Drew’s Talent Top Ten
Posted by thehuddlereport.com on April 7, 2008
by Drew Boylhart
If you are a THR member then you know by know that my personal top ten have nothing to do with who will actually be drafted in the top ten. Rob’s value board will give you that information. The first year I did this I listed Nick Mangold OC Jets - in my top ten and believe me the reaction to naming a center, as one of the top ten players in a draft was unbelievable. But I guess the Jets felt the same way about his talent as I did because they drafted him in the first round. I don’t go out of my way just to shock people and list players that have no chance of being picked in the top ten of this draft. The list consist of who I feel will have the greatest impact based on what I see on film.
Jake Long OT - Jake will be an excellent offensive lineman and if he can fit into your system as a LT then you have improved two positions with drafting one player. You have improved the QB position by giving the QB more time to make decisions along with the upgrade at the LT position. You can not tell me that improving two positions with just one pick is not one of the better things you can do in a draft.
Vernon Gholston DE/OLB - Vernon is the most explosive defensive player in this draft. He is a multi -talented player who can play more than one position. Vernon could be as impacting for the team that drafts him as Lawrence Taylor was when Lawrence played for the Giants. I think that says it all.
Darren McFadden RB - Darren is the most explosive offensive player in this draft. I have seen him run in a single back set and with a fullback in a two back set. I have seen him run through the tackles with power, strength, lateral agility, vision and excellent techniques. I have seen him catch the ball out of the backfield and also block for his QB. Darren runs with the same style as Gayle Sayers and OJ Simpson did. These are long striding RB’s that run with excellent balance and make their cuts with power and strength way ahead of were the average back would make their cuts. Darren is a franchise back and concerns of his lack of maturity off the field are a concern but not a reason to down grade him.
Matt Ryan QB - Matt is a franchise QB with a good arm and excellent leadership quailities and intelligence. The only reason teams are down grading him is because the need for a QB by the teams that have top ten picks just is not there. You can not tell me that Matt Ryan is not as good as Philip Rivers was when Philip was eligible for his draft! Think about it.
Chris Long DE/OLB - Chris is the type of player that you will never be sorry you drafted him. He will improve every year and will be one of the leaders of his team. Chris is the type of player you build your defense around because of his talent and work ethic. As a player you want to play along side of Chris because he will make you better. I would not hesitate for one minute to pick Chris with the first pick in this draft because of all the intangibles that he brings with him.
Those are my top five picks and as far as I’m concerned you can but them in any order that you want to. Every one of these top five players is worthy of being the first pick in this draft. The needs of my team would dictate the order.
Branden Albert OL - Brandon is an outstanding offensive lineman who can play more than one position depending on the offensive system of the team that drafts him. Brandon has the talent to play OG or OT on the left or right side of your line. Next to Jake Long, Brandon is the next best offensive lineman in this draft and will start and impact the day after you draft him.
Sedrick Ellis DL - Sedrick is a multi talented defensive lineman that can play in any style of defensive front that you use. He can be a DE in a 3/4 and on passing downs you can move him inside. He can play a penetrating DT in a 4/3 and he could play nose tackle on passing downs or be used in a slant DT position. He will never stop trying to improve and his in the box quickness and intelligence are much more developed than any other DT in this draft.
Malcolm Kelly WR - Malcolm is the best WR in this very deep class of WR’s. He has the size, strength, speed, football intelligence and determination to be the best. Malcolm reminds me a lot of Terrell Owens and Eric Moulds but I believe he is faster and quicker than both of those WR’s. His injuries are not a concern for me because injuries are part of the game and those injuries will not affect his overall talents. Malcolm has the abilities to impact right a way for the team that drafts him and be the focal point of a teams passing game.
Antoine Cason CB/S - Antoine is the most underrated CB in this draft who can play more than one position and be the leader of you defensive backfield. He has excellent leadership quailities to go along with his excellent playing skills. Antoine will be the leader of your DB’s on your team because players respect the intelligent way he plays and the fact that for him winning is everything.
Ray Rice RB - IMO Ray is the second best RB in this draft. He reminds me of Curtis Martin RB formerly of the Jets. Because of Ray’s size he is being over looked but the truth is that Ray is a powerful built back with excellent football intelligence and can play in any offensive system. Ray is a franchise RB and is a patient runner who understands how to set up his blocks and can cut and burst on a dime. He is the real deal and to suggest because of his size that he is limited is being just as short sited as those scouts and GM’s who said the same thing about Curtis Martin when he was drafted as the 10th pick in the third round of the 1995 draft by the New England Patriots.
