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| Draft Positions |
Overviews
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DT | ILB | OLB | CB | S | PK | P
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Players by Position
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DT | ILB | OLB | CB | S | PK | P
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Quarterbacks |
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There are a lot of so-called "experts" who are comparing this QB group to
the 1983 draft, which featured six quarterbacks in the first round -- John
Elway, Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason, and Ken O'Brien.
As good as this 1998 group is, they will probably not come close to the 1983
crop. Tim Couch, the talented Jr. from Kentucky, will lead the charge and
will almost surely be the first pick in this draft, but the real competition
will come between a talented group that includes Donovan McNabb (Syracuse),
Akili Smith (Oregon), Daunte Culpepper (Central Florida), Brock Huard
(Washington), and Cade McNown (UCLA). There are seven or eight teams that
need a young franchise QB, and although NFL teams do not usually reach for
QB's in the draft, this year may be an exception, as there are a large
number of veteran NFL QB's past the age of 35, and not enough young players
to satisfy the demand. Look for all of these QB's in the "elite" group to
be gone by the middle of the second round, but the weakness in this position
is in the middle rounds. There are not a lot of exciting developmental type
QB's in this draft, and this appears to be a year that will dictate... "if
you want and need a quarterback, you better grab him early". It would also
not be surprising to see several QB's drafted in the 7th round after a QB
"drought" in the middle to late rounds. Many NFL teams are looking for a
fourth "arm" in training camp and would rather draft a guy late than have to
fight for him as a free-agent.
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| Fullbacks |
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With the exception of Robert Konrad from Syracuse, there is not a real "star
of the future" in this group, although there appear to be some good role
players. Fullbacks, by nature, are not drafted very high and this year
should be no exception. Most of the guys in this group will be solid
mid-round picks that will be plugged in to an NFL team that will utilize
their specific skills. All of these FB's will also be asked to contribute
on special teams as rookies, which is where they may make their money.
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| Running Backs |
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This is a group that features Ricky Williams...and the rest. He is a
clear-cut favorite as the best RB in this draft and maybe in recent years,
but there is a dramatic drop-off after Williams. As in most years, the
underclassmen opting to enter the draft early, usually make this position
much deeper. Underclassman Edgerrin James (Miami-Fla), Amos Zereoue (West
Virginia), Sedric Irvin (Michigan St.), and Cecil Collins (McNeese St.) are
all interesting guys that will give depth to this group, but there don't
appear to be any superstars among them, although James has the best shot to
be the only other RB to go in the first round besides Williams. Collins is
a very interesting guy, as he has first or second round talent, but there is
so much "off the field" baggage associated with him, that he may really drop
in the draft. This appears to be a year in which a team needing a back can
find a quality guy in Rounds two and three, and some very interesting
developmental types on the second day in the draft. This is probably a
group that has more quantity than quality, but there will be some "gems"
found by the best prepared NFL personnel departments in the second day.
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| Wide Receivers |
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This is a very average WR group, although much like the RB's, there are
some solid football players that won't merit a first round pick. This
position was further weakened by the decisions of Peter Warrick (Florida
St.) and R. Jay Soward (USC) to stay in school for their senior year. Both
would have been first round considerations, and NFL teams will have to wait
another year for their services. The class of this group is North Carolina
State's Torry Holt, who should be the only guy to go in the Top Ten picks,
although Ohio State's Jr. David Boston is certainly a mid-first round
candidate, and could even move up a little bit, depending on his spring
workouts. After the "Big Two", there is a solid group of players that
includes Kevin Johnson (Syracuse), Dwayne Bates (Northwestern), and Peerless
Price (Tennessee) that could go anywhere from the late first round through
the second round. Philosophically, NFL teams do not like to take wide
receivers in the first round unless they are impact guys. The feeling has
always been that the WR position is deep enough on draft day that a team can
find a quality player in the later rounds. This year appears to be no
different, and although some of these top echelon players will be in a lot
of mock first rounds, don't be surprised if all of them, except Holt and
Boston, are sitting there in Round two. There is also good second day depth
at the WR position and there will be quality players taken in the middle to
late rounds.
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| Tight Ends |
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This is a fairly solid group, in terms of depth, but there doesn't appear to
be a superstar among them. It is unlikely that any TE will go in the first
round, but look for a nice run on TE's in Rounds two and three. The best of
the bunch may be North Dakota's Jimmy Kleinsasser, who has the potential to
be an all-around player, but has also played on a lesser level of
competition and, as a result, he may not be an immediate impact guy. The
only real Jr. of quality in this group is Rufus French of Mississippi, who
has excellent pass catching skills, but is really a one-dimensional player.
Speaking of that, this seems to be a group that features players that have
certain skills but none are the complete package and, as a result, they may
be drafted as role players. There is probably not a Ricky Dudley or Tony
Gonzalez in this draft class, but there will be some interesting guys
plucked out in the middle to late rounds.
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| Offensive Tackles |
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Although this group isn't as strong as last year's, there are a couple of
talented Jr.'s that have improved the overall depth at the top of the draft.
As in most years, many college OT's wind up as NFL OG's, due to lack of
range, movement, etc., and this year is no different. The cream of the crop
in 1998 may be Jr. John Tait, from BYU, who is the most pure LOT in this
group, which really raises his stock. Another guy who may have "shot" into
the first round is Lonnie Shelton of Eastern Michigan, who is really an
intriguing player to NFL teams and is sneaking up a lot of draft boards.
Junior Kris Farris (UCLA) seems to have cooled off a little bit, but is
still a solid football player. In most NFL drafts there are usually 5-6
OT's that will go in the first round, even if their draft grade doesn't
reflect first round value. Look for a "run" on OT's in the 20-31 range in
the first round, as most NFL teams are afraid to wait to draft a "big man",
and the tendency is to take them a little earlier than they deserve. Any of
these guys that can play LOT will be valued as a higher commodity and it
will be reflected in their draft status. There are some interesting second
or third round picks at the OT position, and there should also be enough
developmental type players with at least one redeeming quality that will get
a look in the later rounds, but the cream of this crop may be gone by the
40th pick.
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| Offensive Guards |
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Depending on which OT's wind up being projected to OG, directly affects the
strength of this position. As an example, Wisconsin's Aaron Gibson is
likely a top 15 pick as an OT, but many NFL teams project him to the OG
position. In either case, he will be drafted high. The most pure OG in
this group is Doug Brzezinski from Boston College, who is a prototype NFL
OG. After those two, there will probably not be a run of OG's until late in
the second round or early in the third round. Philosophically, most NFL
teams try to avoid taking an OG high in the draft, as they feel that it is
not an impact position and that also there are enough guys around that they
can find one in the mid to late rounds. Look for a steady "run" of OG's to
be drafted on the second day. Most of them will be big strong guys with
limited speed and athletic ability...that is why they are playing OG instead
of OT. Overall, this is a solid group, but look for some of the OG's ranked
near the top to slip a little bit on draft day, as teams simply wait for the
value to match up with the need.
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| Center |
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This is a very average group, with only one outstanding player, and he is
Damien Woody from Boston College. He may be the best OC to enter the draft
in several years and the amazing part is that he is only a Junior. It is
rare for an offensive lineman to enter the draft early, but in Woody's case,
it may be a smart move. Although NFL teams do not like to take OC's in the
first round, Woody will certainly "tempt" them. After he is selected, there
will be a huge drop-off before another OC is picked. As for the rest of the
group, you could almost throw in a bag and shake them, as they are all
similar in ability and most of them will probably be chosen on the second
day of the draft.
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| Defensive Ends |
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This is not a very strong group, especially considering some of the best
prospects are "tweener" types that could wind up on NFL boards as OLB's.
The best of this group is Florida's Jevon Kearse, who will probably wind up
as a Top Ten pick as a pass rush specialist, in the Simeon Rice mold. After
Kearse, it is a mixed bag, with several players that have great athletic
skills but are not complete players at this stage. Lamar King (Saginaw
Valley), Ebenezer Ekuban (North Carolina), Tony Bryant (Florida St.), and
Mike Rucker (Nebraska) are all examples of athletes with interesting
qualities, but none of them are close to being in the Andre Wadsworth
mold...although Lamar King is a very interesting guy that could sneak into
the first round if NFL teams are comfortable about his ability to make the
jump in competition from Saginaw Valley to the NFL. Pass rushers are hard
to find in any draft, and as a result, they are usually selected higher than
their talent level would indicate. This year is no different, as most of
these guys, with the exception of Kearse, will probably carry second round
grades going into the draft, but don't be shocked if there is a little bit
of a "run" on DE's at the bottom of the first round. Most of these guys are
somewhat gambles because they are not complete players at this stage and are
really being drafted on their potential. There is also not a tremendous
amount of depth at the DE position, so don't expect a lot of quality
selections in the middle to late rounds, although NFL teams will try to "dig
out" developmental types.
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| Defensive Tackle |
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In recent years, defensive tackle in the NFL has become somewhat of a
"glamour" position because of the impact of talented "1 gap" penetrators.
However, 1999 is not a particularly strong class, although there are some
interesting guys available. The only two players that have a legitimate
shot to go in the first round are Anthony McFarland (LSU), and Jared DeVries
(Iowa), and neither one of them are sure locks. There is a solid group of
second and third round possibilities, and there will likely be a "run"
midway through the second round. A factor that is somewhat interesting at
the DT position is the fact that when they start coming off the board, they
usually come in "bunches", as NFL teams put so much emphasis on size, that
they have a fear that they cannot wait any longer to get their "big men" in
the draft. Most of the good DT's will be gone by the end of day one and
the rest of the draft will feature NFL teams rolling the dice on incomplete
players that have one redeeming quality, whether it be size, quickness, etc.
This is a position that it is possible to find a developmental type player
in the later rounds, but he will probably not be a very good athlete.
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| Inside Linebacker |
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This is a solid group that was really boosted by the entrants of two
outstanding Jr.'s in this draft...Chris Claiborne (USC) and Andy Katzenmoyer
(Ohio St.). They are both impact players and will be gone by the end of the
first round, even though the ILB position is one in which NFL teams try to
avoid using a first round pick on. After the "Big Two", it could easily be
the third round before another ILB is selected. There is a solid group of
mid-round guys that will fill a need, but this is definitely a position that
teams will not reach for. The most interesting selection after the first
round at this position will be the Dat Nguyen (Texas A&M) "watch". He is
one player in this draft that everybody is pulling for, but he will likely
not be selected until the second day. As usual, there are a lot of big
names of guys that had productive college careers, but they will not be
drafted as high as their "public persona" indicates.
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| Outside Linebacker |
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Much like the DE position, you cannot grade OLB's, unless you factor in the
undersized pass rushers, which depending on the NFL team, could actually be
on DE boards rather than listed as OLB's. The two best examples of this are
Jevon Kearse (Florida), and Tom Burke (Wisconsin). Both of whom have OLB
size, but are primarily pass rushers. The rest of the players in this group
have a lot of potential, but there is not a franchise guy in the bunch. The
top three players Rahim Abdullah (Clemson), Gary Stills (West Virginia), and
Hannibal Navies (Colorado) are all guys with a high upside, but each of them
all have weaknesses. It is not inconceivable that none of these OLB's will
carry a first round grade into the draft, although individual team needs
will probably dictate that one or two will go in the first round. After
that, the quality of players available is closer to late second round, third
round, and fourth round level. This is also not a very deep group and there
do not appear to be a lot of quality guys that will still be available in
the later rounds.
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| Corners |
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This seems to be a group that is picking up a little steam, and although it
may not match last year's class, there are some solid players available in
1999. There could be as many as five DC's selected in the first round, led
by Champ Bailey, the "all everything" Jr. star from Georgia. He is the
Charles Woodson of this draft and should go in the first five picks. Other
guys that have a shot in the first round are Chris McAlister (Arizona),
Antoine Winfield (Ohio St.), and Fernando Bryant (Alabama), and possibly
Fred Vinson (Vanderbilt), but he may not be as "hot" as he used to be. One
name conspicuously absent here is Dre' Bly from North Carolina, who a year
ago looked like a sure-fire first round pick and will now probably drop into
the second round. There is a quality number of DC's that will be available
in the second and third rounds, as there is decent depth at this position.
There will also be some players selected in the later rounds that will not
be common household names, as DC seems to be a position that NFL teams put a
lot of emphasis on individual spring workouts, and if a player tests well,
athletically, when a scout or coach is on campus, he may merit a late round
selection.
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| Safeties |
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This is not a strong group, and it was further weakened by the serious
mid-season knee injury to Anthony Poindexter (Virginia), who before his
injury was the only sure-fire first round pick in this group. The only
other consideration is Clemson's Antwan Edwards, but he is coming off a
so-so Sr. year, even though he has all the athletic measurables that an NFL
team is looking for. After that, there is a dramatic drop-off, in terms of
impact players...and that fact, combined with the NFL philosophy that you
don't draft safeties very high, really pushes the value of that position
down in the draft. There may be a couple of DS's that will go in the third
round, but the bulk of this group will be selected on the second day. Much
like the DC position, a lot of safeties are picked up in the sixth and
seventh rounds, as teams roll the dice on players that have at least one
redeeming quality.
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| Placekickers |
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Usually an afterthought, but there are two of the nation's most prolific kickers in recent memory in this group -- Kansas State's Martin Gramatica and Tennessee's Jeff Hall. Some project Gramatica in the first three or four rounds. His leg is that impressive. Hall is an interesting case who has shown great leadership abilities. The Volunteers even voted him a co-captain. His leg isn't as big as Gramatica's, but he's a consistent kicker who may be worth a late-round pick for some needy team.
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| Punters |
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These are usually strictly late-round picks. This year's crop, though, boasts someone who may make an early impact in the NFL -- Georgia Tech's Rodney Williams. He has a huge leg and reminds some of former NFL great Ray Guy. In fact, even Guy said he reminds him of Guy. Williams is bigger than most punters -- 6-foot-1, 189 pounds -- and he's extremely flexible, accounting for good hang-time and some booming punts. He'll have to learn how to handle snaps for placekicks.
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