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Ongoing thread on 2010 NFL Draft prospects

abpanther

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how did Alterraun Verner CB UCLA play?

Verner wasn't all that visible, mostly because Temple didn't challenge him. He made a good tackle on a short pass in the first half, but that's all I really remember about his game. The fact that he was hardly noticeable probably indicates that he had good coverage and the quarterback didn't throw his way.
 

Tom155

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Have you seen any of these three wrs play? A couple of my sleepers
Dezmon Briscoe Kansas
Mike Willams Syarcuse
Danario Alexander Missouri leads ncaa in recieving yds

Williams is a 1st round talent but has major discipline issues

Have you seen bowling green wr freddie barnes play? he leads the ncaa in yds nearly and he leads tds. BG play tommorrow before the nebarka game so it will be interesting to see how he goes
 
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abpanther

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The Champs Sports Bowl is over. This was my first opportunity to see Wisconsin DE/OLB O'Brien Schofield, the guy with two last names, and I like him! He had two sacks and forced a fumble with one of them, and he generally had nice pressure on the quarterback for most of the night. What made him stand out, though, was a fourth-quarter play in which he dropped back in coverage, showing great back-pedal and hip turn, and then turned back upfield and closed on an underneath receiver to wrap him up for a minimal gain. It was an athletic play that indicates his potential value as a 3-4 OLB.

Another guy I liked in this game was Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi, a junior who may come out early. He's 6'7 315 and was excellent in pass protection. He's a good run-blocker, too, but he has a habit of diving at the defender whenever he pulls, rather than running through them the way Anthony Davis does. That's a coachable flaw, however. He's just a big ol' rugged guy! In the first quarter, he got rolled up from behind and down on the field for awhile with what looked like a knee or ankle injury, but he only missed a couple of offensive series and played the rest of the game. I liked his body language, too: he walks around like he owns the field.

Wisconsin also has a pretty good junior left guard in John Moffitt (6'5 325). Moffitt was All-Big 10 this year at guard after starting all season at center the previous year. He could be a decent second or third-round pick if he comes out early. He's a road grader who also does a good job in pass protection.

Finally, I really liked Wisconsin tight end Garrett Graham, listed at 6'3 250, who is not only a really good run blocker, but who had 6 receptions for 73 yards. He also fumbled once, but what the hey. He ran good routes and showed good hands. When Wisconsin needed it, he was the go-to guy tonight. Graham finished the season with 51 receptions for 620 yards and 7 TDs.
 
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abpanther

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Have you seen any of these three wrs play? A couple of my sleepers
Dezmon Briscoe Kansas
Mike Willams Syarcuse
Danario Alexander Missouri leads ncaa in recieving yds

Williams is a 1st round talent but has major discipline issues

Have you seen bowling green wr freddie barnes play? he leads the ncaa in yds nearly and he leads tds. BG play tommorrow before the nebarka game so it will be interesting to see how he goes

I've seen Danario Alexander a couple of times this year, and I like him, he's probably a second- or third-round pick.

I've seen Dezmon Briscoe a couple of times and I like him quite a bit. Like Alexander, he's likely to go between rounds 2 and 3.

I haven't seen Freddie Barnes but I'm very interested. He's almost certainly going to set the record for number of receptions in a season, so he's got to have something going for him.

I'm not interested in Mike Williams as a draft prospect, who quit on his team this year.
 

abpanther

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The wide receiver I like best from this draft (besides Dez Bryant, who is gonna go very high) is Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard. He's a clutch player and one of the best kick returners in the country. He will go in the first 2 rounds guaranteed.
 

Tom155

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The wide receiver I like best from this draft (besides Dez Bryant, who is gonna go very high) is Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard. He's a clutch player and one of the best kick returners in the country. He will go in the first 2 rounds guaranteed.
ive heard good things about carimi and graham. dez bryant is the clear top wr and will most likely go top 10 even with him being suspend nearly all year

I like gilyard too also Eric Decker he's a great possession reciever that has good intangibles and always seems to get open. Jordan Shipley, Golden Tate are a couple of small but very good wrs shipley like gilyard brings that added value in the return game as well.

Terrell Hudgins, and Kerry Meier who plays with briscoe at kansas are two more sleepers

Very good WR class the next 2 years
 
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Tom155

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Whats your opinion on Damian Williams, Jahvid Best, J Dwyer, CJ Spiller, Ryan Matthews and who is your top RB?

From the miami game what's your thoughts on Miami DT Allen Bailey and Graig Cooper before he hurt his knee?
 
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abpanther

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Whats your opinion on Damian Williams, Jahvid Best, J Dwyer, CJ Spiller, Ryan Matthews and who is your top RB?

I like all of these guys. I think that Spiller is the top runningback in this draft, with Best and Dwyer as late first-/early second-round picks, and Matthews as a solid second-round pick. I'm a big Toby Gerhart fan, and I rate him higher than anyone I know of as the next-best runningback behind Spiller.

