Favorites in the 2008 Draft?

[G_Money]

I don't start many threads, but I'm curious:

Who are your favorite players to bet on in this draft? Not the best-rated at their positions, but the guys who you just KNOW will succeed as pros.

A few of mine:

WR - Jordy Nelson. He blew up Talib when they played, just absolutely lit him up. He's a fiery leader by example, a rough and rugged football player, and he can do just about anything you want: catch the short routes, the deep routes, return kicks and punts, block, tackle on special teams...

And he has a hunger to excel. Not just survive, but to be great. Jordy's gonna be a pro for a long time, and the team that drafts him isn't gonna be sorry - and I don't care what the stopwatch says.

RB - Matt Forte. Do I really need to say any more about this kid than I've said? Another stop-watch casualty who just does it all on the field: Block, catch, and oh yeah, run for a couple thousand yards. ESPN has him ranked 12th, and I guarantee you there are not 11 better backs in this draft.

Some places are talking about him as a fullback. Matt has great character and work ethic, and he'll do whatever you tell him to do and do it well, but he's not a fullback. Whatever team he straps on the pads on for is going to be very pleasantly surprised by the running back they get.

SS - Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard is another terrific student-athlete, excelling both in the classroom and on the field. He has a fire and a hunger to win, and he's an inspiration to his teammates. I don't think he's a LB in the pros, but if moved back to his original position of safety I think he can excel. He's tremendous in the open field, is great in blitzes and pursuit, and can handle coverage while hitting like a hammer. It all sounds like a SS to me.

And he has that thing that people respond to in the huddle. He's just got It, and I don't bet against those guys.

LB - Jordan Dizon. Dizon's problem is his size: he's just too little to play LB in the bigs. Of course, so was Sam Mills, who was smaller. Every "little" LB gets the Sam Mills comparison when a team drafts him, but after watching Dizon for several years he's just a playmaker. If he's the only thing between a back and huge gain, he'll make the tackle. If he's on the blitz and he HAS to get to the QB, he does. He has all the instincts and all the heart - God just didn't build him to look like Ray Lewis.

That's gonna cost him some cash, but it won't stop him. IMO, he'll be a 2nd day linebacker, and a starter on his team by year 2. "Under-rated" is going to define his career, but it'll only be by the media, not his teammates or his opponents. There will be several linebackers chosen ahead of him that teams will wish they had not drafted...but not the team that adds Dizon on Day 2.

----------------------------------------------------------------

I follow the draft for two reasons: to see what my team does and to see where the players that I respect go so I can follow their progress.

That's a few of the ones I'll be following this year - who's on your list?

~G

[Slick]

The only person on your list that I'm familiar with is Dizon. They don't show much college ball south of the border.

Nice breakdowns. I'm high on Owen Schmitt. Whether or not Shanahan believes in a true FB anymore is irrelevant IMO. This guy is NFL ready now. He plays with a passion and rage that this team would benefit greatly from.

His value is slated at 3rd or 4th round and I think he's the 2nd best FB on most draft boards.

[Requiem / The Dagda]

DJ Hall, WR - Alabama Has character concerns, but has the ability to stretch the field and good triangulars and runs good routes. Nice height, a little on the light side - but has the ability to make plays for teams. Could be an poor man's Donte Stallworth, and I think he's the kind of compliment that Brandon Marshall would need here. Has legitimate starting potential in the NFL. On a side note, looks bad ass.

Jonathan Goff, LB - Vanderbilt Top notch character, a leader on the field and someone who plays with a fire in his belly. Probably one of the best, but most underrated linebackers in this draft. Can play MIKE or SAM, and has been extremely productive. Has the instincts and has a nose for the ball and makes plays in both aspects of the game. Just a person you'd hate to doubt, and the only reason he'll slide is because he will run a slow 40 time. He'll be a great player in my opinion.

John Greco, OL - Toledo Only saw him play a few games this year (Ball State was one in particular), but he's an absolutely is a mauler. Can play multiple positions, but would be a fantastic guard or even RT in the NFL. Plays nasty and murders people when he gets to the second level. With a name like Greco, can you go wrong?

Philip Wheeler, LB - Georgia Tech I don't think I can say enough about him. A fantastic player who people seems to think stunk at MLB at Georgia Tech, but consistently produced. Always is around the ball and is an excellent blitzer. Was an average pass defender, but has shown he can do a good job in Mobile from all reports. He has versatility, and is another reason I like him. Just seems to know how to play the position and has the athleticism and smarts to succeed.

