Tag: NFL Draft rumors (Page 3 of 11)

      Report: Nick Fairley missed flight, meetings at scouting combine and Pro Day

      April 13, 2011 /
      Auburn Tigers Nick Fairley holds the championship trophy after the Tigers defeated the Oregon Ducks to win the NCAA BCS National Championship college football game in Glendale, Arizona, January 10, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      More red flags are starting to emerge for Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley.

      According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Fairley missed his flight to the scouting combine, missed a team meeting while he was there and was late for a team interview at his Pro Day. This is a prospect that has a reputation for taking plays off, so this news won’t surprise some observers.

      You knew there was something going on when heading into the combine, Fairley was viewed as a potential No. 1 overall pick and then since that point, his stock has seemingly fallen off a cliff. Granted, nobody knows what teams’ draft boards look like right now, so maybe Fairley will still go among the top 5-10 picks. But there have been more than enough reports that lead you to believe he could fall out of the top 10 because of his work ethic (or lack thereof).

      Of course the flip side of this is that Fairley is one hell of a prospect. I mean, this kid could really dominate if he’s motivated, focused and willing to put in the work. His skill set and abilities are off the charts but he doesn’t have the drive of someone like Ndamukong Suh. Or at least, that’s what the perception is and perception is often reality.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Vikings to take Jake Locker at No. 12?

      April 11, 2011 /

      The Vikings need someone to replace Brett Favre and according to ESPN 1500’s Tom Pelissero, they may have their eyes on a quarterback prospect who has Favre-like qualities in their eyes. (Uh, on the field.)

      After doing “a lot of digging,” Pelissero believes that Washington quarterback Jake Locker could be the Vikings pick at No. 12. The former Huskie has apparently generated “comparisons internally” to Favre at Vikings headquarters, and there’s a growing sense around the league that Locker is bound for Minnesota.

      The fit certainly makes sense. First and foremost, head coach Leslie Frazier told the media a couple of weeks ago that the Vikings want to draft and start a rookie QB. The team also brought Bill Musgrave over from Atlanta to be the new offensive coordinator because he works so well with young quarterbacks (i.e. Matt Ryan). I’m sure the Vikings would love to give Musgrave a similar opportunity to groom someone like Locker, who has great intangibles and an abundance of athleticism, but who needs a fair amount of coaching.

      If Locker does wind up in Minnesota, one thing he must make strides with is his accuracy. He fits the mold of a West Coast Offense quarterback in that he’s mobile and can get the ball out of his hand quickly, but his accuracy runs hot and cold. If he’s going to run Musgrave’s version of the WCO, Locker must improve that area of his game. Of course, the nice thing about landing in Minnesota is that Locker will have Adrian Peterson to take most of the load off his shoulders as he learns the ropes. Obviously not all young quarterbacks have AP lining up behind them in the backfield.

      We’ll find out in a couple of weeks if Locker does indeed wind up in purple and white.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Could Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick wind up going in the first round?

      April 9, 2011 /

      If someone had suggested three months ago that Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick could go in the first round of this year’s draft, that person would have probably been laughed at. In fact, ‘No way!’, ‘You’re an idiot!’, ‘I hate your face!’ would have likely been some of the typical responses.

      But times have changed.

      About a week ago, NFL Network’s Albert Breer was the latest to suggest that Kaepernick could merit first-round consideration. Granted, he did say late first-round consideration, but first-round consideration nonetheless.

      Breer isn’t alone either. Kaepernick’s combination of size, athleticism and arm strength has garnered some attention over these last couple of months and it appears as though the former Wolfpack is steadily rising up draft boards. According to FOX Sports, he’s “scheduled to take 13 trips” to meet with NFL teams before the draft, with another three “in the works.” A few more teams are also reportedly set to come out to Reno to watch him workout as well.

      That said, the biggest challenges that Kaepernick faces are that 1) he played in the pistol offense at Nevada and therefore has never ran a pro-style offense, and 2) he may have to adjust his unorthodox throwing motion when he gets to the next level. Granted, he’s not a work-in-progress like Tim Tebow was last year but he’s not Philip Rivers either in terms of his release (even though the ball does come out of his hand quickly).

