Scout.com: 2008 NFL Draft Analysis

1

100

Oakland (from Dallas) Tyvon Branch, CB/FS Connecticut
4.36. Branch was considered a nice prospect with good size and excellent production over the last few seasons, and then he came to the Combine and ripped off a 4.36. A great tackler, he made 168 over the last two seasons, but he only picked off three career passes. His value as a returner will only make him more attractive; he'll make an impact in some was on special teams from the moment he steps on the field. If he struggles at corner, he'd make a whale of a free safety.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 6

2

101

St. Louis Justin King, CB Penn State
Really, really fast. King's 4.37 40 confirmed what everyone already knew that he was among the fastest players in the draft, but for all his speed and all his athleticism, he wasn't all that great a cover-corner on a consistent basis. He had some big games when he erased the No. 1 receiver, and then he got destroyed by some, like Indiana's James Hardy, who lit it up with 14 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns. He has the measurables, but not the talent or the consistency to be anyone's top corner.
CFN Projection: Second Round to Third Round CFN Position Rank: 11

3

102

Green Bay (from the NY Jets) Jeremy Thompson, DE/LB Wake Forest
One of the faster ends in the draft, the 6-4, 265-pound former Demon Deacon has the athleticism and the potential to blossom in the right system. He's not going to be a top-shelf pass rusher and there's a big, screaming question mark about his durability, he has shown enough of a flash to project as a nice starter who does well as a cog in the system. He'll never be a star, but he should be a productive starter as long as he can stay healthy.
CFN Projection: Late Second Round to Early Third Round CFN Position Rank: 7 (as a DE)

4

103

Tennessee (from Kansas City) William Hayes, DE Winston-Salem
Where's he going to play? "Big Play" is a mix of linebacker and end, but he's not an NFL player and he's going to be a major-league reach. Not even on the list of players the NFL thinks can be drafted, he's a pure speed rusher who'll need a lot of development. A lot. A measurables guy, he has the size and the quickness, but he's a free agent at best.
CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN Position Rank: NR

5

104

Cleveland (from Dallas) Beau Bell, LB UNLV
It would've been interesting to have seen him at the Combine, but a knee injury suffered at the Senior Bowl kept him under wraps. He needs to get in better overall shape and he needs a lot of work on his overall technique and skills, but once he gets some NFL conditioning the upside is limitless. It can play either inside or out, can rush the passer or hold up against a power running game, and he was great last year against the pass. He's a huge hitter. A HUGE hitter.
CFN Projection: Second Round CFN Position Rank: 6

6

105

Kansas City William Franklin, WR Missouri
Lost a bit in the overall receiver shuffle because he didn't put up huge scoring numbers at Mizzou, that wasn't his role. He was a deep threat while the Tigers liked to throw to the tight ends, and he did his job very well. Wit sub-4.4 wheels and great athleticism, he'll look the part of a star from time to time, but he'll get beaten up by the stronger corners and he needs a lot of work to be anything more than a fly pattern receiver. He is what he is. Send him deep and hope for a big play or two a game.
CFN Projection: Mid-Third to Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 12

7

106

Baltimore Marcus Smith, WR New Mexico
With a good combination of size and speed, he's a nice all-around prospect who can make plays deep and also make things happen on short to intermediate routes. While he wasn't quite the deep threat as a senior he was as a junior, he was more reliable, caught 38 more passes, and produced against the better defensive backs when he had a shot. He'll need to be in the right system and in the right situation to stick around, but there's a good chance he could grow into a special teams/third receiver role.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN Position Rank: 17

8

107

San Francisco Cody Wallace, C Texas A&M
Extremely strong with a great attitude and work ethic, he's going to make himself an NFL player. One of A&M's top weightlifters, pushing people around isn't a problem. However, he doesn't always play as strong as he is and doesn't flatten as many defenders as he probably should. On want-to he'll be impossible to cut and will be a good backup, but he's limited and isn't going to do much against the better tackles.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN Position Rank: 6

