Here are a
few players that are underrated and will
most likely be great value at the spot
they will eventually be drafted at:
1. OLB
Manny Lawson, 6-5 240, NC State
I really
don’t understand why he isn’t considered
a top ten pick. He is every bit the
prospect DeMacus Ware was last year who
was taken 11th overall.
Lawson is an incredible athlete; he
qualified for four state indoor track
events (long jump, triple jump, 55 meter
hurdles and 55 meter sprint) and was the
fastest linebacker at the NFL Combine
running a 4.43 forty. But forget about
all that, he is not just a track guy, he
can play the game off football, last
year he recorded 58 tackles, 19.5
tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, 4 pass
break ups, 14 QB hurries, 1 blocked
kick, and 1 forced fumble. Lawson will
be a coaches dream because he is also a
special teams ace, he has been playing
special teams since he was a freshman
and has blocked 7 kicks in his career. A
perfect fit to play OLB in the 34
defense and he will have to bulk up a
bit for the NFL, but he has all the
tools to be a future star.
2. DE
Tamba Hali, 6-3 275, Penn State
A lot of
people have really soured on Hali
because of a poor post season; he just
didn’t run a good forty at the NFL
combine (approximately 4.80) and has
seen his stock plummet. But let’s not
forget the kid can play the game of
football. His production in the talented
Big 10 was impressive indeed. Here is
what he did last year: Was named Big Ten
Defensive Player of the Year, he led the
Big 10 in sacks with 11 for minus 79
yards, and tied for the conference lead
with 17 tackles for loss, he also
recorded 62 tackles, 3 pass break-ups
and 1 forced fumble in which Penn State
recovered in the closing minutes to
preserve a 17-10 win over Ohio State.
Hali might not be a workout warrior, but
he is a gamer who makes big plays in big
games.
3. C/G
Chris Chester, 6-3 303, Oklahoma
Chester
will be a project, but might have the
most upside of any offensive lineman in
this draft. A converted tight end and
has missed some time due to injury, in
2003 he had a MCL sprain and as a senior
was switched to the interior around mid
season, starting 6 games and playing
very well. Chester added 25 pounds of
muscle last year, but didn’t lose any
speed, he ran a 4.87 forty at the
combine and had the best 3-cone time of
any offensive lineman. Chester is
inexperienced indeed, but has the
potential to be a quality interior
lineman, well suited to block on the
move. With a couple years to develop he
could be a great value anywhere after
the 3rd round.
4. OT Paul
McQuistan, 6-6 310, Weber State
Probably
the best tackle that no one has heard
of. Playing at the Division 1AA level he
has mostly flown under the radar; that
is until the combine. Prototype size, he
was one of the most agile tackles at the
combine, Paul ran a 5.10 forty and has
long arms (35’ 5”) but still manage to
do 27 reps at 225 pounds. Notable draft
guru Gil Brandt just raves about this
kid. He will probably slip to the 6-7th
round due to his small school heritage,
but could end up being a quality starter
in the NFL.
5. ILB
James Anderson, 6-2 225, Virginia Tech
Zach
Thomas, Dat Nguyen, Jonathan Vilma, Lofa
Tatupu. What do all these players have
in common with James Anderson? They are
all undersized middle linebackers that
are excellent football players. Anderson
is the complete package of production,
speed and athletic ability. Anderson
always seems to be around the ball, last
year as a senior he recorded 82 tackles,
8.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 4 pass
break ups, 2 forced fumbles, I pass
break up and 1 interception. On top of
the impressive production on the field
he was one of the most impressive
athletes at the NFL Combine where he ran
a 4.64 forty, had a 41 inch vertical
jump and a 10-1 broad jump. Frank
Beamer’s players are well noted to be
good special team players and Anderson
is no exception. With so many quality
linebackers in this draft Anderson will
probably fall to the second day but
should be a steal in the 4th
round.
6. TE Tony
Scheffler, 6-6 255, Western Michigan
Tony is
everything you want in a pass catching
TE (Tight End), but this TE class is so
deep and talented Tony will probably
slip into the 3-4th round. TE
Vernon Davis ran such a good 40 at the
combine Tony’s workout kind of went
unnoticed, but Tony had probably just as
good of a workout, running a 4.57 forty
and finishing 1st in all the
agility drills. A lot of scouts are
going back and looking at his game film
and are realizing he is not just a
workout warrior. Tony had an impressive
senior season catching 57 balls with 9
TDs and an 11.8 yard average. He needs
to get in the weight room and add some
muscle to improve his blocking at the
point of attack but he has the ability
to stretch the field and will create
mismatches with his speed.
7. WR
Brandon Marshall, 6-5 225, Central
Florida (UCF)
I have
been raving about him all year, and the
reason I like him so much is because of
how much he has improved in such a short
amount of time. Marshall played safety
his junior year so he is still learning
the position, but when you watch him
play you just shake your head, everybody
knows he is going to get the ball but no
one can stop him. In his teams’ post
season bowl game against Nevada (Hawaii
Bowl) Marshall broke a Hawaii Bowl
record by gaining the most receiving
yards (210). In a losing effort Marshall
finished with 11 catches for 210 yards
and three touchdowns. He was named UCF's
MVP. And then a few weeks later in the
2006 Hula Bowl Marshal got to compete
against some of the best players in the
country
and it was
pretty much the Brandon Marshall show,
he caught five passes for 101 yards and
the game-winning touchdown to lead the
East to a 10-7 victory over the West at
Aloha Stadium in Honolulu. That was his
second game in Aloha Stadium in less
that a month, and including both games
he recorded 16 catches for 311 yards and
4 TDs in the post season. After an
initial combine snub he was a late
addition and he went on to prove he has
the speed to create separation at the
next level where he ran a 4.52 forty
yard dash. Marshall is the closest thing
to Terrell Owens in this draft and I
don’t mean that in a bad way.
8. LB Terna Nande, 6-0 230, Miami (OH)
He reminds me of DE Chris Canty from
last years draft in the sense that he
might slip to due injury concerns. He
played in just 6 games as a senior due
to a lacerated liver, but still recorded
44 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 1 pass
break up and 3 QB hurries. In the two
years before his injury filled senior
year, he recorded a combined: 195
tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 9 sacks, 4
interceptions and 11 pass break ups.
Nande is a little short and that will
also cause him to slip, but he has been
very productive player on the field and
he went to the NFL Combine and created
quite the stir when he lifted 225 pounds
41 times! That is unheard of for a
linebacker. He also ran an impressive
4.53 forty, 39 vertical jump and 10’ 4”
broad jump. Nande might have the power
to play inside and the speed to play
outside. I don’t care that he is only 6
foot, the guy can play football and
should be a great value anywhere after
round three.
