HeHateMe
April-13th-2005, 06:22 PM
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Insider/2005/wwhi041305.htm
The Way We Hear It — NFL draft
Underdogs to know on Draft Day
By Jeff Reynolds
April 13, 2005
OLB Jordan Beck, Cal Poly
Projected round: 3
Skinny: Beck was on the radar of every team well before his March 9 campus workout, but some teams reworked a report on Beck based on his performance. He ran in the low 4.5 range at 233 pounds and projects as a weak-side linebacker for some teams. Others, however, believe Beck could transition to safety if he can get down to the 225-pound range. His 6.92 short shuttle and other test numbers (41½-inch vertical) have scouts projecting Beck as a big riser on Draft Day.
DB Nick Collins, Bethune-Cookman
Projected round: 4-5
Skinny: At 5-11 1/8, 201 pounds, Collins was a college safety but was not an accurate tackler in the open field. Because of his size and 4.46 speed, most teams are classifying Collins as a press-cover safety because of his upside at that position and with the option to move back to free safety if he can’t handle being on an island. He’s not as productive or smooth in transition as former Bethune-Cookman S Rashean Mathis, who moved to cornerback with the Jaguars and was picked 39th overall in 2003. Mathis also had more range as a safety.
ILB Alfred Fincher, Connecticut
Projected round: 3
Skinny: Very productive inside ’backer didn’t slow down after the Huskies jumped to the I-A level from I-AA. Just shy of 6-2 and 240 pounds, Fincher is not fast in-line or explosive, but he does have outstanding instincts and can diagnose before and after the snap. Scouts like what he would bring as a 3-4 inside linebacker.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Harvard
Projected round: 5-6
Skinny: A good but not great athlete, Fitzpatrick limits his mistakes and is capable of making plays with his feet. He has a strong frame for a quarterback, but he doesn’t have a rifle arm. Could be a system passer and will pick up an offense quickly (scored a 38 on his senior Wonderlic).
ILB James “Boomer” Grigsby, Illinois State
Projected round: 5-7
Skinny: Short but well-built, with 4.65 speed. Grigsby was very productive in I-AA. Has a football body and a weightlifter’s build. Has enough speed but is not explosive in making tackles. Three-time Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year likely is a late second-day pick who has to earn his way on special teams.
C Rob Hunt, North Dakota State
Projected round: 5-7
Skinny: One of the five best center prospects in the draft, according to some teams, Hunt could be selected in the middle rounds. He had a terrific workout at the Scouting Combine. Hunt is regarded as a hard worker and has good strength, athleticism and a 34-inch vertical at 308 pounds.
WR Vincent Jackson, Northern Colorado
Projected round: 2-3
Skinny: At 6-4, 244, Jackson might have to move to tight end, but he wants to play receiver. He’s similar to former Stanford WR Teyo Johnson, a long-striding athlete who dominated because of his size and was drafted as a tight end by Oakland. Not every team believes Jackson must move. He will create mismatches in the red zone and can get upfield well enough to beat a zone.
WR Jerome Mathis, Hampton (Va.)
Projected round: 3
Skinny: A blazer who posted a 4.29 40-yard dash in front of hundreds of scouts at the Combine in February. The decision for personnel men now is whether Mathis is more than a track guy playing football. He doesn’t have great hands and may prove to be nothing but a glorified return man and third-down-package wide receiver. But a team will take a chance that he’s more than that, possibly as early as late in the second round.
ILB Kirk Morrison, San Diego State
Projected round: 3-4
Skinny: A household name in the Mountain West Conference (two-time Defensive Player of the Year), Morrison helped spread the word that he could play with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl in January. Teams will downgrade him for 4.72-4.75 40-yard dash times and modest workout numbers, but he’s a blue-collar competitor with instincts and a work ethic any team can love.
