Silverstar
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Thomas falls behind Bryant and Tate, because his broken foot made some teams nervous...lucky us! One trade: Bennett to the Bungles for #54 and with that pick we select Nate Allen, who also falls without posting a 40 time this year. I'm gonna let a couple of draft sites, do the talking for me this time. So...
:
1) WR Damaryius Thomas 6-3 224, Georgia Tech - Has long, powerful strides that can get him to top speed in a blink. Does not look explosive because of his long strides but he can get going with the best of them. Well balanced athlete with strong hips. Can out leap most if not all defensive backs. Gathers himself and times the leaps well to snatch the ball at the apex of his jump. Top tier blocker. Comes from an offensive system that had him making important blocks countless times week in and week out. Completely takes defensive backs out of a play, very strong from head to toe. Was often sent downfield and had the quarterback simply throw it up and Thomas consistently adjusted his body position to make the tough catch. Has enormous, strong hands that easily control the football. A pure hands catcher, rarely lets it get into his body. Is more than physical/strong enough to toss away a corner in press coverage. Ran an extremely limited tree at Georgia Tech because of the simple scheme. The further downfield he gets, the more separation he obtains. Enormous frame with a lot of well developed muscle. Long arms and enormous hands. Has showed elite speed in the open field. Has run away from some fast defensive backs in the ACC. A weapon in the screen game. Very tough to tackle because of his size and power in his legs. In a scheme where the run comes first, second, and third, the ability of Thomas was not put on full display over the past few years. If he had been playing in an NFL pro set offense, Thomas could be the most sought after receiver in this class. (NES)
2a) FS Nate Allen 6-1 207, South Florida - Rangy centerfielding free safety in the mold of Louis Delmas, if not quite that talented. Notes: Lean, chiseled, strong upper body. Good size and speed. Willing tackler. Alert in coverage. Leader on "D." Experienced. Productive. Not an intimidator like Polamalu or a ballhawk like Ed Reed. Not quite fast enough or quick enough to cover slot receivers man-to-man. Best used in a zone. Will slide down the safety rankings due to the presence of Taylor Mays and the early declarations of Eric Berry and Earl Thomas, but sill a solid second-rounder. (CDS)
2b) T/G Vladimir Ducasse 6-5 332, Massachusetts -At UMass, as a true freshman in 2006, DuCasse saw action in four games as a reserve offensive lineman. In 2007, he earned the starting nod at left tackle in camp and started 12 of 13 games, aiding a UMass line that allowed 15 sacks in his 12 games. In 2008, he again started at LOT, and was the only lineman to start every game that season. DuCasse was part of an offensive line that allowed just six sacks, the fewest in the CAA. In 2009, he continued starting at LOT but was banged up some, and received numerous preseason honors. Has nice size and some further growth potential. Fairly athletic guy with above average feet. Upside. Can be a mauler in the run game on those occasions when he successfully locks on. When on his game he is an aggressive hitter and headhunter in the run game. May be better as an OG where he can concentrated on drive blocking, which is his forte. Seasoned. (CDS)
3) G/C Mitch Petrus 6-3 310, Arkansas - He started off his career as a tight end, was moved to fullback and then to guard, but sat out the 2008 season because of academic ineligibility. With that in mind, it is understandable that he struggled with the week to week performance as a guard in the SEC and now that he has his position for the future in hand, his level of play and consistency will only go up. He will likely be a 3rd-4th rounder that could be one of the league’s best after a couple years of NFL coaching. (NES)
4) CB/RS Javier Arenas 5-9 197, Alabama - With an SEC-record seven punt returns for touchdowns, Arenas might be known more for his agility, vision and acceleration as a return specialist, but these skills proved to be just as effective over his final two seasons as a starting cornerback -- which is why he's flying up draft boards. He was at his best in the big games, essentially ending the contest against Florida in the SEC Championship Game with an end zone interception of Tim Tebow and securing two interceptions in the national title game. Arenas has a short, stocky build well-suited to playing inside in nickel coverage. He boasts rare foot quickness, balance and instincts and has proven a reliable open-field tackler and productive blitzer. Despite his staggering production, Arenas lack of height and below-average straight-line speed will be a problem for teams using man coverage -- though zone teams may still value him as a top 120 prospect. (NFLDS)
6) FB John Conner 5-11 246, Kentucky - Bullish runner who doesn't waste time looking for the big play. Good lower leg drive and forward body lean to get the tough yards. Good ball security. Keeps both arms locked around the ball. Tough back to bring down as he keeps his feet moving and runs with good pad level. A determined runner who will become a coach and fan favorite due to his second- and third-effort runs. Old-school traditional lead blocker willing to sell out to knock the linebacker out of the hole. Athletic enough to adjust in the open field to hit the moving target. Keeps his head on a swivel in pass protection and blocks inside-out. Aggressive in pass protection. Will take on the bigger man and holds up surprisingly well due to his accurate hand placement, use of leverage and determination. Accurate, reliable cut-blocker. Played in a school-record 54 games over his career. Team captain. Also plays extensively on special teams. Nicknamed "The Terminator" by his teammates. (NFLDS)
7) WR Danario Alexander 6-5 215, Missouri - Started 13 games in 2009 and led the nation in receptions and receiving yards. Ultimate tough-guy WR has overcome three major knee surgeries to become Missouri's top target. Was once ahead of Jeremy Maclin on the depth chart before injury woes. Great hands. Very athletic and can both sky (reported 46" vertical) and dive to the turf to make tough catches. Great body control allows him to adjust to poorly thrown balls. Deceptive speed and can break away from defenders; almost lulls them to sleep. Very strong and tough to tackle. Turns upfield quickly to pick up yardage, and runs well after the catch. Team player who blocks and leads by example. Easy to root for this kid, but his injury history will knock him down a few pegs in draft status. (CDS)
: 1) WR Damaryius Thomas 6-3 224, Georgia Tech - Has long, powerful strides that can get him to top speed in a blink. Does not look explosive because of his long strides but he can get going with the best of them. Well balanced athlete with strong hips. Can out leap most if not all defensive backs. Gathers himself and times the leaps well to snatch the ball at the apex of his jump. Top tier blocker. Comes from an offensive system that had him making important blocks countless times week in and week out. Completely takes defensive backs out of a play, very strong from head to toe. Was often sent downfield and had the quarterback simply throw it up and Thomas consistently adjusted his body position to make the tough catch. Has enormous, strong hands that easily control the football. A pure hands catcher, rarely lets it get into his body. Is more than physical/strong enough to toss away a corner in press coverage. Ran an extremely limited tree at Georgia Tech because of the simple scheme. The further downfield he gets, the more separation he obtains. Enormous frame with a lot of well developed muscle. Long arms and enormous hands. Has showed elite speed in the open field. Has run away from some fast defensive backs in the ACC. A weapon in the screen game. Very tough to tackle because of his size and power in his legs. In a scheme where the run comes first, second, and third, the ability of Thomas was not put on full display over the past few years. If he had been playing in an NFL pro set offense, Thomas could be the most sought after receiver in this class. (NES)
2a) FS Nate Allen 6-1 207, South Florida - Rangy centerfielding free safety in the mold of Louis Delmas, if not quite that talented. Notes: Lean, chiseled, strong upper body. Good size and speed. Willing tackler. Alert in coverage. Leader on "D." Experienced. Productive. Not an intimidator like Polamalu or a ballhawk like Ed Reed. Not quite fast enough or quick enough to cover slot receivers man-to-man. Best used in a zone. Will slide down the safety rankings due to the presence of Taylor Mays and the early declarations of Eric Berry and Earl Thomas, but sill a solid second-rounder. (CDS)
2b) T/G Vladimir Ducasse 6-5 332, Massachusetts -At UMass, as a true freshman in 2006, DuCasse saw action in four games as a reserve offensive lineman. In 2007, he earned the starting nod at left tackle in camp and started 12 of 13 games, aiding a UMass line that allowed 15 sacks in his 12 games. In 2008, he again started at LOT, and was the only lineman to start every game that season. DuCasse was part of an offensive line that allowed just six sacks, the fewest in the CAA. In 2009, he continued starting at LOT but was banged up some, and received numerous preseason honors. Has nice size and some further growth potential. Fairly athletic guy with above average feet. Upside. Can be a mauler in the run game on those occasions when he successfully locks on. When on his game he is an aggressive hitter and headhunter in the run game. May be better as an OG where he can concentrated on drive blocking, which is his forte. Seasoned. (CDS)
3) G/C Mitch Petrus 6-3 310, Arkansas - He started off his career as a tight end, was moved to fullback and then to guard, but sat out the 2008 season because of academic ineligibility. With that in mind, it is understandable that he struggled with the week to week performance as a guard in the SEC and now that he has his position for the future in hand, his level of play and consistency will only go up. He will likely be a 3rd-4th rounder that could be one of the league’s best after a couple years of NFL coaching. (NES)
4) CB/RS Javier Arenas 5-9 197, Alabama - With an SEC-record seven punt returns for touchdowns, Arenas might be known more for his agility, vision and acceleration as a return specialist, but these skills proved to be just as effective over his final two seasons as a starting cornerback -- which is why he's flying up draft boards. He was at his best in the big games, essentially ending the contest against Florida in the SEC Championship Game with an end zone interception of Tim Tebow and securing two interceptions in the national title game. Arenas has a short, stocky build well-suited to playing inside in nickel coverage. He boasts rare foot quickness, balance and instincts and has proven a reliable open-field tackler and productive blitzer. Despite his staggering production, Arenas lack of height and below-average straight-line speed will be a problem for teams using man coverage -- though zone teams may still value him as a top 120 prospect. (NFLDS)
6) FB John Conner 5-11 246, Kentucky - Bullish runner who doesn't waste time looking for the big play. Good lower leg drive and forward body lean to get the tough yards. Good ball security. Keeps both arms locked around the ball. Tough back to bring down as he keeps his feet moving and runs with good pad level. A determined runner who will become a coach and fan favorite due to his second- and third-effort runs. Old-school traditional lead blocker willing to sell out to knock the linebacker out of the hole. Athletic enough to adjust in the open field to hit the moving target. Keeps his head on a swivel in pass protection and blocks inside-out. Aggressive in pass protection. Will take on the bigger man and holds up surprisingly well due to his accurate hand placement, use of leverage and determination. Accurate, reliable cut-blocker. Played in a school-record 54 games over his career. Team captain. Also plays extensively on special teams. Nicknamed "The Terminator" by his teammates. (NFLDS)
7) WR Danario Alexander 6-5 215, Missouri - Started 13 games in 2009 and led the nation in receptions and receiving yards. Ultimate tough-guy WR has overcome three major knee surgeries to become Missouri's top target. Was once ahead of Jeremy Maclin on the depth chart before injury woes. Great hands. Very athletic and can both sky (reported 46" vertical) and dive to the turf to make tough catches. Great body control allows him to adjust to poorly thrown balls. Deceptive speed and can break away from defenders; almost lulls them to sleep. Very strong and tough to tackle. Turns upfield quickly to pick up yardage, and runs well after the catch. Team player who blocks and leads by example. Easy to root for this kid, but his injury history will knock him down a few pegs in draft status. (CDS)
