Bump.
Trying to weed out potential Pats prospects. There's a question here for this draft forum. Now, you either like these players or not. Appreciate some feedback.
10) Kory Lichtensteiger C Bowling Green: He stood out in the one BGSU game I saw. So much so, that in my mid-season ratings (which are buried somewhere in these pages) he was my top rated center. A lot of untapped potential for Dante to tap into.
9) Carl Nicks OT Nebraska: Big and nasty. If I'm the Chargers, he's the guy I'm targeting in the first round. Huge and moves well for that size. Drafting an O-lineman that big would be a huge departure for the Pats, as he dwarfs O'Callaghan.
8) Dexter Jackson WR Appalachian State: I had an argument about his merits about a month ago. I haven't seen enough of him to form an intelligent opinion, but I would caution against taking him in the first four rounds. This draft is very deep in receivers, most of whom have produced against top competition.
7) Cliff Avril DE/OLB Purdue: My only question about Avril was if he was athletic enough to drop into short zones. Since the combine, those questions have been answered. I've been sold on his ability to play at the line for a while now, and I expect he'll be a target somewhere in the second or third rounds, depending on how the first round goes.
6) Mike Hart RB Michigan: Not no, but Hell no. You can play on will and courage for only so long, after a while the competition becomes too great. If Hart had played at a school with a lesser O-line, I don't think he'd be regarded as a prospect. I mean really, I admire the kid and don't want to knock him, but there isn't a single thing you could point to and say "He does this rather well."
5) John Carlson TE Notre Dame: He's been the top-rated TE all season. How in the world is he on a sleeper list?
4) Owen Schmitt FB West Virginia: I love this kid. I'd be interested to see if he could transition to blocking TE. If so, I'm taking him. Plus, no more using Seau in short yardage packages. He's a hitter.
3) Sam Kellar QB Nebraska: When he was at Arizona State, I thought he was going to be the next great NFL quarterback. I had him as the top QB in the NCAA two years ago. New coach came in, put in his own recruit at QB, and Kellar transferred to a running school. Just a strange and unfortunate chain of events. He has all the physical tools, and needs his confidence rebuilt. I believe his old coach is the OC of the Jaguars these days, so they could look for him in the mid-late rounds.
2) Ahtyba Rubin DT Iowa State: This guy isn't a sleeper for any 3-4 team. He'll be very coveted, and it will be interested to see who grabs him, as every team would be wondering "I wonder if he'll still be there with my next pick?" Could spell Vilfork, and play next to him in goalline and 4-3 alignments.
1) Trevor Laws DT Notre Dame: Again, how does a guy expected to go in the top two rounds get classified as a "sleeper?" Motor never stops, and he has the size to be a 3-4 DE.
