By Kevin Harrison 

As I sat on the couch with my head buried in my hands, I thought about how we just let a golden opportunity slip away against an inferior Lion’s team and how we basically throw away any chance of potentially hosting the AFC Championship Game.  I thought that maybe we are not a good team as some of our wins this year were squeakers and we could easily be a below average team. 

Things were looking bleak down 10 points with 5:19 to go in the game.  The offense couldn’t get it going.  Part of the issue was all the penalties and fumbles but after the defense crushed Matthew Stafford, the offense got the ball back.  However, there was nothing to make me think that they were going to wake up from this hibernation they’ve been on since the bye week, sleeping through 4 quarters last week, and sleeping for much of the game this week.

Then, our Sanchize got hot when we needed him most.  Sanchize drove the team down the field and scored on a quarterback sneak with about 3:01 on the clock.  However, with the officials not knowing it was a touchdown, the clock kept on ticking for another 15 seconds until it was finally called a touchdown.  Okay, we were back in the game but still needed the ball back.

I was expecting an on-sides kick since earlier in the game we wasted two timeouts on the same drive when Detroit eventually scored a touchdown.  You can’t waste two timeouts by the defense by having too many men on the field.  That is truly unacceptable.   And the team shocked me by deciding to kick it off and let the defense stop them.  So, on first down, we stop the run and call timeout.  On second down, we stop the run and it’s the two minute warning.  And then Detroit did something extremely dumb; they attempted to throw the ball and it went incomplete.  Clock stops before the punt.

Now the Jets have the ball and all we need is a field goal to tie it up.  Wow.  We shockingly have a game.  This was unexpected to be cheering at the end of this game.   And, with no timeouts, Sanchez leads a 9 play drive ending in a game tying 36 yard field goal by Nick Folk.  Holy C**P !

Could this be possible?  I thought that we’d probably blow the game in overtime; just tease the fans.  But, we won the coin toss and the rest is history.  Sanchez, poised in the pocket, hit Santonio Holmes for a 52 yard reception to set up the game winning Nick Folk field goal.  The Jets Win. The Jets Win.  The Jets Win!

Sanchez had a hell of a game in winning his third career 4^th quarter comeback going 22 of 39 for a career high 323 yards throwing for one touchdown and one interception.  The interception didn’t kill us as Detroit picked it off in the endzone and ran out giving the Lions the ball on the half yard line.  As for the touchdown, Sanchez hit Braylon Edwards for a 74 yard score.

Braylon kept last week’s issue going by having a completed ball turned over.  Our receivers need to hold on to the ball better.  However, it was not as bad as last week’s debacle.

Still, if you take away the final 6 or so minutes, the team looked bad on offense.  All week, the coaching staff is saying that we are returning to the ground and pound.  Well, we couldn’t run for beans this game and kept on putting ourselves in 3^rd and long situations.  Maybe we should be a throw first team.  Look at most of our wins over the last two years.  The offense comes alive when Sanchez gets to throw the ball down field.  We have so many receiving weapons between Edwards, Holmes, Cotchery, Keller, and LT that we should throw to set up the run.  Can you imagine how much better our offense would move the ball?

Most of the game was still sloppy.  We had way too many penalties again and some of them were just stupid and drive-killing.  We need to get back to being a disciplined team.

The defense played well when they needed too but it seemed they kept on giving up big plays on third down.  Revis is; however, starting to look like his old self again.

It was a great Sunday.  The Dolphins lost.  The Patriots lost.  The Jets won.

I then thought about how wins like this could turn the season into something special.  Teams that go all the way have a little luck on their side.  This little luck has been missing from the Jets for years.  Maybe, stealing a game like this in Detroit is the medicine that this team needs.

Go back to Jets Fan Spot 

http://khbirdmantalkingjets.blogspot.com/

 

OLB Zach Brown (North Carolina)

OLB Darius Fleming (Notre Dame)

DE Tim Fugger (Vanderbilt)

S Brandon Hardin (Oregon State)

MLB Dont’a Hightower (Alabama)

DE Melvin Ingram (South Carolina)

OLB Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)

WR Alshon Jeffery (South Carolina)

S Matt Johnson (Eastern Washington)

S Trumaine Johnson (Montana)

DE Chandler Jones (Syracuse)

OT Dennis Kelly (Purdue)

G Ronald Leary (Memphis)

DE Whitney Mercilus (Illinois)

WR Rueben Randle (LSU)

TE Adrien Robinson (Cincinnati)

OT Donald Stephenson (Oklahoma)

CB Keith Tandy (West Virginia)

WR Kendall Wright (Baylor)

 

