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Beter-Than team: FAU slinger Smith headlines unheralded prospects
April 15, 2010
By Pete Prisco
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
By now, you are probably sick of Tim Tebow. You know all you need to know about Sam Bradford's shoulder and Jimmy Clausen's toe.
You know the differences between Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy so well that you could win a game-show quiz about them.
So how about shifting to some of the other players in this draft, players that make up my Better-Than Team?
It is a team made up of players I like more than the NFL scouts. It is based on my evaluations, with input from some league scouts.
Some of the players on my list of 20 will be first-round picks, but none will go in the top 10. Most won't hear their names called until the second or third day of the draft.
There are two quarterbacks on my list. One is Northwestern's Mike Kafka and the other is Florida Atlantic's Rusty Smith.
You know Kafka. You probably don't know Smith.
He was a four-year starter for FAU, throwing for more than 10,000 yards in his career. He threw 76 touchdown passes and 36 interceptions in his career. Oh, by the way, he's 6-5.
So what's wrong? Well, he doesn't have a great arm. It's just a good one. And some scouts knock him for level of competition, even though the Owls played at Texas, at Florida and against a handful of other BCS schools during his four years.
Smith also played in a pro-style offense at FAU under coach Howard Schnellenberger, who knows a thing or two about putting out quarterbacks. Because Schnellenberger coached Bernie Kosar at Miami, and Smith has a low release like Kosar's, there are natural comparisons being made.
I don't think he's in Kosar's class, but Smith has a chance to be a solid backup for a team that might draft him late.
Smith is from Jacksonville, Fla. That means he and Wake Forest's Riley Skinner are the "other" quarterbacks from that city in this draft. The only quarterback that most think matters from the city is the guy named Tebow.
I'm not saying Smith is a better option in the NFL than Tebow, but let's just say if Tebow read a field like Smith he'd be a sure-fire first-round pick.
That's why Smith headlines my Better-Than team. Here are the others:
Mike Kafka , QB, Northwestern -- He has good size at 6-3 and he has a decent enough arm. But the thing that is so attractive is his ability to read defenses. He also completed 65 percent of his passes last season. He played much better as a senior. He is worth a mid-round pick.
Joe McKnight , RB, USC -- He came to USC as a hotshot recruit, but never lived up to the hype. Injuries and a deep backfield had something to do with that. But he still has that speed to turn the corner. He isn't big at 195 pounds, but he makes up for that with his quickness.
Dennis Pitta , TE, BYU -- He is the brother-in-law of BYU quarterback Max Hall, who is also in this draft. Pitta is a good receiver who needs to improve his blocking. But with so many teams moving to split tight ends -- like the Colts' Dallas Clark -- Pitta should develop into a quality pass catcher.
Lamarr Houston , DT, Texas -- At 6-3, 305 pounds, he is a former high school running back. That speaks volumes of his athletic ability. He is a power player who has good quickness that could make him a pass-rushing defensive tackle on the next level.
Ricky Sapp , OLB, Clemson -- He was a down end in 2008, but suffered a serious knee injury. He came back in 2009 to play rush linebacker and even though he wasn't 100 percent he played pretty well. He had five sacks. A smart team will get a bargain on this kid in the second round.
Chad Jones , S, LSU -- He hasn't timed great, but he plays faster than his 40. He has good size and has the hips to play in coverage on the next level. He's better in coverage than the more-heralded Taylor Mays from USC.
Koa Misi , OLB, Utah -- He played defensive end for the Utes, but will move to outside linebacker in the NFL. He played there at the Senior Bowl and made a smooth transition. A6 6-3, 251 pounds, he is a relentless player who never lets up. Seems like a perfect New England pick.
Alterraun Verner , CB, UCLA -- A smaller corner at 5-10, 189 pounds, he was a four-year contributor at UCLA. The Bruins weren't very good in his time there, but he was a standout player on defense. He knows how to get to the football, even though he isn't a burner.
Mike Johnson , G, Alabama -- He was a guard and tackle for the Crimson Tide, playing guard last season. At 6-5, 313 pounds, he isn't a mauler but he gets by with his technical approach and he has good feet in pass protection. He will be a solid starter for the team that drafts him for a long time.
Rennie Curran , OLB, Georgia -- He is small at just under 5-11 and weighing 229 pounds, but he knows how to find the football. He's instinctive and he has good speed to chase down runners. I think he becomes a starter at weak-side linebacker, but bare minimum the team that gets him will have a special-teams demon.
Jordan Shipley , WR, Texas -- Here is a classic case of a receiver who plays faster than he is timed. He runs away from defenders, even if his 40 times aren't burning. He is more than just a slot receiver, which some have him pegged to be on the next level. He's also a good return man.