I rate Dez Bryant as far and away the best wide receiver in the draft and a top-ten pick, but I've got Damian Williams in the same grouping as Mardy Gilyard and Golden Tate as potential late first-round picks.

From the miami game what's your thoughts on Miami DT Allen Bailey and Graig Cooper before he hurt his knee?

I didn't pay any attention to these guys individually, but the Miami defensive line as a whole decisively lost the battle in the pits.
 

Raider_69

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Gerhart is #2 RB imo too
And Tate is close to, if not #2 behind Bryant aswell

both going to be first rounders imo

Ab, who do you rate as the best DE's and LB's in this draft?
I think these are the positions the Eagles will target in the first 2 rounds.
I've herd Brandon Spikes and Carlos Dunlap are on their board. Seems to be mixed opinions on these guys, your thoughts?
 

abpanther

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I just finished watching the thrilling finish of the Humanitarian Bowl, in which Idaho went for two with four seconds on the clock and converted for a one-point victory. It was one of those games in which neither defense could even slow the opposing offenses down. Bowling Green went ahead by seven with 32 seconds left, but Idaho only needed 28 seconds to score the touchdown and the two-point conversion.

The attractions in this game were Bowling Green wide receiver Freddie Barnes and Idaho guard Mike Iupati. Not only did neither player disappoint, but both players were spectacular. Barnes came into the game with 138 receptions on the season, and needed five more to set the all-time NCAA Division-1 record for receptions in a season. He had six by the end of the first quarter and finished with 17 for 219 yards and 3 TDs, including the apparent game-winner before Idaho's final 28 second drive. Idaho knew he was going to be the primary target on nearly every pass play, but they were helpless to stop him. Barnes runs extremely precise routes--we're talking right-angle cuts--and has a pair of the softest hands I've ever seen. He makes every catch look easy. Unfortunately, because he runs a 4.65 forty, NFL scouts reportedly have little interest in him. The sideline reporter said that she talked to three NFL scouts who were there to look at Mike Iupati, and none of the three had any interest in Barnes at all. Barnes will probably get drafted in about the sixth round and lead the NFL in receptions some day.

This was my first look at Mike Iupati, and let me say HOLY sh*t! This guy doesn't just open holes, he blows up the defensive line like TNT! On one touchdown run, he shoved the defensive tackle aside, and while still using his left arm to hold off the DT he blasted the inside linebacker out of the hole with his right arm. This was a pretty typical play for Iupati, who was tossing aside and pancaking defenders all day long. He's equally effective as a pass blocker, and he hasn't allowed a sack all year. Iupati is 6'6 330, and he doesn't have a belly. His legs and upper body are massive. He's built very much like Carl Nicks. But he's faster--much faster! I admit that I'm frequently prone to exaggeration, but I'm not exaggerating when I say that Iupati pulls and obliterates defenders as quickly as Guy McIntyre in his prime--incredible for a man his size! Iupati isn't perfect (yet). He blocks a little high sometimes, which causes him to wrap his arm around the defender. That's called holding, and he did it more than twice, but he was never called. He might not be able to get away with that in the pros, at least not until he's established himself as a star. He's also a little too nice. Often when he pancaked his man, he would help him up and pat him on the head after the play. Generally, I like my linemen to be meaner, but I'll make an exception in his case.

This guy is a definite first rounder, in fact, and given some of my previous posts this may sound a little incredible, I would take Iupati ahead of Anthony Davis. And I wouldn't move him to tackle, either, although I think he could do it. No, I'd leave him at left guard, because he's going to be an All-Pro at that position sooner rather than later. He's too quick and too strong to fail. Put him next to the center and you've got an instant power running attack.
 
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Tom155

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told you iupati would be a star

those are some big compliments for barnes too
 
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Mhartew

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Case Keenum had a pretty bad day today. With stats of only 222 yds 1 TD and 6 Int's, by all means he had a bad game by his usual standards. I still like the guy and I reckon he could go to the NFL, but wow he had a shocker. In fact the whole Houston team didn't play well. Maybe they had their minds on celebrating new years instead of the game.

The Air Force running game looked very good, with some big numbers from Jared Tew and Asher Clark. They were both impressive in the 3 option style they had going. The Houston defense couldn't stop them.
 

Raider_69

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I just finished watching the thrilling finish of the Humanitarian Bowl, in which Idaho went for two with four seconds on the clock and converted for a one-point victory. It was one of those games in which neither defense could even slow the opposing offenses down. Bowling Green went ahead by seven with 32 seconds left, but Idaho only needed 28 seconds to score the touchdown and the two-point conversion.

that game was f**king awesome
watched it before heading out yesterday
 

abpanther

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Watched the Sun Bowl, unfortunately for Stanford, Gerhart couldn't do it all by himself. They really missed Andrew Luck.

