RASHARD MENDENHALL - RB Round One - Pick #23 Positives: Has an athletic build with good muscular definition, big biceps, firm midsection and hips, thick thighs and calves...More quick than fast...Has excellent agility and balance through the rush lane...Tough, competitive athlete who has played behind some very average offensive lines, having to create a lot on his own...Instinctive runner with a good feel for the cutback lanes, doing a good job of setting up his moves in attempts to elude...Studies the game and, unlike most running backs, he has a good blue-collar work ethic...Shows good courage challenging bigger defenders and runs with a pitter-patter style...Makes good decisions and precise cuts into the hole, as he moves on the snap with no hesitation...Has good instincts, setting up and using his blocks well and has the vision to avoid and create on the move...Slides through the smallest of creases and knows how to get "skinny" and get through the spaces...Has the vision that lets him see things most backs don't...Can create if the hole is closed, but is best when taking what he can get...Does not dance in the hole, showing good body lean moving forward...Shows a good stiff-arm running with power to bounce off would-be tacklers...Not a burner, but flashes decent "scoot" to get into the second level...Has good quickness with deceptive long speed...Not really elusive, but when he sticks his foot in the ground, he has efficient plant-and-drive agility...His ball security improved in 2007, but he still needs to refine ball distribution...Plays strong, but using him as just a short-yardage back would be wasting his ability to run over second-level defenders, as he has that power to get through the hole...Has a good feel for the passing game with crisp cuts, but is not the type to split wide...Natural hands catcher -- receiver-quality -- and it is rare to see him fight with the ball...Not asked to block much, but is a team-oriented type who has the hip snap and power to block in-line and takes good angles to cut block...When he keeps his pads down (generally does), he uses his balance and leg drive to break through initial tackles...Best when utilized on screens as a receiver rather than have him attack the deep zone. Negatives: Lacks breakaway speed, but generates good acceleration...Coaches have worked hard to get him to reduce the arm motion used when carrying the ball, as it resulted in costly fumbles in 2006...Has loose hips, but on attempts to redirect, he can be stiff in his lateral movements...Will occasionally take false steps, but he doesn't affect his timing at the point...Has a quick sidestep, but is not really the shiftiest runner you will find...Has a feel for the cutback lanes, but lacks that extra gear and speed to turn the corner consistently at the next level (needs to be a bit more patient waiting for his linemen to pull)...Not much wiggle in his running stride, showing just adequate lateral slide while running and even when at full speed, he is more of a one-cut type (linear runner). READ MORE on Rashard Mendenhall LIMAS SWEED - WR Round Two - Pick #55 Positives: Has a tall, well-built and rare-sized frame, with proportioned muscles, good chest and upper body development, nice arm length, large hands and developed legs and calves...Has the straight-line speed and acceleration needed to be effective in the vertical passing game...Not a precise route runner, but his long stride helps him compensate and eat up the defender's cushion...Possesses good quickness and change-of-direction agility, along with excellent leaping ability, but he must improve his timing competing for jump balls...Fluid in his stride, showing the body control and the ability to adjust to the ball in flight...Has the arm extension and flexibility to elevate and make the acrobatic catches...Has good field awareness and is alert to coverages and locating the soft areas underneath...Displays good toughness and leadership, working hard in practices and studying tapes to gain advantage over his opponents...Has that extra gear needed to gain advantage coming off the snap (when he doesn't try to get into battles with the press defender)...Smooth into his routes and will get physical with the defender in route progression (feels every thrown ball is his)...Strong runner who might not run crisp routes, but has the natural burst and quickness to separate...Uses his long stride well to quickly close a defender's cushion, and while he still needs refinement here, when he drops his weight while making cuts he generates much better foot quickness...Needs to figure out how to beat the jam with other moves, but can overpower a smaller defender...Does a nice job of settling in the short area and has the awareness with good body control to work himself free from a crowd...Talented receiver on the boundary, as he is good at finding throwing lanes for his quarterback when attacking the zone...Does gather some in his routes, but flashes good ability to adjust to the coverage, doing a nice job of uncovering...Natural adjuster to off-line throws and can make a great catch while keeping his feet along the sidelines...Displays good ball skills and hands when hauling in the ball with defenders draped on him (will lose concentration at times, but it is not from a lack of courage)...Not the type who will double or body catch, as he is very effective at using his reach to extend for the ball and does a good job of looking the pass in over his outside shoulder...The thing you see on film is his ability to execute the comeback and stay square going for the ball...Has good reaction quickness to look the ball in and will not hesitate to assert himself in order to run unimpeded down the sidelines...Can pluck the