About:
Jay Cutler, 6-3, 226, Vanderbilt:
Talk about a riser. We question how much is hype and
how much is real. Its not that Jay doesn't
have
all
the tools you look for, it's just that you kind of
have to throw away his college record because the
team he was on was just horrible. He has a big body
with very mobile feet and great field awareness. He
is a pro-type quarterback with the ability to break
off long runs when the passing game breaks down and
when you look at his college career every stat he
has is because he is that good, as he had no
supporting cast. Therefore you have to wonder if he
has the knowledge of winning and what it will take
to win in the NFL.
Official College Site:
Jay Cutler - Football
- VUCommodores
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Cutler is still unpolished and will need lots of
mechanical work in order to reach his full potential
in the NFL. For much of his career, Cutler was an
underrated prospect that did not get the attention
that he deserved. However, after a strong senior
season and good showings at the Senior Bowl and NFL
Scouting Combine, Cutler has become one of the more
over-hyped prospects in the 2006 class. In our
opinion, Cutler grades out as a mid-first round
prospect in this year's talent pool.
12.
Baltimore Ravens:
Haloti
Ngata, DT, Oregon (Jr.)
Our Take:
Wow, another trade and the Ravens get
their big inside guy to go in front of
Ray Lewis.
About:
Haloti
Ngata, 6-4, 336, Oregon
(Jr.)
Ngata has a powerful build and can be a run stuffer
on the next level. He also has some quickness to
collapse the pocket. Coaches at Oregon have said
Ngata was the best defensive player to ever come
through the program. Double-teamed on
virtually every snap and alternated between
brilliance and what seemed to be complacency. Rarely
stopped by one player. Ngata's 2005 season was his
most dominant. He was the first Oregon player since
1962 to earn consensus All-American honors by
posting 61 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 3.0
sacks. He was recognized with the Pac-10's
Co-Defensive MVP honors, as well as ranking as a
finalist for both the Bronko Nagurski and Outland
awards.
Official College Site:
http://www.uoregon.edu/~kwiest/halotingata/
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Ngata has many flaws as a first round
draft prospect. He is a bit top-heavy, he needs to
learn to use his hands more properly and his motor
tends to run hot-and-cold. However, Ngata is a
massive, powerful and quick two-gap DT/NT prospect
with tremendous upside as a potential anchor in the
middle of an NFL defense
FoxSports:
Oregon's massive Haloti Ngata is the
best of a half dozen defensive tackles whose names
should be called just as early. Some scouts feel
Ngata (pronounced NOT-uh) could easily be
selected in the top 10.
13.
Cleveland Browns
Kamerion
Wimbley,
DE, Florida State
Our Take:
This is a strange trade since they are
rivals, Ngata is exactly what the Ravens
wanted and trading one space for a 6th
rounder makes no sense when you can
stick it to your rivals.
About:
Kamerion Wimbley, 6-4, 245, Florida
State
Classic speed rusher whose production against elite competition has scouts
intrigued. Excellent Senior Bowl week. Did well in the regular season against
two top-ranked offensive tackles — D'Brickashaw Ferguson (4 tackles, including
two sacks) and Eric Winston (5 tackles, 4 pressures, 1 sack). Came back from
sprained knee to play in the postseason
Official College Site:
http://seminoles.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/wimbley_kamerion00.html
ESPN/Scout:
Wimbley has decent size potential to go
along with his very good speed and athletic ability.
He has flashed explosive playmaking skills and it
looked as if the light was finally coming on prior
to his knee injury as a senior. After checking out
physically and putting on an impressive showing at
the combine, Wimbley's draft value is very much on
the rise.
FoxSports:
Florida State Classic speed rusher whose
production against elite competition has scouts
intrigued. Excellent Senior Bowl week...
14.
Philadelphia Eagles:
Brodrick
Bunkley, DT, Florida State
Our Take:
About:
Tye Hill, 5-10,
185, Clemson:
Hill will be one of the fastest players available in
this year's draft. He has won the ACC outdoor
100-meter dash as well as the indoor 60-meter dash,
so you know range won't be a problem for him. But it
is his change of direction skills that make him an
elite corner prospect. Hill's size will give a few
teams some caution, but he makes up for what he
lacks in height with quickness and aggression. Hill
is still a little raw at the position, especially in
zone coverage. His speed and quickness make up for
his deficiencies on the college level, but he will
need good coaching to further develop.
