Big 10 Bloggers - The 2011 NFL Draft Talents

Now that the dust has settled, the CFN's Big 10 Bloggers put the NFL Draft under the microscope looking for the Lucky 7

JA is Justin Albers, AC is Aaron Calhoun, BD is Bart Doan, HD is HD Handshoe, and PH is Phil Harrison.


1. HEADLINER:
JA: Cameron Heyward; DE, Pittsburgh Steelers – Heyward barely went in the first round -- he was the 30th player selected -- but he’s joining a defense that knows how to develop players. Heyward’s 6-5, 294-pound size and athleticism make for a perfect fit for the Steelers 3-4 defense. How much longer can Brett Keisel be productive? Can Aaron Smith stay healthy? Pittsburgh is beginning to age on that front line, and Heyward is a great solution. Give him a year or two to learn and he’ll be another star on one of the league’s best defenses.
AC: J.J. Watt; DE, Houston Texans – Defensive lineman were the headline for the first round of the draft--eleven of them were selected. Watt was the best the Big Ten had to offer in the category and he will be lining up opposite--and learning from--one of the premier ends in the game in Mario Williams.
BD: Prince Nakamura; DB, New York Giants – Headliner doesn’t always mean “first guy picked.” I guess I’ll be Contrarian Guy and pick a cornerback who fell in the draft. Why did he fall? Not sure anyone knows, but count the Giants as tickled pink that he did. The NFL has become a league where shutdown corners are almost as important as quarterbacks, with the league’s current emphasis on pro-offense rules. Nakamura was considered by many to be the best of the 2011 lot, and comes from a defensive powerhouse that breeds NFL caliber defenders. In other words, when the Nebraska version of “Prince” was drafted, “this is what it sounds like when NFC East teams cry…”.
HD: PLAYER; POS, PRO TEAM – COMING.
PH: J. J. Watt; DE, Houston Texans – Watt? Call me dull, but I’ll go with the obvious answer here because I truly believe it. Watt was the best of a very deep defensive line crop in the Big Ten. Like the others taken in the first round, he terrorized opposing backfields and looked unblockable at times. Unlike some of his esteemed colleagues, he didn’t disappear when going against superior competition , nor when he was double-teamed. He has great hands, quick feet, and a tireless work ethic. He has all of the makings to be an All-Pro.


2. MOST SHOCKING FALL:
JA: Tandon Doss; WR, Baltimore Ravens – Doss likely would have been a first or second-round draft pick had he not required postseason surgery on his groins and lower abdominal muscles. The former Indiana standout has strong hands and is a great route runner. He doesn’t have impressive speed, but he will be a nice slot receiver at the next level. Pairing him with Anquan Boldin will take pressure off of the young wideout.
AC: Prince Amukamara; CB, New York Giants – Sure, he was still selected in the first round, but considering the rare opportunity a potential shutdown corner provides, it came as a shock that he fell all the way to twenty-one. Wouldn’t every team--besides the Jets and the Raiders--like a Darrelle Revis or Nnamdi Asomugha harassing the opposing side’s number one receiver?.
BD: Tandon Doss; WR, Baltimore Ravens – Since signing over his paperwork to give himself to the NFL, Doss has been working out at Chris Weinke’s training facility with other pre-pros in preparation for his new career. And if Chris Weinke, who I think ran a 7.4 40 yard dash as a senior (when he was 50) doesn’t know about blazing fast wide receivers, who does? Surely I jest, but Doss was considered by some NFL scouts to be late first round, early second round talent by many, but had some injury concerns. To the Ravens go the spoils – perpetually in need of offense no matter how hard they try. Doss is a Swiss army knife type, and ran a variety of routes in Indiana’s pass happy offense. He’s better than advertised, and had his special teams moments as well. Injury history or not, sometimes you just draft the best football player. In which case, Doss went two rounds too late.
HD: PLAYER; POS, PRO TEAM – COMING.
PH: Dane Sanzenbacher; WR, TBD – Sanzenbacher was not projected to go high, but he was expected to be drafted somewhere. How rare is it that an Ohio State leading receiver doesn’t get picked? Rare enough that it is the first time it’s happened in fifteen years. Sanzenbacher wasn’t just a good receiver as far as OSU goes, he was the second leading receiver in the Big Ten. It’s safe to say that someone will give him a tryout as a possession type Austin Collie or Wes Welker cloan. It’s just surprising that it didn’t happen through the draft.


3. BIGGEST REACH:
JA: Jonas Mouton; LB, San Diego Chargers – Mouton was an athletic defender in a pathetic Michigan defense a year ago. He’s undersized at 6-1 and 239-pounds and, if he stood out in college, it’s only because he was surrounded by such poor defenders. The Chargers are betting on Mouton’s potential, but even so the second round was far too high.
AC: Martez Wilson; LB, New Orleans Saints – Wilson was a fine player at Illinois, but there are two professions you should be wary of entering if you already have a surgically repaired neck: Pro wrestling--look it up if you don’t believe me--and pro football. Wilson could just as easily be a steal, but that’s entirely contingent on his neck holding up… and considering how seriously head and neck injuries are taken these days, the slightest pinch of a nerve could be derailing.
BD: Adrian Clayborn; DE, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Since last year, I’ve been frothing at the mouth to write a “guy you shouldn’t have drafted” piece, and I discovered that desire after watching Iowa. Against bigger, NFL-type OTs, Clayborn was more silent than the laugh track during Schindler’s List. He’s a tweener, and by that we don’t mean he likes shopping at Claire’s and watching The WB. It means he might be a bit too small for his position at the next level. He lacks a true go-to move when he can’t overpower lesser linemen and is too small to do that all the time. In-denial Tampa fan will opine that Dwight Freeney had the same knocks when he was drafted, but the league has seen just one guy like Freeney ever, and that’s Dwight Freeney. Adrian doesn’t have the foot speed to be that guy. He’s Dwight-lite. Pass rushers are en vogue in the NFL, but this one was a classic reach- on a player who fattened up against the meek and the lonely. Not the behemoths.
HD: PLAYER; POS, PRO TEAM – COMING.
PH: Martez Wilson; LB, New Orleans Saints – Martez Wilson has all of the eye popping stats and blew away some of his competition at the combine. There is no debate about the kind of athlete he is, but we have two issues with taking him in the third round. First, he is coming off that neck surgery to repair a herniated disk. He faired just fine his last season at Illinois, but the history around neck injuries is mostly poor – particularly when you’ll be having head on collisions with bigger and stronger men at the next level. Speaking of the next level, everyone there is a good athlete. Even the kickers. Martez has talent, sure, but not NFL-level instincts. He won’t be able to have the same results on Sundays on athletic talent alone that he had in college. I’ll end by stating the obvious here: unfortunately, instincts are not something you can teach.


4. BEST VALUE:
JA: Mikel Leshoure; RB, Detroit Lions – I’ve always been high on Leshoure because of his size. Illinois has done a great job in recent years in developing running backs. Rashard Mendenhall has been nothing but productive in Pittsburgh, and I expect Leshoure, a 5-11, 227-pound back, to have similar success in Detroit. He should be the perfect complement to Jahvid Best – IF, that is, the Lions can put some blockers in front of them.
AC: John Moffitt; OG, Seattle Seahawks - “Value” is a relative term. In this case, Moffitt takes the honor because he was the only pick of value the Seahawks had in their entire draft.
BD: Eric Hagg; DB, Cleveland Browns – For several days now I was excited about looking smart (there’s a first time for everything). Then Carl Pelini came out yesterday and called the Nebraska DB the “steal of the draft”, and I’m here cleaning up his leftovers. I swear I don’t know Pelini, but he’s flat out right. How a disciplined, intelligent DB like Eric fell to the Browns in the seventh round is beyond myself (and Carl, clearly). Pelini called him the toughest player he will have to replace, not really a surprise given the guy will need a separate U-Haul to bring all the awards he snagged in college. I’ll never understand NFL types. Kid has a rough combine, and he goes from second or third team All American (depending on who you subscribe to) to a seventh round pick. 6’2” versatile defensive backs aren’t a dime a dozen. Remember the name, kids. And remember that the Browns did something this smart by picking him. Which one is more shocking I leave up to you.
HD: PLAYER; POS, PRO TEAM – COMING.
PH: Greg Jones; LB, NY Giants – I know many question whether Greg Jones can make the transition to the NFL given his lack of size, but to get a consensus all Big-Ten performer who was also a two time all-American in the sixth round has got to count as great value. On the contrary to Martez Wilson, Jones possesses very good instincts and is an outstanding pass rusher. There is probably a better fit out there than the Tampa 2 the Giants run, but in the sixth round you take this type of talent if he’s available and try to mold him to fit the scheme.


5. “BEST” CONTRIBUTION BY A UNIVERSITY:
JA: Illinois – Nobody jumps out at you, but the Fighting Illini won’t have any flops either. Leshoure will be solid in Detroit, Corey Liuget has a chance to be a great defensive tackle in San Diego, and linebacker Martez Wilson is a steal for New Orleans in the third round. Give these guys time to develop and you’ll undoubtedly remember a great draft from Illinois in 2011.
AC: Wisconsin – It wasn’t exactly a banner year for the Big Ten in the draft--fifth most players selected of the six BCS conferences, and only one player being selected in the top fifteen. However, the Badgers made their mark with two linemen going in the first round in Watt and Gabe Carimi, and the aforementioned Moffitt coming off the board in round three.
BD: Wisconsin – It’s the difference between filet and Applebee’s sirloin (which also happens to be the difference in getting that second date). Sure, the filet (or as they say in Indiana “fill-ette”) is fewer ounces, but the quality of the meat is there. That’s Wisconsin this year. They didn’t have the most Big 10 players drafted, but they did have the best quality. Three offensive linemen include first rounder Gabe Carimi to the Bears. Gabe eats asphalt patch for breakfast. John Moffitt to Seattle was a steal in round three, a team clearly looking to beef up its offensive line to protect the franchise, Charlie Whitehurst. The bellcow of this Wisconsin group was a defensive end, Watt, who was picked 11th by Houston. He was the classic “high energy” guy, and goes to a team where his opposite pass rushing DE is arguably the best in the league. TE Lance Kendricks fell to St. Louis, desperate for pass catchers with a pulse, probably because of past injury history. He should receive a lot of attention from Mr. Bradford this year. If I could get odds on him for Rookie of the Year in the NFL right now, I would take that bet. Whiskey’s third and final OT, Bill Nagy, went to Dallas in the final round. “On Wisconsin”, or something like that.
HD: University– COMING.
PH: Wisconsin – I have to go with the Badgers as well. They had the only Big Ten offensive player selected in the first round, arguably the best defensive end prospect in the draft, and topped it off with one of the best tight end prospects in Lance Kendricks. You’re superstars generally come out of the top two rounds, and Wisconsin had more than any other Big Ten team. Despite the stereotype that Wisconsin wins with a bruising, fundamentally sound attack, they showed everyone that talent helps too.