ball outside of his frame and make the tough catches...Has the speed and acceleration to stretch the field vertically and the balls skills necessary to haul in the deep pbutt...Must do a better job of timing his leaps, but he has the flexibility to adjust for the high, low and behind tosses...Likes to overpower defenders after the catch, but does have nifty moves to elude (just doesn't use them often)...Strong runner, especially when he catches the ball in front of the defender. Negatives: Has excellent size and good strength, but he is not a face-up blocker and tends to shy away from contact when asked to lead block on sweeps and outside runs...Has had several problems with his left wrist that forced him to undergo mid-season surgery in 2007 and further medical evaluation is advised...Has a very fluid running stride, but is raw in his route running technique and needs to refine his plant-and-drive agility coming out of breaks (takes soft angle cuts, at times)...Also needs to show better stop-and-go action, as he will take a few false steps when trying to redirect back to the quarterback...Breaks off his routes too early when trying to get separation, and while he has a good reach he spends too much time trying to overpower press coverage defenders rather than trying to slip past and avoid...Also likes to combat with the defenders down field in attempts to get them out of their backpedal early, but it also ends up slowing down his route progression...Has had a history of concentration problems which prevents him from getting proper position to make the catch...Must do a better job of looking the ball in and securing it before trying to run with it (leads to dropped balls)...Has good leaping ability, but shows poor timing and arm extension trying to battle for jump balls (left 20 of 39 passes thrown to him behind in 2007)...More of a straight-line runner who can get under the pass nicely running straight-line routes, but lacks the loose hips to get a clean break and is more apt to break arm tackles rather than elude the defender in the open...For some reason, he failed to drop his weight and keep his feet working through pattern progression in 2007. READ MORE on Limas Sweed BRUCE DAVIS - LB/DE Round Three - Pick #88 Positives: Lacks the ideal strength, size and bulk to consistently combat offensive tackles on the line and does not have the quick feet to give long chase as an outside linebacker, but with his thick frame, broad shoulders and thick chest, he could be a perfect fit at strong-side linebacker in a 3-4 alignment at the next level...Is a decent second-effort player who gets most of his production when unblocked...Plays with a high motor and very good emotion...Durable player who will compete with injuries that would sideline others (back on the field with no missed time in 2005 after arthroscopic knee surgery two weeks earlier)...Has matured over the years, showing the work ethic that he did not display when he first arrived on campus as a freshman...Runs with a normal stride and steady acceleration and has the initial quickness off the snap, as well as the ability to accelerate in pursuit when he takes a straight-line path to the quarterback...Shows aggressiveness when taking on blockers, but needs to learn when to avoid the big men rather than battle them in attempts to get to the ball...Tough player who likes a challenge in one-on-one confrontations and could be successful moving to linebacker, as he generally wins battles when attempting to stack, control and reroute tight ends and slot receivers (better using his hands vs. tight end blocks with the ability to shed and close on outside runs)...Slow to read at times and will get fooled by play-action, but his motor never shuts down...When he gets a quick read, he can flash into the backfield and take a bead on the quarterback to pressure or sack...Might lack the lower-body strength to anchor, but when he keeps his hands active, his counter moves will let him gain advantage over a slower offensive lineman... Has enough quickness to fill the rush lanes, but must stay low in his pads to do so, or guards will quickly wash him away from the play...Has the short-area range and good concept for taking anglers to disrupt the backfield coming off the edge...When he extends his arms and keeps his hands inside his frame, he has success at creating separation...Has the functional speed vs. the outside run to seal the edge and force the action back inside (fails to do so when he gets too tall in his stance)...Has good desire to make the play and while he lacks natural hands for the interception, he is very good timing his leaps and extending himself to bat down passes at the line of scrimmage...Plays with good body lean and has an efficient rip move to get an edge on the outside shoulder of a blocker...Uses his hands effectively to reroute short area receivers and disrupt the play, Negatives: Undersized to play defensive end and has just adequate muscle definition, but his frame is ideal for a shift to strong-side linebacker at the next level...Shows adequate balance and agility moving forward, but struggles to redirect on the move, lacking the loose hips to fly to the ball...Needs several reps to retain plays and might struggle digesting a complicated playbook...Plays with good urgency to close once he locates the ball, but has only adequate instincts and showed at Senior Bowl practices that he will bite on play-action and pump fakes...Must show better hand usage playing off blockers, as he seems to lack a natural feel for eluding bigger people and will stay engaged with blockers too long, resulting in ballcarriers having success running in his area...Needs to play at a better pad level, as he tends to get too tall