Tashard Choice, RB - Georgia Tech A jack of all trades but a master of none, runs hard and finishes every play and has the ability to catch the ball somewhat effectively out of the backfield. Has nice patience and extremely good vision. He's my preference for a running back in this draft, and where I thought he might be a fourth round guy or so, will probably move up after his Senior Bowl performances. Won't run a 4.45 and doesn't have break away speed; but he can be a good pro. Some people compare him to E. Smith, and that's pretty good company.

Quintin Demps, S - UTEP Extremely good player who always seems to be around the ball, whether it's in the run or pass. Has special teams potential as a gunner and a returner. Might be a little undersized, but could excel in a scheme as a FS who is allowed to drop back and roam in coverage. A solid player.

There are a lot more, but I don't want to ruin the surprise.

[SmilinAssasSin27]

Hi 5 on Jon Goff

I think Jamie Silva, S, Boston College, from what I've seen, is gonna be a player in this league. John Lynch clone. Big hitter who many said he had to prove he can cover. This year he had very good INT numbers and made a big difference for Boston College.

[G_Money]

Philip Wheeler, LB - Georgia Tech

Tashard Choice, RB - Georgia Tech

Quintin Demps, S - UTEP

Wheeler, Choice and Demps are on my list too. :beer:

As for Jamie Silva I loooove his approach to the game. I dunno if he'll be more than a great STer and backup, but he could really be somebody if he blossoms like he's capable of at the next level.

~G

[BroncoAV06]

WR Dorien Bryant- Ever since I watched the Purde vs C. Michigan game I have had my eye on this kid. Explosive PR, very quick (only 5'10'') and has displayed good hands/route running this week. Might be hard for him to become a productive player every week due to his size but he should definitly help someone on returns, the ocassional reception, and maybe a trick play or two.

WR Adarius Bowman-Trouble with routes and dropping some balls this week, but the dude is built! 6'4'' 220. Will need to of course work on getting better seperation from DB's but if he can learn to use his size that should help him out some. Also got to love a guy that looks to score after every catch. Head coach Mike Gundy said he was always a threat for their offense, they could throw a 7 yard slant and he could turn it into a 69 yard TD.

DE Burce Davis- Was very productive as an edge rusher at UCLA. Does not look to project as an every down DE, should look very good as an edge rusher in a 3-4. Knows how to get to the QB and that is always a good thing.

LB Ben Moffit- A player in the same boat as Dizion, not overly big or freakishly athletic. Was all over the field for the Bulls, caught a couple of games early in the year and he was always around the play. Makes tackles and the motor is always running to red line. One of those players that looks to be a speacial teams captin and always ready to fill in at ILB.

Just a few names that ran across my mind at the moment.

[BOSSHOGG30]

If I’m not including top picks like Jamaal Charles, Jonathon Stewart, Sedrick Ellis, and Chris Long then I would have to put together a list of guys like this:

Philip Wheeler, LB - Georgia Tech
Gosder Cherilius, OT – Boston College
Kory Lichtensteiger, C – Bowling Green
Dre Moore, DT – Maryland
Andrew Studebaker, DE/OLB – Wheaton
Philip Wheeler, OLB/MLB – Georgia Tech
Dan Conner, OLB/MLB – Penn State
Shawn Crable, OLB – Michigan
Brandon Coutu, K – Georgia
Mike Dragosavich, P – North Dakota St.
Simeon Castille, S – Alabama
Dejuan Moragan, S – North Carolina St.
Brad Cottam, TE – Tennessee
James Hardy, WR – Indiana
Early Doucet, WR – LSU
Adrius Bowman, WR – Oklahoma St.
Sean Bailey, WR – Georgia
Matthew Forte, RB – Tulane
Jehuu Caulrick, RB/FB – Michigan St.

[BigDaddyBronco]

If I’m not including top picks like Jamaal Charles, Jonathon Stewart, Sedrick Ellis, and Chris Long then I would have to put together a list of guys like this:

Philip Wheeler, LB - Georgia Tech
Gosder Cherilius, OT – Boston College
Kory Lichtensteiger, C – Bowling Green
Dre Moore, DT – Maryland
Andrew Studebaker, DE/OLB – Wheaton
Philip Wheeler, OLB/MLB – Georgia Tech
Dan Conner, OLB/MLB – Penn State
Shawn Crable, OLB – Michigan
Brandon Coutu, K – Georgia
Mike Dragosavich, P – North Dakota St.
Simeon Castille, S – Alabama
Dejuan Moragan, S – North Carolina St.
Brad Cottam, TE – Tennessee
James Hardy, WR – Indiana
Early Doucet, WR – LSU
Adrius Bowman, WR – Oklahoma St.
Sean Bailey, WR – Georgia
Matthew Forte, RB – Tulane
Jehuu Caulrick, RB/FB – Michigan St.

