Again if you guys wouldn't mind just clicking the link in my profile to give me some hits on my blog I'd appreciate it. I'll just copy and paste the full analysis here though so that you don't have to go to the webite if you don't want to. Day 3 Analysis should be posted tonight I hope. Depends on my college priorities, which haven't been much of a priority this week. Day 2 is one of the more enjoyable days to watch because of all the speed that hits the field. It featured the top RBs, WRs, and QBs. The best part of this day was that elite prospects like Calvin Johnson and Adrian Peterson actually hit the field and participated some. A lot of times the top prospects will hold out of the combine and just wait for their pro days. It was nice to see Johnson at least run a 40 despite his agent telling him not to do so. I think that agents too often have only their best intentions in mind. Johnson impressed scouts even more by participating as did Adrian Peterson. Day 2: RBs, WRs, and QBs There were both suprises and disappointments among the position players so let's get to some results and thoughts. I'll be covering each group position by position starting with WRs. WRs * This is the deepest position in the draft. I think there are 7 WRs that grade out as possible 1st round picks. I think this has to be considered for one of the best WR prospect classes in draft history. Here's a few 40 times to note from the WRs... Jason Hill, Washington St., 4.32 Calvin Johnson, Ga. Tech, 4.35 Reggie Ball, Ga. Tech, 4.84 Dallas Baker, Florida, 4.62 Dwayne Bowe, LSU, 4.49 Yamon Figurs, Kansas St., 4.3 David Clowney, Va. Tech, 4.36 Aundrae Allison, East Carolina, 4.39 Steve Breaston, Michigan, 4.41 Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio St., 4.44 Jonathan Holland, La. Tech, 4.45 Craig Davis, LSU, 4.46 Johnnie Lee Higgins, UTEP, 4.48 Robert Meachem, Tennessee, 4.39 Ryan Moore, Miami, FL., 4.59 Legedu Naanee, Boise St., 4.41 Ryne Robinson, Miami, OH., 4.47 Steve Smith, USC, 4.44 Sidney Rice, South Carolina, 4.53 Laurent Robinson, Illinois St., 4.38 Onrea Jones, Hampton, 4.45 Mike Mason, Tennessee St., 4.4 Chansi Stuckey, Clemson, 4.61 Jayson Swain, Tennessee, 4.67 Paul Williams, Fresno St., 4.45 Chandler Williams, Fla. Int., 4.42 Mike Walker, UCF, 4.35 Syvelle Newton, South Carolina, 4.68 Jerard Rabb, Boise St., 4.54 *Calvin Johnson (Ga. Tech) actually borrowed someone else's shoes in order to run his 40 time. In watching film of him running the 40, I thought that he actually got off to a slow start. I really think that if he got off cleanly then he could turn in a 4.3 flat. There is no doubt that he is the best player in the draft anymore. He is on a level that no one else in this draft class could possibly reach. Whoever drafts him will be drafting the best player in the 2007 NFL Draft. *Dwayne Jarrett (USC) was a notable WR that didn't participate in any drills during the combine. He claimed it was an injury that kept him out, but I think it has more to do with the rumored 4.7 40 times that he was running during a camp last week. That started many scouts in on comparing him to former USC standout WR Mike Williams. Williams has obviously been a bust in the NFL and this is the worst possible comparison for Jarrett to be faced with. I think Jarrett is better than Williams though. He's still a 1st round choice at this point, but definitely is no longer the 2nd best WR in this draft. I actually rank Ted Ginn and Dwayne Bowe ahead of him now with Robert Meachem really pushing him. *No WR was more impressive than Dwayne Bowe (LSU) at the Senior Bowl. He came out and ran a 4.51 40, which is exactly where scouts expected him to run. He's done nothing, but solidify his stock as a mid-first round pick. I think he could be off the board before the 20th pick of the draft. I think Dallas would consider him heavily especially if they don't re-sign Patrick Crayton. Remember that TO and Terry Glenn are both in their mid-30's. *Jason Hill (Washington St.) moved way up my board at the Senior Bowl and he moved even further up it after his day at the combine. It seemed like during the season that he was making a big play with every 4th or 5th ball that he caught. Hill is a borderline 1st round pick right now. He had a great day of showing off his route running ability. He starts and stops effortlessly. *Paul Williams (Fresno St.) is another Senior Bowl standout that showed off during the combine as well. Williams has great size (6'1, 200 lbs.) and plays a very physical style of football. He's been the highest riser at the WR position since the Senior Bowl. I actually compare his abilities to Greg Jennings, who was drafted in the 2nd round last year by the Green Bay Packers. The only big difference would be that he is a couple of inches taller than Jennings. *David Clowney (Va. Tech) is a prospect that is flying well under the radar of many scouts right now. He's not a well known