9

108

Denver Kory Lichtensteiger, C Bowling Green
The guy is very strong and doesn't have any blubber; he's a cut 298 pounds. Very tough and very nasty, he goes 100 miles per hour on every play and got better and better over a strong four-year career. While he's not the best athlete and he dominated in the MAC, he's a good prospect who'll stick around if given a chance.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 3

10

109

Philadelphia (from Buffalo) Mike McGlynn, OG/OT Pitt
A brutish run blocker who has been one of the most consistent players on an inconsistent Pitt team over the last three years, McGlynn did everything asked of him and played hurt when most would've been on the sidelines. The problem is his quickness; he doesn't have any. While he was a great tackle at the collegiate level, he could be a star at guard if allowed a while to develop. He'll have a long career on want-to, but there's a ceiling on what he can do.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 7 (as an OG)

11

110

Miami (from Denver) Shawn Murphy, OG/OT Utah State
A former JUCO transfer, Murphy came to Utah State and was a solid starter for two years. He's a little old after spending three years on an LDS church mission and he still needs some serious fine-tuning on his skills and his technique. One of his big plusses is his versatility. At 6-3 and 320 pounds he could be a big tackle or a solid guard. While he won't do any one thing well, he could grow into a nice backup.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN Position Rank: 12 (as an OG)

12

111

Cleveland (from Chicago) Martin Rucker, TE Missouri
The ultra-productive Tiger star was used in a variety of ways including on fake special teams plays and occasionally as a runner; he's that kind of an athlete in a 6-5, 251-pound body. He hasn't had to be a consistent blocker and he'll drop a ball or two, but he has the experience to grow into an H-back role and become a go-to target.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 5

13

112

Cincinnati Anthony Collins, OT Kansas
While he's not strongest lineman and he still needs a ton of work, he has excellent upside for anyone with the patience to sit on him for a year or three. While he had a great junior season as the lead blocker for the upstart Jayhawks, and was a finalist for the Outland Trophy, he should've stuck around another year to hit the weights and to keep working on his technique and overall maturity. At 6-5 and 310 pounds with tremendous athleticism, he might be worth the risk ... and the wait.
CFN Projection: Late Second Round to Early Third Round CFN Position Rank: 7

14

113

NY Jets (from trade) Dwight Lowery, CB/FS San Jose State
Coming over from the JUCO ranks, Lowery made a huge splash with nine interceptions as a junior and four last year. He's a good pass defender and made the most of his opportunities, but he'll have to work his way into a safety role to stick around the league for a while. He's not a good man-on-man defender and he doesn't have the speed to become a starting NFL corner.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round CFN Position Rank: 26 (as a CB)

15

114

Buffalo Reggie Corner, CB Akron
A small, feisty corner, he has just enough speed and quickness to make up for his 5-9, 175-pound size. He did a good job against the better receivers and he played bigger than he appears as his career went on. A four-year starter who picked off seven interceptions as a senior, he always found his way to the ball. He'll find a role somewhere in a secondary, but there's a rock-hard ceiling on what he can become.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round CFN Position Rank: 27

16

115

Tampa Bay (from trade) Dre Moore, DT Maryland
A potential lead brick of a tackle, he's a run stopper who beat the tar out of everyone at the Senior Bowl when matched up one on one. He's still a bit of a project and he needs a year or two of NFL coaching, but he's extremely strong and very powerful. Even though he needs polish on his technique, he doesn't miss many tackles.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 6

17

116

Arizona Ken Iwebema, DE Iowa
Iwebema was on the fast track to becoming an All-American and a top pro prospect after a promising sophomore season, but he got hurt and never lived up to his potential. While he has decent size at 6-4 and 274 pounds, he doesn't have an NFL burst and he didn't progress enough as a sacker to offer much hope that he'll grow into one as a pro. He's strong and he'll do a lot of things that don't show up on a stat sheet, but he has work to do to become a regular starter.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 11

