Preview 2007
The Top 64 Pro Prospects - First Round
So
who are the 64 best pro prospects who'll be eligible for the 2008 draft?
Who are the ones to keep an eye on all season long as they go under the
microscope? Here are the potential next level stars who'll be in the
hunt for a draft spot among the top 64, or in the first two rounds.
Remember, there's a difference between being a pro prospect and a top
college player. Some players have all the measurables and end up
projecting to be better at the next level.
Top 64 Pro Prospects
33 to 64 ... Possible
Second Rounders
1.
Kenny Phillips, S Miami (Jr.)
He’s 6-2
with 202-pound size, big-time hitting ability, and the speed of a
corner. Smart enough to always be in the right position, he took his
game to another level in spring ball flying all around the field
delivering big pop after big pop. A superstar recruit for the program
two years ago, he has lived up to the hype and then some with 159
tackles, nine tackles for loss, ten broken up passes and five
interceptions. The numbers would've been even better if he hadn't missed
three games with a broken thumb.
2. Calais Campbell, DE Miami (Jr.)
The 6-8, 282-pound Campbell came up with a breakout
season finishing third on the team with 84 tackles to go along with 10.5
sacks and 205.5 tackles for loss. Not just a great athlete with great
size and pass rushing skills, he has the work ethic and the motor to
live up to his preseason All-America status.
3. Darren McFadden, RB Arkansas (Jr.)
He has the power at 6-2 and 215 pounds, and he's a bolt of lightning
when he gets into the open field with 1,647 yards and 14 touchdowns
while catching 11 passes for 149 yards and a score. In the "Wildcat"
package, he'll even spend time lined up at quarterback, where he
completed seven of nine passes for 69 yards and three touchdowns with an
interception. One of the leading Heisman candidates will be used in
every way possible to get the ball in his hands.
4. Tyson Jackson, DE LSU (Jr.)
The 6-5, 292-pound Jackson is one of the nation's
bigger defensive ends with next-level measurables that could make him a
top ten type of pick is he puts it all together this season. He has the
strength and size of a tackle with linebacker quickness cranking out a
team-leading 8.5 sacks with ten tackles for loss and 37 stops. If
absolutely needed, he could move inside for a stretch.
5. Brian Brohm, QB Louisville
Brohm’s a heady veteran who can make all the throws and manage a
game like a coach in the huddle. He’ll once again be the catalyst of
the combustible Cardinal offense, distributing the ball like one of Rick
Pitino’s point guards to a bevy of gifted receivers. He’s a strong
preseason contender for the Heisman Trophy and Davey O’Brien Award
provided he can do the one thing that’s escaped him during his college
career—play an entire season without suffering an injury. Even though
his health history will be a concern, he’s proven to be a freakishly
quick healer.
6. Jake Long, OT Michigan
The 6-7, 313-pound Long is one of the nation's premier tackles,
having gone from very good to special after slimming down and getting
quicker. A strong pass protector, he can also bury defenders in the
running game. While not as good as former Wisconsin Badger Joe Thomas,
think of Long as this year’s hot tackle prospect.
7. Sam Baker, OT USC
The 6-5, 305-pound, two-time All-American is arguably the most
complete lineman in the country. Entering his fourth year as the
starter, he’s the total package, a top pass protector and improving run
blocker, who’ll begin the 2007 season in the best shape of his career.
8. Glenn Dorsey, DT LSU
The 6-2, 299-pound Dorsey chose to come back for his senior season when
he likely would've been a top 20 draft pick last year. Yet another in a
long line of great LSU tackles, Dorsey went from a solid reserve to a
jaw-dropping star last season getting in better shape and using his
quickness to make 64 tackles with 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
He's the anchor of the front four and one of the nation's premier
interior pass rushers.
9. Derrick Harvey, DE Florida (Jr.)
He's not huge at 245 pounds, but he has room to still get a little
bigger with a lanky 6-4 frame. He only made 35 tackles, but he was a
blur into the backfield making 11 sacks and 13 tackles for loss
highlighted by a three-sack, one forced fumble performance against Ohio
State. After splitting time last year with Ray McDonald, he took over
the job full-time and now is the one the line will build around once
he's back and healthy after suffering a hernia in spring ball.
10. DeMario Pressley, DT NC State
The 6-3, 295-pounder was a superstar recruit a few years ago and started
to live up to the hype last year with 46 tackles, two sacks and seven
tackles for loss as an every game starter at right tackle. He’ll get
every chance to show off what he can do as the anchor and main man on
the inside, but he must be consistent. Quick enough to play end at
times, he'll start at tackle.
