Top 10 Countdown By James Polifroni
10. Michael Johnson- SS/Arizona 7th Rd. 224 Overall- Giants
6’3-211 40 yd. Dash- 4.63
Major knock is that he lacks the physicality to play strong safety in the NFL. Seems faster on the field than the 4.63 40 listed. Good size for the position, with a solid frame and the potential to gain weight. Possesses solid ball skills, something the Giants have been in desperate need for in their defensive backfield. Had 107 tackles and 5 picks in his two years at Arizona (JUCO transfer junior year). Quite possibly holds the most potential of all 7th round selections.
9. H.B Blades- MLB/Pitt 6th Rd. 179 Overall- Redskins
5’11-237 40 yd. Dash- 4.75
Four year contributor, three year full-time starter for the Pittsburgh Panthers. I’ve heard his durability questioned, which is confusing due to the fact that he started all 36 games from his sophomore year on. 40-speed not great, but also much faster on the field, and covers a tremendous amount of territory from his middle linebacker position. His cover skills, however, need improvement. Overall, Blades is a true old school inside backer; hard-hitting and sure tackling. Compiled 147 tackles senior year, with 10 for a loss, one sack and two interceptions. H.B tallied 433 tackles on his 4 year career.
8. Trent Edwards- QB/Stanford 3rd Rd. 92 Overall- Bills
6’4-231 40 yd. Dash- 4.73
The Bills seem to be confident with JP Losman at the helm, but Edwards, at the least, will serve as a great insurance policy. The highly regarded Pac-10 quarterback only competed in 7 games his senior season due to an ankle injury, but had a fantastic junior campaign, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards (1,934), 17 TD’s and only 7 picks. All of that was done with a completion percentage of 62.7, and a sub-par supporting cast. If Losman works out, Edwards will serve as great trade value in the future, and has the potential to be a quality starter.
7. Quinn Pitcock- DT/Ohio State 3rd Rd. 98 Overall- Colts
6’2- 211 40 yd. Dash- 4.9
Pitcock almost slipped out of the first day before being grabbed by the Colts, joining fellow Buckeyes Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall (5th round pick, also potential steal) as Indianapolis selections. He possesses pure strength to go along with solid size, athleticism, and a good work ethic. Senior year, Pitcock racked up 39 tackles, with 12 for a loss and eight sacks. For those keeping tabs, that’s 14 more tackles, six more for a loss, and six more sacks than Michigan’s Alan Branch, who was selected 33rd overall. Pitcock will probably never be a standout, but I expect him to be a solid contributor for years to come.
6. Eric Wright- CB/UNLV 2nd Rd. 53 Overall- Browns
5’11-190 40 yd. Dash- 4.36
This is one of the biggest question marks of the 2007 NFL Draft. Wright has outstanding physical talent, potentially a top 15 pick. Major red flags are raised concerning his character, however. He was a top flight red-shirt freshman at USC before transferring to UNLV after serious encounters with the law. I still think it was an incredible pick by Cleveland, and they get great value in Wright here in the 2nd round. He could help fill their desperate need for a shutdown corner. Further, Wright may have turned his own corner. After all, he spent the second half of his college career at UNLV, maintaining a spotless record; and as you probably know, even the best of characters can find trouble in Vegas.
5. Kevin Boss-TE/ Western Oregon 5th Rd. 153 Overall- Giants
6’6-257 40 yd. Dash- 4.78
Great pick with great value here for the Giants. After the departure of Vishante Shianco, the G-Men needed a second tight-end to compliment Jeremy Shockey. They may have very well found their man in Boss. As a converted wide-out, Boss has tremendous receiving ability. His past experience in collegiate basketball also goes a long way in proving his potential to excel at the next level (a la Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates). Boss’ major weakness, blocking, is the easier skill to improve on at the next level. With his great size and solid athleticism, watch for Boss to have a quick impact for the Giants in ’07.