Official College Site:
Official Clemson
University page
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Hill's NFL potential is somewhat limited
by his poor size. He also is relatively
inexperienced at the cornerback position and still
needs polish before he will be ready to contribute
on the NFL level. However, he is a terrific athlete
who possesses the most explosive top-end speed of
any prospect in this year's class. He also is a
natural playmaker with impressive ball skills. After
strong showings at the Senior Bowl and combine, Hill
is very much a prospect on the rise and it would not
surprise us if he comes off the board in the top-20
overall picks.
FoxSports:
Established himself as a future star in 2004,
operating opposite second-round pick Justin Miller.
Deflected a school single-season record 21 passes,
most coming on third-down plays, and was responsible
for killing 15 scoring drives, including one on
fourth down. Was rarely challenged in 2005. Despite
his first-round status, Hill elected to play at the
Senior Bowl, where his rare athleticism made him an
obvious standout.
16.
Miami Dolphins:
Jason
Allen, FS, Tennessee
Our Take:
The best DB on the board obviously the
Dolphins are not concerned about his
hip.
About:
Jason Allen, 6-1,
208, Tennessee: He's fluid and fast, but his
future still seems to be at safety. His ballistic
numbers at the combine put to rest the short-term
fears about his surgically repaired hip. Sources
have indicated that Allen's hip is causing some
strength differential between his two legs. The leg
on the injured side is reportedly about 85-percent
the strength of the healthy leg. That could develop
into a long-term problem, or it might never be an
issue at all. The good news is he ran a 4.38 in the
40 at the combine.
His
ability is unquestioned, and he was a first-round
prospect before the injury. He now must prove he is
the player he was in 2004.
Official College Site:
Player Bio- Jason Allen -- Tennessee
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Allen possesses an impressive combination of size,
speed and athletic ability. While the injury still
is likely to cause a dip in Allen's draft value, his
combine performance did serve as a strong indicator
to his return to physical form. On top of easing
concerns regarding his hip, Allen helped answer
questions about his ability to play the cornerback
position in the NFL by finishing near the top of the
defensive backs in the 40-yard dash, vertical jump
(39 ½"), broad jump (10'11"), short shuttle (3.81),
long shuttle (11.17) and three-cone (6.75). In our
opinion, Allen is worth the risk in the late-second
to early-third round range of the 2006 draft.
FoxSports:
Free safety prospect is recovering from a hip injury
but put many concerns to rest at Combine with a
great workout that included a 4.39 in 40 yards and a
39.5-inch vertical jump. Started eight games as a
sophomore at cornerback before switching to free
safety for his junior and senior seasons. Scouts are
split as to whether Allen can be a standout
cornerback at the NFL level, but most believe he
could be a difference-maker at free safety. After a
steady move up the draft boards following a solid
showing at the Combine, Allen has begun to slip
again amid concerns about his dislocated hip from
2005. Has tantalizing talent that will likely see
him go in the first-round, but a hip injury to a
playmaker is a major red flag.
17.
Minnesota Vikings
Chad
Greenway, OLB, Iowa
Our Take:
They get the super LB left and more
importantly keep him from Dallas. Can't
complain here we had Greenway at 13.
Good job taking best available player.
About:
Chad
Greenway, 6-2, 242, Iowa: Chad Greenway is a great
tackler, he will rarely miss a tackle. His speed allows him to drop back into
coverage as well as anyone, and he can run with any tight end in the league.
Greenway should be a true sideline-to-sideline linebacker in the NFL and is
extremely underrated on most draft boards. His speed and aggression may lead him
to over-pursue plays early on in his career, but he just so football smart and
coachable that that wont be a problem for long.
Official College Site:
Player Bio- Chad Greenway -- Iowa
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Greenway projects on the weak-side in the NFL. He
lacks ideal strength and he will need to improve his
ability to disengage from blocks quicker in the NFL.
He also did run well at the combine, which leads to
some concerns about his ability to avoid blockers as
effectively in the NFL. However, Greenway remains an
elite linebacker prospect in the 2006 class because
of his outstanding quickness, instincts and athletic
ability. He is a sideline-to-sideline run-stopper
who also has emerged as a dynamic playmaker in the
passing game both in coverage and as a pass rusher.