I thought that Gerald McCoy played a good, but not spectacular game. He clogged up the middle and was part of a team effort to contain Gerhart. I was also impressed with Oklahoma defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger, who was once highly regarded, but who suffered a very bad knee injury last year and has played sparingly this year. If he regains his full health, he could be a hell of a pick in a later round. He's a mean, violent guy who is prone to personal fouls, so he could be something of a problem for coaches to handle.

The guy I watched most closely in this game was Trent Williams, who played the whole game at center. It was his first game at center, though he has practiced the position. I have been saying disrespectful things about Williams all year, and I wanted to watch this game with an open mind and allow him to impress me. He did, sort of. It was clear that he lacked experience at center, as he had trouble picking up blitzers and, in general, finding the right man to block. He also tipped off a screen pass by leaving his position too soon in order to get out in front of the receiver. That said, I actually like Williams better at center than I do at tackle, and I suspect that he might be at his best in the NFL as a guard. Williams is extremely strong, and he plays with good leverage. Once he locks on, it's lights out for the defensive player. No one beat him once he engaged. He's got a good punch and good leg drive. The problem, though, is that he blocks in a phone booth. He is heavy-legged and slow. He can block the man in front of him, but that's about it; you can forget about him pulling or trapping or getting to the next level to block linebackers. When he plays tackle, speed rushers can blow right by him. On the inside, he's much more effective, as long as he isn't asked to do too much. I can see him having an NFL career as a Nate Newton style of road-grader guard, where he is only responsible for the defensive tackle in his immediate area. He might even learn to play center. He's got some potential. I certainly wouldn't waste a first-round pick on him, however.
 

Tom155

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The two guys that impresse me today were the two lewis's & LB's for oklahoma Travis #28 and Ronnell #56, Ronell especially, he made some big hits and plays on d and special teams and travis came up with an int that led to an oklahoma td
 

abpanther

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The Chick-Fil-A Bowl is over. Tennessee was in the game until wide receiver Denarius Moore dropped a sure touchdown bomb, after which his whole team simply fell apart.

A lot of interesting prospects in this game, led, of course, by Eric Berry, whom Todd McShay rates as the number-one prospect in the draft (I think McShay's real role at ESPN is to make Mel Kiper look good). Berry hit a guy hard enough in the first half to send him to the sidelines vomiting. Virginia Tech, though, did a good job of avoiding Berry for most of the game. He made a couple fairly routine plays, but really wasn't much of a factor.

I was interested in taking a good look at Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton. I've seen him, and I'm ready to move on. He made some good plays, but overall he didn't seem to have very good football instincts or pocket presence.

I also wanted to watch Montario Hardesty, the kind of big back that our gm likes. Virginia Tech stuffed the run pretty well, but Hardesty looked good to me. He runs with power and decent speed, and he blocks well. He also caught 4 passes for 79 yards and looked pretty natural catching the ball. If he's still around in the fourth round I'd be interested.

I liked Tennessee offensive tackle Chris Scott, 6'4 345, who has started at guard and who would no doubt be moved inside in the NFL. He's a bruiser, but he moves well, too, for a big man (better than,
let's say, Trent Williams, to pull an example out of thin air).

Big Dan Williams, 6'2 330, had a pretty good game in a losing effort. He mostly lined up on the nose and was able to get off blocks and stuff holes. He also pursued well and was able to get some
penetration. I think he's a late first-round/early second-round pick who has the potential to develop into something special.

On the Virginia Tech side, smallish defensive end Jason Worilds had a terrific game. Tennessee came into the game having only given up 12 sacks on the season, but Virginia Tech picked up 6 sacks tonight. Worilds led the effort with two sacks and a forced fumble (he might have shared one of the sacks). He put some consistent heat on the quarterback. Worilds will probably be a 3-4 linebacker in the NFL, and he appears to be athletic enough to handle it. I think he's likely to stay in school, but if he comes out early and is around in the third round, I'm interested.

He's not considered a pro prospect, and he'll probably never play a down at quarterback (except possibly in a wildcat formation) in the NFL, but I really liked Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor. He has a quick delivery, a strong arm, and put the ball on the money most of the time. He's also just plain cool. On one play, he faked a handoff, walked slowly and casually back a couple of steps, hiding the ball on his hip, as nonchalant as you please, and very sneakily handed the ball to a wingback on a reverse. It fooled the entire Tennessee team and went for a big gain. It was the best "statue-of-liberty" type play I've seen outside of Boise State. Taylor is under 6'1, so the NFL won't be interested in him, but I hope someone gives him a chance. He's a good athlete, and I think he deserves to be on an NFL roster in some capacity. Maybe somebody will take a flyer on him as a kick- return specialist or a wildcat quarterback and then find out that he can carry a team as a starting QB.
 
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