DYNASTY: Top 2013 College Prospects (1 Viewer)

Now that all of the practices for the Texas versus the Nation game have been completed, all that is left for the players is to prove themselves in the game on Saturday. However, after watching three days of practice, it is clear which players helped and hurt their draft stock this week. Below is a breakdown of six players who practiced well in practice and helped their draft status. I have not included Missouri OT Elvis Fisher who had an excellent two days of practice because he injured his right knee on Wednesday, which could affect his draft stock.

1. Armonty Bryant, DE, East Central Oklahoma (6041, 262 and 4.85 E): From the first snap at practice on Tuesday, Bryant was clearly the best play on the field and that continued throughout the week. Long and linear, Bryant’s explosive first step and speed enable him to consistently beat the OT to the turn point. Possessing quick feet and agility, he showed the ability to change directions in a flash to beat pass blocker inside and outside. His excellent use of his hands and long arms show up in his wide variety of pass rush moves. His play this week proved he should have been at the Senior Bowl as he has legit second/third round talent and only has to overcome questions about his off-field decision making (He was arrested on suspicion of felonious distribution of marijuana within 2,000 feet of a school in 2012) to be drafted on day two.

2. Matt Furstenburg, TE, Maryland (6035, 241 and 4.83): While Furstenburg will never win any race to be viewed as a premier speed guy, the reality is that he has deceptive playing speed. Looking effortless running routes, this week he consistently was able to run sharp routes and gained separation from coverage. Soft, natural hands combine with his body control and concentration so that he can make tough catches on off-target passes with ease. Furstenburg is not going to be a high draft pick, but after what he showed this week he would be a good middle round pick with many of the tools to become a productive receiving tight end / h-back in the NFL.

3. DeQuinta Jones, DT, Arkansas (6035, 308 and 5.35 E): Remarkable throughout the week producing from both DE and DT alignments, Jones did so with a good mixture of playing strength, hand use and athleticism. Off the edge he displayed the hand use to stay free and the quickness to defeat pass blocked and pressure the QB consistently. From both a DE and DT alignment Jones was able to jolt and drive OL blocker backwards to disrupt plays behind the line of scrimmage. Jones proved he has the athleticism to warrant being drafted, but will need to play with more leverage and consistently to have a long NFL career.

4. Lamar Mady, OG, Youngstown State (6023, 313 and 5.20 E): Another small school player, Nady’s on-field improvement throughout the week of practice proved to me that he can absorb coaching fast to improve his on-field play. Quick out of stance, his ability to pass block with good base/leverage and use his hands so well to “get a good fit” allowed him to tie up and eliminate pass rushers consistently. While his pass blocking was most impressive, Nady’s quickness through the LOS to block defenders on the second level was impressive. Despite his play this week, Nady is not going to be a high draft pick, but from what I saw this week he has the tools to develop into a starting guard in the NFL.

5. Uzoma Nwachukwu, WR, Texas A&M (5112, 198 and 4.55 E): Although Nwachukwu was over-shadowed by teammates, NFL scouts believe he has the skills to become a quality receiver. Surprisingly strong to fight through press and physical coverage, his ability to run precise routes allowed him to get open all week. Able to sell cornerback with sharp fakes, he made it easy getting open with double moves. Uzoma did a good job all week of reaching out and plucking the ball away from his body and of winning battles to catch contested passes. His week in Texas continued an impressive senior season, which will likely lead to him being a fourth or fifth round pick.

6. Emeka Onyenekwu, DE/OLB, Louisiana-Lafayette (6036, 254 and 4.75 E): Although he looks significantly lighter in uniform than his measured weight, his ability to play strong at the point of attack grabbed my attention first. Quick getting moving at the snap, Emeka consistently was able to dictate the play to the blocker. Using his hands well to jolt and defeat blocker allowed him to consistently pressure the quarterback and make plays against the run. Technically sound taking on run blocks with good leverage and hand use, he made it look easy holding ground versus pulling offensive linemen, could shed and make the tackle on runs towards him. Emeka was viewed as a late round flier type player before this week, but after his performance in Texas I would be surprised if he is around after the fifth round.

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I sat down to watch three of North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard's 2012 games on Tuesday night. All three were high-volume, high-production games where Bernard racked up at least 25 touches and compiled a minimum of 200 total yards. Bernard had great stats in all three games, but the numbers mean nothing to me. I'm trying to identify Bernard's traits as a runner, and to decide whether and how his skill set translates to the NFL.

Listed at 5-foot-10, 205, Bernard is a compactly-built back who runs with good pad level, staying low to the ground and offering defenders minimal strike zone. His acceleration and speed jumped off the tape. I suspect Bernard will run a forty time in the 4.4s at February's Combine with a top-notch ten-yard split, which measures short-area burst. He can really run.

Bernard has quick feet and he can make lightning quick cuts. The running back trait that best indicates NFL success is lateral movement -- the ability to elude defenders and make them miss while sacrificing little or no forward momentum. Bernard is both laterally and vertically explosive. He has a ton of talent.

Bernard is also skilled in the passing game. I charted him with eight blitz-pickup opportunities in the three games, and he executed successfully on seven. Bernard has smooth hands, is a natural receiver out of the backfield, and looks ready to play in the passing game in the NFL. That's a huge plus in a passing league. Be it as a timeshare runner or lead back in a committee, I expect Bernard to see the field early in his career.

There are some red flags on Giovani Bernard's game tape, however, and I wonder if they'll cause him to max out as a change-of-pace back in the pros. Bernard lacks power. He is not a tough runner through contact. Either Bernard doesn't have very strong legs or he simply doesn't know how to use them. On just one occasion -- against Duke -- did Bernard legitimately move a pile. You often hear about running backs that "fall forward," and max out their runs. Bernard doesn't consistently finish his runs and doesn't consistently fall forward. He was ineffective in short yardage, which probably means he'll be even less effective against bigger, stronger defensive front-seven members in those situations at the next level.

Bernard is a pure finesse back. His tape reminded me of Ryan Mathews' from 2012. Despite possessing elusive ability, Bernard was tackled one-on-one far too often in the games I viewed. I charted Bernard with just five "wins" among 13 open-field one-on-one situations. He lost the other eight, failing to make the defender miss or power through him.

Bernard met North Carolina State safety Brandan Bishop four times in the open field in the Tar Heels' October 27 date with the Wolfpack. Bishop won the battle all four times, tackling Bernard free of significant yards after contact. Bishop is a senior and is not expected to be drafted this April. On Bernard's long runs, he was often untouched. Untouched long runs don't tell me much because Bernard is very, very rarely going to have the opportunity to duplicate those in the pros. Maybe once or twice a year.

Bernard reacted to "footsteps" on pass routes over the middle. He liked the sideline. I wish he would have broken plays back upfield more often. I don't think Bernard likes to mix it up and get physical. At the end of runs, Bernard showed an alarming tendency to stop his feet and simply accept being tackled.

Bernard did demonstrate impressive football IQ on a critical play late in the Duke game. Tar Heels quarterback Bryn Renner had just completed a strike deep down the middle to wide-open receiver Erik Highsmith. Blue Devils safety Jordon Byas popped the football loose from behind and it rocketed into the turf, bouncing seven yards downfield. Duke cornerback Ross Cockrell was first to the ball, but Bernard outhustled Cockrell, scooped it up and scored a go-ahead touchdown with 3:12 left.

Expected to be an early second-round pick, Bernard is an exciting talent, and at the very least he will add playmaking ability to an NFL offense in limited doses. I wonder whether Bernard can be a "sustainer" back, or the foundation of an NFL run game. Because he does not run with power and does not profile as a mover of the chains. And that's probably why he won't go in the first round.



Sensible NFL Team Fits: Bengals, Lions, Jets, Packers.

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03:09 – Which players should you keep an eye out for when you watch the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine? Take a look at who NFL draft analyst Charles Davis is intrigued by after watching their college tape.