11. Early Doucet, WR LSU
Doucet goes from being a nice number two target on the other side of
Dwayne Bowe to the main man. Second on the team with 59 catches for 772
yards and eight touchdowns, he turned into a killer over the second half
of the season scoring a touchdown in four straight games and ripping up
Notre Dame for 115 yards on eight grabs. One of the team's fastest
players, he has the potential to grow into the SEC's most dangerous
receiving weapon.
12. Chris Long, DE Virginia
The 6-4, 284-pound senior is the son of former NFL great, Howie
Long, and while he's not as good as his dad, is a big time talent with
quickness into the backfield and good toughness against the run. He was
fifth on the team with 57 tackles, to go along with 4.5 sacks and 12
tackles for loss. He has 47 quarterback hurries over the last two years.
13. Malcolm Jenkins, CB Ohio State (Jr.)
One of the nation's best all-around defensive backs, he has size,
4.3 speed, and plenty of production with 55 tackles and four
interceptions last season. He's the lock down corner everyone's looking
for, and there isn't a more sure open field tackling defensive back in
the Big Ten. Don't expect the stats to be that great; everyone will stay
away from him
14. Rey Maualuga, LB USC (Jr.)
A force on the inside, he’s a 6-3, 250-pound freight train that
intimidates with his intensity and bone-jarring hits. Entering his
second season as the starter, he plays with reckless abandon and has
impeccable instincts for the position. Few college defenders provide
the pop he does, finishing second on the team with 78 tackles.
15. Tommy Blake, DE TCU
Blake flirted with the idea of turning pro early, and then chose
to come back in what should be an All-America season. In three years
he's made 134 tackles, 19 sacks and 36.5 tackles for loss with a blend
of blinding quickness and good size. Up to 252 pounds, he's filled out
his 6-3 frame and should be even stronger against the run.
16. Martellus Bennett, TE Texas A&M (Jr.)
Bennett’s one of the nation’s most intriguing prospects.
He’s a 6-7, 253-pound
athlete who grabbed 38 passes for 497 yards and three touchdowns as
Stephen McGee's main go-to target when things got tight. He'll be in the
hunt for All-America honors in a salary drive season that could make him
one of the top tight ends taken in the 2008 NFL Draft. A member of the
Aggie basketball team, he might not be a bigger Antonio Gates, but he's
not far off when it comes to his athleticism.
17. Malcolm Kelly, WR Oklahoma
The big unknown is a knee injury that he suffered early in
the Fiesta Bowl that kept him out of spring ball, but assuming all is
fine, the sky's the limit for the 6-4, 217-pound speedster. He caught 62
passes for 993 yards and ten touchdowns, highlighted by an 11-catch,
153-yard, one touchdown day against Texas Tech, and a ten-catch,
142-yard, two touchdown day against Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship.
18. Barry Richardson, OT Clemson
At 6-7 and 320 pounds with all the measureables, he could become a top
ten pick if everything breaks right. His claim to fame has been a near
shutdown performance of NC State's Mario Williams in 2005, and he was
even better last year earning first-team All-ACC honors. He'll start
again at left tackle with 32 straight starts under his belt, and he'll
be the one the offense works behind.
19. Brandon Flowers, CB Virginia Tech
(Jr.)
There's been some sensational corners at Virginia Tech over the
years, but 5-10, 190-pound junior Flowers could be the best of the
bunch. A good tackler with 51 stops last season, he was a rock when the
ball was in the air with three interceptions and 18 broken up passes.
While he doesn't have the raw speed of DeAngelo Hall, and he's not as
big and physical as Jimmy Williams, he has the potential to be a first
round draft pick and grow into a truly special corner if he keeps
working.
20. Andre Woodson, QB Kentucky
He always had the measurables with 6-5, 230-pound size, tremendous
strength, a huge arm, and great accuracy, holding the school record for
most consecutive throws without an interception. He started making
better decisions and was quicker at getting rid of the ball, and the
results were tremendous with 3,515 yards, 31 touchdown passes and only
seven interceptions while completing 63% of his passes.
21. DeSean Jackson, WR California (Jr.)
A receiver version of Reggie Bush, Jackson’s arguably the single most
flammable offensive player in the country. The definition of a long
ball hitter, he parlayed 59 receptions, 1,060 yards and nine touchdowns
into a spot on the All-Pac-10 first team. While he has jaw-dropping
speed, he needs to bulk up a bit.
