GH, awesome work. Greg Jones is one of my favorite players in the upcoming season. Jones is all over the field.....a non-stop motor and great team leader. I've watched ton's of Big Ten Games and Jones is one the league's best MLB ever...and that's quite a compliment. I probaby should've rated Jones higher, his size kept him ranked a little low....but I could see Jones being a solid Mid Round 1 pick next April. The Giants would covet a player like Jones.
I think any team that needs a middle linebacker for the 4-3 and passes on Jones, they are crazy. The reason I like Jones is (as mentioned before) is that hes going to come in and produce
624....couldn't agree more my friend....just check my avatar. Ayers is going to be a solid NFL player. I believe Ayers is best suited to play 3-4 OLB, but could play 4-3 Sam postion as well.
It's the beauty of finding a 34 OLB with an actual college linebacker background. 90% of these guys are defensive ends that need to be retaught things they haven't worked on since they were in high school, which means they aren't effective as rookies unless they are just turned loose on the QB. There will be one more 34 OLB coming in a couple days that will be playing a similar role this season after most pass-rushing so far in his career.
It's the same thing as when Vilma came out, WW. He's not a freak like Patrick Willis, he's just a consistently outstanding football player. The height will matter until he puts on an NFL jersey and he starts doing the same thing he's done at MSU. QFT. Like WW said, a team like the Giants will probably be sitting right in the middle of Round 1 and will jump all over him. Agreed, and probably inside in a 34 as well. That might depend more on what scheme (the Jets being one of them certainly with the way DH crashes the line), but this kid has serious versatility.
#16. MARK INGRAM, Running Back - Alabama - Junior I couldn't even tell you how hard it was to slot Ingram on this list. In it's initial form, he was up in the high 20s, my thinking being that as good as he was last year, he's not exactly a can't miss back. Then I started remembering all the plays he made, all the tough runs, all the touchdowns, and I bumped him up a little. Then I watched some RB highlights and up he went a little more. I think around this spot is a fair resting point for the Heisman winner as we wait to see his encore performance. When it comes to NFL potential, he doesn't have any really outstanding physical traits, he's just very good across the board. What separates him is what does the same for all backs without burner speed or tremendous power, and that's vision and intelligence. A lot could be said about what smart, tough runners do in the NFL, just ask Curtis Martin and Emmitt Smith. Now don't get me wrong, I know that Ingram has all the tools that an NFL team would look for in a back, and seems to be a fantastic kid as well, especially after all he's gone through with his father. Am I certain that he'll be an elite player in the NFL? No, but that'd be a tough yes to give anyone, but I am fairly sure he'll have a very effective place in the league for a long time.
#15. VON MILLER, Linebacker - Texas A&M - Senior Von Miller is the kind of pass-rushing prospect that 34 teams will slap a very high value on. The kid's just a natural at getting into the backfield, 21 tackles for loss and 17 sacks last year are proof enough of that. Miller has a perfect skill set for getting to the quarterback, tremendous speed, great change of direction speed, and a relentless nature. If Miller even comes close to replicating how dominant he was last season then he's a lock for Big 12 defensive player of the year. To be as perfectly honest as I can, there are few teams at the college level equipped to stop a player like Miller, unless there are some more Russ Okung's hiding out in the conference somewhere. Where Miller fits into the draft picture is a whole different discussion from his collegiate dominance. Whereas a guy like Akeem Ayers is going to be given a bump up because of his experience in coverage, Miller needs to prove the coverage ability to earn his top 15 spot. He's not a big guy and probably won't be able to add a ton of weight, so a team has to really wonder if he can handle a three down spot as a 34 OLB. Most teams convert college DEs because they have the size to match up to pro tackles, and I'm not sure Miller will ever get to the point. Unless he shows an equal ability against the run and impresses in increased opportunities in coverage, he may drop. He'll also need to expand his pass rush repertoire, that repeated speed rush works well in college but won't in the pros. But after all the negatives, why is he so high? Because I just can't see this kid not making a huge impact at the NFL level. He's got a Derrick Thomas body with Derrick Thomas potential.
Very difficult to know when Miller will be drafted. Miller could fall into the 20's, since teams don't usually draft converted position plays too high.....except the Jets 2 years ago. I was hoping Miller was going to declare for the draft last April.