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The following quotes are from NFL scouts, coaches and front-office personnel, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

• “(Texas A&M OT) Luke Joeckel has to get a lot stronger. He’s the safest pick in the draft, but the system helps him out a lot there. They get the ball out so fast, and when they do have pressure, the guy (Johnny Manziel) just runs all over. When you factor (Joeckel’s) movement and intangibles, though, it does not get much better.”

• “I am not sold on (Syracuse QB) Ryan Nassib’s arm strength. He has really short arms. He’s not a great runner, but he is one of the better pure passers I have seen. He’s better than Kirk Cousins.”

• “(South Carolina RB) Marcus Lattimore is tall and a little narrow-hipped. He is tough and the kind of kid you root for, but I thought he was a third-rounder before the injury. Now I don’t know if he gets drafted.”

• “(Miami FB) Mike James is a big, heavy running back — not a fullback. He played fullback as a courtesy to the kid. He’s not big or strong enough. He started at tailback but moved to fullback to keep on the field. He’s too small for a fullback.”

• “I was down on (San Diego State TE) Gavin Escobar as a blocker after watching the Boise game — he flashed and didn’t work his feet. Then I ended up watching three more and thought he did a lot better. He’s an interesting guy, especially with the way this league is trending.”

• “(USC C) Khaled Holmes has very good size like Peter Konz did last year. It wouldn’t surprise me if he were drafted to play guard. (Holmes) uses a lot of finesse. I thought he had some trouble snapping the ball in the games I saw. He didn’t get it back very quick and some (defensive linemen) got on top of him.”

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Two weeks from Saturday the offensive linemen take the field of Lucas Oil Stadium as the workouts for the 2013 NFL combine officially begin. Until then we will fill you on how the preparation is going for many of the invitees as well as the latest word on free agency. Update Feb 5th- Fluker in the mid 1st?

February 5th

- Since declaring for the draft we’ve graded Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker as a second round choice. It seems a number of teams have a higher opinion of the big tackle and feel Fluker won’t make it out of round one. Many in the scouting community think Fluker does not make it past the 21st pick of round one, presently held by the Cincinnati Bengals. In fact some confided Fluker may be a better fit for the New York Giants at pick 19. Despite not playing at the Senior Bowl due to groin and calf issues, teams were blown away during weigh-ins when Fluker measured just under 6-feet, 5-inches and tipped the scales at 355-pounds. His arm length of 36.38-inches was the clincher. Those we’ve spoken with love Fluker’s game film against LSU (Mingo & Montgomery) and Georgia (Jones). On a personal note I was introduced to Fluker on Sunday of the Senior Bowl by a long time friend from Mobile and was impressed with the big right tackle. Fluker really comes off as articulate, respectful and likable.

- Many chided Fluker’s teammate, safety Robert Lester, for poor play at the Senior Bowl. But the hard hitting safety told a number of people he is just spent from the long 2012 campaign.

- Most have questioned the speed of Washington State junior receiver Marquess Wilson, who opted to enter the draft. According to sources Wilson timed in the low 4.4’s at Wazzu and hopes for a repeat performance at the combine later this month. Presently the wide out is in Orlando training with Tom Shaw.

Jan 30th

- We’ve alerted readers all along the concern with junior quarterback Tyler Bray of Tennessee has been one of maturity as well as off the field issues. Bray is aware of these concerns and sources tell me he’s been working hard in the pre-draft process to alleviate these fears. The junior passer has been working with former NFL quarterback Ty Detmer, who’s helping Bray understand what is means to be a professional quarterback and what will be expected of him. Thus far the results have been positive as the trainers and coaches in Carson, California, where Bray has been preparing for the combine, have referred to the strong armed passer as “humble” and “coachable”.

- Several sources have confirmed USC has pushed back its pro-day from the second week of March until the end of the month. The workout was originally slated to coincide with the UCLA pro-day on March 12th but players were recently told the date has been changed to the end of the month. We initially heard March 27th as the replacement date but there’s been no confirmation of that yet. Sources close to the situation told us the reason for moving it back on the calendar was to make sure quarterback Matt Barkley is prepared to throw. We’ve not spoken with anyone from Barkley’s camp but those in the know tell us they will be surprised if the Trojan quarterback takes part in any of the combine workout.

- Sources tell me Alabama defensive end Quinton Dial, who has received a combine invitation, recently underwent toe surgery and will be out a few months. The expectation is Dial will only participate in medical exams at the combine.

- So whatever happened to Marquis Jackson, the former pass rushing terror who transferred from Texas Southern to Portland State? Entering the season scouts stamped Jackson with a third round grade as he was one of the highest rated IAA seniors in the nation. Jackson finished the 2012 season with 36 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, compared to 50/18.5/6 in 2011. Sources from the area tell us it was a case of senioritis as PSU coaches say Jackson was a big disappointment. The over riding theme is Jackson should have entered the 2012 draft or thrown his name into last July’s supplemental draft, which was rumored at the time.

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With the 2012-13 season in the books, all 32 first-round picks are locked in. Meaning, it is time for another mock. These will be posted more frequently, but like I previously mentioned, I have a love/hate relationship with mock drafts. First, many fans seem to get stuck in groupthink, leading to outrage when a certain player is or is not mentioned in the top-32 picks because of how "unrealistic" that would be. Aren’t we all surprised at what actually happens in April? One of my main goals, especially this early in the process, is to introduce you to some new names that could ultimately end up as one of the top players at their position. I will shoot for accuracy at a later date. For now, this is all in fun.

There a few strategies to drafting. Obviously need is factored into the final grade teams give, along with talent, medicals, and character concerns. However, the one thing that may alter a prospect’s grade from team to team more than anything is scheme and fit. Since it is early in the offseason process, we have no clue what many teams’ schemes will be for next season or the players that will run them, so the proverbial darts are being thrown at this time. Also, consider that many teams select prospects in the hopes of them taking over for a declining name-brand player, usually ones that are on the down slope of their career. It may not be a popular tactic, but it makes sense when keeping future success and salary cap in mind.

As always, you can comment below or reach me on Twitter.

1. Kansas City Chiefs -- QB Geno Smith, West Virginia

The recent success of second- and third-round quarterbacks is either a new trend or an outlier, because from 2001-2010, only two quarterbacks selected in that two round span can be considered dependable starters (Drew Brees and Matt Schaub). With that said, there is large group of signal callers that could be considered second- or third-round talents this season. Kansas City and Andy Reid can’t afford to wait on whichever one might fall to the outside of the first-round, instead, this is one of the few opportunities a team can chose their favorite from the entire bunch. Here is more on the QB Problem from Eric Stoner.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars -- DE Barkevious Mingo, LSU

This is all based on a guess for scheme fit. Gus Bradley’s scheme featured a run stuffing defensive end in Seattle, likely role Tyson Alualu can play. On the opposite side, the Jaguars need a pass rusher whose main goal is to get to a point in the backfield and disrupt while penetrating. Mingo can line up from the 7 or 9 technique and do this quite well. Don’t get caught up in his dip in production, since it appeared Mingo was asked to take less aggressive lines at the QB in order to keep contain.

3. Oakland Raiders -- DT Star Lotulelei, Utah

I have no idea who Reggie McKenzie is going to cut this offseason. Neither do the players on the Raiders roster. McKenzie only has ties to a few players on the roster, so a large amount may be expendable. With Richard Seymour’’s contact voiding and Tommy Kelly possibly on the outs, the Raiders must resign Desmond Bryant. After that, Star would be a nice piece since he can play from multiple alignments across in a number of fronts.

4. Philadelphia Eagles -- T Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

Obviously if Chip Kelly has full confidence that Jason peters will return to form, this pick might not happen. We still are not sure what type of offensive system Kelly intends to run, but if Oregon-like play calling is featured, the Eagles’ offensive line needs to be very mobile and balanced. Joeckel is an excellent athlete for the left tackle position with great posture. He did show deficiencies against Florida, however.

