The Bathroom Drafter

Syd'quan Thompson, CB, California

Elite closing burst, can turn and run with any receiver.  Closes well on the ball in the air and on the LOS on running plays...has above average bulk for his height and hits with power and good leg drive.  Is a sure tackler who does a good job of wrapping up the ball carrier low.  Equally effective in man and in zone or off-man and does a god job of keeping his eyes in the backfield when turning and running.  Very aware in his zone responsibilities and has the instincts to diagnose plays as they develop.  Does a good job of always trying to get his hands in on the ball for pass breakups.  Above average transition from backpedal to turning and running with receiver.  An asset as a return man, particularly on punts.

 

Is a bit short and can get overpowered or shielded by larger receivers…will likely translate better to slot in nickel or dime package until he adds some additional bulk.  Gets a little lost in space on deep routes, particularly when covering taller receivers.  Would like to see him trust his deep help a little more in zone coverage...can get caught looking deep on short-intermediate throws.  Has below average ball skills and will drop INTs from time to time.  At times too eager to jump route and is susceptible to pump fakes.  Played a lot of off-man coverage at Cal and is a little raw in press coverage technique and redirecting receivers.

 

Projected as early 2^nd rounder

Likely to go mid to late 3^rd round 

 

 

 

 

 

Joe Haden, CB, Florida

Extremely gifted athletically with excellent height and top end speed for position.  Closes very well on the ball and is always looking to get his hand in on the pass play.  Played on offensive side of ball in high school and his ball skills attest to that…very comfortable snatching and running in the open field.  Excellent blitzer who disguises coverage, times snap well and can close in a heartbeat.  Will fight for ball in the air and his size gives him ability to fight for 50/50 ball at highest point.  One of the best in tracking receiver across the field in man coverage on shallow crosses.  Perfect CB mindset, gets beat moves on and makes next play.

 

Another corner in this year's draft who looks like a different player in zone or off-man coverage…disturbing trend here, although in this instance I am going to give a raw underclassman who played on the other side of the ball in high school a bit of a pass.  He is a willing but poor tackler in run support…the king of lunging at ankles.  Because he is a ballhawk he has a tendency to fall for pumps and fakes to the flat and can get caught out of position.  He walks a very fine line in coverage because he tries to get his hand on the ball so often…susceptible to pass interference calls in NFL.  Has a tendency to overrun WR on deep routes…needs to do a better job on staying on receiver hip or fall a bit behind and force a perfect over-the-top throw.

 

Projected as late 1^st rounder, early 2^nd rounder   

Likely to go early 1^st round

 

 

Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State

Decent size, but needs to add some bulk.  Excellent top end speed and can turn and run with anyone…tremendous athleticism and makeup speed.  A willing run supporter and is not afraid to mix it up with the big boys inside.  Shows good recognition skills and flashes ability to undercut inside routes and attack the ball.  At his best in press man coverage where he can utilize his speed and aggressiveness.  Closes well on the ball in coverage and is a good blitzer off the edge who eats up yardage to QB in a hurry.

 

Handled return duties but he is not a natural here, not enough north-south running when he sees the seam.  Does not have great hands, will drop INTs in coverage and muffs some kicks in return game.  Gets lost in space in zone coverage and off man…does not show great football instincts and gets impatient in coverage when sitting in zone for too long.  He is a poor tackler in run support and loses his technique too often when breaking down…too much lunging at legs of ball carrier not enough driving through.  Not very strong so his ability to shed blockers at second level is poor…relies too much on speed to get around blockers which causes him to take poor pursuit angles.  Uses his make-up speed to mask some poor footwork and technique, which will be exposed in NFL.

 

Projected as early 2^nd rounder

Likely to go mid 1^st round

 

 

 

Perrish Cox, CB, Oklahoma State

Tall and well built with an NFL physique right now.  Classic man cover corner who uses his size well in press coverage.  Will redirect WR and use his size to shield off position without drawing flag.  Keeps his eyes in the backfield in press coverage and reads QB eyes well without getting baited.  Very good ball skills.  Brings additional element to his game with his ability to return kicks…one of the premier return men in the nation.

 

Slow responding in run support, not sure if he hates contact or is just not reading his keys properly.  Team may be better off with him not getting to run support because his tackling his atrocious…takes poor angles in pursuit and is often off balance when breaking down.  Too much arm tackling and not enough leg drive…a run supporting CB is no longer a luxury in the NFL so he has a lot of work to do here.  It’s like I’m watching 2 different players when I compare him in press coverage versus zone or off-man…gets lost in space in zone and does not honor his responsibility and it seems his instincts and recognition skills are lacking.  Lacks ideal hip fluidity and smoothness in transition from his backpedal…stays a bit high in his backpedal.  Tracks ball poorly on deep throws whether in man or not.

 

Projected as late 2^nd rounder

Likely to go early to mid 2^nd round

 

 

 

Anthony Dixon, RB, Mississippi State

Prototypical size and weight combo leads him to be considered as one of the few true power backs in 2010 draft.  Runs with good power and leg drive and is not easy to bring down on contact.  Gets to the dirty areas and protects the ball well in traffic.  One-cut runner who is at his best running north and south and taking advantage of his good short area burst.  Will surprise a lot of people with his receiving skills and apparently surprised his coaches at Mississippi State since he really wasn’t utilized in this department to his full potential.  Has very good hands for a RB, let alone a big one and runs cleans routes…is able to sell the screen as a more experienced route runner would.

