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Players review from draft dog.com unless otherwise noted
Round 1 Ndamukong Suh DT NEBRASKA
Ndamukong Suh has become the best player in all of college football. The man can do things that no other can. At times, he looks like Superman swatting flies. Don’t pencil him in as the #1 overall pick; put it in permanent marker and laminate it. If the NFL team that has the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft passes up on Suh, it's just because they think their future franchise quarterback is looking them in the face.
The man is simply incredible. Not a mammoth man like a Terrance Cody, Suh packs a lot of power and natural strength into his 6’ 4” 305 pound frame and, frankly, college lineman are just no match for the force that is Ndamukong Suh. Possessing a fantastic burst and quickness of the snap, Suh is in your backfield before you’ve gotten up in the morning. He regularly beats lineman to the corner on traps and pulls, nullifying the play before it’s really even started.
And just to mix things up, he simply moves you where he wants to go and tosses you aside with sheer beastly strength. His bull rush is better than that of many NFL linemen.
He is now a finalist for the Lombardi, Outland, Nagurski and Bednarik awards.
· Recorded season-high nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 TFL and 2 PBU in Big 12 North clinching win over Kansas State last Saturday
· Earned Lott Trophy Impact Player of the Week for the third time this season—first time in history of award a player has won the award three times in one season
· Leads team with 65 total tackles, 15 TFL, 10 PBU and 20 QB hurries, while adding 6.5 sacks
· In position to become first defensive lineman in school history to lead Nebraska in tackles in consecutive seasons
· Only defensive lineman in the country to rank in the top 100 in pass breakups (Suh is 31st)
· Behind Suh, Nebraska ranks third nationally in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense and eighth in total defense
· Nebraska defense leads country in passing TDs allowed (4) and opponent red-zone trips (18)
An elite athlete, Suh has multiple pass rush moves and can spin either way to get free. His hand punch is like a sledgehammer on concrete, keeping blockers away from his body and allowing him to easily disengage to make tackles. His 5.5 TFL and 3 sacks don’t tell the whole story but Suh opens things up for the rest of the Husker defense, regularly drawing double-teams and pushing the action towards fellow defenders. He is a presence that needs to be accounted for on every snap.
He is generally quite instinctive and reads plays quickly. He makes linebacker type plays in the box, on the edges and at the sidelines and will hustle down the line and chase the ball all over. Even when fooled, he has the quickness to get back into the action. His athletic ability also lends him to shifting over at times to the edge and would make a prototype 3-4 end as well.
There is very little to nitpick about Suh. His technique doesn’t always match his physical gifts but that can be corrected with a little bit more attention to detail. Injuries derailed the start of his college career, a torn meniscus suffered in high school forced him to take a medical redshirt after two games in 2005 and knee surgery in spring of 2007 hampered him that year. He will wear down at times but that could be due to his all-out effort and hustle more than poor conditioning.
ROUND 2 Colt McCoy QB TEXAS
When you look at McCoy’s track record in college, he has a penchant for winning and knows how to win the big game. McCoy has a ton of confidence and isn’t afraid to try and do what it takes to win the game. He might take a risk every now and then but his risks have paid dividends for the Longhorns and it should pay dividends for the NFL team that drafts him.
Like his predecessor (Vince Young) McCoy is a very mobile quarterback who isn’t afraid to make a play with his legs either running or throwing on the run. This is something that NFL scouts and coaches desire in quarterbacks because being mobile allows the quarterback to extend the play and create something out of nothing. This is a big plus with McCoy. Being mobile will really help him in the draft.
McCoy also displays good accuracy on his passes and doesn’t overshoot or under-throw his receiver too often. He makes good decisions in finding the open receiver and taking into account where the defender is. He reads the field very well and can, along with his receiver, find soft spots in the zone and exploit them. If you look at McCoy’s completion percentage (70.16%) it is very good and indicative of the kind of player he is. His interception total (32) might be a little high but if you look at the number of passes that he has thrown over his career at Texas (761) that is pretty low.
McCoy’s intelligence will allow him to be a success in the NFL. Quarterbacks have to learn complicated offensive systems and McCoy should be able to pick up any system that he is taught making him a desirable prospect. He had to learn a complex system at Texas so he should be able to do it in the NFL.
The glaring deficiency that McCoy exhibits is his lack of experience. Granted, McCoy is a three year starter and has a lot of regular game and bowl experience but he could possibly forgo his senior season and enter the 2009 NFL Draft. If he does, scouts will look at his missing his senior season as a negative but good workouts and a great combine performance could wipe away any fears that NFL scouts and general managers have about him.
