2011 NFL Draft
Value Picks
Ten players who'll be great value picks and good,
productive selections.
- Ten Freak of Nature
Prospects
- Ten Great Value Picks
- Ten Big Names Who'll Go
Late
- Ten Unknowns You Must Know
1. DE Sam Acho, Texas 6-2, 262
One of the highest-character players in the draft, he’ll win the NFL Man of the Year before his career is out. On the field, he’s a supreme athlete who leads by example and will always bring the A effort to every practice and ever play. It would be nice if he was a little bigger and wasn’t so short and squatty, and he didn’t produce as well as a player with his talent should, getting erased by too many good blockers. He was always a good prospect and then he upped his stock in a big way at the Combine and at the Senior Bowl. He’ll be the type of player every team wants to have, and he’ll be great in the locker room.
CFN Projection: Third Round
2. DE Allen Bailey, Miami 6-3, 285
As far as raw tools, it’s tough to find a better equipped talent on the end with rock-solid size with little to no fat on him, and the strength to throw weights around in the gym and beat up blockers when getting into the backfield. Fast off the ball, he can be used as a dangerous pass rusher and has the athleticism to overwhelm an offense. The problem is that all his talents don’t always translate to the field. He was mediocre at the Senior Bowl and didn’t do enough for the Canes when the spotlight was on. On pure tools he’s worth a high pick, but he needs to be a better football player.
CFN Projection: Second Round
3. SS Tyler Sash, Iowa 6-0, 211 (Jr.)
A huge hitter and a flat-out baller, he hits like a ton of bricks and brings a big-time attitude on every play. He loves to hit, loves to go after the big play, and he doesn’t miss a stop popping like another linebacker. Now he has to hit the weight room to get strong enough to match his type of game. The 11 reps on the bench at the Combine were horrible, and he lacks the overall athleticism to make up for his problems. With his style, he could have a very, very short shelf life as a pro and could be a regular on the IR. He’ll be a fan favorite for a while, but eventually he’ll have problems against the pass and will give up way too many big plays. He’ll get picked on, but he’ll come up with enough highlight reel hits to be a regular.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
4. WR Niles Paul, Nebraska 6-1, 224
A compact, tough receiver who can play inside or out, and while he’s not all that fast, he has functional speed and he can find ways to get open. Extremely strong, he’ll hit people in the ground game and he has no problem against the more physical defensive backs. While he has some good tools, he’s not a great wide receiver and was never healthy last year. Some will want to compare him to Anquan Boldin, but he doesn’t have the hands and he’s not the type who’ll get open against a defense trying to stop him.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
5. SS Shiloh Keo, Idaho 5-11, 219
A terrific college player who went almost completely unnoticed, he did a little of everything for an abysmal Vandal defense. A great baller, he’s not fast and he doesn’t have the raw measureables, but he’s extremely quick, a great hitter, and he’s as experienced as any player in the draft with 54 games logged in. Extremely strong, he came up with 24 reps on the bench and he brings the A effort on every play, but he needs to get in better overall shape and can only function close to the line. A below-the-rim player who won’t do provide much help on deep plays and in pass coverage, there’s a limit on what he can do. There’s a little bit of an attitude issue and he’ll be a bit limited to just being a strong safety in the right scheme, but he’ll make a ton of plays and he’ll be a big part of a run defense.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
6. OG John Moffitt, Wisconsin 6-4, 319
Really, really strong, he’ll have no problems pushing anyone around in a power running game. He’s big, tough, and he’s shockingly quick for his size. However, he doesn’t use his athleticism well enough and is far better in a phone booth. He’s a great leader and a good character player, but he doesn’t quite have the elite skills to be a top NFL starter. He’ll be a starter, but he’s not going to be the type of blocker who’ll get anyone fired up.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round
7. WR Dwayne Harris, East Carolina 5-10, 200
An excellent route runner who runs well and tries to beat people up as a blocker, Harris has the fight and the toughness to be a coach’s dream. With huge hands, he snatches everything that comes his way, and he isn’t afraid to take a big shot or try to come up with the big catch. He doesn’t have special skills and he isn’t as weight room strong as he needs to be to play the type of game he likes, but he should be a great No. 2 receiver who’ll be used in a variety of ways. Durability is a question, but he should carve out a long, productive career.
CFN Projection: Third Round
8. RB Daniel Thomas, Kansas State 6-0, 230
Very big, very tough, and very thick, Thomas has the body and the bulk to be a full-time workhorse runner. Even though he was the only thing anyone had to worry about on the Kansas State offense, he still produced at a high level week in and week out. While he wasn’t needed for the passing game – or wasn’t used – he can catch the ball. He’s not a speedster and he’s not necessarily a powerful between-the-tackles runner, but there’s little downside. He might not be a special NFL back, but he can certainly be very, very good as long as someone doesn’t think he’s a battering ram.
CFN Projection: Second Round
9. DT Drake Nevis, LSU 6-1, 294
He’ll be dogged for not having ideal size being too short and without enough mass to hold up as an anchor of an NFL defensive tackle, but he can really, really move. There’s upside to his game if he can get into a pro weight room right away and can get the right training, and he needs to do that immediately. With too much bad weight, he needs to transform his body and needs to make up for his lack of size by being in much better shape. Even so, at his current shape and size he can get into the backfield in a heartbeat if he can beat his man off the ball; it’s all about the snap and his explosiveness. He won’t make too many stops against the power running teams and he has to be a part of a rotation, but when it comes to interior pass rushers, consider him a smaller Nick Fairley without the first round price tag.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
10. OLB K.J. Wright, Mississippi State 6-3, 246
With great size and good tackling ability, he’s very smart and he works his tail off to make things happen. Unlike most of the outside linebackers in this draft, he’s decent in pass coverage and is better at staying with receivers than his raw tools might suggest. He’s not an athlete, he’s not a huge hitter, and he’s not all that fast, but even though there’s a hard ceiling on what he can do he can and can be a good, solid run stopper on his drive and his motor. An inside linebacker working on the outside, he’s a strongside linebacker only. He won’t be special, but he should be a decent starter.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round
- Ten Freak of Nature
Prospects
- Ten Great Value Picks
- Ten Big Names Who'll Go
Late
- Ten Unknowns You Must Know