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WR Ryan Grice-Mullen-Jr.-Hawaii-
was arguably the most decorated receiver this past season for the Hawaii
Warriors, which ran the nation's most prolific passing attack the past two
college football seasons. Grice-Mullen lacks the prototypical size you look for
in a receiver at 5'11, but he does more than make up for that lack of height
with his ability to make the defender miss in the open field after the catch.
Hauled in 106 catches for 1,372 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2007-2008 campaign.
He also ranked in the top 10 in three major receiving categories in 2007-2008:
receptions(6th), receiving yards per game(8th), and total receiving yards(5th).
An excellent prospect who might lack elite speed, but has shown the ability to
post astronomical numbers on the gridiron.
WR Davone Bess-Jr.-Hawaii-yet another member of one of the
nation's most prolific receiving corps over the past few seasons on the
islands. He might be a little undersized at 5'9, but Bess is blessed with a
remarkably soft set of hands, excellent leaping ability and body control that
remind you of a shorter version of Larry Fitzgerald. He racked up over 1,000
receiving yards during each of his three seasons at Hawaii, becoming one of Colt Brennan's
favorite targets. Led the team in catches in 2007-2008 with 108 grabs.
{mosimage}CB Chevis Jackson-Jr.-LSU-Chevis Jackson was arguably the
top cover corner in the SEC over the
past two seasons. In the Tigers' 2007-2008 national title run, he snagged five
interceptions and racked up 16 pass breakups! In 2006, he picked off two passes
and tallied 14 pass breakups! Those are unreal numbers and are among the best
of any cornerback in the 2008 NFL Draft class. Blessed with excellent instincts
and jaw-dropping ball skills, look for Jackson
to make a splash in a big way in the NFL.
CB Patrick Lee-Sr.-Auburn-one of the top cover corners in the
SEC over the past few seasons, Patrick Lee has excellent ball skills and great
instincts as a cover corner. Tied for the team lead this past season with four
interceptions and eight pass breakups. Lee also displayed his versatility,
leading the Tigers with a 25.8 yard per kick return average on his kickoffs.
He's one of the top cover corners in this draft and will definitely make some
serious noise in the NFL.
LB Geno Hayes-Jr.-Florida
State-Florida
State produces linebackers like Krispy Kreme produces donuts, and linebacker
Geno Hayes has continued that legacy in a big way for the Seminoles. In the
2007-2008 season, Hayes ranked second on the team in tackles, reeling in 80
tackles on the season for FSU. Perhaps the most impressive statistic he posted
was an eye-gouging 17.5 tackles for loss this season! Hayes also showed the
ability to get after the quarterback with 5 sacks this season for the ‘Noles.
He also displayed excellent ball skills for a linebacker with three pass
breakups and one interception. Blessed with excellent lateral speed and the
ability to play sideline-to-sideline, Hayes looks to be a future star at the
linebacker position in the NFL!
OT Jeremy Zuttah-Sr.-Rutgers-Zuttah
was the best offensive lineman on what was arguably the Big East's top
offensive line unit this season and one of the best in college football. He
helped clear the way for one of the best power running backs in the country in
Ray Rice. Rice churned out over 2,000 yards this past season on the ground and
racked up 24 touchdowns. In 2006, the Rutgers'
offensive line unit only surrendered eight sacks all season, the fewest in the
country! A very dependable college offensive lineman, Zuttah should be excellent
in the trenches in the NFL.
DE Johnny Dingle-Sr.-West Virginia-Dingle
teamed with fellow defensive lineman Keilen Dykes to form one of the most
devastating pass rushing tandems in the Big East. Dingle was one of the biggest
reasons the Mountaineer defensive unit ranked seventh in the nation in total
defense for the 2007-2008 college football season. He also posted solid numbers
in the Mountaineers' Fiesta Bowl throttling of Oklahoma, two tackles and a sack. He
finished the 2007-2008 campaign with 48 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 9 sacks,
3 pass breakups, 2 forced fumbles, 1 recovered fumble! Those are simply
jaw-dropping numbers folks and are a huge reason why so many NFL scouts and
managers will be drooling all over him once the April 26th NFL Draft
rolls around. Dingle is oozing with potential and is a top-notch defensive line
prospect in this draft.
T.C. Ostrander-QB-Sr.-Stanford-While
Ostrander has good size at 6'3, 215 lbs. that is about all he has. He's one of
the riskiest quarterback prospects to take in this draft. When you think of
Stanford football in 2007, the first game that immediately comes to mind is
their stunning upset of the USC Trojans. Ostrander wasn't even cleared to play
in that game due to a seizure he suffered at a Palo Alto restaurant on September 30th.
That will be a serious concern for NFL GMs and scouts, because NFL quarterbacks
take a brutal amount of punishment and they will be very concerned for
Ostrander's health, first and foremost. When breaking down Ostrander's career
at Stanford, he was a highly touted(four-star) prospect coming out of high
school who never lived up to his high school hype. He played the role of backup
to current Buffalo Bills quarterback Trent Edwards for most of his career, but
when he got his chance to shine in 2007, his numbers were less than stellar. In
eight games of competition he completed 130 of 229 passes for 1,422 yards while
tossing in seven touchdowns and three interceptions. To Ostrander's credit, his
subpar performance may not have been entirely his fault. He was surrounded with
inferior talent at Stanford the past few seasons and never really got the
chance to showcase his talent. He was sacked a total of 51 times the past two
seasons despite only seeing action in 18 games. It would be hard for any
quarterback to perform at a consistently high level under those conditions.
That being said, Ostrander is too much of a risk to waste a draft pick on,
being picked up as a free agent is his only hope. His numbers at the Hula Bowl
certainly didn't help his draft stock. As a matter of fact, they likely made it
drop like a lead filled balloon. He only completed three of eight passes for 52
yards and 2 interceptions.