Arm strength, or lack thereof, is another issue that scouts will have with McCoy. The Texas quarterback appears to favor short to intermediate passes and will, at times, misfire on longer passes (often under throwing) giving away the fact that his arm isn’t as strong as the ideal NFL quarterback might have. This will be a knock on him going into the combine and eventually into the draft. If there is away that McCoy can get his arm stronger, he needs to be working on that now.
Size is yet another issue that might drop McCoy’s stock a little bit. Although his height is near satisfactory, he is a little light meaning that he might not be able to take the pounding he is sure to get in the NFL. He could add weight but that might affect his mobility which is a great asset. This is perhaps McCoy’s second biggest issue (after his lack of experience) and will be scrutinized heavily by NFL scouts.
3rd Round Eric Norwood OLB SOuth Carolina (from cdsdraft.com)
Eric Norwood is the opposite of Lee in that he played 4 years at South Carolina without missing a game. He can play outside linebacker or even defensive end and has been an outstanding player for all 4 of his years at South Carolina.
4th Round Syd’Quan Thompson CB Cal
Returning to Cal for his senior season is one of the nation’s best cornerbacks. At only 5’ 9”, 193 lbs. Syd’Quan Thompson is nearly the complete package and should be an early round pick next year as the anchor of someone’s secondary one day.
A pre-season injury to Tim Mixon forced Thompson into the starting line-up as a redshirt freshman in 2006. The rookie responded with a Sporting News Pac-10 all-freshman selection and Team Rookie MVP honour in starting all 13 games and has yet to look back.
Owner of 6 INT, 26 PBU and 208 tackles in his career, Thompson has been highly productive en route to earning 1st-Team All-Pac 10 honours in 2008 and being named to the Lott Trophy Watch List for the upcoming season. Thompson has also picked up right where DeSean Jackson left off, racking up 344 punt return yards and a 70-yard TD against Colorado State in 2008.
After starting every game of his college career, Thompson is the leader of the Cal defence and should earn that distinction in the pros as well. While not real big, he’s about average size for a CB but plays bigger and makes up for his size deficiency with tremendous open-field tackling. Thompson, as evidenced by his high number of tackles, is not afraid to stick his nose in a pile or attack ball carriers.
He’s physical and fights for the ball against any receiver. His confidence has been building throughout his career, and rightfully so, and he now has that swagger that all great corners need. His natural instincts make him much faster than he may time, though a late 4.4/40 is not out of the question. Displays fluid hips for turning and running and is a very smooth runner all around.
Thompson has a knack for getting to the football and disrupting receivers, display solid hands for the INT and the awareness to knock it down when he can’t. Even just a finger tip, Thompson gets to a lot of passes. Excellent athleticism and change of direction make him very dangerous with the ball in his hands and he keeps up with nearly all receivers around the field. Last season he showed explosiveness as a returner and could be very good in the pros as well. Manages to make plays in the backfield as well with 13.5 TFL and 2 sacks in his career and could be a real weapon on the corner blitz.
Thompson has just average size and bigger receivers can get the best of him at times despite the fight in him. Naturally, he’s not super strong but does have good core strength and in the lower body. Thompson may not time the greatest and doesn’t have a great burst to recover when beaten. High tackling totals a result of aggressive play but also gives up passes despite high pass defence numbers. Needs some technique refinement in his back pedal.
His tackling prowess and ability to play the ball in the air makes Thompson a prospect with a very high ceiling and could lead to him to play safety if the opportunity or need arose. Unless he has a terrible season or gets injured, there is no doubt that Thompson will be a first round pick come next April. Oddly, Thompson seems to have played in relative obscurity in the Pac-10, leading many to wonder how hyped he would be in the SEC or Big-12. Expect that to change, soon. I’d say by October 3rd. (Hint: USC comes to town.)
Syd’Quan Thompson Update:
Back-to-back blowout losses by Cal have dropped the stock of many Cal players, including Thompson. While not entirely to blame for Cal’s struggles stopping the pass, anytime a team struggles that badly, a defensive back takes a hit. Thompson has actually played pretty well, with 26 tackles and 5 PBU. But he hasn’t recorded an INT yet this year and the spot opposite him has been picked on mercilessly. While Oregon racked up 288 passing yards and 3 TD in the 42-3 thumping, 148 of those yards and all 3 TD came from TE Ed Dickson.
5th Round Dekota Watson OLB FSU
5th Round Brandon Lang DE Troy
6th Round Kyle McCarthy S Notre Dame
7th Round Tony Washington OT Abilene Chrisitian
7th Round Doug Worthington DE Ohio State
Defense, Defense, Defense, Defense will bring this team back to GLORY....
