cowboyjoe
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One of our sources had Purdue defensive tackle Alex Magee projected as a 2nd round pick after he turned in a pretty solid showing at the N.F.L. combine -- 5.01/5.03 40 at almost 300 pounds, plus he did 30 bench reps with 35" arms. Looking at Gil Brandt's pro day times (4.82 & 4.85), we have to believe Magee, at the very least, solidified his status as a second rounder and has a chance to, perhaps, sneak into the first round? One more thing to note: Magee weighed in at 298 pounds at the combine, but Gil Brandt has his pro day weight at 286 rounds. Shedding the 12 pounds, may have helped improve his speed a bit, showing he might even project as a defensive end for some teams?
Arizona safety Nate Ness is a player that we've always liked as a possible latter round pick, even though we knew he was not that highly ranked by scouts coming into his senior year. Maybe his fine pro day showing last week (4.46 & 4.49/40, 36" vertical, ect.) will force scouts to take a closer look at the former JUCO All-American as draft weekend approaches? Like his cross-town rival, Troy Nolan of Arizona State, he's a pretty good ball-hawk, evidenced by his 5 interceptions in 2007 and 2 picks and 9 passes defended last season (including a huge 75 yard int of a touchdown in a 1 point @ Stanford). Ness also improved his tackling significantly as a senior....Oregon State defensive end/linebacker Slade Norris' 4.65/40 at Beavers' pro day was no surprise, as that's the exact same 40 time scouts had him projected running. Considering his excellent size (for a linebacker), speed and college production it's a minor surprise that he hasn't got more day two draft hype. Obviously, he hurt his chances of being drafted when he was injured at pro day and it's now even more likely he'll have to go the free agent route to make it in the N.F.L.
Michigan defensive tackle Will Johnson was projected as a 3rd to 5th round pick by scouts coming into the season, in part due to the fact that scouts figured he ran a freakish 4.80/40 (for a 285 pounder). While he "only" ran in the low 5.00's, reality is those are not poor numbers for a defensive tackle and his 47 bench reps, coupled with a 6' 4" frame, show he's got the size and strength teams are looking for in a 3-4 defensive end. Johnson could be a younger, perhaps stronger, version of New England's Mike Wright, who recently got a huge deal to stay with Patriots...Speaking of Big 10 defensive tackles, it looks like Northwestern's John Gill also helped himself at pro day, which is good news for some of the college football bloggers over at ESPN.com that have been hyping him for while.
It seems as if we've liked (ranked higher) Purdue linebacker Anthony Heygood more than most the last couple years. His pro day times (4.67 & 4.71/4.30 shuttle) show he's a fairly agile athlete, which is expected from a former Big Ten running back. While he may lack ideal size and strength for some systems, we think Heygood is a decent latter round prospect (or high priority free agent) that best fits in a Cover 2 scheme. Perhaps he will not need to travel far from Purdue's campus for a paycheck, as the Indianapolis Colts could be a good fit for him?....Former high school All-American Brian Toal surprised no one with his athletic performance at Boston College's pro day. But considering his injury history, he may slip out of the draft. He could be a great free agent pick up, however, as there is a chance he can start at linebacker or fullback in the N.F.L., if he can stay healthy?
Our sources tell us Texas Tech safety Darcel McBath was rising up the draft charts after the combine and it looks like his pro day times only helped his cause. One league insider currently has him projected as a 5th rounder, but admits he could go a tad higher..... Kansas linebacker Mike Rivera most definitely put himself squarely on the N.F.L.'s draft radar after running a 4.63 & 4.66 and showing off a fancy 38.5" vertical leap at Kansas' pro day. While the 6' 2", 245 pounder from Shawnee, Kansas has been dubbed the "Italian Stallion" by some of his teammates, his Spanish sounding surname may be an added bonus for Miami or western based teams like the Dallas, Houston and San Diego, who are looking to expand their fan base in surrounding communities.
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Arizona safety Nate Ness is a player that we've always liked as a possible latter round pick, even though we knew he was not that highly ranked by scouts coming into his senior year. Maybe his fine pro day showing last week (4.46 & 4.49/40, 36" vertical, ect.) will force scouts to take a closer look at the former JUCO All-American as draft weekend approaches? Like his cross-town rival, Troy Nolan of Arizona State, he's a pretty good ball-hawk, evidenced by his 5 interceptions in 2007 and 2 picks and 9 passes defended last season (including a huge 75 yard int of a touchdown in a 1 point @ Stanford). Ness also improved his tackling significantly as a senior....Oregon State defensive end/linebacker Slade Norris' 4.65/40 at Beavers' pro day was no surprise, as that's the exact same 40 time scouts had him projected running. Considering his excellent size (for a linebacker), speed and college production it's a minor surprise that he hasn't got more day two draft hype. Obviously, he hurt his chances of being drafted when he was injured at pro day and it's now even more likely he'll have to go the free agent route to make it in the N.F.L.
Michigan defensive tackle Will Johnson was projected as a 3rd to 5th round pick by scouts coming into the season, in part due to the fact that scouts figured he ran a freakish 4.80/40 (for a 285 pounder). While he "only" ran in the low 5.00's, reality is those are not poor numbers for a defensive tackle and his 47 bench reps, coupled with a 6' 4" frame, show he's got the size and strength teams are looking for in a 3-4 defensive end. Johnson could be a younger, perhaps stronger, version of New England's Mike Wright, who recently got a huge deal to stay with Patriots...Speaking of Big 10 defensive tackles, it looks like Northwestern's John Gill also helped himself at pro day, which is good news for some of the college football bloggers over at ESPN.com that have been hyping him for while.
It seems as if we've liked (ranked higher) Purdue linebacker Anthony Heygood more than most the last couple years. His pro day times (4.67 & 4.71/4.30 shuttle) show he's a fairly agile athlete, which is expected from a former Big Ten running back. While he may lack ideal size and strength for some systems, we think Heygood is a decent latter round prospect (or high priority free agent) that best fits in a Cover 2 scheme. Perhaps he will not need to travel far from Purdue's campus for a paycheck, as the Indianapolis Colts could be a good fit for him?....Former high school All-American Brian Toal surprised no one with his athletic performance at Boston College's pro day. But considering his injury history, he may slip out of the draft. He could be a great free agent pick up, however, as there is a chance he can start at linebacker or fullback in the N.F.L., if he can stay healthy?
Our sources tell us Texas Tech safety Darcel McBath was rising up the draft charts after the combine and it looks like his pro day times only helped his cause. One league insider currently has him projected as a 5th rounder, but admits he could go a tad higher..... Kansas linebacker Mike Rivera most definitely put himself squarely on the N.F.L.'s draft radar after running a 4.63 & 4.66 and showing off a fancy 38.5" vertical leap at Kansas' pro day. While the 6' 2", 245 pounder from Shawnee, Kansas has been dubbed the "Italian Stallion" by some of his teammates, his Spanish sounding surname may be an added bonus for Miami or western based teams like the Dallas, Houston and San Diego, who are looking to expand their fan base in surrounding communities.
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