April 7, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Drew,
2 things,
1st, what game(s) did you see McFadden “run through the tackles”. In the games I watched live, and have downloaded, he seems to go down quickly if someone gets solid contact with him. What I see is him taking advantage of off ballance DB’s who have taken a bad angle with his stiff arm, which I believe is where most of his vaunted YAC come from.
2nd
Glad I’m not the only one who has come away incredibly impressed with Branden Albert. I Tivo’ed all the VA games that were on this year to watch Chris Long, and found myself watching the O for Albert also. Incredibly underrated tallent.
April 7, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Brick,
I’m not sure why there is so much anger at Darren McFadden! It’s as if this kid was the worse person to ever be drafted. Granted the kid has done some dumb things but that is all - just some dumb things. I have watched him run behind the Hillis kid many times. When they need tough yards. Darren does not shy away or go down easy. Does he take a direct hit so that he can get injured? No! He is smart and a natural RB. If you have a problem with him because (like I said in my profile back in December), he fumbles; I can see your concern. But his talent is obvious and he is a tough runner and does not shy away from a hit. But if that’s what you see on film then so be it.
I seem to be in the minority about Brandon Albert but we shall see. I took a shot on him and Antoine Cason CB Arizona St in my recent mock draft because I just think these two players are really being over looked but that is why at THR we use a two board system.
April 8, 2008 at 11:49 am
Interesting choices Drew. I think there could be a case made for a few guys been left out, but its hard for me to disagree with any of your picks. Albert is a guy that a lot of people are really high on, and Cason is the type of guy that will not only be a great player for someone but his smarts and toughness will enhance the skills of the people around him. I think the guy who will get the most arguments from people is Ray Rice, but you’ve been adamant about this guy from the start and I’m really curious to see how this guy ends up in the pros. The rest of the top 10 seem to be difficult to question. As always, to some extent you have to look at what system a particular team runs. For example at CB, if I was a Cover 2 team like the Bills, I would look strongly at Cason over the other guys. If I wanted to run a press coverage, I might prefer one of the other guys like DRC. If I ran alot of man and needed someone who could impact from day one, I might prefer Jenkins.
April 8, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Basil D,
Yes it is hard to do a top ten for 32 teams. In fact 32 teams have 32 different top tens based on what you talked about. I try to base my top ten on players who can play in any type of system. I know I get a lot of flack about some of the players but in most cases they have turn out pretty good. I have pulled some boners. I think the one year I had Mike Williams WR USC as one of my top ten picks! I kick myself every day for that one. How could I pick a player who did not play for one full year in my personal top ten!!! Stupid! I’m not worried about Ray Rice. In fact I’m more sure about him the Darren McFadden because like everyone else the off field issues do bother me! All I can tell you is this, before the draft everyone is right. After the draft most everybody runs and hides but not me, I’ll be here sticking to my guns and going down with the ship if need be.
Thanks for being a member.
April 8, 2008 at 9:23 pm
No Dorsey in the top ten?
In an earlier top ten, didn’t you have Mike Jenkins and Keith Rivers?
April 9, 2008 at 8:30 am
Bruce,
Yes, but as I look at film of players I see new and better talented players all the time. I’m done looking at film now and this is my top ten. It will not change because I’m done looking at film!
I still have a few more profiles to do but the players I have on my list are not top ten players (IMO). I start out with base players in the top ten from last year just like everyone else. I weed them out as I look at film this year. For example Andre’ Woodson was considered a top ten pick at one time. I never had Glen Dorsey in my top ten. Mike Jenkins was in my top ten but as soon as I saw Antoine Cason I knew he was a lot better and more of a finished product. Keith Rivers is a good player but not an impacting player because he struggles defending against the run. I don’t apologize for changing my mind. I think a good profiler has to be on the look out all the time for a player who is better then your top rated player. I don’t change my mind about my top ten because Mel Kiper or Todd Shay says so, or Mike Mayock has some “inside” information. I look at film to formulate my own ideas. Right or wrong that’s what I do. Just like 32 teams do in the NFL. They don’t care what Mel or Mike or Todd says either unless they are trying to influence what they are saying. I’m not influenced. I don’t care if a report comes out saying that some scouts believe that Vernon Gholston is not a top five talent and would not consider him until the 2nd or 3rd round! I look at the film and I think he is a top five talent and that is the end of it for me. I let Rob deal with those rumors.
What saves me is Rob’s value board. His board tells me that no matter what I think about a player – his board will point me in the right direction of where that player will be picked in the draft. At THR you get the best of both worlds.
