Playing the safety position in todays NFL is a very tough task. To be an elite safety you're expected to cover like a corner and hit like a linebacker. There aren't many players gifted enough to excel at both of these traits. This year there is. Eric Berry is one of the most dynamic prospects to come out in recent memory. He is the #2 overall player in this years draft behind Ndamukong Suh. He is one of two or maybe three players this year that is truly and elite NFL prospect. Berry has the coverage skills to run with anyone and he combines that with elite hands and dynamic skills with the ball in his hand. Any team could feel comfortable playing Berry in centerfield and let him roam free and call it a day. But thatd be a mistake in my opinion. Berry is a Charles Woodson clone. Not only can be play safety, he can be left alone on an island against a receiver as an outside corner, you can plug him in at nickel, and you can let him blitz off the edge. Berry hits like a truck, and tackles as good as anyone. Combining those run stuffing skills with his 4.4 speed and elite athleticism makes Berry a true weapon. You can line him up anywhere and he can do it all. There really aren't enough good things one can say about Berry. He dominated in the SEC for three years and has shown the ability to play anywhere in the secondary. Berry routinely tops safety rankings this year, but one well known draft analysis has him as his #2 safety....crazy talk I say! Mike Mayock is the best in the business, and for the most part, when Mayock talks, you should listen. He has access to a ton of tape, has a proven track record, and his analysis is usually spot on. Rating Eric Berry behind Earl Thomas to me though is pretty ridiculous.
Thomas is a fantastic cover guy. He can run with anyone, and he showed his ball skills this past year notching 8 picks. Like Berry, hes fast and athletic and can turn and run with anyone. His problems are that he isn't that strong, he misses some tackles, and he's not exactly a physical presence. His best fit may come at corner at the next level. In fact, had he stayed in Texas, thats where they may have moved him for next season. So while Thomas is no slouch, he just isn't even in the same league as Berry.
Both of the aforementioned guys are first round locks. The next guy on the list is Taylor Mays.
A lot can be said about Taylor Mays. He is probably the hardest prospect to evaluate this year.
I can start with this... Mays may be the biggest athletic freak the NFL draft has seen in many, many years. He is nearly 6'4, 230 lbs... and he can run a sub 4.3 40.... that is Chris Johnson territory folks. Thats right... a guy who is big enough to play linebacker who runs at a similar speed to the fastest guy in the league. Thats absolutely mind blowing. Though his combine official times say he ran a 4.4, anyone with half a brain can look up his 40 yard dash video and manually time it and have it come up in the 4.3 range every time.
Okay. Enough about his phycial freakishness. How is his tape? Difficult to tell... Mays played in a one deep base defense pretty much his entire time in USC. Teams knew what he was going to do pretty much every play... he roamed center field exclusively. It was some pretty clear cover one or cover three type zones. So it wasn't hard to avoid him...which gives us a difficult task in terms of evalutaing his NFL potential. Teams often steered clear of throwing deep on him, but when they did challenge him Mays could never really display any ball skills of any kind. Where he shines is in run support and in laying the huge hit on helpless receivers. He is a real intimidating force. He does struggle in diagnosing plays and he takes some pretty brutal angles at times resulting in bad technique and missed tackles.
Mays played in a difficult system to scout, but what is apparent is 2 things.
1- He has world class athleticism. He's got the speed, he's got the strength.
2- At times he played flat out poorly. Bad angles, bad technique, and no ball skills to be seen.
So where does that put him in the draft? Tough to say. I think he's worth a first rounder. Guys with his skill set dont come along often. Maybe his best position will be as an in the box strong safety instead of the deep cover one rover. That position would allow him to come in and easily cover a tight end or slot guy while also allowing him to shoot up the middle and attack the run. Mays has a sky high ceiling but he also has bust potential. I think he's worth the risk, but buyer beware.
Here are my rankings:
1) Eric Berry, Tennessee (Top 10)
2) Earl Thomas, Texas (Round 1)
3) Taylor Mays, USC (Round 1-2)
4) Nate Allen, USF (Round 2)
5) Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech (Round 2)
6) Chad Jones, LSU (Round 3)
7) Reshad Jones, Georgia (Round 3)
8) Larry Asante, Nebraska (Round 4-5)
9) Darrel Stuckey, Kansas (Round 4-5)
10) Major Wright, Florida (Round 4-5)
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL. Show all posts
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
2010 Cornerbacks
This years corner class is a very exceptional group...off the top of my head there are approximately 10 guys that could go in the first 2 rounds. Thats impressive.