Miller is a linebacker technically in that defense, he just rushed the QB almost all the time. The coaches said that he'll be used a lot more in a drop back role this season, probably in order to better prepare him for the NFL. I saw some article that said it was going to be a 60-40 split this year, after what I can only imagine was a 90-10 split (if not more) last year.
#14. DEANDRE MCDANIEL, Safety - Clemson - Senior DeAndre McDaniel is a bad man. He is about as close to the prototype modern safety as you're going to find, big: speed and ball skills like a free safety, and size and ferocious hitting ability like a strong safety. To watch him play is to just be amazed by dominant ability, there's no way to watch a Clemson game and not see him flash all over the field. McDaniel made the move from LB to safety for the Tigers in 2009 and responded with 8 picks, 98 tackles (6 for loss), and 2 sacks. Not to say his 100+ tackles and 3 picks in his first two seasons as an undersized LB weren't impressive either. The fact that he was so dominant made it a huge upset returning to Clemson for his senior season. McDaniel will find it hard to improve his stock very much this season, because it'll simply be tough to play any better than he did in 09. He was lights out, and if he matches his play then he should cement himself as a legitimate top 15 pick. If he puts up great workouts on top of it, he could sneak his way into the top ten. The only black mark on his resume is an arrest over two years ago, but the events surrounding it were sketchy from the start. Either way, McDaniel is a kid whose talent will have even teams in the top ten giving it some thought.
#13. AARON WILLIAMS, Cornerback - Texas - Junior 99% of the time, underclassmen cornerbacks have the same scouting report: fast, great ball skills, playmaker, but right now more of athlete, needs to be more consistent, poor run defender, and finally tons of potential. Aaron Williams is like that player, minus all of those pesky weaknesses. Williams is the rare junior corner with a developed set of skills, watching play as even a sophomore and it would be hard to think he'd only been a starting for a handful of games. While he's certainly the best prospect, he's also the best player returning on the Horns roster for next season. Williams is not only an fast, athletically gifted cover corner, he's also one of the best run supporting DBs in the country. UT coaches always put an emphasis on corners that can be physical, and Williams is no exception. The only thing that one could really say about him is that he'll need to add weight to what was last year a lanky frame, but considering he was a whopping 19 years old last year I'm not too concerned about his ability to get bigger by the time he's in the NFL. To have guys Williams and McDaniel not even in the top 12 shows the incredible talent present at the top of this draft. Williams could easily end up a top 5 pick.
#12. RYAN MALLETT, Quarterback - Arkansas - Junior Mallett is one of the most physically gifted quarterback prospects that you are ever going to see. There are guys with rocket arms, but very rarely are they 6'7, 240 lb monsters like Mallet is; and equally rarely is the term "rocket arm" not good enough of an analogy to describe how strong his arm is. Mallett could probably have thrown for 30 INTs last year and still be talked about as a potential first round pick, but it's a lot easier to put him up here knowing that he threw 30 TDs compared to only seven picks. Mallett last season played a lot better than many expected, especially from an accuracy perspective, even though he was plagued by a handful of really miserable performances. Mallett could be a #1 overall pick very easily, he just has too much natural ability to not be in that consideration. Are there going to be smarter, more efficient quarterbacks available at the top of Rd 1? Probably, but there won't be any that can create a sonic boom like Mallett can, which gives him a leg up above the rest IF he plays to his complete potential. He needs to avoid having those games where he falls apart, and turn some of those close SEC games into victories. Arkansas lost games last year against Florida, Alabama, LSU, Georgia, and former coach Houston Nutt's Ole Miss team; if Mallett leads the Razorbacks to wins in a couple of those games next year and he'll get a big momentum boost.
#11. JONATHAN BALDWIN, Wide Receiver - Pittsburgh - Junior If you were wondering where all the receivers were (none since #36), here you go, and get ready for a lot more. Baldwin is a freak, you can't teach 6'5 230 with that type of speed and agility. He was dominant at times last season for the Panthers, hitting the 100 yard mark seven times (and one with 98), and scoring eight touchdowns, many of which were of the highlight reel, leaping over people variety. Baldwin did have some rough games against top competition, like Rutgers CB (and 1st round pick) Devin McCourty, but will have another season to drop those blips on the consistency radar. Baldwin owes a lot of the hype about his potential to the success of guys like Vincent Jackson and Plaxico Burress, who proved that being 6'5+ doesn't mean that you can't have the athleticism of a top flight NFL wideout. Baldwin proved that he can do just about anything on the field, going up and snaring passes over the middle, working down the sidelines, and even putting on some moves taking a reverse 60 yards in their thumping of Syracuse. The only thing holding him back are the other wideouts that sit in front of him, all of which make up a group of four that could be one of the strongest receiver classes in a long time.