100 Once in a decade prospect 
95-99 Elite talent 
90-95 Solid top 10 pick 
85-90 Solid first round pick 
80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 
75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 
70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 
65-70 3rd-4th round pick 
60-65 4th-5th round pick 
55-60 5th round pick 
50-55 6th round pick 
45-50 7th round pick 
40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 
30-40 Career practice squader 
20-30 No NFL future 
0-20 No football future 

 

Cornerback

Wake Forest

6-0 193

40 time: 4.37

Draft board overall prospect rank: #32

Draft board cornerback rank: #3

Overall rating: 83*

             3/21/10: With all of the extremely athletic players in this draft class, it can be easy to overlook Brandon Ghee, but he should not be overlooked. He’s raw, but he has huge upside and has shown flashes of brilliance in the past. He also looked great in the Senior Bowl. In addition to his 4.37 speed at 6-0 193, Ghee is very competent in both man and zone schemes as a shutdown corner who quarterbacks don’t like to throw on. He’s very tall and frustrating for wide receivers and has the athleticism to match up with most receivers. He needs polishing, but I have no question about the fact that he could be a future starting cornerback or more in the NFL, even if he starts out as a nickel or a depth guy. As good as he is against the pass, he may be better against the run. He’s one of the strongest cornerbacks against the run in this draft class and that certainly will help him get early playing time. If he falls at cornerback, he could play at safety, as despite his relatively small size, he’s a very sound tackler and takes great routes to the ball. He’s very strong and athletic and is not easily blocked by wide receivers. In addition to his natural athleticism, you have to love his fundamentals, his instincts, and his timing. He seems like he was made to be a defensive back. He needs more polishing, but he should be getting a lot more recognition than he is.

NFL Comparison: Jonathan Joseph

*=For a breakdown of what this means, click here

 

Quarterback

Colt McCoy is not the long term solution. He was a great college quarterback, but there’s a reason he fell to the end of the 3^rd round in 2010 behind Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Jimmy freaking Clausen. He doesn’t have the tools to make it as an NFL quarterback. His first 2 years have proven that. He’s got a 6-15 record in 21 starts and has completed 58.4% of his passes for an average of 6.3 YPA and 20 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. Mike Holmgren drafted him, but it’s not like he was in love with him. He didn’t take him until his 5^th pick of that draft class. Meanwhile, head coach Pat Shurmur, who Holmgren expressed faith in, was not there when McCoy was drafted and probably wants his own guy after seeing McCoy start for a year. Ideally, they probably want Robert Griffin to fall to them at 4. They could also trade up for him. If they can’t land him, Ryan Tannehill and Brock Osweiler make sense with their 22nd overall pick or their early 2^nd round pick.

Wide receiver

It’s not like McCoy had that much help though. His top receiver this year was Greg Little, a promising young player, but a raw 2^nd round rookie who led the league in drops. After him, they’ve got nothing. If they can’t get Robert Griffin, Justin Blackmon is probably the pick at #4. If not Blackmon, then they’ll spend one of their early picks (22^nd overall, early 2^nd rounder) on a receiver. They could double dip on this position, but they have so many other needs.

Defensive end

Rookie 2^nd round defensive end Jabaal Sheard had an awesome rookie year with 8.5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, 15.5 tackles for loss, and 42 quarterback pressures. However, the Browns still managed just 32 sacks as a whole. A big part of the reason why, left end Jayme Mitchell couldn’t get any pressure on the quarterback. The big left end was good against the run, but managed just 5 quarterback pressures in 738 snaps. They’ll look for a young end opposite Sheard fairly early in the 2012 NFL Draft.

 

Offensive tackle

More help for the offense, whoever the new quarterback is, they can’t let him get hit as much as Colt McCoy did. Despite having an elite left tackle in Joe Thomas, the Browns still allowed 39 sacks last season. A big part of the reason why, veteran journeyman right tackle Tony Pashos allowed 7 sacks, despite missing 4 games with injury. Look for them to find a new right tackle in day 2 of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Running back

Peyton Hillis seems to have worn out his welcome in Cleveland and will likely not be resigned. That leaves them with Montario Hardesty and Chris Ogbonnaya at running back. Hardesty has yet to prove he can stay healthy in 2 years since being taken in the 2^nd round in 2010, while Ogbonnaya really struggled on the occasions he was asked to carry the load this season. The Browns have bigger needs, but luckily they can find a rotational back in the mid rounds. They don’t necessarily have to spend a high pick on this one.

Guard

Right tackle isn’t their only position of need upfront, both guards, Shawn Lauvao and Jason Pinkston, really struggled last season. Their guard play was awful with Eric Steinbach missing the whole year with back surgery. Steinbach could be a cap casualty this offseason as he’s owed 6 million, a lot for a 32 year old coming off major back surgery. In that case, they need to get at least one new guard in, maybe two. Even if he’s brought back, guard is still a need because of how uncertain Steinbach’s future is.