Bernard Morris-QB-Sr.-Marshall-Over the past few months Bernard Morris has
made his name as one of the hottest "sleepers" of the 2008 NFL Draft. In the
Hula Bowl, helped lead the Aina to a 38-7 victory after he threw for 172 yards
and a touchdown in the first half of action. He's certainly one of the most
intriguing quarterback prospects in this draft and he picked the best season to
have a top-notch performance. In 2007 he posted impressive numbers, completing
63.6% of his passes for 3,149 yards while tossing in 17 touchdowns and 10
interceptions. This past season he also displayed dual-threat capability, he
had 130 rushing attempts for 488 yards and four touchdowns. He even showed the
ability to rip off the big gain, scooting his way for a 75 yard touchdown run
in one game in '07. Morris is very elusive in the open field and while he may
not pile up yards like Vince Young, he has still displayed the ability to
escape pressure in the open field and make things happen with his fleet feet.
He has excellent quarterback fundamentals as well, with a nice compact release
when he throws the football. Morris is a name I think you will only see rise up
the NFL Draft boards, because this guy is blessed with a tremendous amount of
athleticism and has an excellent "upside" to him. He reminds you of a poor
man's version of San Diego
quarterback Josh Johnson.
Cliff Avril-DE/LB-Sr.-Purdue-Cliff Avril is one of the most athletic
defensive lineman in this draft. He displayed that athletic ability in 2007
against Minnesota, when he tipped the ball in
the air to himself, caught it at the 45 and outraced a few Minnesota offensive players to find the end
zone. He's excellent at putting pressure on the quarterback and batting the
ball down at the line of scrimmage. He had five pass breakups in '07. The rest
of his numbers in 2007 were just as impressive: 41 tackles, 15 tackles for
loss, 6.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, and 3 recovered fumbles. Those numbers were
good enough to land him honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. He's shown his
versatility as he has played both linebacker and defensive end for the Boilermakers,
as he started four games at linebacker in 2006. He posted excellent numbers at
the NFL combine recently and has been timed with a blazing sub 4.51 40 yard
dash time. Scouts should be excited about Avril, because he's one of the
fastest and most athletic defensive ends/linebackers in this draft class. You
won't find too many hybrids like Avril who have experience playing both
positions on the collegiate level and the athleticism to help them translate
that to the next level. He'll definitely be drafted and is one of the top
defensive end/linebacker prospects in the draft. Oozing with jaw-dropping level
of athleticism, speed, and talent, Cliff Avril is a name you should remember in
April.
Justin King-DB-Jr.-Penn State-The first-team all Big-Ten selection made a
name for himself as one of the most versatile players in college football the
past few seasons, playing at cornerback, receiver, and on special teams' units
for the Nittany Lions. King is blessed with an uncanny amount of speed that
makes sure that he will rarely get beat deep. He also has excellent recovery
speed because of his top-notch acceleration. He has excellent instincts as a
cover corner and once he was given the opportunity to focus solely on defense
in '07, he put up big numbers. In 12 starts this season, he racked up 49
tackles, 17 passes defended, and hauled in two interceptions. His ball skills
rival any other corner in this draft class. Simply put, Justin King is easily
in the top 5 cornerbacks in the '08 draft class. Blessed with a eye-popping
combination of speed, instincts, and ball skills, King will be a future star in
the NFL. He might even be utilized as a wide receiver for certain plays, but
his best position is cornerback.
Kirk Barton-OT-Ohio State-Sr.-Kirk Barton is one of the better offensive
tackle prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. He's a tough, hard-nosed player who has
helped clear the path for one of the nation's most punishing ground attacks
over the years. Ohio
State loves to run the
football and Barton's powerful blocking was a big part of making that a
possibility. He opened up holes for one of the nation's most prolific running
backs in sophomore Chris "Beanie" Wells. In 2007, he piled up over 1,600
rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground thanks to Barton. The first-team
All-Big Ten selection played in 35 of 38 games during his final three years Columbus. He played a
vital role in the Buckeyes earning back-to-back BCS national championship game
berths. He is one of the best pass-blocking offensive lineman in the '08 draft
class because of his ability to slide to the edge. He's also blessed with
excellent balance. Look for Barton to be an extremely solid, dependable
offensive tackle prospect in the NFL.
Kevin Robinson-WR/KR/PR-Utah State-It should tell you right away just how
good a prospect Kevin Robinson is when you see that he played for a school with
such little exposure such as Utah State, but still managed to land first-team
All-America honors from cbssportsline.com and second team All-America honors from
the Walter Camp Foundation. Simply put, Robinson was one of the most dangerous
and dynamic punt returners/kick returners in college football the past four
years. In 2007, he led the nation in punt return average, returning 20 punts
for 378 yards and one touchdown, an average of 18.9 yards per return. In 2007,
he had one of the best all-purpose seasons by any player in Division 1-A
college football, racking up over 2,300 all-purpose yards in just one season.
He shredded opposing defenses for 640 receiving yards, 378 punt return yards,
and an eye-gouging 1,260 yards on kickoff returns. He even had three kickoff
returns for touchdowns as well in '07. Throughout his career as a Utah State
Aggie, he had eight total touchdowns on special teams, four on kickoffs and
four on punt returns. The thing that will blow your mind even more about
Robinson is that he has a soft set of hands as well, hauling in 55 passes for
640 yards and five touchdowns in '07. Look for him to get drafted in the early
rounds and if teams pass on him they will make him pay dearly. Bursting at the
seams with athleticism and top-notch speed, Robinson can take the rock the
distance within a flash. This man is destined to be the next "special teams'
demon" in the NFL ala Devin Hester.
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Hey thanks for bumping this back up. I complet...
