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NFL draft preview: Special teams
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedc...t/stories/042109dnspodraftseries.34e2a3a.html
09:16 PM CDT on Monday, April 20, 2009
By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***
STRENGTH: 1
WEAK STRONG
There are some superb return candidates who will go in the first three rounds, but historically, the punters and kickers don't start showing up until the fourth round. If deep snapper Sean Griffin goes, it will be late.
THE TOP 15
Player School Ht. Wt. Noteworthy
1. Jeremy Maclin-kr Missouri 6-0 198 3 career punt return TDs
2. Derrick Williams-kr Penn St. 5-11 ½ 194 3 TDs on returns in 2008
3. David Buehler-k USC 6-1 ½ 227 69 career touchbacks
4. Kaluka Maiava-kc USC 5-11 ½ 229 USC's ST player of year
5. Mike Thomas-kr Arizona 5-7 ½ 195 13.5 yard PR avg. in 2008
6. Rashad Johnson-kc Alabama 5-11 203 Former walk-on
7. Tim Huber-p Cincinnati 6-0 ½ 220 45.4-yard career avg.
8. Brandon Tate-kr N. Carolina 5-11 ½ 183 188 career returns
9. Thomas Morstead-p SMU 6-4 225 37.5-yd. career net avg.
10. Jerod Cherry-kc La. Laf. 5-10 185 60 career ST tackles
11. Joe Burnett-kr C. Florida 5-9 192 28.2y career KR average
12. D.J. Moore-kr Vanderbilt 5-8 ½ 192 14.4y career PR average
13. Louie Sakoda-k Utah 5-8 ½ 176 Utah's all-time top scorer
14. Tim Masthay-ko Kentucky 6-1 ½ 198 60 career touchbacks
15. Sean Griffin-ls Michigan 6-1 ½ 242 Junior college transfer
k-kicker; p-punter; ko-kickoff specialist; ls-long snapper; kr-kick returner; kc-kick coverage. (Potential first-round picks in bold)
Spotlight on: Ricky Jean-Francois, DT, LSU
Ricky Jean-Francois knew what he needed to do against Alabama last November. The score was tied, 21-21, and the unbeaten Crimson Tide lined up for a 29-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.
"Everyone was telling me, 'You've got to block this field goal,' " Jean-Francois said. "It's just something I do. I block field goals."
Jean-Francois did block it, sending the game to overtime, and Alabama went on to win. It was the third career blocked kick for Jean-Francois. He also blocked an Ohio State field goal attempt in the 2007 BCS title game on his way to Defensive MVP honors.
Most players don't have a knack for blocking kicks. Jean-Francois does. He blocked one in each of his three seasons at LSU: against Tulane in 2006, Ohio State in 2007 and Alabama in 2008.
"It's all your initial get-off," Jean-Francois said. "I watch the centers and long snappers. Some pick up the ball. Some flex their fingers or flinch their forearms. It's a natural thing. We didn't have any special plays. The coach would say, 'Just get to the ball as quick as you can.' "
At 6-2 ½ , 295 pounds, Jean-Francois overpowered blockers in the middle of college lines. He's leaving LSU early for the draft, where he hopes to throw his weight around on fourth downs on Sunday afternoons.
The best: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
Maclin could have the greatest rookie impact of the five wide receivers who project as first-rounders because of his potential contribution on special teams. He's the best kick returner in this draft, having scored five career touchdowns (three on punts, two on kickoffs). His punt return TDs were all longer than 60 yards, and both of his kickoffs returns covered 99 yards. Maclin returned 85 career kickoffs an average of 24.1 yards and 48 career punts an average of 12.0 yards.
Sleeper: Greg Laybourn, S, Oregon State
A member of Oregon State's national champion baseball team in 2006, Laybourn walked onto the football team that fall. He was a top special-teams player for the Beavers for two seasons before becoming a starting safety in 2008, leading the Pac-10 in tackles with 113. The guy he replaced in the Oregon State lineup, Joey LaRocque, made the Chicago Bears in 2008 as a special teamer.
Best of Texas: Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona
The DeSoto product will get drafted as a wide receiver, but his value as a rookie will probably be as a kick returner. Thomas averaged 23.5 yards on his 41 career kickoff returns and 13.0 yards on his 30 career punt returns with two touchdowns. He has 4.30 speed in the 40. Draft projection: Middle rounds
Notable
Kickers: Southern Cal's David Buehler was the All-Pac-10 kicker after scoring 92 points on 65 extra points and nine field goals. But what makes him attractive to the NFL are his kickoffs. Forty-eight of his 88 kickoffs last season went for touchbacks. Kentucky's Tim Mashtay was an All-SEC punter, but his value to the NFL is as a kickoff specialist. He had 23 touchbacks in 2008 to go along with his 45.2-yard punting average. Louie Sakoda was a four-year punter and three-year kicker at Utah, scoring 308 career points and averaging 42.1 yards per punt.
