NCAA Scouting Team Draft Review – NFC West by Paul Emery June 19th 2010
Is the old adage saving the best ’til last true? Let’s find out as the Diner’s Divisional Draft reviews conclude with the NFC West.
Arizona Cardinals
1 Dan Williams NT Tennessee 2 Daryl Washington ILB TCU 3 Andre Roberts WR The Citadel 4 O’Brien Schofield OLB Wisconsin 5 John Skelton QB Fordham 6 Jorrick Calvin CB Troy 7 Jim Dray TE Stanford
I’ve probably watched more of the Cardinals first round pick Dan Williams than any other prospect in the 2010 Draft. He began the season viewed as a mid/late round prospect, but steadily his stock rose to the point where some had him going in the top 15 in mock drafts. I have looked at him again and again (I even watched another Tennessee game before writing this review) but I just don’t see it. Williams has the size to play NT in a 3-4 defense, but I don’t believe he has the strength to hold up against the double team. In the Virginia Tech game, he was manhandled by Sergio Render a senior who wasn’t even drafted and against Memphis he was invisible as Curtis Steele rushed for over 100 yards the majority of which were up the middle. One on one Williams looks better he can hold up better and shows he can move laterally indeed that’s probably what he does best. He’s completely one dimensional though as he lacks a pass rush. Back in 2007, the Cards took a falling Alan Branch with the first pick of the second round to date he has done little at NT and has been moved to DE. I can see the Williams pick going much the same way but without Branch’s length, Williams is a 3-4 NT only. Most see great value here, I just see a one year wonder and a bust waiting to happen.
The remainder of the Cardinals draft is much better starting with Daryl Washington a prospect who looked like a 4-3 WLB, but with his long arms projects to a 4-3 but will need to get stronger. Washington isn’t the best at getting off blocks, which is a concern but he is a very good read and react LB. He’s a good athlete and should be just fine in coverage. Quite whether he has the strength to contribute right away on defense is questionable (only 17 bench press reps at the Combine), but I think he will be OK with a year in the weight room.
There weren’t many of the higher rated WR’s I liked this year – but Andre Roberts was someone who I am very positive about. Roberts is a rare hands catcher in this years WR class he has very good hands and is very quick in and out of his breaks making him ideal for the slot, where he will begin his career. Coming out of a small school, he will need to refine his routes but most WR’s need work on this anyway. I would expect him to make some noise early (if Matt Leinart does well at least) and have a fine career.
O’Brien Schofield was an interesting pick. The Cardinals have a number of prospects at OLB, including Cody Brown and Will Davis who they drafted last year. But at this point, they decided they couldn’t ignore Schofield who will likely miss the entire 2010 season as he recovers from a knee injury sustained during Senior Bowl practices. Schofield had a great week at LB in the Shrine Game after playing DE in college. He shows good hand use and has a nice burst off the ball he is a guy who plays every play at full speed and he was fun to watch in college. If he can get back to full health, then this could prove to be fine value there is risk clearly, but I think it’s worth it here.
Like Matt Moore in Carolina, Matt Leinart can’t be 100% confident rumours of the Cardinals signing another veteran QB persist and he already has Derek Anderson pushing him. The selection of John Skelton isn’t necessarily a vote of no confidence, but it may have made Leinart think some more about his lack of job security. Skelton played at a small school, but he has a big league arm. If Skelton were a baseball pitcher he’d have a fastball and little else he will need to learn some touch, an issue that showed up at the Shrine Game against better competition. He clearly has the raw tools, but he has much to learn but a fifth round pick for someone with that arm? Got to be decent business.
Jorrick Calvin wasn’t on my radar particularly as he missed the 2009 season due to academic issues. Normally that’s an immediate red flag, but Calvin had two deaths in his family and went home to support family and thus missed assignments. I’m sure the Cardinals dug deeper, but you have to give the kid a break. Calvin is a junior college transfer who thus has only one year of major college experience. He’s not the biggest at 5’10, 182 lbs but he does have very good speed. As a bonus he has return experience. He has the quickness to suggest he could push for the nickel job down the road. Jim Dray was never going to be a high draft pick you can see on tape the he’s no Jimmy Graham athletically, but he is a very reliable short range target but primarily an excellent blocker. He’s very effective at sealing the edge, can drive and also get to the second level. He did have a major knee injury in 2007 (the heavy knee brace he wears is a reminder of this), but I think he’s someone who could be a solid second TE for many years mainly as a blocker, but also contributing a few catches each year.
