The Second Annual All-Underrated Draft Team: Offense
Last year commenter pound4pound wrote up an All-Underrated team, this year, he’s done it again this year, starting with the offense.
The draft’s almost here, and everyone is busy looking for the next gem. Well, I’m as much of a sucker for that as anyone, so here’s my list of underrated players in this draft. Some are first-round talents, some will be late-round guys – but what they all have in common is that I expect them to turn out to be better than their projected draft position. (And one ground rule: I’m projecting their overall value, not necessarily their fit with the Jets’ specific schemes or needs. Some guys would be perfect for us; others are better suited to other teams.)
Today, we start with the offense (defense is coming up in a separate article):
QB – Andre Woodson, Kentucky — For most of his hype-filled senior year, Woodson being underrated would have seemed impossible. But there’s talk now that could slip into the 3rd round because of poor performances at the Senior Bowl and in workouts. At that point he would be a steal, because I think he has as good a chance of turning into an upper-echelon QB as anyone in this class. The numbers are there: 38 college starts, 62% pct, and a 79-25 TD-INT ratio, playing in the SEC. Big wins and intangibles? Check. The size is right: 6’4″, 229. And the arm is close to Joe Flacco’s for the strongest in the class. So why is his stock dropping? Mainly because his delivery is funky – slow and with a dip in his arm before release. That’s a big problem in the NFL, but it’s also a correctable one. Give this guy two years on the bench, learning from a starter and in practice, and he has a surprisingly high chance of becoming a star QB. I think that’s worth a second- or third-round flyer for almost any team.
RB – Kevin Smith, Central Florida — 450 carries, 2,567 yards, 30 TD. Those aren’t Smith’s career numbers; that’s his stat line for 2007 alone! The 450 touches broke Marcus Allen’s all-time record, and showcased Smith’s remarkable toughness and durability. He played well against the big boys too, dropping 366 yards in the season’s first two games, a win at NC State and a 3-point loss to Texas. With fewer carries per game in the pros, I think he could play bigger and be very effective in short-yardage situations. (He’s 6’1″, 217 lbs now, and could easily add another 10 lbs on his frame without losing quickness – unlike that other Kevin Smith.) Smith is also shifty and hits the hole quickly. Fantastic as a fourth-round pick.
WR – Devin Thomas, Michigan State — Many draftniks have lumped Thomas together with Limas Sweed, Malcolm Kelly, and James Hardy, because they’re all big receivers expected to be gone by pick #45. I think Thomas is the standout of the bunch – he has the best hands, and the best combo of strength and quickness. He also doesn’t have the injury history of Kelly or Sweed, or the minor character issues of Hardy. Thomas will be almost impossible to stop on the slant, and that should open up deep opportunities for him because smaller DB’s will need inside help. He’s still raw – only 21, and played community college for a year before transferring to Michigan State. His potential is through the roof, and I’m praying he makes it to Round 2.
OT – Chris Williams, Vanderbilt — Most mock drafts have the CW going anywhere from #14 to #20… so how could he be underrated? Because I think he could become one of the best LT’s in the NFL, and he should go even higher. Playing left tackle in the SEC for two seasons, he gave up 2 sacks in over 1,500 snaps. His agility and footwork are the best since D’Brickashaw came out in 2006 – and Williams is 20 lbs heavier than Brick was! Some scouts are concerned about whether he’s strong enough as a run blocker. Two things to keep in mind here. One, Vandy was a pass-heavy team, but Williams did an excellent job on runs when he was asked to. Two, he’s described as a very hard worker and should be able to add some needed strength. In a year or two, there may not be a better lineman from this draft.
OG – Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa – Has good size (6’5″, 317) and excellent quickness for a guard prospect. And, just to fill the Mangini quotient, he was a two-time team captain and has shown versatility (he switched from tackle to both guard positions at the Senior Bowl). Could be a great 4th- or 5th-round pick to add line depth this year and start in 2009.
TE – Martellus Bennett, Texas A+M — The most complete TE in this class. Bennett is already an above-average blocker at his position – he led the Aggies’ entire offensive line in knockdown blocks. The really exciting part is that he’s 6’6″, 260 lbs, with a 34-inch vertical. Not surprisingly, he played both basketball and football at A+M, and could become a magnet in the red zone in the NFL. If he’s around past the third round, some team is going to be racing to the podium to turn in Bennett’s name.
11 Responses to The Second Annual All-Underrated Draft Team: Offense
-
tommiesmithjohncarlos says:
Excellent work. Here’s three more guys I like as good draft values:
RB Cory Boyd, South Carolina – spent big chunks of his college career in the coaches doghouse, but he’s got good size and he’s physical. Probably goes in the 5th and outplays guys who go in the 3rd.
