Three really good mid-rounders, and three I hate.
 

Just because. Midrounders are anything from low-3rds to 5th round.

I LIKE:

OT/G Joel Bitonio, Nevada -- At this point, he's looking more like a guard, since he played there all of the Senior Bowl. However, Bitonio played extremely well at the Senior Bowl, ending up one of my Top 10 players from that week. Bitonio (6'4", 307 lbs) is a very, very athletic tackle who could crawl into the 2nd round if that athleticism translates to a sub-5.0 40 time, which I honestly think it will. He looks like a great zone blocker at guard, but I honestly think he can play tackle -- he played Anthony Barr to a standstill. Blocked for the NCAA's 2nd most rush yards, and held excellent protection at left tackle for the Wolf Pack.

DE/DT Dominique Easley, Florida -- I absolutely adore Easley. Extremely high effort, high-athleticism guy who absolutely never quits. He can push back against bigger OLs, and penetrate, penetrate, penetrate. The big question is -- where do you put him. He played everywhere in Florida's 4-3, but 280 lbs is pretty light for defensive tackle in the NFL, even at undertackle. He's a little on the short side (6'2") but powerful enough for DE in the 4-3, but he played primarily at DT for the Gators, so he's a project there. As for the 3-4... I hate him on the edge in a two-point stance. His first step is far too valuable to take him out of the three-point. So he'd have to play DE in our system, making him purely a passrush specialist. I don't know if that'd be worth the 3rd we'd have to spend to get him, but I really want him on our roster. He's 1st round talent, coming off a terrible ACL tear.

TE Xavier Grimble, USC -- I think Grimble is going to pleasantly surprise everybody. His numbers in college were hampered by the great talent he played with and the injuries he suffered, but here's what we do know: Grimble is a fast, athletic, big (6'5", 255) tight end with good hands. His performance at the Combine could endear him to a lot of people, if he holds his own in blocking drills and looks sharp getting in and out of the cuts in his routes.

I DON'T LIKE:

S Ahmad Dixon, Baylor -- Bernard Pollard 2.0. If you want big hits, he's an option. But even with those big hits, Dixon (6'0", 205) isn't that great in the run game, and he's disasterous in the passing game. He doesn't break down for tackles at all, and will throw his shoulder instead of wrapping up. His coverage will be passable on backs out of the flat, but he will struggle keeping up with NFL caliber TEs and god help him against WRs. More of a strong safety. No discipline. Had an assault charge on him over the offseason.

ILB/OLB Lamin Borrow, LSU -- Can somebody tell me why anybody thinks anything of this guy? He's consistently rated as a mid-rounder but aside from his rangey speed, I don't see why. He's not good in coverage. He can't shed blocks. He doesn't make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He's fast but not especially so. He's not especially big (6'2", 232). He's just a guy. He's not a difference maker, wasn't in college, and won't be in the NFL. Blah.

OLB Demarcus Lawrence, Boise State -- A great athlete with a good motor, but undersized. He has some experience standing up, but he really struggled against the scant NFL talent he went up against. The best player he played all year was Bitonio, and he avoided him most of the game. The few meetings these players had was soundly won by Bitonio. He's just too undersized to play in a three-point stance in a 4-3, so he'd have to occupy some Von Miller role as an OLB in that setup, but he has almost no experience in coverage. I think Lawrence will be a valuable special teamer, nothing more.

QB Jimmy Garopollo, Eastern Illinois -- Here's a riddle with a rather obvious answer. Q: How do you know there's zero QB talent in a draft year? A: When people decide to give two shits about a guy from Eastern Illinois who lacks great size, a great arm, or any impressive tape whatsoever. I'm sure Garopollo is a nice guy, and his tape is alright, but there's really only a couple things to really like in this guy. He's reportedly very sharp, and he has a fantastic throwing motion. But that's about it. The dart on his passes are alright, but he wasn't even a world beater against FCS competition. The only halfway decent talent he ever played was Northern Illinois, and he looked very iffy in that performance. Pass.

OLB/ILB/SS? Christian Kirksey, Iowa -- Here's a really interesting prospect for most teams. Kirksey has a lot that you love to see in a linebacker: he's very fast, he diagnoses plays very quickly and tackles great. What's especially exciting about him is his work in coverage. This is one of the best linebackers in coverage I've seen, to the point where QBs largely chose not to challenge him. That speaks to his great athleticism, and one of the reasons why it's possible a team could try converting him to safety (he's 6'1", 232 lbs). The problem, however, is that as comfortable Kirksey is at backpedaling into coverage, he's far less impressive charging upfield. He doesn't quite show much ability to shed blocks, and he doesn't really have much of anything in terms of passrush moves to beat offensive lineman. I think he's a great candidate to play OLB in a 4-3, or an ILB in a 3-4 scheme that doesn't blitz a lot.