The highlight of the Cardinals fairly small undrafted free agent class is AJ Jefferson CB Fresno State who was expected to be drafted due to his size and speed combination. At 6’0 and 193 lbs he ran a 4.42 40 at the Combine and has to be worth a look he also has kick return experience. Max Hall QB BYU adds to the QB contest he’s the opposite to Skelton in that he lacks great arm strength, but has good touch if only they could combine the two, they would have something! Juamorris Stewart WR – Southern is a small school WR who has decent hands he had a cult following amongst some Draftniks, so it will be interesting to see if he can make it.
My main issue with the Cardinals draft is that I question how much immediate impact Williams and Washington can have both lack strength for the 3-4. I think Washington will be OK with weight room work, but I just don’t see anything in Williams and fear he will amount to little. The remainder of the draft is far more positive, but with little immediate impact in the first two rounds, the grade suffers.
Diner Grade: C+
San Francisco 49ers
1a Anthony Davis OT Rutgers 1b Mike Iupati OG Idaho 2 Taylor Mays FS USC 3 Navorro Bowman ILB Penn State 6a Anthony Dixon RB Mississippi State 6b Nate Byham TE Pittsburgh 6c Kyle Williams WR Arizona State 7 Phillip Adams CB South Carolina State
The 49ers clearly made offensive line their top priority and sensibly used their two first round picks to sure up the line for years to come. Anthony Davis is someone who has a ton of talent, but hasn’t quite put it all together yet. It was key that Davis landed in the right place and Coach Singletary will be able to motivate this young man and turn him into a top player. Davis has the quick feet you look for in a pro LT he’s not Michael Oher was that a false start? quick, but good enough and I think better in this area than both Trent Williams and Russell Okung. Where his grade falls is his inconsistent technique and the main question to be asked is why? Is he lazy? Is his stamina poor? Is his concentration just not good enough or is it all too easy for him? Only pro scouts with access to Davis can answer. Technique wise, he stays too tall and loses leverage he must really work on his knee bend. He’s certainly a guy with a ton of upside and having landed in a great situation, I think he’ll be a fine player down the road. Mike Iupati on the other hand was the top rated Guard by everyone! Iupati is a very strong mauler, who moves well enough to suggest he could even play Tackle. His ability to get to the second level and just engulf his man is great to watch! He extends his arms, locks onto his man and then it’s all over. For a mauler it’s great to see natural flexibility and knee bend. This young man should be a Pro Bowl type for many years fantastic prospect.
I really wondered who would take Taylor Mays and I guess in some ways it’s not a big surprise it was San Francisco as Mays can light someone up like a former Bears MLB. I think Mays future lies at LB he’s already 230 lbs and has long arms (34) and as I wouldn’t trust him at Safety as the last line of defense, I think the 49ers should move him here right away. While Mays got on the highlight reel with his big hits, you also would have noticed him a few times when he was on the edge of the shot as the opposition was running for a long TD. He takes very poor angles and even when he does get it right, he often misses the knockout shot as he just doesn’t wrap. He doesn’t have natural ball skills and if he’s lined up at Safety, then I’m thinking bust at LB he has a chance, but even then I have concerns. LaRon Landry of Washington was someone who I thought took bad angles coming out of LSU but Mays was worse and as such it’s not a pick I like at all.
Navorro Bowman is someone who would have gone much higher, but had some character concerns which dropped him. In college he played on a superb LB unit (Sean Lee (Dallas) and Josh Hull (St Louis see below) were also drafted). I’m not quite sure what the 49ers intend to do with Bowman as unlike Sean Lee, he’s not someone who I would project inside in a 3-4 he struggles more in traffic and tends to rely on reading the play quickly and knifing up to make the play. Indeed, I’m a little bemused by this selection even with Takeo Spikes on the downside of his career.
Frank Gore has had his durability issues, so it made sense for the 49ers to take a tough RB with the first of three sixth round picks. Anthony Dixon is never going to be accused of being flashy he’s a tough, no nonsense type who was very productive in college but thus has a lot of miles on the clock. He runs with good body lean and is a little similar to LSU’s Charles Scott (Eagles) who also went in the sixth round basically due to poor 40 times. Dixon also has off the field baggage, but Coach Singletary is more likely to get the best out of young men than some NFL coaches, so on that basis it becomes a better pick than had he landed elsewhere.