5. Detroit Lions -- CB Dee Milliner, Alabama

The Lions could use a pass rusher, and in fact I usually side with the defensive end in situations where they have equal grades as corners. For some reason, possibly due to ex-GM Scott Pioli’s junior rankings, I get a feeling Milliner will be more highly coveted than many pass rushers that are generally considered to be in his talent range.

6. Cleveland Browns -- OLB Damontre Moore, Texas A&M

With the Browns front seven likely in place outside of a strong side rush linebacker behind a three man front, expect the team to address that need at this selection. Moore has experience at both rush linebacker and defensive end, the latter being in a four man front. He offers a relentless motor, but I would like to see Moore use his length and hands more frequently while planting outside and working back in.

7. Arizona Cardinals -- QB Mike Glennon, NC State

Strong armed passer that can make quick decisions while vertically testing single high safeties? I think Glennon fits Bruce Arians’ style very well and thrives on getting the ball out of his hands immediately after planting off his back foot on three or five step drops. The Cardinals offensive line issues are dreadful, and Glennon struggles the longer the ball is in his hands, especially against interior pressure.

8. Buffalo Bills -- WR Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

The talent is there for Patterson to be a star, including concentration to make catches with a defensive back draped on him, to touching grabs along the sideline, and excellent vision as a ball carrier. I do not judge character or injuries, instead choosing to list what has been reported. Beat writers worried about Patterson’s academic standing all year, and even though we have seen less than intelligent players show excellent football smarts, it is something to note. One season at the FBS level is too small a sample size to know for sure.

9. NY Jets -- DE/OLB Bjoern Werner, FSU

This is a questionable fit, but just looking at the Jets’ pass rushers, Werner is listed at the same weight (or lighter) than both Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas. He might not have a ton of experience in space or fluid hips, but Werner could be considered the best pass rusher left on the board.

10. Tennessee Titans -- S Kenny Vaccaro, Texas

Vaccaro offers some positional versatility, after showing he can lock down explosive slot receivers like Tavon Austin or roaming in the deep half. Teams will start looking for antidotes to matchup with joker offensive weapons. Vaccaro can do that for the Titans while being an every down player.

11. San Diego Chargers -- T Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

It may be a stretch to see Fisher last this long, but there might not be a better fit. The Chippewa finds contact through his hands with great extension and control. An immediate starter on the left side, Fisher might be worth trading up for.

12. Miami Dolphins -- T Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

Jake Long’s contract situation could dictate this selection, but without him the Dolphins are left with an adequate at best right tackle in Jonathan Martin. Johnson is not a finished product and will likely add weight to fill out a growing frame in order to absorb first contact more efficiently, but his agile feet to mirror pass rushers will keep evaluators optimistic. His posture versus power rushers could use some work.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- CB Xavier Rhodes, FSU

The Bucs have a good number of talented and young defensive players, and Rhodes fits the bill as an overly physical edge corner with speed to stick with receivers down field. He can be a bit unorthodox at times, but I definitely consider Rhodes a first-round talent, especially for a scheme that utilizes physical edge defenders.

14. Carolina Panthers -- DT Sharrif Floyd, Florida

I have a feeling Ron Rivera will want to utilize more versatility in the type of fronts he runs, and Floyd fits that premonition. After mainly playing end in a four man front in 2011, Floyd moved inside and thrived during his junior season. I love his strength to press the pocket with leg drive and powerful hands to shed while penetrating, but don’t overlook Floyd’s agile feet as a weapon.

15. New Orleans Saints -- OLB Dion Jordan, Oregon

With the Saints moving to a 3-4 defense, the team seems to have both ends already on the roster. If they decide to move Akiem Hicks inside, Ezekiel Ansah could be an option here, but as a pass rusher with excellent comfort in space, Dion Jordan is an ideal prospect. The Duck’s production might not stand out, but I beg you to watch the film. Jordan might not have ideal bend around the edge, but he covers a lot of ground and has strong hands. An impending shoulder surgery is the only issue.

16. St. Louis Rams -- G Chance Warmack, Alabama

Warmack might end up being my top grade, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he is selected before this, but it is a great fit. Not only can he consistently win one on one matchups, Warmack can move to the second level and maul smaller players. He would help create an identity along the interior of the Rams offensive line.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers -- OLB Jarvis Jones, Georgia

This is a different type of edge rusher than we are used to seeing from the Steelers, but Jones’ speed around the edge is undeniable. I worry about his ability to add weight and win on a counter move due to a projected lack of length (that is all without mentioning his history of spinal stenosis) but he can definitely get to the quarterback off the end of a line.

18. Dallas Cowboys -- DT Sheldon Richardson, Missouri

Richardson’s talent likely exceeds this slot, but if he is on the board the Cowboys have found their 3 technique defensive tackle. The Missouri product has some Fletcher Cox to him and can be scheme versatile. Richardson ended his career with the Tigers on rocky terms, but he has plenty of talent.

19. NY Giants -- DE Ezekiel Ansah, BYU

This is an awesome fit. Justin Tuck is on the decline and Osi might not return. Ansah is a different type of rusher than JPP and would slide into the left defensive end spot and could see some snaps on the interior. The biggest setback right now is learning to disengage after first contact, but Ansah’s closing speed is the best in this draft among pass rushers.

20. Chicago Bears -- TE Zach Ertz, Stanford

The Bears could use offensive line help, and Fluker might be an option at right tackle or Cooper on the interior, but Ertz is an inline or detached tight end that is improving his game. He can get stronger as an end of line blocker, but Ertz finds ways to get open as a receiver and shows a willingness to beat physical coverage at the second or third levels.

21. Cincinnati Bengals -- OLB Alec Ogletree, Georgia

It might be an easy comparison, but Ogletree has some Thomas Davis to him. He has issues getting sealed off by second level offensive linemen after taking false steps, but Ogletree powerfully closes from the backside when the lane is there or when face up on the edge. I expect Burfict to move inside with Ogeltree on the weak side as a three down player.

22. St. Louis Rams (from Redskins) -- OLB Arthur Brown, Kansas State

Jo-Lonn Dunbar had an adequate year on the weak side (outside of pass coverage), but heading into the year there was talk he might play the strong side spot. Insert Brown, a top-15 talent in this class, on the weak side and the linebacking corps is strong behind natural anchor Michael Brockers.

23. Minnesota Vikings -- WR Keenan Allen, Cal

Allen suffered from poor quarterback play at Cal throughout his career, but a slight PCL injury kept him sidelined to finish the 2012 season. His route running to create separation is among the best in the class.

24. Indianapolis Colts -- G Jonathan Cooper, UNC

The Colts offensive line might deserve multiple picks in this draft, but the interior was especially a mess. Cooper occasionally loses when attacked face up while in pass protection, but he shines when asked to pull or trap, showing uncanny athleticism out in space. Some schemes might consider him the top guard because of it.

25. Seattle Seahawks -- DE Datone Jones, UCLA

Okay, this requires some reasoning. Obviously the Seahawks need pass rushing help with Chris Clemons injured. Jones’ frame doesn’t fit the traditional wide rusher but his game does. If asked to disrupt the backfield by attacking a certain depth of the pocket, Jones is very effective due to a combination of explosion and strength off the line. My biggest issue was his hand fighting at the line of scrimmage when asked to read and react. Also, the Seahawks aren’t afraid to a take a risk or chance on prospects that don’t quite seem to fit the traditional mold.

26. Green Bay Packers -- S Johnathan Cyprien, FIU

Many will say Cyprien is only getting attention because of his Senior Bowl performance. Watch his tape at FIU and you will see why I considered him one of the 20 best prospects attending the event prior to the Senior Bowl. Cyprien is an interchangeable, physical safety with range and aggression. I have a feeling the NFL has been high on him for quite some time, with those on the outside now starting to catch up.

27. Houston Texans -- WR DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

A Roddy White type receiver, Hopkins catches everything in (or out) of his range. He has straight-line speed, but Hopkins’ hand strength and consistency at the catch point is what makes him one of the top receiver prospects in this class.

