here is full list;
6. Dane Fletcher, OLB, Montana State DE/OLB; 6-2.5, 250, 4.62 … Continuing yesterday’s theme regarding prospects for 3-4 teams, Montana State OLB Dane Fletcher is an emerging small-school pass rush specialist who is getting some extra looks from teams around the league running that scheme. Fletcher, the Big Sky Conference defensive player of the year, is something of a tweener at around 6-2, 250, but he has a very quick first step, excellent closing speed and a non-stop motor. At his pro day, Fletcher ran a couple of 40s in the low 4.6 range and showed plenty of explosion and athleticism as he posted a 36-inch vertical leap, while recording times of 4.35 in the short shuttle and 6.93 in the 3-cone drill. In fact, Fletcher would have been among the leaders at the position at the combine in both the 40 and 3-cone agility drill. Fletcher also managed a very respectable 29 reps in the bench. Fletcher was able to transition that athletic to the field where he had 7 sacks and 10.5 other tackles for loss in 2009 despite missing two full games with a non-football illness, while being slowed in several others with nagging injuries early in the season. For good measure, Fletcher also blocked a couple of kicks during the year. Fletcher played mostly as down-DE in college so is still very raw around the edges when it comes to playing LB, especially in coverage where he does cover a fair amount of ground but isn‘t that instinctive or fluid when the ball is in the air. Fletcher will also need to add to his arsenal of pass-rush moves as he will get hung up at the line of scrimmage if he doesn’t beat his man with the initial step, however, the athletic talent is clearly there for him to become a solid outside rusher in the pros.
5. Sean Lissemore, DT, William&Mary, 6-3.5, 298, 4.75 ... It may be a bit of an oxymoron to describe an emerging 3-4 defensive lineman, most of whom are pretty big guys, as sleepers, but one worth a mention is D1A William & Mary DT Sean Lissemore. An unusually large number of NFL personnel people went to the school's pro day earlier this month mostly with the intention of checking out tweener DE Adrian Tracy, but couldn't help but notice Lissemore, a near 300-pounder with uncommon quickness and athleticism for such a big man. Indeed, Lissemore reportedly ran the 40 in close to 4.70 seconds, while recording times of 4.55 in the short shuttle and 7.60 in the three-cone drill, both of which would have been among the top ten for defensive linemen at the combine. In fact, Lissemore is a good athlete who was actually a sprinter in hig school as well as a state-ranked wrestler. Lissemore is coming off a solid season at William & Mary where he had 66 tackles including 6.5 sacks and 7.5 other tackles for loss; and just to show his athleticism he also picked off a couple of passes and blocked a kick. And the NFL is starting to notice as he has received a number of invitations to visit pro teams in the coming weeks including Arizona, Atlanta, Seattle and Jacksonville, as well as both the Giants and Jets. Lissemore is also getting attention as both a 4-3 DT, as well as 3-4 DE where his size and athleticsm would make a very nice match.
4. Callahan Bright, DT, Shaw; 6-2, 315, 5.10 … If the football gods believe in second chances; actually if they believe in 4th or 5th chances, then Shaw DT Callahan Bright may be their man this year. Callahan was a legitimate five-star prospect coming out of high school in 2004 when he was considered to be one of the top 5-10 recruits in the country. Bright originally signed with Florida State but never played a down with the Seminoles. In fact, he never qualified academically and spent the next several years wandering from prep school to junior college to working on a garbage before finding a home this past season at DII Shaw. In between he fathered a child and spent some time in jail. Finally back on the field this past season, Bright had a decent season by DII DT standards, posting 48 tackles including 7.5 for loss, but hardly dominated the way scouts would have liked to see from a prospect playing at a lower level. Bright, though, remains an intriguing physical specimen. He‘s a 62, 315-pounder who has reportedly run under 4.95 seconds for the 40; he’s also as strong as a horse in the weight room and has an explosive first step and the strength to maintain leverage when he gets penetration. And while he’s a real longshot to be drafted, Bright could draw some free agent from teams hoping that they might get the light to finally go on with this guy who really is down to his final chance.