WR Dante Ridgeway, Ball State
Projected round: 3-4
Skinny: Ridgeway’s stock cooled slightly after he ran in the mid-4.6s at his March 15 campus workout. But the junior, coming off a 106-catch, 1,399-yard season, has the eye of the scouts. He’s has a build and some of the run-after-catch ability we’ve seen from Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin. Ridgeway is a probable mid-draft pick. Teams will take advantage of his quick feet and route-running skills by placing him in the slot, where his 215-pound frame will cause problems for nickel cornerbacks. If he was a tenth of a second faster, Ridgeway might get top-50 consideration.
OT Michael Roos, Eastern Washington
Projected round: 2-3
Skinny: Roos is very raw. He came to the United States from his native Estonia in 1992 and played only one year of high school football (as a TE-DE two-way player), and he played defensive end as a freshman in college. With three years as a starter at the OLT spot, interest in Roos is picking up. He’s a thin 325 pounds, and his 6-6 frame shows room to grow and add more bulk. A good athlete for his size, teams believe with strength and a few years to blossom on a team willing to coach him up for one season, Roos has incredible potential and upside.
DE-OLB DeMarcus Ware, Troy
Projected round: 1 — should be a top-25 pick
Skinny: Ware is certain to be this year’s king of the small-school products. Teams have discussed Ware as a potential top-20 talent. He might fit best as a hybrid in a 3-4 defense a la Terrell Suggs. He’s much lighter but more athletic than Giants DE Osi Umenyiora, who ran a 4.6 at 277 pounds in 2003 (drafted 56th overall), and not as thick, broad or stopwatch-fast as Jets DE Bryan Thomas from UAB (22nd overall in 2002).
WR Roddy White, UAB
Projected round: Late 1st or early 2nd
Skinny: One pro scout says White compares to former Michigan State WR Charles Rogers, the second overall pick in 2003. White has almost identical size and speed to Rogers, but his hands are slightly less impressive than Rogers’ and he hasn’t produced against elite-level competition (struggled vs. Florida State). Teams at the bottom of the first round, starting with Minnesota at No. 18, have had discussions about White. The Rams (19) and Cowboys (20) both see White as a first-round pick.
The Way We Hear It — NFL draft
Underdogs to know on Draft Day
By Jeff Reynolds
April 13, 2005
OLB Jordan Beck, Cal Poly
Projected round: 3
Skinny: Beck was on the radar of every team well before his March 9 campus workout, but some teams reworked a report on Beck based on his performance. He ran in the low 4.5 range at 233 pounds and projects as a weak-side linebacker for some teams. Others, however, believe Beck could transition to safety if he can get down to the 225-pound range. His 6.92 short shuttle and other test numbers (41½-inch vertical) have scouts projecting Beck as a big riser on Draft Day.
DB Nick Collins, Bethune-Cookman
Projected round: 4-5
Skinny: At 5-11 1/8, 201 pounds, Collins was a college safety but was not an accurate tackler in the open field. Because of his size and 4.46 speed, most teams are classifying Collins as a press-cover safety because of his upside at that position and with the option to move back to free safety if he can’t handle being on an island. He’s not as productive or smooth in transition as former Bethune-Cookman S Rashean Mathis, who moved to cornerback with the Jaguars and was picked 39th overall in 2003. Mathis also had more range as a safety.
ILB Alfred Fincher, Connecticut
Projected round: 3
Skinny: Very productive inside ’backer didn’t slow down after the Huskies jumped to the I-A level from I-AA. Just shy of 6-2 and 240 pounds, Fincher is not fast in-line or explosive, but he does have outstanding instincts and can diagnose before and after the snap. Scouts like what he would bring as a 3-4 inside linebacker.
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, Harvard
Projected round: 5-6
Skinny: A good but not great athlete, Fitzpatrick limits his mistakes and is capable of making plays with his feet. He has a strong frame for a quarterback, but he doesn’t have a rifle arm. Could be a system passer and will pick up an offense quickly (scored a 38 on his senior Wonderlic).
ILB James “Boomer” Grigsby, Illinois State
Projected round: 5-7
Skinny: Short but well-built, with 4.65 speed. Grigsby was very productive in I-AA. Has a football body and a weightlifter’s build. Has enough speed but is not explosive in making tackles. Three-time Gateway Conference Defensive Player of the Year likely is a late second-day pick who has to earn his way on special teams.
C Rob Hunt, North Dakota State
Projected round: 5-7
Skinny: One of the five best center prospects in the draft, according to some teams, Hunt could be selected in the middle rounds. He had a terrific workout at the Scouting Combine. Hunt is regarded as a hard worker and has good strength, athleticism and a 34-inch vertical at 308 pounds.
WR Vincent Jackson, Northern Colorado
Projected round: 2-3
Skinny: At 6-4, 244, Jackson might have to move to tight end, but he wants to play receiver. He’s similar to former Stanford WR Teyo Johnson, a long-striding athlete who dominated because of his size and was drafted as a tight end by Oakland. Not every team believes Jackson must move. He will create mismatches in the red zone and can get upfield well enough to beat a zone.
WR Jerome Mathis, Hampton (Va.)
Projected round: 3
Skinny: A blazer who posted a 4.29 40-yard dash in front of hundreds of scouts at the Combine in February. The decision for personnel men now is whether Mathis is more than a track guy playing football. He doesn’t have great hands and may prove to be nothing but a glorified return man and third-down-package wide receiver. But a team will take a chance that he’s more than that, possibly as early as late in the second round.
ILB Kirk Morrison, San Diego State
Projected round: 3-4
Skinny: A household name in the Mountain West Conference (two-time Defensive Player of the Year), Morrison helped spread the word that he could play with a strong showing at the Senior Bowl in January. Teams will downgrade him for 4.72-4.75 40-yard dash times and modest workout numbers, but he’s a blue-collar competitor with instincts and a work ethic any team can love.
WR Dante Ridgeway, Ball State
Projected round: 3-4
Skinny: Ridgeway’s stock cooled slightly after he ran in the mid-4.6s at his March 15 campus workout. But the junior, coming off a 106-catch, 1,399-yard season, has the eye of the scouts. He’s has a build and some of the run-after-catch ability we’ve seen from Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin. Ridgeway is a probable mid-draft pick. Teams will take advantage of his quick feet and route-running skills by placing him in the slot, where his 215-pound frame will cause problems for nickel cornerbacks. If he was a tenth of a second faster, Ridgeway might get top-50 consideration.
OT Michael Roos, Eastern Washington
Projected round: 2-3
Skinny: Roos is very raw. He came to the United States from his native Estonia in 1992 and played only one year of high school football (as a TE-DE two-way player), and he played defensive end as a freshman in college. With three years as a starter at the OLT spot, interest in Roos is picking up. He’s a thin 325 pounds, and his 6-6 frame shows room to grow and add more bulk. A good athlete for his size, teams believe with strength and a few years to blossom on a team willing to coach him up for one season, Roos has incredible potential and upside.
DE-OLB DeMarcus Ware, Troy
Projected round: 1 — should be a top-25 pick
Skinny: Ware is certain to be this year’s king of the small-school products. Teams have discussed Ware as a potential top-20 talent. He might fit best as a hybrid in a 3-4 defense a la Terrell Suggs. He’s much lighter but more athletic than Giants DE Osi Umenyiora, who ran a 4.6 at 277 pounds in 2003 (drafted 56th overall), and not as thick, broad or stopwatch-fast as Jets DE Bryan Thomas from UAB (22nd overall in 2002).
WR Roddy White, UAB
Projected round: Late 1st or early 2nd
Skinny: One pro scout says White compares to former Michigan State WR Charles Rogers, the second overall pick in 2003. White has almost identical size and speed to Rogers, but his hands are slightly less impressive than Rogers’ and he hasn’t produced against elite-level competition (struggled vs. Florida State). Teams at the bottom of the first round, starting with Minnesota at No. 18, have had discussions about White. The Rams (19) and Cowboys (20) both see White as a first-round pick.