Every year prospects go much higher and lower than anticipated... Sometimes it's guys who virtually nobody called... So this is my list of guys who I expect to go higher or lower than expected... We all do so much posting of opinions and thoughts so it's time to be bold and make some calls and see how wrong we probably were in a couple weeks. Throw your thoughts and opinions about who's rising and falling too... RISERS - Montario Hardesty | RB | Tennessee | Mid 2nd – Early 3rd | A guy with a very well rounded game who had a breakout senior season… Could go to as high as 40 to a team like San Diego… (Best guess: 40-50, possibly to San Diego at 40) - Andre Roberts | WR | The Citadel | Mid 2nd – Early 3rd | Small-school talent with great intangibles, excellent production… Could make an immediate slot-receiver and probably a starter eventually… Could see his name called before some big names such as Demaryius Thomas and Brandon LaFell (Best guess: 45 - 64, possibly NY Jets at 61) - Jared Veldheer | OT | Hillsdale | Early 2nd – Late 2nd | Has drawn plenty of comparisons to Sebastian Vollmer… A left tackle prospect from a small school with great size and numbers… A team looking to develop a left tackle could select him surprisingly early also due to the high demand for left tackle prospects. (Best guess 35 - 45, one of the many teams looking for an OT) - Maukrice Pouncey | C/OG | Florida | Early 1st – Mid 1st | He could see his name called as early as 11 also… Versatile and a top center prospect, it seems very unlikely that he’d get past Philly at 24 (Best guess: Pittsburgh at 18. Wildcard: NY Giants at 15) - Alex Carrington | DE | Arkansas St | Mid 2nd – Late 2nd | Small school prospect looks like a perfect fit in the 3-4 and his size (6-5+ 285) is sure to catch any scouts eyes… Had an outstanding Senior Bowl week and really stood out… Look for a 3-4 team like New England or San Diego to take him in the 2nd round… (Best guess: One of the Pats three 2nd rounders) - Cam Thomas | DT | North Carolina | Late 1st – Mid 2nd | Similar to BC’s Ron Brace last draft who saw his stock rise due to his ability to play NT in the 3-4, the guys he played alongside in college, and a great post-senior season… Might be a bit overrated, but 3-4 NT prospects like this guy are in high demand… His ceiling could be the bottom of the first round to San Diego or a team trading up, but he probably won’t get further than Ron Brace did last year (Best guess: Kansas City at #36) - Daryl Washington | LB | TCU | Late 1st – Mid 2nd | An underrated LB with great speed coverage ability, he won’t be a great fit for all teams, but someone like the Saints would seem like an ideal landing spot for him (Best guess: New Orleans at 32 if Weatherspoon is gone) - Donald Butler | ILB | Washington | Late 1st – Mid 2nd | An under the radar, high riser, Butler is an ILB and OLB prospect for 4-3 teams. Possessing great speed and surprising weight room strength (35 reps), Butler could see his name called as high as the first round… Great intangibles and a great special teamer… Minnesota at 30 a possibility... (Best guess: Inside 40, maybe Indy at 31 due to his speed, intelligence and versatility) - Kareem Jackson | CB | Alabama | Late 1st – Mid 2nd | A guy with a very well-rounded game who won’t fit everyone’s system, his physical game, good size and speed will make him a desirable option for a team like Indianapolis or Minnesota at the bottom of the first or the Bucs with one of their 2nds (Best guess: Tampa Bay in the top of the 2nd round. Wildcard: Minnesota at 30) - Amari Spievy | CB | Iowa | Late 1st – Late 2nd | Appears to have received a first round grade by teams according to Walterfootball.com, Spievy possesses a well-rounded game and is very underrated. Carries a similar grade to Kareem Jackson (Best guess: Tampa Bay in 2nd also - Akwasi Owusu-Ansah | CB | Indiana (PA) | Mid 2nd – Early 3rd | Although not the best tackler and didn’t face great competition comparative to other prospects, he appears to have the potential to be a very good corner and return man with his great speed and play-making ability. A team like Green Bay, who needs some young talent at CB and has veterans ahead of him, would be a great fit. (Best guess: Green Bay in the 2nd round) - Nate Allen | S | USF | Mid 1st – Early 2nd | Reminds me a bit of Louis Delmas, who the first pick of the 2nd round by the Lions… Has virtually no true weaknesses in his game other than lack of great speed… A guy who is very NFL-ready and could see his name called ahead of the overrated FS Taylor Mays… Wouldn’t be surprised to see him taken by someone like Cincinnati at 21, but Dallas is where I foresee him going now... And ahead of Taylor Mays (Best guess: Dallas at 27... Wildcard: Cincinnati at 21) FALLERS - Rob Gronkowski | TE | Arizona | Mid 2nd – 4th Round | Definitely has the game to go in the 2nd round and become a great all-around TE, but lingering injury concerns including back problems cloud his playing future in some scout’s eyes. For this reason, he could hear his name called a lot later than some expect if teams feel his injury woes are significant. (Best guess: Someone in the bottom of the 3rd round) - Anthony Davis | OT | Rutgers | Mid 1st – Early 2nd | Doesn’t seem like a big fall here, but he’s often considered the top left tackle prospect in the class. Character concerns including poor work ethic and maturity will likely be enough to keep teams away from investing top dollar in him. On talent alone, he’s a top 5 pick, but these outside factors could cause him to fall to the bottom of the first or even the 2nd. (Best guess: Green Bay at 23, but I could even see the top of the 2nd) - Jason Pierre Paul | DE | USF | Mid 1st – Early 2nd | Is