name and was trapped in a run oriented offense at Va. Tech this past season. He impressed me at the Senior Bowl with his precise route running and great hands. He seemed to catch everything that was thrown at him during the practices. Then he came out to the combine and ran a 4.36 40-yard dash. I don't think there's anyway that Clowney slips out of the first day of the draft. *I was actually touting Yamon Figurs (Kansas St.) as possibly the fastest player in the draft a few weeks ago on my radio show. He made me look like a sports genius when he ran a 4.3 on Sunday. I've been hooked on him ever since his spectacular performance in Kansas St.'s upset victory over Texas this past season. He was a great weapon. He'll be one of the best special teams contributors from this draft. A team that is patient to develop him as a WR could find themselves a great slot receiver who can stretch the seams. He should easily be off the board in the early 2nd day. *Reggie Ball was the only reason, in my mind, that Ga. Tech did not contend for a National Title this past season. I think that team had all the pieces of one of the best team's in the country except that their QB couldn't complete even 45% of his passes in most games. Ball has no future in the NFL as a QB, but may not have one as a WR either. He ran a 4.84 on Saturday and also dropped every ball that I personally saw thrown his way. A team might take a chance on him because of his reputation as an athlete, but I would consider it a bad pick unless it happened in the 7th round. *Robert Meachem probably helped his stock more than any other WR at the combine. His 4.39 40 was one of the more impressive times posted. He's now soaring up draft boards and I think he's a definite 1st round pick now. I really liked what he said during an interview with Charles Davis on NFL Network as well. He came off as a player with high expectations, but still remains humble. I think he is very coachable and will stretch the field wonderfully for whatever team drafts him. *Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio St.) is one of the quickest WRs at the combine. He ran a 4.44 40, but his 20 yard shuttle time of 4.08 is actually much more impressive. He changes directions well, which makes him an excellent route runner. He'll be off the board by the early 2nd round. *Chansi Stuckey (Clemson) is another player that really disappointed me. He ran both is 40's in the 4.6 range. Not impressive at all for an undersized WR. He is very quick, but he needs to improve on his straightline speed numbers to move back into a position of a late 1st day pick. I think he's slipped to maybe even the 5th or 6th round now. *Top 10 WR Combine Performances 1. Robert Meachem, Tennessee 2. Calvin Johnson, Ga. Tech 3. Jason Hill, Washington St. 4. David Clowney, Va. Tech 5. Laurent Robinson, Illinois St...He placed in the top 10 in every single drill he participated him. He's the only WR at the combine that can claim to have done that. 6. Paul Williams, Fresno St. 7. Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio St. 8. Steve Smith, USC 9. Yamon Figurs, Kansas St. 10. Dwayne Bowe, LSU Running Backs *It was hard to decide how to rank the RBs after Adrian Peterson, Marshawn Lynch and Michael Bush coming into the combine on Saturday. That problem cleared itself up some after some very impressive performances as well as some not so impressive performances. Here are some 40 times for the RBs... Marshawn Lynch, Cal, 4.46 Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma, 4.4 Brandon Jackson, Nebraska, 4.58 Brian Leonard, Rutgers, 4.49 Darius Walker, Notre Dame, 4.56 Chris Henry, Arizona, 4.4 Nate Ilaoa, Hawaii, 4.78 Lorenzo Booker, Florida St., 4.46 Alonzo Coleman, Hampton, 4.49 Ahmad Bradshaw, Marshall, 4.54 Thomas Clayton, Kansas St., 4.65 Kenneth Darby, Alabama, 4.64 Jon Cornish, Kansas, 4.67 Eldra Buckley, Chattanooga, 4.59 Deon Anderson, Connecticut, 4.68 Cory Anderson, Tennessee, 4.71 Kenny Irons, Auburn, 4.45 Antonio Pittman, Ohio St., 4.4 Gary Russell, Minnesota, 4.8 Kolby Smith, Louisville, 4.51 Jason Snelling, Virginia, 4.74 Ramonce Taylor, Texas, 4.5 Dwayne Wright, Fresno St., 4.68 Deshawn Wynn, Florida, 4.48 LeRon McClain, UAB, 4.86 Tyrone Moss, Miami, FL., 4.7 *It appears to be a 3-horse race for the claim to the #4 spot on the RB board now between Kenny Irons (Auburn), Tony Hunt (Penn St.), who didn't work out, and new entrant, Brian Leonard (Rutgers). Leonard was a FB at Rutgers, but wanted to be considered a RB in the NFL. He dropped about 15 lbs. from his playing weight and was incredibly impressive at the combine. I think he's now definitely a 2nd round pick. Quite honestly, and I hate making this a race issue, there will be teams that will still consider him a FB because he's white. Several critics coming into the combine labeled him as a FB still mainly because of his race. He's a legitimate NFL RB though. Irons was widely