Thanks, but don't worry, I wasn't really expecting daily comments. When it's all said and done I think the discussion will really get going because we'll be right at the start of the season. There's a number of guys who could really excel in this defense, and there are still two more safeties to go in my top 32.
#31. DON'TA HIGHTOWER, Linebacker - Alabama - Junior The other linebacker from the Alabama defense could end up being just as good of an NFLer as Rolando McClain. Hightower missed a good portion of last season, but before the injury was playing some outstanding football. Compared to McClain, he's definitely bigger and maybe even a more natural athlete, he's just obviously nowhere near his teammate was in terms of the mental part of the game. That's to be expected though, the kid being basically a freshman season and change into his college football career. Hightower will probably be best off as the hardhitting inside linebacker in a 34, I keep seeing it referred to as the thumper, but the best way of describing his role would be to say David Harris. He's a lot like Harris, he's aggressive and always moving towards the football, and, also like Harris, he'll make a lot more plays than he's given credit for. There is a question of how high should teams value a player like that, which may ultimately hold his value in this range, but if he has a monster junior year he could rise quickly despite the skill atop the MLB class.
Great stuff GH. This is becoming the first page I visit every day on TGG. I thought that Hightower would pass on 2011 & come out for the 2012 draft ---- but someone will tell him to look at what happened to Brandon Spikes when he stayed for the Sr. year at Florida.
#30. MARK BARRON, Safety - Alabama - Junior The parade of Tide underclassmen continues, with their best defensive back and only returning, full season starter (n/i the injured Hightower). Barron probably has the most potential of any saftey that could be in the 2011 class, with the ability top be a front line, complete safety in the NFL. He always seems to find himself in the right place at the right time on D, leading the SEC last year in INTs with seven. Add to that his outstanding frame and physicality and you have yourself the basic ingredients of a top safety prospect. That said, there have been a lot of safeties that have had posted big numbers early in their career only to fizzle out later, what's to stop him from doing the same? He's not the fastest safety out there, probably a step slower than Moore and Williams, but he makes up for it with his intelligence and ability to capitalize on mistakes. He fits the mold of a Strong Safety with plus ability in coverage, and should make himself a good bit of money if he can have another stud season. Doing so will be difficult with three new starters around him, but that fact won't be lost on NFL teams.
Thanks. I'm thinking Hightower might strike while the iron is hot because of two important factors. First, he already suffered one serious injury tearing two ligaments in his knee, and another big injury will bring up a lot of questions about his ability to stay healthy come draft time. Second, if that defense is a monster again and Dareus and Barron go, why risk returning and not being able to keep that high level?
Nice write up on Barron, he is a great athlete at Safety. Many though he'd grow into a OLB, but he has really excelled as Saban's "big" safety. He took a lot of risk last year, with back and forth results. He did lead the SEC with 7 INTs and 10-15(depending on who you believe) pass deflections, but also leaned on the veteran secondary, causing him to be out of place and biting way to much on play fakes. He's got to cut down on that now since he's the lone veteran now in the secondary.
Probably 6!!! My draft order of Rd 1 NC defensive players: Quinn (Top 5) Williams (Teens) Austin Carter Sturdivant Burney
Good timing. #29. BRUCE CARTER, Linebacker - North Carolina - Senior When I said Quan Sturdivant isn't the athlete that Carter is, Mr. E said that must mean BC is some kind of freak of nature. Yes, that's exactly what he is. He legitimately might be the fastest defensive player on the Tar Heels and one of the fastest linebackers in the country. Add onto that he can lift as much as anyone on the Tar Heel roster. Mix in the fact that he flashes all of these ridiculous talents on the field and there's no wonder why he's considered one of the top senior LB prospects. In addition to the athleticism that would set him apart in any class, Carter also seems to be a pretty dedicated student of the game. If you look him up, all you'll see are people that talk up his work ethic and drive to be great. That all said, the one knock that people might have is that he still hasn't been able to completely transform his athleticism into football skills. In a lesser player someone might use the term "more athlete than player", but that's not for a kid of his caliber. He's already a very good player with the potential to be outstanding. If he puts it together quickly, the sky is the limit. By the time the season's done, I wouldn't be surprised to see him much higher on this list. (PS, after all this praise, it really makes you think about how good the four LBs I have above him are.)
