Geno Smith WEST
VIRGINIA (QB)6’3 214- Smith
capped a rollercoaster ride of a regular season where he opened as a potential second
day NFL prospect then burst to the unquestioned #1 overall pick and Heisman favorite
and finished somewhere in between, but closer to the latter. Smith clearly is a
streaky passer and probably throws the best deep ball in this year’s class. He
has plus arm strength, decent mechanics and has the ability to push the ball
across the field, although he seems to lose accuracy in doing so.
As far as his performance against Kansas goes he was surgical. A nearly
flawless 23/24 for 407 yards, 3 TD and 1 INT. Smith is neck and neck in my QB
rankings along with Tyler Wilson and a trailing Matt Barkley, and has all the
tools from height (an expectable 6’3), arm strength and accuracy to intangibles.
The concern is consistency and how he performs when under pressure and removed
from the wizardry of Dana Holgorsen. Unlike Case Keenum or Graham Harrell however,
Smith has true NFL talent. When he’s good he’s REALLY good, but he has had a
few head scratchers as well.
Johnathan Franklin
UCLA (RB)5’11 195- Franklin has really
impressed me this year with his burst and ability to shoot through gaps in the
defense. He averaged 10.2 yards/rush on 19 carries, 194 yards and 2 TD as the
Bruins fell to Stanford for the second consecutive game. He may have a bit of a
fumbling issue, but he can stretch the field and explode through creases like a
NFL back.
Travis Frederick
WISCONSIN (OG)6’4 228- This is a
rare nod to a non-skill player or unit as the Badgers O-line paved the way for
an astonishing 527 yards (including two backs over 200) and 8 TD on the ground.
Frederick is
huge part of that group playing with both power and agility that should
translate beautifully to the next level. Another pro prospect, Ricky Wagner, is
a part of that unit as well and is a bit of a LT/RT tweener who moves well for
a RT but not quite enough to excel at the LT spot. Wagner is a solid overall
prospect though and projects as a mid rounder.
Montee Ball WISCONSIN
(RB)5’11 210- Running behind
Travis Frederick and company Ball burned the Nebraska defense for 202 yards and 3 TD on
21 carries. Is Ball an average player who benefited from a bulky, milk and
cheese fed offensive line or a back with the vision and balance to exploit such
an advantage without looking flashy? Ball’s lack of that one trait that stands
out whether it be speed, power or agility is concerning, but he does find
exactly where he needs to go, utilizes a nice lateral jump cut and has the
balance to stay on his feet through traffic. So the answer is an ambiguous “yes”.
Stedman Bailey WEST
VIRGINIA (WR)5’10 190- I love
Bailey’s speed, route running and receiving skills and feel he projects nicely
as a productive slot receiver. He can locate and adjust to the ball in the air,
not just make the easy catches after he beats his man. On Saturday he made 11
catches for 159 yards and 2 TD.
Eddie Lacy ALABAMA
(RB)6’1 220- Lacy may not be
Trent Richardson, but I’m telling you don’t sleep on Lacy. He has tremendous
power, a wicked spin move and the ability to push the pile while keeping his
churning. He scored a momentum swinging TD in the second quarter and finished
with 2 scores and 181 yards on 20 tough carries.
Mike Shanahan PITT
(WR/TE)6’5 225- He had a nice
one handed over the shoulder grab that made Sportscenter Top 10, but despite
that small exposure will not generate much coverage on draft day. Although at 6’5
225 I think he can contribute as a receiving oriented TE and should be more
than strong enough to at least serve as an adequate blocker. Including the
impressive catch he totaled 9 receptions for 116 yards to bring the Panthers to
bowl eligibility.
Barrett Jones ALABAMA (C/G)6’5
302- Jones deserves recognition for his blocking not just against Georgia but in all four years in Tuscaloosa. He played
virtually every position on the line for a dominant group up front including a
Heisman trophy winner and #3 overall pick at running back. I don’t see dominant
All-Pro potential necessarily, but a versatile blocker who can effectively play
three or four spots on the line.
Joseph Randle OK ST.
(RB)6’1 194- Randle is a complete back and looked good against Baylor
using 23 carries to gain 139 yards (6.0 average). He has speed, vision and
smooth change of direction skills as a runner not to mention his aptitude as
both a receiver and blocker.
Tavarres King GEORGIA
(WR)6’1 191- King is a tall and
fast receiver who should go in the mid to late rounds next April and he played
well in defeat against the Tide. He had 5 grabs 142 yards and a typical 28.4
yards/catch showing the explosiveness he brings to the game.
Markus Wheaten OREGON
ST. (WR)6’1 182– Sportscenter’s
John Buccigross was right on when he called the Beavers 77-3 domination of NichollsState a “televised practice”, but that
doesn’t mean you can’t look good doing it. Wheaten had 12 grabs for 123 yards
in the beat down.
Alec Ogletree GEORGIA
(ILB)6’3 232- Not to diminish
the stellar play of a guy like Manti Te’o but Ogletree is the most talented
inside linebacker in this year’s draft. He has a long frame to keep space
between blockers, the sideline to sideline speed to track down running backs
and the strength to wrestle the ball carrier to the ground. He ran back a
blocked punt for a score as Georgia
came up three yards short of a victory in the virtual national semi-final.
