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The 2008 NFL Draft: Sleeper's Guide

Written by Brian Vornberg

Thursday, 24 January 2008

{mosimage}Every year in the NFL Draft, there are numerous guys who's talents go unnoticed by NFL scouts. Sometimes it's best not to buy in to all of the hype, but instead just look at the film. Here are some of my biggest sleepers in this year's draft.

Pig Brown (S, Missouri) - Brown is as tough a safety as you will ever see. He's a very physical presence in the middle of the field and that alone will force quarterbacks to try and keep the ball away from his area of the field. He was one of the keys to Missouri's stellar run this year and racked up 70 tackles, 4 PBUs and 3 INTs in just 8 games before tearing his achilles. He also has top notch intangibles including great leadership qualities and could end up being the captain of an NFL defense in the next few years.

James Hardy (WR, Indiana) - Ok, so this isn't a true sleeper pick, but I really think Hardy is going to end up being the 2nd or 3rd best receiver in this class just behind DeSean Jackson and possibly Malcolm Kelly. There is no way that defenders will be able to match up with him at 6'7", especially in the end zone. That alone gets him the nod. Not to mention the guy runs a 4.6 forty too. Hardy also has shown improvement in each of the last three years and finally cracked the 1,000 yard barrier this year and had 16 touchdowns to boot. I look for him to end up somewhere in the late 2nd/early 3rd round.

Jamar Adams (S, Michigan) - This is one of my favorite sleepers in the draft. After a couple years of mediocrity, Adams finally, finally, finally lived up to the hype that came with him out of high school. He racked up 92 tackles this year along with 10 PBUs. Adams will test off the charts with his 6'2" and 210 lbs. frame and 4.5 speed, but his best attribute is his sure-tackling, football IQ and character. As a safety, it is important to embody leadership qualities and good character off the field and Adams truly does that.

Chase Ortiz (DE, TCU) - Ortiz has been overshadowed for much of his career by teammate and fellow end Tommy Blake. No longer will this happen as I see Ortiz having a better overall pro career than Blake. His numbers are solid...not amazing (42 tackles, 16.5 TFL, and an impressive 9 sacks). However, Ortiz's biggest asset is his non-stop motor and relentless drive to succeed. This willingness to continue to work hard and learn will bode well for him at the next level.

Thomas Brown (RB, Georgia) - Brown has had the unfortunate role of backup for most of his career to either Danny Ware, Kregg Lumpkin, or Knowshon Moreno. Most of this was simply due to injuries that plagued him throughout his career at Georgia. There is no doubt that Brown is undersized at just 5'8", but he plays much more physical than his frame would indicate. He hits the hole with force and has really quick and active feet. Though his stats aren't gaudy, he did average a solid 5 yards per carry over his career. He proved at the Shrine Game that he's ready to prove himself and was the running back that really stood out the most. If he can stay healthy there's no reason why he can't be a solid NFL running back.

Ben Moffitt (LB, South Florida) - Moffitt's most notable asset is definitely his maturity. Recent aligations of cheating in college shouldn't dampen his reputation or hurt his draft stock all that much. Moffitt has been able to stay healthy and had over 100 tackles in each of the last two seasons including 41 TFL. He also had all 4 of his career interceptions this past year and was the anchor of USF's defense along with George Selvie all year long. Not the most talented player on the field, but with his grit and determination will definitely get the most out of his abilities and give 110% on every single play. Doubting this guy just makes him stronger.

Chevis Jackson (CB, LSU) - The word for Jackson throughout his career is consistency. He has been a three-year starter in the toughest conference in college football and has been solid each and every year. He definitely improved this year with learning how to make the best out of his 6'0" 190 lbs. size as he had 16 PBUs and 5 INTs. Could benefit by getting a little faster, but it shouldn't hurt him too much. He's not as much of an athlete as he is a football player and if put in the right scheme, he could really shine.

Sam Keller (QB, Nebraska) - There's no doubt that Keller has underachieved since his breakout year at Arizona State in 2005, but the talent still lies there, brewing underneath the surface. He showed flashes of it this past year at Nebraska before injuring his shoulder nine games into the season. In those nine games, Keller threw for over 2,400 yards and was completing 63% of his passes. He has great size for the position. If he can avoid the injury bug his talent could boil over to the surface again.

Keilen Dykes (DT, West Virginia) - In terms of size, Dykes is one of the best DTs in this class. Unfortunately, it isn't all about size, but it does help because it is something that you can't teach. He positioned himself well when he and the rest of WVU's defensive line were able to overpower a seemingly unbreakable Oklahoma offensive line in the Fiesta Bowl. His maturity throughout his career along with his aggressive style of play should be something that an NFL team can look forward to.

William Franklin (WR, Missouri) - Franklin may not have been the flashiest of the Tigers in recent years, but he has most certainly been the most consistent. He racked up over 2,100 receiving yards in his career at Missouri and caught 49 passes this year, despite being basically the 3rd or 4th receiver in the offense. Franklin has good size at 6'2" and 205 lbs. and is cut like a greek statue. He has 4.45 speed and he's not afraid to go across the middle and has some of the best hands of anyone in this year's receiving class. I really like the way he plays the game.

Kellen Davis (TE, Michigan State) - Great prospect physically, but character is most definitely a concern. Davis really had a breakout year in 2007 catching 32 receptions for 513 yards and 6 touchdowns. If he gets with a coach who knows how to keep players heads on straight he will definitely be an intriguing prospect to watch over the next couple of years.

Ezra Butler (LB, Nevada) - Butler is amazingly quick for his size. He runs a 4.55 at 6'2" and 248 lbs! Opposing running backs and receivers will need to watch out when heading this guys way. He will truly deliver a cannon-type blow. A guy who has truly only gotten better over the last three years and I look for that trend to continue. Plays with a nasty edge and having a good team around him will only make him better. Would've gotten A LOT more attention had he played in a major conference, in my opinion. I look for him to go late 3rd round or early 4th round.

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itoffishul77 said:

not sure on adams. he played very inconsistently at times this year like in the appy state game where he missed an easy tackle on the last drive they turned into a 30-yard game. he stepped up against florida for sure though.

he has a lot of potential but needs to work on open-field tackling.

shawn crable is a guy i think will blow up though especially in a 3-4 cuz he can rush like a madman. i think he's a 2nd rder now or so but he can be a difference-maker

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January 24, 2008
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wpeery said:

I agree with you about Adams, I think he was highly inconsistent this year and his open-field tackling ability left alot to be desired, especially in the Ohio State game, where he not only took poor angles to the ball carrier(Chris Wells), but also bounced off him like a ping pong ball. He got abused by Wells on more than one occassion in that game if I recall correctly. He definitely needs to work on his open field tackling.

Anyways, I definitely liked the rest of the article and agreed with most of it, but I have never seen or heard of Ezra Butler before, I will take your word for it Brian. I thought the analysis on Thomas Brown was by far the most astute and most accurate of all the guys on here. On point.

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January 24, 2008
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hook14 said:

	Yeah, great points ITOFF....most of my picks here are based primarily off of potential. We'll see if any of these guys can really buckle down and make a difference in the NFL.
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January 24, 2008
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Bugeatersteve said:

	One thing that is certain in this years draft is that with all the "influx" of underclassmen, it will be one of the deepest drafts in NFL history. Teams will get a quality, 1st year contributor even in the 3rd round this year.
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January 25, 2008
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JEH45 said:

	I also share your opinion of Brown. He can run. I will follow this a bit and you need to mark your calendar to revisit this article a year from now. You have ID'ed players I have never heard of. Thanks
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