Nate Byham was overshadowed by fellow Pitt TE Dorin Dickerson throughout the draft process, but in the end was drafted before him, despite his athletic limitations. Byham is much like Cardinals draft pick Jim Dray he’s a very effective blocker who also has experience in pass protection and is also a reliable short range target who has soft hands. The 49ers drafted Bear Pascoe last year, but lost him off their practice squad to the Giants so he is basically a blocker to replace Billy Bajema at the second attempt. Kyle Williams only started the one year in college, but he’s a great athlete with straight line speed and the ability to change directions in a hurry. He’s also a decent baseball prospect having been drafted by the White Sox (the fact that his Dad is the White Sox’s GM I’m sure had nothing to do with the decision!). He has decent hands and looks exciting after the catch he will push for time in the slot but can also contribute as a punt returner.
Phillips Adams was a surprise in the seventh round as he wasn’t on the radar at all. Adams impressed at the HBCU all-star game practices and ran a 4.52 40 pro day time to impress the 49ers enough to draft him as opposed to letting him fall into free agency. While standing out at a lower level, he is a gambler and must learn coverage nuances while adjusting to the step up in level.
Shay Hodge WR Mississippi leads the undrafted free agent class. He’s a prospect who came on as the season went on, but still didn’t impress enough to be drafted. He lets the ball get into his body consistently but he does have the ability to get open and is worth a look. Jarrett Brown QB West Virginia waited patiently behind Pat White finally getting the starting job in 2009. He’s a little stiff in the shoulders and could do with less weight room work in his upper body. He’s much like Penn State’s Darryl Clark in that the ball is always placed in with more flexibility he will be able to quicken his release and the speed of his passes. Scott Long WR Louisville was a combine standout running a 4.46 40 and having the second best overall workout on my scale. He has a fairly extensive injury history which left him undrafted. Keaton Kristick LB Oregon State has special teams standout written all over him not a great 3-4 fit with short arms, he will have to make the roster based on his special teams production.
The 49ers started with two superb picks, but then it became very mixed with some risky selections highlighted by Taylor Mays. The final four picks are split two solid prospects who lack top speed and two raw prospects with good speed. In the later rounds, risk is fine but too early with Mays and Bowman in a deep draft class.
Diner Grade: C+
St Louis Rams
1 Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma 2 Rodger Saffold OT Indiana 3 Jerome Murphy CB South Florida 4 Mardy Gilyard WR Cincinnati 5a Michael Hoomanawanui TE Illinois 5b Hall Davis DE Louisiana-Lafayette 6a Fendi Onobun TE Houston 6b Eugene Sims DE West Texas A&M; 7a Marquis Johnson CB Alabama 7b George Selvie DE South Florida 7c Josh Hull ILB Penn State
The Rams had an interesting decision with the first pick in the Draft should they take the best player in Ndamukong Suh and spend yet more high first round money on the defensive line or should they address their huge need at QB? Despite the fact that Sam Bradford was the top QB pretty much by default and has questions, they went for the QB. The main issue with Bradford is that he only started two games in 2009 and wasn’t able to finish either of them suffering a throwing shoulder injury against BYU and aggravating it against Texas. Apparently after surgery he is now 100%, but it is a gamble to invest a bunch of guaranteed money into a prospect who is coming off surgery to his throwing shoulder. Furthermore, like many QB’s in modern day college football he operated the spread offense at Oklahoma. There were times when he took snaps from Center, but for the most part he was in the shotgun. He will therefore need to work on his footwork and also learn to read defenses while making his drop. On the plus side, Bradford has excellent accuracy the question is how much of this is generated by the nature of the offense. Someone like Tony Pike this year had a shocker of a game against better opposition, but Oklahoma are a good team and thus even going back to 2008 tape, you don’t really see Bradford tested. This was a horrible year to need a QB and overall there is too much risk with Bradford for my liking I would have made a strong play for a Jake Delhomme type and waited until 2011 even though conventional wisdom in a QB driven league is saying otherwise.
Second round pick Rodger Saffold had a great week at the Shrine Game and as a result his stock rose significantly. Saffold is a borderline Tackle prospect I personally see him as a Guard. At times he sets up very quickly and you think Tackle but then other times he looks very heavy footed and really struggles against edge speed. He needs some technique work as his initial punch tends to be a down, around and up move rather than a straight quick move into his man. This will give the defender time to slap his arm away and get into him, which will be a problem. Saffold is an aggressive type who is a fine run blocker he’s a good drive blocker and should help open some holes for Steven Jackson. On the whole he’s a decent prospect, but I think it may have been a round early.
