DEFENSE
Defensive End:
Position Trend: With NFL teams leaning on the passing game more and more, rushing the passer has become one of the more sought-after and thus, well-paid positions in football. For teams looking for pass rushers, the 2006 draft shapes up as another solid outlet. High ranking seniors Mathias Kiwanuka and Tamba Hali have been joined by numerous other defensive ends likely to hear their name called on the first day of the draft.
Biggest Surprise: Entering this season NFL scouts were pointing to Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka and Penn State's Tamba Hali as being the top defensive ends in the country. While both of these players remains among the nation's best, the surprise development of several other senior defensive ends will prove to be one of the overriding stories of this draft season. Louisville's Elvis Dumervil leads the country with a staggering 20.5 sacks and broke the all-time NCAA record with nine forced fumbles thus far this season. Florida's Jeremy Mincey rarely gets the credit his athletic defensive tackle teammates Ray McDonald and Marcus Thomas receive, but earned Defensive Lineman of the Year honors for the Gators last year and simply leads the entire Florida defense with 51 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. His 3.5 sacks place him second. Ohio State's Mike Kudla might be the biggest surprise of the bunch, as the former linebacker has developed into one of the Buckeyes' most dependable defenders, coming through with 23 tackles, including seven tackles for loss (3rd on team) and 5.5 sacks (2nd on team).
Biggest Disappointment: Boston College's Mathias Kiwanuka has been considered one of the nation's top defensive ends for several years now. He made the surprising decision to return to Boston College after a junior season that saw him post 67 tackles and 25.5 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks on his way to earning Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors and be graded as a first round selection by the NFL Advisory Committee. This season Kiwanuka has been hampered by a sprained MCL in his right knee and has "only" 27 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss (including 3.5 sacks). Assuming he checks out as healthy, Kiwanuka is a dominant force that he will almost surely remain as the top defensive line prospect in this draft. That said, his season has been far from the dominant one expected of him.
Super Sleeper: Cal Poly outside linebacker Jordan Beck proved to be one of the highest drafted "small school" players in the country last season when he was selected in the third round (90th overall) by Atlanta. This year, his former teammate, Chris Gocong could beat him. Gocong had previously been misused as a nose tackle despite his 6-2, 254 pound frame. While smaller than you like at defensive end, his explosiveness off the edge has made him a pass rushing terror. The senior has 11.5 sacks this season after posting 18 last year. Look for this kid to soar up post-season boards.
Underclassmen: The fact that this appears to be a solid senior class of defensive ends might keep some of the juniors in school for another year. Georgia's Quentin Moses and NC State's Mario Williams have established themselves as two of the better young pass rushers in the country. Miami's Baraka Atkins, who has seen time at both defensive end and defensive tackle, has shown flashes of being a high round prospect, as has Purdue's Ray Edwards.
Defensive Tackle:
Position Trend: If there is a position the NFL has historically gambled on the pure athleticism/size combination, it is defensive tackle. Luckily, there are several quality senior defensive tackles coming via the 2006 draft. Most feel that Michigan's Gabe Watson, Texas' Rodrique Wright, Tennessee's Jesse Mahelona, and LSU's Claude Wroten remain at the top of the heap. Each, however, has battled bouts of inconsistency. Florida State's Broderick Bunkley and Stanford's Babatunde Oshinowo have each moved up the charts and could further rise with strong post-season all-star campaigns.
Biggest Surprise: Despite the fact that he, like most Seminoles came in as an extremely highly touted prep, Broderick Bunkley's rise up the draft charts this year has been impressive. Entering 2005, Bunkley had only nine career starts to his credit, as high round picks Darnell Dockett and Travis Johnson each played ahead of him. Last season Bunkley finished with 12 tackles, including 3 tackles for loss. This season, however, Bunkley has posted 28 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. An athletically gifted prospect, Bunkley could enjoy a big move up the board if he played well in the Senior Bowl, if he is, as scouts hope, invited.
Biggest Disappointment: Since posting 36 tackles as a redshirt freshman, many have classified Orien Harris as "the next great Miami defensive lineman." While Harris is a legitimate NFL prospect, he isn't near the athlete of former Hurricane stars Cortez Kennedy, Warren Sapp, Damione Lewis, and Vince Wilfork. Harris is more of a two gap run plugger than the interior pass rush artist that often is drafted highly. While he is certainly a solid prospect (averaging more than 43 tackles each year of his career), Harris isn't the elite prospect his hype indicates.