 

Runs very high in the open field, which leads to a backward lean that slows him down.  As mentioned previously, he is best as a one-cut runner and his vision and feet in the hole are average at best.  Struggles to find cutback lanes with any regularity and won’t make defenders miss in the hole…would like to see a little more short area elusiveness.  Gets a little impatient at the line and looks to run before allowing his blocks to fully develop.  Will not breakaway from anyone at the next level as his straight line speed is only slightly above average.  Dixon is an intriguing early second day pick that may blossom into a serviceable 2^nd RB on a roster with some coaching…mainly working on getting his feet to speed up in the hole.  Most backups that come into the NFL are pigeon-holed because of their skill sets, but Dixon has the ability to do everything required with a little coaching and that will make defensive matchups a problem.

 

Projected as early 3rd rounder

Likely to go mid to late 3^rd round

Joe McKnight, RB, USC

Runs with better power than his size would otherwise indicate.  Runs with excellent balance and has very good vision in the open field.  Elusive, with near elite change of direction skills and excellent burst to get to the outside and turn the corner.  A true receiving threat and can be lined up anywhere on the field as a pass catcher, has experience running pro routes out of the slot and the backfield.  Catches the ball well with his hands away from body and is tremendously athletic when turning upfield after the catch.

 

Was hailed as the “Next Reggie Bush” but never came close to meeting those expectations at USC.  Struggled throughout his carrier to hold onto the ball and will continue to have fumbling problems in the NFL because he holds the ball like a grenade.  Not a disciplined runner and will repeatedly take designed inside runs and bounce them outside, which may work in college but will not translate well at the next level…Puts his OL in compromising positions for holding calls.  Too much zig-zagging and not enough decisive one-cut running for my liking.  Although he has good height for his position he is about 15-20 lbs too lean to be a feature back in the NFL and take the punishment of 20-30 carriers every Sunday.  Very similar player to Jahvid Best, but a little less polished as a runner, but likely more of a downfield receiving threat.

 

Projected as early 3rd rounder

Likely to go mid to late 3^rd round

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon

I’m not going to waste a lot of time here because any positives written will be negated in the next paragraph and that is mainly because he is maddeningly inconsistent and he is carrying more baggage than a 747.  Sometimes he runs with power and shows the force his skill set and size suggests he should be, but too many times he does not.  He too often looks fat and out of shape on film and it’s anyone’s guess if there will be a team that can provide him with the structure necessary to excel in the NFL and make the most of his talents or if he will just be the next Ron Dayne and out of the league in a few years.  He has major character issues and maturity problems and is too much of a risk for anyone to spend more than a 5^th rounder on, but his talents in either case do not translate to more than a late 3^rd rounder.

 

Projected as 5^th rounder

Likely to go late 3^rd round to early 4^th round

Montario Hardesty, RB, Tennessee

May be a darkhorse candidate for RB that will surprise most in his rookie year in NFL.  Good bulk and is tall but runs with very good pad level and appears shorter on film than actually size.  Punishing runner who finishes his runs well.  Always leaning forward and looks to deliver blows instead of receive them.  He is a very patient runner who is willing to let his blocks develop before hitting the hole.  Good feet in the hole and runs with power from the get go.  Constantly churning his feet and fighting for extra yards.  Can be a threat in the receiving game as he has soft hands and looks fluid turning upfield after the catch.  Has the speed and quickness to turn the corner on designed runs to the outside.  Protects his body and ball well when he is sifting through hole and in traffic and does not take huge hits.  Played behind a below average run blocking OL at best and still produced good numbers.  Pretty good in pass protection and will not get overpowered at POA.

 

Has decent, but well below elite burst and will not be a homerun hitter in the NFL.  A step slow in changing direction when he sticks his foot in the ground, lacks the explosiveness to make guys miss with regularity.  Consistently carries the ball with his inside hand and does not make an effort for proper carrying technique in the open field.  Injury concerns loom as he missed most of 2008 with various injuries…concern with his running style.  Would have liked to see him show up better for big SEC games and bowl game, but not sure how much of this was OL versus him and because of this he is difficult to scout…a bit of an unknown based solely on what the film shows. 

 

Projected as late 2^nd rounder

Likely to go early to mid 3^rd round

 

Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford

Not the biggest, fastest or most talented but he just shows up and plays football every week…production and competitiveness are unquestioned.  Was able to excel even when defenses knew he is the only weapon and keyed on him.  Powerful runner with great leg drive and will not quit on a play.  Feet always churning and he will make people regret trying to arm tackle him.  Showed that he can carry a full load at the next level and the punishment that comes with it and still excel.  Has an underrated burst on outside running plays and excellent vision inside.  Does not have elite feet but is able to consistently setup defenders to make them miss with change of direction.

 

Not a threat out of the backfield, has good hands but does not have the speed to create separation down the field.  His threat as an NFL receiver out of the backfield will be limited to 2-3 yards from LOS as a QB safety valve.  Lacks explosiveness at second level…will not be running away from anyone.  Is tall for his position and he makes it worse by running high, he will take a beating in the NFL if he doesn’t make the adjustment and doesn’t consistently get his pad level down.  Is very stiff in the hips and does not have great feet and elite footwork…will need to make his living absorbing contact between the tackles, which is going to be very tough to do for an extended period of time.

 

Projected as early to mid 3^rd rounder

Likely to go early to mid 3^rd round

 

 

Dexter McCluster, RB, Ole Miss

Excellent hands, a true threat out of the backfield as a receiver within 5 yards of LOS.  Causes havoc on defenses when he has the ball in his hands in the open field.  Elite suddenness in short spaces, able to change direction on a dime.  More quick than fast, but will very rarely be caught from behind.

 

Another running back where size is a major concern.  Too short to be a downfield passing threat and will not be able to carry more than 5-10 times per game at next level…a true scat back, more than any other RB in 2010 draft.  Very fumble prone and does not show that he is making progress in this area…repeatedly makes same mistakes in ball security.

 

Projected as late 3^rd rounder

Likely to go early to mid 3^rd round