Linval Joseph , DT, East Carolina -- Several scouts I've talked to in the past couple of weeks have raved about this kid. He is an early entry who has them all excited. At 6-5, 335 pounds, he is a big man. But when he came to ECU he was 370. Scouts love his quickness inside. He's moving up a lot of boards.
Mardy Gilyard , WR, Cincinnati -- He is a perfect NFL slot receiver. He is fearless and has the quickness needed to go across the middle. He's also a good kid who has been forced to overcome a lot. He loves the game. He'll work at it. He isn't big at 6-feet, 187 pounds, but he's tough.
Jerry Hughes , OLB-DE, TCU -- I watched this kid on tape and came away thinking how fast he was off the edge. I know a lot of teams see him as a standup outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. But I think he can play with his hand down. He is 6-2, 255 pounds, not much smaller than Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. Wherever he plays, he will be a pass-rush problem for offenses.
Brandon Carter , G, Texas Tech -- He is a big guard at 6-6½ and 325 pounds. He limited Ndamukong Suh to two tackles when he faced him. He's a mauler who reminds me of former NFL player Kevin Gogan. He isn't athletic enough to get out and pull, but he is tough. He was good in pass protection in Tech's spread offense. Carter is worth a fourth-round pick. He does flap his gums a lot during games.
Corey Wootton , DE, Northwestern -- He tore the ACL in his right knee in a bowl game after the 2008 season. Some wondered if he would be able to play in 2009. He did, but it took him time to get going. At 6-6, 272 pounds, he has first-round ability when he's healthy.
Rahim Alem , DE, LSU -- He is the half-brother of LSU safety Chad Jones, but changed his name while with the Tigers. For a team looking for a situational pass rusher, Alem is worth a look. He has good speed off the edge.
D'Anthony Smith , DT, Louisiana Tech -- I remember watching Tech play Boise last year and I kept seeing Smith make plays. He is a player. He isn't huge at 305 pounds, but he is quick. He's also strong at the point. He was often double-teamed in college, which he overcame a lot. He will be a steal in the late second or early third round.
Kevin Thomas , CB, USC -- Injuries held him back during his stint with the Trojans. But he was healthy enough to earn second-team All Pac-10 honors last season. At 6-feet, 192 pounds, he has good size and is fast enough. He could also slide inside and play free safety, much like Jairus Byrd did for the Bills last season.
April 15, 2010
By Pete Prisco
CBSSports.com Senior Writer
By now, you are probably sick of Tim Tebow. You know all you need to know about Sam Bradford's shoulder and Jimmy Clausen's toe.
You know the differences between Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy so well that you could win a game-show quiz about them.
So how about shifting to some of the other players in this draft, players that make up my Better-Than Team?
It is a team made up of players I like more than the NFL scouts. It is based on my evaluations, with input from some league scouts.
Some of the players on my list of 20 will be first-round picks, but none will go in the top 10. Most won't hear their names called until the second or third day of the draft.
There are two quarterbacks on my list. One is Northwestern's Mike Kafka and the other is Florida Atlantic's Rusty Smith.
You know Kafka. You probably don't know Smith.
He was a four-year starter for FAU, throwing for more than 10,000 yards in his career. He threw 76 touchdown passes and 36 interceptions in his career. Oh, by the way, he's 6-5.
So what's wrong? Well, he doesn't have a great arm. It's just a good one. And some scouts knock him for level of competition, even though the Owls played at Texas, at Florida and against a handful of other BCS schools during his four years.
Smith also played in a pro-style offense at FAU under coach Howard Schnellenberger, who knows a thing or two about putting out quarterbacks. Because Schnellenberger coached Bernie Kosar at Miami, and Smith has a low release like Kosar's, there are natural comparisons being made.
I don't think he's in Kosar's class, but Smith has a chance to be a solid backup for a team that might draft him late.
Smith is from Jacksonville, Fla. That means he and Wake Forest's Riley Skinner are the "other" quarterbacks from that city in this draft. The only quarterback that most think matters from the city is the guy named Tebow.
I'm not saying Smith is a better option in the NFL than Tebow, but let's just say if Tebow read a field like Smith he'd be a sure-fire first-round pick.
That's why Smith headlines my Better-Than team. Here are the others:
Mike Kafka , QB, Northwestern -- He has good size at 6-3 and he has a decent enough arm. But the thing that is so attractive is his ability to read defenses. He also completed 65 percent of his passes last season. He played much better as a senior. He is worth a mid-round pick.
Joe McKnight , RB, USC -- He came to USC as a hotshot recruit, but never lived up to the hype. Injuries and a deep backfield had something to do with that. But he still has that speed to turn the corner. He isn't big at 195 pounds, but he makes up for that with his quickness.
