Early look at the 2008 NFL Draft prospects
02/01/2008
Stalter Home / Sports Channel / Bullz-Eye Home
It was shocking to see that Don Banks of SI.com has already completed his first mock draft. It’s understandable if JoeBlowMockDraftGuy.com does one before the calendar turns to February, but not you, Don Banks. Not you.
That said, I refuse to do a mock draft before the Super Bowl, and even doing one before the scouting combine is a bit absurd. However, like a kid on Christmas Eve, I just can’t wait for the draft and I’m not above taking a quick look at some of the prospects.
Below are three categories dedicated to the studs, risks and sleeper prospects of the 2008 NFL Draft. While you will find an early look at each prospect’s strengths and weaknesses, you won’t find any predictions on which NFL team these prospects will land with. You’ll just have to wait for the coming weeks because, hey, I’m no Joe Blow Mock Draft Guy.
The Studs
Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Dorsey is far and away the best prospect in the entire draft. There aren’t a ton of elite prospects, but Dorsey is certainly one of them. The only problem is that he’s a defensive tackle and most NFL teams wouldn’t dare draft a DT first overall because their impact is rather low compared to other positions. Dorsey, however, should be a sure thing at the next level and he definitely has the speed to wreak havoc in opponents’ backfields come the fall. He’s too small (6-2, 299) to play at the nose, but he should be a fantastic under-tackle and would certainly benefit from playing alongside a bigger run-stuffer.
Chris Long, DE, Virginia
Like father like son, Chris is every bit of dad Howie on the gridiron. He has an unrelenting motor and is incredibly strong. He also obviously comes from a great football family and he’s extremely quick off the edge. The fact that Glenn Dorsey is a defensive tackle might help Long out as well. Long plays a more coveted position than Dorsey and if the Dolphins don’t find suitors for the first overall pick, the former Cavalier might wind up being the first player taken next April.
Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
Some scouts are down on McFadden because they say he runs too upright. The scouts who are saying that are probably the same ones who said Adrian Peterson ran too upright a year ago. McFadden is a complete back, blessed with 4.4 speed and more-than-adequate size (6-2, 215 pounds). Some fear that he won’t be able to take the pounding at the next level, but he had a more durable collegiate career than Peterson did and is the closest thing to an elite back in this draft. He did have two off-field altercations that might derail his draft stock, however. Preliminary talk is that those incidents won’t cause him to slip out of the top five, but more will surely come out once teams start the interview process at the combine.
Jake Long, OT, Michigan
The NFL player that Long should take out to dinner is former Wisconsin Badger and current Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Joe Thomas. With Thomas having an exceptional rookie year, Long’s draft stock rose considerably. At 6-7, 313 pounds, he’s massive, and he manhandled most defensive ends he faced this year. After struggling against Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston in the final game of the regular season, Long bounced back to have a great game against Florida in the Capital One Bowl. He’s clearly the best offensive lineman in the draft.
Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State
Gholston took Jake Long to school when Ohio State beat Michigan in the Buckeyes’ final regular season game. He’s a physical marvel at 6-4, 264 pounds, and often uses his strength to have his way with offensive linemen. He’s an athletic talent who could play defensive end in a 4-3 and easily switch to an outside linebacker in the 3-4. With a solid combine, he might find himself in the top five.
The Risks
Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College
Some may be surprised that Ryan wasn’t listed among the stud prospects, but they shouldn’t be. While Ryan is drawing comparisons to Tom Brady as far as leadership and intangibles are concerned, he still doesn’t have top-level physical tools. He’s certainly the best quarterback prospect in the draft and worthy of a top-10 pick, but he doesn’t have the strongest arm and isn’t as appealing as some more recent first-round quarterback prospects (ala JaMarcus Russell, Vince Young, Matt Leinart, etc). Of course, with all the first-round busts in recent years, maybe that’s a good thing.
Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan
Play-making ability? Check. Speed? Attitude? Yikes. Manningham certainly had some terrific moments donning the Maze n’ Blue, but questions about his work ethic started to surface this season and many believe he could have benefited from staying in school another year. He isn’t the biggest guy (6-0, 178 pounds) and outside of Ohio State’s and Wisconsin’s corners, he didn’t play the toughest competition. He’s a first-round prospect, but comes with some baggage.
Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii
The warning signs are flashing bright red on Brennan. While he owns several Division I passing records, he did play in June Jones’ pass-happy offense. I hate to use the overused term “system quarterback,” but it seems to fit Brennan. He might have trouble picking up a pro-style offense and his sidearm passing motion is also a concern. Throw in the fact that he couldn’t stay healthy this year and any team that chooses him before the middle rounds is just asking for trouble.
Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers
Rice was outstanding for the feel-good Scarlet Knights, but there are major concerns about his size and whether or not he can withstand the physical pounding of the NFL. While no team is likely to draft him higher than the third or fourth round, Rice comes with more risk than UCF’s Kevin Smith, yet he’s rated higher than Smith in most draft publications. Best case scenario, he’s the next Maurice Jones-Drew, but worst case he could be out of the NFL in two or three years because of his size. He might have benefited from staying at Rutgers for another season.
Sleepers
Kevin Smith, RB, Central Florida
If it weren’t for his lack of speed (4.65), Smith would probably be considered a first-round talent. However, even though he led the NCAA in rushing this year with 2,567 yards, he’s projected to fall as low as the third or fourth round. Any team that snags Smith in the third round or later is going to get a terrific prospect at a great price. He runs hard, has great vision and even though he doesn’t have top-end speed, he does have nice quickness once he gets to the outside.
Jack Ikegwuonu, CB, Wisconsin
Ikegwuonu isn’t even considered one of the top 10 cornerbacks in the draft, but he’s going to make some team that drafts him in the later rounds very happy. He’s a true playmaker and often held his own against opponents’ No. 1 receivers. At 6-1, 193 pounds, his size is there, even though his lack of speed (4.50) will hurt him at the next level. But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a fine Cover 2 corner and special teams contributor.
Tom Zbikowski, S, Notre Dame
Zbikowski was a bright spot in Notre Dame’s horrible year. He has a reputation for being a hard worker and team leader even though he’s never the biggest or fastest player on the field. Due to his strong tackling ability, vision and instincts, he’ll make a great special teams contributor and would fill in nicely as a backup safety. He’ll remind a lot of people of the Rams’ Todd Johnson. Simply stated, Zbikowski has what teams look for in a football player.
J Lehman, ILB, Illinois
First and foremost, how cool is it to just have a letter as your first name? Lehman is relentless, and while he doesn’t have all the physical tools you look for in an inside linebacker, he was the Illini’s vocal inspiration on defense. You’ll never see him give up on a play and his dedication to the game is unquestioned.
Questions or comments? Send them to astalter@bullz-eye.com.