      Depending on how far guys like Jake Locker, Ryan Mallett and Christian Ponder fall, Kaepernick will likely go somewhere in the middle rounds (i.e. 2 through 4). It still seems like a stretch that he would go in the first round, although it’s certainly not as big a stretch as it was three months ago.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Report: Bowers “really struggled” at Pro Day

      April 1, 2011 /

      We knew that Da’Quan Bowers’ Pro Day on Friday was important after several reports have come out this month indicating that teams are worried about his knee. Unfortunately for Bowers, it doesn’t appear as though he put those concerns to rest.

      According to Pro Football Weekly, Bowers “really struggled” at his workout on Friday.

      He clearly looked fatigued, and left evaluators strongly questioning whether he will be ready in his first season. One evaluator in attendance estimated that Bowers’ knee appeared to be 70 percent healthy, at best.

      “If he falls to us, we would have to discuss it,” said one evaluator, whose team holds a pick in the back half of the first round, “and I’m not sure we would pull the trigger. We’ll listen to our doctors. He had a real difficult time bending. I question whether he will be ready.”

      Another evaluator added: “He’s not ready. He was hobbling around out there. The shuttles were bad. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. He cost himself millions of dollars.”

      Ouch. Once regarded as a top-5 pick, it appears as though he’ll fall considerably at the end of the month. There’s always a chance that teams are sending out negative vibes about him in hopes that he’ll fall, but there hasn’t been one positive report about his knee since he had it scoped following the 2010 season.

      Making matters worse for Bowers is that this year’s defensive end class is deep. North Carolina’s Robert Quinn, Missouri’s Aldon Smith, Cal’s Cameron Jordan, Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn, Ohio State’s Cameron Heyward, Wisconsin’s J.J. Watt, Georgia’s Justin Houston (considered to be a “tweener”) and Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan are all regarded as first round picks. It would be easy for a defensive end-needy team to simply move Bowers down and one of those prospects up, causing Bowers to fall. Of course, depending on how far he drops, he could also be considered a major bargain. (Assuming his knee does eventually heal, of course.)

      We’ll see. There’s still a month before the draft and that means a month of recovery more of recovery for Bowers. This news is certainly disappointing but who knows what teams are thinking at this point? His draft fate will be decided soon enough.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Teams concerned about Mark Ingram’s knee?

      April 1, 2011 /
      Alabama Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram dives over Michigan State Spartans cornerback Marcus Hyde for a touchdown during the first half of the Capital One Bowl college football game in Orlando, Florida, January 1, 2011. REUTERS/Phelan M. Ebenhack (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers isn’t the only prospect that might see his draft stock fall over these next couple of weeks due to concerns about a knee injury.

      According to NFL Network’s Mike Lombardi, teams have growing concerns about the health of Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who had his knee scoped prior to the 2010 season. After rushing for 1,658 yards and a 6.1 YPC average on 271 carries in 2009, the former Heisman Trophy winner was limited to just 875 yards on 158 totes a year ago.

      I’ve released three mocks and in all three of them, I’ve had the Dolphins selecting Ingram with the No. 15 overall pick. There’s a real possibility that Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams (who are both free agents) have played their last downs in Miami, making the selection of Ingram a popular one in many mocks – not just mine.

      But if his knee is a concern for some teams, then he could easily fall into the second round. Plus, there’s growing sentiment that the Dolphins want a home run threat, which doesn’t exactly describe Ingram’s game. If that’s the case, then maybe the Dolphins will look to nab someone like Oklahoma State’s Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma’s DeMarco Murray or UConn’s Jordan Todman in the middle rounds.

      If Ingram does slip into Round 2, it’ll be interesting to see whether or not a running back will even be selected in the first. Mikel Leshoure of Illinois is viewed as a potential first round pick, but Ingram is listed ahead of him in most pundits’ rankings so he may fall, too. It isn’t a great year for running back-needy teams, although there are always bargains in the middle rounds.

      External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

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