I agree that Mallett has the most amazing arm strength. Still, I'm not sold on guys coming out of Bobby Petrinos system.
#10. MICHAEL FLOYD, Wide Receiver - Notre Dame - Junior The best chance of Brian Kelly having any short term success with the Fighting Irish rests in the hands of this man. Kelly challenged Floyd during spring camp to take his game to the next level, and he's apparently been responding in a big way. We'll see exactly how far his game has come in a couple weeks, but the sky is truly the limit with his ability. He was a deep-ball monster for the Irish during the seven games he was healthy a year ago, scoring 9 touchdowns and averaging over 18 yards per catch. In the four games after returning from his injury, he averaged 8 catches for 110 yards and a TD, so there shouldn't be any concern about his health. The thing that he needs to improve is what most people use to critique young wideouts, he needs to develop his game so that he isn't relying solely on his physical gifts. He can run down field and make plays because he's big and fast enough to just dominate most corners, but he can't get away with that in the NFL without running great routes. That's really where Brian Kelly has focused his own questions about Floyd's game, and if he's able to figure that out there will be a lot of people drawing comparisons to Andre Johnson. He has the same build as Andre, the same speed, and the same ability to use his body to make plays. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UlP5pdYBdw[/youtube]
GH...enjoying your rankings. Your write ups are really spot on. It's amazing how close our rankings are rated. Our major disagreements would be ...Carmini, Locker and Dion Lewis. * Spoiler Alert....Glad to see a certain ACC RB is rising up your charts. I'm a huge fan!! I haven't updated my Top 50 rankings (5/18) in a while and will do so probably Mid-Sept.
#9. GREG ROMEUS, Defensive End - Pittsburgh - Senior Potential is a dangerous word when it comes to prospects in the top ten, but sometimes it's just too great to overlook. Romeus is a kid that had only been playing organized football for four seasons, and yet he's turned himself in a 270 lb monster that was conference DPOY and an All American across the board in 2009. Romeus was for the most part a dominant force for the Panthers last season, but that's nothing new. He will be a key part of a defense that should be good enough to help the Panthers win a Big East championship, and there's no question a lot of NFL execs will make sure he's stepping up to the spotlight. It was a smart move going back to school for Romeus, because as impressive as he's been at Pitt and as developed as his body is, he still has some work to do before he's an NFL ready player. Long arms and athleticism mean passrusher, but he's also got a lot of strength packed into his body, and could potentially be a dominant, all around DE. If there are weaknesses in his game, they can all be worked out in time, namely by way of a good defensive line coach. If Romeus can mature his game as a senior, he could be a serious impact rookie, and be on his path towards an All Pro career. PS, he's a 43 end, and that's it. [YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtR-GHikncs[/YOUTUBE]
#8. JULIO JONES, Wide Receiver - Alabama - Junior A man capable of just about anything he wants on the football field, all he needs to do is keep focused. Jones has almost everything that a team could ask for in a wideout, from speed, strength, fearlessness, and a body that allows him to simply make cornerbacks irrelevant. Jones came into Alabama as one of the most talked about recruits of the decade, and hasn't really done much to disappoint. Sure, his sophomore season wasn't as great as his freshman year, but that's what will happen on teams focused on running and defense. Still, he could stand to up the numbers in 2010 if he means to hold off the last two receivers mentioned, or have ANY chance of catching the player to be named. If I had to compare Jones to anyone, I'd say Terrell Owens. Both are so big and strong that it's almost impossible to find a one on one matchup defensively. On top of that, both have the same ability to make a tough, clutch play over the middle, beat a man deep, and catch a screen and take it to the house whenever he wants. That said, he has the same negatives as TO, specifically when it comes to focus and drops. His nature will probably make NFL wonder if Julio fell off as a soph only because of the offense, or because he saw himself becoming less of a focus on offense. If he fixes that one small flaw, there's no reason that TO comparison won't continue to mean tons of NFL success. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdkKiphw4f4[/youtube]