You must REALLY like Wheeler as you have him on your list twice. :D

[Skinny]

A couple guys i seeing being successful are Earl Bennett, Philip Wheeler, Erin Henderson, Jared Mayo, and Jonathan Goff.

Mayo is a 'Playmaker' who has the smarts and ability to make big plays while the other are not so much in that same mold but are very consistent and fundamentally sound. Those type of players usually stick around on a roster somewhere.

Last but not least, my homer choice ... Cory Boyd. He can do it all and has nice size to do it with. All heart and desire and he plays full tilt for 4 quarters ...

[CoachChaz]

My guy on the 2nd day.

Caleb Campbell - SS
6'3", 223. 4.48

http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q303/closiewicz/caleb.jpg

[SmilinAssasSin27]

Hey Boss...get me a pic of Ainge.

BTW, how is he looking? In the right O, I think he'll be a solid NFL QB.

[HolyDiver]

I don't start many threads, but I'm curious:

Who are your favorite players to bet on in this draft? Not the best-rated at their positions, but the guys who you just KNOW will succeed as pros.

A few of mine:

WR - Jordy Nelson. He blew up Talib when they played, just absolutely lit him up. He's a fiery leader by example, a rough and rugged football player, and he can do just about anything you want: catch the short routes, the deep routes, return kicks and punts, block, tackle on special teams...

And he has a hunger to excel. Not just survive, but to be great. Jordy's gonna be a pro for a long time, and the team that drafts him isn't gonna be sorry - and I don't care what the stopwatch says.

RB - Matt Forte. Do I really need to say any more about this kid than I've said? Another stop-watch casualty who just does it all on the field: Block, catch, and oh yeah, run for a couple thousand yards. ESPN has him ranked 12th, and I guarantee you there are not 11 better backs in this draft.

Some places are talking about him as a fullback. Matt has great character and work ethic, and he'll do whatever you tell him to do and do it well, but he's not a fullback. Whatever team he straps on the pads on for is going to be very pleasantly surprised by the running back they get.

SS - Wesley Woodyard. Woodyard is another terrific student-athlete, excelling both in the classroom and on the field. He has a fire and a hunger to win, and he's an inspiration to his teammates. I don't think he's a LB in the pros, but if moved back to his original position of safety I think he can excel. He's tremendous in the open field, is great in blitzes and pursuit, and can handle coverage while hitting like a hammer. It all sounds like a SS to me.

And he has that thing that people respond to in the huddle. He's just got It, and I don't bet against those guys.

LB - Jordan Dizon. Dizon's problem is his size: he's just too little to play LB in the bigs. Of course, so was Sam Mills, who was smaller. Every "little" LB gets the Sam Mills comparison when a team drafts him, but after watching Dizon for several years he's just a playmaker. If he's the only thing between a back and huge gain, he'll make the tackle. If he's on the blitz and he HAS to get to the QB, he does. He has all the instincts and all the heart - God just didn't build him to look like Ray Lewis.

That's gonna cost him some cash, but it won't stop him. IMO, he'll be a 2nd day linebacker, and a starter on his team by year 2. "Under-rated" is going to define his career, but it'll only be by the media, not his teammates or his opponents. There will be several linebackers chosen ahead of him that teams will wish they had not drafted...but not the team that adds Dizon on Day 2.

----------------------------------------------------------------

I follow the draft for two reasons: to see what my team does and to see where the players that I respect go so I can follow their progress.

That's a few of the ones I'll be following this year - who's on your list?

~G


I like those guys you mentioned................I'm really focusing on Jamie Silva, Chauncey Washington, The DT from Notre Dame...............The BC Tackle, Jamar Adams and Shawn Crable, the Safety and Linebacker from Michigan and a few others. Dizon is small, but 10 more pounds could make a big difference.............I'm looking forward to this game. I'm sure I'll be taking advantage of my DVR as far as using the slow motion to isolate on certain players...............In a game like this, the score means absolutely nothing.