Super Sleeper: If Stanford's Babatunde Oshinowo played for a national powerhouse, he'd be highly recognized as what he has proven to be: one of the country's top defensive linemen. As a 6-2, 320 pound nose tackle, Oshinowo has the size and power teams are looking for in an interior plugger and has posted solid numbers throughout his career, including a 41 tackle, 5.5 tackle for loss campaign last year. This year, Oshinowo has already neared those numbers, racking up 35 tackles and another 5.5 tackles for loss in his first seven games,
Underclassmen: Underclassmen have historically boosted the defensive tackle prospect for each draft. This year could be more of the same. Oregon's Haloti Ngata might be the most talented interior defensive lineman in the country. Blessed with incredible size at 6-5, 335 pounds and a 455 pound bench press, Ngata has shown flashes of dominance throughout his career. Ngata has struggled a bit with injuries throughout his career, however, including missing the 2003 season with a devastating knee injury. Ngata seemed to return to form late last season, but has been inconsistent this year. Still, his admission into the 2006 draft would not come as a surprise. Two prospects scouts are sure to pay attention to are the Florida Gator tandem of Marcus Thomas and Ray McDonald. Teams appear to be split on which Gator they like better. Each has battled bouts of inconsistency, but each also shows great burst for such large men and could move surprisingly high up draft boards should they decide to leave early.
Inside Linebacker:
Position Trend: Only a few years ago the NFL was being controlled up the middle by gargantuan 250 pound middle linebackers. With the success of smaller, faster players like Ray Lewis, however, the NFL seems more interested now in sideline to sideline defenders who can run around blocks to make plays in the backfield. This bodes well for the 2006 crop of senior inside linebackers as size limitations are some of the only concerns teams have with the two players most teams have ranked highest at the position: Iowa's Abdul Hodge and Maryland's D'Qwell Jackson.
Biggest Surprise: Despite the fact that Alabama's Freddie Roach is a natural inside linebacker and enjoyed great success there early in his career, the Tide chose to move Roach outside last season and move former outside linebacker, Cornelius Wortham, to the inside. The move paid off for Wortham in many ways, as he enjoyed his greatest statistical season to date and rode his success to a Senior Bowl berth and being selected by the Seahawks in the NFL draft. Roach struggled early with the transition outside before getting a bit acclimated as the season wore on. This year, however, moved back inside, Roach has proven himself to be one of the nation's best. A stout run defender, the 6-2, 248 pound Roach has the size teams have traditionally wanted in an inside linebacker, and has the experience to offer help on the outside, as well.
Biggest Disappointment: For those able to watch Washington State's Will Derting before injuries caught up to him, consider yourselves fortunate. Always undersized and slower than the NFL has traditionally required for the position, the instinctive and hyperactive Derting was a dominant performer for the Cougars for much of his career, earning Pac 10 honors after all three of his first seasons with the team. Torn ACLs in both knees, a surgically repaired wrist, and recurring ankle injuries later, Derting's body has begun to fail him. This season Derting has missed several games due to a sprained right knee and could struggle to pass an NFL physical.
Super Sleeper: While he lacks the pure athleticism and certainly the size most teams are looking for in an inside linebacker, Texas' Aaron Harris plays with good instincts, great physicality and toughness, and has certainly proven capable of playing at a high level on a national championship contending defense. Harris was nearly the statistical equal of first round pick Derrick Johnson last season, finishing second to Johnson in tackles (130 to 118) and also posting 8 tackles for loss, including 2 sacks. This season Harris has developed into the leader of the linebacking corps and currently is third in tackles with 68 tackles, including nine tackles for loss, three of which are sacks.
Underclassmen: Rarely do underclassmen inside linebackers make an appearance in the draft. In fact, last year three underclassmen inside linebackers entered for the first time in NFL history (Odell Thurman, Lofa Tatupu, and Channing Crowder). Up and coming inside linebackers Paul Posluszny (Penn State), Oscar Lua (USC), and the Virginia duo of Ahmad Brooks and Kai Pharham have all been noticed by the NFL, but of the group only Posluszny has proven to be truly consistent. While talented, any underclassmen inside linebackers should strongly consider consulting the NFL's Advisory Committee before leaving early.
Outside Linebacker:
Biggest Surprise: Entering the season scouts had pointed to Ohio State and Oregon State as the home of two of the country’s most consistent linebackers. The Buckeyes’ AJ Hawk was considered by some to be the best defensive prospect in the land. The Beavers’ Trent Bray, a second team Pac 10 honoree in his first season as the starter was considered an up and coming talent. The surprise at outside linebacker, however, is neither Hawk nor Bray (who plays inside linebacker for the Beavers), but the emergence of outside linebackers Bobby Carpenter and Keith Ellison for the Buckeyes and Beavers, respectively. Carpenter has long been considered a legitimate NFL talent, but this season he has taken advantage of his innate pass rushing skills and proven to be a 3rd down terror off the edge, accumulating 42 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and a Big Ten leading 8 sacks. Similarly, Keith Ellison has turned into a big play artist for Oregon State this season, racking up 74 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks.