4. Brady Quinn-QB/Notre Dame 1st Rd. 22 Overall- Browns
6’3-226 40 yd. Dash- 4.62
Cleary, Quinn was the story of the draft. You all know the basics about Brady Quinn; prototypical size, strong arm, struggles with accuracy at times, and produces questionable performances in big games. At the 22nd pick, however, to a team in need of a franchise QB, and a city looking to continue their trend of featuring young stars (such as LeBron James of the Cavs and Grady Sizemore of the Indians), it is a no-brainer. The Browns did give up their first rounder in ’08, but if they truly believe Quinn is better than next year’s prospects, they simply get him a year early AND save a boatload of money in doing it. Let’s just hope the Browns learned their lesson with Couch and this time give Quinn to adjust to the NFL game. I love the pick. The only question remaining is; what fan club will be bigger in Cleveland, Grady’s Ladies or Brady’s Ladies?
3. Michael Bush- RB/Louisville 4th Rd. 100 Overall- Raiders
6’1-243 40 yd. Dash- 4.5
Bush is what many people would call THE steal of the draft. Although I’m not going quite that far, clearly this was a tremendous value pick for the Oakland Raiders. Many believe, if healthy, Bush is a top 15 pick. While I’m not quite ready to admit that, his potential is certainly high. His size and build would remind you of a somewhat more athletic version of LenDale White, the type of player who Lane Kiffin is clearly comfortable in coaching. Still recovering from a broken leg, Bush fell to the second day of the weekend. The Raiders taking a risk here is commendable. If Bush’s leg never quite heals and he’s not the player he is expected to be, than they have a 4th round pick who didn’t quite pan out (believe me it’s happened before). If he recovers and realizes his potential, the Raiders just got a pro-bowl quality back in the 4th round. Oakland is also a perfect situation for Bush because they already have two solid backs in Lamont Jordan and Damian Rhodes, so hopefully he is not rushed into playing time.
2. Steve Breaston- WR/Michigan 5th Rd. 144 Overall- Cardinals
6’- 193 40 yd. Dash-4.4
Many teams looked to find this year’s Devin Hester. Breaston may not quite be at that level, but a great pick in round five by the Cardinals. After red-shirting his first year at Michigan, he went on to earn co-Big 10 freshman of the year. His receiving production was never outstanding, due to playing alongside Braylon Edwards and then Mario Manningham, but he managed to make his presence felt elsewhere. Breaston is the all time leader in punt return yards in the Big 10, and holds the Rose Bowl record for total yards vs. Texas in 2005 (racked up 315 yards on the loss), proving he can get it done in big moments. That being said, he still caught 58 balls for 670 yards his senior season. Breaston should play an immediate role in the special teams department for the Cards, and could even find his way into the offense at the slot.
1. Dwayne Jarrett- WR/USC 2nd Rd. 45 Overall- Panthers
6’5- 213 40yd. Dash- 4.62
I know many of you may think the biggest steal can’t be a second rounder. Please just hear me out. I began to get sick to my stomach with the more talk I heard about Jarrett’s stock dropping. I agree that combine times are important, to a point. On the other hand, here we are talking about a guy who simply got it done, year in and year out, on some of the biggest possible stages to boot. He does need to put on some weight, and an extra year may have helped him do that, but 2nd round? Give me a break! His straight speed may not be tremendous, but is very long and agile.
This situation reminds me of another wide out who slipped in the draft. A big, strong receiver out of Florida State was a potential first-rounder, until word of a poor 40-time slipped out (reportedly as slow as a 4.8). He was drafted in the second round, 54th overall to the Cardinals, behind track-star converted wide out Bethel Johnson, Taylor Jacobs, and Bryant Johnson, to name a few. His name is Anquan Boldin. You may have heard of him. On the other side of the spectrum, Troy Williamson was taken 7th overall in the 2005 draft by the Minnesota Vikings, mostly because of his fast 40-time. Admittedly, the receiver class was not too strong in ’05, but Troy Williamson is not a 7th overall draft pick, regardless of the year.
But I digress. In just three years of football, our “steal of the draft” caught 216 balls for 3,138 yards, and a Pac-10 record 41 touchdowns. In his last collegiate game, the Rose Bowl against Michigan and 1st round cornerback Leon Hall, Jarrett won co-MVP (along with teammate and fellow New Jersey native Brian Cushing). The panthers obviously have big plans for Dwayne in the future, having already cut veteran starting receiver Keyshawn Johnson (coincidentally Keyshawn also Fight’s On as a fellow USC Trojan alum). Playing alongside Steve Smith, look for Jarrett to put up MONSTER numbers this fall, potentially even gaining rookie of the year honors.
