Mocks

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

He's got more physical capability to do more with his skills someday than Fraley ever could.

[ice grillin you]

get mangold

[PhillyPhanInDC]

Clark Judge has a nice breakdown of Outside Linebackers.....it's getting slow around here:

Top Prospects: Outside linebackers
Top Five

1. A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
The skinny: The guy is bullet proof. He's tough. He's strong. He's fast. He's relentless. He's good in coverage. He's a sure tackler. He can play inside. He can play outside. He was the Lombardi award winner. He was the Big Ten Defensive MVP. He led his team in tackles three straight years. "In short," said one NFL assistant, "he might be the best guy on the board."
2. Ernie Sims, Florida State
The skinny: He's riding the elevator going up. Coaches love his explosion, with one coach saying "it jumps out at you" when you switch on the videotape. His height is a drawback, but coaches love linebackers who stay on the field in pass or run. This one does. Though he played two years at strongside linebacker, he's perfectly designed to play the weakside in a 3-4.
3. Chad Greenway, Iowa
The skinny: A two-time All Big-Ten choice, he's an outstanding athlete with great range. Can make plays all over the field and is very instinctive. Also very smart. Great size but can get tied up with blockers. Strength an issue. Had a better season his junior year than in 2005.
4. DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
The skinny: He plays with great leverage. Doesn't have great speed, but he plays faster than he times. Very smart and instinctive. Exceptional character. Doesn't have great size and his athletic ability is ordinary. But the intangibles are greater than the talent, with Ryans a marvelous leader and dependable teammate.
5. Thomas Howard, UTEP
The skinny: A gifted athlete, he can play either the weak or strong side. He also has the skills to play safety. He's tremendously mobile and has great play recognition. Can cover tight ends or slot receivers. Also can play inside or outside and may be best suited as a 3-4 rush linebacker.
Player on the rise:
Sims. Scouts drooled over him at the February scouting combine, and there's a reason: They love guys who can explode to the ball, and there may be no one with a quicker first step than Sims. He's put himself in the top 15.
Player on the decline:
Iowa's Greenway benched 225 pounds 16 times at the combine; then he ran a 4.78. Neither is good. "He must get stronger," said one player personnel director. If he isn't covered by a strong front line he's in trouble.
Sleeper
Terna Nande, Miami (Ohio). He benched 225 pounds 41 times at the February combine and ran a 4.53 40. "He has great measurables," said a coach. He also had a great game against Ohio State. He doesn't have ideal size, but he's a tackling machine -- with over 100 stops in 2003.
Overrated
A.J. Nicholson, Florida State. He doesn't have much speed, and he had a poor workout at FSU. Between personal problems and a poor workout his stock has taken a hit. "He looks like a backup guy for special teams," said one scout.
Underrated
Jon Alston, Stanford. Produced 16.5 sacks the past two seasons. Can play either outside position and explodes to the ball. He doesn't have ideal size, but is a big hitter who closes on the ball quickly.
Positional assessment:
Very, very deep and very, very good. Hawk might be the best player in the draft, but you miss nothing if you wind up with Sims.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

DT's:

Top Prospects: Defensive tackles
Top Five

1. Broderick Bunkley, Florida State
The skinny: He opened a lot of eyes by benching 225 pounds 44 times at the combine. He's strong, quick and effective -- a solid run stopper who can pressure the pocket. Had a school-record 25 tackles for losses last year. With his strength and ability he may be better suited to playing nose tackle.
2. Haloti Ngata, Oregon
The skinny: He's huge -- with some scouts wondering if his weight becomes a problem. Flashy. Very inconsistent. Can be very effective on the nose in a 3-4. A good tackler whose size was a factor on special teams. He blocked six kicks.
3. Claude Wroten, LSU
The skinny: On the field he's similar to Bunkley; in fact, one scout believed he's the most talented defensive tackle. He has great up-field explosion and is powerful. A physical player who can change directions and be disruptive. Can play on the edge. Hurt by laziness and a Jan. 4 arrest that had him kicked out of the Senior Bowl.
4. Gabe Watson, Michigan
The skinny: Massive tackle who can be dominant when he wants to be. But that's the problem: He's too inconsistent. It's tough to find players his size, but his play doesn't always match his bulk.
5. John McCargo, N.C. State
The skinny: A big, smart player who has the ability to dominate. One problem: He can be inconsistent. He missed six games last year because of a foot injury and had a so-so combine. With the right coach and the right system he could be special.
Player on the rise:
N.C. State's McCargo will go to a club looking for a 3-4 nose tackle. He doesn't appear big enough or athletic enough to play in a 4-3, but he's solid against the run and an effective pass rusher. Remember, defensive tackles are valued this time of year -- sometimes overvalued.
Player on the decline:
Michigan's Watson was benched his senior year for laziness, and, as one assistant said, "if that happens in college how do you think he responds when he's making millions of dollars?" I don't know, either, but his stock is down. Coaches worry about the guy's motor.
Sleeper
Steve Williams, NW Missouri State. A transfer from Indiana, he helped his team set a school record for fewest rushing yards allowed per game (94). He has great size but needs to work on his strength. Looked good at the Las Vegas Classic.
Overrated
Orien Harris, Miami. Scouts are concerned that he plays too high and doesn't have a good work ethic. Not a lot of production, either, and there are lingering questions about his toughness and desire. "He's just not a very good worker," said one NFC scout.
Underrated
Kyle Williams, LSU. He's always been overshadowed in college -- first by Marcus Spears, then Claude Wroten -- but he's a tough guy who never quits, and he was more productive than Wroten. Doesn't have great athletic ability but is fiercely determined. Must fit in the right situation.
Positional assessment:
Often you find a defensive tackle in the top 10 draft choices; sometimes in the top five. That probably won't happen this year, thanks to a group that is little more than adequate.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

And DE's:

Top Prospects: Defensive ends
Top Five

1. Mario Williams, N.C. State
The skinny: He reminds scouts of Julius Peppers, only he may be better. Honest. This guy is a load, setting a school record with 14.5 sacks last season -- including four versus Maryland -- and an ACC mark with 24 tackles for losses. He has good size, range and pass-rush ability. He's the best defensive lineman in the draft.
2. Kamerion Wimbley, Florida State
The skinny: An above-average pass rusher who has a good first step. At 250 pounds, he's a little light, but he has the frame to accommodate more weight. Can play as a rush linebacker in a 3-4 or as a defensive end in a 4-3. Think DeMarcus Ware.
3. Tamba Hali, Penn State
The skinny: He didn't run well in his workout, which will knock him down some. But he's an effective pass rusher who makes up for his lack of speed with quickness and, as a converted defensive tackle, is solid versus the run.
4. Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College
The skinny: The Eagles' MVP, he finished with a school-record 37.5 sacks. He has more athletic ability than Wimbley but also has occasional lapses. He has a good burst and is outstanding at the loop stunt. Uses his hands very well. Wasn't really himself after suffering a high-ankle sprain in the season opener.
5. Manny Lawson, N.C. State
The skinny: A former linebacker, he helped himself with a 4.48 in the 40 at the February combine. He projects as a perfect pass rusher in a 3-4, able to beat offensive linemen with his speed. But his lack of bulk could be a concern for 4-3 defensive coordinators, with opponents determined to run at him.
Player on the rise:
N.C. State's Lawson put on a show at the combine, running a 4.48 40 and finishing with the fastest shuttle time. Speed never was an issue with Lawson; size is, with scouts hopeful he can add weight to his 6-5 frame. One big plus: He blocked six punts in his college career.
Player on the decline:
Penn State's Hali. The Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year did little of consequence at the Senior Bowl, then flubbed his workout for pro scouts -- running 4.88 despite losing weight. Hali still is highly regarded, but not as highly as he was two months ago.
Sleeper
Chris Gucong, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo. Winner of the Buchanon award, given annually to the best Division I-AA defensive player. He's undersized, but he will fight to make plays -- and he made a lot of them, with 41 sacks the past two years.
Overrated
Elvis Dumervil, Louisville. He led the nation with 20 sacks last season, including six in the season opener against Kentucky, but his size kills the poor guy. "When's the last time you saw a 5-11 defensive end in the pros?" asked one player personnel director. His team doesn't have Dumervil on its draft board.
Underrated
Mark Anderson, Alabama. Don't look for him in the first round. He won't be there. But he helped his chances of making it to the first day with an extraordinary combine, running 4.68, a 42-inch vertical leap and the second fastest shuttle of all defensive linemen. Needs to mature.
Positional assessment:
It's a good group of players; not a great one -- though there's one special player at the top of the board. You can find depth here, but you better be careful.

[ice grillin you]

so ernie sims is the second best player in the draft....cool


it is me or does there seem to be a ton of players in this years draft that are better suited to play in a 3-4...tweener type guys...

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

Get Wimbley.

[reese125]

Lawson

[PhillyPhanInDC]

so ernie sims is the second best player in the draft....cool

Que?

[PoopyfaceMcGee]

so ernie sims is the second best player in the draft....cool

Que?

The analysis said that A.J. Hawk might be the best player in the draft and that the team that gets Sims instead of Hawk "won't miss anything"... meaning he will make just as many plays one way or another.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

so ernie sims is the second best player in the draft....cool

Que?

The analysis said that A.J. Hawk might be the best player in the draft and that the team that gets Sims instead of Hawk "won't miss anything"... meaning he will make just as many plays one way or another.

Thanks for the clarrification.

[PhillyPhanInDC]

SportsCenter on now...Mel Kiper, Mort and Tom Jackson are breaking down team needs, weaknesses, and strengths and projecting picks for the teams. Tonight is the Ravens and the Eagles, they just had the Ravens take Ngata. 


Had us taking Winston Justice. Dickhead Salisbury said it goes Cowboys, Giants, taterskins, with Eagles playing chase for this year. I hate that farger. Idiot.

[Don Ho]

SportsCenter on now...Mel Kiper, Mort and Tom Jackson are breaking down team needs, weaknesses, and strengths and projecting picks for the teams. Tonight is the Ravens and the Eagles, they just had the Ravens take Ngata. 


Had us taking Winston Justice. Dickhead Salisbury said it goes Cowboys, Giants, taterskins, with Eagles playing chase for this year. I hate that farger. Idiot.

Salisbury =

[Don Ho]

Santoni Holmes on ESPN now.

[reese125]

Hoge and Salisbury together forever...who change their minds like the weather. A new NFC and AFC champ each week....please