Jerome Murphy is a bigger CB who can run well enough to stay with his man deep. He tends to give a big cushion and needs to be more disciplined as he gave up too many penalties. Murphy is very aggressive and is active against the run he’s a solid tackler and while this is about right for him considering his rough edges, if the Rams can smooth them out he could be a starter down the road. As a rookie, he looks ideal to contribute big time on special teams coverage. The Rams drafted Mardy Gilyard partly with the return game in mind as he has return experience. Gilyard was the heart and soul of the Cincinnati team and has had an interesting life off the field losing his scholarship at one point and then having to sleep in his car. The strength of character to stay and fight is positive but getting himself into the position in the first place is a concern. Quite what teams made of his character, I don’t know but presumably teams were cautious as he was expected to be off the board earlier. As a receiver, he can catch the ball with his hands away from his body and look to have smooth hands but he does drop some, generally when he lets the ball get into his body more which he does too much. He doesn’t have top end speed, but he looks very smooth yet dangerous after the catch. He’s an interesting character and if he stays clean and works he should be someone who can contribute right away in the slot.
Michael Hoomanawanui only had 10 catches in 2009, so it’s easy at 270 lbs to say he’s a blocker only but he did suffer from poor QB play (as Arrelious Benn did) and he does offer more as a receiver than one might think. He is a good blocker he can square up and seal the edge effectively but is too inconsistent in his overall play. He has had issues with his weight also so this will need to be closely monitored.
When looking at prospects from non BCS conference schools I always like to find a BCS conference school on the schedule and see how they do in that game. Hall Davis went up against LSU and specifically Ciron Black last season and did very well. He’s not super explosive off the ball, thus why he was around in the fifth round, but he does have some pass rush ability and certainly gave Black problems. Against the run, Davis has long arms but needs work with his technique as he’s not able to get off blocks as much as he should. He’s an interesting pick who could develop into something with some technique work. Fendi Onobun is an intriguing prospect with an interesting journey to the NFL. He played basketball for four years at Arizona but then took advantage of the NCAA rule which allows students who have graduated and have eligibility in another sport to transfer. He came home to Houston and appeared in 11 games, but didn’t really stand out. That all changed at his pro day at 6’6 and 250 lbs he ran a 4.45 40 and performed well in the vertical and broad jumps. He’s a poor man’s Jimmy Graham he’s clearly very raw and is a real project, but that athletic ability is very exciting.
Eugene Sims was not expected to be drafted, but the Rams liked him enough to take him with their second sixth round pick. Sims played DE in college and put on weight after the season, but still is only 248 lbs so he could be a LB. Sims will primarily be asked to help out on special teams and one would assume the Rams were looking at Sims’ four blocked kicks last season. Marquis Johnson showed that the NFL just loves Alabama DB’s by drafting their nickel back the third Alabama CB to be drafted. Johnson had a pedestrian 4.65 40 time at his pro day not good at all for a smaller CB. Johnson’s lack of speed shows up when he’s defending passes as he’s trying to keep pace so much that he is unable to turn and look for the ball he then can’t make a play on it. He does have experience in a pro style system but it does tend to make prospects look better than they are and I think with his slow 40 time this is a complete waste of a pick.
To the casual college football fan, the thought at the start of the season that South Florida’s new Junior College transfer Jason Pierre-Paul would come out early after starting only seven games and be taken six rounds before George Selvie would have been unthinkable but that’s what happened. The story lies in the fact that Selvie is a tweener he’s 252 lbs, so really 3-4 OLB size but he lacks the athletic ability for this position (4.93 40 yard time). What Selvie does have is some pass rush ability and he will be given a shot as a nickel pass rusher his 10 yard split time at the Combine was better when compared to others than his 40 yard time, so that just rescues this pick along with Selvie’s production but he could be the classic top college player who doesn’t make it at the next level. Josh Hull is someone who I really like he’s a very smart football player, consistently seeing plays quickly and getting involved despite the fact he was trying to take tackles away from higher rated players Sean Lee and Navorro Bowman. He flashes ability to get off blocks and is a tough and intense player who should at the minimum become a fine special teams player but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rams got more.