James Polifroni
Senior Writer
5’11-237 40 yd. Dash- 4.75
Four year contributor, three year full-time starter for the Pittsburgh Panthers. I’ve heard his durability questioned, which is confusing due to the fact that he started all 36 games from his sophomore year on. 40-speed not great, but also much faster on the field, and covers a tremendous amount of territory from his middle linebacker position. His cover skills, however, need improvement. Overall, Blades is a true old school inside backer; hard-hitting and sure tackling. Compiled 147 tackles senior year, with 10 for a loss, one sack and two interceptions. H.B tallied 433 tackles on his 4 year career.
8. Trent Edwards- QB/Stanford 3rd Rd. 92 Overall- Bills
6’4-231 40 yd. Dash- 4.73
The Bills seem to be confident with JP Losman at the helm, but Edwards, at the least, will serve as a great insurance policy. The highly regarded Pac-10 quarterback only competed in 7 games his senior season due to an ankle injury, but had a fantastic junior campaign, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards (1,934), 17 TD’s and only 7 picks. All of that was done with a completion percentage of 62.7, and a sub-par supporting cast. If Losman works out, Edwards will serve as great trade value in the future, and has the potential to be a quality starter.
7. Quinn Pitcock- DT/Ohio State 3rd Rd. 98 Overall- Colts
6’2- 211 40 yd. Dash- 4.9
Pitcock almost slipped out of the first day before being grabbed by the Colts, joining fellow Buckeyes Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall (5th round pick, also potential steal) as Indianapolis selections. He possesses pure strength to go along with solid size, athleticism, and a good work ethic. Senior year, Pitcock racked up 39 tackles, with 12 for a loss and eight sacks. For those keeping tabs, that’s 14 more tackles, six more for a loss, and six more sacks than Michigan’s Alan Branch, who was selected 33rd overall. Pitcock will probably never be a standout, but I expect him to be a solid contributor for years to come.
6. Eric Wright- CB/UNLV 2nd Rd. 53 Overall- Browns
5’11-190 40 yd. Dash- 4.36
This is one of the biggest question marks of the 2007 NFL Draft. Wright has outstanding physical talent, potentially a top 15 pick. Major red flags are raised concerning his character, however. He was a top flight red-shirt freshman at USC before transferring to UNLV after serious encounters with the law. I still think it was an incredible pick by Cleveland, and they get great value in Wright here in the 2nd round. He could help fill their desperate need for a shutdown corner. Further, Wright may have turned his own corner. After all, he spent the second half of his college career at UNLV, maintaining a spotless record; and as you probably know, even the best of characters can find trouble in Vegas.
5. Kevin Boss-TE/ Western Oregon 5th Rd. 153 Overall- Giants
6’6-257 40 yd. Dash- 4.78
Great pick with great value here for the Giants. After the departure of Vishante Shianco, the G-Men needed a second tight-end to compliment Jeremy Shockey. They may have very well found their man in Boss. As a converted wide-out, Boss has tremendous receiving ability. His past experience in collegiate basketball also goes a long way in proving his potential to excel at the next level (a la Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates). Boss’ major weakness, blocking, is the easier skill to improve on at the next level. With his great size and solid athleticism, watch for Boss to have a quick impact for the Giants in ’07.
4. Brady Quinn-QB/Notre Dame 1st Rd. 22 Overall- Browns
6’3-226 40 yd. Dash- 4.62
Cleary, Quinn was the story of the draft. You all know the basics about Brady Quinn; prototypical size, strong arm, struggles with accuracy at times, and produces questionable performances in big games. At the 22nd pick, however, to a team in need of a franchise QB, and a city looking to continue their trend of featuring young stars (such as LeBron James of the Cavs and Grady Sizemore of the Indians), it is a no-brainer. The Browns did give up their first rounder in ’08, but if they truly believe Quinn is better than next year’s prospects, they simply get him a year early AND save a boatload of money in doing it. Let’s just hope the Browns learned their lesson with Couch and this time give Quinn to adjust to the NFL game. I love the pick. The only question remaining is; what fan club will be bigger in Cleveland, Grady’s Ladies or Brady’s Ladies?