One name who isn't talked about a lot is Chris Cook from Virginia. Cook is probably a second round lock but there are rumblings that the Vikings like him enough to possibly take him at #30 overall.
Cook is 6'2 212 lbs and runs a mid 4.4 40. Those triangle numbers are extremely intriguing. He is a good athlete, and has excellent hips and change of direction skills. He has good ball skills as well. Though his technique isn't that great and he isn't very physical, Cooks athleticism and triangle numbers are enough to have a team gamble on him. With good coaching and in the right situation the sky is the limit on this kid.
My favourite corner in this draft is probably Donovan Warren from Michigan. He is a great athlete, with exceptional ball skills, and he plays the run extremely well. He is physical, a good tackler, and is comfortable being left alone on an island with a receiver. His problem? Speed. He ran an awful 40 yard dash at the combine. Now for some positions, the 40 doesn't mean much. For corners however it means a lot. Warren ran a 4.64. Thats pretty bad. If he ran, say a 4.44 then Warren would most likely be a 2nd rounder, but unfortunately for him he could fall to round 4. I like Warren a lot despite of his speed. Put him in a zone situation where he doesn't often have to turn and run with receivers down field and instead can keep his eye on the line of scrimmage and pitch in on the run game, and you could have yourselves a poor man's Antoine Winfield.
Now there is a lot that can be said about guys like Joe Haden and Kyle Wilson, who are virtual first round locks. I want to discuss another guy who could slip into round one but doesn't get much publicity...Kareem Jackson.
Jackson has size, speed, and physicality. He is scheme diverse and is a very good run defender. He does get burned sometimes and has issues with separation from speed receivers but he has the skill set and athleticism to overcome those issues. Jackson got overlooked on Alabama because his team was stacked with so many other stars, but on draft day his name could be called earlier than most casual fans realize.
Here are my rankings:
1) Joe Haden, Florida (Round 1)
2) Kyle Wilson, Boise State (Round 1)
3) Devin McCourty, Rutgers (Round 1-2)
4) Kareem Jackson, Alabama (Round 1-2)
5) Chris Cook, Virginia (Round 1-2)
6) Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State (Round 2-3)
7) Dominique Franks, Oklahoma (Round 2)
8) Patrick Robinson, FSU (Round 2)
9) Donovan Warren, Michigan (Round 4)
10) Jerome Murphy, USF (Round 2-3)
One name who isn't talked about a lot is Chris Cook from Virginia. Cook is probably a second round lock but there are rumblings that the Vikings like him enough to possibly take him at #30 overall.
Cook is 6'2 212 lbs and runs a mid 4.4 40. Those triangle numbers are extremely intriguing. He is a good athlete, and has excellent hips and change of direction skills. He has good ball skills as well. Though his technique isn't that great and he isn't very physical, Cooks athleticism and triangle numbers are enough to have a team gamble on him. With good coaching and in the right situation the sky is the limit on this kid.
My favourite corner in this draft is probably Donovan Warren from Michigan. He is a great athlete, with exceptional ball skills, and he plays the run extremely well. He is physical, a good tackler, and is comfortable being left alone on an island with a receiver. His problem? Speed. He ran an awful 40 yard dash at the combine. Now for some positions, the 40 doesn't mean much. For corners however it means a lot. Warren ran a 4.64. Thats pretty bad. If he ran, say a 4.44 then Warren would most likely be a 2nd rounder, but unfortunately for him he could fall to round 4. I like Warren a lot despite of his speed. Put him in a zone situation where he doesn't often have to turn and run with receivers down field and instead can keep his eye on the line of scrimmage and pitch in on the run game, and you could have yourselves a poor man's Antoine Winfield.
Now there is a lot that can be said about guys like Joe Haden and Kyle Wilson, who are virtual first round locks. I want to discuss another guy who could slip into round one but doesn't get much publicity...Kareem Jackson.
Jackson has size, speed, and physicality. He is scheme diverse and is a very good run defender. He does get burned sometimes and has issues with separation from speed receivers but he has the skill set and athleticism to overcome those issues. Jackson got overlooked on Alabama because his team was stacked with so many other stars, but on draft day his name could be called earlier than most casual fans realize.
