| If you like watching runners with a big finishing kick, you'll love the
guys in this story. No, this is not an article about guys with blazing speed down the
backstretch in a track-and-field event. This is a story about football players who have
displayed a big finishing kick to the NFL draft since early last August when Pro
Football Weekly went to press with its 1999-2000 Pro Prospects Preview, which looked
at top pro prospects in anticipation of the 1999-2000 college football season.
What follows is a look at players who currently rank in the top 10 at their positions
on the Pro Football Weekly draft board and who have moved significantly up the
charts of NFL scouts since last August. This is not an all-inclusive list but instead is a
look at players whose upward movement on PFW’s draft board and scouting reports has
caught my eye.
Quarterback
Joe Hamilton, Georgia Tech
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 19th/4.50
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 9th/5.05
His productivity in college says that he should not be overlooked even though his size
says otherwise. His numbers were so spectacular last season that it will be interesting to
see if a team will give him a chance sometime down the road to be "the man" and
whether that team will build its offense around what he does best.
Fullback
Paul Smith, Texas El-Paso
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 21st (at RB)/4.99
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 4th (at FB)/5.20
He’s not going to be a star in the NFL, but he keeps getting better and could be a
solid performer if the improvement continues.
Running backs
Thomas Jones, Virginia
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 9th/5.70
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 1st/6.60
The scouting report last August said that he could develop into a big-time prospect if
he continues to improve. Mission accomplished. That said, Jones' 6.60 grade does not
compare to the grades that Ricky Williams (7.15) and Edgerrin James (7.00) had at this
time a year ago. Nonetheless, Jones' grade is good enough to take him to the head of the
2000 RB class.
Curtis Keaton, James Madison
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 19th/4.99
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 8th/5.42
In August, the scouting report credited him with size, speed and improving run vision
but said he had to work on catching the ball and blocking. His stock shot up at the
Scouting Combine when he had a great workout and caught the ball well. A big question will
be whether he can catch the ball as well in NFL games as he does in workouts.
Wide receiver
Todd Pinkston, Southern Mississippi
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 39th/4.90
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 8th/5.85
The scouting report in August said that he was a possession receiver who did not always
play to his timed speed. That speed has increasingly turned into football productivity as
his yardage per catch has improved from 9.5 in 1997 to 16.2 in '98 to 20.4 in '99. He has
really come on despite his skinny build.
Centers
Brad Meester, Northern Iowa
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 16th/4.25
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 2nd/5.20
In August the scouting report was not impressed with his size (287 pounds), football
strength or ability to be physical. Now the scouting report says he is just one
cheeseburger short of 300 pounds, has good athletic ability and understands blocking
angles, leverage and proper positioning. There is still some question about how he will
handle more powerful players in the NFL, but he has definitely improved his stock.
Seneca Gray, Kentucky State
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 14th (at guard)/4.80
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 4th (at center)/5.01
He played at offensive tackle in 1998, and the August 1999 scouting report said that,
at only 6-2, he would have to move inside at the next level. He played center for the
first time in 1999 and also moved to tackle when the team lined up in the shotgun.
Suddenly, instead of being too small for tackle in the NFL, he is a center who is
versatile and has a decent shot at making an NFL roster.
Offensive guards
Leander Jordan, Indiana (Pa.)
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 15th/4.80
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 5th/5.55
In August the scouting report questioned how Jordan would fare against big-time
competition as opposed to the level of play he was facing. He answered the bell at the
Senior Bowl, where he picked up a lot of technique and displayed an intensity and
toughness that the scouts hadn't seen from him before.
Bobby Williams, Arkansas
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 23rd (at OT)/4.75
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 7th (at OG)/5.46
In August the scouting report described him as a fat, lazy player who didn't do what it
takes. The question was: Would he take a sense of urgency to the game of football?
Although he still must prove that he is willing to pay the price, the latest scouting
reports say he did play harder this past season, which has moved him up the charts. Has
some nice physical tools and could develop nicely if he wants it badly enough and is
hungry for success.
Interior defensive linemen
Steve Warren, Nebraska
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 21st/5.00
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 3rd/5.90
In August the scouting report said that besides being short, he showed more quickness
in a limited area than in space. The latest scouting reports say he dramatically improved
his quickness and agility by improving his flexibility and getting into much better shape.
Cornelius Griffin, Alabama
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 15th/5.05
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 5th/5.67
In August the scouting report said he needed a lot of work on his pass-rush techniques.
The latest scouting reports say he has improved, has a spin move and is learning how to
set up an offensive lineman. He also helped his grade with a good week at the Senior Bowl
and a strong Combine workout.
Outside linebackers
Julian Peterson, Michigan State
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 12th (at DE)/5.15
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 3rd (at OLB)/6.11
In August the scouting report said he might never be big enough to be a full-time
defensive end and added that he would need a lot of repetitions and work in coverage to
become a full-time outside linebacker. Though still somewhat raw, Peterson made a lot of
big plays last season and then performed very well at the Senior Bowl. He’ll be a
bust if he’s placed in the wrong type of system for him, but he could be a big-time
impact player if used properly.
Corey Moore, Virginia Tech
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 19th/4.99
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 9th/5.60
In August the scouting report gave him high marks for competitiveness and intangibles
but worried about his size (he was a 5-11, 220-pound defensive end). He was still a 5-11,
222-pound defensive end last year, and he continued to post phenomenal numbers (17 sacks,
12 tackles for loss). Teams will toss and turn at night trying to figure out where to play
this incredibly productive player (Defensive end? Outside linebacker? Safety?), but he has
been far too productive and disruptive at the college level to dismiss.
Inside linebacker
Mac Morrison, Penn State
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 43rd (at OLB)/4.25
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 10th (at ILB)/5.12
In August the scouting report was lukewarm on his physical tools. The latest scouting
report still says he lacks an outstanding physical trait, but he has continued to improve,
is tough, has good instincts and gets himself in the right place. The key for him will be
to see if he can find a LB position that fits him since he doesn't have the ideal tools
for any of the LB spots in the NFL.
Cornerback
Deltha O'Neal, California
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 30th/4.90
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 2nd/5.97
In August the scouting report said he had to work on his footwork and technique as well
as his run support. The latest scouting report says his coverage skills and technique have
improved considerably.
Safety
Mike Brown, Nebraska
August 1999 ranking at position/grade – 12th/5.15
March 2000 ranking at position/grade – 3rd/5.55
He struggled the first half of the 1998 season at free safety, but he got much better
after he was moved to the rover position. He has a lot of positive qualities, but the
scouting report says he is short for a safety and not fast enough to be a corner. The
scouting report also says he may not be for every NFL team because he does have some
limitations against the pass. In other words, he has to be used just right, which sounds
an awful lot like his 1998 season at Nebraska. |