Hmm if some say he is a better athlete than football player, I guess it means thats who Jerry Reese is going to select next year
#28. NATE SOLDER, Offensive Tackle - Colorado - Senior If there's one thing I've learned about Offensive Tackles, is that it's never smart to bet against former Tight Ends. The athleticism that they often bring to the table in the switch over makes for a perfect skill set protecting a QB's blindside against top NFL edge rushers. Nate Solder is right in that mold, possessing ridiculous quickness for a man his size and the ability to slide and protect against even the fastest defensive ends in the game. The one question that Solder will have to answer is similar to what D'Brick had before his senior year at Virginia, could his frame hold up at the next level? He's about 6'8, and is listed at 315, but is so thin that teams will naturally be skeptical if he will be able to survive in a league full of grown men. Everyone knows what Solder can do when it comes to the athletic ability, but the NFL teams will need to see a rounded out game and a developed body during his final run with the Buffs in 2010. He should use a kid like Jason Smith as an example, another former TE that showed just enough in a spread to convince teams he could be a top tier tackle, despite the same size/run blocking questions.
#27. JERROD JOHNSON, Quarterback - Texas A&M - Senior Johnson was the guy that I thought last year would jump early and shake up the QB rankings for the 2010 draft, but he elected to return to TAMU and finish out his college career. As high as I thought of him last year, he can put himself in some fairly exclusive company for the '11 draft if he can fix some of the few errors in his game. Johnson is extremely athletic, but absolutely has the pocket passing skills of an NFL QB. The one thing that always stands out to me about Johnson is his touch, even on the run this kid can drop a pass in to a spot that few other college quarterbacks can. He doesn't have the strongest arm in the world, but it's not as much of a concern because he's already far ahead of some peers in terms of accuracy. His line isn't anything special, which accounts for a lot of his just average comp %, being forced to throw on the run often. That said, he'll go into 2011 with one of the most talented supporting casts, in terms of skill players, in the Big 12. If the line can give him time and allow him to stay in the pocket, Johnson should light up Big 12 defenses, and could find himself up around the top ten.
I'll admit, I didn't know much about Jerrod until I saw him beat out several big name QBs at the Manning Passing camp last year. But since that, I've been trying to watch as many games as I could. His game against Texas was pure brilliance, he almost won that game by himself! He does have a "hitch" in some of his throws, don't know if he's doing it subconsciously or not, might need to hire a personal QB coach to eventually fix that...
If he can put it together like that on a consistent basis he can be an absolute star at the next level. Like I said in my other post, he has the weapons to get it done. Christine Michael will be in his 2nd year, and he has three real quality wide receivers to work with including the soon-to-be breakout star (#40) Jeff Fuller.
#26. JURRELL CASEY, Defensive Tackle - USC - Junior Just one USC player in my entire top 50? Really? Sadly so, and even that one is an underclassman in Jurrell Casey. That's not to say that the team isn't still very talented, it's just that a bunch of their best prospects are younger or just breaking into starting roles. With Casey, he's going into his second full season as a starter and has a chance to develop into a top prospect. He's got some naturally explosive talent for a DT, with fantastic quickness for a man his size. My only issue with Casey is that his body isn't where it needs to be. Being 6'1, 300 is about right for a DT, but he just looks like he's carrying too much fat for a quick tackle. He doesn't have long arms and can get locked up by lineman if he doesn't get off the line fast enough, so it's imperative that he cuts some weight and gets his body in the best shape possible before the season. Now, he could also go the other way and work more over on the Nose, where he split time last year, but still he'll need to turn that existing fat into muscle.
I would say yes, but I think that he also could be effective in a defense with a base 43 that moves into 34 for stretches or in certain situations. I'm not sure that he knows exactly what kind of player he wants to be yet, though I believe we'll see it based on the shape he's in to start this season. I've read he's down to about 290, which should mean he's cut that baby fat and is ready to excel as a Mike Patterson-like under tackle. I know that Mr E thinks he could grow into a Nose for a 34, which is possible, but he'll have to add a lot of good weight to his shaky frame. If he adds size and keeps the speed, he could be a dominant NFL player.