in his stance, causing him to struggle at the point of attack, as the bigger offensive linemen are able to get into his chest, lock on and control him...Uses his hands to get separation and shed blockers and get to the ball vs. tight ends and back, but struggles to gain leverage when matched up one-on-one with an offensive guard when working in-line...Gets too caught up in hand-to-hand combat with linemen at times, and is too slow shedding blocks...Must do a better job of protecting himself vs. low blocks when giving chase on outside runs and his angles and acceleration are inconsistent when playing in space...Slow to redirect off up-field moves and while he has the straight-line closing speed and effort to reach across the field, he will struggle to redirect (stiff hips)...Has good timed speed, but outside the short area, he fails to generate the top-end speed needed to pursue long distances...Needs to show better body control on the move when making open-field tackles...Shows quickness and acceleration as an edge rusher, but is inconsistent working through blocks (must keep his hands active and use his spin move better, as he tends to go right after the blocker rather than try to slip under blocks)...Plays too tall on inside twist stunts, getting easily blocked, as he does not do a great job of protecting his feet, especially vs. double teams (does not have the lower-body strength to stack and control)...Does not show the punishing power to collapse the pocket when trying to shoot the gap...Must develop a better feel for taking angles, as while he has success getting to the quarterback vs. slower blockers, his penchant for taking a wide loop will see him be consistently late to close at the next level. READ MORE on Bruce Davis TONY HILLS - OL Round Four - Pick #130 Positives: Has a tall frame with good bone structure and can carry at least another 20 pounds of bulk without having the added weight affect his overall quickness...Lacks ideal explosiveness coming off the snap, but has developed into an efficient position-and-wall-off type of blocker...Has adequate foot speed to get into position, but needs to do this with more urgency...Hard worker in the training room, evident by the progress he made in recovering from a career-threatening injury in 2003...Struggles to adjust laterally, but shows a nice slide and good pad level working in-line, using his hands well to widen the rush lanes...Plays with better balance and base at the line of scrimmage than when on the move...Good position blocker who works to sustain, but you would like to see him play with more aggression...Plays the game with his feet flat and shows enough forward surge to get some movement...More of a position blocker in the running game, getting better inside leverage than on the outside...When he keeps his pads down, he is able to wall off or force the chase routes, as he is effective at turning his hips and mirroring in the short area...Uses his long arms and reach to engulf smaller opponents...Might lack the physical components to dominate, but shows good technique with his hands, keeping them active and within his frame...Can hit moving targets in the short area, but is best moving straight ahead than down the line (good on the short pulls, sluggish on the long ones)...Adequate readjusting inside, but has decent retreat skills to protect the pocket...Can flash some quickness to defeat the defensive end to the set point and protect the corner, but will give up his upfield shoulder when he gets too tall in his stance...Grabs and clutches to control defender, compensating for a lack of a jarring hand punch. Negatives: Had a career-threatening knee injury in high school that resulted in nerve damage and needed minor surgery later to clean out debris...Coupled with his left leg (fibula) fracture late in 2007, further medical evaluation will be needed to get him a clean bill of health...Not explosive coming out of his stance and while he is a good position-type blocker, he lacks pop behind his hand punch...Might be a better fit inside at guard, as he's a bit of a waist bender with some stiffness in his hips that causes him to struggle vs. movement at times...Has to become more aggressive shooting his hands with force, as his punch won't shock or jolt an oncoming defender...Plays at a even keel tempo, but you would like to see a more "nasty" nature from a left tackle...Gets good hand placement, but must lock on, grab and drag down defenders with better intent (seems to be going through the motions at times)...When he gets too erect in his stance, bull rushers have had success pushing him back into the pocket and he needs to hunker down and anchor better (base gets narrow)...Likes to grab his opponent a lot, but needs to be more discrete when doing so to prevent costly penalties...Not the quickest in recognizing defensive schemes and will be late off the X's...Has problems moving laterally to handle the edge rushers and needs to be more forceful shooting his hands on reach blocks...Can handle the short pull, but his timed speed fails to translate when he has to move to the second level (looks sluggish moving long distances)...Better working in-line and must do a better job of staying square in his kick slide, as defenders have had success getting past him with good club moves on his outside shoulder...Must stay with his blocks longer moving upfield and has to take better angles when looking for second-level targets to hit. READ MORE on Tony Hills DENNIS DIXON - QB/WR Round Five - Pick #156 Positives: Has a tall, lean frame with athletic muscle tone, minimal body fat (4.5%) and a frame that can carry at least another 15 pounds of bulk with no loss in quickness...Has a tight waist and hips, with good