2011 Comprehensive NFL Draft Database

[Dro89]

John Moffitt, G/C, Wisconsin
Justin Boren, G, Ohio State
Orlando Franklin, G/OT, Miami

those are some of the OG i will watch this year..

3-4OLB

Jack Crawford*, DE/OLB, Penn State
Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
Akeem Ayers*, DE/OLB, UCLA

will also watch these players

[Dukes and Skins]

John Moffitt, G/C, Wisconsin
Justin Boren, G, Ohio State
Orlando Franklin, G/OT, Miami

those are some of the OG i will watch this year..

3-4OLB

Jack Crawford*, DE/OLB, Penn State
Von Miller, DE/OLB, Texas A&M
Akeem Ayers*, DE/OLB, UCLA

will also watch these players

I think you have to also add two guys to that list Rodney Hudson as mentioned many a time by people in the thread and also Sam Acho from Texas someone who I think will have a breakout year which is good for someone who was rated high coming out of college but never put it all together

[Dro89]

Hudson i know is highly rated but i like the other guys size over his.. it may not be much but the other guys have gerth..

[Dukes and Skins]

Hudson i know is highly rated but i like the other guys size over his.. it may not be much but the other guys have gerth..

True but Hudson has the base and the ability to be one of the top end guards in the NFL. As Steve pointed out earlier he has good size not great size but his pass protection is a thing of work to watch, his base is great and he has good hand placement. While not a big guy he's going to be one of the best in the NFL in 5 years no doubt about in my mind

[Dro89]

who was the one thats on the WR from Pitts bangwagon i saw he was 6'5 lawwwd jesus..

[Dukes and Skins]

who was the one thats on the WR from Pitts bangwagon i saw he was 6'5 lawwwd jesus..

Both Steve and I are on his bandwagon he's an absolute monster of a WR. I've seen some freakish athletes and he's up on that list

[Dro89]

drawing comparisons to Brandon Marshall..

[stevemcqueen1]

There's been some talk about the weakness of the 2011 RB class, and I think it's generally true. I've also mentioned that the 2009 and 2010 RB classes were pretty weak at the top. I'm skeptical that Ryan Williams will declare early for the draft this year with two years of eligibility left, especially since he'll probably have to split his carries with Darren Evans now.

So assuming that this isn't a good year to look for a RB, I wanted to look ahead to future classes and I'll go ahead and say that the RB drought will probably end by next season. The RB class of 2013 is absolutely stunning at the top. It should form the most talented group of first round caliber RB prospects since 2008 and set the tone for RB classes for the new decade. In fact, I think the top backs of the 2013 class have a chance to be better pros than the superb McFadden/Stewart/Johnson/Mendenhall/Jones first round group of 2008. Take a look at the top 5 names according to CBSsports:

1. Ryan Williams, VT
2. Trent Richardson, Alabama
3. Dion Lewis, Pitt
4. Bryce Brown, Kansas St
5. LaMichael James, Oregon

That's a ridiculously talented group and I would gladly take any of them. Will any of them wait until 2013? Brown would be the only one who I think even remotely has a chance of playing out his eligibility since he's got to sit this season out and he didn't produce all that much last year. I doubt it though. When he finally gets to play in 2011, I bet he puts up a monstrous season and goes ahead and comes out. And by the end of the 2011 season, the other four guys I mentioned should all be near the top of their schools' career rushing lists.

So basically, I'm saying that I think we should wait until the 2012 draft class to look for a RB given this year's class' relative weakness and that one's probable strength. That class will be too top heavy for all of them to go in the first.

Stephen Paea and Dont'a Hightower in the first two rounds this year. Blaine Gabbert and Bryce Brown in the first two in 2012 FTW!!! Here's my campaign slogan: Wouldn't it be nice to spend the two thousand teens in the playoffs?

[The Tris]

4. Bryce Brown, Kansas St

Until Brown has a more notable accomplishment than being the top recruit in 2009, he is Joe McKnight lite.