Punters: Tim Huber was a two-time All-Big East punter at Cincinnati, averaging 45.4 yards per kick in his career. Thomas Morstead did double duty for SMU, scoring 217 career points and averaging 43.4 yards per punt.
Returners: Brandon Tate of North Carolina returned six career kicks for touchdowns. Derrick Williams (Penn State), Joe Burnett (Central Florida), Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) and Derrick Williams (Penn State) returned five apiece.
Coverage aces: Jason Cherry of Louisiana-Lafayette was a wide receiver by trade but an elite special-teams player through hard work. In addition to his 60 career tackles, he blocked two kicks, recovered two fumbles and forced a fumble on special teams. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his career.
Kick blockers: Cornerback Alphonso Smith got his hands on an amazing number of footballs in his career at Wake Forest – and they didn't all come on defense. He set the ACC record with 21 career interceptions and broke up a whopping 40 more passes. But Smith was also one of the game's most effective players on fourth down, blocking five punts in his career. Here's a list of the best kick blockers in this draft:
Player Pos. School Blks.
John Faletoese DT UC Davis 9
Everette Pedescleaux DT No. Iowa 6
Zach Potter DE Nebraska 5
Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest 5
Terrance Knighton DT Temple 4
Connor Barwin DE Cincinnati 3
Jonathan Casillas LB Wisconsin 3
Ricky Jean-Francois DT LSU 3
Michael Johnson DE Ga. Tech 3
Alex Magee DT Purdue 3
Sen'Derrick Marks DT Auburn 3
Clay Matthews LB USC 3
Deep snappers: The state of Texas has a history of producing NFL deep snappers. There are two with Texas ties in this draft: Jamar Hunt of Texas-El Paso and and Jack Geiser of Boston College and Dallas Jesuit. Hunt snapped at UTEP for one season and also caught 91 career passes at tight end. Geiser was the deep snapper for the Eagles for three seasons, collecting four career tackles and a fumble recovery.
http://www.***BANNED-URL***/sharedc...t/stories/042109dnspodraftseries.34e2a3a.html
09:16 PM CDT on Monday, April 20, 2009
By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
rgosselin@***BANNED-URL***
STRENGTH: 1
WEAK STRONG
There are some superb return candidates who will go in the first three rounds, but historically, the punters and kickers don't start showing up until the fourth round. If deep snapper Sean Griffin goes, it will be late.
THE TOP 15
Player School Ht. Wt. Noteworthy
1. Jeremy Maclin-kr Missouri 6-0 198 3 career punt return TDs
2. Derrick Williams-kr Penn St. 5-11 ½ 194 3 TDs on returns in 2008
3. David Buehler-k USC 6-1 ½ 227 69 career touchbacks
4. Kaluka Maiava-kc USC 5-11 ½ 229 USC's ST player of year
5. Mike Thomas-kr Arizona 5-7 ½ 195 13.5 yard PR avg. in 2008
6. Rashad Johnson-kc Alabama 5-11 203 Former walk-on
7. Tim Huber-p Cincinnati 6-0 ½ 220 45.4-yard career avg.
8. Brandon Tate-kr N. Carolina 5-11 ½ 183 188 career returns
9. Thomas Morstead-p SMU 6-4 225 37.5-yd. career net avg.
10. Jerod Cherry-kc La. Laf. 5-10 185 60 career ST tackles
11. Joe Burnett-kr C. Florida 5-9 192 28.2y career KR average
12. D.J. Moore-kr Vanderbilt 5-8 ½ 192 14.4y career PR average
13. Louie Sakoda-k Utah 5-8 ½ 176 Utah's all-time top scorer
14. Tim Masthay-ko Kentucky 6-1 ½ 198 60 career touchbacks
15. Sean Griffin-ls Michigan 6-1 ½ 242 Junior college transfer
k-kicker; p-punter; ko-kickoff specialist; ls-long snapper; kr-kick returner; kc-kick coverage. (Potential first-round picks in bold)
Spotlight on: Ricky Jean-Francois, DT, LSU
Ricky Jean-Francois knew what he needed to do against Alabama last November. The score was tied, 21-21, and the unbeaten Crimson Tide lined up for a 29-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds.
"Everyone was telling me, 'You've got to block this field goal,' " Jean-Francois said. "It's just something I do. I block field goals."