28. Denver Broncos -- DT Johnathan Hankins, Ohio State

Man, I loved Hankins prior to his junior season. He was disruptive with strong hands to press the pocket or light feet when he needed to burst past mirroring offensive linemen. In 2012, Hankins disappeared far too often and I couldn’t find a real reason why. He has upside because we saw the talent, but the consistency wasn’t there to warrant a higher pick. John Fox has a history of turning these types of players around and the Broncos need to get younger on the interior.

29. New England Patriots -- WR Tavon Austin, West Virginia

The Patriots need more speed offensively, and with Wes Welker likely remaining a major storyline of the offseason, Austin would be an excellent replacement. No one is better in the open field with the ball in his hands and Austin is a creative coordinator’s dream.

30. Atlanta Falcons -- TE Travis Kelce, Cincinnati

This will surprise some, but as an inline option I prefer Kelce to Eifert. I need to give credit to Dane Brugler os CBS Sports for calling Kelce the class’ top senior tight end a couple months ago. He would have shown everyone that ability at the Senior Bowl, but Kelce is extremely talented. This might not be popular right now, but throughout the process expect Kelce to be introduced in the top-50 discussion.

31. San Francisco 49ers -- DL Jesse Williams, Alabama

Williams is widely considered a nose tackle prospect, and although he could play it in the NFL, the Australian also played the 5 technique end spot for some time at Alabama. We all saw the 49ers defense take a step back when Justin Smith was sidelined. Williams is beastly strong and flashes penetration ability.

32. Baltimore Ravens -- S D.J. Swearinger, South Carolina

Swearinger is a personal favorite at the safety position, but also played very well when asked to line up at corner in 2012. There are times when he could be more aggressive and take tighter angles, but Swearinger delivers jarring hits from either safety spot. Roger Goodell isn’t going to like this safety class...

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At the conclusion of Super Bowl XLVII, coaches and scouts across the NFL immediately turned their attention to the 2013 NFL Draft. Team officials are busy at work this week putting together their initial draft boards heading into the NFL Scouting Combine. While much attention within each organization goes to the vertical board, which features the top 150 to 200 prospects in the draft, the scouts spend the majority of their time working through rankings on the position-specific or horizontal board.

With coaches and scouts starting to project which players are the best fits for their respective squads, I thought I'd take a look at the top five prospects at each offensive position to give you a peek at some of the conversations that are taking place in draft rooms across the league.

Click here for the top five prospects at each defensive position.

Quarterback

1) Geno Smith, West Virginia

2) Matt Barkley, USC

3) Mike Glennon, N.C. State

4) Tyler Wilson, Arkansas

5) E.J. Manuel, Florida State

In the mix: Tyler Bray, Tennessee; Landry Jones, Oklahoma; Ryan Nassib, Syracuse.

The 2013 class of quarterbacks is short on star power, but features several intriguing prospects with tremendous potential. Smith currently ranks as the top choice at the position, largely due to his impressive combination of arm talent, leadership and poise. While some suggest Smith lacks the pizzazz to emerge as a franchise quarterback, the film from his early-season play reveals a polished passer with the capacity to fit into any offensive system. Bray could join the top-five list based on his exceptional physical tools, but scouts are leery about his immaturity and off-field decisions. However, a strong performance in meeting rooms at the NFL Scouting Combine could alleviate those concerns and put him back in play as a potential franchise quarterback.

Running back

1) Giovani Bernard, North Carolina

2) Eddie Lacy, Alabama

3) Le'Veon Bell, Michigan State

4) Montee Ball, Wisconsin

5) Andre Ellington, Clemson

In the mix: Joseph Randle, Oklahoma State; Stepfan Taylor, Stanford; Marcus Lattimore, South Carolina; Jonathan Franklin, UCLA.

The running back class took a major blow when Lattimore suffered a catastrophic injury in late October. The Gamecocks star will remain on the radar of teams looking for a value pick in the middle rounds, but his injury opens the door for Lacy or Bernard to emerge as the top pick at the position. Lacy created quite a buzz in league circles with his dominant performance in the BCS National Championship Game. He displayed impressive quickness and burst, while maintaining the rugged running style that scouts covet in a big back. Bernard, on the other hand, is a scat back with explosive speed and quickness. Factor in his ability to contribute as a receiver and returner, and Bernard is a legitimate difference maker at the position.

Wide receiver

1) Keenan Allen, Cal

2) Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

3) Robert Woods, USC

4) DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

5) Terrance Williams, Baylor

In the mix: Tavon Austin, West Virginia; Justin Hunter, Tennessee; Markus Wheaton, Oregon State; Aaron Dobson, Marshall; Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech.

Teams in need of explosive playmakers on the perimeter will have plenty of options to choose from in the 2013 class. The group is loaded with big, physical pass catchers with the ability to thrive as No. 1 receivers. Allen missed the last part of the season with a knee injury, but he is the most complete receiver in the draft, boasting a rock-solid all-around game with impressive physical tools. Patterson was arguably the most explosive receiver in college football in his only season at the major college level. He scored touchdowns in four different ways (receiving, rushing, punt and kick returns), while displaying enticing skills with the ball in his hands.

Tight end

1) Zach Ertz, Stanford

2) Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame

3) Gavin Escobar, San Diego State

4) Jordan Reed, Florida

5) Travis Kelce, Cincinnati

In the mix: Dion Sims, Michigan State; Ryan Otten, San Jose State; Michael Williams, Alabama.

The tight end position has become the spot where NFL teams seek to create mismatches in the passing game. With offensive coordinators seeking versatile athletes to man the position, the 2013 class offers plenty of options for teams looking to find difference makers over the middle of the field. Ertz is at the top of the list with his big body and soft hands. He has the capacity to stretch the field on vertical routes, but is also adept at working the underneath areas of the field. Escobar is underrated at this point, but scouts have been buzzing about his immense talent and potential. Expect him to rise up the charts after coaches and scouts get a closer look at him at the combine.

Offensive tackle

1) Luke Joeckel, Texas A&M

2) Eric Fisher, Central Michigan

3) Lane Johnson, Oklahoma

4) D.J. Fluker, Alabama

5) Kyle Long, Oregon

In the mix: Oday Aboushi, Virginia; Dallas Thomas, Tennessee; Menelik Watson, Florida State.

Franchise-caliber offensive tackles are still valued at a premium. Joeckel is a Pro Bowler waiting to happen with his exceptional footwork and athleticism. He is not only the best tackle prospect in the draft, but there are some scouts who believe he's the best overall player in the 2013 class. Fisher earned rave reviews for his performance in the Senior Bowl. In fact, he was so dominant in Mobile, Ala., that some view him as a potential top-10 pick.

Centers/Guards

1) Chance Warmack, Alabama

2) Jonathan Cooper, North Carolina

3) Barrett Jones, Alabama

4) Justin Pugh, Syracuse

5) Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

In the mix: Larry Warford, Kentucky; Khaled Holmes, USC; Brian Winters, Kent State.

Offensive guards aren't typically coveted in the early rounds, but the 2013 class features a few special players in this area. Warmack and Cooper are game changers on the interior; scouts can't stop raving about their ability to dominate the middle of the line. Warmack, in particular, is a sturdy blocker with the size, strength and power to move defenders off the ball. Cooper is surprisingly athletic for his size, but also displays the strength and power to excel as a drive blocker.

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With the 2013 NFL Combine right around the corner and the All Star Game circuit behind us, I have had the chance to talk to many scouts to find out what teams are thinking. Below is what I have heard from scouts over the last few weeks.

1. Barkevious “Kiki” Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU, Junior (6040 E, 231 E and 4.55 E): While there is no debate as to Mingo’s athleticism, there definitely is a split as to where he should be drafted and how successful he can be in the NFL. An explosive athlete with rare first step quickness, Mingo can get to the turn point in a flash and has the athleticism to beat OT inside and out. However, more than a few scouts I spoke to wondered why he did not make an impact in every game he played and wasn’t LSU’s most productive pass rusher. Not only are NFL people split on Mingo’s production, but some wonder if his lack of consistent production comes from a lack of aggressiveness and size. His tendency to get upright and lose the leverage battle hinders his ability to shed and get off blocks once they engage him. I have no doubt that Mingo’s athleticism will jump out at the Combine and his Pro Day, which will lead to him being a first round pick, but to say that NFL people are split on how good of a player he will become is an understatement.