Dennis Pitta , TE, BYU -- He is the brother-in-law of BYU quarterback Max Hall, who is also in this draft. Pitta is a good receiver who needs to improve his blocking. But with so many teams moving to split tight ends -- like the Colts' Dallas Clark -- Pitta should develop into a quality pass catcher.
Lamarr Houston , DT, Texas -- At 6-3, 305 pounds, he is a former high school running back. That speaks volumes of his athletic ability. He is a power player who has good quickness that could make him a pass-rushing defensive tackle on the next level.
Ricky Sapp , OLB, Clemson -- He was a down end in 2008, but suffered a serious knee injury. He came back in 2009 to play rush linebacker and even though he wasn't 100 percent he played pretty well. He had five sacks. A smart team will get a bargain on this kid in the second round.
Chad Jones , S, LSU -- He hasn't timed great, but he plays faster than his 40. He has good size and has the hips to play in coverage on the next level. He's better in coverage than the more-heralded Taylor Mays from USC.
Koa Misi , OLB, Utah -- He played defensive end for the Utes, but will move to outside linebacker in the NFL. He played there at the Senior Bowl and made a smooth transition. A6 6-3, 251 pounds, he is a relentless player who never lets up. Seems like a perfect New England pick.
Alterraun Verner , CB, UCLA -- A smaller corner at 5-10, 189 pounds, he was a four-year contributor at UCLA. The Bruins weren't very good in his time there, but he was a standout player on defense. He knows how to get to the football, even though he isn't a burner.
Mike Johnson , G, Alabama -- He was a guard and tackle for the Crimson Tide, playing guard last season. At 6-5, 313 pounds, he isn't a mauler but he gets by with his technical approach and he has good feet in pass protection. He will be a solid starter for the team that drafts him for a long time.
Rennie Curran , OLB, Georgia -- He is small at just under 5-11 and weighing 229 pounds, but he knows how to find the football. He's instinctive and he has good speed to chase down runners. I think he becomes a starter at weak-side linebacker, but bare minimum the team that gets him will have a special-teams demon.
Jordan Shipley , WR, Texas -- Here is a classic case of a receiver who plays faster than he is timed. He runs away from defenders, even if his 40 times aren't burning. He is more than just a slot receiver, which some have him pegged to be on the next level. He's also a good return man.
Linval Joseph , DT, East Carolina -- Several scouts I've talked to in the past couple of weeks have raved about this kid. He is an early entry who has them all excited. At 6-5, 335 pounds, he is a big man. But when he came to ECU he was 370. Scouts love his quickness inside. He's moving up a lot of boards.
Mardy Gilyard , WR, Cincinnati -- He is a perfect NFL slot receiver. He is fearless and has the quickness needed to go across the middle. He's also a good kid who has been forced to overcome a lot. He loves the game. He'll work at it. He isn't big at 6-feet, 187 pounds, but he's tough.
Jerry Hughes , OLB-DE, TCU -- I watched this kid on tape and came away thinking how fast he was off the edge. I know a lot of teams see him as a standup outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. But I think he can play with his hand down. He is 6-2, 255 pounds, not much smaller than Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney. Wherever he plays, he will be a pass-rush problem for offenses.
Brandon Carter , G, Texas Tech -- He is a big guard at 6-6½ and 325 pounds. He limited Ndamukong Suh to two tackles when he faced him. He's a mauler who reminds me of former NFL player Kevin Gogan. He isn't athletic enough to get out and pull, but he is tough. He was good in pass protection in Tech's spread offense. Carter is worth a fourth-round pick. He does flap his gums a lot during games.
Corey Wootton , DE, Northwestern -- He tore the ACL in his right knee in a bowl game after the 2008 season. Some wondered if he would be able to play in 2009. He did, but it took him time to get going. At 6-6, 272 pounds, he has first-round ability when he's healthy.
Rahim Alem , DE, LSU -- He is the half-brother of LSU safety Chad Jones, but changed his name while with the Tigers. For a team looking for a situational pass rusher, Alem is worth a look. He has good speed off the edge.
D'Anthony Smith , DT, Louisiana Tech -- I remember watching Tech play Boise last year and I kept seeing Smith make plays. He is a player. He isn't huge at 305 pounds, but he is quick. He's also strong at the point. He was often double-teamed in college, which he overcame a lot. He will be a steal in the late second or early third round.
Kevin Thomas , CB, USC -- Injuries held him back during his stint with the Trojans. But he was healthy enough to earn second-team All Pac-10 honors last season. At 6-feet, 192 pounds, he has good size and is fast enough. He could also slide inside and play free safety, much like Jairus Byrd did for the Bills last season.
DAL @ GB