Jean-Francois did block it, sending the game to overtime, and Alabama went on to win. It was the third career blocked kick for Jean-Francois. He also blocked an Ohio State field goal attempt in the 2007 BCS title game on his way to Defensive MVP honors.
Most players don't have a knack for blocking kicks. Jean-Francois does. He blocked one in each of his three seasons at LSU: against Tulane in 2006, Ohio State in 2007 and Alabama in 2008.
"It's all your initial get-off," Jean-Francois said. "I watch the centers and long snappers. Some pick up the ball. Some flex their fingers or flinch their forearms. It's a natural thing. We didn't have any special plays. The coach would say, 'Just get to the ball as quick as you can.' "
At 6-2 ½ , 295 pounds, Jean-Francois overpowered blockers in the middle of college lines. He's leaving LSU early for the draft, where he hopes to throw his weight around on fourth downs on Sunday afternoons.
The best: Jeremy Maclin, WR, Missouri
Maclin could have the greatest rookie impact of the five wide receivers who project as first-rounders because of his potential contribution on special teams. He's the best kick returner in this draft, having scored five career touchdowns (three on punts, two on kickoffs). His punt return TDs were all longer than 60 yards, and both of his kickoffs returns covered 99 yards. Maclin returned 85 career kickoffs an average of 24.1 yards and 48 career punts an average of 12.0 yards.
Sleeper: Greg Laybourn, S, Oregon State
A member of Oregon State's national champion baseball team in 2006, Laybourn walked onto the football team that fall. He was a top special-teams player for the Beavers for two seasons before becoming a starting safety in 2008, leading the Pac-10 in tackles with 113. The guy he replaced in the Oregon State lineup, Joey LaRocque, made the Chicago Bears in 2008 as a special teamer.
Best of Texas: Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona
The DeSoto product will get drafted as a wide receiver, but his value as a rookie will probably be as a kick returner. Thomas averaged 23.5 yards on his 41 career kickoff returns and 13.0 yards on his 30 career punt returns with two touchdowns. He has 4.30 speed in the 40. Draft projection: Middle rounds
Notable
Kickers: Southern Cal's David Buehler was the All-Pac-10 kicker after scoring 92 points on 65 extra points and nine field goals. But what makes him attractive to the NFL are his kickoffs. Forty-eight of his 88 kickoffs last season went for touchbacks. Kentucky's Tim Mashtay was an All-SEC punter, but his value to the NFL is as a kickoff specialist. He had 23 touchbacks in 2008 to go along with his 45.2-yard punting average. Louie Sakoda was a four-year punter and three-year kicker at Utah, scoring 308 career points and averaging 42.1 yards per punt.
Punters: Tim Huber was a two-time All-Big East punter at Cincinnati, averaging 45.4 yards per kick in his career. Thomas Morstead did double duty for SMU, scoring 217 career points and averaging 43.4 yards per punt.
Returners: Brandon Tate of North Carolina returned six career kicks for touchdowns. Derrick Williams (Penn State), Joe Burnett (Central Florida), Jeremy Maclin (Missouri) and Derrick Williams (Penn State) returned five apiece.
Coverage aces: Jason Cherry of Louisiana-Lafayette was a wide receiver by trade but an elite special-teams player through hard work. In addition to his 60 career tackles, he blocked two kicks, recovered two fumbles and forced a fumble on special teams. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown in his career.
Kick blockers: Cornerback Alphonso Smith got his hands on an amazing number of footballs in his career at Wake Forest – and they didn't all come on defense. He set the ACC record with 21 career interceptions and broke up a whopping 40 more passes. But Smith was also one of the game's most effective players on fourth down, blocking five punts in his career. Here's a list of the best kick blockers in this draft:
Player Pos. School Blks.
John Faletoese DT UC Davis 9
Everette Pedescleaux DT No. Iowa 6
Zach Potter DE Nebraska 5
Alphonso Smith CB Wake Forest 5
Terrance Knighton DT Temple 4
Connor Barwin DE Cincinnati 3
Jonathan Casillas LB Wisconsin 3
Ricky Jean-Francois DT LSU 3
Michael Johnson DE Ga. Tech 3
Alex Magee DT Purdue 3
Sen'Derrick Marks DT Auburn 3
Clay Matthews LB USC 3
Deep snappers: The state of Texas has a history of producing NFL deep snappers. There are two with Texas ties in this draft: Jamar Hunt of Texas-El Paso and and Jack Geiser of Boston College and Dallas Jesuit. Hunt snapped at UTEP for one season and also caught 91 career passes at tight end. Geiser was the deep snapper for the Eagles for three seasons, collecting four career tackles and a fumble recovery.