2. Jonathan Cyprien, SAF, Florida International (6002, 209 and 4.55 E): Coming to the Senior Bowl, Cyprien was viewed as an intriguing second tier safety, but after an excellent week in Mobile a number of scouts told me they feel he needs to be in the discussion in the second round and could be drafted before one of the more well-known safeties like Matt Elam. Muscular and well built, Cyprien definitely looks the part “on the hoof” and once he hit the practice field in Mobile he proved he has the athleticism necessary to be productive in pass coverage in the NFL. After showing good range and coverage skills on film, scouts were happy to see him display the same traits throughout the week. Scouts were also impressed with his ability to come up the field and make last second adjustments to square up on his target.

3. Vance McDonald, TE, Rice, Senior (6041, 262 and 4.70 E): With nearly all the tight end talk centering around Zach Ertz and Tyler Eifert, McDonald was flying under the radar until he stood out in Mobile. Speaking with NFL personnel after the week in Mobile, there was clearly an excitement about McDonald’s ability to be a good match-up play-maker who could align in various spots to make plays catching the ball. Although he lacks top end speed, he displayed enough of everything else to have scouts tell me that he reminds them of Rob Gronkowski. A smooth athlete who ran good routes, McDonald displayed a sense/feel for knowing how to get open and the hands to reach out and pluck the ball. While he is not going to jump over Ertz and Eifert, scouts told us they would be surprised to see McDonald make it out of the second round of the Draft.

4. Keavon Milton, TE, Louisiana-Monroe, Senior (6040, 280 and 4.90 E): Scouts have been telling us all season about Milton and now even more so because they were surprised that he was not invited to any All Star games. No one has been talking about him being a high draft pick or ever making big plays as a receiver, but numerous scouts felt that he has value in the NFL because of his dominant blocking ability. Interestingly, some NFL people believe he is best suited to be a backup tight end who contributes as a blocker and short area receiver. While others feel that he has the size, long arms, athleticism and blocking ability to slide inside and try and develop as an offensive tackle or guard. He may not get any publicity between now and the Draft because he is not going to the Combine and will not “wow” anyone with workout numbers at his pro day. However, I am confident he will be drafted by a team based on the number of scouts that believe so strongly in his potential.

5. Chase Thomas, OLB, Stanford, Senior (6031, 241 and 4.75 E): After a highly productive career playing outside linebacker in Stanford’s 34 defense, Thomas struggled when asked to play off the ball so often as a 43 outside linebacker at the Senior Bowl. When I spoke to scouts it was amazing how the split of opinions on how he would do in the NFL was almost completely based on defensive scheme. For those teams that play 43 defenses where outside linebackers need to excel in coverage, Thomas’ value is low. However, for 34 teams he is viewed as a potential starter who could be drafted as early as the third round. NFL people told us that when Thomas is going forward rushing the passer and playing the run that he looks like a future starting linebacker, but when he plays off the ball in coverage he does not look like a player who can contribute on an NFL defense. It will be interesting to see where Thomas ends up being drafted after hearing such varying opinions about his NFL potential.

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I watched six Alabama games on television this past season and admittedly entered this Evaluation with a positive opinion of Eddie Lacy. One focus for this particular column involved attempting to isolate Lacy's run skills from his offensive line's performance. The Crimson Tide front five was the premier run-blocking unit in 2012 college football. Running backs tend to look an awful lot better with room to run, and Lacy often had the pleasure of being sprung into space running off the backsides of Chance Warmack, D.J. Fluker, Barrett Jones, Anthony Steen, and Cyrus Kouandjio.

For review and more intensive study, the first step I took toward that end was choosing games in which Lacy faced competent run defenses. I didn't want to see him tee off on Florida Atlantic, Western Carolina, or Auburn. So I re-watched Lacy against four top-35 NCAA run defenses, including three that finished in the top 20.

The first two aspects of Lacy's running ability and tendencies that stood out were his consistency in finishing runs and absolute refusal to leave yardage on the field. Lacy finished carries with violence and abandon. In an Alabama run scheme that went heavy on stretch-zone plays -- giving its back freedom to select his own hole -- Lacy displayed highly impressive vision and smarts. Lacy excels at reading his blocks and running behind them. An angry but intelligent runner, Lacy rarely if ever picked the wrong lane.

Lacy is listed at 6-foot, 220 on Alabama's website. I wonder if the school portrayed him that small in order to gain a competitive advantage on opposing teams' whiteboards. I'd be shocked if Lacy weighed in any lighter than the 230s at the NFL Combine, and wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he came in at 240-plus. Lacy is a very big back. He doesn't always run like one, though, and I mean that in a positive way.

Lacy consistently won in open-field one-on-one situations in the four games I viewed. I charted him with 16 "wins" compared to just four "losses" when he hit green grass and encountered the initial defender. [Compare this to UNC's Giovani Bernard, whom I charted at 5-of-13 (38.5 percent) one-on-one in the open field.] Lacy forced missed tackles with both power and elusiveness. He is blessed with exceptionally light feet for a big man, and his trademark move is the lateral shake to set up a spin. Lacy made LSU S Eric Reid, Notre Dame LB Manti Te'o, Arkansas LB Alonzo Highsmith, and Notre Dame S Zeke Motta all look genuinely silly on tape. Those four defenders will play on Sundays. Although he lacks the first-step burst of a Bernard or ex-teammate Trent Richardson, Lacy is nimble and moves smoothly laterally to his left or right. He can create space for himself in the running game. Lacy's yards-per-carry average (6.50) was pumped up by great blocking, but independently he is not a blocking-dependent back.

Lacy has a north-south downhill mentality, and runs with relentlessness and competitiveness. I wound up charting 59 carries, and he "fell forward" to finish 52 of them (88.1 percent). Four of the seven instances in which Lacy did not fall forward could be attributed to backfield penetration. Again, he simply refused to leave yards on the field. He is a naturally physical football player. Lacy loves to hit.

Lacy has some work to do in the passing game, but keep in mind he spent just one season as the Crimson Tide feature back and should improve. Although the sample size was small and he regularly made himself available to quarterback A.J. McCarron as a checkdown option, Lacy dropped two balls among ten targets in the four games. He caught seven passes; the final target was uncatchable due to an errant throw by McCarron.

Lacy was more impressive as a pass protector than catcher. I charted ten of his blitz-pickup opportunities, and he decisively "won" eight. Trailing 29-17 with 4:30 left against Texas A&M, it was Lacy's pad-rattling chip block on RE Damontre Moore that allowed McCarron to drop back cleanly and find receiver Kenny Bell in stride for a 54-yard bomb deep down the middle, nearly sparking a comeback win. Against Notre Dame, Lacy's punishing pass block on blitzing Te'o freed up McCarron to hit receiver Christion Jones for a 27-yard strike deep down the right sideline.

On both receptions and runs, Lacy stayed in-bounds whenever possible. Rather than use the sideline as a crutch, Lacy consistently worked back up field for more yards. Lacy has experience running the stretch and inside zone in addition to traditional power runs. Many big, thundering power backs lack passing-game chops and can not make defenders miss. Lacy has great potential in the former area and already excels in the latter. He is an NFL-ready running back.



Sensible NFL Team Fits: Falcons, Steelers, Jets, Chargers, Rams, Dolphins, Colts, Titans.

