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For many prospects, the NFL draft is all about timing. A strong senior season provides momentum heading into the postseason draft process. Those that capitalize on that momentum during workouts and all-star games can elevate their draft stock by rounds -- and everyone knows that higher rounds equate higher dollars.
QB Carson Palmer (Bengals, 2003), OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Rams, 2003), WR Devery Henderson (Saints, 2004), DE Jason Babin (Western Michigan, 2004), QB Jason Campbell (Commanders, 2005) and DE Erasmus James (Vikings, 2005) are examples of prospects in the last few drafts that maximized their draft value by finishing the process strong.
Below is a breakdown of 10 prospects in this year's class that have put themselves in position to do the same with monstrous senior campaigns:
• Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State: Projected round: 1st
Lacks ideal size but shows explosive quickness and power. Few play with a faster reving motor. He has recorded 11 sacks in as many games as a senior this season.
NFL comparison: Aaron Schobel, Bills.
• Elvis Dumervil, DE, Louisville: Projected round: 1st
Undersized but has long arms, explosive first step and elite playmaking instincts. Far and away the nation's leader with 20 sacks in nine games played thus far in 2005.
NFL comparison: Dwight Freeney, Colts.
• Dusty Dvoracek, DT, Oklahoma: Projected round: 2nd
Off-the-field issues will cause him to slip on draft day, but few have made a bigger defensive impact in 2005 than this high-motor one-gap defensive tackle.
NFL comparison: Chris Hovan, Buccaneers.
• Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt: Projected round: 2nd
Four-year starter who got more out of his supporting cast than any other quarterback prospect in this class. Senior season was a bit of a rollercoaster but Cutler finished on a high note with upset win at Tennessee. He has the arm and feet to emerge as an NFL starter, but footwork and overall mechanics need fine tuning.
NFL comparison: Jake Plummer, Broncos.
• Anthony Smith, DS, Syracuse: Projected round: 2nd or 3rd
A ball-hawking free safety with six interceptions as a senior. Has improved his tackling and toughness but will never be a big hitting run-support safety in the NFL.
NFL comparison: Eugene Wilson, Patriots.
• Joseph Addai, RB, LSU: Projected round: 2nd or 3rd
Capitalized on first full season as the "bell cow" due to the season-ending injury to scheduled starter Alley Broussard. Addai lacks ideal size but shows an impressive combination of vision, power and speed.
NFL comparison: Kevin Jones, Lions.
• Maurice Stovall, WR, Notre Dame: Projected round: 3rd
Possesses an outstanding combination of size and athletic ability. Career underachiever prior to 2005 but has already notched more receptions, yards and touchdowns in nine games than he did in the past two seasons (2003-'04) combined.
NFL comparison: Reggie Williams, Jaguars.
• Jerome Harrison, RB, Washington State: Projected round: 3rd or 4th
Small, shifty back with great vision and toughness but below average size and top-end speed. Leads the nation with 1,900 rushing yards and also has chipped in with 16 rushing touchdowns.
• NFL comparison: Julius Jones, Cowboys.
• Owen Daniels, TE, Wisconsin: Projected round: 4th
Former quarterback. Good athlete with an impressive natural feel for the passing game. Must continue to bulk up, improve blocking and polish routes.
NFL comparison: Chris Cooley, Commanders.
• Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan: Projected round: 4th
Possesses just decent speed but shows a knack for separating and his hands are gold. Currently leads DI-A with 91 receptions.
NFL comparison: Nate Burleson, Vikings.
Next week, we'll take a look at the flip side by targeting some of the prospects that are free-falling due to unmet expectations during their senior seasons.
2006 draft news
• A mass exodus is taking place following Purdue's disappointing 2005 season, as two of the program's top juniors have wasted no time making decisions regarding their futures. SS Bernard Pollard and DE Ray Edwards have both elected to forgo their final season of eligibility in order to make themselves available for the 2006 draft. As is the case with most underclassmen prospects, their draft values could significantly fluctuate depending on workout times that are currently unknown. However, Pollard and Edwards project as top-five picks at their respective positions and both could come off the 2006 draft board somewhere between the late-first and second rounds.
• Ohio State OLB Bobby Carpenter, who projects as a possible late-first round pick in the 2006 draft, fractured a bone in his right ankle during last Saturday's win at Michigan. The good news, however, is that Carpenter is reportedly probable to return for the Buckeyes' bowl game in early January.
• Oklahoma WR Travis Wilson has struggled through an injury-riddled senior season. He was bothered early on by a lingering ankle injury and now it is being reported that Wilson will have surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. If all goes well, Wilson will make a healthy return for the Sooners' bowl game. Unfortunately, after notching 50 receptions as a junior, there were high expectations for Wilson's 2005 campaign. His inability to stay healthy coupled by the marginal quarterback play for the Sooners has resulted in Wilson finishing the regular season with half as many catches (25) as a senior.