Cornerback

The soon to be 33 year old Sheldon Brown could move to safety next year. Brown wasn’t awful last year opposite Joe Haden, but really started declining down the stretch. After him on the depth chart, they have Dmitri Patterson, who was solid as a nickel last year, but really struggled the year before as a starter in Philadelphia, and Buster Skrine, a 6^th round rookie who played limited snaps as a dime back. They need cornerback help opposite Joe Haden.

Outside Linebacker

Chris Gocong and Scott Fujita aren’t terrible, but they could be upgraded. Besides, Fujita turns 33 this offseason as well.

Safety

TJ Ward should return from injury in 2012, a very good thing as he is a promising young strong safety. However, neither free safety Mike Adams nor Ward’s replacement Usama Young were very good this year. Sheldon Brown could move to free safety, but he’ll be 33, so if a safety makes sense for them, they could draft one.

Middle Linebacker

D’Qwell Jackson is a talented linebacker and should be their #1 priority to resign this offseason.

 

 

By Kevin Bonneville 

With training camp set to start, the Cardinals only have one rookie yet to sign as linebacker Daryl Washington signed a four-year contract on Friday.  The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.

Washington was drafted in the second round, 47th overall pick, by Arizona back in April.  In his senior season at TCU, he was a first-team All-American and earned All-Mountain West Conference honors after having 109 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.

The rookie will be backing up Gerald Hayes, who has battled a back injury throughout most of the off-season.  He could also battle Paris Lenon for a starting job at right inside linebacker.

Dan Williams is now the only pick unsigned and the organization will continue to hash out a deal with him.  Don’t expect it to be long before he signs on the dotted line because they want to get him in camp on time so he can learn all he can at the nose tackle spot.

http://desertflock.com/

 

Debate the Chicago Bears’ offseason needs in The Football Fan Spot

2010 Preview:

The Chicago Bears’ offense is going to try a Mike Martz approach this year, after hiring him as their offensive coordinator. Martz has had some success in the past, but with a turnover prone quarterback like Cutler and a weak offensive line, I don’t think it’s the best scheme for them. One of the downfalls of the Martz scheme is that it causes quarterbacks to throw picks. Jay Cutler already does that well enough on his own. It’s also extremely pass heavy so defenses can blitz more often. This offensive line did alright last year, but overall lacks the talent to hold up in a Martz scheme the way you’d like it to.

All that being said, Martz should get the best out of his two pass catching backs, Matt Forte and Chester Taylor. A Martz scheme needs pass catching backs like that and they’ve got them. Martz also has had plenty of success in the past, despite the downfalls of his scheme. He turned Jon Kitna into a 4000 yard quarterback for crying out loud. He’ll help Cutler as much, if not more, than he hurts him.

Defensively, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be better this year overall. Their secondary still has a few holes, but the addition of Julius Peppers to the defensive line will help take the pressure of off the secondary. Rookie Major Wright also figures to be an upgrade at free safety. A fully healthy Tommie Harris will help both their pass rush and their run defense and Brian Urlacher, who missed most of last year with a wrist injury, is back to solidify their defense. They’ll be better overall, but they’re still going to be looking up at the Packers and the Vikings. Those two teams are too complete right now for Chicago to overtake them.

Projection: 9-7 3rd in NFC North

Power Ranking: 15

Last season: 7-9

Grade:

#75 S Major Wright (Florida)

Wright fills a need and, while there were better safeties, Wright has more upside than any of those safeties. He is a bit of a boom or bust pick, but that’s okay in the 3^rd round. He needs some work, but he could be a solid starter for them, though Wright does not have the positional value of a cornerback, or fill as much of a need as taking an offensive lineman would have.

Grade: B

#109 DE Corey Wootton (Northwestern)

Wootton is a good value in the 4^th, but didn’t the Bears just cut Alex Brown, while he was still a capable player, because they didn’t need an defensive end. Wootton is not a great fit for the defensive scheme either, but he does have positional value and he is a value according to my board. However, with so few picks and so many needs, using one pick on a non-need is not smart.

Grade: B

#141 CB Joshua Moore (Kansas State)

I didn’t have Moore getting draft and I don’t think he was worse a 5^th round pick. I understand they needed cornerbacks, however, they really needed to get an upgrade at the guard position to open up more holes for their running backs and you can still get serviceable guards in the 5^th. I’d rather have a #1 guard than a #3 or #4 cornerback like Moore.

Grade: D

#181 QB Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)

LeFevour is a fine value, but the Bears already had 5 picks to begin with. Backup quarterback was not as pressing of a need as guard or any of their offensive line.