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2013 NFL Draft Stock Up

Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida

The Gators stand-out defensive tackle has been getting a lot of acclaim around the league. Teams love his versatility to play multiple techniques in a 4-3 or 3-4 defense. Floyd showed his disruptive ability at Florida as a three-technique defensive tackle in a 4-3 and as an end in a 3-4. The 6-foot-3, 301-pounder is very quick and causes a lot of havoc off the snap. Floyd also has surprising strength to shed blocks. It wouldn't be surprising if he excels at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine.

The junior finished his collegiate career in dominant fashion against Florida State and Louisville. He had 46 tackles, 13 tackles for a loss, one forced fumble and three sacks in 2012. Floyd made a real impact against Texas A&M and Tennessee when Florida's defense played great in the second half to lead to comeback road wins. He also played well against LSU. Currently, Floyd's rise could lead him to break into the top half of the first round.

Eddie Lacy, RB, Alabama

The rise of Lacy's draft stock hasn't slowed since he ran all over Notre Dame in the National Championship last month. Lacy has continued to get a lot of acclaim. Some feel that he is the top running back in the 2013 NFL Draft and are projecting him to be a first-round pick. Lacy totaled 1,322 yards (6.4 average) and 17 touchdowns this year on only 204 carries. He was a power runner for Alabama and came up with some clutch performances late in the season.

The big questions regarding Lacy could be answered at the combine. Some wonder about his speed, so his 40 time will be worth watching. The other question mark is his ability to contribute in the passing game. Lacy caught only 22 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in 2012.

The passing driven NFL wants an early-round pick at running back to be skilled at catching passes and blocking in blitz protection. If Lacy looks smooth and fluid as a receiver at the NFL Scouting Combine, he will help his chances of going in the first round.

Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee

Many observers believe that Patterson has the best physical skill set of any receiver in the 2013 draft class. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder showed during this year that he is a dynamic play-maker.

Patterson produced big plays through the air, on the ground and on special teams in 2012. He totaled 46 receptions for 778 yards and five touchdowns, plus ran the ball for 308 yards and three scores. Patterson averaged 28 yards per kickoff return with a touchdown on 24 attempts and four punts returned for 101 yards and a touchdown as well.

There is no doubt that Patterson is big, fast and explosive. However, he needs to interview well at the combine and his wonderlic test could be relevant as a junior college product.

Patterson is also very raw and only played one season at Tennessee before going pro. He needed more development at the college level, but Patterson will have to be coached up at the pro level. The 2012 NFL Draft featured a similar prospect in Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill, and he went in the second round. Patterson is in a weaker draft class and there is less talent at wide receiver, so has a real shot at the first round.

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

Baylor wide receiver Terrance Williams underwhelmed at the Senior Bowl and may no longer grade out as a first-round pick. Other prospects stand to benefit and Hopkins is chief among them. The junior was tremendous this year with his route-running, hands, quickness, toughness and big-play ability. Hopkins was Tajh Boyd's No. 1 receiver in 2012 and totaled 1,405 yards on 82 catches and 18 touchdowns. While Sammy Watkins got all the acclaim entering the season, Hopkins was the far more effective receiver.

There are some projections that have Hopkins as a late first-round pick. If the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder blazes a fast time at the combine, that will really help his draft stock. He also needs to weigh in at his listed height. Williams was one receiver who was billed to be significantly bigger than he measured out. A productive combine will be huge for Hopkins.

Menelik Watson, OT, Florida State

The Manchester, England product is a freak athlete. The former basketball player is very fast and agile at 6-foot-6, 320-pounds. Watson played right tackle for Florida State and will probably start out there in the NFL. However given his quick feet and athleticism, there is the potential for him to move to left tackle in the future.

Watson was a key cog in the Seminoles featuring a quality rushing offense in 2012. He already looks ready to compete in the NFL as a run-blocker. Watson's pass protection though will need some work as he is very inexperienced. Watson may require more development than most early-round picks, but he is an interesting prospect who has a good shot of going on the second day.

Zach Ertz, TE, Stanford

Ertz played well consistently throughout 2012 and is now the top tight end for the 2013 NFL Draft. Some prefer Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert, but the emerging consensus opinion holds Ertz in higher regard. Part of the reason is that he is a better blocker than Eifert. The Stanford coaching staff did a good job coaching up Ertz, and he was a real contributor to the Cardinal's tough ground offense. Ertz also led Stanford in receiving.

Eifert (6-6, 249) was held back by weaker quarterback play, but Ertz had the same handicap in 2012. Ertz totaled 69 receptions for 898 yards and six touchdowns. Eifert (6-6, 251) hauled in 50 passes for 685 yards and four touchdowns. Ertz looks like a more complete player as a receiver and a blocker who is ready to start in the NFL. There is a good chance that Ertz will go in the first round next April.



Matt Barkley, QB, USC

The NFL's sheer desperation for quarterbacks is helping Barkley, which is almost laughable. He had a rough senior season, but there are some around the league who are trumpeting him as still worthy of going in the first round after being seen as a top-10 pick a year ago.

Barkley did have a weak offensive line this year, but he still didn't play as well and his decision-making went into regression. Barkley completed 64 percent of his passes this year for 3,273 yards, 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. He completed 69 percent of his passes in 2011 for 3,528 yards with 39 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.

Barkley has done nothing to improve his draft stock since he was knocked out for the season in the Trojans' loss against UCLA, but that hasn't stopped people in the NFL from giving Barkley the benefit of the doubt. Quarterback-needy teams have him in the race to be the second quarterback selected, and his draft stock has surged of late.

Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina

It is nice to see Lattimore included in the Stock Up section. The Gamecocks star running back is far ahead of schedule in his comeback attempt from a gruesome knee injury. Lattimore suffered torn knee ligaments during the 2011 season and was just getting back into the groove before he sustained a dislocated knee with ligament damage midway through this year.

Lattimore was having a good season prior to the injury. The junior averaged 4.6 yards per carry with 662 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had 26 receptions for 173 yards, too.

The highly regarded Dr. James Andrews has stated that Lattimore is far ahead of schedule, and his knee is enjoying a recovery far better than the expectations. Lattimore is well-liked throughout the NFL and his character helps him. With other players like Willis McGahee enjoying a good career despite suffering similar injuries, many believe Lattimore could follow suit.

While Lattimore isn't rising into the first round like McGahee, there are teams coming around to potentially using a third-day pick on Lattimore. It was only a few months ago where he was the top back in the 2013 NFL Draft, so Lattimore could be a steal if he can stay healthy and return to his old form.

2013 NFL Draft Stock Down

Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

Scouts at the East-West Shrine told WalterFootball.com that Jones would slide on draft day because they believe he will test poorly before the 2013 NFL Draft and isn't a hard worker in the weight room. The scouts said that watching the game tape, Jones is worthy of being a top draft pick, but they don't believe he will go that high.

The NFL draft has been known to unnecessarily knock down good players over questionable concerns. That could be the case with Jones as he was one of the best players in college football the past two seasons. Jones amassed 85 tackles, 14.5 sacks, 24.5 tackles for a loss, seven forced fumbles, three passes broken up and one interception in 2012. He had 13.5 sacks, 70 tackles with 19.5 tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles in 2011.

There are other issues with Jones (6-3, 241) as some believe he will check in at the combine much smaller than his listed measurements. Some teams may make a big deal out of the neck injury that caused him to transfer from USC to Georgia. While Jones' college tape indicates he's a top-five pick, it sounds like he could fall into the middle of the first round.

Khaled Holmes, C, USC

The senior center Holmes struggled in 2012 and didn't help his cause by playing in the Senior Bowl. He reportedly pulled out due to an injury, and it is unknown if he will be able to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine. The 6-foot-4, 305-pounder had issues in pass protection and run blocking this year. Since Holmes didn't take advantage of the Senior Bowl to help his stock, other centers have passed him in the rankings.

San Jose State's David Quessenberry and California's Brian Schwenke both performed well in Mobile. Both of them now should go ahead of Holmes since each looks to be a better center prospect compared to what Holmes showed as a senior. Holmes looks like a third-day pick at the moment. That is a decent slide since he entered the season as a second-day selection.

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Washington CB Desmond Trufant, Clemson WR DeAndre Hopkins

Matt “Money” Smith and Bucky Brooks welcome a pair of potential first round picks, as Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant and Clemson wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins discuss their transition from college to the NFL. Money and Bucky also recap the Super Bowl and weigh in on Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco’s superb playoff performance. Plus, which players are generating the most buzz heading into the combine?

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'jonboltz said:

You seem much more 'down' on Taylor than other sources/reports I've read.

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'32 Counter Pass said:

I really like Cordarrelle Patterson's game. He has great size, displays excellent athleticism and a fearlessness over the middle.

Thoughts?

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'32 Counter Pass said:

Where do you have Patterson tiered in the WRs?

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'EBF said:

I think Patterson could be a big time bust. His highlights show that he's tall and fast, and that he can run in the open field. But beyond that you don't see him doing a lot of the obvious WR things like running precise routes, catching jump balls, or catching passes away from his body. He actually only had one 100+ yard receiving game all season. It's almost like all of his hype is based on that one reverse play against NC State where he made a few nice moves. People look at the raw athletic parts and think they can mold him into a dominant WR in time. And maybe that's what will happen. But I think there's a lot of risk there. I haven't felt this leery of a lock first round WR prospect since DHB and Ted Ginn. As good as the pro scouts are, they miss pretty badly sometimes. It's been a while since we had a Donte Stallworth, Robert Meachem, or Ashley Lelie. This guy has a bit of that vibe for me. I'll probably still have him as a top 10 rookie pick on the basis of his upside, but I'll most likely rate him low enough to miss out on him in all my leagues. I just don't see the awesome ability that the pundits talk about. If I'm wrong, oh well.

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'ZWK said:

I want to see more of (hard to find video and they could be good): Cierre Wood, Spencer Ware

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'EBF said:

I think Patterson could be a big time bust. His highlights show that he's tall and fast, and that he can run in the open field. But beyond that you don't see him doing a lot of the obvious WR things like running precise routes, catching jump balls, or catching passes away from his body. He actually only had one 100+ yard receiving game all season. It's almost like all of his hype is based on that one reverse play against NC State where he made a few nice moves. People look at the raw athletic parts and think they can mold him into a dominant WR in time. And maybe that's what will happen. But I think there's a lot of risk there. I haven't felt this leery of a lock first round WR prospect since DHB and Ted Ginn. As good as the pro scouts are, they miss pretty badly sometimes. It's been a while since we had a Donte Stallworth, Robert Meachem, or Ashley Lelie. This guy has a bit of that vibe for me. I'll probably still have him as a top 10 rookie pick on the basis of his upside, but I'll most likely rate him low enough to miss out on him in all my leagues. I just don't see the awesome ability that the pundits talk about. If I'm wrong, oh well.

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'Xue said:

I want to see more of (hard to find video and they could be good): Cierre Wood, Spencer Ware

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'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

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'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

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Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

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'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

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Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

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Tenn also had an experienced WR who will also be a 2nd or 3rd round NFL pick himself already established on the roster. The fact that Patterson jumped into this situation, with only 3 years of organized football experience and coming from a junior college and produced speaks volumes to his ability. Funny how that was left out.

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'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

Click to expand...

You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

Click to expand...

Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

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Tenn also had an experienced WR who will also be a 2nd or 3rd round NFL pick himself already established on the roster. The fact that Patterson jumped into this situation, with only 3 years of organized football experience and coming from a junior college and produced speaks volumes to his ability. Funny how that was left out.

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'gianmarco said:

Right, it's all about the situation. Percy Harvin similarly only had 40 receptions his final year. He was also much more involved in the running game. Patterson was as well (albeit not to the extent Percy was). Point being, it's not necessarily a knock on a guy that he only had 46 catches in his final season and is going in the first round when you take the situation into account. In fact, if a guy only catches 46 balls in his final year and is STILL taken in the 1st round, that should tell you something about what teams think of him as a prospect.

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'ZWK said:

I want to see more of (hard to find video and they could be good): Cierre Wood, Spencer Ware

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'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

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Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

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'EBF said:

'gianmarco said:

Right, it's all about the situation. Percy Harvin similarly only had 40 receptions his final year. He was also much more involved in the running game. Patterson was as well (albeit not to the extent Percy was). Point being, it's not necessarily a knock on a guy that he only had 46 catches in his final season and is going in the first round when you take the situation into account. In fact, if a guy only catches 46 balls in his final year and is STILL taken in the 1st round, that should tell you something about what teams think of him as a prospect.

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In Harvin and Thomas you just named two guys that I banged the drum for big time and drafted high in startups before they played a down in the NFL. Thomas had 1154 yards on 46 catches, which is significantly better than what Patterson did with his opportunities. You could always see that Demaryius was a man child. He plays way bigger than Patterson, who strikes me as more of a finesse player. Harvin was a gadget player in college. That's true. I'd argue that he looked better than Patterson. In terms of production, he was a victim of a wacky Florida offense that likes to stick little speedy guys in the backfield. There's another Tennessee receiver who had numbers like Patterson's. Donte Stallworth - 41 catches, 821 yards, 10 TDsA catch-and-run specialist whose eye-popping speed and quickness caused people to overlook the fact that he wasn't all that great of a receiver. Sounds familiar. Not saying Patterson is the exact same guy. For one thing, he's a lot taller. But he strikes me as a very big risk compared to most of the receivers who have gone where he figures to go in the draft (somewhere between 10-25). In that range I'd like to know that I'm getting a solid player. He strikes me as more of a gamble. The kind of guy who might slip into the 2nd round of the draft in some years. In a crop that's short on difference makers, he's going to be picked higher than he probably should be, in FF and in the NFL.

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'tdmills said:

'EBF said:

'gianmarco said:

Right, it's all about the situation. Percy Harvin similarly only had 40 receptions his final year. He was also much more involved in the running game. Patterson was as well (albeit not to the extent Percy was). Point being, it's not necessarily a knock on a guy that he only had 46 catches in his final season and is going in the first round when you take the situation into account. In fact, if a guy only catches 46 balls in his final year and is STILL taken in the 1st round, that should tell you something about what teams think of him as a prospect.

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In Harvin and Thomas you just named two guys that I banged the drum for big time and drafted high in startups before they played a down in the NFL. Thomas had 1154 yards on 46 catches, which is significantly better than what Patterson did with his opportunities. You could always see that Demaryius was a man child. He plays way bigger than Patterson, who strikes me as more of a finesse player. Harvin was a gadget player in college. That's true. I'd argue that he looked better than Patterson. In terms of production, he was a victim of a wacky Florida offense that likes to stick little speedy guys in the backfield. There's another Tennessee receiver who had numbers like Patterson's. Donte Stallworth - 41 catches, 821 yards, 10 TDsA catch-and-run specialist whose eye-popping speed and quickness caused people to overlook the fact that he wasn't all that great of a receiver. Sounds familiar. Not saying Patterson is the exact same guy. For one thing, he's a lot taller. But he strikes me as a very big risk compared to most of the receivers who have gone where he figures to go in the draft (somewhere between 10-25). In that range I'd like to know that I'm getting a solid player. He strikes me as more of a gamble. The kind of guy who might slip into the 2nd round of the draft in some years. In a crop that's short on difference makers, he's going to be picked higher than he probably should be, in FF and in the NFL.

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How many games have you seen from Patterson?It's okay if you haven't evaluated him much, but you're having discussions about him by comparing/bring up other raw WRs. However, you don't discuss a lot about his game. I think this isn't fair to the SP if you're "shooting from the hip."Donte Stallworth shouldn't be discussed with Patterson unless it's UT alums, they're different players.

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'Time Kibitzer said:

'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

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Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

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Tenn also had an experienced WR who will also be a 2nd or 3rd round NFL pick himself already established on the roster. The fact that Patterson jumped into this situation, with only 3 years of organized football experience and coming from a junior college and produced speaks volumes to his ability. Funny how that was left out.

