Kiper's Updated Big Board

[Nick]

1. Reggie Bush Jr. RB USC
Bush can score from anywhere on the field.

2. Mario Williams Jr. DE N.C. State
Rushes the quarterback extremely well.

3. Matt Leinart Sr. QB USC
Arm strength has improved since 2004.

4. Vince Young Jr. QB Texas
Won't fall past Oakland at No. 7.

5. D'Brickashaw Ferguson Sr. OT Virginia
Best offensive line prospect in the senior class.

6. A.J. Hawk Sr. LB Ohio St.
Best senior prospect on defense.

7. Vernon Davis Jr. TE Maryland
Wide receiver in a tight end's body.

8. Michael Huff Sr. DB Texas
Athletic, instinctive and has versatility for next level.

9. Brodrick Bunkley Sr. DT Florida St.
Defenisve standout at the combine.

10. Haloti Ngata Jr. DT Oregon
Clogs the middle and penetrates backfield well.

11. Kamerion Wimbley Sr. DE Florida St.
Excellent at combine; might play OLB in NFL.

12. Chad Jackson Jr. WR Florida
Combine proved why he's one of the best WR in draft.

13. Santonio Holmes Jr. WR Ohio St.
Very good burst of speed out of his break.

14. Winston Justice Jr. OT USC
Excellent blocker; can play either tackle position.

15. DeAngelo Williams Sr. RB Memphis
Third in the nation in rushing yards per game.

16. Chad Greenway Sr. LB Iowa
Smart player with great physical skills.

17. Donte Whitner Jr. DB Ohio St.
One of the fastest risers on the board.

18. Tye Hill Sr. CB Clemson
Senior Bowl week helped move him into top 25.

19. Ernie Sims Jr. LB Florida St.
Very disruptive in the backfield.

20. Jay Cutler Sr. QB Vanderbilt
Has all the tools NFL looks for in a QB.

21. Jimmy Williams Sr. CB Va. Tech
Shutdown corner who cuts the field in half.

22. Johnathan Joseph Jr. CB South Carolina
One of the fastest players in the draft.

23. Laurence Maroney Jr. RB Minnesota
Patient but explosive runner.

24. Jason Allen Sr. SDB Tennessee
Worked hard to return from injury.

25. Richard Marshall Jr. CB Fresno St.
Led Bulldogs in INT, PBUs and tackles.

[RamsFan16]

How would Wimbley work out for us? Could he play SLB?

[Nick]

He's a situational pass rusher or 3-4 outside linebacker. You rarely see college DEs transition to 4-3 outside linebackers, IMO. The reason they do it for the 3-4 is because it maximizes their current skill set.

[RamsFan16]

Little went from LB to DE.

[Goldenfleece]

Little went from LB to DE.

I believe he played middle linebacker, not outside, and even in college he was splitting time between DE and LB. So he wasn't changing to a new position entirely but rather picking one of the two to focus on. It seems like the main reason smaller DEs switch to outside linebacker is so they can still use their speed and pass-rushing ability without lining up directly against a much larger offensive tackle. In a 3-4, the OLBs are often the primary pass-rushers, but in a 4-3 they'll spend more time in coverage, which is not usually the strong point of a DE.

[Nick]

It seems like the main reason smaller DEs switch to outside linebacker is so they can still use their speed and pass-rushing ability without lining up directly against a much larger offensive tackle. In a 3-4, the OLBs are often the primary pass-rushers, but in a 4-3 they'll spend more time in coverage, which is not usually the strong point of a DE.

Good post. Not to mention they'll be trying to shed through blockers to get to the ball carrier, which usually isn't a big strength of a speed rushing DE/OLB.

[RamsFan4ever]

i really want little to go back to LB.... but for him to go to LB we neet to draft a good DE like Mark Anderson

[Bar-bq]

where do you suggest we pull anderson from? 3rd?

[harrydog]

i really want little to go back to LB.... but for him to go to LB we neet to draft a good DE like Mark Anderson

He never did well at LB in the pros which is why they switched him to DE. Word was, he just couldn't grasp the complexity of the position.

[bigredman]

Given Kiper's accuracy for the draft in the past, why should we care?

[harrydog]

Oops. Double post...

[Nick]

Given Kiper's accuracy for the draft in the past, why should we care?

Well, Kiper isn't exactly inaccurate, either.

http://www.thehuddlereport.com/top100/index.shtml

[RamsFan4ever]

would anderson be willing to change to LB and does he have the size? and he'll hopefully be in the third round