RS12
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April 1st
- As we reported on twitter last week, teams around the league have first round grades on approximately 15 players (give or take a few) and have stamped as many as 60 players second round grades. This further proves the weakness at the top of the draft and the terrific depth at a few positions. Conversations with people have lead us to believe there’s a real chance the back half of round one could offer a number of surprise picks considering the drop off in talent. After talking with several league insiders since the middle of last week here are eight names who could squeeze into the second half of round one, starting with the obvious:
1) Arthur Brown/LB/Kansas State: Brown has been on a straight shot north since his outstanding pro-day performance. Factor in the sliding draft stock of Kevin Minter/LSU and Manti Te’o/Notre Dame and Brown is looking more and more like a top 32 pick.
2) One of the quarterbacks; Matt Barkley/USC, E.J. Manuel/Florida State or Ryan Nassib/Syracuse: This will likely be the result of a team trading from the early part of round two back into the first round, though it won’t be the Cleveland Browns this time.
3) Jamar Taylor/CB/Boise State: Taylor’s senior film is terrific and teams like the fact he’s scheme diverse.
4) Zach Ertz/TE/Stanford: We thought Ertz was first round worthy all along though many in the league cooled on Ertz after the combine.
5) Robert Woods/WR/USC: Woods struggled with an ankle issue all last season and lost out to super sophomore Marquis Lee. Back in August, Woods was ranked as a first rounder on this site but I foolishly came off that opinion. Teams have said the Woods they saw at the combine and pro-day is reminiscent of the dominant receiver from the 2011 film.
6) Jonathan Franklin/RB/UCLA: Concerns over Eddie Lacy are being voiced louder in the scouting community (more on that later). With no clear cut number one at the running back position, teams like what they see from Franklin, whom they compare to Frank Gore.
7) Eric Reid/S/LSU: Reid has made a late charge up draft boards. We don’t agree he’s first round material but the thought has been passed to me from those I respect.
8 ) Blidi Wreh-Wilson/CB/UConn: I posted several times prior to the combine that Wreh-Wilson was the wildcard at the cornerback position. His fantastic pro-day workout from last week puts to ease the minds of teams considering him in round one. Fact is when completely healthy (watch his sophomore film) Wreh-Wilson is a shut down corner with first round skills.
- The frustration over Eddie Lacy/RB/Alabama and the fact he’s pushed his workout back to April 11th is beginning to boil over. Scouts are questioning whether Lacy is too injured to run or just too slow.
- I was told last week D.J. Hayden/CB/Houston has eight visits set up. Hayden has struggled with a hamstring issue and ran the forty just once at pro-day (albeit 4.42-seconds) after not running at the combine. We hear he hopes to resume workouts for teams around April 13th.
- Former Missouri running back Derrick Washington, who lit it up at Tuskegee last season, is visiting the Kansas City Chiefs and has a private workout scheduled with the New England Patriots. Washington was dominant during his Missouri days and looked like a prime NFL running back prospect before being sidelined with legal issues.
- Looking for a sleeper in the late rounds or after the draft at linebacker? Keep Taylor Reed of SMU in mind. Besides being a terrific football player the 5′ 11.5″/240lb linebacker timed 4.62-seconds in the forty after completing 29-reps on the bench at pro-day last week.
http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=6884
- As we reported on twitter last week, teams around the league have first round grades on approximately 15 players (give or take a few) and have stamped as many as 60 players second round grades. This further proves the weakness at the top of the draft and the terrific depth at a few positions. Conversations with people have lead us to believe there’s a real chance the back half of round one could offer a number of surprise picks considering the drop off in talent. After talking with several league insiders since the middle of last week here are eight names who could squeeze into the second half of round one, starting with the obvious:
1) Arthur Brown/LB/Kansas State: Brown has been on a straight shot north since his outstanding pro-day performance. Factor in the sliding draft stock of Kevin Minter/LSU and Manti Te’o/Notre Dame and Brown is looking more and more like a top 32 pick.
2) One of the quarterbacks; Matt Barkley/USC, E.J. Manuel/Florida State or Ryan Nassib/Syracuse: This will likely be the result of a team trading from the early part of round two back into the first round, though it won’t be the Cleveland Browns this time.
3) Jamar Taylor/CB/Boise State: Taylor’s senior film is terrific and teams like the fact he’s scheme diverse.
4) Zach Ertz/TE/Stanford: We thought Ertz was first round worthy all along though many in the league cooled on Ertz after the combine.
5) Robert Woods/WR/USC: Woods struggled with an ankle issue all last season and lost out to super sophomore Marquis Lee. Back in August, Woods was ranked as a first rounder on this site but I foolishly came off that opinion. Teams have said the Woods they saw at the combine and pro-day is reminiscent of the dominant receiver from the 2011 film.
6) Jonathan Franklin/RB/UCLA: Concerns over Eddie Lacy are being voiced louder in the scouting community (more on that later). With no clear cut number one at the running back position, teams like what they see from Franklin, whom they compare to Frank Gore.
7) Eric Reid/S/LSU: Reid has made a late charge up draft boards. We don’t agree he’s first round material but the thought has been passed to me from those I respect.
8 ) Blidi Wreh-Wilson/CB/UConn: I posted several times prior to the combine that Wreh-Wilson was the wildcard at the cornerback position. His fantastic pro-day workout from last week puts to ease the minds of teams considering him in round one. Fact is when completely healthy (watch his sophomore film) Wreh-Wilson is a shut down corner with first round skills.
- The frustration over Eddie Lacy/RB/Alabama and the fact he’s pushed his workout back to April 11th is beginning to boil over. Scouts are questioning whether Lacy is too injured to run or just too slow.
- I was told last week D.J. Hayden/CB/Houston has eight visits set up. Hayden has struggled with a hamstring issue and ran the forty just once at pro-day (albeit 4.42-seconds) after not running at the combine. We hear he hopes to resume workouts for teams around April 13th.
- Former Missouri running back Derrick Washington, who lit it up at Tuskegee last season, is visiting the Kansas City Chiefs and has a private workout scheduled with the New England Patriots. Washington was dominant during his Missouri days and looked like a prime NFL running back prospect before being sidelined with legal issues.
- Looking for a sleeper in the late rounds or after the draft at linebacker? Keep Taylor Reed of SMU in mind. Besides being a terrific football player the 5′ 11.5″/240lb linebacker timed 4.62-seconds in the forty after completing 29-reps on the bench at pro-day last week.
http://www.draftinsider.net/blog/?p=6884