18

117

Philadelphia (from trade) Quintin Demps, FS UTEP
An excellent four-year starter for UTEP with good ball-hawking skills and cornerback coverage ability in a safety body, Demps is a seasoned veteran who can step in right away. He has the 4.41 speed to play corner, but he's a free safety and can be used from time to time as a punt returner. Consistent tackling ability is an issue and will be the difference between starting and being used as a nickelback.
CFN Projection: Third Round to Fourth CFN Position Rank: 5

19

118

Houston Xavier Adibi, OLB Viginia Tech
A phenomenal athlete who might be a big undersized, built more like a big safety than a tough outside linebacker, he was tremendously productive and a great running mate next to Vince Hall. He'll get killed by the more physical NFL blockers and he's not going to hit anyone hard, but he has the make-up and the speed to be a phenomenal cog in right system. He has the potential to be a far better pro than he was in college, and he was great at Tech.
CFN Projection: Second Round CFN Position Rank: 13

20

119

Denver Jack Williams, CB Kent State
While he's not huge, at just 5-9 and 186 pounds, he throws his body around well and makes a ton of tackles. An ultra-productive four-year starter, he closed out with a brilliant 93-tackle campaign as he did more than ever for the run defense despite being hurt and playing through some big problems. Speed is hardly a problem with 4.44 wheels, and he has improved when the ball was in the air.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 8

21

120

Chicago (from trade) Craig Steltz, SS LSU
After a few nice years as a tough backup, Steltz was the best defensive back in college football in 2007 making 101 tackles, six interceptions, and seemingly coming up with every big play needed. He's not all that fast and he's not huge, but he has a great motor, never dogs it, and can be used early on in nickel situations if he can't get a starting gig. He's still improving; he could be a far better pro than a collegian.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round to Fifth CFN Position Rank: 7

22

121

Seattle Red Bryant, DT Texas A&M
Really strong, really big, and really tough, Bryant was a four-year anchor for the Aggies and could just now be reaching his potential being two years removed from a torn ACL. While he's not all that nimble and he's not going to every hit the quarterback, his 6-4, 318-pound size makes him a tough wall to move.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 7

23

122

Dallas (from trade) Tashard Choice, RB Georgia Tech
If healthy, he's a top five back. He won't stay healthy. He has speed, but he's a physical runner who'll wear down in a big hurry, but when he's on, he's tough and will carry an offense. While he doesn't have elite measurables and he doesn't do any one thing all that well on an NFL level, he's a dream No. 2 back, or even a No. 1A, with high character, great drive, and the potential to save an offense for a game or five when the star back can't go.
CFN Projection: Third Round CFN Position Rank: 11

24

123

NY Giants (from trade) Bryan Kehl, OLB BYU
At 6-2 and close to 240 pounds, he has the size to play on the inside or either outside spot, and he has good enough speed to become a pass rusher. He'll work his tail off and will do whatever it takes to get on the field and make a team, but he has to get functionally stronger. He was great in the off-season workout circuit and stood out next to the other linebackers.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 21

25

124

Washington (from trade) Justin Tryon, CB Arizona State
Expected to be one of the faster corners in the draft, he tested a tad slow, for him, registering a 4.52; a far cry from the sub-4.4 level he was supposed to run. He played bigger than his size and is a good tackler, but he's a good athlete who could be a good return man and should be able to hang with the speedier receivers. He'll just get shoved around by the bigger ones.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN Position Rank: 20

26

125

Oakland (from trade) Arman Shields, WR Richmond
Eyes open up when you run a 4.41. One of the quickest most productive prospects at the Combine, he showed he could cut on a dime, run as well as anyone, and put up the kind of numbers many of the top ten receiver prospects would love to have. He hurt his knee in college and we never an ultra-productive player, even at the lower level. He'll have to find a niche on special teams and he'll have to something special early in training camp to stick around.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN Position Rank: 31

27

126

Tennessee (from trade) Lavelle Hawkins, WR California
He needed to time off the charts, and he barely ran under 4.6. He picked up the slack at times when DeSean Jackson was underachieving, but he was most effective as a number two target in the slot. He's not a good enough athlete, and he's not big enough, to be a regular, but he could stick as a kick returner and a fourth receiving option.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round to Sixth Round CFN Position Rank: 20

28

127

Indianapolis Jacob Tamme, TE Kentucky
A pure receiver who was great in his senior season as one of Andre Woodson's top targets, Tamme is a nice athlete with the potential to be a good H-back. If he gets the right quarterback, he could quickly become a go-to receiver on third downs. He's not big and he'll never get much larger than 240 pounds; forget about the blocking.
CFN Projection: Fifth Round CFN Position Rank: 11

29

128

St. Louis (from trade) Keenan Burton, WR Kentucky
Tall, fast, and productive, he showed flashes of big-play talent throughout his college career, Durability is an issue and he doesn't use his speed well enough; he plays slower than he actually is. However, if he's in the right system and he's asked to be a backup, occasional No. 3, and emergency No. 2, he could hang around the league for a little while.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN Position Rank: 27

30

129

New England Jonathan Wilhite, CB Auburn
Injuries kept him from having the career he was supposed to. He struggled with knee and shoulder problems and didn't do enough when he was healthy. Even though he didn't do enough at Auburn and even though he's a bit small, he showed great speed in off-season workouts. On speed alone he's worth a look, but he's a project.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round CFN Position Rank: 25

31

130

Pittsburgh (from trade) Tony Hills, OT Texas
Hills started out his career at tight end and turned into a steady starter over the last two years. He didn't isn't a great athlete and has physical issues with a broken leg suffered late last season to go along with a chronic foot problem. While there's a limit on how good he can become, he's just good enough to become a decent backup for either tackle spot.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round CFN Position Rank: 21

32

131

Philadelphia Jack Ikegwuonu, CB Wisconsin
If he can be consistent and if he can become tougher, he has the potential to be a great pro. The first issue is a knee injury suffered right after the season ended in a pre-draft workout. The second issue is his character. He got in trouble off the field and the coaching staff openly questioned his toughness in a few big games when he got dinged up. Outside of allowing a huge pass play to Michigan's Mario Manningham last year, he shut down most of the top receivers and showed off his speed by chasing down Darren McFadden in the 2007 Capital One Bowl.
CFN Projection: Third Round to Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 9

33

132

Buffalo Derek Fine, TE Kansas
While he's not all that big, he's one of the better blocking tight ends in the draft and is a decent receiver. Tough as nails and not afraid to get dirty, he stands out in a class full of mostly receiving TEs. However, he's only 6-2 and 250 pounds and he isn't all that fast. He'll have to make a name for himself on special teams to stick.
CFN Projection: Seventh Round CFN Position Rank: 14

34

133

Baltimore David Hale, OT Weber State
There are a ton of warning flags. He has a back problem, is a bit too old having served two years on a Church mission, and he didn't really do much against the top shelf players, but he's a potential player. While he's just not talented enough to start, he has good size, will battle, and was terrific for Weber State. He'll be tough to cut.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round to Seventh Round CFN Position Rank: 25

35

134

Tennessee Stanford Keglar, OLB Purdue
A hard-working hitter with nice size and surprising speed, he's a good all-around linebacker who could be a nice backup in just about any system. He upped his stock in a huge way with some great off-season workouts and showing off better athleticism than expected at the Combine. He's smart, will work his tail off, and will do whatever is needed. He'll stick around the league for a long time and could grow into a starter.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round CFN Position Rank: 18

36

135

Green Bay Josh Sitton, OT/OG UCF
While he has excellent size at 6-4 and 322 pounds and can hit a little bit, he's not nearly quick enough to be a regular starting tackle. He might be able to move into guard in time. He's going to get blown away by speed rushers and is limited, but could be a decent backup if he's not asked to do anything on the move.
CFN Projection: Free Agent CFN Position Rank: NR

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