considered the 2nd best RB coming into the regular season, but slipped because of a lack of production. Teams also doubted that he had any breakaway speed. I actually think he has that type of speed, but was hindered due to a complete lack of a passing game. All three of these backs will be 2nd round picks most likely. Teams will probably grade them differently on their boards, but i think they are the consensus #4 backs in the draft. *Gary Russell (Minnesota) is a great example to show young kids why they have to work hard to be a great back. Russell had all the God-given talent in the world when he signed with Minnesota, but he screwed around and got in trouble off the field and in the classroom. He was kicked off of the team, but was given a 2nd chance to show up at the combine and improve the outlook for his future. Instead, he showed up out of shape. I'll be surprised if his name is called on draft day. He ran the slowest 40 by a RB on Sunday and also only repped 225 lbs. 9 times. That was the lowest mark of the entire combine. Russell really needs to straighten out his life much more than he needs to pursue an NFL career. *Ramonce Taylor (Texas) on the other hand is a great example of a kid who took advantage of a 2nd chance. Taylor was kicked out of Texas before this season because of several off the field problems. He was always considered an underachiever by the Longhorn coaches. He has tons of potential and being kicked off the team appears to have woken Taylor up to that potential. He showed up for the combine in shape and put up a nice workout. He definitely has shown himself worthy of having his name called sometime during the 2nd day of the draft. *Adrian Peterson did a good thing by working out at the combine. He tied for the fastest 40 time of the combine with a 4.4 and showed that he is worth the hype that has been surrounding him. I still think that his durability is a legitimate concern, but all signs point toward Cleveland drafting him with the 3rd pick if Joe Thomas is off the board. *Chris Henry (Arizona) was the surprise of the day on Sunday. I didn't even consider him draftable when I first looked at him after he declared for early entry. I didn't understand why he would do such a thing. He was never a full time starter and never rushed for more than 600 yards in a given season. Evidentally, he left Arizona early because they were changing their offense to a spread system where he would see the ball even less. I think he knew that he had to impress at the combine if he had any aspirations of being drafted. He didn't disappoint as he ran a 4.4 40. That's good enough to be tied with Adrian Peterson and Antonio Pittman, some notable company, for the top time in the RB class. He's also got phenomenal size (6', 230 lbs.) to go along with that speed. There are issues of a complete lack of productivity though. He only registered one 100-yard game in his career. That is what will probably keep him as an early 2nd day pick. *Marshawn Lynch (Cal) was a little overshadowed by some of the other great performances, but he turned in a very solid day. However, he didn't blow people away like many thought he might. There were several scouts and draftniks that thought Lynch could impress enough to push past Peterson as the top RB in the draft. That didn't happen and I don't believe that it will happen now. Lynch could still end up being worthy of a top 10 pick. Houston could look his way if Peterson is gone by the time they pick. *Too many people put too much emphasis on a RBs 40 time. It's nice for a RB to have straight line speed, but there are other things that are more important for NFL success. Lateral movement, agility, the ability to stop and start on a dime, and explosion are other good tests for a RB. The 3-cone drill that is run at the combine is a great test of these things. Here are some of the top results from the RBs 3-cone drills. Marshawn Lynch, Cal, 7.05 Brandon Jackson, Nebraska, 7.00 Brian Leonard, Rutgers, 6.88 Chris Henry, Arizona, 6.96 Ahmad Bradshaw, Marshall, 6.7 Kenny Irons, Auburn, 7.00 Antonio Pittman, Ohio St., 6.84 Jason Snelling, Virginia, 7.06 Ramonce Taylor, Texas, 6.98 Garrett Wolfe, No. Illinois, 6.69 *Garrett Wolfe actually posted the fastest times in ever agility drill that was done. He didn't run a 40, but I feel that he would have run it in the 4.4 range. Wolfe is a small scatback that is drawing a lot of comparisons to Warrick Dunn. I'm not sure if he'll ever find that type of success and I definitely don't feel that he is the prospect that Dunn was coming out of college. Regardless, Wolfe could be a nice change of pace back and a 3rd down specialist. He'll need to show off his hands more on his pro day to really convince teams that he can do that roll. He lead the nation in rushing this past season, but was rendered completely ineffective in several games down the stretch of the season. One reason I don't