Grade: C-

#218 OT J’Marcus Webb (West Texas A&M)

While I didn’t have him in my top 300, he was on the borderline and not too much of a reach here. The Bears needed offensive line depth with Orlando Pace leaving.

Grade: B-

Overall:

The Bears only had 5 picks, but I thought they could have done a lot better. There was nothing wrong with taking Major Wright in the 3^rd, but they used two picks on guys who don’t fill needs, a cornerback who I don’t like, and only took one offensive lineman, and he wasn’t even a guard, which they needed badly. They could have gotten a future guard in the 5^th, but they didn’t.

Grade: C+

Key undrafted free agents:

S Quentin Scott (Northern Iowa)

RB Brandon Minor (Michigan)

WR Freddie Barnes (Bowling Green)

CB Cornelius Brown (UTEP)

Positions of need:

Wide Receiver:

The Bears have some decent receivers, but overall their receiving corps were very mediocre and lacking a true #1 guy with size. If they don’t sign either Antonio Bryant or Derrick Mason in the offseason, they could look for a receiver with their first pick, which unfortunately happens to be in the middle of the 3rd round. Maybe a guy like Demaryius Thomas or Eric Decker will be available at that point. If not, they have so many other major needs and so few picks that they may just completely ignore their need for a #1 receiver for another year.

Cornerback:

Nathan Vasher is always hurt and neither Charles Tillman nor Zachary Bowman had a particularly impressive year last year. They need some depth at the position and considering how thick this cornerback class is in the 2nd-4th round range, they could get a 2nd round prospect in the 3rd or a 3rd round prospect in the 4th.

Drafted Joshua Moore (#141) 

Defensive End:

The Bears needed defensive end help so they traded their 2nd rounder to Tampa Bay for Gaines Adams. Unfortunately, Gaines Adams passed away this offseason. Sadly, life moves on in football and the Bears still need help at the position. The Bears cannot be a dominant defense again until they have more than 35 sacks as a team.

Signed Julius Peppers, Drafted Corey Wootton (#109) 

Safety:

Danieal Manning is a hell of a kick returner, but not a great free safety. In fact, the only reason they used him last year was because they had no other choice. Luckily, like the cornerback class this year, the safety class is full of depth in the middle rounds so they can snag a good future starter in the 3rd or 4th depending on how quickly safeties are coming off of the board.

Drafted Major Wright (#75), Traded for Chris Harri 

Offensive Guard:

Matt Forte stunk last year, but that wasn’t all his fault. Frank Omiyale was one of the worst guards in the league last year. They need a new left guard fast, otherwise next year will be more of the same. They should target one in the 3rd round range, but unfortunately, they have a ton of other needs they could and should target in that range. I really believe it’ll all be a case of who falls to them.

Offensive Tackle:

I know Chris Williams was a 2008 1st round pick, but neither he nor Kevin Schaffer were particularly impressive last year and after cutting Orlando Pace, they don’t have very much depth at the position either. They will look for a swing tackle with upside in the 5th or 6th round. A guy like Adam Ulatoski would be a good value for them in that range.

Drafted J’Marcus Webb (#218) 

Running Back:

Matt Forte didn’t try too hard last year, especially after the Bears started struggling. Why would he? After all, the Bears had absolutely no one good below him on the depth chart. He could be awful and start get all the touches. The Bears even tried to scare him by giving some carries to Kahlil Bell, but Bell is nowhere near talented enough to put any fear into Matt Forte. Taking a running back early could. Also, running back depth is always very important in this league because of how easily it is for a running back to get hurt. 

Signed Chester Taylor 

 

Free agents:

QB Brett Basanez 

RB Kevin Jones 

RB Adrian Peterson

FB Jason McKie- signed with Saints 1 year

OT Orlando Pace

DE Adewale Ogunleye

DE Mark Anderson (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.7 million

DE Alex Brown- signed with Saints 2 years 6 million

DT Matt Toeaina (restricted)- resigned

DT Dusty Dvoracek (restricted)

OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa- resigned

OLB Nick Roach (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.6 million

OLB Jamar Williams (restricted)- traded to Panthers

CB Nathan Vasher signed with Chargers 2 years 4.5 million

S Danieal Manning (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.1 million

S Josh Bullocks (restricted)- resigned 1 year 1.2 million 

Offseason moves: 