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Sure, playing opposite another NFL talent means Cordarelle got less targets than he otherwise would, but I don't see how that comes close to making up for the over 300 passing attempt differential that he was the beneficiary of relative to Demaryious. And I consider Cordarelle's lack of experience and time in JUCO to be a negative characteristic, so I don't see how bringing that up is supposed to make someone feel better about his NFL prospects or is a reason for forgiveness for his lack of NCAA success.

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'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

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Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

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Tenn also had an experienced WR who will also be a 2nd or 3rd round NFL pick himself already established on the roster. The fact that Patterson jumped into this situation, with only 3 years of organized football experience and coming from a junior college and produced speaks volumes to his ability. Funny how that was left out.

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Sure, playing opposite another NFL talent means Cordarelle got less targets than he otherwise would, but I don't see how that comes close to making up for the over 300 passing attempt differential that he was the beneficiary of relative to Demaryious. And I consider Cordarelle's lack of experience and time in JUCO to be a negative characteristic, so I don't see how bringing that up is supposed to make someone feel better about his NFL prospects or is a reason for forgiveness for his lack of NCAA success.

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It matters because Tenn plays a Pro-Style passing game system. One that would certainly be harder to learn for a guy with only 3 years of organized football experience, new to a team and on a team with an already established WR1 who will also be drafted highly in the NFL. It was clear by the way Tenn used Patterson that the saw something in him that was undeniable and they forced him the ball in multiple situations; WR, RB, KO and punts. His athletism jumps off the screen, even in the SEC.The bottom line is that NCAA statitisical succuss is one of the worst indicators of future NFL success. On top of that, I'd say given the circumstances he was highly successful in his one year at Tenn. In case you didn't know, he set a school record for all-purpose yardage with 1,858 yards and he scored 10 total touchdowns (5 receiving, 3 rushing, 1 kickoff return, and 1 punt return). If that isn't success, then what is? Successful enough that he will be drafted in the top 25 picks of the NFL this coming April.

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'BeTheMatch said:

'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'jurb26 said:

'Time Kibitzer said:

'gianmarco said:

'EBF said:

Any time there's a big disparity between my view of a prospect and what the professionals think of him, it's a warning that I might be way off the mark. I'm probably more down on Patterson than I should be. He's a nifty runner in the open field and he looks like has some speed and quickness. But when people compare him to guys like Demaryius Thomas and Julio Jones, it seems like a stretch to me. I don't see that kind of amazing ability. And while college production isn't everything, I'd hope that my draft-eligible first round WR could do better than 46 catches for 778 yards in his final season.

He had a stretch of games in the middle of the season where his receiving yardage totals were 20, 31, 25, 25, and 26. One monster game against Troy. Otherwise pretty quiet. Maybe it's the JC factor and the lack of experience. Chad Johnson had a similar season in his only year at Oregon State and he turned out okay. I would take a chance on a guy like this for the right price, but as a top 15-20 NFL draft pick and a top 3-4 rookie pick, the price is a bit too rich for me.

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You know who else had 46 catches in his final season in college (and career high for his 3 year college career)? The guy you listed above: Demaryius Thomas.

Thomas did end up with more yards, but it was such a huge jump compared to his 1st 2 years that it definitely looked flukish (25 ypc). Patterson's #'s are still an explosive 17 ypc.

Click to expand...

Well there's a pretty huge difference between the team that Demaryious Thomas played on in college at Georgia Tech and the one Cordarelle Patterson played on at Tennessee. Cordarelle Patterson played on a team with an NFL quality QB that threw the ball 477 times. Demaryious played on a team that ran a wishbone offense, had a glorified RB as their QB who completed just 46% of his passes, and they only threw the ball 168 times all year long. I think if 2009 Demaryious played on the 2012 Tennesse team, he has way more than 46 receptions.

Click to expand...

Tenn also had an experienced WR who will also be a 2nd or 3rd round NFL pick himself already established on the roster. The fact that Patterson jumped into this situation, with only 3 years of organized football experience and coming from a junior college and produced speaks volumes to his ability. Funny how that was left out.

Click to expand...

Sure, playing opposite another NFL talent means Cordarelle got less targets than he otherwise would, but I don't see how that comes close to making up for the over 300 passing attempt differential that he was the beneficiary of relative to Demaryious. And I consider Cordarelle's lack of experience and time in JUCO to be a negative characteristic, so I don't see how bringing that up is supposed to make someone feel better about his NFL prospects or is a reason for forgiveness for his lack of NCAA success.

Click to expand...

It matters because Tenn plays a Pro-Style passing game system. One that would certainly be harder to learn for a guy with only 3 years of organized football experience, new to a team and on a team with an already established WR1 who will also be drafted highly in the NFL. It was clear by the way Tenn used Patterson that the saw something in him that was undeniable and they forced him the ball in multiple situations; WR, RB, KO and punts. His athletism jumps off the screen, even in the SEC.The bottom line is that NCAA statitisical succuss is one of the worst indicators of future NFL success. On top of that, I'd say given the circumstances he was highly successful in his one year at Tenn. In case you didn't know, he set a school record for all-purpose yardage with 1,858 yards and he scored 10 total touchdowns (5 receiving, 3 rushing, 1 kickoff return, and 1 punt return). If that isn't success, then what is? Successful enough that he will be drafted in the top 25 picks of the NFL this coming April.

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An even worse indicator is randomly comparing his stats to a proven NFL player who played in a vastly different college offense as a way to try to prove he's an equally good prospect. That comparison is worthless. Doesn't mean Patterson isn't a good prospect. But comparing him to Thomas because of similar college stats is ridiculous.

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'gianmarco said:

Since you're referring to my post, I wasn't comparing Patterson to Thomas at all. I was simply saying that looking at one year's worth of stats (or lack thereof) and saying you'd expect more if the guy is going to be a 1st round pick doesn't make sense without taking the situation into account (i.e. D. Thomas). Same way one shouldn't have dismissed DT as being a good prospect for his lack of stats (because of G. Tech's offense), one shouldn't dismiss Patterson as being a good prospect for his lack of stats (very raw, playing behind an established WR). That does not mean that Patterson = Thomas at all nor what I intended nor did I ever imply that was a "way to prove he's an equally good prospect".

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'jurb26 said:

'gianmarco said:

Since you're referring to my post, I wasn't comparing Patterson to Thomas at all. I was simply saying that looking at one year's worth of stats (or lack thereof) and saying you'd expect more if the guy is going to be a 1st round pick doesn't make sense without taking the situation into account (i.e. D. Thomas). Same way one shouldn't have dismissed DT as being a good prospect for his lack of stats (because of G. Tech's offense), one shouldn't dismiss Patterson as being a good prospect for his lack of stats (very raw, playing behind an established WR). That does not mean that Patterson = Thomas at all nor what I intended nor did I ever imply that was a "way to prove he's an equally good prospect".

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I would have thought this was obvious. It's crazy that you have to actually defend this. Despite that, Thomas is a guy that I've seen mentioned a ton while looking at Patterson and reading up on him. They have a similar skill set IMO and apparently the opinions of many others. I think Thomas plays stronger and is a more natural hands catcher but Patterson flashes more explosivness, speed and short area quickness. None the less, similar skills.Another bit of info I just came by, Patterson broke the SEC record for average yds per return for kick offs/punts comibined. I'm not sure how his season could be twisted into anything other than impressive.

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'Faust said:

NFP's Top 200 Draft Prospects - Version 5.0

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'Donnybrook said:

'Faust said:

NFP's Top 200 Draft Prospects - Version 5.0

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Russ Lande giving Ryan Nassib the highest (Pro-bowl) grade has to be contraversal. I don't see it. Nassib's highlights reminds me Blaine Gabbert's highlights. The offensive system looks exactly the same. He takes every snap out of the shotgun and rarely gets to his second read. He has a Jake Locker type arm but unfortunely also has some of Locker's accuracy and decision making issues. Huge leap of faith to say that he will develop into a Pro bowl caliber QB.

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