Look up Ethan Westbrooks

ILB Jordan Zumwalt, UCLA -- Zumwalt is easily one of the best ILBs to come out in this year's draft. Zumwalt's lanky body (6'4", 235) doesn't quite match his hard-hitting, line-of-scrimmage crashing style of play, but it's hard to argue with the results. He's very strong crashing the line of scrimmage, with a penchant for shedding blocks like water and getting into the backfield. He's less comfortable dropping back into coverage, and that's only going to get worse in the NFL. His best fit is as a 2-down ILB in the 3-4, although I'm sure he can be a situational linebacker in some 4-3's.

Will do!

FS Tre Boston, North Carolina -- The more tape I've watched of Boston, the more I end up liking him. I saw North Carolina play three times this past season, and every time I saw them, North Carolina got lit up through the air. Boston rarely registered as a playmaker in any sense of the word. But I watch him closer on tape now, and I think he can still make a name for himself at the next level. He's probably going to time around 4.5 at the Combine, which will make him one of the faster FS in the league. He's a good tackler, and his coverage is actually pretty sharp. He's not the explosive playmaker some draft sites have made him out to be, but he's almost always playing centerfield for the Tarheels. My grade on this particular player is incomplete...

WR Michael Campanaro, Wake Forest -- I really don't want to like Campanaro. He's a shrimp (5'9", 190 lbs) without deep speed, and he even has this labored running form that involves him flapping his arms as he runs. He's also a punt returner but I don't see much case for excitement there. However, he just gets open. He just gets open. Campanaro is the spitting image of Danny Amendola. He makes sharp cuts in his routes and sits down in soft spots in zones. He's really good in a bubble screen and he's an enthusiastic blocker for his teammates. I think Campanaro would be a really interesting late rounder for a team really looking for a slot receiver.

DT Anthony Johnson, LSU -- I think there's a place in the NFL for Johnson, but it's a very specific place. Johnson was the world's #1 All World recruit for LSU back in 2011, largely due to his good size (6'3", 300 lbs) and reportedly amazing athleticism. But until this past season, he just couldn't break through to start due to all the awesome talent the Tigers have. However, he looked great in short bursts. However, he looked far better suited for that than he did as an every-down player this past year. Any time he faced NFL level competition, he looked surprisingly soft. He gets pushed too much in the run game, and his push is minimal against the pass. There's really only one thing he does reliably well: shoot gaps. He won't do much once he does, but if you just need a guy to burst through a gap, he can do it pretty darn well, in the hopes of creating opportunities for his teammates. He's simply not physical enough to thrive as a DE in the 3-4, but a hyper-aggressive 4-3 that asks its tackles to just shoot upfield could probably use him, so long as they're okay with him giving up tons of ground against the run.

You need to watch more tape then--great athlete/shitty cover guy, and on occasion does the Deon thing. He's been a HUGE disappointment. UNC hasn't had a decent secondary guy since Dre Bly. Ebron, hell yes---anyone from UNC's defensive backfield....send em to the Broncs or Raiders.

That's exactly what I thought, since the Tarheels got torched in the air all year. When I was casually watching Boston and the secondary in real time, he honestly looked like Kendrick Lewis 2.0 to me.

My conviction on that has wavered a bit, however, after very closely watching him. The Tarheels kept him in single-deep a lot, and he seems to have done his job relatively effectively.

Like I said, my grade on him's incomplete at this time. I'll be giving him more attention.

DE/OLB Kareem Martin, North Carolina -- Speaking of Tarheels, I've spent some time closely re-watching Martin as well ever since our season ended. I love watching Martin, even though his tape is underwhelming, because he has so many tools that just haven't developed yet, and he just pops on the field. He's nowhere near the player now that he can be in a few years with really good coaching. He's huge, first of all: 6'6", 272 lbs. He played with his hand in the ground, and he looks like an ideal fit as a 4-3 DE. I'd like to see his athleticism at the Combine -- he looks like he has about 4.7 speed, and should he test well, a team like the Chiefs could experiment with him as a Hali-esque convert to the 3-4. His Combine/pro day are going to be huge, however, to see how viable that conversion would be.

DE/OLB? Will Clarke, West Virginia -- As sexy a sleeper as there is in this draft, Clarke isn't showing up on a lot of big boards just yet, but he should be. And he should be showing up as a potential second-day pick. Clarke is a big (6'6", 271 lbs), very physical passrusher who has a great combination of aggressive bullrushes and corner-bending edge rushing. Clarke pops on screen -- his first step is outstanding, and in a couple of years, if a team gives him enough in-game snaps for him to learn how to set-up offensive lineman, I think he could be a mid-round steal. Seeing how he has zero experience standing up, I have no idea how well he could translate to the 3-4. But I'd like to find out.

RB Terrance West, Towson -- Every year, a couple smaller school RB rocket up the board because of their insane production and/or their fantastic measurables. There's a couple RBs this year that fit that description that I really like (I love Storm Johnson), but I'm less of a fan of West. There's no doubting his production -- 2,500+ yards on the ground this year, which is ungodly. He's strong, doesn't shy from contact, and has fantastic balance. He just doesn't seem to do any one thing great. I think he's going to go on the second day of the draft, but he honestly is late-round talent in my eyes, at best.

Clarke is my sleeper pick for the 5-tech DE position.

