| Scouts are walking away from Big Ten universities more impressed with the
junior class than the seniors: "There is (nobody) that I would say is a high-rated
guy at Penn State. The only player there is DT Jimmy Kennedy, but he is a
junior, even though some people list him as a senior." 
Many scouts believe Michigan State junior RB T.J. Duckett will declare himself
eligible for the draft. However, Michigan State’s senior class looks bleak, according
to an NFL source: "I was disappointed when I went to Michigan State. You go there and
ask them who is their best (senior), and they say DT Josh Shaw. Chris Baker
and Josh Shaw are probably the best two (seniors) at Michigan State."
While Illinois QB Kurt Kittner has been chastised for not producing Heisman-like
numbers, NFL scouts remain very impressed with his talent and ability to win games. One
scout cited Kittner’s supporting cast as a detriment to his production and used an
analogy to Drew Henson at Michigan last year to put Kittner’s ability in
perspective: "I know people have chastised Kittner a little bit, but from what
I’ve heard on the road is that Kittner is real good. He hasn’t been able to do
much more than what he can with what he has to work with. And people sometimes forget
that. Was Drew Henson as good a quarterback as we all thought, or was it because he had
all that talent around him? You got to remember — he had four stud linemen, three who
went in the first two rounds of the draft. He’s always had quality tight ends there.
He had great wide receivers, great running backs. It’s sort of like the Miami,
Florida and Florida State guys. It’s hard not to be successful in Miami with all that
talent."
Michigan OG Jonathan Goodwin is another product who scouts believe has been
helped by last year’s strong offensive line. He has not graded out as productively as
he did last year on film: "He’s the leftover right guard from that great
offensive line last year. He’s playing left guard this year. I think he was hidden a
little bit last year among all those linemen. If you watched him last year, he looked
pretty good because any mistake he made, there was always one of those guys that seemed to
pick it up, where this year he is around a totally inexperienced offensive line. Nobody is
there to compensate for him, so his mistakes stand out more this year than they did in the
past. I think that’s the reason why his grade is not sticking out or he’s not
playing up to the grade he had."
The word on Michigan WR Marquise Walker is that he does not have the breakaway
speed that would make him a top draft pick. He had exceptional games against Illinois and
Washington this season and has arguably been the most productive wide receiver in the
nation, but he has not shown the burst to be a deep threat, according to an NFL source:
"When I compare him to No. 1s from last year, the missing ingredient of the speed and
the ability to beat man-to-man defense bothers me. He’s run a 4.65 estimate and runs
exactly to that estimate. He’s not a deep threat."
An NFL source said that up to eight safeties could be drafted in the first round this
year, with Oklahoma junior Roy Williams being the strongest prospect. Top seniors
include: Miami’s Ed Reed, Mississippi State’s Edward "Pig"
Prather, Colorado’s Michael Lewis, Kansas State’s Jon McGraw,
Boston College’s Lenny Walls, Washington’s Omare Lowe, Washington
State’s Lamont Thompson, Stanford’s Clevan "Tank" Williams,
and Georgia’s Jermaine Phillips.
Mississippi State DT Dorsett Davis stands 6-5 and weighs 316 pounds and has the
physical tools to be a dominant player in the NFL. One scout compares him to Miami DT
Daryl Gardener, whose physical ability left DL coaches drooling when he came out of Baylor
six years ago but whose production left much to be desired: "Davis looks like Tarzan,
plays like Jane, but he’s probably going to test very, very well. He looks like Eric
Swann — not sloppy. You wouldn’t think he is 315."
In a recent conversation with a professional scout responsible for several conferences
in the Midwest, he shed some light on the best prospects in the Big Ten.
Kurt Kittner, QB, Illinois
"Poised, strong arm, leader."
Eric McCoo, RB, Penn State
"Very talented and versatile. Not getting the same time as last year. Must improve
his hands."
Ladell Betts, RB, Iowa
"Another versatile guy. Good speed, strong and talented."
Levron Williams, RB, Indiana
"Big. Average speed. Be a part-time guy, one-back system."
T.J. Duckett, RB, Michigan State
"Uses size to his advantage. Can really play."
Marquise Walker, WR, Michigan
"Talented. He’s improving rapidly but still very raw. He’s going to have to
show a great 40-time."
Ron Johnson, WR, Minnesota
"Big, physical, jumps well. The whole package."
Kahlil Hill, WR-KR, Iowa
"Lightning in a bottle. A mid-round guy."
On offensive linemen:
"Nobody stands out in my mind. Luke Butkus is a lunch-pail guy … he’s a
Butkus."
On defensive linemen:
"Wendell Bryant (Wisconsin) is awesome … and Josh Shaw (Michigan State) will be
a good one."
On Big Ten linebackers:
Napoleon Harris (Northwestern) is versatile, talented. The best is yet to come because he
hasn’t been able to zero in on one position. … Larry Foote (Michigan) is fast,
quick, a throwback with smarts. … Josh Thornhill (Michigan State) is climbing the
charts. Rugged, tough and smart. Gives you everything he’s got." |
