In this thread, everyone should name their favorite late round prospects. Let's try to keep it in this format - name, position, school, height and weight, and a little blurb on why you think the specific player will have success in the NFL. I'll kick it off with this guy: Captain Munnerlyn Cornerback University of South Carolina 5'9 185 Munnerlyn was terrific as a sophomore at USC, but had a down season in 2008 -- mainly because the Gamecocks switched to more of a zone coverage scheme and CM is more a man-to-man corner. I was very surprised when he declared...he's a player that would've benefited from another year in school. "The Captain" has a similar playing style to former Gamecock corners Dunta Robinson and Fred Bennett. CM's a very dangerous return man - He's been clocked in the 4.3s. Right now, he projects as a 4th or 5th round pick - but if he runs well at the combine he could jump into the 3rd round.
David Bruton Safety University Of Notre Dame 6-2 210 He has good size, he has speed, he is a playmaker, can force INT with coverage skills, he takes good angles to the ball, has pursuit speed. Tackles low, and wraps ball carriers up in the open field, has good hands on him, had a few INT in his career. Was a team captain so can lead, and he is also a pretty good 'gunner' in special teams. Projected Round 4-5.
Bradley Fletcher CB Iowa 6-2 205 Solid player for the Hawkeyes that may project to Safety in the NFL. Not the most fleet-footed player, but plays the game with smarts and hustles. Plays the run very well and has improved his coverage skills. I project Fletcher to be a selected in Rd 5.
Kory Sheets RB Purdue 6-0 210 Good Running back that would be a nice addition to TJ & Leon. I would still love to get a feature back (Shady), but it probably won't happen. Sheets is a sturdy RB that can catch out of the backfield and isn't afraid to run between the Tackles. Was a good special team player also. Reminds me of Cory Boyd, Broncos. Sheets isn't as fast as Boyd (4.5), but plays a similar game. If Sheets could run 4.3-4.4 (will probably run 4.6), he would be mentioned in Rd1......Sheets was very productive....Doesn't have Beanie's or Moreno's burst. BTW, when a RB can run 4.3+ area(Beanie) it's usually the difference between a Rd 1 pick and a Rd 5 pick....as long as the Rb was productive.
Glen Coffee RB University of Alabama 6-1 200 It might be a stretch for him to project into a NFL running back, but he could be had in the 5th round, and i think thats good value. He had a good O-line in Bama, he hits the hole hard, he has good speed, not spectacular, can receive out of the back field. Rushed for nearly 1,400 yards and 10 TD's. I like what is aw from him.
Arian Foster RB Tennessee 6'0" 230lb Tennessee's offense went past joke all the way to face-palm, but still Foster played surprisingly well, especially considering the whole "nine guys in the box" thing. Foster doesn't have great speed but he has great vision and power. He is notorious for fumbling the ball but when the entire game is on your shoulders and you have no help, you should be glad that he did as well as he did. He apparently showed up to the senior bowl out of shape, though - While I like him as a football player, this says a lot about his motivation. Foster should be gone in round 4 or 5. Andre Brown RB NC State 6'0" 225lb Andre Brown is a very mature back - He has excellent vision and patience, and has very good hands. Sadly, he is lacking in speed and doesn't have the strength to be a power back in the NFL. I think he is a very hit or miss player and will either surprise people or not have much of a role on whatever team drafts him. He can also be expected to go in round 4 or 5. Darrel McBath S Texas Tech 6'1" 200lb A three year starter at safety for the Red Raiders, McBath picked off six passes last year and eleven in the last three. All Big XII, McBath is a safety that I like as a sleeper in this draft. Stryker Sulak DE Missouri 6'5" 250lb Missouri isn't exactly known for its defense, and Sulak has issues to address. He may not even be drafted, but I feel the same way about him that I did about Jameel McClain last year - He should be drafted in round 6 or 7 and converted to a 3-4 linebacker. With work, he could start in the future, though he will start off purely as a special teams player, maybe with some time backing up the linebacker position. He won't be some great steal who will end up starting his first year and surprising everyone, but I feel that if put in the right system (like Ryan's in Balt or here in NY), he could contribute substantially. After a few years of coaching, of course.
Mike Thomas Wide Receiver University of Arizona 5'8 200 Thomas is one of the best route runners in college football. His height may be an issue, but he's compact -- a lot like Steve Smith. MT is very agile and elusive...dangerous after the catch. As of right now, he's a late 3rd or early 4th rounder...I could see him shooting up boards after a good combine - especially after his Senior Bowl performance.
Jaime Thomas OG Maryland 6-4 335 Big player (road grater) plays the run very well, needs to work on pass protection. Would be a nice player for depth and to back-up Faneca. I had him in my first and only jet's mock. Smart Kid....on and off the field. RD 5/6 player
Anthony Reddick S "THE U" 6-0 210 Was outstanding as a Freshman.....stood out and looked like a Vet player. Multiple injuries (ACL) have slowed his career. Game never recovered from injuries. Was involved in the huge Melee (fight).....bonehead actions during the fight. I believe he was swinging his helmet. I would take a chance on this kid in rd 6/7 or FA. If he plays like his freshamn year, you have a steal.
