluszny both carry a late first round grade. Posluszny played injured most of the year, but if he would have stayed healthy and had a better senior year, we might be talking about he and Willis in the same breath. Jon Beason from Miami seems to be everybody’s golden boy. I think some one rated him as a first rounder shortly after he declared early for the draft and then every one else just started copying that ranking. There is just no way he carries a first round grade folks. Short, slow and weak are a poor combination for success in the NFL. He will probably be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round, but he has 4th or 5th round talent in my opinion. Quincy Black from New Mexico has cornerback speed (4.42) but linebacker size (6’ 1” 237). My match made in heaven is inside linebacker David Harris from Michigan to the New England Patriots. The Pats like big, talented linebackers and that is what Harris is at 6’ 3” 242 lbs. My sleeper pick is Justin Durant from small school Hampton, Durant might need a year to adjust to the Pro game, but he has decent size at 6’ 1” 230 lbs. and runs a 4.51 forty. My all over rated player is Brandon Siler from Florida; he is a bust waiting to happen.
Defensive Tackles:
A real poor year for tackles, the only guy that makes you say “WOW” is Amobi Okoye from Louisville. With a little more upper body strength he will remind me of the Bears Tommy Harris. Justin Harrell might have been a top ten pick but he missed the 2006 season with a torn bicep. He has now worked his way back into the first round and presents good value late in round one. Alan Branch from Michigan is huge at 6’ 5” 325 pounds; he is very athletic but didn’t make as many plays this year as his size would dictate. He is a boom or bust prospect in my opinion. I also like Tank Tyler from NC State, he is very disruptive, but at 6’ 2” 310 plus pounds he has got to keep himself in shape. If you run the 3-4 defense and need a nose tackle, are you listening Jerry Jones? You have to consider a nose tackle like Utah’s Paul Solaia, he is a mammoth of a man at 6’ 4 335 pounds. Paul ran a 5.10 forty at the combine, that’s good for a 335 pounder. An interesting monster for the late rounds is from a tiny community college, his name is Walter Thomas and he is 6' 7" 355 lbs.
Defensive Ends:
This is a strong position with some real playmakers. The top dog being Gaines Adams from Clemson, a much decorated ACC playmaker, he should hear his name called in the 2007 NFL Draft within the first 5 picks. Next up is junior Jamaal Anderson from Arkansas, he (Anderson) came out of no where to have a spectacular season rushing the QB. Nebraska’s Adam Carriker is a 6’ 6” 292 pound monster that can really run. He will make a nice addition to any type of defense with that size and speed. Jarvis Moss from Florida is another guy right there with Carriker, both very talented mid-first round guys that have the attributes to line up in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense. Anthony Spencer was almost un-blockable in college, a little smaller at 6-2 261 pounds; he might be moved to outside linebacker ala DeMarcus Ware and Shawn Merriman. LaMarr Woodley from Michigan is my pick to be a bust, but Turk McBride from Tennessee is my pick to be a good value. Jacob Ford from tiny Central Arkansas is my small school sleeper pick.
3 comments:
In your DE section, you mention Gaines Adams as playing in the SEC. Clemson plays in the ACC.
Woops, sorry, I will fix it. Thanks.
Hey I like your stuff, especially the 2008 mock draft. You should come by The Sports Flow and let me know what you think of my Mock Draft and my analysis on round 1. Thanks!
Post a Comment