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Topdawg13 · Apr 19, 2011

No link, from my inbox...........

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Draft Sharks
NFL Draft News & Notes
April 18, 2011
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With just 10 days until Round 1 kicks off, here’s what we’re hearing…

** According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Auburn DT Nick Fairley missed a team meeting at the Combine and was late for a meeting at his Pro Day. There are plenty of concerns about Fairley’s maturity and work ethic, and these latest developments won’t help. His pure talent will still likely get him drafted inside the top-10 later this month, but Fairley has big-time bust potential.

** The results of Clemson DE Da’Quan Bowers’ medical recheck are starting to leak out. And the news isn’t good. According to NFL.com’s Steve Wyche, doctors found signs of “potential long-term arthritis” in Bowers’ troublesome right knee. NFL Network’s Charley Casserly confirms that it’s an “arthritic knee condition” and that Bowers may need additional surgery in the future. While Bowers’ agent has (not surprisingly) refuted the reports, he did admit that his client’s January procedure included some elements of microfracture surgery. Bowers has become the true wild card of the draft. He’s a top-5 talent, but Casserly says he’s talked to a number of teams who wouldn’t take Bowers anywhere in the 1st-round. His final landing spot on each team’s draft board will depend on the medical grade he gets from the organization’s doctor.

** The Houston Chronicle’s John McClain is hearing that the Redskins are “trying like crazy” to trade up in the 1st-round to snag Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert. Washington probably wouldn’t have trouble finding a trade partner in the top-5, but without a 3rd or 4th-round pick this year, they may not have the ammo to make it happen. If they miss out on Gabbert, we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of Washington QB Jake Locker with the 10th overall pick.

** NFL Network’s Michael Lombardi has spoken to 2 teams that have completely removed Alabama RB Mark Ingram from their draft boards. “I've had two teams tell me the knee is very bad,” Lombardi said. “He won't be on their boards. They're teams that need running backs.” We’re still big fans of Ingram’s NFL future, but we’re starting to buy into the fact that he could slip into the 2nd-round.

** There are plenty of concerns about Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett’s character. But from a football perspective, teams are just as worried about his lack of mobility. “You don’t see him run past the line ever. He does not break down and make plays. He is a statue,” one scout told the National Football Post. “He’s going to struggle when he’s pressured,” another personnel evaluator added. “He’s not a very good athlete and his footwork is so poor. When he got off his mark, he wasn’t very good.” We’ve started to hear some buzz that Mallett could come off the board in the 1st-round, but we’d still bet against it. Too many question marks.

** Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams struggled through an injury-riddled 2010 season. But his stock has been steadily climbing over the past few months. NFL Films’ Greg Cosell is a big fan, calling Williams a “far better runner” than Knowshon Moreno was coming out of Georgia. We’d disagree, but it’s clear that Williams has pushed his name up into early-2nd-round consideration.

** After studying his tape, NFL Films’ Greg Cosell compared Colorado CB Jimmy Smith to Jets All-World CB Darrelle Revis. It’s not the first time we’ve heard the comparison. Cosell loves Smith’s “loose hips, smooth change of direction, excellent balance, and body control.” He also called Smith “the most confident press man corner in this draft.” There’s no doubting this kid’s ability – he has top-10 talent. But Smith’s character concerns are still likely to push him to the back-half of Round 1.

** According to beat writer Tom Pelissero, some members of the Vikings front office have started to compare Washington QB Jake Locker to Brett Favre. Pelissero believes Locker is a legitimate option for Minnesota with the 12th overall pick. Of course, beat writer Judd Zulgad is on record that Locker isn’t an option at #12. Regardless of who you believe, the Favre comparison is interesting. Both guys have big arms, dangerous legs, and a gunslinger’s mentality. “He doesn't have Brett's arm talent,” one scout said of Locker. “But of this group of QBs, if we were going to a park and go play, you'd pick Brett Favre and you'd probably pick this guy (Locker). He's such a tough-*** football player.” Locker has taken some heat for his poor college numbers. He completed just 53.9% of his passes, with 53 TDs and 35 INTs. Favre’s college numbers? A 52.4% completion rate, 52 TDs, and 34 INTs. Hmmmmmm…

** Although Bucs RB LeGarrette Blount enjoyed a breakout campaign in 2010, beat writer Stephen Holder believes the team will look to add another RB in the draft. And potentially early. “It would be surprising if the Bucs didn't come away from this draft with a RB prospect who could contend for playing time immediately.” We’re thinking that they’ll target a 3rd-down type like Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers or Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter.

