2007 NFL Draft Top Prospects

This column usually goes up on Sunday, but I have delayed it this week because I’ve been trying to take in everything that is the NFL Combine. As the draft hopefuls gather in Indianapolis, under the lights of the RCA Dome, some players have been helping their stock, while others have been hurting theirs.

To get you started as we all approach draft day, is a look at the top ten talents in this year’s draft. Note that the players are being ranked on talent and skill. A mock draft will be ready for you clowns next week, as we prepare for some good, old-fashioned prop betting!

1. Calvin Johnson (WR) – Georgia Tech

Johnson has described himself as a cross between Randy Moss and Terrell Owen, physically, with the character and mental head space of Marvin Harrison. Sounds pretty appealing doesn’t it? Well, if you have seen his game tape, then you know how devastating of a playmaker he is.

At 6-foot-5 and 235lbs, he is a nightmare to match-up against. After he has beaten you with his size and 45” vertical jump, Johnson can explode through tackles with his immense frame. Johnson ran a 4.3 second 40-yard dash at the Combine…in another man’s shoes (he did not plan on participating until he saw how many coaches were there).

Wide-receivers and first-round picks have not mixed well in the past. Only ten of the last thirty wide-outs taken in the first round have gone on to the pro-bowl. Nobody wants to be the next guy who breaks the bank to get J.J Stokes.

Still, Johnson is a special breed of athlete, but need is also paramount in the draft. Four of the top five teams do not have any considerable need for a wide-receiver, but Johnson’s measurable make it hard to pass up on him.

2. JaMarcus Russell (QB) – LSU

This monster is taller then Vince Young and bigger than Daunte Culpepper. Plus, he can actually thread the needle on passes. And if you are not fully convinced of his skills, just look at the Sugar Bowl game against Notre Dame.

Yes, people will be screaming that they have seen this kind of athlete before in Daunte Culpeper, but Russell is testing off the charts in most rankings. He has to develop his throwing motion (he has a tendency to “flick” the ball) and must avoid throwing into double coverage. But he has shown amazing arm strength, and the intangible ability to step-up and be competitive in big games.

3. Alan Branch (DT) – Michigan

Size counts in the NFL, and Branch is as big as they come. At 6-foot-5 and 328 lbs, Branch is a massive beast of a man. Branch was used to help stuff the run in Michigan, consistently occupying two blockers at a time.

Though he lacks some explosiveness, you can not neglect his size and brute strength. For a tall guy, he gets great leverage by staying low and is able to penetrate by barreling through o-lines with his immense frame. He is being touted as the only complete interior defensive lineman in the draft.

Simply, the dude is BIG.

4. Brady Quinn (QB) – Notre Dame

Ok, I’ve been knocking Quinn for this “big game” losses for his entire career. But college season is over, folks. As far as pure passers, with significant natural athletic ability, Brady is still one of the best.

Quinn has all the measurable of a good quarterback including good vision, ideal height, solid size (224 lbs.), great arm strength and a high football IQ. I don’t know what this translates to on the football field, but he did bench 225lbs for twenty-four reps at the Combine.

At times, however, he gets chattering feet and can be indecisive at times when under pressure.

Despite his shortcomings in the big game at the college level, Brady Quinn is going to be a great NFL quarterback. He loses out to Russell’s freakish size, and the fact LSU beat Notre Dame, but Quinn still ranks up there. Whichever team gets him in this draft will be set at quarterback for a while.

5. Jamaal Anderson (DE) – Arkansas

At 6-foot-5 and 273 lbs., Anderson has incredible size for a defensive lineman. He can bully with the best of him, and is an absurdly powerful tackler. If you see him play, you will fall in love with his endlessly ferocity.

As far technical merit goes, he is a little behind the eight-ball. But these are all things that can be coached. As they say – you can not coach size and strength, but you can coach speed. If he lands in the lap of a talented defensive line coach, Anderson could develop into a pro-bowl talent.

He is all the raw, physical tools of a defensive-end, but needs to polish his technical assets.

6. Adrian Peterson (RB) – Oklahoma

Peterson, despite his injury-riddled season, is still the best back in the draft by a long shot. He shows excellent speed, body control and power when running the football.

Furthermore, he has shown exceptional catching ability out of the backfield, which has a lot of coaches salivating at the mouth.

But Peterson has been dogged by injuries throughout his collegiate career, which is a reason I drop him so far on the board. Being a productive running-back in the NFL is about durability (read: Priest Holmes) and Peterson has not shown the ability to stay competitive and healthy throughout a full college season.

7. Joe Thomas (OT) – Wisconsin

Ok, so Joe Thomas is supposed to be a top-three pick. I do not care. The last time people raved so highly about an offensive lineman, his name was Robert Gallery. I am simply not sold on ranking Thomas that high.

Regardless of that opinion, Thomas has terrific athletic ability for a man his size and has solid height and size for the position. Even at 310lbs, however, he could add some weight.

This draft is deep in offensive lineman, and Thomas is certainly the best, but I will be damned if I rank him above the rest as far as pure athletic talent. He will be a benefit to any team immediately, but the learning curve for offensive lineman is too steep, and Thomas is still a tad too small.

8. Laron Landry (S) – LSU

Another Tiger in the top ten? You bet. Landry is a fantastic all-round safety. He shows excellent speed and makes quick breaks to the football when it is in the air. Simply put – he is a ballhawk.

What is amazing to watch with Landry are his instincts for the football. Good instincts make for good safeties in the NFL, and his leadership abilities are outstanding as well. He will need to add bulk to aid in stuffing the run (he is only 202 lbs), but that can come with training and time.

Landry is a playmaker, and will be an instant boon to any secondary that adds him to their ranks.

9. Gaines Adams (DE) – Clemson

Adams loses out to Jamaal Anderson because he is a smaller player, though not by much. His greatest strength is his first-step, which had most offensive lineman sweating buckets across the line of scrimmage. Adams bursts of the line like a two-ton firecracker and causes havoc in the backfield.

The knock on Adams is his size and strength. The linemen in the NFL are much bigger, hellacious and stronger. The Clemson Tiger will need to show he has the brute strength to overpower them, or the lights-out speed to blow past them. For now, he can work on the former, because the latter is already in his grasp.

10. Ted Ginn Jr. (WR) – Ohio State

The only reason Ted Ginn Jr. squeezed his way in to the top ten is because of his kick-return ability. As a receiver, he shows crisp route running, game breaking speed and excellent hands. These are all reasons why he is the number two rated receiver in the league.

But, as Devin Hester proved to all this year, special teams is becoming more and more important in the NFL. Ginn shows great awareness and footwork as a kick-return man, and he is a difference maker when running routes. His natural speed is outstanding, though his height may be an issue at the NFL level.

Remember, if you can bet on football, you can bet on basketball, too! They are the only two sports with point spreads. Bet on the NBA and play our Basketball Sharpshooter Contest. Train for March Madness with our College Basketball Super Saturday Contest. It's free and you'll know the teams by the time the big tournament's bracket buster rolls around.

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