| With seven weeks remaining before the next edition
of the NFL draft, there will be a lot of moving and shaking between the Scouting Combine
and April 20, the first day of the draft. Who better to shed some light on the ups and
downs of the draft board than personnel directors? One former top talent evaluator and
another currently in that position offered their opinions on a few draft-related matters. Q:
Most of us know about running backs like William Green from Boston College and T.J.
Duckett from Michigan State. What about a lesser-known runner who might make some noise?
A: Well, there are a couple of them that come to mind immediately. Lamar Gordon from
North Dakota State is one. He didn’t play a full season because of an injury, but he
has been impressive, especially at Senior Bowl practices. He has a burst and did catch it
well when they had him do that.
Another is Adrian Peterson from Georgia Southern. He played fullback, or what would be
fullback in a pro set, in college, and I don’t know if he has enough giddyap to play
halfback in the NFL. But there is a spot for him. He doesn’t do anything particularly
great but a lot of things well. He was supposed to go to Florida but ended up at the
smaller school.
Then Brian Westbrook (Villanova) also played Division I-AA competition. He has some
talent. He was very productive as a senior, and there is no question in my mind he will
end up being a running back in the NFL.
Q: Where is the stock of a guy like Northwestern’s Damien Anderson, who was one
of the top backs coming into the college football season but didn’t do well and then
got hurt?
A: Two things happened to Damien Anderson. This is where you have to look at him on a
play-by-play basis. You look at the spread offense that Northwestern went to (in 2000),
and it was new to defenses. Now, they knew it, learned and prepared how to defend it, and
it was shut down from time to time. For some reason, Anderson didn’t look as quick. I
don’t know if he gained eight pounds or something or if the problems surrounding the
program in the summer contributed, but he didn’t look the same. He needs good
workouts.
Q: I’m hearing names like Antonio Bryant (Pitt), Ashley Lelie (Hawaii) and
Jabar Gaffney (Florida), all early entries, mentioned as the top wide receivers. Does
drafting a college sophomore or junior make sense given the success rate of rookie wide
receivers?
A: It is still about potential. It is like asking if you want four quarters or a
dollar; all of them will eventually pay off, or at least that is the thinking you have to
have with a guy like Gaffney, who really only had two years of football at Florida. There
are players like Javon Walker (Florida State) and Marquise Walker (Michigan) who played
four years at the college level. When a player has the opportunity to play in college all
four years, he is more ready instantly than somebody like Gaffney or Reche Caldwell
(Florida) or other underclassmen. When you are drafting, you want that accomplished
receiver. A lot of times, in my opinion, that boils down to the player that has been there
for four years because they are better-prepared mentally and physically.
Q: You mentioned Marquise Walker. He seemed to make spectacular catches when he had
to, was a leader on his Michigan team and was not a cancer for that team because he was a
character guy. Why is he not highly coveted?
A: Oh, I don’t think his stock has fallen as much as (the fact that) the other
players are getting more notice. That always happens when the underclassmen declare; a
team or two or three will bump the potential guy ahead. But don’t think everyone has
done that — not at all. I think the thing that is tough for Walker is he has people
remembering the drop against Washington, a game that changed Michigan’s season. Even
though he had 13 catches or something like that in that game, the thing that is getting
noticed is the key drop. Also, with those young guys, they all have speed to be big-play
types. Marquise made big plays in college, but most of them on possession, jump-ball
situations over a less-talented defender. I think people, including Realize with Walker,
because he isn’t a speed person, that he will have to be an Ed McCaffrey type, but
he’s going to be a really good pro.
Q: This draft is shaping up to be a great defensive draft. Who looks good for the
2003 draft on that side of the football?
A: In the few games I saw, I really like what Maryland LB E.J. Henderson could do for
his football team. I don’t think he got the attention he deserved. He wasn’t
even on the initial Butkus (Award) ballot but was added on because of the way he opened
eyes. He decided not to come out, but I think that might increase his value (for next
year), if anything. |