Go Rams
Round 1 Ndamukong Suh DT NEBRASKA
Ndamukong Suh has become the best player in all of college football. The man can do things that no other can. At times, he looks like Superman swatting flies. Don’t pencil him in as the #1 overall pick; put it in permanent marker and laminate it. If the NFL team that has the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft passes up on Suh, it's just because they think their future franchise quarterback is looking them in the face.
The man is simply incredible. Not a mammoth man like a Terrance Cody, Suh packs a lot of power and natural strength into his 6’ 4” 305 pound frame and, frankly, college lineman are just no match for the force that is Ndamukong Suh. Possessing a fantastic burst and quickness of the snap, Suh is in your backfield before you’ve gotten up in the morning. He regularly beats lineman to the corner on traps and pulls, nullifying the play before it’s really even started.
And just to mix things up, he simply moves you where he wants to go and tosses you aside with sheer beastly strength. His bull rush is better than that of many NFL linemen.
He is now a finalist for the Lombardi, Outland, Nagurski and Bednarik awards.
· Recorded season-high nine tackles, 1.5 sacks, 2 TFL and 2 PBU in Big 12 North clinching win over Kansas State last Saturday
· Earned Lott Trophy Impact Player of the Week for the third time this season—first time in history of award a player has won the award three times in one season
· Leads team with 65 total tackles, 15 TFL, 10 PBU and 20 QB hurries, while adding 6.5 sacks
· In position to become first defensive lineman in school history to lead Nebraska in tackles in consecutive seasons
· Only defensive lineman in the country to rank in the top 100 in pass breakups (Suh is 31st)
· Behind Suh, Nebraska ranks third nationally in scoring defense and pass efficiency defense and eighth in total defense
· Nebraska defense leads country in passing TDs allowed (4) and opponent red-zone trips (18)
An elite athlete, Suh has multiple pass rush moves and can spin either way to get free. His hand punch is like a sledgehammer on concrete, keeping blockers away from his body and allowing him to easily disengage to make tackles. His 5.5 TFL and 3 sacks don’t tell the whole story but Suh opens things up for the rest of the Husker defense, regularly drawing double-teams and pushing the action towards fellow defenders. He is a presence that needs to be accounted for on every snap.
He is generally quite instinctive and reads plays quickly. He makes linebacker type plays in the box, on the edges and at the sidelines and will hustle down the line and chase the ball all over. Even when fooled, he has the quickness to get back into the action. His athletic ability also lends him to shifting over at times to the edge and would make a prototype 3-4 end as well.
There is very little to nitpick about Suh. His technique doesn’t always match his physical gifts but that can be corrected with a little bit more attention to detail. Injuries derailed the start of his college career, a torn meniscus suffered in high school forced him to take a medical redshirt after two games in 2005 and knee surgery in spring of 2007 hampered him that year. He will wear down at times but that could be due to his all-out effort and hustle more than poor conditioning.
ROUND 2 Colt McCoy QB TEXAS
When you look at McCoy’s track record in college, he has a penchant for winning and knows how to win the big game. McCoy has a ton of confidence and isn’t afraid to try and do what it takes to win the game. He might take a risk every now and then but his risks have paid dividends for the Longhorns and it should pay dividends for the NFL team that drafts him.
Like his predecessor (Vince Young) McCoy is a very mobile quarterback who isn’t afraid to make a play with his legs either running or throwing on the run. This is something that NFL scouts and coaches desire in quarterbacks because being mobile allows the quarterback to extend the play and create something out of nothing. This is a big plus with McCoy. Being mobile will really help him in the draft.
McCoy also displays good accuracy on his passes and doesn’t overshoot or under-throw his receiver too often. He makes good decisions in finding the open receiver and taking into account where the defender is. He reads the field very well and can, along with his receiver, find soft spots in the zone and exploit them. If you look at McCoy’s completion percentage (70.16%) it is very good and indicative of the kind of player he is. His interception total (32) might be a little high but if you look at the number of passes that he has thrown over his career at Texas (761) that is pretty low.
McCoy’s intelligence will allow him to be a success in the NFL. Quarterbacks have to learn complicated offensive systems and McCoy should be able to pick up any system that he is taught making him a desirable prospect. He had to learn a complex system at Texas so he should be able to do it in the NFL.
The glaring deficiency that McCoy exhibits is his lack of experience. Granted, McCoy is a three year starter and has a lot of regular game and bowl experience but he could possibly forgo his senior season and enter the 2009 NFL Draft. If he does, scouts will look at his missing his senior season as a negative but good workouts and a great combine performance could wipe away any fears that NFL scouts and general managers have about him.