NT Justin Ellis, Louisiana Tech -- One of my favorite midrounders, Ellis is easily the 2nd best NT in this draft. Sitting at a squatty 6'1", 350 lbs, Ellis looks every single pound of that on tape. He looks like Vance Wilfork against La Tech's lesser competition: constant push in the passing game and absolute domination between the tackles. He looked outstanding at the East/West game, as well. So at this point, for teams in need of a NT, he should shoot up from the mid-round prospect he's regarded as now to a 2nd day prospect. He has definite starter potential, and if the Chiefs were serious about either giving Poe a blow, or moving him to DE, Ellis is definitely worth a look if he lasts to the 4th round.

He was being pimped on several team programs as a defensive AA candidate. I guess they do this at most schools, but the Heels have been so bad at pass defense for so long, it's embarrassing they'd even put him out there. He is a great athlete, and came in very highly touted. If not mistaken I believe he was moved to safety from corner. Hey, maybe it's just bad coaching (Vic Koening was supposed to be a jeenius right?). But what do I know...I thought Sims was going to be a beast in KC. :banghead:

Martin is definitely one to keep an eye on!

QB David Fales, San Jose State -- In an incredibly weak QB year like this one, there are worse ideas than spending a pick on somebody like Fales. Fales is a quick-passing fit for West Coast Offenses, displaying a tough mental makeup and clean, fast throwing motion. He is one of the few QBs in this draft that's regularly fitting the balls into tight windows for multiple years. He's a short 6'1" with small hands, but he's a tough 220 lbs that makes smart decisions. There's no reason he can't have a Chase Daniel-esque career as a guy who develops into a reliable, unflappable backup QB. In a normal-depth year at QB, I'd think about spending a 6th on him.

I drafted him in another thread.

DT Calvin Barnett, Oklahoma State -- Barnett is one of those players I can't help but root for. He's a solid 6'3", 300 lbs, and very strong, but he's maxed out -- he's where he's going to be for his whole NFL career. More critically, however, he's not particularly fast. He seems like a 5.0 guy in the 40. The thing that stands out about Barnett, though, is his nonstop motor. He does one job, and he does it extremely well: he fights to stop the run. And he doesn't stop fighting until the whistle blows. He can stand up double-teams and shoot gaps extremely well. But that's it -- he can't rush the passer, and he can't really run anybody down, either. But if you're a 4-3 team looking for a late-round (or UDFA) gamble on a guy who'll work his ass off to shut down the run, Barnett's worth looking at.

I like him. I'd stuff him away as my 3rd QB for a year or two, then see what I've got for second-string material. He's supposed to be super smart and coachable.

WR Robert Herron, Wyoming -- Herron has it all, with one very important exception. He's extremely fast (he's going to flirt with running in the 4.2s at the Combine), he's got fantastic hands, he is a really sharp route runner and he's versatile. You can send him on go routes, run him in the slot, give him drag routes a la Percy Harvin, or run end arounds a la Corradelle Patterson. He can run the whole route tree, he's just the whole package. Here's the problem: he's 5'8". Now, he's a good, stout 195 lbs. But he's pretty damn small -- so the question becomes, how much of a problem is that for you? The answer to that question is the answer to where you'd put him on your big board.

CB Bashaud Breeland, Clemson -- Breeland sure picked the right year to come out. In a year after the Seahawks win the Super Bowl, and the entire copycat league is now out for big corners, Breeland will no doubt be a hot commodity in the midrounds. Breeland may sneak into the 2nd day, considering all the notches he has on his belt as a prospect: a 6'2" corner, super athletic, just finishing a prolific year in both interceptions and passes defensed. There's little doubt the Chiefs, with their preference for tall corners and pure, coachable athletes, have this guy in their crosshairs.

S Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt -- Even though Ladler put up a ton of great stats this past year -- creating 10 turnovers single-handedly -- he's more of a jack-of-all-trades free safety. The Commodores didn't ask him to do a ton of coverage, just to roam and play centerfield. One thing he's absolutely excellent at is tackling. If you're sick of watching Quentin Demps and Kendrick Lewis take poor angles and whiff on tackles, than this is your antidote. Ladler is an impressive tackler because he rarely goes for the big hit: he breaks down and wraps the offensive player up. That said, I think he's good value in the mid- or low-rounds for a team in need of safety depth. He doesn't seem to have much starter upside, however. He just doesn't flash to me.

QB Brett Smith, Wyoming -- If you took all of the worst stereotypes of what we Chiefs fans thought of Alex Smith before he was traded here, and subtracted what size Alex Smith actually has, then you end up with Brett Smith (no relation). Like Alex, Brett can be effective in very limited offenses where all the pieces are in place for him. Brett does possess some ability to improvise, and his athleticism is off the charts (expect him to run a 4.5). His throwing motion is very efficient and fast, but anything past 20 yards is anybody's guess. I like that he goes through his reads easily, but his decisions are usually safe ones on route trees that Chiefs fans would remember from the first 9 weeks of Alex Smith's 2013 season. It's possible he develops, but I don't know how -- he has his throwing motion down, he can go through reads, etc. He's just very physically limited. Some people are very high on this guy, but I'll be surprised if he gets drafted.