6. BEST IMPENDING FREE AGENT SIGNING
JA: Terrance Turner; WR – I bet you won’t see this name many places. Still, I believe Turner will have a productive NFL career. The former Indiana standout is a smart wideout who has the intangibles all coaches look for. He’s not particularly athletic and he doesn’t have blinding speed, but he’s a good route runner and isn’t afraid to go over the middle. In many ways, he reminds me of Hines Ward -- he just has a will to be great.
AC: John Clay; RB – Remember the last big name bruising running back that came out of Wisconsin. He only won a Heisman Trophy and is the NCAA’s all-time rushing leader, but didn’t manage much of a pro career. Maybe it was “The Curse of Ron Dayne” that scared teams off, but those same teams always like to have a power back to compliment their burner. A Dayne-esque career won’t be in the cards for Clay, as long as a team molds him to be what he’s able to be.
BD: John Clay; RB – A quick scan of most “best available undrafted free agents” lists won’t include Mr. Clay, unless his mother is starting a blog. But make no mistake, this man has a place on an NFL roster. One of Wisconsin’s most highly recruited running backs, two things make him a solid pick for this “award” of sorts. First is his mileage. He played in a system that employs three running back options and he’s a junior, so a spotty injury history should be ignored for the most part. Number two, he’s a running back, the easiest transition position in football from college to the pros. Think I’m full of it? Ask some recent “best undrafted free agent award winners” – like Arian Foster and LeGarrette Blount. Both running backs.
HD: PLAYER – COMING.
PH: John Clay; RB – There has been, and always will be, a market for bruising third down backs in the NFL. At the very least, John Clay is a guy that can run through a brick wall of a defense when the chips are down, but he has the potential for much more. For his size, Clay has a burst and athleticism that is harder to find than a square-dancer in a mosh pit. Many passed on him because of his injury history and his perceived lack of attention to keeping in shape, but I see him plowing in for many touchdowns – similar to what Mike Alstott did for years. If he can start using his offensive line more than the buffet line, he could be a great pick up for an NFL team in need of a third down back.


7. WHAT THE 2011 DRAFT SAYS ABOUT THE BIG TEN
JA: It’s a new quarterback era – Yes, Iowa’s Ricky Stanzi was the only Big Ten QB drafted, and he went in the fifth round. But the college quarterback is changing -- not just in the conference but in all of college football. Denard Robinson, Terrelle Pryor, etc. are not going to be great NFL quarterbacks, but they get it done in the college game.
AC: We’re more than just the conference with its own network – Nebraska has come on board, Michigan will be back soon, the powers that be are going strong (the jury may be out on OSU in the short-term), and the conference had more lineman drafted in the first round than any other. Hard-nosed, high-level football has been the Big Ten’s game, and they play that style better than anyone else.
BD: It’s the best conference in college football for the foreseeable future – Those playing this year can tattoo next to their Big 10 logo “the best conference in college football.” Mute the four letter network honks who have a vested interest in the conference that has their TV deal, and try watching for yourself instead. Even with NFL factories like Penn State being young and Michigan being in “I’m just trying to find myself before another relationship” mode, the Big 10 managed to pipe out 36 total NFL draftees. The Big 10 has recently been a national whipping post, but don’t kid yourself – with the addition of Nebraska it’s the best football money can buy. Scratch that, but you get the point. From here on out, with the addition of the Huskers and the revival of Michigan, the obvious will be tough to deny. If the Big 10 were a stock, you would call your broker and buy…now.
HD: COMING.
PH: Where’s the Offense? – Sure we could boast about how many players were taken in the draft, or make excuses about how young the elite talent in the conference is, but the lack of elite offensive talent drafted in the early rounds this year suggests that the Big Ten lacked game changers on the offensive side of the ball last year. Only one guy taken in the first round on the side that scores points does not translate to juggernaut offenses. Yes you can win many games with defense, but you have to have play-makers to score as well. In order for the conference to get back among the perceived elite, that has to change.


Please follow Justin Albers on Twitter @Justin_Albers, Aaron Calhoun @ACalhoun_CFN, HD Handshoe @BlockONation and Phil Harrison @peharrison.


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