The NFL Draft is just three days away and hundreds of prospective players are now in the final stages of preparation for the event. There will be not more private workouts, no more interviews, no more promotional tours. It’s time to get ready.
It is also time for pro scouts to re-define their big boards one last time. To select which players will hold the most promise and which will fail to meet them. There’s a big enough list of underperforming players (QBs Kyle Boller and JaMarcus Russell, WRs Michael Clayton and Ted Ginn, Jr, RB Laurence Maroney to name a few).
Here’s a list of possible first and second round offensive picks who are likely to join the ever groin list of draft bust.
1. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma: Yes, the consensus number one pick tops this list. There are a plethora of reasons why the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner will excel in the NFL. There are also a few Red Flags that indicate he won’t. Chief among them is the style of play he performed under.
He did not play in a pro-set offense where WRs, TEs, and RBs are require to run crisp, pro-style routes. Instead, Sooner’s receivers were ask to run straight, simplified routes making it easy for Bradford to hit them. This is not taking anything away from his accomplishments; in fact, he does hit receivers on line, but the simple nature of the route running makes evaluating him a tough deal. He also has not taken that many snaps under center, instead he played out of the vaunted Shut Gun formation. A five steps window over the under-center system which translate into an additional 1.5 second reading time. In the pros he will not have that distinguish advantage. Enough time to make quick reads and hot throws in the flanks.
Simply put it, spread offense quarterbacks had a hard time making the transition to full time NFL signal callers. Of the 32 projected starters in 2010, only four (Alex Smith, David Gerrard and Donovan McNabb) played in a spread-type of offensive system in college. The rest are product of pro-set schemes.
Health is another big concern. He hasn’t been healthy since late in his sophomore campaign. At 219-225 pounds, he still looks like a skinny kid. His frame will simply do not allow him to grow beyond that. Can he take the punishment the Rams’ offensive line will allow? That’s the big question.
2. WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech: Thomas has all the intangibles of a super star. Has size (6’3”, 230lbs) and speed (4.41), plus he racked up 1,154 yards worth of receptions (25.1 average) playing for a run oriented team. But he has big time fundamental issues regarding route running and breaks. He will need a lot of work before his production matched his talent. The biggest question mark surrounding the four year junior is his maturity. Can he handle the stress of the NFL?
3. WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois: Once viewed as a first round pick, Benn now looks like a late second rounder, at best. This biggest drawback is his lack of production last season. Playing in what supposed to be a high octane offense, he only scored twice in 2009 (490 total yards). He runs a very slow 40-time (4.43) and has shown a complete lack of burst off the line. Is slow making cuts and his route running is in need of more refinement. His lack of productivity cut into the character and his desire to become a difference maker.
4. OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland: Without much argument, he is one of the better athletes in this draft. His size (6’7”, 312) and speed (4.96) suggest he is a dominator, but nothing has been further from the true. He struggled last fall, mainly due to an assortment of nagging injuries, as well as the one before (no excuse here) with motivation. The talent is there, but he tends to play down from time to time. Not a big motor guy. Good enough to start right away, but if he goes to a team such as the Oakland Raiders, a franchise in disarray, he can get lost fast. Need a team with establish stars in other to reach full potential.
5. OT Ciron Black, LSU: Another in a long line of Tiger offensive linemen who are destined to a backup role in the NFL. He is massive (335) and with long arms, but he is not as strong as his size indicates. Lacks agility and lateral movement. Biggest detriment is his laziness. Looks disinterested much of the time.
6. OG Jon Asamoah, Illinois: Illini players tend to disappoint in the pros and Asamoah could follow that path. He is a top notch athlete with a mean streak, but his is not second round (which is where he is projected to go) material by any means. Like Black, Asamoah tend to be lazy on the field. He also relays too much on natural talent instead of technique. Is strong minded which means he will have trouble adjusting to coaching.
7. RB Jahvid Best, Cal: Everything about Best, yards per carry and receiving skills, seems top tier, but he is neither a fluid nor agile athlete. Will not make people miss on the second level. Billed as a big play weapon, Best has done that, albeit in a limited role, but not much else. A liability inside where his lacks of size procurement to do anything more than gain a few yards here and there. His blocking is also subpar. He is not the workhorse teams envisioned prior to 2009.
8. RB Joe McKnight, USC: He is not a franchise back that can carry the ball 20 times a game. More of a change-of-pace running back with good, not great speed. What separate him from the rest is his uncanny ability to slide in space and his top notch balance. But outside those two traits, he brings nothing special to the table. Does a lot of dancing which negates his lateral agility and his indecisiveness relegate his balance. Add to it a lack of pure speed and a slim frame and it’s easy to see why he is a third rounder, at best, with a clouded pro future.
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