Here are my rankings:
1) Joe Haden, Florida (Round 1)
2) Kyle Wilson, Boise State (Round 1)
3) Devin McCourty, Rutgers (Round 1-2)
4) Kareem Jackson, Alabama (Round 1-2)
5) Chris Cook, Virginia (Round 1-2)
6) Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State (Round 2-3)
7) Dominique Franks, Oklahoma (Round 2)
8) Patrick Robinson, FSU (Round 2)
9) Donovan Warren, Michigan (Round 4)
10) Jerome Murphy, USF (Round 2-3)
Saturday, April 3, 2010
2010 Defensive Tackles
No positional group this year is as good as the DT's. This group has elite talent at the top of the draft and depth in the middle rounds. It's a good year to be in the market for men in the middle. Before discussing anyone else, every discussion about this group should begin with Ndamukong Suh. Suh is one of the best prospects I have ever seen regardless of position. He has a non stop motor, elite strength, the ability to shut down a teams entire run game up the middle, he can take on and shed multiple blockers, he's blessed with the best bullrush move I've ever seen in a prospect, he tackles exceptionally well, and he is terrific in pursuit of the ball carrier. There isn't enough good things one can say about Suh. However some people like to throw some negatives out there...you usually here three things when people want to criticize Suh. I want to address each one.
1- Suh doesn't have many pass rush moves.
Well how do you know? He was the most dominant defensive player in college football in recent memory, why would he switch what he was doing in the bullrush? His upper body strength is unmatched by pretty much everyone.. why would he change what was working so well? In the NFL, yes he will have to show off some more moves, but there's no doubt he has the work ethic and ability to do so...and there's no way that his bullrush will be fully neutralized anyways. I don't see this point as a negative in any way.
2- Doesn't have an elite first step.
His first step penetration ability is not all world, but it's not bad. He has the acceleration off the snap to be successful and the first step is good enough to be a good pass rusher. No, it is not elite, but that's not really his game. If you watch his tape, you'll realize that his burst off the snap isn't exceptional but it isn't bad by any means. For a guy whose game is based on power and strength, his first step is actually quite good.
3- Injury concerns.
Now this is valid. He had knee injuries in the past and they required surgery. Now in no way has this hindered his play and there is no reason to think that it will affect him in the pros, but a team has to do its homework on those knees before drafting him because if this problem starts occurring again and again than there could be a problem.
Suh is an elite talent. He has the upside of Reggie White. He is that good and could be that dominant at the next level. He is my #1 player regardless of position in the draft by a long shot. Some people think differently though, and have fellow DT Gerald McCoy ranked higher then Suh. Now McCoy is fantastic, in fact he is my #3 player regardless of position in the draft (Eric Berry being #2), but in my opinion he isn't on the same level as Suh...he's not even close.
McCoy has the burst and penetration ability of Tommie Harris (before he started going downhill) and could be an absolute stud as a passrusher. He has all the moves you want to see out of a DT. He isn't exactly good in the run game, but he isn't bad either. At times he can get pushed out of a play rather easily but there are also times where he holds his own. He shouldn't be a liability in the run game but he won't be a difference maker by any stretch of the imagination. In one on one pass blocking situations he has shown to be an effective block shedder, but when it comes to double teams he is easily neutralized. He has a non stop motor and is a hard worker but wasn't overly productive at Oklahoma.
McCoy's technique is NFL ready and his elite first step have people drooling over his pass rush potential. He is a fantastic prospect in his own right, but when comparing him to Suh, he just doesn't compare. If he goes ahead of Suh, then a team will be making a big time mistake in my opinion because Suh is better then him in pretty much every category except than first step quickness. Suh is more scheme diverse, he has better strength, he is a better tackler, he is a better block shedder, he is proven to more productive, he has better size, he is much better against the run, and their motor and technique are on par.
McCoy is good yes. In fact he's a borderline elite prospect in his own right. But his ceiling may be Tommie Harris...not a bad thing, but Suh has potential in a DT that only comes along once in a decade or so.
Well thats enough about Suh and McCoy. One could on for hours about them. How about the top nose tackle prospect??
Dan Williams is a first round lock and should be the first NT off the board. He is an immovable force in the run game, has the ability to take on multiple blockers in the middle, and has a big 6'2 330 lb frame. What more do you want from a nose tackle!?
He doesn't have much to offer as a pass rusher, though he can push the pocket back, and he disappears sometimes in games. His conditioning and stamina have come into question. These negatives are things that pretty much every NT prospect faces though. Dan Williams is a prototypical nose, and they are always in high demand whether it be for a 34 or 43 team. He should hear his name called early on the 22nd.