There are no real stand out names in the Rams undrafted free agent class. The best of a fair size bunch is Darian Stewart SS South Carolina someone who is very active against the run, but struggled more in coverage he could help on special teams. Keith Toston RB Oklahoma State is the only other name that stands out he has some ability and could help as a third down back as he’s a decent receiver out of the backfield.
The Rams were able to draft eleven players always useful when you were the worst team in the league. Bradford was almost a forced pick because he’s a QB and they badly need one to build a franchise around. Quite whether Bradford is durable enough and can adapt from the spread isn’t a sure thing and this draft will always be rated on how Bradford pans out. Saffold and Gilyard have questions but they rescued the situation with some interesting day three picks of which Josh Hull could end up being the highlight. So, not great early but the grade is lifted with some better work on the third day.
Diner Grade: C-
Seattle Seahawks
1a Russell Okung OLT Oklahoma State 1b Earl Thomas FS Texas 2 Golden Tate WR Notre Dame 4a Walter Thurmond CB Oregon 4b E.J. Wilson DE North Carolina 5 Kam Chancellor SS Virginia Tech 6 Anthony McCoy TE USC 7a Dexter Davis OLB Arizona State 7b Jameson Konz TE/HB Kent State
With Walter Jones retirement, the Seahawks knew the needed a new LT and they must have been praying for things to pan out as they did on Draft day. Russell Okung fell in their laps and they snapped him up quickly and rightly so. After looking at all the top Tackle prospects, I had Okung rated at number one so to get a premium player here was good value. Okung is naturally flexible he has good knee bend and in pass protection does a good job of locking up his man with good arm extension. In the run game he’s very aggressive and drives his man back consistently. I have two concerns with him though the first being he does at times bend at the waist in pass protection and the second is that Greg Hardy beat him off the edge in the Bowl game (although I do rate Hardy very highly it’s still a concern). Overall though I think he’s a better prospect than Trent Williams who went two picks earlier and while I don’t rate him as much as I have previous OT’s (Joe Thomas, D’Brickashaw Ferguson and Michael Oher), I still think he should have been the first OT off the board.
The Seahawks addressed another need with their second first round pick and took Earl Thomas who came out of college early. Thomas is a modern day safety in that he has cover skills and indeed some reportedly viewed him as a CB. He’s a very rangy Safety showing up all over the field and although he looks a little light weight, he’s not afraid to hit. He needs to wrap up more consistently, but I really like the way he reads the game and his excellent athletic ability doesn’t hurt either. He’s a fine prospect and should be a top player for many years.
Golden Tate was my top rated WR this year and is someone I think many teams are going to regret passing over despite his recent off the field issue. Tate wasn’t taken earlier because he is shorter than the prototypical NFL WR at 5’10. However, Tate is a game breaker who is dangerous with the ball in his hands as evidenced by the number of ways that Notre Dame got the ball in his hands. He will be able to contribute in the return game, at wildcat QB, on reverses as well as being dangerous after the catch. Tate does catch too many balls in his body which is not something I am fan of but he can high point the ball and catch the jump ball very effectively. Overall, the fact that a body catcher is my number one WR shows it was a poor class but it also shows how dangerous this kid is with the ball in his hands he should have an instant impact.
Walter Thurmond only played five games in 2009 before he suffered a season ending knee injury. Prior to his injury Thurmond looked like a good prospect. He’s able to help in the return game and on special teams coverage units. He’s a smart player whose ability to read the game helps him to make plays. He has enough speed to stay with receivers deep, but he is over aggressive he can certainly be troubled by a double move. He’s active in run support and if he can stay healthy (in addition to his knee injury he has had other injuries in the past) he should be able to help in one form or another very quickly.
E.J. Wilson lacks a top burst off the edge but has a tremendous motor and shows enough to believe he can be a solid LDE. Wilson doesn’t have long arms, but he does have good hand placement and also has a nice spin move. He is able to read screens and the like and isn’t one to just charge up the field. I had him rated as a solid mid round type and that’s just what he turned out to be. Kam Chancellor is a poor man’s Taylor Mays in most people’s eyes but I actually prefer Chancellor to Mays partly because it’s three rounds later but also because Chancellor takes better angles to the ball than Mays. Chancellor is 231 lbs but moves well enough to be viewed as an in the box Safety although he could be moved to LB. Chancellor must be protected in coverage he is poor in man to man as evidenced in the Alabama game where he really struggled. His tackling skills were a little up and down throughout the season he can wrap up nicely, but will need to work on this as in some games he missed some tackles. He’s an ideal candidate to help on special teams and as long as he’s in zone coverage he could help on defense also.