Arm strength, or lack thereof, is another issue that scouts will have with McCoy. The Texas quarterback appears to favor short to intermediate passes and will, at times, misfire on longer passes (often under throwing) giving away the fact that his arm isn’t as strong as the ideal NFL quarterback might have. This will be a knock on him going into the combine and eventually into the draft. If there is away that McCoy can get his arm stronger, he needs to be working on that now.
Size is yet another issue that might drop McCoy’s stock a little bit. Although his height is near satisfactory, he is a little light meaning that he might not be able to take the pounding he is sure to get in the NFL. He could add weight but that might affect his mobility which is a great asset. This is perhaps McCoy’s second biggest issue (after his lack of experience) and will be scrutinized heavily by NFL scouts.
3rd Round Eric Norwood OLB SOuth Carolina (from cdsdraft.com)
Eric Norwood is the opposite of Lee in that he played 4 years at South Carolina without missing a game. He can play outside linebacker or even defensive end and has been an outstanding player for all 4 of his years at South Carolina.
4th Round Syd’Quan Thompson CB Cal
Returning to Cal for his senior season is one of the nation’s best cornerbacks. At only 5’ 9”, 193 lbs. Syd’Quan Thompson is nearly the complete package and should be an early round pick next year as the anchor of someone’s secondary one day.
A pre-season injury to Tim Mixon forced Thompson into the starting line-up as a redshirt freshman in 2006. The rookie responded with a Sporting News Pac-10 all-freshman selection and Team Rookie MVP honour in starting all 13 games and has yet to look back.
Owner of 6 INT, 26 PBU and 208 tackles in his career, Thompson has been highly productive en route to earning 1st-Team All-Pac 10 honours in 2008 and being named to the Lott Trophy Watch List for the upcoming season. Thompson has also picked up right where DeSean Jackson left off, racking up 344 punt return yards and a 70-yard TD against Colorado State in 2008.
After starting every game of his college career, Thompson is the leader of the Cal defence and should earn that distinction in the pros as well. While not real big, he’s about average size for a CB but plays bigger and makes up for his size deficiency with tremendous open-field tackling. Thompson, as evidenced by his high number of tackles, is not afraid to stick his nose in a pile or attack ball carriers.
He’s physical and fights for the ball against any receiver. His confidence has been building throughout his career, and rightfully so, and he now has that swagger that all great corners need. His natural instincts make him much faster than he may time, though a late 4.4/40 is not out of the question. Displays fluid hips for turning and running and is a very smooth runner all around.
Thompson has a knack for getting to the football and disrupting receivers, display solid hands for the INT and the awareness to knock it down when he can’t. Even just a finger tip, Thompson gets to a lot of passes. Excellent athleticism and change of direction make him very dangerous with the ball in his hands and he keeps up with nearly all receivers around the field. Last season he showed explosiveness as a returner and could be very good in the pros as well. Manages to make plays in the backfield as well with 13.5 TFL and 2 sacks in his career and could be a real weapon on the corner blitz.
Thompson has just average size and bigger receivers can get the best of him at times despite the fight in him. Naturally, he’s not super strong but does have good core strength and in the lower body. Thompson may not time the greatest and doesn’t have a great burst to recover when beaten. High tackling totals a result of aggressive play but also gives up passes despite high pass defence numbers. Needs some technique refinement in his back pedal.
His tackling prowess and ability to play the ball in the air makes Thompson a prospect with a very high ceiling and could lead to him to play safety if the opportunity or need arose. Unless he has a terrible season or gets injured, there is no doubt that Thompson will be a first round pick come next April. Oddly, Thompson seems to have played in relative obscurity in the Pac-10, leading many to wonder how hyped he would be in the SEC or Big-12. Expect that to change, soon. I’d say by October 3rd. (Hint: USC comes to town.)
Syd’Quan Thompson Update:
Back-to-back blowout losses by Cal have dropped the stock of many Cal players, including Thompson. While not entirely to blame for Cal’s struggles stopping the pass, anytime a team struggles that badly, a defensive back takes a hit. Thompson has actually played pretty well, with 26 tackles and 5 PBU. But he hasn’t recorded an INT yet this year and the spot opposite him has been picked on mercilessly. While Oregon racked up 288 passing yards and 3 TD in the 42-3 thumping, 148 of those yards and all 3 TD came from TE Ed Dickson.
5th Round Dekota Watson OLB FSU
5th Round Brandon Lang DE Troy
6th Round Kyle McCarthy S Notre Dame
7th Round Tony Washington OT Abilene Chrisitian
7th Round Doug Worthington DE Ohio State
Defense, Defense, Defense, Defense will bring this team back to GLORY....
Go Rams
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