Finally, I want to look at Lamarr Houston out of Texas. He is easily one ofthe most underrated DT's this year. 6'3 and 305 lbs, Houston is a big tackle who is very similar to Gerald McCoy. He has great passrushing ability, great technique, is very athletic and strong, and he never takes plays off. His problems are that he gets pushed out of the run game too often and his first step penetration isn't on an elite level. His ceiling isn't as high as McCoy because Houston doesn't possess the penetration ability that he does but other then that they are fairly similar players. A team will be extremely happy to land Houston in round 2.
Here are my rankings:
1- Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (Top 5)
2- Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (Top 5)
3- Dan Williams, Tennessee (Round 1)
4- Brian Price, UCLA (Round 1-2)
5- Jared Odrick, Penn State (Round 1)
6- Lamarr Houston, Texas (Round 2)
7- Terrence Cody, Alabama (Round 1-2)
8- Tyson Aluala, Cal (Round 2)
9- Cam Thomas, North Carolina (Round 2)
10- Geno Atkins, Georgia (Round 2-3)
1- Suh doesn't have many pass rush moves.
Well how do you know? He was the most dominant defensive player in college football in recent memory, why would he switch what he was doing in the bullrush? His upper body strength is unmatched by pretty much everyone.. why would he change what was working so well? In the NFL, yes he will have to show off some more moves, but there's no doubt he has the work ethic and ability to do so...and there's no way that his bullrush will be fully neutralized anyways. I don't see this point as a negative in any way.
2- Doesn't have an elite first step.
His first step penetration ability is not all world, but it's not bad. He has the acceleration off the snap to be successful and the first step is good enough to be a good pass rusher. No, it is not elite, but that's not really his game. If you watch his tape, you'll realize that his burst off the snap isn't exceptional but it isn't bad by any means. For a guy whose game is based on power and strength, his first step is actually quite good.
3- Injury concerns.
Now this is valid. He had knee injuries in the past and they required surgery. Now in no way has this hindered his play and there is no reason to think that it will affect him in the pros, but a team has to do its homework on those knees before drafting him because if this problem starts occurring again and again than there could be a problem.
Suh is an elite talent. He has the upside of Reggie White. He is that good and could be that dominant at the next level. He is my #1 player regardless of position in the draft by a long shot. Some people think differently though, and have fellow DT Gerald McCoy ranked higher then Suh. Now McCoy is fantastic, in fact he is my #3 player regardless of position in the draft (Eric Berry being #2), but in my opinion he isn't on the same level as Suh...he's not even close.
McCoy has the burst and penetration ability of Tommie Harris (before he started going downhill) and could be an absolute stud as a passrusher. He has all the moves you want to see out of a DT. He isn't exactly good in the run game, but he isn't bad either. At times he can get pushed out of a play rather easily but there are also times where he holds his own. He shouldn't be a liability in the run game but he won't be a difference maker by any stretch of the imagination. In one on one pass blocking situations he has shown to be an effective block shedder, but when it comes to double teams he is easily neutralized. He has a non stop motor and is a hard worker but wasn't overly productive at Oklahoma.
McCoy's technique is NFL ready and his elite first step have people drooling over his pass rush potential. He is a fantastic prospect in his own right, but when comparing him to Suh, he just doesn't compare. If he goes ahead of Suh, then a team will be making a big time mistake in my opinion because Suh is better then him in pretty much every category except than first step quickness. Suh is more scheme diverse, he has better strength, he is a better tackler, he is a better block shedder, he is proven to more productive, he has better size, he is much better against the run, and their motor and technique are on par.
McCoy is good yes. In fact he's a borderline elite prospect in his own right. But his ceiling may be Tommie Harris...not a bad thing, but Suh has potential in a DT that only comes along once in a decade or so.
Well thats enough about Suh and McCoy. One could on for hours about them. How about the top nose tackle prospect??
Dan Williams is a first round lock and should be the first NT off the board. He is an immovable force in the run game, has the ability to take on multiple blockers in the middle, and has a big 6'2 330 lb frame. What more do you want from a nose tackle!?
He doesn't have much to offer as a pass rusher, though he can push the pocket back, and he disappears sometimes in games. His conditioning and stamina have come into question. These negatives are things that pretty much every NT prospect faces though. Dan Williams is a prototypical nose, and they are always in high demand whether it be for a 34 or 43 team. He should hear his name called early on the 22nd.