like to compare him to Dunn is that he is easily taken down by arm tackles. Dunn has the leg drive and strength to not be taken down by arm tackles. *Darius Walker isn't listed on the above list, but no other back showed as much explosiveness as Walker did. I was very critical of Walker at times during the regular season. I even placed of the blame on Notre Dame's issues with running the ball on him. I've actually done a 180-degree turn on those feelings. I blame Notre Dame's OL much more now. Walker had a 40.5-inch vertical jump, which was the 2nd highest of the entire combine. Walker is also the best receiving back in this draft class. I definitely see him leaping off the draft board in the 3rd round. *Top 10 RB Combine Performances 1. Chris Henry, Arizona 2. Brian Leonard, Rutgers 3. Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma 4. Marshawn Lynch, Cal 5. Antonio Pittman, Ohio St. 6. Garrett Wolfe, No. Illinois 7. Kenny Irons, Auburn 8. Ramonce Taylor, Texas 9. Brandon Jackson, Nebraska 10. Ahmad Bradshaw, Marshall Quarterbacks *There is no single drill at the combine that truly defines or helps a QB's draft stock. The most important workout that a QB will face is off the field. The interview process is extremely important for QBs. This is when a quarterback can distinguish himself from other prospects with similar skill sets by displaying intellect, leadership skills and mental toughness. A great interview can lead to a follow-up visit to a team's facility during predraft individual workouts. Teams really understand a player's arm strength and accuracy. The combine footage will hardly be looked at again when it comes to scouting a QB. Instead the teams will look at game film and some Senior Bowl practice film if there is some available. Teams might watch a QB throw certain routes in practice, but chances are they have watched that QB throw those same routes over and over again on game film. They will also watch a QBs throwing motion in practice and at the combine. It will be little things like that that will catch the eyes of scouts and coaches. Any drill that the QBs particpate in and perform well in is just a show of how athletic they might be. It also could indicate that that particular player has a great work ethic. *Brady Quinn (Notre Dame) is a great example of a QB that showed a great work ethic. He had a very impressive physique. Many were joking with him telling him that he had a surfer's body. He went into the weight room and showed that he had more than a beach body. He had a weight room warrior's body. He repped 225 lbs. 24 times, which is a phenomenal mark for a QB. Quinn has been overanalyzed coming into the draft season. He is still a great QB prospect and there is no way he should fall out of the top 10. I still think that the Lions and Raiders have to give him great consideration. The Lions are now projected to take OT Joe Thomas (Wisconsin) by many draftniks, but Quinn will be looked at hard by them. *JaMarcus Russell (LSU) came into the combine out of shape and weighing 265 lbs. He is a big bodied QB much like Daunte Culpepper and Ben Roethlisberger, but his physique just didn't look impressive. He admitted himself in an interview that he was out of shape. He has to fix that problem by his pro day. I think 250 lbs. is a much better weight range for him to shoot for. He definitely doesn't strike me as the type of workout warrior that Quinn is. *Quinn and Russelle didn't work out at the combine. As for the QBs who did, Drew Stanton was the most impressive that I saw. He definitely had the best throwing mechanics. This isn't completely surprising either though. Stanton is a great athlete with prototypical NFL QB size, but it's the lack of production and complete inconsistency that has lowered his draft stock since the start of the season. He will still be graded as the #3 QB on a lot of teams' boards though. However, he'll have some competition for that spot. *Kevin Kolb (Houston) and Troy Smith (Ohio St.) will be Stanton's main competition for the 3rd QB spot. I didn't get to see any of Kolb working out at the combine simply because the NFL Network didn't show him working out. However, I did see some Smith's and he looked solid. He doesn't throw the out route as well as he needs to, but he actually threw the ball with more velocity than any other QB at the combine and yes, they do measure a QBs ball velocity. *Chris Leak was very impressive as well. If he were just 2 or 3 inches taller then he could be a possible 2nd round pick. Instead, he's well under 6 foot tall and will fall to the 2nd day because of it. He has an NFL arm though and throws one of the prettiest spirals. *I'm not going to rank the most impressive QBs. Honestly, the aforementioned are the only QBs that were shown for any significant amount of time by the NFL Network. Tomorrow I will be shelling out my Day 3 analysis of the combine, which featured the DL and LBs.