Bears sign OLB Brian Iwuh 

Bears re-sign S Danieal Manning

Bears waive QB Brett Basanez

Bears re-sign DE Mark Anderson

Bears trade S Kevin Payne to Rams for conditional 7th-round pick

Bears acquire S Chris Harris from Panthers for OLB Jamar Williams

Bears re-sign OLB Jamar Williams

Bears re-sign OLB Nick Roach

Bears re-sign OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa 

Bears cut DE Alex Brown

Bears re-sign DT Matt Toeaina

Bears cut CB Nathan Vasher

Bears sign CB Tim Jennings

Bears cut FB Jason McKie

Bears re-sign S Josh Bullocks

Bears cut RB Kevin Jones

Bears sign DE Julius Peppers

Bears sign RB Chester Taylor

Bears sign TE Brandon Manumaleuna

Bears tender OLB Jamar Williams

Bears tender DE Mark Anderson

Bears tender OLB Nick Roach

Bears cut OT Orlando Pace 

 

 

The Jaguars needed a linebacker, but spending 29 million over 5 years, with 11.5 million guaranteed on a marginal linebacker like Clint Sessions wasn’t a smart move. Clint Sessions is a system linebacker that had some success with the Colts’ because he fit their scheme, but he could easily not have that same success in Jacksonville. Sessions is also coming off of a major injury. Why are the Jaguars spending all this money on linebackers went they just drafted for the future with Blaine Gabbert?

Grade: D

 

 

QB RB WR TE OT G C NT DT 3-4 DE DE RLB OLB MLB CB S K P

Updated 4/17/10 

100 Once in a decade prospect 

95-99 Elite talent 

90-95 Solid top 10 pick 

85-90 Solid first round pick 

80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 

75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 

70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 

65-70 3rd-4th round pick 

60-65 4th-5th round pick 

55-60 5th round pick 

50-55 6th round pick 

45-50 7th round pick 

40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 

30-40 Career practice squader 

20-30 No NFL future 

0-20 No football future 

 

1. Joe Haden (Florida) 91     

3/18/10: Turns out that 4.57 40 from his Combine was a result of a sore back. Haden ran a 4.43 40 at his Pro Day, in the rain nonetheless, so I’ll move him back to his Pre-Combine status. He’s still, by far, my top cornerback.         

3/2/10: Not going to knock him down too much, but the 4.57 at 5-11 193 hurts his chances to go in the top 10 as he competes with Derrick Morgan, Rolando McClain, and Jason Pierre Paul to go 7^th to Cleveland. I do expect him to run a little better at his Pro Day, but really his lack of speed today can be attributed to his running style, which shouldn’t hurt him on the football field. He doesn’t have good track speed, but he has football speed.

A former quarterback and wide receiver, Haden has all of the physical tools necessary for the NFL and he showed this year that he can be an amazing shutdown corner. He plays with great physicality and strength and uses those to shutdown the opposing wide receiver. He doesn’t scream #1 corner at me just yet, but he’s only 20 and in his 3^rd year playing the position so if his development continues as it should, the sky is the limit for him. He is good against the run and as a blitzer which are rare, but useful skills for a cornerback to have.

2. Kyle Wilson (Boise State) 84

3/2/10: He didn’t run, but he didn’t need to. First he benched 25 reps of 225 pounds at 5-10 194. Then he ended his day by being, by far, the most impressive cornerback in the drills. If his 40 time is under 4.5 at his Pro Day, which it should be, he could be a first round pick lock.

1/27/10: Another impressive cornerback, Wilson has shown once again why, before his disappointing senior year, he was a possible 1st round pick. He has probably brought himself back into 2nd round contention with his good Senior Bowl week.  

He had a bit of a down year this year which hurts because his athleticism at 5-10 185 doesn’t jump off the page and that could drop him to the 3^rd round in a strong cornerback class. However, he projects as a nice nickel back with the potential to be a #2 corner at the next level. He also is a good punt returner.

3. Brandon Ghee (Wake Forest) 83

3/2/10: Ran a very impressive 4.37 at 192. He’s an even better athlete than I believed and has a ton of upside if the coaches can bring it out of him. He probably isn’t going to slip out of the first 50 picks

Excellent size for a corner at 6-1 195 and he used that size to frustrate corners this year. His stats don’t jump out at you with only 1 interception in his entire college career, but he has 4 forced fumbles which is amazing for his position and he’s got good shutdown abilities and great athleticism. He projects as a nice #2 corner or nickelback at worst.

4. Donovan Warren (Michigan) 82      

3/18/10: Didn’t look great at his Pro Day, running a 4.62 and struggled in drills some as well. I still am very high on him and his shutdown skills, but it doesn’t look like a lot of people agree with me.                              

3/2/10: Didn’t come out and impress at all today like I was expecting. I’m a big supporter of his, but I have to knock him down a bit after a poor day which started with a 4.59 40 at 5-11 183.

Not getting the hype yet, but I’m not sure why. This former elite recruit had an amazing freshman year, but a down year in his sophomore year, before bouncing back in an amazing why this year as a junior. Guys simply didn’t throw on him because he was able to turn some of the best receivers into guys that simply weren’t open. Despite not getting thrown on a ton, he managed 66 tackles and 4 interceptions, showing his good hands, position, and strength against the run. Despite being only 6-0 182, he’s very physical against the run and against his man and for that he has drawn premature comparisons to former Michigan great Charles Woodson.

5. Javier Arenas (Alabama) 78

He could be a decent nickelback and showed good abilities at the cornerback position this year in his 2^nd full season at the position, with 70 tackles, 5 sacks, and 5 picks, but his value is as a kick returner. He is one of, if not the best kick returners in the nation so in addition to being a solid nickel corner at the next level, he’ll be a great kick returner as well. He may also pull a Devin Hester and switch over to wide receiver as he’s shown good hands and abilities in the open field.

6. Kareem Jackson (Alabama) 77

3/2/10: Not necessarily known as a speed guy, but a 4.41 40 at 5-10 196 could have moved him up into the 2^nd round. He ran over an entire tenth of a second faster than teammate Javier Arenas, who was always known as the speed gu

The other Alabama corner, Jackson is the better of the two in terms of potential at the cornerback position, though he doesn’t have Arenas’ kick returning abilities. Jackson would be the best fit in a bump and run scheme at the next level where his size 6-0 200 and physicality will reign over his projected poor 40 time. In the right scheme, he’s a #2 corner.

7. Myron Lewis (Vanderbilt) 77                          

3/2/10: Kind of like Chris Cook, a cornerback with free safety size who had questions about his athleticism and speed. A 40 time alone won’t kill all of those concerns, but a 4.45 at 6-2 203 certainly helps as he tries to get drafted on day 2.

Suffers from the Sean Smith dilemma, is he a big, slow corner or just a safety. How NFL scouts answer that question could be the difference between 2^nd and 3^rd-4^th round for him. It may help him some that Sean Smith did a decent job in his first year as a starter this year for the Miami Dolphins. The 6-3 205 Lewis had 169 tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 5 sacks, and 10 picks in his 4 year career at Vanderbilt.

 

8. Domonique Franks (Oklahoma) 75

A bit of a surprise entry into the NFL draft after two years as a starting cornerback for Oklahoma, Franks played in the shadow of Oklahoma’s offense for 2 years, but is very good, especially athletically in his own right. Whether he puts his athleticism together and becomes something in the NFL is a question that has not yet been answered.

9. Devin McCourty (Rutgers) 74            

3/2/10: Had the fastest (official) 40 time of any defensive back (though tape suggests Taylor Mays did run faster and the Combine measurers just messed up) running a 4.34 at 5-11 193. He could be the Raiders’ pick in the top of the 2^nd round and he could actually go higher than that. He was impressive in the Senior Bowl and combine drills as well.

1/27/10: Not very big, but he really is scrappy and hustles on the field in a big way. He covers very well and also can kick into a zone style scheme.

What McCourty lacks in size, 5-11 190, he makes up for in heart. He doesn’t do one thing particularly well, but he should fit into any scheme as a #2 guy.

10. Perrish Cox (Oklahoma State) 74

Good size, 6-0 195, and hands, 10 picks in 4 years, but unless he improves his man skills better he’s nothing more than a nickelback or free safety in a man scheme. He has better potential in a zone scheme though and he’s also a good kick returner, though not Javier Arenas esque. His 4 years of experience at the position are both a plus and a minus because he has the experience, but you’d think that for his athleticism, after 4 years of a position, he’d be a much better shutdown corner, which he is not. 

11. Syd’Quan Thomspon (California) 73

He’s ready for the NFL right now as a nickelback, but he lacks the upside, athleticism, and coverage skills to be a future starting cornerback. He is 5-9 and could run a 40 in the 4.5s which could drop him into the 4^th round. He also returns punts well.

12. Walter Thurmond (Oregon) 72

He was a future 1^st round prospect in 2007 after 103 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 5 picks, 1 touchdown, and 18 pass breakups. However, he has had a ton of injury issues since then. He played alright through injury in 2008, but only managed to play 4 games last year thanks to a bum knee. He didn’t work out at the combine which shows he may still not be healthy, but when healthy he’s an amazing talent. He was the most promising young corner in the country as a freshman in 2006 as well as a sophomore in 2007.

13. Patrick Robinson (Florida State) 71                         

1/30/10: You have to take Robinson’s good game with a grain of salt, because he only seems to play well when people who can give him money are watching, but it was a good game nonetheless. He showed his excellent footwork and size and was probably the best cover corner in the game. He almost had 2 interceptions as well, though both were just out of his reach.

All of the athletic skills in the world, but there’s a rumor going around that he hasn’t been playing hard in college because he’s worried about not getting hurt and ruining his NFL career. That’s not a good sign. He was good in the Senior Bowl and Combine, but I believe he was just playing for money there. If he actually tries in the NFL, he’s a first round prospect, but I have some concerns about whether or not he’ll do that.

14. Jerome Murphy (South Florida) 70

A good corner with good size, and long arms, who plays vertically, but his cover skills need some work and he doesn’t have good recovery speed.

15. CB Rafael Priest (TCU) 67

3/15/10: Didn’t run because of his foot injury. He’s still a favorite sleeper of mine, but I was expecting his foot to be healed by now.

He did an excellent job as a shutdown #1 corner for TCU. He played in 11 games and had 6 pass deflections, but only had 18 tackles. There are two ways you could possibly explain how he played that many games and had that few tackles, one, he let every receiver he guarded go for a touchdown, or two, quarterbacks rarely completed passes on him. Two is the most logical answer and it is the correct one. He didn’t have the toughest competition, but he shutdown everyone he faced. There are some concerns, how will he adjust to more athletic NFL corners, especially since Priest’s athleticism doesn’t jump off the page. He’s also small and not good against the run, but you can definitely see the upside here. He reminds me a lot of Quincy Butler, a former TCU cornerback, now of the St. Louis Rams. In his first season in the NFL, after bouncing around practice squads for years, Butler was a very good shutdown corner for the Rams this year, though in limited playing time, as opposing quarterbacks went 11 for 25 for 145 yards and a touchdown against him this year.

16. Chris Cook (Virginia) 65                               

3/2/10: He has free safety size, but he’s looked like a natural corner in this draft preseason, impressing as a big corner in the Senior Bowl and during Senior Bowl practices. A 4.43 40 surprised me a ton at 6-2 212 and is just the cherry on top for a guy who is quietly moving himself up very quickly. He could be a 3^rd rounder.

1/30/10: I was confused about why he was invited to this game, but he proved me wrong making some nice plays and being a very tough physical cover guy. He’s still a tweener, not fluid enough to play cornerback, but not quite big enough at 6-1 210 to be a free safety, but I can see him getting drafted in the late rounds.

He’s a bit of a tweener as a free safety and a cornerback, too small for safety, not fluid enough to play safety, but he has good upside at two positions.

17. Trevard Lindley (Kentucky) 64

3/2/10: Only benched 9 reps of 225 pounds and had a 4.53 40 at 5-11 183, but he was one of the worst cornerbacks in the cornerback drills. He has really disappointed in this draft preseason and has fallen from one of my favorite underrated prospects, to a 4^th or 5^th round guy

1/27/10: Whether it be his injuries that are still plaguing him or whatever, this is not the same guy we saw at Kentucky in 2007 and 2008. He looked like a stick figure at his weigh in and was 2 inches shorter than what he was listed at in college and he really has looked out matched by almost every wide receiver he has faced this week and has had a really hard time breaking out of the jam at the line of scrimmage, which is not a surprise because of his extreme lack of bulk.

He was one of my favorite cornerbacks in 2008 and could have been a 1^st round pick, but then he got hurt this season and was never the same. His shutdown skills were strongly lacking this year and his athleticism is pretty bad. He’s very skinny and pretty slow and has looked really bad in everything he has done in this draft Pre-Season, but I still see some upside in him. I still see some of the player I loved in him so this is a wishful 4^th round grade.

18. Crezdon Butler (Clemson) 63

3/2/10: A very impressive 4.41 at 6-0 191, plus he did well in his positional drills, which I find to be the most important thing from him as a late round prospect.

A fairly standard cornerback who should be a good depth guy at the next level, but he’s pretty skinny and doesn’t do anything extremely well. He’s a solid pick.

19. Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (IUPUI) 61

4/9/10: First of all, how did his parents name him, hit random keys on a keyboard (or typewriter, considering his birth date)? Second of all, there’s an Indiana in Pennsylvania? What? All that aside, AOA is a very athletic cornerback with good speed and amazing kick returning ability. His 4.31 40 time, a major improvement over his 4.43 from the Combine, shows more of that amazing speed we were expecting from him. He could get drafted in the 4th on upside and he’s certainly one of the more intriguing small school mid round prospects. He averaged 29.7 yards per return on kick returns last year and 12.5 yards per return on punt returns. He also scored 5 special team touchdowns.

Could be a decent nickel corner with his speed and good hands, but if he’s drafted, it’ll be as a kick returner first and a depth cornerback second. He scored 5 special teams touchdowns last year and ranked among the best in the league in both kick and punt return yards. He had 8 picks in 2008 though, but only 2 last year.