Finally, I want to look at Lamarr Houston out of Texas. He is easily one ofthe most underrated DT's this year. 6'3 and 305 lbs, Houston is a big tackle who is very similar to Gerald McCoy. He has great passrushing ability, great technique, is very athletic and strong, and he never takes plays off. His problems are that he gets pushed out of the run game too often and his first step penetration isn't on an elite level. His ceiling isn't as high as McCoy because Houston doesn't possess the penetration ability that he does but other then that they are fairly similar players. A team will be extremely happy to land Houston in round 2.
Here are my rankings:
1- Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska (Top 5)
2- Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma (Top 5)
3- Dan Williams, Tennessee (Round 1)
4- Brian Price, UCLA (Round 1-2)
5- Jared Odrick, Penn State (Round 1)
6- Lamarr Houston, Texas (Round 2)
7- Terrence Cody, Alabama (Round 1-2)
8- Tyson Aluala, Cal (Round 2)
9- Cam Thomas, North Carolina (Round 2)
10- Geno Atkins, Georgia (Round 2-3)
Monday, March 22, 2010
2010 Quarterbacks
Flash back five years ago. The San Francisco 49ers are on the clock for the first selection of the 2005 NFL Draft. The selection is going to be a Quarterback. Some people argued that the QB's in the draft that year were not worthy of going #1, but the 49ers seemed determined to grab their signal caller of the future with that pick. So after much debate the selection came down to two people... two quarterbacks.... one 6'4 220 lb player who came from an unorthodox offense, operated mainly out of the shot-gun, had a fairly good arm, with great accuracy. He was known as the smartest QB in the draft and was though of as more of a safe pick then the other guy. That other guy was a little bit shorter and was criticized for leaving school early, perhaps only to capitalize on a great junior year. However, he had a great arm, operated under a pro style offense and had great success playing against top competition. Many still questioned him because of QB's that had come out of his school earlier had failed. Starting to sound familiar?...
The 49ers went with guy #1, and guy #2 slid into the 20's. Guy #1 is now considered one of the biggest all-time busts and guy #2 is one of the 5 best quarterbacks in the NFL today. Of course the two guys I'm talking about are Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.
Why do I bring this up? Because not only is this years situation at the top of the draft eerily similar but you could almost interchange Smith's name with Bradford's and Rodgers' with Clausen's in the aforementioned scouting reports and no one would bat an eye.
Jimmy Clausen is an absolutely fantastic QB prospect. As mentioned before he draws favorable comparisons to Aaron Rodgers. You could also say he is similar to Matt Ryan, but with better decision making if you don't like the A-Rod comparison. Whoever you have him compared to, one must acknowledge that he is coming off of one of the best seasons of college football any junior QB has ever had. And this is with a pretty bad offensive line, a sub par running game, and playing with many of his weapons on the side-line.
In addition to all this, Clausen's accuracy is spot on, his arm is great, he takes care of the ball extremely well, he has shown improvement in a pro style offense in three straight years, he has a history of playing well in the 4th quarter, and he is physically everything you'd want from a QB.... in other words Jimmy Clausen has the makings of an NFL QB. He should be a top pick in this years draft.
Sam Bradford on the other hand is coming off some serious injuries. His arm isn't amazing (he's no Chad Pennington but you won't see him rifling lasers through the air either),he operated almost exclusively out of the shot gun, and many of his stat padding throws were quick one-read tosses that relied heavily on WR and TE play. The guy was also surrounded with a star studded offensive line. However, put some pressure on him, and what happens? Game #1 of this year, after his premier LT of 2008 is drafted, pressure gets to him...and hes hurt..... and hes out for the year. Clausen on the other hand had games where he was terrorized all game (USC anyone?!) and still put out great film without missing time.
All in all, there are a lot more question marks with Bradford as there is with Clausen, though public opinion seems to be the exact opposite. Why? Probably because of so called "character concerns". His character concerns are usually summarized with one main point: He's arrogant and cocky.
Well to me this isn't that bad. He seems like more Philip Rivers then Ryan Leaf. I want a QB with cockiness. As long as he is coachable and liked by his teammates than a little bit of cockiness is no problem. And by all accounts he seems to fit that criteria. He speaks very highly of Charlie Weis and clearly took to his coaching, as seen through his three straight years of improvement. He also apparently invited many of his Irish teammates to California the past offseason to get to know eachother better, work out, and practice their timing and route running. This doesn't seem like a bad teammate to me.
