Marcus Allen was a Heisman Trophy Winner at USC, a MVP with the Los Angeles Raiders, a Hall of Famer in both the Pro and College Hall of Fame and now he lends his expertise to RealGM as an analyst.
Tom Brady has watched his Patriots fight their way to a 5-3 record through the first half of the season, and in actuality, he's pretty darn happy with where he currently stands.
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1) Adrian Peterson: Running back, Oklahoma-
While all these other teams play around drafting quarterbacks with hit or miss futures, my top player is someone who you know barring any major injury is going to be a long time Pro Bowl player in the NFL.
Peterson has world-class speed, running a 4.38 forty-yard dash at the Combine lugging his 218 pounds of muscle. I watched this kid run in college and he is something very special. I am amazed at how hard Peterson runs, especially with his speed. Guys that have his speed usually shy away from contact and try to outrun defenders, however Peterson looks up defensive backs, linebackers, and anyone else who tries to tackle him and will attempt to run them all over if they dare try to tackle him.
My only fear for this kid is that he sometimes tries to pick up extra yardage but opens up his body to extra hits, turns, and twist. As a running back, you have to know when to hit the deck and when to fight. Peterson separated his shoulder last year for the Sooners and the year before it was an ankle injury that caused him to miss a number of games, but watching him in the Fiesta Bowl against Boise St., you witnessed the type of heart and determination this kid has and with that he will go a long way in the NFL.
2) Calvin Johnson: Wide receiver, Georgia Tech-
This kid is 6?4 and weighs 225 pounds and runs the forty-yard dash in 4.33 seconds. There must be something in the water at Georgia Tech because receivers like Johnson don?t grow on trees. Johnson was a starter from the second he walked on the Tech campus and he will do the same as soon as he hits and NFL locker room.
It is not just Johnson?s size and speed that makes him so effective, it is his ability to catch the football and get in and out of his breaks on routes. He has had a couple of lapses that I saw in games and dropped some passes, but a 20 million dollar signing bonus can take those concentration lapses and shut them right outside the door. Look for Johnson to do young Randy Moss Vikings, type of things next year as an NFL rookie.
3) JaMarcus Russell: Quarterback, LSU-
Anyone who thinks Brady Quinn is a better quarterback is better than JaMarcus Russell, better take a look at the last few games Russell played at LSU and then look at Quinn?s last few games for the Irish. Russell is built like a linebacker, but throws the football better than any quarterback in the draft since Steve McNair. McNair had arm strength but was no where near the polished QB Russell is having started for LSU the past two years, playing in big game after big game in the SEC.
Russell is 6?5 ? and weighs 255 pounds, he can throw the football 80 yards taking only one step, and so an out route in the NFL is not going to come close to testing his arm. More than anything, Russell proved to be a winner at LSU something every NFL team desperately covets.
4) Brady Quinn: Quarterback, Nortre Dame-
What would an NFL draft be without a good-looking strong-armed quarterback from the Fighting Irish? Quinn was a four-year starter and broke almost every passing record in Irish history. The problem Quinn has coming into this years draft is what I like to call the Rick Mirer syndrome. Rick was also can?t miss prospect from the Irish back in 93, drafted in the first round by the Seahawks. Mirer, however, never lived up to expectations, and many blamed it on the exposure given to Notre Dame. The Irish have their own TV contract, which means people see a lot of Irish players every year, including scouts.
Quinn looked great against teams like Air Force, Navy, and other softies, but against teams like USC, UCLA, LSU, and other, Quinn didn?t produce the types of games that you would expect from a top-five NFL quarterback prospect. But here he is in my Top-5. Why you ask? Well, he has run an NFL offense the pass two years, something most NFL quarterbacks would take years to learn, and he benched press 225 pounds 24 times at this years combine, which tells me the boy is strong and works hard in the weight room. Two things you have to do to stay healthy in the NFL as a QB.
5) Joe Thomas: Offensive tackle, Wisconsin-
I remember when offensive lineman were the lowest paid guys on the team and got very little credit. Now lineman are more popular than the runners they block for. Thomas is a 6?6 310 pound tractor from Wisconsin who could end up being one of the most dominant offensive linemen in the NFL someday. Like all offensive lineman moving from college to the NFL, Thomas will have to get use to playing hard on every play, but judging by how many pancake blocks he recorded last year, and how dominant the Badger running game has been since he first stepped foot on the Wisconsin campus, I would love having Thomas opening up a hole for me.
The only knock on Thomas is the Badgers were primarily a running team, which means he may have trouble trying to block the defensive ends in the NFL who like to use speed to get to the quarterback in passing situations. In addition to his pass blocking, Thomas may also be a little injury prone. He had knee injuries while in school, so teams will need to be careful and make sure he is durable enough to last a number of NFL seasons.
Sleeper
Steve Smith: Wide receiver, USC-
While most people think Dewayne Jarrett was the top receiver at USC last season, many didn?t look at the stat line which had Smith and Jarrett neck to neck in nearly every category. The only thing was Jarrett was 6?5 and looked great every time he ran a route and caught a touchdown, however if you ask me, I would have to say Steve Smith when picking who I think will have a more productive pro career in the NFL.
While Smith is not projected to go in the first round, he has the talent to make a case for it. Smith is the best route runner in this year?s draft. He gets in and out of breaks so fast that he reminds me of a Panther receiver by the same name. Every year some rookie impact player flies under the draft radar screen, this year its Mr. Smith. Better pick him up teams.