20. Amari Spievey (Iowa) 59

If you’re looking for a cornerback you’ve never heard of that could go in the 2^nd rounder, this guy is your guy. Several teams, including reportedly the Falcons, have given him a first round grade, which means we could see him go off the board a lot higher than we expect. He could also fall into the 5^th because of the depth of this cornerback class. That’s how deep the class is. I will be fairly conservative with his grade because I think he lacks elite coverage skills.

21. AJ Jefferson (Fresno State) 57

An athletic freak that caught many people’s eyes at the Combine, including Mike Mayock, who said he could be a 3^rd rounder when it’s all said and done. I love his physical upside, 6-0, long arms, 44 inch vertical, a 4.43 40 and I have no doubt that he could be a good cornerback in the league someday, but the key word is could. At the very worst, he’s a #3 or #4 cornerback who can help on special teams. He’s very similar to Antoine Cason.  

22. Jordan Pugh (Texas A&M) 56

A three year starter against some of the toughest quarterbacks and wide receivers in the college game and he has held his own against some talented receivers. He isn’t a true shutdown guy, but he should be rated higher than most scouts, who put too much value on interceptions, have him. He only has 4 career picks.

23. Patrick Stoudamire (Western Illinois) 53

For my exclusive interview with Patrick Stoudamire, click here.

24. Alterraun Verner (UCLA) 53

25. David Pender (Purdue) 50

26. LeRoy Vann (Florida A&M) 49

27. Walter McFadden (Auburn) 49

28. Kevin Thomas (USC) 46

29. Devin Ross (Arizona) 44

30. Chris Hawkins (LSU) 42

31. Mike Newton (Buffalo) 41

32. Bryan McCann (SMU) 41

 

Guard

Stanford

6-5 316

Draft board overall prospect rank: #12

Draft board guard rank: #1

Overall rating: 88 (Solid 1^st round pick)

40 time: 5.43

Games watched: Stanford/Arizona, USC/Stanford, Stanford/Washington, Stanford/Oregon,  California/Stanford

Positives

·         Phenomenal 2^nd level blocker

·         Phenomenal 2^nd pull blocker

·         Excellent technique

·         Natural knee bender

·         Plays with a wide base

·         Powerful

·         Great at the point of attack

·         Weight room strong (34 reps of 225)

·         Good size (6-5 314)

·         Dominants guys one on one as a run blocker

·         Rarely allowed pressure on the quarterback

·         Good feet

·         Moves well

·         Great hand use

·         Excellent run blocker

·         Intelligent

·         Experienced 3 year starter – started as a freshman

·         Great motor

·         Hard working

·         Leader

·         All the intangibles

·         Versatility to play center

·         Anchored 3 top-20 running games

Negatives

·         Doesn’t play a highly valued position

·         Not athletic enough to play tackle

·         Mediocre 40 time (5.43)

·         Short arms (32 3/8 inches, though not a huge issue at guard)

·         Didn’t play many good pass rushers

NFL Comparison: Logan Mankins

The way I see this draft class, there are 6 elite talents, regardless of position. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin are the obvious ones, then Matt Kalil at left tackle, Trent Richardson at running back, Luke Kuechly at middle linebacker and… David DeCastro at guard. Guards rarely get drafted high, but DeCastro is in play for the Panthers at 9, Kansas City at 11, Arizona at 13, and Dallas at 14. Any of those spots would make him the highest drafted interior lineman since Chris Naoele in 1997 (10^th).

This is rightfully so. He’s one of the cleanest prospects in this draft class and he has next to no weaknesses. He doesn’t have elite athleticism or feet to play tackle, his 40 wasn’t great, he has short arms, and he didn’t play a lot of good pass rushers, and that’s it. And those 4 things are not important really at guard. His main weakness is really his position because of the limited value the position brings.

However, he’s easily the best guard prospect I’ve ever scouted. He’s a phenomenal 2^nd level blocker and pull blocker and would be an excellent fit for zone blocking scheme. He’s also got phenomenal strength at the point or attack and can dominate one on one. He’s got elite technique. There’s really not a whole lot wrong with him and so many things are about him are elite. He anchored 3 top-20 running games at Stanford and led the team to close to 500 yards rushing against Washington and Alameda Ta’amu, a 2^nd round defensive tackle who DeCastro dominated one on one on every occasion they matched up.

He’s often compared to Steve Hutchinson because he went high in the first and lived up to it, but I think he compares better to Logan Mankins. Mankins went later in the first round, but exceeded his draft spot as a first round guard, very rare. DeCastro is expected to go in the top 14 picks and wouldn’t get past San Diego at 18 at the worst.