This is not a knock on Sam Bradford by any means. I did not intend to make Bradford out to be the next Alex Smith. He is a good prospect in his own right, but like Smith, he has many question marks. Regardless of my thoughts, Bradford seems destined at this point to go #1 overall. Despite this, I would not be surprised if Clausen ends up the better pro... just like Aaron Rodgers did.
Here are my QB rankings for 2010, with a projection of where they will actually go in brackets beside them.
1- Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame (Top 10)
2- Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (Top 5)
3- Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (Round 2)
4- Colt McCoy, QB, Texas (Round 3)
5- John Skelton, QB, Fordham (Round 4-5)
6- Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia (Round 3-4)
7- Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State (Round 4-5)
8- Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati (Round 3-4)
9- Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss (Round 4-5)
10- Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan (Round 4-5)
I will do a feature on other QB's (cough, cough, Tebow) after I do all of my initial positional rankings. Tomorrow will be RB's.
The 49ers went with guy #1, and guy #2 slid into the 20's. Guy #1 is now considered one of the biggest all-time busts and guy #2 is one of the 5 best quarterbacks in the NFL today. Of course the two guys I'm talking about are Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.
Why do I bring this up? Because not only is this years situation at the top of the draft eerily similar but you could almost interchange Smith's name with Bradford's and Rodgers' with Clausen's in the aforementioned scouting reports and no one would bat an eye.
Jimmy Clausen is an absolutely fantastic QB prospect. As mentioned before he draws favorable comparisons to Aaron Rodgers. You could also say he is similar to Matt Ryan, but with better decision making if you don't like the A-Rod comparison. Whoever you have him compared to, one must acknowledge that he is coming off of one of the best seasons of college football any junior QB has ever had. And this is with a pretty bad offensive line, a sub par running game, and playing with many of his weapons on the side-line.
In addition to all this, Clausen's accuracy is spot on, his arm is great, he takes care of the ball extremely well, he has shown improvement in a pro style offense in three straight years, he has a history of playing well in the 4th quarter, and he is physically everything you'd want from a QB.... in other words Jimmy Clausen has the makings of an NFL QB. He should be a top pick in this years draft.
Sam Bradford on the other hand is coming off some serious injuries. His arm isn't amazing (he's no Chad Pennington but you won't see him rifling lasers through the air either),he operated almost exclusively out of the shot gun, and many of his stat padding throws were quick one-read tosses that relied heavily on WR and TE play. The guy was also surrounded with a star studded offensive line. However, put some pressure on him, and what happens? Game #1 of this year, after his premier LT of 2008 is drafted, pressure gets to him...and hes hurt..... and hes out for the year. Clausen on the other hand had games where he was terrorized all game (USC anyone?!) and still put out great film without missing time.
All in all, there are a lot more question marks with Bradford as there is with Clausen, though public opinion seems to be the exact opposite. Why? Probably because of so called "character concerns". His character concerns are usually summarized with one main point: He's arrogant and cocky.
Well to me this isn't that bad. He seems like more Philip Rivers then Ryan Leaf. I want a QB with cockiness. As long as he is coachable and liked by his teammates than a little bit of cockiness is no problem. And by all accounts he seems to fit that criteria. He speaks very highly of Charlie Weis and clearly took to his coaching, as seen through his three straight years of improvement. He also apparently invited many of his Irish teammates to California the past offseason to get to know eachother better, work out, and practice their timing and route running. This doesn't seem like a bad teammate to me.
This is not a knock on Sam Bradford by any means. I did not intend to make Bradford out to be the next Alex Smith. He is a good prospect in his own right, but like Smith, he has many question marks. Regardless of my thoughts, Bradford seems destined at this point to go #1 overall. Despite this, I would not be surprised if Clausen ends up the better pro... just like Aaron Rodgers did.
Here are my QB rankings for 2010, with a projection of where they will actually go in brackets beside them.
1- Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame (Top 10)
2- Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma (Top 5)
3- Tim Tebow, QB, Florida (Round 2)
4- Colt McCoy, QB, Texas (Round 3)
5- John Skelton, QB, Fordham (Round 4-5)
6- Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia (Round 3-4)
7- Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State (Round 4-5)
8- Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati (Round 3-4)
9- Jevan Snead, QB, Ole Miss (Round 4-5)
10- Dan LeFevour, QB, Central Michigan (Round 4-5)
I will do a feature on other QB's (cough, cough, Tebow) after I do all of my initial positional rankings. Tomorrow will be RB's.
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