Greenway is ready to contribute immediately as a WLB
in the NFL and he should quickly emerge as a
playmaking fulltime starter. In our opinion,
Greenway grades out as a mid-first round prospect in
the 2006 class.
FoxSports:
Fluid athleticism, quickness and uncanny intuition
for getting in on plays. Especially impressive pass
coverage skills with the ability to stay with
receivers even on deep routes. Managed only 16 reps
benching 225 pounds at the Combine, but had some
deducted for lack of form. And any scout who cares
about that obviously didn't watch him play in games
or practice at Senior Bowl, where his
competitiveness, speed and leadership were
conspicuous
18.
Dallas Cowboys:
Bobby
Carpenter, LB, Ohio State
Our Take:
They get the LB they need. Not a
spectacular pick, but very solid smart
drafting.
About:
Bobby Carpenter,
6-3, 245, Ohio State:
Bobby was overshadowed by A.J. Hawk, but is a
prospect in his own right. He was always surrounded
by a lot of talent which alleviated pressure and
didn't allow the opposition to focus only on him
which makes him tough to grade out from film. Bobby
is tough as nails and flies to the ball, a real
playmaker who excels at rushing the passer. There
are questions whether he will ever be the guy on
defense, but he will be a nice starter for sure.
Official College Site:
Player Bio- Bobby
Carpenter -- Ohio State University
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Carpenter still has room to improve in terms of his
efficiency when taking on blocks as well as a
tackler. He also lacks explosive strength and will
need to get stronger in order to anchor versus the
run as a SLB in the NFL. However, he has a good deal
of upside due to his versatility and size/speed
combo. He can play a backup role at a couple of
different LB positions early in his NFL career and
he also is a proven playmaker on special teams,
where he should be able to contribute right away. In
our opinion, Carpenter is a good value late in the
first or early in the second round of the 2006 draft
FoxSports: Overlooked or unheralded until he
dominated the action during the 2005
Texas-Ohio State game. Carpenter
continued to turn in highlight reel
tackles during the first eleven games of
the 2005 season. However, a fractured
right fibula vs. Michigan in the regular
season finale prevented him from playing
in the Fiesta Bowl. Causes havoc as a
pass rusher, which may earn him a job on
nickel alignments as a rookie.
19.
San Diego Chargers
Antonio Cromartie,
CB, Florida State
Our Take:
Take a chance. He has unique skills but
little experience due to injury etc.
Gutsy move. We have him rated as the top
DB in years to come.
About:
Antonio Cromartie, 6-2, 208, Florida State (Jr.):
We list him first due to his amazing potential, he will probably not be in the
top 3 cornerbacks taken, but we feel he will be the best of the group in 2 years
time. He is a big play type of player on the defensive side, because he is the
type of player that finds a way to get his hands on the ball and make things
happen, and he has the speed and hands of a wide receiver. Make no mistake, he
is the best true cornerback in this draft, whether his draft position shows that
is beside the point.
Official College Site:
Player Bio- Antonio Cromartie -- Florida State
official site
What the big boys are
saying:
ESPN/Scout:
Cromartie elected to make the NFL leap
after missing the entire 2005 season with a knee
injury. While he is still one of the true enigmas in
the 2006 class, Cromartie's showing at the combine
at least helped to verify his health and impressive
combination of size, speed and athletic ability. Not
only did he pass his physicals and look smooth
during coverage drills, Cromartie ran the 40-yard
dash in 4.41 seconds and also led all defensive
backs with an 11-foot broad jump. We would still be
reluctant to spend first round money on him,
Cromartie will be worth the risk in Round 2.
FoxSports:
Great size and speed for the position. Had
reportedly timed in the 4.3s previous to the knee
injury. Might have been viewed as a top 10 pick
heading into next year if he returned to school and
played to expected levels.
20.
Kansas City Chiefs:
Tamba
Hali, DE, Penn State
Our Take:
Hali has a very impressive repertoire of moves he
uses on the line. Hali has started since his
freshman year, so he could be the most polished DE
in the entire draft with his experience. Hali
finished the 2005 season with 11 sacks and 17 TFL.
He is a natural athlete with good size and speed to
match up at the next level. This is a great pickup
at this spot will be a starter for years. He dropped
from his original projections based on
his workouts, but the way he pays this
is a good spot for him.
About:
