2011 Draft, one at a time (+ Top 40)

Yeah, pretty much. Because he's a quarterback a ranking in the 30s means 1st rounder, but what he does this year will determine whether or not he deserves it. The thing is, even if the Huskies have a good season and he does well, he doesn't have the QB tools of a Johnson, or for that matter anything near Luck or Mallett.

 

#38. ALLEN BAILEY, Defensive End - Miami - Senior



Ah, Allen Bailey. Of any player on my top 40, he's the guy I've seen play the most by far. Bailey is clearly one of the most physically gifted football players in the country, no one could possible argue that. Still, he's got some work to do if he wants to reach that high regard with his play on the field. Coming in at about 6'4 285, Bailey could play and excel at any spot on the defensive line, but will probably play out at end where he can use his uncommon athletic ability to make plays. That's not to say he isn't as strong as an ox, because he could just as easily play inside at tackle.

His greatest weakness is consistency, and that's largely due to the inability of the Hurricanes staff to put him in a position to succeed. They toyed with his position, moved him around too much, and now are just hoping he can give them one more season of solid football. Bailey is the kind of guy who should be a much better pro than college player, and for that reason may go a lot higher than this after workouts.

 

I think that issue is largely due to his being moved around so much in his time with the Canes. He was a linebacker in HS, started out there with Miami, moved to DE, then to DT, and then back to DE. He never had a chance to develop a skill that a lot of athletic ends have because of their countless snaps at the position. He still needs to learn a lot of the fundamentals of the position, that's the only way that he'll be able to turn that athleticism and potential into talent.

 

I have 6, too, but only four in the top 40. Austin and Burney were up there in the 40s.

 

I had the luxury of ranking after the whole agent thing came out, which is a big part of the reason why I have him so much lower than your rankings. It's not so much that he was at the party that bothered me, more the fact that he was at the center of the whole thing. Such a lapse in judgment from a guy with motivation/effort concerns really bothers me.


As for Quinn, he's up there, but I'll let out a little spoiler and say he's not #1. Very close though.

 

#37. QUAN STURDIVANT, Linebacker - North Carolina - Senior



Mr. Everything for the UNC defense. As good as some of the players on that front seven are, Quan's probably been the most consistent player on that defense for the past three seasons. He's not the athlete that his fellow LB Bruce Carter is (few are, really), but he's more of an old-school type that isn't afraid of being physical.

His tackling is probably his best attribute, so while he won't do much in terms of spectacular plays, he'll end up as the guy with 10-12 tackles every time he puts on the uniform. He got arrested a few weeks ago for marijuana possession, but I'm not expecting ole Butch to sit down his soon-to-be four year starter for very long. I also wouldn't consider it to be much of a blow to his draft stock, and expect to see him go early in the 2nd where unspectacular senior MLBs always seem to fall.

 

#36. RYAN BROYLES, Wide Receiver - Oklahoma - Junior



Broyles was one of the Sooners that decided to go back to school, probably hoping that a full season with Landry Jones will get him the big plays to push him into Rd 1. Broyles might not be a 6'4+ physical specimen like the other top guys, but a kid with his skills definitely has his place among the top 40 picks. He seemed to really get a good chemistry going with Landry Jones, so getting a full offseason with him as the starter will only make things better.

Broyles has pretty good speed, but it's his overall athleticism that separates him from the pack, both literally and figuratively. He can change direction on a dime and can run quality routes, which makes up for the lack of a 4.3ish 40 that most 1st round WRs at his size have. He's also made a ton of big plays as a return man for the Sooners, which could help him make an impact from the moment he steps on an NFL field. Right now I'd mark him as an early favorite for the Biletnikoff with a legitimate chance at catching 100 passes.

 

#35. RAS-I DOWLING, Cornerback - Virginia - Senior



The comparisons to Chris Cook are going to be constant, so it's best to get that out of the way first. Cook is a little bit bigger than Ras-I, and actually is the more natural athlete of the two. Ras-I is a better player right now though, even though there are some technical aspects of his game that need work.

The issue with Ras-I is that he might not have the speed to stay at corner at the next level, unless he's able to put up Cook/Sean Smith like numbers in workouts. He'll be fine if he moves to safety though, because he's got fantastic ball skills and is a much better hitter/tackler than he's given credit for. Even if it takes a year or two of merely solid play at corner, my gut says that he'll eventually emerge as a pretty good free safety.

 

#34. RAHIM MOORE, Safety - UCLA - Junior



A true ballhawk in a deep, talented class of safeties. He's one of my favorites in the class, and should rise up if he can duplicate his outstanding sophomore season. The man picked off ten passes last year, the type of season that would have won a senior the Thorpe Award going away. He still has some work to get his fundamentals in order, namely his below average technique when it comes to tackling, but his positives make the negatives forgettable.

Moore is probably the best safety in coverage of the top four or five in the class, and without a dominant, Eric Berry type it's open for a youngster like him to move into the #1 spot. It will be tough, though, when there's a few more complete safeties than him, but if he can add some weight and learn how to tackle he'll be a dangerous, dangerous player at the next level. His attitude is also something that separates him from most, he really does seem to have that Rex Ryan mentality.

 

#33. ANTHONY COSTANZO, Offensive Tackle - Boston College - Senior



About to enter his fourth year as a starting tackle for one of the great offensive line factories in football, Costanzo will get himself a lot of NFL attention this season. He started off his career on the right side and moved over to left tackle his sophomore season, blocking for the franchise, Matt Ryan, during his senior season. He's been tremendously consistent and fundamentally sound, like all BC lineman, but may lack the spark to emerge as a top 3 tackle in what should be a very strong and deep class.

He's reasonably athletic, but not so much so that scouts would see him as a top ten or fifteen guy, nor is he a physically dominating presence on the line. That said, I don't see him having anything other than a solid-strong senior campaign, and so I wouldn't expect him to go anywhere further than Rd 2, or for that matter much higher than late 1. Not all teams are looking for these potential-laden, future production prospects, Costanzo could conceivably be a day one starter. One thing he needs to focus on is shining when he gets matched up with a top passrusher, and not getting devastated like he was against Robert Quinn last season.

 

#32. DEUNTA WILLIAMS, Safety - North Carolina - Senior



Just another piece of a safety class that will end up being one of the deepest in the 2011 Draft. Whereas Moore had some ways to go in terms of rounding out his game, the same can't really be said about Deunta Williams. Big, strong safety that could play either spot at a high level because of and equally impressive ability against the run and the pass. He's been a key part of that Carolina defense since he was a freshman, and could probably have started this season on an NFL team had he elected to go pro this year.

Because safeties that aren't freaks of nature won't get that top ten value, guys like Williams will get pushed down. I have him down as a late Rd 1 pick, but all of the players I have between this spot and pick 19 or 20 are almost identical in value. Williams could easily be about ten spots higher, and all he does well will not be lost on NFL teams come next April.