here is master link that takes you to DL/LB/DB pages...
each section has in-depth profile that is exemplar & representative for position (not surprisingly, mario williams, hawk & huff are featured)... rams needs section... plus a general positional breakdown & look at top NFL prospects...
i think jim thomas is local STL journalist, but i think he used to do a lot of pro prospect profiles for the NFL (?)... his name would come up a LOT when i would do research & call up a players name on google with key words pro prospect profile...
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...F3?OpenDocument
Top defensive linemen in the NFL draft
04/11/2006
Player ... Pos. ... Ht. ... Wt. ... College
Mario Williams ... DE ... 6-7 ... 295 ... North Carolina St.
Brodrick Bunkley ... DT ... 6-3 ... 306 ... Florida State
Manny Lawson ... DE-LB ... 6-5 ... 241 ... North Carolina St.
Tamba Hali ... DE ... 6-3 ... 275 ... Penn State
Haloti Ngata ... DT ... 6-4 ... 338 ... Oregon
Don't overlook: Mathias Kiwanuka (DE), Boston College; John McCargo (DT), North Carolina State; Gabe Watson (DT), Michigan; Kamerion Wimbley (DE-LB) Florida State; Claude Wroten (DT), Louisiana State.
Sleeper: Chris Gocong (DE-OLB), Cal-Poly. Anyone who records 23 1/2 sacks in one season, as Gocong did in '05, is worth a look.
Fun fact: The full name of Stanford DT Babatunde Oshinowo is: Babatunde Oluwasegum Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa Oshinowo Jr.
Quotable: "For anyone who doesn't know, my grandfather was prime minister of Uganda, and unfortunately, he was assassinated before I was born. My parents came to the U.S. separately, and met here through a mutual friend." - Boston College DE Mathias Kiwanuka.
One year ago: In a rarity, no defensive linemen were taken in the top 10. Troy DE Demarcus Ware, at No. 11 overall, was the first of five D-linemen taken in the first round.
Outlook: N.C. State's Mario Williams may be the safest pick in the draft and should be a top five pick. Defensive linemen, particularly pass rushers, always are overvalued in the draft. Seven or eight could go in the first round this year.
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Top linebackers in the NFL draft
04/12/2006
Player ... Pos. ... Ht. ... Wt. ... College
A.J. Hawk ... OLB ... 6-1 ... 248 ... Ohio State
Ernie Sims ... OLB ... 5-11 ... 231 ... Florida State
Chad Greenway ... OLB ... 6-3 ... 242 ... Iowa
Bobby Carpenter ... OLB ... 6-3 ... 256 ... Ohio State
D'Qwell Jackson ... ILB ... 6-1 ... 230 ... Maryland
Don't overlook: Abdul Hodge (ILB), Iowa; Thomas Howard (OLB), Texas-El Paso; Roger McIntosh (OLB), Miami; DeMeco Ryans (OLB), Alabama; Gerris Wilkinson (ILB), Georgia Tech.
Sleeper: David Dixon (OLB), Hutchinson (Kan.) C.C. Academically ineligible last season, but had a staggering 43 tackles for loss and five blocked kicks in junior college in '04.
Fun fact: Ohio State ILB Anthony Schlegel likes to go boar-hunting with knives.
Quotable: "In the summertime, you have to mend fences, you have to throw bales, move the pigs, help the cows have their calves. There's many things you guys have probably never seen or heard of, to be brutally honest." - Iowa's Chad Greenway, on his chores on the family farm in South Dakota.
One year ago: Only three LBs were taken in the first round, and two of them - LSU's Shawne Merriman and Georgia's David Pollack - were DE-LB 'tweeners.
Outlook: One of the better LB crops in recent years. Hawk is a certain top 10 pick. As many as eight LBs could go in the first round if you include DE-LBs Manny Lawson (North Carolina State) and Kamerion Wimbley (Florida State), who were listed with the defensive linemen in Wednesday's Post- Dispatch.
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Top defensive backs in the NFL draft
04/13/2006
Player ... Pos. ... Ht. ... Wt. ... College
Michael Huff ... S-CB ... 6-0 ... 204 ... Texas
Tye Hill ... CB ... 5-10 ... 185 ... Clemson
Jimmy Williams ... CB-S ... 6-2 ... 213 ... Virginia Tech
Johnathan Joseph ... CB ... 5-11 ... 193 ... South Carolina
Antonio Cromartie ... CB ... 6-2 ... 208 ... Florida State
Don't overlook: Jason Allen (S-CB), Tennessee; Kelly Jennings (CB), Miami (Fla.); Richard Marshall (CB), Fresno State; Donte Whitner (S), Ohio State; Ashton Youboty (CB), Ohio State.
Sleeper: Danieal Manning, (S-CB), Abilene Christian. Dynamic playmaker scored college TDs on kickoff returns, punt returns, recovered fumbles, interceptions and receptions.
Fun fact: Missouri safety Marcus King is the brother of Texas defensive back Michael Huff.
Quotable: "I feel like I'm the best defensive back in the country. No matter where they play me, I know I'm going to do a great job for them, know I can come in and play right away." - Virginia Tech's Jimmy Williams, on whether he'll play corner or safety in the NFL
One year ago: Headed by West Virginia's Pacman Jones (No. 6 overall, to Tennessee), six DBs were taken in the first round. More DBs were taken in the draft - 50 overall - than any other position.
Outlook: Huff, Hill, and Williams all should go in the top half of the first round, and as many as eight DBs could go in the first round. There is a lot of size among the top corners this year.