What I try to do is give you an honest opinion of a player’s abilities to play in the NFL without acknowledging what others are saying about a player. I don’t cut and paste from other peoples profiles or listen to what other people say about a player. I just tell you what I honestly see on the film. For example, Devin Thomas WR Michigan St. On my film I have never seen the speed that he showed in the Combine. I think he has excellent talent but he has not and does not run all the routes needed to be a complete WR for the next level. That means to me that although he has very good talent his LTI is longer then most WR’s that I would list in the first round of the draft. I gave him a 4th round TBR rating because that’s what I see. I don’t change that rating because he ran a 4.30sp forty at the combine. If a team drafts him in the first round they know that Devin will take some time before he will become consistent and productive. The pressure could ruin Devin but I suspect that most teams feel that he can handle that pressure. I’m not sure he can but they are suppose to be the experts not me!
I don’t talk about character issues unless I see it in player’s play on the field. What that player does or doesn’t do on the field will raise red flags to me in a lot of cases about a player’s character. Some times I miss - but I think in most cases if I do we will here about those problems before the draft anyway. For example this year I had problems with what I saw on the field with Aqib Talib CB Kansas and Mario Manningham WR Michigan. There are others that I had problems with their on the field character and how they approached playing the game. Some issues I know about before hand just like you do.
I knew about Darren McFadden’s problems but I also saw on film a kid who bust his butt on every play and blocked and was a good teammate. Does that excuse what he has done? No, but it also doesn’t mean that he is a bad kid and will be a failure at the next level either. He is a kid who needs as much structure in his life off the field as he has had on the field. I guess my point is that I try as hard as I can to give you a different point of view when for you to evaluate a player for your own draft opinions. A view that is not so much involved with techniques as much as real life issues. A view about a players mental make up – to handle all the issues at the next level from screaming coaches, to fans, to having more money then a person has ever seen in their lives and to handling the responsibility of the next level. As I have always said, “It takes more then talent to play in the NFL”. That’s what I try to profile for you, the “more then talent” issues.
So to answer your very simple question - yes, I changed my top ten and I changed it based on my own opinions and not because what others might have said about a player.
Dam that was a long answer to a simple question. Sorry Bruce! LoL
April 9, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I like the choices except for Matt Ryan who I believe is the most overrated player in this draft….Weak arm and tries to throw into double coverage way too much for my taste…Hence 19 intercetions…He tries to be Brett Farve but does not have his arm strength…
April 9, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Kelly just ran a 4.68 and 4.75 in the 40..That will drop him, that is too slow for a WR….
April 9, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Robert,
That may drop him but not as far as I’m concered. I didn’t expect him to burn. Anybody who did wasn’t watching the film of him. Owens and Moulds were both 4.5 to 4.6 guys also. He also is comming off that injury and most likely is not up to what he can really do. I figured all along that he was a 4.50 to 4.60 guy and if he did not have the injury that’s about what he would have run. Doesn’t change how well he will play at the next level. IMO. I’m sure his agent is upset but not me. I don’t get a cut of his action! It might move James Hardy back up a bit. That should be interesting.
Drew
April 9, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Remember Anquan Boldin ran those same #’s as well and he’s one of the most valuable WR’s in the game. I’ll always remember watching film of the Pro Bowl practices two years ago and DeAngelo Hall got burned deep by Boldin and uttered the amusing response of “Man, you’re trying too hard!” And so it goes that 4.65 guys can beat 4.2 guys for 6 points.
April 9, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Drew and BasilD you make some good points…I still like him alot, but usually slow times cost players money….
April 9, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Robert,
You are correct, it will cost him money. Injuries at the wrong time of the year will do that to you. Now you know why agents don’t want players to run at the combine if they are not ready or have even a small injury!
April 10, 2008 at 10:13 pm
I’m suprised DRC is not in your top considering the scouting report you wrote for him. How do you rate Cason’s man to man cover skills compared to the other 1st round projected corners?
April 11, 2008 at 7:16 am
I don’t have a problem with Cason’s man to man cover skills. I don’t know where that question about him comes from. I know they play a lot of zone but his work outs show he has the abilities to play man to man and he is smart enough so I don’t see the problem. I like DRC but remmember for me LTI enters into the equation and DRC still has a lot to learn(Zone) and is not a great tackler. He is a good tackler but not great. Also Cason’s leadership skills are way ahead of DRC’s. I consider a player who you can play more then one position and who you can develope a defense around higher in value then a really good cover corner. DRC should be a really good cover corner, Cason is like having a coach on the field with the talent to play the game who can play in any style defense. For me that’s the difference.