There are so many question marks surrounding him, that if his name was not Bryce Brown, he and his sub-500 yards rushing would be no where on this list.

There are so many other freshman and sophmores who have far superior resumes, hell, he wasn't even in the top 3 most impressive freshman RBs in the SEC (I would put Ealey, Norman and McCalebb ahead of Brown).

[Forehead]

We may have to get the Comprehensive Scouting 2011 thread going soon if this is going to take off.

Anyway, for my money, if we do well this season and have a later 1st round pick, my blind homer choice is Stefen Wisneiwski. He plays a position of need for us, RG, and has also shown the ability to play Center, he has garnered Big Ten honors at both positions. Also a straight A student.

So in addition to being smart and 1st Team All conference capable at two positions that we have needs at, he also has the pedigree. His father, Leo Wisniewski, played three years in the NFL. His uncle might sound more familiar...Steve Wisniewski, 13 seasons, 8 pro bowls, named to the 1990's all decade team.

The kid has every tool to succeed in the NFL and would strengthen the interior of our O-line.

[stevemcqueen1]

Until Brown has a more notable accomplishment than being the top recruit in 2009, he is Joe McKnight lite.

There are so many question marks surrounding him, that if his name was not Bryce Brown, he and his sub-500 yards rushing would be no where on this list.

There are so many other freshman and sophmores who have far superior resumes, hell, he wasn't even in the top 3 most impressive freshman RBs in the SEC (I would put Ealey, Norman and McCalebb ahead of Brown).

I think it's a lack of opportunity more than anything else. It's hard to put up numbers when you only get 8 carries a game. Montario Hardesty was so fabulously productive last season that you couldn't really take him out for any true freshman, even one as gifted as Brown. They should have just redshirted him. Regardless, Brown won't be doing anything this year since he's got to sit out the season for transferring. But the transfer will end up helping him in the end. It's good that he jumped a sinking ship in Tennessee for a Big 12 North school where he'll get to murder softer defenses and put up huge numbers like Peterson did in school.

I think you're off the mark on the Joe McKnight comparison. McKnight's pre-college accolades and hype never reached anywhere near the level Brown's did. Brown was basically called the next Adrian Peterson and expectations are higher for him than they were for McKnight (well at least for everyone other than USC fans). That class of 2013 has been spectacular in it's rate of production so far:

2009 numbers
Ryan Williams - 1,655 yards, 21 tds
Dion Lewis - 1,799 yards, 17 tds
LaMichael James - 1,546 yards, 14 tds
Bernard Pierce - 1,361 yards, 16 tds

Even Trent Richardson's 751 yards and 8 tds is a reasonably impressive start.

Comparing Brown to those guys, his accomplishments are meager which is why I talked about him as a second round pick--I assumed he'd more realistically be taken after them.

BTW, I'm not overly impressed with Washaun Ealey just because he ran for 300 more yards his freshman season. I would be willing to bet that there aren't many NFL scouts out there who think he'll be a better NFL prospect than Brown because of the evidence shown in their freshman years. If early evaluations were based on production, why on earth would Trent Richardson be widely considered as the best or second best RB in that class? Those other four guys I mentioned are far more accomplished to this date. The evaluations are based on talent and projected NFL skillsets as much as they are on production. By that measure, Bryce Brown and Trent Richardson are easily the most gifted RBs in the class. Ronnie Brown never put up huge numbers in college and only ran for 721 yards his senior season, but he was still the first RB taken in a 2005 RB class that was ridiculously accomplished in college. Bryce Brown is a lot like him in many ways, only with far superior burst, CoD, and open field elusiveness (meaning he'll actually be a good NFL RB). He's special for the same reasons as Richardson--a 220 pound RB with 4.4 speed that can run like a punt returner in the open field and catch and block.

