EDS
06-05-2003, 12:40 PM
Looks like a strong RB class next year - may hinder the Bills ability to move Travis Henry (if indeed that becomes an option).
Courtesy of TSN:
While quarterbacks, receivers and defensive linemen were all the rage in the 2003 draft with 15 of the top 19 picks coming from those three positions, it looks like the strength of this year's class is its running backs, linebackers and defensive backs. Mississippi QB Eli Manning and Texas WR Roy Williams should be two of the top five players taken, but there are a lot of question marks at receiver with guys like Wisconsin's Lee Evans and Fresno State's Bernard Berrian returning from injury, and there seems to be a rather large dropoff at quarterback after Manning, as well.
If Auburn's Carnell Williams, Tennessee's Cedric Houston, Arizona's Clarence Farmer and Miami's Frank Gore all stay healthy, they could join Florida State's Greg Jones, Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones, Oregon State's Steve Jackson, Texas' Cedric Benson, Wisconsin's Anthony Davis and others in what could be the strongest running back class in over a decade.
At linebacker, Miami's D.J. Williams, Florida State's Michael Boulware, Auburn's Karlos Dansby, Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman and Texas' Derrick Johnson are all first-round prospects on the outside, while Oklahoma's Lance Mitchell, Miami (Fla.)'s Jonathan Vilma, Southern Miss' Rod Davis and Michigan's Carl Diggs make up a group of possible first-round inside linebackers.
Oklahoma's Derrick Strait, Michigan's Marlin Jackson, Texas' Nathan Vasher, Arkansas' Ahmad Carroll, Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall, Florida's Keiwan Ratliff and Ohio State's Chris Gamble round out an athletic group of cornerbacks that could all emerge as first-round picks. Beyond that, the reason the secondary is so strong is because there are as many top safety prospects as there are cornerbacks. Oklahoma's Brandon Everage, Miami's Sean Taylor, North Carolina's Dexter Reid, Arizona State's Jason Shivers and Maryland's Madieu Williams round off an impressive group of safeties. . . .
Running back Julius Jones, who was academically ineligible to play for Notre Dame last season, will return to the Irish this fall. Jones has been attending classes at Arizona State the past year to become academically eligible and working out with his brother, Thomas Jones, a running back with the Arizona Cardinals. . . .
The National and Blesto scouting combine services recently wrapped up their annual meetings and their final spring lists are “floating” around NFL circles. Almost all 32 NFL teams subscribe to one of the two services, but there have been a lot of unhappy customers the past few years due to such a flawed grading system, a lack of quality heights, weight and times, and the fact that neither of these services provides quality reports on the prospects.
This year is no different. The best example is at the quarterback position, where Tulane's J.P. Losman -- rated 10th on our 2004 NFL Draft preseason value board -- is rated ahead of Mississippi's Manning, who is not only our No. 1 rated quarterback but also seems to be the consensus No. 1 rated quarterback among NFL teams and “draftniks” alike. One of the biggest problems with these services is that teams typically send their youngest and/or most inexperienced scout to time and grade the players. The other problems is that with so many scouts from so many different teams, which all place a different emphasis on certain skill sets and all have a different method of grading players, there seems to be no consistency. . . .
Courtesy of TSN:
While quarterbacks, receivers and defensive linemen were all the rage in the 2003 draft with 15 of the top 19 picks coming from those three positions, it looks like the strength of this year's class is its running backs, linebackers and defensive backs. Mississippi QB Eli Manning and Texas WR Roy Williams should be two of the top five players taken, but there are a lot of question marks at receiver with guys like Wisconsin's Lee Evans and Fresno State's Bernard Berrian returning from injury, and there seems to be a rather large dropoff at quarterback after Manning, as well.
If Auburn's Carnell Williams, Tennessee's Cedric Houston, Arizona's Clarence Farmer and Miami's Frank Gore all stay healthy, they could join Florida State's Greg Jones, Virginia Tech's Kevin Jones, Oregon State's Steve Jackson, Texas' Cedric Benson, Wisconsin's Anthony Davis and others in what could be the strongest running back class in over a decade.
At linebacker, Miami's D.J. Williams, Florida State's Michael Boulware, Auburn's Karlos Dansby, Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman and Texas' Derrick Johnson are all first-round prospects on the outside, while Oklahoma's Lance Mitchell, Miami (Fla.)'s Jonathan Vilma, Southern Miss' Rod Davis and Michigan's Carl Diggs make up a group of possible first-round inside linebackers.
Oklahoma's Derrick Strait, Michigan's Marlin Jackson, Texas' Nathan Vasher, Arkansas' Ahmad Carroll, Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall, Florida's Keiwan Ratliff and Ohio State's Chris Gamble round out an athletic group of cornerbacks that could all emerge as first-round picks. Beyond that, the reason the secondary is so strong is because there are as many top safety prospects as there are cornerbacks. Oklahoma's Brandon Everage, Miami's Sean Taylor, North Carolina's Dexter Reid, Arizona State's Jason Shivers and Maryland's Madieu Williams round off an impressive group of safeties. . . .
Running back Julius Jones, who was academically ineligible to play for Notre Dame last season, will return to the Irish this fall. Jones has been attending classes at Arizona State the past year to become academically eligible and working out with his brother, Thomas Jones, a running back with the Arizona Cardinals. . . .
The National and Blesto scouting combine services recently wrapped up their annual meetings and their final spring lists are “floating” around NFL circles. Almost all 32 NFL teams subscribe to one of the two services, but there have been a lot of unhappy customers the past few years due to such a flawed grading system, a lack of quality heights, weight and times, and the fact that neither of these services provides quality reports on the prospects.
This year is no different. The best example is at the quarterback position, where Tulane's J.P. Losman -- rated 10th on our 2004 NFL Draft preseason value board -- is rated ahead of Mississippi's Manning, who is not only our No. 1 rated quarterback but also seems to be the consensus No. 1 rated quarterback among NFL teams and “draftniks” alike. One of the biggest problems with these services is that teams typically send their youngest and/or most inexperienced scout to time and grade the players. The other problems is that with so many scouts from so many different teams, which all place a different emphasis on certain skill sets and all have a different method of grading players, there seems to be no consistency. . . .