considered to have perhaps the most potential of any prospect in this impressive draft class… However, he only played one season in DI so he’ll need plenty of experience and preparation and is far from a finished product. Teams might stay away from taking Pierre-Paul early – Once considered a possible top 3 pick – because of his inexperience. Look for him to take a hit on draft day for this reason and end up being taken as late as the very early 2nd as investing big money in him would more of a risk than many prospects who have proven more like Derrick Morgan, Brandon Graham and Jerry Hughes. (Best guess: Latter third of the first round, maybe New Orleans at 32) - Carlos Dunlap | DE | Florida | Early 2nd – Mid 3rd | An ultra talented prospect with significant character concerns, Dunlap has outstanding size, speed, production and could even be a 3-4 DE. However he’s had major questions about his character, work ethic, pass-rush repertoire, and toughness. On talent, production and numbers, he’s probably a top 10 pick, but factor in these concerns and his stock could take a MAJOR hit on draft day. (Best guess: Late 2nd at least. St Louis at #65) - Brandon Spikes | ILB | Florida | Late 2nd – Mid 4th | This one has been called by many, but I don’t think he’ll fall quite as far as some have said (I’ve heard 5th and beyond)... Strictly a 3-4 ILB due to his extreme lack of speed and coverage ability, Spikes will find a home with a team like New England probably by the 3rd or 4th round due to his outstanding college career and intangibles. Might be a situational player, but he could thrive if he’s in the right system. (Best guess: Some 3-4 team will get him in the end of the 3rd or top of the 4th) - Taylor Mays | S | USC | Late 1st – Mid 2nd | I have trouble calling Mays a faller because I have a feeling one team will fall in love with his triangle numbers and hitting ability as early as the top 15… But given his lack of coverage skills, consistent tackling, play-making ability, and instincts, I see no reason why he’s even worthy of a 2nd round pick. If not for his triangle numbers and ability to light up receivers, he’s a mediocre prospect at best. Nate Allen is far superior to him IMO and deserves to go higher. If team’s are smarter, he’ll be a 2nd round pick, which is what he belong as. Though his floor might be good old Al Davis at pick 40… (Best guess: Top of the 3rd... Oh wait, Al Davis is Oakland GM.. Scratch that... Oakland at 40) ** - Vladimir Ducasse | OG | Massachusetts | Mid 2nd - Late 3rd | I've heard he had some confidence issues during the senior bowl that really turned scouts off. Apparently he was seen begging coaches to play him at guard after a few bad plays at tackle. It's something like this that can drop him from round one consideration and possibly past the second at all
Iupati can't play tackle and that hurts his stock just a little bit - he's still a mid-first round prospect. I highly doubt Carlos Dunlap will fall past the early picks in the second. He's got too much ability and potential to fall that far. Someone will take a chance on him.
I guarantee there is no way that he falls to 29. Odrick won't get past the Browns, Steelers, Pats, and Ravens. Thats far too many teams to could use an elite talent at the 3-4 DE position.
Another faller... Dez Bryant - WR, Oklahoma St. - "Oh shit, was I supposed to bring cleats to my Pro-Day?"
Way different. Calvin Johnson wasn't going to run the 40 at the combine, and then decided last second he would show everyone what he's made of. He borrowed someone else's cleats and blazed a 4.3 in the 40m....
Eric Berry will fall, not because he's done anything wrong, but because of the economics of safety salaries and top ten pick salaries.
Great read and writeup on these players. There were a few on this list that I was unsure of as far as draft status but this certainly helped clear a few things up.
I usually hate it when posters dig up old threads, but this one just shows how stupid DWare was...so it's okay in my book.
He showed at the senior bowl he'll be committing way too many penalties at any other position than LG. maybe in time he could play some RT if his OL was decimated and they needed to move him. but not as a rookie.
The more I read about Mike Iupati, the more I believe he's slated for the bottom of the 1st round. His issues in pass-protection might hurt him and some scouts feel he can't play tackle, but I've read some that say he can... I think there's a chance he'll be around at 29, but Dallas might grab him before us, which I see as the most likely scenario. Also, I've read that Vladimir Duccasse has some scouts down... Check out his page on the Draftcountdown.com forums : "JR: Getting back to the mental toughness concept. What you said there reminds me of down in Mobile (Senior Bowl week) where we stood with (the GM of his team) and watched Vlad Ducasse beg the coaches to move back inside after a couple of bad plays at tackle. Is that more of what you’re talking about? Scout: You got it. I know we said right then there ain’t no way he’s ever gonna make it. He’s afraid of getting beat and looking bad. That’s the risk you run with the smaller college guys and the kids that everyone calls “projects” (yes, he made the air quotes!). There is a hell of a lot of pressure on those kids to try and hit home runs on every pitch and never look bad. Especially early on. Some of the kids can handle it, some can’t. He can’t, and that ain’t gonna change. Move him to guard, whatever...that’s (how they handle it) hard to see from those kids that come from small schools or kids like him that haven’t played very long." I can see this hurting Ducasse's stock in a pretty big way. Might as well throw him on my fallers list...