Anthony McCoy is a two way TE who fell in the draft due to durability and character concerns. The fact that his old college coach drafted him suggests that the character concerns aren’t too much of an issue. McCoy has very soft hands and enough athletic ability to stretch defenses. He’s also a pretty good blocker. He does need to focus consistently as he does let some passes into his body and releases some blocks too soon but as long as he stays healthy and out of trouble, then I think this looks like a very good value pick I certainly rated him higher than quite a few TE’s that were taken much earlier.
The Seahawks concluded the Draft with two seventh round picks. The first, Dexter Davis, was a productive pass rusher from DE in college. At 244 lbs, he’ll have to move back to LB although with his 10 yard split time of 1.55 seconds (one of the best at the Combine) the Seahawks may be tempted to use him as a nickel pass rusher. Davis is fairly short so he gets natural leverage and he plays all out. He’s an interesting pick and if he doesn’t help as a pass rusher I think he’ll be excellent on special teams coverage. Jameson Konz lit up his pro day with a fantastic performance highlighted by a 46 vertical jump (top for WR’s at the combine was 41.5!). Konz is a converted LB who has just over a year of experience at TE. He’s inconsistent as a receiver able to make the highlight reel catch but losing focus and dropping some catchable passes. He’s not much of a blocker, so can’t be viewed as a FB convert and indeed it could be with his 4.41 40 time the Seahawks end up trying him at WR.
It figures that Coach Carroll would have a look at few of his former players and in addition to McCoy he signed three undrafted USC Trojans as free agents. Two could well help in Jeff Byers OG/C and Josh Pinkard FS. Byers is an undersized prospect who has had injury problems he looked better in 2008 for me than last year but he’s versatile and could backup the three interior OL positions. Pinkard played CB and S for USC but his lacks of speed means he projects to pro Safety. He’s a very smart player who also has had injury problems but he has enough talent to suggest he can stick if healthy. However, the highlight of the Seahawks undrafted free agent class is a Bruin! Reggie Carter LB UCLA is an undersized LB who is quick and aggressive he reads the game well and is able to make big plays. Ideal for special teams, he could be more if he can add bulk without losing his speed.
It does appear I’ve saved the best ’til last as this is a fine effort by the Seahawks. In Okung, Thomas and Tate they have secured three players who should have an instant impact and be top players for many years to come. The later rounds have some solid players with two interesting athletes in the seventh round. This draft should help the new coaching staff turn things around quickly.
NCAA Scouting
The Rams had an interesting decision with the first pick in the Draft should they take the best player in Ndamukong Suh and spend yet more high first round money on the defensive line or should they address their huge need at QB? Despite the fact that Sam Bradford was the top QB pretty much by default and has questions, they went for the QB. The main issue with Bradford is that he only started two games in 2009 and wasn’t able to finish either of them suffering a throwing shoulder injury against BYU and aggravating it against Texas. Apparently after surgery he is now 100%, but it is a gamble to invest a bunch of guaranteed money into a prospect who is coming off surgery to his throwing shoulder. Furthermore, like many QB’s in modern day college football he operated the spread offense at Oklahoma. There were times when he took snaps from Center, but for the most part he was in the shotgun. He will therefore need to work on his footwork and also learn to read defenses while making his drop. On the plus side, Bradford has excellent accuracy the question is how much of this is generated by the nature of the offense. Someone like Tony Pike this year had a shocker of a game against better opposition, but Oklahoma are a good team and thus even going back to 2008 tape, you don’t really see Bradford tested. This was a horrible year to need a QB and overall there is too much risk with Bradford for my liking I would have made a strong play for a Jake Delhomme type and waited until 2011 even though conventional wisdom in a QB driven league is saying otherwise.
Golden Tate was my top rated WR this year and is someone I think many teams are going to regret passing over despite his recent off the field issue. Tate wasn’t taken earlier because he is shorter than the prototypical NFL WR at 5’10. However, Tate is a game breaker who is dangerous with the ball in his hands as evidenced by the number of ways that Notre Dame got the ball in his hands. He will be able to contribute in the return game, at wildcat QB, on reverses as well as being dangerous after the catch. Tate does catch too many balls in his body which is not something I am fan of but he can high point the ball and catch the jump ball very effectively. Overall, the fact that a body catcher is my number one WR shows it was a poor class but it also shows how dangerous this kid is with the ball in his hands he should have an instant impact.