3. Scott Sicko, TE, New Hampshire, 6-4.5, 250, 4.55 … In what is a pretty good draft year for the position, Sicko is a very good lower-level receiving TE. In fact, the sure-handed Sicko had 160 career receptions at UNH for over 2,000 yards; that included career highs of 57 catches in 2009. Sicko has soft hands, the ability to get open underneath and the speed to stretch defenses; he‘s also a solid red-zone target who had 9 TDs last fall. Sicko is also a very good athlete who ran the 40 in a quick 4.55 at the team‘s pro day, while he posted times of 4.55 in the short shuttle and just under 7.00 seconds in the 3-cone drill, the latter which would have been among the better figures at the combine. Even though Sicko has bulked up to just over 250 pounds, he still isn’t going to get much of a push drive blocking,a lthough he will put a hat on people.
2. Pat Simonds, WR, Colgate; 6-5.5, 225; 4.55 … It seems each draft year just about every team in the NFL, or at least their fans, are looking for the next Marques Colston, the one-time obscure 7th round pick by New Orleans who has gone on to become one of the most productive wideouts in the game these days. And the 2010 draft is no exception where the answer to the question ‘who is this year’s Marques Colston?’ could be Colgate University WR Pat Simonds. Simonds with the size - he’s a rangy 6-5-plus, 225-pounder - to be something of a match-up problem at the next level. In particular, Simonds has the ability to use his frame to shied smaller DBs off the ball; he also has excellent hands and can go up and get the ball in traffic. Indeed, Simonds was a very good red-zone target, albeit at a lower where he had 28 career TD receptions including 14 in 2009. And while thought of as more of a possession-type receiver prospect, Simonds is a better than average athlete who ran in the mid-4.5 range for the 40 at his pro day and posted a 36-inch vertical. Plus, for a taller receiver, Simonds showed good agility in both the short and 3-cone drills where he had times of 4.20 and 6.70 seconds respectively, both of which would have been among the best times for receivers at the combine. Despite the fact that Simonds is a pretty good athlete, he still lacks real explosion off the line of scrimmage as well as that extra gear when the ball is in the air. For the record, Simonds had 170 careers receptions at Colgate on which he averaged ober 15 yards per catch, although he isn’t particularly dangerous with the ball in his hands after the catch.
1. Cory Greenwood, LB, Concordia (Canada); 6-2, 236; 4.50 … Canadian universities have never been particularly fertile grounds for NFL teams looking for pro prospects, however, that may be changing ever so slowly. Last year, for example, former Western Ontario DT Vaughn Martin was a surprise 4th round pick by San Diego, while Bishop’s RB Jamall Lee also drew some interest and eventually signed as a free agent with Carolina. And earlier this month, the CIS got some attention from the NFL when Bishop’s WR Steven Turner blitzed a 4.31 40 clocking at the CFL’s draft evaluation camp. While some NFL teams could be attracted by Turner’s speed, he’s actually not all polished a receiver; in fact, the best prospect in Canadian college football this year is Concordia LB Cory Greenwood. Greenwood, the CIS defensive player of the year is a 6-2, 236-pound specimen who is an outstanding athlete. Indeed, Greenwood put up numbers at the CFL camp that would have put him among the top LBs at the combine. Greenwood, for example, ran a 4.50 40 which would have been the fastest time among players at the position; he also clocked a 4.22 short shuttle, which would have been the second best time among LBs at the combine, while posting a 40-inch vertical leap which also would have been #2 at the combine. For good measure, Greenwood also managed a more than adequate 24 reps in the bench press. While he is a workout warrior who is also known for the time he spends in the film room, Greenwood is a tough, physical player with sideline-to-sideline range and decent instincts in coverage. Overall, Greenwood had 72 tackles in 2009nwood, including a couple of sacks and three other tackles for loss in the short Canadian college 8-game schedule. Greenwood also held up reasnably well as one of the two Canadians invited to this year's Shrine game. The issue though for Greenwood is that while he is a good athlete, he is very raw and will clearly need some developmental time to make it at the next level. There is also a question whether he is better suited to play inside or outside. Greenwood has mostly played ILB in Canada, but may be atd undersized for that slot in the NFL, while he is not necessarily a natural pass rusher off the edge.
If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail the Editor, Great Blue North Draft Report. The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 692-1088; by fax at (613) 951-0387;or regular mail at 320 Shadehill Crescent, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2J 0L6.
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