QB A.J. McCarron, Alabama -- It's actually pretty baffling that the country's best recruiting program couldn't do better at quarterback than A.J. McCarron, easily one of the most underwhelming QBs projected to actually be selected in the draft. McCarron is Matt Cassel 2.0. His arm is weak, his accuracy is shaky, and he has no experience having to navigate a pocket on a regular basis. McCarron just misses people; anything past 15 yards is a total mystery if the ball will be where it needs to be. Reportedly, he's a great presence in the locker room, and that's... great. Maybe some team takes him in the 7th round this year so he can provide backrubs for the starters.

DE Josh Mauro, Stanford -- By no means a world beater, Josh Mauro is nonetheless somebody who does his job solidly. At 6'5", 280 lbs, he looks mostly like a great fit as a 3-4 end. His passrushing moves leave a lot to be desired -- even in a defense where most attention gets sucked over to Trent Murphy, Mauro isn't putting up big numbers. Part of that is because the Cardinals lined Mauro up along the interior (even including 0 tech nose tackle), so he does come with a lot of versatility. But his ability to land QBs is slight, but he'll reliably shut down the run effectively. I don't know if Mauro gets drafted, but if he slips through to UDFA, I'd definitely work to bring him on my squad and see what I've got.

I would not mind Herron in the 3rd, he has gamechanging speed.

I'd love for Easley to be there in the 3rd. When healthy, he's as good as Donald

RB Charles Sims, West Virginia -- Sims has been called the best all around back in this draft class. I think it makes a lot of sense to say: he runs very well between the tackles, has some jukes out in space, has extraordinary balance to help him stay on his feet after contact, and receives out of the backfield very well. He's got a good body for bellcow status: 6'0", 215 lbs. But he doesn't quite have the speed -- I expect him to clock in at 4.6 at the Combine, give or take. That doesn't mean he can't be a great complimentary back that runs tough for 10-15 snaps a game. I'd definitely look at him hard as a mid-rounder, maybe a 5th.

Yup, might be faster off the snap too. He might be available in the 4th though, due to his injury history plus size concerns.

Best thing about taking him there, is that he can be a sub package player only to learn the system

He doesn't quite have Allen Bailey's size, but he has every bit of his ferociousness and should be a more talented passrusher.

That's why I'm a big Hageman fan. We need for lack of better terms, psychotic guys on this defense.

Just crazy ass monsters

CB Deion Belue, Alabama -- Belue is a player who made a name for himself the hard way. He dominated junior college talent so badly that nobody other than Nick Saban roped him into the best program in college football. What really sets Belue apart isn't his size (5'11", 183), or his speed (projects to a 4.4), or his technique (which, as an Alabama DB, will obviously need work) but his competitive intensity. He plays with every bit of Brandon Flowers' intensity -- he is at his best when he's allowed to jam at the LOS, fight a WR all the way down the field, and battle through his arms when the ball comes in. He struggles against bigger WRs who are just bigger and stronger than him, but so do most corners. My primary fear with Belue, honestly, is my prejudice against Alabama corners under Saban, who never seem to pan out in the NFL as well as you'd hope. He definitely fits the aggressive CB scheme that Sutton runs, but again, it's hard with these 'Bama DBs to know how well they'll translate. I'd look at him with a late rounder, maybe.

One thing I've learned through the years is that Direckshun could give Matt Millen a run for his money in the area of talent evaluation.

I hope bailey and catapano really take off for us next year

I would have drafted Mark Sanchez #3 overall in 2009, Jimmy Clausen #5 overall in 2010, and Geno Smith #1 overall in 2013.

You all should honestly have me on ignore.

QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson -- Though the headlines are all about Manziel, there is probably no more perplexing QB prospect this year than Tajh Boyd. Last year, so many fans (myself included) were looking forward to the 2014 Draft's great QB class, of which Boyd would definitely be a part. Boyd was, after all, a tremendous QB with Russell Wilson qualities his sophomore and junior year, with a great arm, unshakeable confidence, awesome leadership skills, and "plus" athleticism. His senior season, however, combined with his ass-ugly weeklong suckfest at the Senior Bowl, has left him reeling and too many people are projecting him now to be a 3rd day pick. But in this terrible QB class, I can't help but think a team will gamble on Boyd in the 3rd. His inaccuracy, lack of vision, and footwork are all coachable things, even if his stature is short (6'1", 225 lbs). I'd definitely take a shot with him over guys like Jimmy Garopollo or David Fales, but mostly I'd prefer not to have to take that shot at all.

CB Andre Hal, Vanderbilt -- Another prospect that has a wide array of assessments is Hal, who was a second-team all-SEC guy and regarded on NFLDraftScout.com as "one of the best cover guys in the SEC." But I don't see it. Any time he faced legit NFL-caliber talent in either size or speed, Hal got burnt pretty bad. QBs are not afraid to throw in his direction, and Hal seems to lack size (5'10", 190 lbs) and speed (projected 4.5 or even 4.6). He does seem to blitz decently, but isn't that great of a tackler, either. WRs frequently blocked him out of plays. I'd probably pass on him entirely.

RB Marion Grice, Arizona State -- If you're asked to write down the qualifications for what you'd like a 3rd down back to be, it would look exactly like Marion Grice. He is a decent blocker out of the backfield, but a terrific receiver out of the backfield -- the best this draft has to offer. Grice is a solid, smart runner who is fairly athletic with some wiggle to him. He's not a homerun hitter, however; he doesn't have second-level speed, but he can reliably churn out yards due to his patience in letting things develop in front of him. I just don't know how effective he'll be on those first two downs compared to his tailor-made skillset for third and long. I'd start looking at him in the 5th, but he consistently receives higher grades than that, so what do I know.

C Tyler Larsen, Utah State -- Larsen is about as much of a known quantity as there is in the Draft this year. He's got 51 games of tape under his belt, and if you've watched any number of them (I've seen three) you'll get bored. He's the exact same guy every game he plays, which, in a way, is a safe investment for a team to make. Here's what you're getting: a perhaps-too-big C (6'4", 315 lbs) who is somewhere around average in terms of athleticism and strength -- he doesn't move people like you'd think a center his size should. His technique has always been a little inconsistent, which is compounded by the fact that he has always had a tendency to take plays off. I anticipate he's a better fit for a power scheme, but he's going to need a season or two to get stronger. As for me, personally, I'd pass on the guy. I need a guy that plays to the whistle, but this center class is so pathetic, I betcha he'll get drafted in the midrounds.

WR Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State -- It's always hard to know what to make of Division II players. But we know quite a bit of Janis from his prolific work: nearly 4,000 yards receiving in his career, with over 100 receptions this past season. He has nice size at 6'2", 215 lbs, and will reportedly flirt with running in the 4.3s at his Pro Day. That's a fantastic combination. He creates huge mismatches as bigger corners can't hang with his speed, and smaller corners struggle to jam him. His primary goal will be proving he can run sharp routes and get separation, something he had limited success with at the Senior Bowl... Based on his measurables alone, he's going to get drafted. I'd definitely spend a 6th on him, maybe a 5th if I could discern how well he'd respond to coaching.

DE Taylor Hart, Oregon -- Hart has absolutely fantastic size: 6'6", 285 lbs. He should become an ideal fit as a 3-4 DE, especially considering the length of his arms as well as his great strength. The biggest issue with Hart is that he seems to be a complete project in terms of his technique. I have rarely seen stranger technique out of a nearly 300 lbs defensive lineman than Hart. Sometimes he's in a decent three-point stance, other times he's in this weird frog stance where he squats like he's taking a dump. Needless to say, the frog squat is total bullshit at the next level -- he gets too high coming out of it, and it gives him no strategic advantage that I can determine. Hart has great physical skills (and even better effort), so if he's coachable, he's a great mid-rounder, maybe even as soon as the 3rd depending on how quickly you think you'd see results. He'd be really hard to turn down in the 4th.

Well if you were to have drafted Sanchez in 09 you would not have been looking at Clausen in 2010. But you would have been in the market for Geno Smith in 2013.
So you are more likely to be John Idzik or Mike Tannenbaum. Just sayin.

WTF is going on in this thread?

I thought this was about six dudes.

It mutated to fit my needs.

RB Devonta Freeman, Florida State -- There was a thread a week or two ago asking who the "next Jamaal Charles" was in this upcoming draft. My answer in that thread was Devonta Freeman (not "Freedman," as I've been thinking it was for months). I am in love with this prospect. Freeman has elite quickness, hits gaps hard, has good, stout size (5'9", 200 lbs), and squeezes in behind his blocks fantastically. He's also extremely good receiving out of the backfield, and a surprisingly good blocker. Freeman is currently projected as a midrounder, but I have no idea why -- I guess it's because he's not a 4.3 guy (he sure looks like a 4.4 guy to me, however). He would be outstanding value in the midrounds, but I'd be happy taking him in the 3rd if the Chiefs were in the hunt for another RB (which they're probably not in the 3rd, but still). Freeman is an outstanding talent, and is my favorite RB in this entire draft class, no matter the draft projections.

WR T.J. Jones, Notre Dame -- There are fewer midrounders more entertaining to watch than T.J. Jones. An extremely fast route-running guru for the Fighting Irish with "meh" size (5'11", 190), Jones has been a four-year starter and senior-year captain. I can't help but think most draft sites are underrating this dude -- NFLDraftScout, for instance, says he's a 6th round talent and probably runs a 4.5. Well, I can say from watching the tape that he almost certainly runs in the 4.3 range, and his great hands and polished route-running ability should slip him into 3rd round consideration. At this point, I want to see how he performs at the Combine, but I'd definitely sweat passing on my him with my 4th rounder, but I think you'd be justified spending a low 3rd on him if you were so inclined. Jones' speed, route-running, and extreme versatility (bubble screens, slot routes, working on the outside, go routes) should definitely earn Dorsey's attention.

ILB DeDe Lattimore, South Florida -- A slightly poorer man's version of Nico Johnson, Lattimore is a 2-down ILB who looks like Jekyll & Hyde on the football field based on one critical component: whether he's charging downhill like a wrecking ball towards the pocket, or backpedaling into coverage. Lattimore is currently projected to run a 4.8 at the Combine, but he looks like he has 4.6 speed the way he crashes the pocket. Running downhill, busting wigs in the run game, Lattimore is physical, nasty, and very, very comfortable in the role. He's a bit too rambunctious, however, as he blasts into the backfield so fast, he sometimes runs right past the RB. In coverage, however, he looks every bit that 4.8 -- hell, he looks 5.0. Lattimore is a two-down beast, and maybe a team can transfer some of that energy to his coverage abilities.

ILB Max Bullough, Michigan State -- I don't know how clearly I can stress this: avoid, avoid, avoid. Forget the fact that Bullough was mysteriously suspended for five weeks by his coach for reasons that were never provided. Forget the fact that Michigan State responded to FOI requests by confirming that Bullough's suspension was not the result of an NCAA violation, suggesting that something really nasty occurred internally at the MSU program. Forget the fact that Bullough fell completely off the map for that month-plus, and nobody knows the truth. Forget the fact that when he did return, for the East-West game, he showed up 20 pounds overweight. This guy had more red flags than the 2008 Opening Ceremony in Beijing, but forget all that. Just look at the tape: Bullough is a slow, slow, possibly-over-5.0-in-the-40 linebacker, and he can't fight through blocks. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

RB Storm Johnson, Central Florida -- One of the reasons Blake Bortles has taken the world by storm is that powerhouse back Storm Johnson kept defenses honest the past couple seasons for UCF. Johnson (6'1", 215 lbs) is a strong runner who, once he gets his momentum going, can pummel defenses and slam through any daylight his OL provides. He's not a fluid running machine, but he is the proverbial bowling ball with knives that teams love in short yardage situations. I think Johnson, despite his unorthodox running style, can thrive as a true bellcow in a power system, however. The Combine will be very important for him, as I have him down as a 6th or 7th rounder right now.

Vontaze Burfict.

I don't know... Burfict was not only a better player on the field when he was on, his fall from grace was pretty transparent, was it not?

Bullough's is a total mystery, and he took on 20 pounds in two months. My guess is, not muscle.

RB Andre Williams, Boston College -- I have always been a huge BC homer, because athletes out of BC tend to be extremely high character and well prepared for the pros. Williams, however, will be a project for any team that brings him on. Now, we are still talking about a 6'0", 227 lbs bellcow back who set records in rushing for 2,000+ yards and 16 TDs this year for the Eagles, at over 6 yards/carry. However, you're also talking about a back with ball security issues, no receiving ability, and little blocking experience. Even if you believe you can coach him out of that, you're still left with a well-rounded back without great speed. I'm always high on RBs with a nose for the end zone, however, and at the very least, you're getting a Jackie Battle here. At the very best, you're getting LaGarrette Blount.

All I'm saying is I've seen Bullough ****ing rock some dudes. If he starts free-falling, taking a late round flyer on him might absolutely be worth it.

RB De'Anthony Thomas, Oregon -- There's not much that can be said about Thomas that isn't extremely well known at this point. Thomas is a speed demon, perhaps threatening to run in the 4.2s at the Combine and his Pro Day. You absolutely need to get him in space for a couple reasons: 1st, he can eat up yardage at a Jamaal Charles clip. His kick returns are occasionally brilliant, but he can turn a simple bubble screen into a 9 yard gain the blink of an eye -- one seam, and he's gone. 2nd, because he's absolutely horrid between the tackles. For a guy as fast as he is, he doesn't have the jukey skillset of McCluster, and doesn't make a ton of people miss. He's also prone to injury due to his size (5'9", 175 lbs), and has never carried the ball more than 100 times in a season. He's going to be nothing more than a complementary element for a team in the NFL, but it'd be a hell of an element to have.

WR Ryan Grant, Tulane -- Grant has put up great numbers in a small program's offense not by blowing the top off defenses, or by beign some athletic wonder who runs a 4.3 or dominates corners with his size, but by doing the same thing, game in, game out, in the most fundamentally-sound, smartest way possible. Although the Combine could change this assessment, it seems Grant comes right down the middle with his measurables (6'0", 200 lbs, 4.5 40). What will set him apart will depend on the offense: those that depend on quick, sharp intermediate routes can land a really reliable #3 WR by Day One of the 2014 season.

DE/DT Ed Stinson, Alabama -- Tyson Jackson 2.0. If the Chiefs are looking for another hard-working, athletically-average defensive end with great size (6'4", 292 lbs) and power from an elite Division I defense, look no further. If Jackson walks in free agency, you can bet Stinson will end up on the Chiefs' radar. Stinson, much like TJax, is a powerful run defender who is almost immovable, capable of shutting down his entire side of the line. Also like TJax, he's a very limited passrusher -- little push, little in the way of passrushing moves. Fortunately for Stinson, many teams are looking for men who stop the run. He may have to wait until the last rounds of the Draft to find out who, however.