BY JIM THOMAS
each section has in-depth profile that is exemplar & representative for position (not surprisingly, mario williams, hawk & huff are featured)... rams needs section... plus a general positional breakdown & look at top NFL prospects...
i think jim thomas is local STL journalist, but i think he used to do a lot of pro prospect profiles for the NFL (?)... his name would come up a LOT when i would do research & call up a players name on google with key words pro prospect profile...
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...F3?OpenDocument
Top defensive linemen in the NFL draft
04/11/2006
Player ... Pos. ... Ht. ... Wt. ... College
Mario Williams ... DE ... 6-7 ... 295 ... North Carolina St.
Brodrick Bunkley ... DT ... 6-3 ... 306 ... Florida State
Manny Lawson ... DE-LB ... 6-5 ... 241 ... North Carolina St.
Tamba Hali ... DE ... 6-3 ... 275 ... Penn State
Haloti Ngata ... DT ... 6-4 ... 338 ... Oregon
Don't overlook: Mathias Kiwanuka (DE), Boston College; John McCargo (DT), North Carolina State; Gabe Watson (DT), Michigan; Kamerion Wimbley (DE-LB) Florida State; Claude Wroten (DT), Louisiana State.
Sleeper: Chris Gocong (DE-OLB), Cal-Poly. Anyone who records 23 1/2 sacks in one season, as Gocong did in '05, is worth a look.
Fun fact: The full name of Stanford DT Babatunde Oshinowo is: Babatunde Oluwasegum Temitope Oluwakorede Adisa Oshinowo Jr.
Quotable: "For anyone who doesn't know, my grandfather was prime minister of Uganda, and unfortunately, he was assassinated before I was born. My parents came to the U.S. separately, and met here through a mutual friend." - Boston College DE Mathias Kiwanuka.
One year ago: In a rarity, no defensive linemen were taken in the top 10. Troy DE Demarcus Ware, at No. 11 overall, was the first of five D-linemen taken in the first round.
Outlook: N.C. State's Mario Williams may be the safest pick in the draft and should be a top five pick. Defensive linemen, particularly pass rushers, always are overvalued in the draft. Seven or eight could go in the first round this year.
____________________________________________________________________
Top linebackers in the NFL draft
04/12/2006
Player ... Pos. ... Ht. ... Wt. ... College
A.J. Hawk ... OLB ... 6-1 ... 248 ... Ohio State
Ernie Sims ... OLB ... 5-11 ... 231 ... Florida State
Chad Greenway ... OLB ... 6-3 ... 242 ... Iowa
Bobby Carpenter ... OLB ... 6-3 ... 256 ... Ohio State
D'Qwell Jackson ... ILB ... 6-1 ... 230 ... Maryland
Don't overlook: Abdul Hodge (ILB), Iowa; Thomas Howard (OLB), Texas-El Paso; Roger McIntosh (OLB), Miami; DeMeco Ryans (OLB), Alabama; Gerris Wilkinson (ILB), Georgia Tech.
Sleeper: David Dixon (OLB), Hutchinson (Kan.) C.C. Academically ineligible last season, but had a staggering 43 tackles for loss and five blocked kicks in junior college in '04.
Fun fact: Ohio State ILB Anthony Schlegel likes to go boar-hunting with knives.
Quotable: "In the summertime, you have to mend fences, you have to throw bales, move the pigs, help the cows have their calves. There's many things you guys have probably never seen or heard of, to be brutally honest." - Iowa's Chad Greenway, on his chores on the family farm in South Dakota.
One year ago: Only three LBs were taken in the first round, and two of them - LSU's Shawne Merriman and Georgia's David Pollack - were DE-LB 'tweeners.
Outlook: One of the better LB crops in recent years. Hawk is a certain top 10 pick. As many as eight LBs could go in the first round if you include DE-LBs Manny Lawson (North Carolina State) and Kamerion Wimbley (Florida State), who were listed with the defensive linemen in Wednesday's Post- Dispatch.
____________________________________________________________________
Top defensive backs in the NFL draft
04/13/2006
Player ... Pos. ... Ht. ... Wt. ... College
Michael Huff ... S-CB ... 6-0 ... 204 ... Texas
Tye Hill ... CB ... 5-10 ... 185 ... Clemson
Jimmy Williams ... CB-S ... 6-2 ... 213 ... Virginia Tech
Johnathan Joseph ... CB ... 5-11 ... 193 ... South Carolina
Antonio Cromartie ... CB ... 6-2 ... 208 ... Florida State
Don't overlook: Jason Allen (S-CB), Tennessee; Kelly Jennings (CB), Miami (Fla.); Richard Marshall (CB), Fresno State; Donte Whitner (S), Ohio State; Ashton Youboty (CB), Ohio State.
Sleeper: Danieal Manning, (S-CB), Abilene Christian. Dynamic playmaker scored college TDs on kickoff returns, punt returns, recovered fumbles, interceptions and receptions.
Fun fact: Missouri safety Marcus King is the brother of Texas defensive back Michael Huff.
Quotable: "I feel like I'm the best defensive back in the country. No matter where they play me, I know I'm going to do a great job for them, know I can come in and play right away." - Virginia Tech's Jimmy Williams, on whether he'll play corner or safety in the NFL
One year ago: Headed by West Virginia's Pacman Jones (No. 6 overall, to Tennessee), six DBs were taken in the first round. More DBs were taken in the draft - 50 overall - than any other position.
Outlook: Huff, Hill, and Williams all should go in the top half of the first round, and as many as eight DBs could go in the first round. There is a lot of size among the top corners this year.
BY JIM THOMAS
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