Otis Wiley S Michigan St 6-2 215 Watching alot of Big Ten games...IMO....Wiley always stood out. Around the ball, good tackler, not very fast, but plays quick. Much better prospect than Eric Smith from the same school. Could become a solid starter in the NFL. Rd 4-6
Marko Mitchell Wide Receiver University of Nevada 6'3 210. A very decent 40 in the 4.45-4.49 range for a guy his size. Had a very disappointing week at the East-West shrine game. But has 3 solid years experience - led team receiving past 2 yrs - both over 1,000 yards with a 20 YPC average. 5th rd draft pick who might be heard about in 2yrs from now.
Cole Popovich Offensive Guard Fresno State 6'4 290 If Cole Popovich could stay healthy, he would be at least a third round pick...at least. As a freshman he was a unanimous first-team Freshman All-American and as a sophomore he was considered by many to be the best lineman in the WAC - but after the remarkable start to his college career, CP couldn't stay healthy. As a junior he missed 5 games with knee issues, however he was stellar when he was on the field. In 2008, he was injured early on, but started 8 games - helping lead the way for two 800+ yard rushers and a 600+ yard rusher. There's no doubt in my mind he'll make it with a NFL team. I can see him being drafted in the mid-to-late 6th or early 7th round.
Sammie Lee Hill Height: 6-4 | Weight: 331 | PositionT | College: Stillman College Player Profile Overview Stillman College has not produced a load of players to the NFL, but when scouts went to the "other school" in Tuscaloosa to check out Brian Witherspoon in 2007, they couldn't help but notice the big man inside. Hill played defensive end as a senior, despite his 6-foot-4, 328-pound frame, because coaches wanted to prevent double-team blocks from taking him out of the action. The result was his most productive season yet (59 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and a second straight first-team All-SIAC selection. His agility and girth are coveted by scouts, making him a potential middle-round pick in 2009. Analysis Positives: Tall with muscular overall build and long arms. ? Displays excellent agility and quickness for his size. ? Uses a punch and good hand play to discard offensive tackles at the line of scrimmage. ? Swats chipping running backs away like flies on the outside. ? Good closing speed and has the length to wrap up in the backfield. ? Flashes the initial quickness inside. ? Bull rushes his man into the pocket when one-on-one inside. ? Breaks down on the edge and changes direction well for his size. ? Could project as a 3-4 defensive end. Negatives: Looks like a man among boys against lower level competition, especially when lined up on the edge, but must prove he can handle the next level physically. ? Fails to consistently get off double teams when inside. ? Must work on lowering his pad level so he's not stood up to lose the leverage battle against NFL offensive linemen and be susceptible to cut blocks. ? Doesn't chase or hustle consistently.
I got two names for ya, Marlon Lucky(RB) and Kaluka Maiava(LB). Lucky was a high school legend here in LA but SC and UCLA stayed away from him because of academic difficulties and so he went to Nebraska. He had some big years there, but a weak senior season due to injuries and competition for carries. I think being a Neb hurt him, they kept changing the offensive scheme while he was there, went through coaching changes and had a lot of competition at the RB position. At a different school he would have made a name for himself. This kid is sort of a jack of all trades, master of none, that's not good enough to be drafted in the first 3 rounds but he will be a steal if drafted later on. He's really just a younger Thomas Jones, that won't get Jet fans hearts racing but getting that in the mid to late rounds would be a steal. Great hands, great at receiving the ball, good but not great speed, good but not great power. Can return kicks and appears to have no character issues. Since Callahan coached him at Neb I expect the Jets to draft him. Drafting Lucky in the 4th round is better than getting one of these retreads that keep making the news. Kaluka was a top ten LB prospect coming out of high school and would have been a four year starter at most D-1 schools. At SC he had to wait behind Keith Rivers for three years. Only starting for one year really hurt his NFL chances. Plays well in kick coverage, was named ST player of the year twice. He's too small to go before the fourth round, I doubt any 3-4 team will draft him. If the Jets get him his hustle and toughness will make him a fan favorite, sort of a defensive version of Wayne Chrebet.
Lawrence Sidbury DE 6'4, 265 from my alma mater, Univ. Richmond MVP of Division I-AA national championship. Great speed and technique off of the edge. Will benefit from NFL conditioning to bulk-up.
This is a guy I am very high on for the Cover 2 scheme. Has good coverage skills and is physical in supporting the run.
Jason Boltus, QB, Hartwick Whenever the NFL invites a D3 kid to the combines, they're telling you this kid is special, he has that wow factor and they want to get a closer look. Boltus is a big kid with a very strong arm and his numbers were eye popping in 07 and 08 where he threw for nearly 4000 Yards in each of the past two seasons with a combined total of 84 TD Passes and 22 INT's. Its a huge jump from D3 to the NFL and its going to take some time, if it happens at all, but IMO Boltus is well worth a late pick with minimal risk and a possible high reward down the road. Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty I don't know if he'll be a late pick, that might be wishful thinking on my part, but if he's still on the board in the mid to later rounds he could be the steal of the draft. Much like Boltus this kid has great size and his numbers were outstanding, but this kid also had D1A talent and played one year at Pitt before transferring to Liberty. Could be a very good Power-Back at the next level.