thickness in the legs and thighs...Demonstrates very good balance and body control driving back from center and his quickness needs to be accounted for by the defense when he runs with the ball, as he has the valid second gear to separate...More patient in the pocket, but will not hesitate to run with the ball, adding a dangerous weapon to the ground game (ranks second in school history in yards rushing by a quarterback)...The team used the shotgun formation mostly, but Dixon has the quickness and athletic agility to move in the pocket and drive back from center to his throwing point...Best staying in the short area when throwing off the sprint, but can push the ball downfield on roll-out action when he steps into the throw...Quick and decisive, making good progression reads...Has worked on becoming more compact with his over-the-top delivery, showing a quicker release than he did in the past...Efficient using a sidearm release on the move (can adjust his release to the situation) and has effective throwing mechanics...Steps into his throws better and his compact, natural release has greatly reduced turnover totals...Has the functional arm strength to make all the throws, but needs to be conscious of his footwork, as he must step into his long tosses in order to prevent the ball from spraying...Can fire the ball into tight areas and showed in 2007 that he can unleash the deep ball without having to wind up like he did in the past...Looks to have much better velocity and zip on the ball after refining his release point as a senior and it is now rare to see his targets having to adjust...In the short area, Dixon's touch is evident, as he is doing a better job of setting his feet in order to have better accuracy...As evident by the 2007 Michigan and Stanford games, he now knows how to lay the ball out for the receiver to run under without having to make adjustments in the route...Knows when to take something off his short tosses and does a nice job of feathering the ball over the receiver's outside shoulder and away from the defender when attacking the deep zone...Steps into his throws better and has a more fluid finish (no longer pats the ball before throwing)...Even though he is still a very dangerous runner, he is more confident in his protection and will step up into the pocket or slide to avoid...Teammates have confidence that he will make the right decisions as he is more likely to go through his progressions rather than try to force the ball to his primary target...With his quick, rhythm throws on the move, his backs and slot receivers have greatly benefited, as he shows much better vision in locating alternate targets...Shows strength on the run and the loose hips to elude...With his peripheral vision, he does a nice job of sensing backside pressure and is more alert to when he has to step up and out to avoid pressure and buy time to allow the play to develop...Has the valid foot speed to be dangerous on the move...Even though he could use more bulk and strength, he has the functional leg drive to break tackles and shows good body lean to fall forward for extra yardage...Especially effective throwing to his left on the roll out and has the straight-line speed, along with the elusiveness to take the ball to the house when running past the line of scrimmage. Negatives: Needs to add more bulk to his frame in order to absorb punishment in the pocket at the professional level...Did not communicate well with the previous offensive coordinator, but the arrival of Chip Kelly as the team's new coordinator and quarterbacks coach saw the staff cater their game plan to Dixon's assets...Threw under duress frequently in the past and was too jittery in the pocket, but he learned to take time to make his reads and checks and will throw the ball away rather than try to create something out of nothing...Not known as a "gym rat" in the offseason training room and needs monitoring in order to do the little extras, but the new offensive coordinator had him more involved in the game planning than the past regime...Can throw on the move, but must be alert to setting his feet and stepping into those throws, or it will affect his accuracy...When he throws across his body or off the wrong foot, his passes tend to spray, causing his targets to adjust off their routes...As a junior, he was always waiting for the "hook" from the coaching staff and lost confidence in his ability to read coverage and would force the ball too often, especially on deep routes (had five games with multiple interceptions)...In the past, he did not always follow through when throwing deep, as he had a bit of a long throwing arc...Under the old coordinator, he looked very skittish standing in the pocket and would bolt at the first sign of pressure...Doctors anticipate he will need a minimum of six months to recover from December left knee anterior cruciate ligament reconstructive surgery, making it hard for teams to get a good evaluation on his recovery leading up to the April draft...The injury could possibly make him reconsider his career path, as he is already property of the Atlanta Braves baseball organization. (In a late November interview after his injury, the QB was asked about whether he would play baseball or football and responded, "I'll talk with my family at the end of the season," Dixon said. "I'll see what my (NFL draft) forecast is and how I do at the various evaluations and talk to my family. It will be a thorough decision process. ... I have a lot of options. The sky is the limit.") READ MORE on Dennis Dixon MIKE HUMPAL - LB Round Six - Pick #188 Positives: Has good upper-body muscle development, adequate arm length and good thickness in his thighs and calves...Plays with good aggression and a sense