DE?/DT Deandre Coleman, California -- If all you had was Coleman's 2013 tape to go on, you would wonder why anybody really cared that much to draft him. The truth of the matter, however, is that Coleman exploded on the scene with a great 2012 season that displayed the power that can truly surface in a guy his size (6'5", 315 lbs). But 2013 swallowed him up for whatever reason -- I think that clearly means he has motor issues, because he turned it on for Senior Bowl week, getting consistent push inside and shutting down any runs towards him. It'll be interesting to see how he pans out at the Combine, he's rumored to run a 5.0 40, which would all but seal his fate to play DT (rather than DE in the 3-4). If he can put together a good 40, look good in drills, and weigh in with long arms, he could find himself a way in the midrounds. As it stands, some team will probably just take a shot on him in the 6th or 7th, and hope they can rekindle that 2012 fire.

DE/OLB Kasim Edebali, Boston College -- Kasim is a project that almost nobody is talking about, with a lot of the right elements to work with. While he does not seem to be a great athlete, he does play incredibly hard, with a chip on his shoulder. He doesn't seem to have anything beyond good size, either (6'2", 248 lbs), but he has consistently racked up good sack numbers with a limited number of moves. The question comes down to: how much do you trust your passrushing coaching staff? If you trust them, you look at a decent athlete with an undeniable motor and a very select number of moves in Edebali, and hope that imprinting more diverse moves into his repertoire will make a difference. For now, he's a guy who'll have to make his name on special teams.

FB/TE Jake Murphy, Utah -- I think that if Murphy finds a place in the NFL, it's going to be as a fullback. Or at least as a one of those H-backs who plays both fullback and tight end. Honestly, however, Murphy is below-average by NFL standards in the passing game. He only had two games his senior year where he had more than 2 receptions (he was injured for a month, however). As a blocker, he is very effective. He does a great job particularly of leveraging his body to seal off blocks. And while he lacks the size to be a pure blocking tight end (6'2", 252 lbs), he does fit an athletic fullback's profile. His father was a professional baseball player, which is something to remember, since NFL teams love bloodlines.

TE C.J. Fiedorowicz, Iowa -- I'm actually pretty high on Fiedorowicz, I don't think there's much he can't do. First thing's first, however: Fiedorowicz is a huge presence at tight end (6'5", 260 lbs). He uses every ounce of that frame to block extremely well in line, out on bubble screens, downfield... he drives linebackers back routinely, and can hold his own with most DEs. In addition to that, he looks pretty fluid running downfield in his routes. He's not a world-beating route-runner, however, but he has outstanding hands. He reminds me a lot of Heath Miller -- a big TE who can block extremely well with awesome receiving hands. He lacks some of Miller's quickness and will need some time to work through his route-running. He has a good chance of going on the 2nd day.

CB Shaquille Richardson, Arizona -- Here is the litmus test for the entire 2014 NFL Draft. Richardson is just lousy on tape -- he gets beat deep even when he gives himself a 10 yard cushion. He takes lousy angles and misses tackles. He gets blocked out of plays by WRs of all sizes. His play is undisciplined. The one reason anybody thinks much of anything of Richardson: he is 6'0", 195 lbs, but plays like he's 6'4" -- it's seemingly impossible to throw over him. So if NFL teams are truly buying into Seahawk mode, and truly single-mindedly going to draft the tallest, biggest corners, Richardson will get selected. If not, Richardson may go UDFA.

OLB Prince Shembo, Notre Dame -- Shembo's a really rangey linebacker who can cover the turf you want him to cover. He's pretty fast and athletic, and while the Fighting Irish never really asked him to cover a whole lot, his athleticism suggests to me that he could do very well in coverage. He can set the edge relatively well, and does a great job getting to the sideline before the RB does. Even though the Irish played him as a down lineman and as a passrusher, that doesn't seem like it'll be his strength at the next level. He struggles to shed blocks, and his passrushing leaves something to be desired. He's a great defender in space, though, and to me that projects purely as a 4-3 OLB.

Yo Direck, thoughts on Aaron Lynch?

CB Chris Davis, Jr., Auburn -- Davis is a hilariously fun athlete to watch; he was returned the missed field goal against Alabama for 109 yards to win the game for Auburn. He's a dynamic kick and punt returner, but of course that's only part of his contribution for your team. He's projected to "only" run a 4.5, but he looks more like a 4.3 talent to me on the field, capable of aggressively jumping routes or running deep with receivers. I like Davis a ton, but unless he blows the doors off the Combine, he's a zone-only CB. Auburn almost never put him in press-man.

I would avoid. I'd bring him in for a 7th, maybe. Maybe. I'd bring him in as a UDFA. But it's pretty clear he's regressed significantly over the past couple of seasons.

I don't know pretend to know why, but I'm sure teams will figure it out. The rumor is that he's just got a horrendous, selfish attitude.