22. Frank Okam, DT Texas
With 26 career starts, 37 appearances, and 108 tackles, Okam is the
seasoned vet and the leader on the line. He had a chance to leave early
for the NFL draft, and would've been a top 50 pick, but the 6-5,
320-pounder is back and should be in the hunt for All-America honors.
Not just a rock against the run, he's great at getting into the
backfield.
23. Keith Rivers, LB USC
A 6-3 and 230-pounder who pursues well in all directions,
including on blitzes, he’s also a standout in pass defense. Last year’s
team leader in tackles with 85 would have been a high draft choice in
2008 had he foregone his final year of eligibility, and he’ll probably
end up going in the top 20.
24. Gosder Cherilus, OT Boston College
The 6-7, 318-pound senior has
size and pass protection skills, with the talent to get even
better. With 37 straight starts, he's a mainstay who'll be counted on to
make the big block on every key running play for the Eagle offense.
25. Steve Slaton, RB West Virginia (Jr.)
A consensus All-American and Heisman
finalist a year ago, Slaton’s a scoring machine with the jets to go the
distance whenever he gets into space. The 5-10, 190-pounder was second
nationally with 162 all-purpose yards a game in 2006 and added
pass-catcher to his repertoire, pulling in 27 receptions for 360 yards
and a pair of touchdowns. He had off-season surgery on his right wrist,
but will be fine by the start of the season.
26. Limas Sweed, WR Texas
The 6-5, 219-pound senior is
big, fast, and almost certain to be a top 50 pick in the 2008 NFL
Draft. Now he has to play like it. Oh sure, he led the team with 46
catches for 801 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging 17 yards per catch,
but his production fell precipitously over the final five games of the
season, and was nowhere to be found in the loss to Texas A&M with just
one catch for 14 yards. He's not the next Roy Williams, and there are
other great receivers around him taking away work, but he's good enough
to be more of a difference maker in big games, like he was against
Nebraska with eight grabs for 119 yards and a touchdown.
27. Quentin Groves, DE Auburn
The 6-4, 254-pound senior rebounded nicely from a good, but
not great sophomore campaign cranking out 9.5 sacks and 12 tackles for
loss along with 37 tackles, all career highs. He finally became more
consistent and he started to shine against the top teams, something he
didn't do in his first two seasons, with three sacks against Florida,
two against Alabama, and six tackles against South Carolina. Now he has
to start producing in the post-season with only one tackle in three bowl
appearances (coming against Virginia Tech in the 2005 Sugar Bowl).
28. Jack Ikegwuonu, CB Wisconsin
He's big, physical, and very, very fast making 41 tackles on
the year with two interceptions and 11 broken up passes. He made a
national name for himself by chasing down Arkansas star running back
Darren McFadden, and now the spotlight will be on him all season long
when he matches up against the top receivers in the league.
29. Antoine Cason, CB Arizona
The 6-1, 182-pound Cason is a
bona fide lock-down corner and one of the
premier defensive backs in the country. A three-time member of the
all-Pac-10 team, his decision to put off the NFL for one more year was
one of the biggest off-season developments for the program. With Cason
roaming the secondary, it basically cuts off half the field for opposing
quarterbacks.
30. Marcus Freeman, LB Ohio State (Jr.)
The 6-2, 242-pound junior was a can't-miss recruit with
next-level written all over him, and then he suffered a knee injury and
missed the 2005 season. He bounced back to shine on the outside with 71
tackles and a sack with six broken up passes, and now he should be on
the verge of all-star honors on the weakside. He's big for the position,
and tremendously fast with phenomenal talent.
31. Sedrick Ellis, DT USC
Ellis is the premier interior lineman in the Pac-10. While a
bit undersized at 6-1 and 295 pounds, he’s an explosive and disruptive
force who plays with great leverage and has made Trojan fans forget Mike
Patterson. He had 34 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks last
year, which don’t do justice to his importance to the defense.
32. Andre Fluellen, DT Florida State
The Noles have question marks on the line, but they have a
great one to revolve around in the 6-4, 286-pound Fluellen on the
inside. While he's not a space-eater, he's as quick as an end and can
more than hold his own against the run. He came up with 28 tackles and
eight tackles for loss, but with his athleticism, he should be doing far
more to get into the backfield on a regular basis.
Top 64 Pro Prospects
33 to 64 ... Possible
Second Rounders