Category: NFL Draft (Page 83 of 102)

Instead of falling victim to early rumors that crop up after the Super Bowl, I waited a while before constructing my first NFL Mock Draft. But with the draft now just a month away, I couldn’t wait any longer. My NFL Mock Draft 1.0 is complete with team needs and, of course, full projections…which are likely to be changed many times while leading up to the weekend of April 26.

Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News writes how the 40-yard dash is a vastly overrated tool in gauging how good potential NFL prospects will be.

But while the 40-yard dash is the most glamorous and most popular pre-draft measuring tool, it’s not a make-or-break event by any means. If it were, track stars would consistently become football stars. From Renaldo Nehemiah and others who have tried and failed over the decades, we know that just doesn’t happen.

And how often do running backs get a chance to run 40 yards down an NFL field unimpeded? And when that happens, it usually is the result of five bigger, stronger, slower guys imposing their will to open that kind of a lane.

I agree, but I’ve never heard a GM say on draft day, “John Paulsen’s 40-yard dash really blew us away and that’s why we chose him first overall.” The 40-yard dash is just one small aspect of what these teams put prospects through in pre-draft workouts. If anything, the media and fans blow it up more than the teams do.

John Clayton of ESPN.com details how Boston College’s Matt Ryan – the top rated signal caller in April’s draft – could fall with teams at the top of the draft being gun shy about a young quarterback.

If Ryan falls to Baltimore at No. 8, it would be as perfect a fit as Ben Roethlisberger’s falling to the Steelers at No. 11 in 2004. Of course, if Ryan slips past the fifth pick, don’t be surprised if the Carolina Panthers — drafting 13th — make a phone call to the Patriots to inquire about trading up to the No. 7 pick in hopes of getting the heir to Jake Delhomme’s starting job.

And despite the Bears’ signing of Grossman, it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they tried to trade up from No. 14 to get the consensus top quarterback in the draft.

The Ravens, Panthers and Bears would be better fits for Ryan than the Dolphins and Falcons. They have better rosters. They have the running game. And they have the patience to not rush Ryan until he’s ready.

Teams sacred of making a mistake by drafting a quarterback too high need to look no further than the 2003 Cincinnati Bengals as a positive example. Cincy drafted David Klinger with their first pick in 1991, and Akili Smith with their first choice in 1999. Both were colossal flops – especially Smith. Yet when 2003 came along, the Bengals could have been scared off by the idea of using their first pick on another young quarterback. But they weren’t, and chose Carson Palmer, who turned out to be a franchise QB.

Yeah, the draft is a dangerous minefield, but you can’t be scared of taking a guy you have highly rated because you were burned before.

– The Bucs are interested in unrestricted free agent Asante Samuel.

– The Vikings’ Bryant McKinnie was charged with aggravated battery, resisting arrest, and disorderly conduct early Monday morning. Who wants to bet at some point he used this line with the authorities: “Don’t you know who I am?”

– The Panthers and free agent wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad are close to a deal.

– The Lions only have one cornerback left on their roster after releasing Fernando Bryant.

– Chargers’ TE Antonio Gates will undergo foot surgery and might need four to six months to recover.

– Draft prospect Darren McFadden ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine Sunday. W.O.W.

More combine chatter: Are ther serious concerns over LSU DT Glen Dorsey’s stress fracture?

The NFL Scouting Combine was once an afterthought for fans, but that’s not the case now that the NFL Draft has become an offseason event. With the combine running this weekend, I take a look at five prospects who have the most to gain from a good showing, and five with the most to lose in my latest column for Bullz-Eye.com.