WR Keenan Burton, Kentucky – Like Woodson, his pro day and combine performances were underwhelming, so better physical specimens are moving past him, but Burton is a reliable overachiever who just makes plays. If he’s there in the 5th, he’s a good pick.
T Brandon Keith, Northern Iowa – Rinehart’s partner in crime, Keith is a mammoth run blocker who is raw, so he’ll slide, but he’s sturdy enough to be a starting RG or RT. A steal in the 5th or 6th.
-
Thomas has scorched his way up the board, but there’s a real tangle with him and guys like Malcolm Kelly, Limas Sweed, Mario Manningham James Hardy & DeSean Jackson.
With one solid year of experience only, Thomas might be a a hard sell in the first, all the same.
-
john says:
john sullivan C, from ND
played in a pro style offense at ND, was the one bright spot during there season. also a home town product from CT
if the jets didnt stack the o line in the off season, would have been a great 3rd/4th round pick -
BoCash says:
One guy I have not read or heard alot about after a dominating college career(not to far from our very own home turf) is Ray Rice. I am not saying we need him, or anyother running back in this draft who’s name doesn’t rhyme with Shlearen Shlickshlabben, but what I am thinking is how I would not be a happy guy if he fell to a team with a solid O-line, decent starting H-back, and a knack for turning the average preformer in to a consistantly positive preforemer, perhaps our inter division enemy to the north.
-
Bent says: You should prepare yourself for that eventuality, Bo, because the Pats ran his position drills at Rutgers Pro Day, so they are obviously looking it that as a possibility.
-
tommiesmith, good call on Boyd. He had character issues early in his college career, but seemed to really mature from that point. He runs hard and is a superb pass-catcher. Assuming no new personal flags come up, I expect him to come off the board in rounds 3-4.
fwiw, Devin Thomas is #24 in the Draft Muncher right now, so he’ll be tough for us to get via either trade-up or trade-down. Oh well…
-
Bent says:
Boyd was issued a season long suspension in 2005 for an unspecified non-academic violation of school policy.
That good enough for ya?
(Source: Blue Ribbon)
-
Take it easy, Bent – I already mentioned Boyd had character issues early in his career. Apparently he got caught smoking pot on more than one occasion, between 2003 and June 2005. I’m not saying Tangini is going to draft him, but… well, here’s what Scouts Inc has to say about Boyd’s character:
Comes from a very tough neighborhood in New Jersey and has shown tremendous resiliency in getting to where he is today. Continues to mature as both a player and a person… While he had some issues following rules and handling coaching early in his career, it should be noted that Boyd had an extremely difficult upbringing and he has matured a great deal since his freshman season in 2003. Boyd projects as a mid-round pick in a very deep draft class but it wouldn’t surprise us a bit if he outperforms several running backs selected ahead of him.
-
Bent says:
p4p: my apologies. I’ll tell you what happened there. I read it as “as long as there are no character concerns” not NEW character concerns. Too much late night posting on my part is starting to take its toll. I was halfway down the Bryan Thomas thread the other day and someone called him Brian Thomas and I read it as Blair Thomas and got even more confused. Luckily on that occasion, I realised (sic) without making some dumb comment!
Great article btw, but I have to ask…who was on your list last year and how did they fare?
As for Boyd, as you alluded to, I also think he is one of the best pass catching RBs in the draft but am not sure if that will elevate his stock any higher than the other middle of the pack backs.
-
No problem at all, Bent. Thanks for the props on the article. And here was my list from 2007:
QB – Kevin Kolb
RB – Kolby Smith
TE – Matt Spaeth
WR – Robert Meachem and Steve Smith
OT – Justin Blalock and Corey Hilliard
OG – Andy Alleman and Marshall YandaDT – Paul Soliai
DE – Ray McDonald
OLB – Anthony Spencer
ILB – Desmond Bishop
S – John Wendling
CB – Aaron RossOn first glance, I think I hit the mark on the offense more than the defense. Kolb was drafted far higher than most analysts expected, and is going to get every chance to become the Eagles’ starter by ’09 or ’10. Spaeth and the two Smiths all had an impact as rookies, and Yanda and Blalock will be full-time starters this year.
On defense, Soliai may get a shot at starting at the nose for Parcells, and Ross and Spencer are definitely going to play big roles. So will McDonald if he stays healthy (a big if). Bishop and Wendling are just special-teams specialists so far.
Regretably, Devin Thomas will be gone in the first round. All 32 teams aren’t morons. The only chance the Jets have to draft him is to trade down into the teens