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Judge: Top 10 free agents
In two weeks, all but 12 NFL teams will start looking to 2008. That means dissecting rosters, making coaching decisions, looking at free-agent options and diving into the draft process.
Though the NFL Draft is four months away, it's a good time to unveil my first Top 32 Draft list for April's NFL Draft.
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| Brian Brohm has a little bit of Jim Kelly in him. (Getty Images) |
In my opinion, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, a junior who is expected to enter the draft, will be the best player available. But, as is the case most years here, I have to put a quarterback the top.
Remember, it's a quarterback driven league; a good one cures your ills, a bad one exposes them.
That's why Louisville's Brian Brohm tops my list. He has played in a pro-style offense and excelled.
So he starts in the top spot. There is a chance that could change, but not likely. I think he's the best of a good quarterback class.
This list includes 12 juniors, so it can change if some of those players don't come out. Here's betting at least 11 of them do.
1. Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville: He had an impressive season, even if his team didn't. He reminds me of Jim Kelly. The only concern is mobility.
2. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas (Jr.): He is the best pure player in the draft and will be a lot like Adrian Peterson. That's high praise.
3. Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU: He was hurt for much of the season, yet stayed on the field. That means something. He will be a disrupter in the middle for any defense and can also get after the quarterback.
4. Chris Long, DE, Virginia: I love this kid. Rarely do sons live up to the level of their fathers but this is one kid who can. He can dominate an offense.
5. Jake Long, T, Michigan: He is the kind of kid you draft, stick in as a rookie starter, and don't worry about that position again. He's good in the run game and in pass protection.
6. Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College: He has the cool of another quarterback who plays NFL-style football. Ryan has good size and a strong arm.
7. Sedric Ellis, DT, Southern Cal: He is one of those smallish, quick, penetrating defensive tackles who would be ideal in an up-field style of defense. At 6-feet-1, 280 pounds, he isn't huge.
8. Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida: He's a smooth cover player who has good size at 6-0, 205 pounds. His 40 times will impact how high he goes. He plays fast.
9. Keith Rivers, LB, Southern Cal: He is an active sideline-to-sideline linebacker who can play in the middle or outside.
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10. DeSean Jackson, WR, California (Jr.): He might be the fastest player in the draft if he comes out. He didn't play as well as expected in 2007, but watch his Oregon tape to see how good a player he can be. He's also an explosive return man.
11. Ryan Clady, T, Boise State (Jr.): At 6-6, 320 pounds, he has good feet and excels in pass protection. He's improved as a run blocker the past year, too.
12. Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (Jr.): At 6-8, he is a huge defensive end who has the speed off the edge. This junior will go high in a league starved for pass rushers.
13. James Laurinaitis, LB, Ohio State (Jr.): At 6-3, 240 pounds, he makes a ton of plays. He's physical at the point, but he also has the range to get to the football. He's a lot like A.J. Hawk.
14. Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn: He has the burst off the corner of a Dwight Freeney and we know how teams crave that. Like Freeney, he isn't huge but that speed is hard to pass up.
15. Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas (Jr.): He doesn't get the love McFadden gets, but he averaged 9.1 per carry this year. At 200 pounds, he has the big-play speed teams crave.
16. Sam Baker, T, Southern Cal: At 6-4, 310 pounds, he is a tough player who has started since he was a freshman. He was hampered by injuries some this season.
17. Kenny Phillips, S, Miami (Jr.): At 6-2, 210 pounds, he has the size and speed to be another in the long line of talented Miami safeties at the next level. He didn't play as well as expected as a junior, but the tools are there.
18. Limas Sweed, WR, Texas He missed time with a wrist injury, but he is a big receiver who will excel on the next level. He plays fast.
19. Jeff Otah, T, Pittsburgh: He is a raw prospect with huge upside. At 6-6, 340 pounds, he has great feet and athleticism.
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| Will tackling machine James Laurinaitis be the top linebacker selected? (US Presswire) |
21. Duke Robinson, G, Oklahoma (Jr.): He's a massive guard on a big offensive line who overpowers at the point of attack. He reminds me of Larry Allen, the current San Francisco 49ers guard who is on his way to the Hall of Fame.
22. Malcolm Jenkins, CB, Ohio State (Jr.): This junior has done a nice job of clamping down on some of the better receivers in the Big Ten. He doesn't have blazing speed, but he gets the job done.
23. Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State (Jr.): When you watch the Buckeyes play, this guy puts all kinds of pressure on the quarterback. At 6-4, 270 pounds, he has great speed and a good motor.
24. Chris Ellis, DE, Virginia Tech: At 6-5, 265 pounds, he had 8 1/2 sacks this season for a good defense. He plays hard and stands in well against the run.
25. Terrell Thomas, CB, Southern Cal: This silky smooth corner plays the position the way the NFL scouts like it. He's great in coverage and he will tackle.
26. Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii: He is polished playing in an NFL-style offense, which will help on the next level. Brennan throws a little sidearm, but he gets it there quickly. I like him a lot more now than year ago.
27. Dan Connor, LB, Penn State: He's a fundamentally sound player who always seems to be around the ball. I like him better than Paul Posluszny, who was his teammate at Penn State and showed well as a rookie for the Buffalo Bills before a season-ending injury.
28. Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon (Jr.): When you watched the Ducks, he made people miss on a regular basis. He's also a tough inside runner. Some scouts will wonder what he can do when he's not in a spread offense.
29. Ali Highsmith, LB, LSU: He is an active linebacker who made a lot of plays for a good defense. He has great speed. At 230 pounds, he isn't huge but he can run.
30. Fred Davis, TE, Southern Cal: He has emerged as a real threat in the middle of the field for the Trojans. He runs well and has good size. A team in need of a pass-catching tight end will love this kid.
31. Brian Cushing, DE-LB, Southern Cal (Jr.): He has played both outside linebacker and defensive end for the Trojans, but he will be a linebacker in the NFL. He is a tough, hard-nosed player. Battled some injuries this season.
32. J. Leman, LB, Illinois: When you watch the Illini play, this kid showed up in a big way. He is a fierce tackler who will be a Pro Bowl player by his third season. He has good size at 6-3, 240 pounds. I probably have him ranked higher than others do, but I like this kid a lot.
Just missed: Early Doucet, WR, LSU; Chris Williams, T, Vanderbilt; Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida; Pat Sims, DT, Auburn; Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona; Lawrence Jackson, DE, Southern Cal; Gosder Cherilus, T, Boston College; Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina; Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia; Mike Hart, RB, Michigan; Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri; Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas; Malcolm Kelly, WR, Oklahoma; Ray Mauluga, LB, Southern Cal; Tyson Jackson, DE, LSU; Michael Oher, T, Mississippi; Vince Hall, LB, Virginia Tech; Leodis McElvin, CB, Troy; Shawn Crable, LB, Michigan; Adarius Bowman, WR, Oklahoma State; Ray Rice, RB, Rutgers; Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri.
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