Oh and that's not to say I'm not impressed with Ealey. Georgia does a good job developing complete RBs and Ealey looks the part. He's got good size and can play FB and catch and looks nice in pass pro. He's just nowhere near the talent Bryce Brown is.

[The Tris]

For my money, we see evidence time and time again of 3 and 4 year college running backs with consistant production turn out to be better pros than highly touted recruits with fantastic skill that don't translate to stats.

Guys without Brown's petigree like Ben Tate or Arian Foster, Shonn Green, Ray Rice, etc, who simply produced but weren't particularly explosive. Or Michael Bush if he can stay healthy. These are the type backs we should target, guys falling into the the middle rounds. Not top five guys (though Green was, but fell to 3rd).

The RB point is a bit moot IMO though, as I don't see Shanahan identifying highly ranking running backs as a priority. I would be disappointed if we went after a RB high in the first two round with other skill positions that are more difficult to fill so lacking.

Here are Shanahan's RB selections:

2008: 5th, 7th
2005: 3rd
2004: 2nd*, 7th
2003: 4th, 7th
2002: 2nd*
2000: 6th*
1999: 4th*
1998: 5th
1996: 3rd
1995: 6th*

*=1,000 yd rusher

EDIT: But as long as we are on the subject, I figure I should throw out some RBs that I want to keep my eye on this year for late round or UDFA pick ups:

Mario Fannin: Role player at AU since he arrived a year after Ben Tate and has seen carries limited his first two seasons with a rushing QB and last year with talented freshman McCalebb, he has some intrigue as an excellent pass catcher out of the back field.

Graig Cooper: If he can recover from his knee injury, he's produced steadily at Miami for 3 seasons while they rebuild, averaging 5 ypc for his career, and showing skill in pass game as well as punt and kick return game.

[stevemcqueen1]

Perhaps the underlying reason for a highly productive college back with limited athletic capabilities is that, if he excels in specific traits like vision and short area agility, then he can average five or six yards a carry in college. Consequently, those are the qualities most important for success in our scheme. I would have liked to draft Hardesty if we'd had the picks for his strength in those areas.

I think you're absolutely right that we won't draft a RB in the first round. But I could definitely see us taking one in the second. ZBS teams take them that early and MS has drafted Tatum Bell and Clinton Portis in that range. The Texans took Ben Tate in the second and Steve Slaton in the third two years ago which are two fairly early draft picks for a RB. Do you think MS wouldn't want to replicate what he had with Clinton Portis if he thought there was a back with that kind of talent sitting there in the second round? I bet he would. And wouldn't we as fans rather have him solidify the position with a multi-year starter rather than having to spend a mid round pick on a RB nearly every single year like he did in Denver? Spending one second round pick on a highly touted runner and having him pan out big for 5 seasons is more economical in the long run than what he's done in the past.

Also, I agree with you that Bryce Brown doesn't deserved to be ranked ahead of Lewis, Williams, James, or Richardson. That's why I zeroed in on him as a huge talent that might be available in the second because of a lack of production relative to those other four. Right now he's actually a 2012 draft sleeper because of the path his college career is taking. He wouldn't be my first choice of the group. Out of all those names I think Ryan Williams would be the best fit, followed by LaMichael James. If one of them fell into an acceptable range outside the first, I'd be just as excited about drafting them.

That's not as crazy as it sounds. Williams and James will have their knocks. Tech backs are rarely stars, and I could see Williams falling back to earth this season after having to split carries with Darren Evans and friends. Plus there is something a bit wild about his style and an injury is never far away. That's all it would take to drop him a bit. The big knock against James and Lewis will be their size and lack of long speed. both are smallish, battering rams with nice short area burst, balance, and base strength. Richardson and Brown are the only NFL prototypes and they are the ones without the enormous production.

I like Miami's running backs a lot but all of them seem to have health problems. I thought Cooper and Javarris James were one of the better platoons in the ACC and each fit nicely in our scheme. I'm more impressed with Keiland Williams though. I really hope we decide to keep him. He's a big back with nice agility and surprisingly good pair of hands.

