I know I'm talking to myself here, but I'm an NFL draft junkie. When I was preparing for my developmental draft I took a harder look at many of the 2010 prospects and came away with some impressions.
OVERRATED
RB LaGarrette Blount, Oregon - Blount had gaudy stats last year and is an impressive specimen on paper. He's athletic for his size and he has good straight line speed, but I tend to favor more compact backs with better change of direction skills. Blount occasionally flashes some ability in this department, but at other times he just looks like a big tall guy with limited footwork. Elusiveness is critical in the NFL and if he isn't able to avoid contact then he won't be successful at the next level.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcL5WdSEAcE
WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois - Benn was considered one of the top recruits in the country as a high school senior. He's been a good player for Illinois and there are many onlookers who think he's one of the premier talents in the country. As of right now I'm not one of those people. Benn is a physical specimen who certainly looks the part of a starting NFL WR, but from what I've seen he doesn't play with great suddenness or burst. I'll be keeping a close eye on Benn this season to see if he can justify the hype. At the moment I think he's a bit overrated.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_fQ6AwW_Nk
WR Brandon LaFell, LSU - LaFell is another player whose early hype is a bit puzzling to me. Most pundits have him ranked as the top senior WR in college football, but he doesn't stand out to me as an exceptional talent. Though he has good straight line speed and size, LaFell is not a true burner with great route running skills nor is he an overpowering possession WR who will punish defenders and pick up yards after the catch. For someone with so much hype, LaFell's game is pretty vanilla. From what I can tell he's closer to Buster Davis than he is to Dwayne Bowe. I'll re-evaluate him before the 2010 draft, but right now I'm not impressed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpLLlAGHGns
WR Damian Williams, USC - I liked Williams out of high school and I have to give him credit for his breakout season at USC, but I don't think he's a strong pro prospect. He's not big enough to be a possession WR and although he has good vertical speed and burst, I don't know if he's ever going to be a good route runner. I think he's a bit of a tweener.
EARLY TOP 12
1. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State - Lacks burner speed, but hyper athletic with great size. A better Dwayne Bowe.
2. RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech - Nice combination of size, speed, and elusiveness. Looks like a late first round talent.
3. RB CJ Spiller, Clemson - Jaw-dropping speed and athleticism. Questionable instincts. Needs to prove he can carry the load.
4. RB Jahvid Best, Cal - Dynamic athleticism and skill. Size and durability are major question marks. Warrick Dunn or Leon Washington?
5. WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati - Productive player with great combination of instincts and physical ability. Second coming of Santonio Holmes.
6. RB Stafon Johnson, USC - Not a flashy back who makes highlight reel runs, but versatile 215 pounder with NFL starter potential.
7. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma - Bradford shows some signs of greatness. Then again, QBs are always a crapshoot.
8. WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois - Production and pedigree are hard to ignore. Needs to show me more burst next season.
9. WR Damian Williams, USC - Dominates his competition. I'm not quite sure how his game translate to the NFL.
10. RB LaGarrette Blount, Oregon - Legit talent or fool's gold? Hard to say. Upside is intriguing if he pans out.
11. WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech - Hard to evaluate because he's never targeted. Intriguing tools. Needs to show some burst and route running.
12. RB Darren Evans, Virginia Tech - Productive in a major conference. Might not have the physical ability for the next level.
This list will change drastically over the course of the next 8 months, but it's a fun starting point.