Following an exciting first round, we break down the favorite picks, most pleasant and biggest surprises, most under-appreciated pick, worst move and more.
Peyton Manning, Mario Williams, Mike Wallace and Carl Nicks headline an intriguing free agent class that can shift the balance of power this offseason.
The Eagles seemingly came out of nowhere to sign Nnamdi Asomugha as they eye a trip to the Super Bowl.
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The annual orgy of scouring every conceivable flaw of the upcoming NFL draftees is mercifully over. As usual, many pundits and late-to-the-party media members overreact to what they?ve seen. Most scouts and front office people I spoke with told me they put much more stock in game tapes and the Senior Bowl workouts.
But that doesn?t mean some players didn?t help or hurt their draft stock with their trips to cold, damp Indianapolis.
Thumbs Up
Teams that need running backs? We all knew the top 3 RB's (McFadden, Mendenhall, Stewart) are very impressive and put up the workout numbers to back up their on-field exploits. But the next tier is where the real eye opening occurred.
Chris Johnson from East Carolina ran the fastest 40 time at the entire Combine, and his proven ability to catch the ball and return kicks raises his value.
Tulane?s Matt Forte turned in a great workout, showing surprising speed for a bigger back. It validates his stellar on-field production and puts him solidly in the 2nd round.
Jamal Charles of Texas chalked up a 4.38 40 time and interviewed well.
Even the more marginal prospects in the 50-100 overall range (Ray Rice, Steve Slaton, Kevin Smith) gave their advocates enough firepower to make a case for drafting in the 2nd round.
And I didn?t even mention Felix Jones?
Chad Henne, QB, Michigan: He wound up being a little shorter than expected at a hair under 6?3?, but Henne flashed the best combo of arm strength and accuracy. He also looked noticeably lighter on his feet, which helps quell the negatives of his Drew Bledsoe comparison. At worst, he made a strong case for himself as the #2 QB in this draft although Brian Brohm also had a good weekend.
Jake Long, T, Michigan: His 37 bench press reps topped the Combine, all the more impressive when his ginormous wingspan is factored in. Long didn?t wow anyone with his speed, but he wasn?t exactly slow either when compared to Jeff Otah or Chris Williams, two other 1st round tackles. Big Jake clearly paid attention to how Joe Thomas handled interviews and workouts last year, as well.
Limas Sweed, WR, Texas: He ran his 40 time about .2 faster than many folks thought he would. He was straightforward about his wrist injury. Even though they are almost the exact same size, Sweed looked physically stronger and better built than Malcolm Kelly, his chief riva,l for the top of the WR class. Other WR's who helped themselves include Eddie Royal of Virginia Tech, Andre Caldwell of Florida, and Dexter Jackson of Appalachain State.
Teams that need cornerbacks? There should be 9 CB's taken in the top 50, and the difference between the first off the board and the 9th is pretty narrow. For every GM that likes Aqib Talib best, another prefers Mike Jenkins, while another group rates Leodis McKelvin higher. And then there?s Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who would be a candidate for the top 5 overall in the draft if he came from a more prominent football school than Tennessee State. There is a solid 2nd tier below those top 9 of guys with plenty og potential but who haven?t lived up to it due to injuries (Zack Bowman), height (Jack Williams), scheme (Justin King), or being overshadowed by the talent around them (Chevis Jackson, Terrell Thomas).
The adult entertainment industry in Indianapolis... I heard from at least 25 guys who found Club Rio, and I?m sure that after staring at athletic men in tight clothing all day, these guys were ready to shell out $$ for some female skin. And no, Mom, I didn?t go with them!
Thumbs Down
Teams that need a safety? The best safety in this class is Kenny Phillips of Miami, a.k.a. ?Safety U.?. But he clocked a pedestrian 40 time, looked stiff and uninstinctive in drills, and was generally regarded as one of the poorest interviewees. He?ll likely still go in the 1st round, but if he came from Miami of Ohio instead of Miami of Florida, he?d be lucky to hear his name in the first two rounds. As it is, he?ll be the only safety drafted in those first two rounds unless Dajuan Morgan of NC State sells his soul to the devil. Or to Drew Rosenhaus, although most GM's would argue that?s one and the same?
Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan: Maybe it?s just the Buckeye fan in me, but I cannot list two Wolverines as winners without finding something negative to say about That Team Up North (which incidentally is south of where I live). I?ve been down on Manningham since late October, but I found a lot of scouts and pundits on my bandwagon after his Combine display. He measured both shorter (5?10 and change) and lighter (180) than expected, ran among the slowest 40 times of any WR in the last 3 years, showed an alarming inattention to detail in the route and hands drills, and still referred to himself in the 3rd person in interviews. It?s hard to ignore how electrifying he often was in college, but he gave more than enough reasons (aside from his 9 dropped passes in his last two games!) to justify bypassing him in the first 3 rounds in favor of others in a tremendously deep WR class.
Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU: He?s still a Top 5 overall prospect, but teams looking for reasons to pass on him keep finding more ammunition. At first he wasn?t going to show up due to a death in his family. Dorsey then surprised even his old LSU teammates when he strutted in on Friday morning, apparently to answer growing rumblings that he was covering an injury. He weighed in lighter than expected and didn?t do any workouts although he did have the legit excuse of not training up to the last minute. He also revealed a broken tibia he suffered in 2006, and scouts already were quick to point out he often played while slowed by an iffy knee last season. No, he never missed a game, but Dorsey at no more than 90% is no better than an average one-gap DT. I normally poo-poo pro days, but Dorsey?s Pro Day at LSU could very well be the difference between him going in the top 3 or just the top 10.
Thumbs Twiddling
Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas: On the plus side, McFadden ran an eye-popping 4.33 40, shooting down the widely held belief he lacks long speed and burst. He also performed well in the broad jump, a good indicator of leg strength and overall athleticism. But it also came out that two more women are carrying his children, which puts him halfway to being Shawn Kemp before he ever (legally) gets paid for playing football. McFadden also didn?t acquit himself well regarding some off-field incidents. With an increasingly vigorous emphasis being placed on character, his blazing 40 time might not be enough to keep him as the 1st RB selected.
Desean Jackson, WR/KR, California: Jackson put on quite a show in the running drills, burning up the track with a 4.34 40 and the best 10 second split of anyone. He also toned down the bravado in interviews, showing more humility and respect than anyone had heard from him. On the downside, he weighed in at 169 pounds, which is roughly the same as Jake Long?s left leg. He?s not skinny or lacking muscle tone, he?s just really small-framed. That leads to major durability and physical questions--can he take many hits, can he block anyone, can he get off jams or fight through traffic? When coupled with his incredibly streaky on-field production (he was either flat-out unstoppable or completely invisible, often from half to half), he?s being drafted more on positive speculation than perhaps any other player in the top 40. He gave enough fodder to both his supporters and detractors to justify going #10 overall or #45 overall, the same status he held with most folks before Indy.
Thumb Sucking
Teams needing a tight end? I touched on this in my Combine notes, but the general consensus and vibe I got is that this is the worst collection of TE's in recent memory. Widely regarded as the best receiving TE in this class, USC?s Fred Davis looked like he belonged on the volleyball court in the catching drills. Almost all the players showed poor catching technique, and those that didn?t are either really slow or undersized. The unquestioned workout stud Dustin Keller of Purdue is much more a bulky WR than a TE. The TE regarded as the most complete John Carlson of Notre Dame barely broke the 5 second barrier and seemed uncomfortable talking about himself or Notre Dame?s struggles last season. In short, none of these guys impressed enough to merit being selected in the top 50 picks although I?m fairly certain that won?t stop at least a couple teams from reaching.
The latest mock draft and updated Top 103 overall will be posted shortly! Until then, I can be reached via email at Jeff.Risdon@RealGM.com