• Tennessee OT Albert Toeaina is a mid-Day 2 prospect who did not help his draft value by spitting on a cameraman when he was exiting the field following the Vols' upset loss to Vanderbilt. Toeaina has been suspended by the team and NFL scouts around the league have now marked him with a "character alert," which will only hurt his cause on draft weekend.
• Junior DE Ray McDonald, who has flashed the potential of a first-round draft pick, suffered his second knee injury of the season last week. The injury could force McDonald out of the Gators finale versus Florida State, as well as the team's bowl game.
Finally, if the draft were to be held today, the following would be the top-10 selection order:
1. Houston Texans (1-9)
2. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
3. New York Jets (2-8)
4. New Orleans Saints (2-8)
5. San Francisco 49ers (2-8)
6. Green Bay Packers (2-8)
7. Miami Dolphins (3-7)
8. Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-7)
10. Buffalo Bills (4-6)
Scouts Inc.'s Top 32
RANK NAME POS CLASS SCHOOL PREV
1. Reggie Bush RB JR USC 1
2. Matt Leinart QB SR USC 2
3. D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT SR Virginia 3
4. A.J. Hawk OLB SR Ohio State 4
5. Mario Williams DEJ R N.C. State 5
6. Tamba Hall DE SR Penn State 12
7. Brady Quinn QB JR Notre Dame 6
8. Mathias Kiwanuka DE SR Boston College 7
9. Jimmy Williams DC SR Virginia Tech 8
10. Vince Young QB JR Texas 9
11. DeAngelo Williams RB SR Memphis 10
12. Vernon Davis TE JR Maryland 21
13. Demeco Ryans OLB SR Alabama 11
14. Santonio Holmes WR JR Ohio State 13
15. Chad Greenway OLB SR Iowa 15
16. Marcedes Lewis TE SR UCLA 19
17. Haloti Ngata DT JR Oregon 16
18. Quentin Moses DE JR Georgia 18
19. Michael Huff DB SR Texas 20
20. Laurence Maroney RB JR Minnesota 14
21. Paul Posluszny OLB JR Penn State 22
22. Elvis Dumervil DE SR Louisville 24
23. Claude Wroten DT SR LSU 25
24. Gaines Adams DE JR Clemson NR
25. Derek Hagan WR SR Arizona State 29
26. Marcus Vick QB JR Virginia Tech 30
27. A.J. Nicholson OLB SR Florida State 17
28. Thomas Howard OLB SR UTEP NR
29. Eric Winston OT SR Miami-FL 31
30. Darnell Bing DS JR USC NR
31. Leonard Pope TE JR Georgia NR
32. Rodrique Wright DT SR Texas NR
QB Carson Palmer (Bengals, 2003), OLB Pisa Tinoisamoa (Rams, 2003), WR Devery Henderson (Saints, 2004), DE Jason Babin (Western Michigan, 2004), QB Jason Campbell (Commanders, 2005) and DE Erasmus James (Vikings, 2005) are examples of prospects in the last few drafts that maximized their draft value by finishing the process strong.
Below is a breakdown of 10 prospects in this year's class that have put themselves in position to do the same with monstrous senior campaigns:
• Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State: Projected round: 1st
Lacks ideal size but shows explosive quickness and power. Few play with a faster reving motor. He has recorded 11 sacks in as many games as a senior this season.
NFL comparison: Aaron Schobel, Bills.
• Elvis Dumervil, DE, Louisville: Projected round: 1st
Undersized but has long arms, explosive first step and elite playmaking instincts. Far and away the nation's leader with 20 sacks in nine games played thus far in 2005.
NFL comparison: Dwight Freeney, Colts.
• Dusty Dvoracek, DT, Oklahoma: Projected round: 2nd
Off-the-field issues will cause him to slip on draft day, but few have made a bigger defensive impact in 2005 than this high-motor one-gap defensive tackle.
NFL comparison: Chris Hovan, Buccaneers.
• Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt: Projected round: 2nd
Four-year starter who got more out of his supporting cast than any other quarterback prospect in this class. Senior season was a bit of a rollercoaster but Cutler finished on a high note with upset win at Tennessee. He has the arm and feet to emerge as an NFL starter, but footwork and overall mechanics need fine tuning.
NFL comparison: Jake Plummer, Broncos.
• Anthony Smith, DS, Syracuse: Projected round: 2nd or 3rd
A ball-hawking free safety with six interceptions as a senior. Has improved his tackling and toughness but will never be a big hitting run-support safety in the NFL.
NFL comparison: Eugene Wilson, Patriots.
• Joseph Addai, RB, LSU: Projected round: 2nd or 3rd
Capitalized on first full season as the "bell cow" due to the season-ending injury to scheduled starter Alley Broussard. Addai lacks ideal size but shows an impressive combination of vision, power and speed.
NFL comparison: Kevin Jones, Lions.
• Maurice Stovall, WR, Notre Dame: Projected round: 3rd
Possesses an outstanding combination of size and athletic ability. Career underachiever prior to 2005 but has already notched more receptions, yards and touchdowns in nine games than he did in the past two seasons (2003-'04) combined.