Biggest Disappointment: With athletic, undersized outside linebackers enjoying a great deal of success at the NFL level, scouts often keep a keen eye out for similar prospects at the collegiate level. One such prospect, Terna Nande of Miami (Ohio) entered the year considered a likely first day selection. Dubbed “The Nigerian Nightmare” by his former coach, Terry Hoeppner, Nande was a First Team MAC performer last season and entered the year on the watch lists for the Lombardi and Nagusrki awards. Unfortunately, a lacerated liver suffered during Miami’s game against Kent State (Sept. 17th) has kept him out for much of the season. He considered redshirting, but has recently decided to return for the remainder of this season.
Super Sleeper: Despite the fact that he plays for one of the elite programs in the country, Virginia Tech’s James Anderson has yet to receive the national acclaim his athleticism and size warrant. At 6-3, 222 pounds Anderson was timed in the off-season by scouts in the high 4.4s. Considered by some to be a better athlete than football player early in his career, Anderson emerged as a starter last season and finished with 48 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss (2.5 of which were sacks). This season Anderson appears well on his way towards eclipsing his previous highs, as in eight games he already has 55 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks. Still a bit raw, teams will consider him earlier than most anticipate. Athletes of this caliber and work ethic simply don’t come around often. The only player in Tech football history to earn the Excalibur Award - the top honor in Tech's strength and conditioning program four times…
Underclassmen: Many NFL teams feel that true outside linebackers, players fast enough to cover running backs and tight ends, yet stout enough to take on blockers, is one of the toughest positions to fill. Because of this fact, highly ranked underclassmen at this position often feel pressure to leave school early and take advantage of their financial opportunities. Several young stars have emerged in 2005, with Florida State’s Ernie Sims, Pittsburgh’s H.B. Blades, Oklahoma’s Rufus Alexander, and Florida’s Earl Everett leading the charge.
Cornerback:
Biggest Surprise: Astute fans have long ago penciled in Georgia’s Tim Jennings and Penn State’s Alan Zemaitis as legitimate NFL prospects. What scouts are quickly discovering however, is that the cornerbacks playing opposite these two big names are incredibly gifted, as well. The 5-08 Jennings, voted a Freshman All-American in 2002 and pre-season All-SEC this year, lacks the height NFL scouts prefer. His counterpart at Georgia, DeMario Minter, however, at 5-11, 198 pounds is the prototype and after a strong 2004 season (voted Most Improved Defender) and start to this season (35 tackles, 1 interception, team leading 4 passes broken up), some have moved Minter ahead of Jennings. Similarly, while Zemaitis has been a Big Ten honoree after each of the past two seasons, Anwar Phillips has emerged as a highly ranked prospect in his own right. Phillips, blessed with a rare combination of size (6-0, 190) and speed (4.46), led the team in interceptions last season (4) and has another pick, as well as seven pass breakups thus far in 2005.
Biggest Disappointment: Like the old chicken vs. egg debate, NFL scouts are often left to ponder if it is the player or the scheme that allows a prospect to perform well. USC’s Justin Wyatt is a legitimate cornerback prospect for the next level, and yet hasn’t proven to be the star that some expected. Entering this season with nineteen consecutive starts for the two time defending National Champion Trojans, Wyatt certainly has the name and accolades. He was voted First Team Pac-10 by ESPN last year and entered this season as a Preseason First Team Pac-10 from the Sporting News, as well. That said, Wyatt has only adequate size (5-09, 184) and speed (4.51) for the position and lacks the explosiveness to break on the ball when he is beaten. Wyatt is certainly a draftable prospect and a solid performer for the Trojans, but he is not the top cornerback in the West as some have labeled him.
Super Sleeper: Small school sleepers generally have to boast eye-popping statistics, size, or speed to get noticed. Ohio cornerback Dion Byrum’s 4.38 forty for NFL scouts this past spring certainly did the trick. At one time Byrum was considered a pure speedster with questionable upside on the gridiron. He finished second on the team in passes broken up last year (7), but had no interceptions. The Bobcats were forced to maximize Byrum’s speed as a kick returner, where he led the team in return yardage (330) despite only having fourteen opportunities (23.6 avg.). Dedicated himself to improvement this past off-season and has been a star, recording 5 interceptions (153 return yards, 2 touchdowns), returning a fumble 62 yards for a touchdown, and catching a touchdown pass (his only reception of the season, thus far), as well.
Underclassmen: An average of three underclassmen cornerbacks have entered the draft early over the past two seasons and this senior class appears average enough to attract at least as many juniors in 2006. Miami’s Devin Hester, Kansas’ Charles Gordon, Ohio State’s Ashton Youboty, Florida’s Dee Webb, and Fresno State’s Richard Marshall have all explored the possibility of leaving school early for the NFL, with each of these players likely earning first day grades from the NFL Advisory Committee.