He was great with the Irish his Freshman year. Sat out a year because of NCAA transferring regulations and then played last season before declaring. He looked like a guy who took a year off and needed to stay for another year. Wouldn't trust the coaches to get his potential out of him?

Maybe... NFL teams will find out.

Some people just don't have the makeup for team sports.

CB Pierre Desir, Lindenwood -- Soon to be the 2nd Haitian in the NFL, Desir comes with the usual small school rap sheet: played against vastly inferior, Division II competition, but boasts impressive measurable. The measurables in question: 6'1", 200 lbs, looks like he could get bigger, great athleticism, 4.4 speed. But whatever nerves you have about a Division II corner, let it be soothed by the following information: Desir was thrown at 14 times this year. That's it, 14 times. 4 of those times, he intercepted the pass. 8 of those times, he defensed the pass. Considering he held his own at the Shrine game, and looked really good at the Senior Bowl, this is a guy who, assuming his Combine goes well, is an intriguing 2nd day pick. No question.

TE/FB? Jacob Pedersen, Wisconsin -- I fear that Pederson is going to be unfairly cast as an H-back, since (a.) he played that role in Wisconsin's run-heavy offense, and (b.) he looks the part at 6'3", 242 lbs. But I think the best part of his game are the routes he runs when he lines up either out wide or inline with the OL. He is a really underrated athlete -- he can get downfield in a hurry and has great hands. He's a good route-runner, and I think he might have 4.5 speed -- though obviously the Combine will confirm that. I think a pass-heavy offense should bring him on as a receiving TE, like a poor man's Jimmy Graham. The biggest hole in his game, sadly, is his blocking, which makes sense considering his smaller size. Perhaps some coaching will tune up his technique. Midround pick.

Jones does not have blazing speed, he is not a 4.3 guy, not even close. He lacks breakway speed or burst (even he has some nice short area quickness). If he was a 4.3 guy he would be clearly a top 15 selection. He will never burn a DB ala Donnie Avery. But yes, he is a fantastic and underrated receiver.

I really do not want to disagree with you because you do a heck of a job but Prince is a liability in space, he is stiff and is more a north-south type of player. He played in space a lot when he was a soph and he was a mess. He is an undersized tweener, third day selection at best.

The Combine will prove one of us correct.

He's projected at a 4.5, I think, but I do love how fast he looks in his routes.

I'm a big fan. I think he'll be a really good slot receiver if he receives good coaching.

Disagree with me all you want. That's not a problem.

I'll admit it was more of a projection based on his senior tape. Shembo was asked to rush the edge in the four games I watched, and just wasn't that great beating tackles or shedding blocks in the run game. The one thing I liked about him was when the Irish line him up way outside standing up, anticipating a route.

I agree he's a third day selection (possible UDFA, really), but I just don't know what his job's going to be in the NFL.

- Really, really great hands. Knows how to adjust his body to make the catch, has some underrated leaping ability and can win jump balls against bigger DBs winning the battle at the catch point.

- If not the best, one of the better route runners in the country. He dominates the entire route tree, but he was mainly used in the short and intermediate areas of the field. Against off-coverage is a sure first down for him. Does a nice job with head fakes and i really love the way he works his way into space and back towards his quarterback when the pocket is collapsing.

- Meh size, yep, but he is really tough, he fights to move the chains and he can stay his feet after the contact so he is a good WR to produce YAC.


He is natural, polished at the position from a technical standpoint and has a high football IQ. Concerns to me are his frame, straight-line/breakaway speed and his ability to beat jams or press coverage at the next level.

Agreed.

Considering he's dominating in the short and intermediate routes, that's like 90% of the routes he'll run as a slot guy.

I just like him a whole lot as a midrounds guy.

OT Billy Turner, North Dakota State -- I can't recall ever watching tape on NDSU ever before, but Turner is almost too outstanding an athlete to play ****ing Fargo. You're talking about a 6'5", 315 lber who can run. Turner may come close to breaking 5.0 at the Combine, but that doesn't matter -- this guy runs very well on the field. He's as effortless an athlete as there is in this draft at the tackle position. He's a punishing run-blocker, especially when he has his sights locked in -- playing all the way to the whistle. Really impressive. Really good mirroring in pass blocking, but his feet are too narrow in his kickslide -- correctable. I think he's got some left tackle potential, but teams will be drooling thinking about him on the right side. 2nd day pick. I like him more than some of the projected 1st rounders.

RB Jeremy Hill, LSU -- So many gifts, but it's almost a waste of resources to drop a roster spot on Jeremy Hill. A problem child since high school, trouble just seems to keep finding him. Anger management issues and substance abuse off the field are not problems that are easily solved, and the only thing that could save Hill's chances of getting drafted is a team (a.) in dire need of RB depth and (b.) willing to spend the resources providing Hill constant support for the entirety of his rookie contract. It's a shame from a football perspective because he's a very strong runner, nimble for a guy who's 6'2", 232 lbs, with good top-end speed. He has good vision, and plays with a tremendous nose for the end zone. Teams will need to determine if he's a trouble-maker, or if he's a good kid who just has demons to deal with. I'm betting somebody gives him a chance on a practice squad.