NFL comparison: Reggie Williams, Jaguars.
• Jerome Harrison, RB, Washington State: Projected round: 3rd or 4th
Small, shifty back with great vision and toughness but below average size and top-end speed. Leads the nation with 1,900 rushing yards and also has chipped in with 16 rushing touchdowns.
• NFL comparison: Julius Jones, Cowboys.
• Owen Daniels, TE, Wisconsin: Projected round: 4th
Former quarterback. Good athlete with an impressive natural feel for the passing game. Must continue to bulk up, improve blocking and polish routes.
NFL comparison: Chris Cooley, Commanders.
• Greg Jennings, WR, Western Michigan: Projected round: 4th
Possesses just decent speed but shows a knack for separating and his hands are gold. Currently leads DI-A with 91 receptions.
NFL comparison: Nate Burleson, Vikings.
Next week, we'll take a look at the flip side by targeting some of the prospects that are free-falling due to unmet expectations during their senior seasons.
2006 draft news
• A mass exodus is taking place following Purdue's disappointing 2005 season, as two of the program's top juniors have wasted no time making decisions regarding their futures. SS Bernard Pollard and DE Ray Edwards have both elected to forgo their final season of eligibility in order to make themselves available for the 2006 draft. As is the case with most underclassmen prospects, their draft values could significantly fluctuate depending on workout times that are currently unknown. However, Pollard and Edwards project as top-five picks at their respective positions and both could come off the 2006 draft board somewhere between the late-first and second rounds.
• Ohio State OLB Bobby Carpenter, who projects as a possible late-first round pick in the 2006 draft, fractured a bone in his right ankle during last Saturday's win at Michigan. The good news, however, is that Carpenter is reportedly probable to return for the Buckeyes' bowl game in early January.
• Oklahoma WR Travis Wilson has struggled through an injury-riddled senior season. He was bothered early on by a lingering ankle injury and now it is being reported that Wilson will have surgery to repair a stress fracture in his foot. If all goes well, Wilson will make a healthy return for the Sooners' bowl game. Unfortunately, after notching 50 receptions as a junior, there were high expectations for Wilson's 2005 campaign. His inability to stay healthy coupled by the marginal quarterback play for the Sooners has resulted in Wilson finishing the regular season with half as many catches (25) as a senior.
• Tennessee OT Albert Toeaina is a mid-Day 2 prospect who did not help his draft value by spitting on a cameraman when he was exiting the field following the Vols' upset loss to Vanderbilt. Toeaina has been suspended by the team and NFL scouts around the league have now marked him with a "character alert," which will only hurt his cause on draft weekend.
• Junior DE Ray McDonald, who has flashed the potential of a first-round draft pick, suffered his second knee injury of the season last week. The injury could force McDonald out of the Gators finale versus Florida State, as well as the team's bowl game.
Finally, if the draft were to be held today, the following would be the top-10 selection order:
1. Houston Texans (1-9)
2. Tennessee Titans (2-8)
3. New York Jets (2-8)
4. New Orleans Saints (2-8)
5. San Francisco 49ers (2-8)
6. Green Bay Packers (2-8)
7. Miami Dolphins (3-7)
8. Arizona Cardinals (3-7)
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-7)
10. Buffalo Bills (4-6)
Scouts Inc.'s Top 32
RANK NAME POS CLASS SCHOOL PREV
1. Reggie Bush RB JR USC 1
2. Matt Leinart QB SR USC 2
3. D'Brickashaw Ferguson OT SR Virginia 3
4. A.J. Hawk OLB SR Ohio State 4
5. Mario Williams DEJ R N.C. State 5
6. Tamba Hall DE SR Penn State 12
7. Brady Quinn QB JR Notre Dame 6
8. Mathias Kiwanuka DE SR Boston College 7
9. Jimmy Williams DC SR Virginia Tech 8
10. Vince Young QB JR Texas 9
11. DeAngelo Williams RB SR Memphis 10
12. Vernon Davis TE JR Maryland 21
13. Demeco Ryans OLB SR Alabama 11
14. Santonio Holmes WR JR Ohio State 13
15. Chad Greenway OLB SR Iowa 15
16. Marcedes Lewis TE SR UCLA 19
17. Haloti Ngata DT JR Oregon 16
18. Quentin Moses DE JR Georgia 18
19. Michael Huff DB SR Texas 20
20. Laurence Maroney RB JR Minnesota 14
21. Paul Posluszny OLB JR Penn State 22
22. Elvis Dumervil DE SR Louisville 24
23. Claude Wroten DT SR LSU 25
24. Gaines Adams DE JR Clemson NR
25. Derek Hagan WR SR Arizona State 29
26. Marcus Vick QB JR Virginia Tech 30
27. A.J. Nicholson OLB SR Florida State 17
28. Thomas Howard OLB SR UTEP NR
29. Eric Winston OT SR Miami-FL 31
30. Darnell Bing DS JR USC NR
31. Leonard Pope TE JR Georgia NR
32. Rodrique Wright DT SR Texas NR