** Draft insider Rob Rang reports that Baylor NT Phil Taylor has been red-flagged because of a condition that is causing his bones to grow together in his feet. It's not correctable by surgery, although it is something Taylor can play through. Rang hears that it's more of a pain tolerance issue. Still, it sounds like the condition might cause Taylor to slip in the draft. "It is pretty hard to invest a first round pick in a player who you know coming in is being red-flagged by the doctors," a source told Rang. Taylor is the consensus #1 NT in this year's class.

** According to Pro Football Talk, an AFC West team has Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick as the #1 QB on their board. It’s almost certainly the Raiders. Kaepernick is a project, but he has as much upside as any signal-caller in this year’s draft class. He’s a classic Al Davis player. The Raiders don’t have a pick until the middle of the 2nd-round, so they’d likely need to find a way to trade up if they want to nab Kaepernick.

** Eastern Washington RB Taiwan Jones ran his 40-yard dash in the low 4.3s this past Thursday. One scout even had Jones at a blazing 4.27 on his stopwatch. And according to his agent, Jones is still only at 90% after undergoing foot surgery earlier this offseason. Teams are still concerned about whether the 6’1, 196-pounder can handle a major workload at the NFL level. But with that kind of speed, he’ll be a major weapon. Jones remains one of our favorite sleepers in this year’s rookie crop.

** Miami WR Leonard Hankerson’s draft stock is moving in the wrong direction. ESPN’s Mel Kiper hears that he may still be on the board in the 3rd-round. We’re higher on Hankerson than most, ranking him 4th among WRs in last week’s “Top Offensive Prospects” article. At 6’2 and 209 pounds, he projects as a rock-solid possession receiver.

** The National Football Post’s Wes Bunting is hearing that some scouts are concerned about Florida G/C Mike Pouncey’s knees. This is the first we’ve heard of any medical issues for Pouncey, and it could just be a smokescreen attempted to get him to fall in the 1st-round. We’d still be shocked if he made it past the Bears at #29 overall.

** One small school prospect to keep an eye on later this month is Lehigh’s Will Rackley. According to the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta, Rackley “has quietly been the talk around the league in recent weeks.” After an impressive showing in the East-West game back in January, 16 different teams showed up to his March Pro Day. A 40-game starter at LT, the 6’3, 309-pounder is expected to kick inside to OG in the NFL. “Rackley can be a difference maker right now,” an AFC scout said recently. Don’t be surprised to see this guy come off the board in the 2nd-round.

** CBS Sports’ Rob Rang reports that Hawaii RB Alex Green’s stock is on the rise. In a program known for putting the ball in the air, Green became Hawaii’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 1992. At 6’0 and 225 pounds with 4.45 speed, plenty of teams are intrigued by his upside. According to Rang, Green is now viewed as a “legitimate middle round prospect.”

** It’s becoming pretty clear that the Dolphins will add a TE in this year’s draft. Beat writer Omar Kelly confirms that they’re looking for “an in-line TE with speed to clear out the slant for Brandon Marshall.” Miami has been connected to Nevada’s Virgil Green, Arkansas’ D.J. Williams, and Portland State’s Julius Thomas. They should also be considering Florida Atlantic’s Rob Housler.
Click to expand...

ToddsPhins · Apr 19, 2011

Cmon down, Virgil Green. Psssst..... hey Ireland..... talkin to you buddy. Pull the trigger my ........ never mind.

rafael · Apr 19, 2011

Interesting about CKap being the top QB on one team's board. I don't agree with that but I do agree he has incredible upside.

I'm also glad that the Dolphins appear to be looking for a TE with speed. I thought it was a mistake when they passed on all the TE talent in last year's draft b/c they needed that to complement the receivers they had in Marshall and Bess. They really did a poor job of finding players whose skill sets were complementary.

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