3. Michael Bush- RB/Louisville 4th Rd. 100 Overall- Raiders
6’1-243 40 yd. Dash- 4.5
Bush is what many people would call THE steal of the draft. Although I’m not going quite that far, clearly this was a tremendous value pick for the Oakland Raiders. Many believe, if healthy, Bush is a top 15 pick. While I’m not quite ready to admit that, his potential is certainly high. His size and build would remind you of a somewhat more athletic version of LenDale White, the type of player who Lane Kiffin is clearly comfortable in coaching. Still recovering from a broken leg, Bush fell to the second day of the weekend. The Raiders taking a risk here is commendable. If Bush’s leg never quite heals and he’s not the player he is expected to be, than they have a 4th round pick who didn’t quite pan out (believe me it’s happened before). If he recovers and realizes his potential, the Raiders just got a pro-bowl quality back in the 4th round. Oakland is also a perfect situation for Bush because they already have two solid backs in Lamont Jordan and Damian Rhodes, so hopefully he is not rushed into playing time.
2. Steve Breaston- WR/Michigan 5th Rd. 144 Overall- Cardinals
6’- 193 40 yd. Dash-4.4
Many teams looked to find this year’s Devin Hester. Breaston may not quite be at that level, but a great pick in round five by the Cardinals. After red-shirting his first year at Michigan, he went on to earn co-Big 10 freshman of the year. His receiving production was never outstanding, due to playing alongside Braylon Edwards and then Mario Manningham, but he managed to make his presence felt elsewhere. Breaston is the all time leader in punt return yards in the Big 10, and holds the Rose Bowl record for total yards vs. Texas in 2005 (racked up 315 yards on the loss), proving he can get it done in big moments. That being said, he still caught 58 balls for 670 yards his senior season. Breaston should play an immediate role in the special teams department for the Cards, and could even find his way into the offense at the slot.
1. Dwayne Jarrett- WR/USC 2nd Rd. 45 Overall- Panthers
6’5- 213 40yd. Dash- 4.62
I know many of you may think the biggest steal can’t be a second rounder. Please just hear me out. I began to get sick to my stomach with the more talk I heard about Jarrett’s stock dropping. I agree that combine times are important, to a point. On the other hand, here we are talking about a guy who simply got it done, year in and year out, on some of the biggest possible stages to boot. He does need to put on some weight, and an extra year may have helped him do that, but 2nd round? Give me a break! His straight speed may not be tremendous, but is very long and agile.
This situation reminds me of another wide out who slipped in the draft. A big, strong receiver out of Florida State was a potential first-rounder, until word of a poor 40-time slipped out (reportedly as slow as a 4.8). He was drafted in the second round, 54th overall to the Cardinals, behind track-star converted wide out Bethel Johnson, Taylor Jacobs, and Bryant Johnson, to name a few. His name is Anquan Boldin. You may have heard of him. On the other side of the spectrum, Troy Williamson was taken 7th overall in the 2005 draft by the Minnesota Vikings, mostly because of his fast 40-time. Admittedly, the receiver class was not too strong in ’05, but Troy Williamson is not a 7th overall draft pick, regardless of the year.
But I digress. In just three years of football, our “steal of the draft” caught 216 balls for 3,138 yards, and a Pac-10 record 41 touchdowns. In his last collegiate game, the Rose Bowl against Michigan and 1st round cornerback Leon Hall, Jarrett won co-MVP (along with teammate and fellow New Jersey native Brian Cushing). The panthers obviously have big plans for Dwayne in the future, having already cut veteran starting receiver Keyshawn Johnson (coincidentally Keyshawn also Fight’s On as a fellow USC Trojan alum). Playing alongside Steve Smith, look for Jarrett to put up MONSTER numbers this fall, potentially even gaining rookie of the year honors.
James Polifroni
Senior Writer
Member of Link Juice Football Directory
4 comments:
Hey I was just wondering whatyou thought of the Packers' draft overall. Especially the Harrell pick.
Lemme know--The Sports Flow
I think the Packers had a solid draft. For a complete recap go here:
http://homepages.cae.wisc.edu/~dwilson/rsfc/oth_sites/general.html
Woops I mean here:
http://www.nfldraftdog.com/NFL_Team_Columns/green_bay_packer_team_column.htm
I think Harrell was an excellent pick, yes he was picked a little earlier than what most thought, but if they would have tried to trade down they might have lost him. I like WR James Jones, he might be a sleeper.
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