Another back I really like that's been mentioned a few times is Shane Vereen. He and Jacquizz Rogers are two of my favorites that might be available in a later round in this year's class. Vereen is a nice poor man's Jahvid Best. He's got nice agility and balance and has a well rounded skill set for catching passes and returning kicks. I'd like to seem him run a little stronger than he did last year but his cuts are nice and he's got better speed than most. Quizz actually looks really, really good for a small back when he runs downhill. He's got a strong base like LaMichael James and he's a demon to bring down around the goal line, evidenced by his 21 tds last season.

[The Tris]

But I could definitely see us taking one in the second. ZBS teams take them that early and MS has drafted Tatum Bell and Clinton Portis in that range. The Texans took Ben Tate in the second and Steve Slaton in the third two years ago which are two fairly early draft picks for a RB. Do you think MS wouldn't want to replicate what he had with Clinton Portis if he thought there was a back with that kind of talent sitting there in the second round? I bet he would. And wouldn't we as fans rather have him solidify the position with a multi-year starter rather than having to spend a mid round pick on a RB nearly every single year like he did in Denver? Spending one second round pick on a highly touted runner and having him pan out big for 5 seasons is more economical in the long run than what he's done in the past.

I could and I couldn't. I just feel like, if there are, say, 4 to 5 positions we need to be considering with our top two picks next year, RB is going to be one of the one's we can get by with addressing later in the draft. You look at our long term needs, and on defense, you are looking at an OLB, 1-2 ILB, a NT, and a DE. On offense, looking at a WR, a RT, some interior OL, a QB, and a RB.

I just think out of all of those positions, RB is the one spot where we can either 1) wait on the pick or 2) get by with what we have, especially considering below. If we are going to take a BPA approach considering the several above positions of need, I think a QB in the 1st or 2nd is a much better long term investment than a RB. Especially when considering positional value. (I really want to take a serious look at a QB this draft)

I'm more impressed with Keiland Williams though. I really hope we decide to keep him. He's a big back with nice agility and surprisingly good pair of hands.

Agreed, and furthers my point that taking a sure fire RB fit is almost a luxury when considering the other needs.

Another back I really like that's been mentioned a few times is Shane Vereen. He and Jacquizz Rogers are two of my favorites that might be available in a later round in this year's class. Vereen is a nice poor man's Jahvid Best. He's got nice agility and balance and has a well rounded skill set for catching passes and returning kicks. I'd like to seem him run a little stronger than he did last year but his cuts are nice and he's got better speed than most.

I have a feeling that Vereen is going to take a Matthews-esque leap up draft boards this season, so I almost don't even worry about him being a viable option.

Quizz actually looks really, really good for a small back when he runs downhill. He's got a strong base like LaMichael James and he's a demon to bring down around the goal line, evidenced by his 21 tds last season.

I like Quizz too. See a lot of MJD in him

[Dukes and Skins]

We may have to get the Comprehensive Scouting 2011 thread going soon if this is going to take off.

Anyway, for my money, if we do well this season and have a later 1st round pick, my blind homer choice is Stefen Wisneiwski. He plays a position of need for us, RG, and has also shown the ability to play Center, he has garnered Big Ten honors at both positions. Also a straight A student.

So in addition to being smart and 1st Team All conference capable at two positions that we have needs at, he also has the pedigree. His father, Leo Wisniewski, played three years in the NFL. His uncle might sound more familiar...Steve Wisniewski, 13 seasons, 8 pro bowls, named to the 1990's all decade team.

The kid has every tool to succeed in the NFL and would strengthen the interior of our O-line.

Wisneiwski would be a perfect selection it would solidify our OL more and allow Edwin Williams to move back to C which is natural position and the one I think he'll do best in. As for the idea of a comprehensive thread lets go ahead and do that I just started this as a little information group and it's taken off anyone can post their thoughts here I just want to talk some college football prospects