of urgency, showing consistent effort throughout the game...Solid open-field tackler who has a good feel for blocking pressure when playing inside the box, using his power to stack the run up at the line...Quick in reacting to the play, doing a nice job of locating the ball while knifing through traffic...Shows the ability and power needed to stack and control tight ends at the point of attack...Gets up in a hurry when he's knocked off his feet and makes plays because of his ability to read the offensive plan quickly...Shows good hand usage to tie up the tight ends...Takes proper angles to the ballcarrier and is capable of sifting through the trash at the line...Has a low charge to stack blockers at the line of scrimmage and shows good knee bend as he meets blockers with aggression...Plays at a good pad level, as he has adequate balance and range to roam the field...Plays the flat and curl routes tight and displays enough lateral agility to string the plays wide...Decent wrap-up tackler who stays in control taking on the larger blockers...Maintains balance on the move and uses his hands well to gain separation...Has impressive flexibility dropping off in the zone, staying tight with the receivers in the short area....Has above-average agility in his zone drops and stays in control working in space...Will uncoil and punish ballcarriers when filling the rush lanes, showing enough flexibility to make hard tackles in pursuit...Sifts through blocks with good effectiveness and can squeeze down the line to make plays in pursuit...Has developed a strong punch to shock the ball carrier on contact, as he has the upper body strength to control the outside running game and redirect it back inside. Negatives: Shows good hand usage, but needs to keep them inside his frame more often to prevent blockers from getting into his chest...Also needs to use his hands better when working in the pile, as he can be cut by low blocks and struggles to disengage, getting tied up by the larger offensive linemen at the point...Lacks the speed to cover receivers in the flat, but is good at staying with tight ends and backs in the short area...Lacks pass-rush technique, relying more on his hustle to get to the quarterback than mechanics (good blitzer working in-line, but must develop better rip and swim moves coming off the edge)...Must do a better job of opening his hips and planting and driving better, as he does look a bit clumsy turning out of his breaks (late to get back into the route). READ MORE on Mike Humpal RYAN MUNDY - FS Round Six - Pick #194 Positives: Tall and wiry with long arms. ... Willing to hit and aid teammates holding up the pile. ... Can wrap up receivers in the open field. ... Adequate reaction time in zones. ... Good downhill speed, and can get into the play from the deep secondary or attack a back behind the line if playing up. ... Will take proper angle to prevent huge plays on longer runs. Negatives: Bit of a corner/safety 'tweener in build and coverage skills. ... Not much of a factor around the line, but was mostly used in a centerfield capacity in 2007. ... More of a catcher than explosive tackler. ... Does not have great lower body strength. ... Does not always take the correct angle coming in to support against the run. ... A bit high and stiff in his backpedal. ... Needs to be more of a factor on special teams in the NFL. READ MORE on Ryan Mundy
You guys had a great first day. Not too sure on 2nd day, don't know too many of those guys. I think the best drafts were: Kansas City, Carolina, and Washington. Pitt had a great first day too.
I like all but Humpel. I don't like where they picked Dixon and rather had a CB or DL, but I like the idea of possibly converting Dixon to a WR ala Kordell Stewart or Antwan Randle El. With rodhead Wilson gone, they may need a WR to throw a couple passes. Dixon could certainly do that. Of course Hines can do it as well... I felt like Dixon was more of a luxury pick that was taken too early. We'll see how it pans out...
I like the Humpel pick hes big and physical and will be a force on special teams (One of my biggest concerns)
I need more convincing on him...I think Mundy could be a nice special teams guy, but I'm not loving Humpel right yet. Maybe if I read some more about him, I'm also a little ignorant on him so...it may just be me...
I watched his college video he looks to good at floating in the middle and also a good tackler, Like I said, I only expect him to be good for special teams. Bruce Davis on the other hand, He will provide a great passrush when Harrison or Woodley need a break (also may be a good special teamer.) Here ward if you haven't seen them yet, Go here Humpal is ranked #33 (and they have him listed as OLB) just click the video camera next to him to watch his college highlights, also Bruce Davis is on the same page hes ranked #19 if you want to watch his as well, enjoy and give me some feedback. http://nfldraft.rivals.com/viewprorank.asp?ra_key=131
I like Davis a lot. I posted those highlights in another thread. There's also a Mendenhall and Sweed thread out there with You Tube highlights. I watched the Humpal highlights. Pretty much goes against everything I've read on him which is good and what I would expect from a highlight video. I could see him possibly being a Special Teams guy. Maybe like an Eric Ravotti or Clint Kriewaldt and I would be happy with that. Curious to see how Dougerrr feels about this pick. He's a big Hawkeyes fan...
Mendenhall: Hated, now love. :icon_cheesygrin: Sweed: Like a lot. :icon_cool: Davis: He'll be the next big thing at LB for the Steelers! :icon_twisted: :icon_twisted: Hills: Great Pick. I love lineman from Texas! :icon_cool: Humpal: ??? :icon_confused: Mundy: ??? :icon_rolleyes:
