Diamonds In The Rough

[PatsCanDoIt]

There are always good players to be found late in the draft and in the UDFA pool. What players from the 6th round down do you folks think can make this team on opening day?

I would choose Toney Baker, running back from NC State. He had a knee injury in 2007 that kept him out of football for the whole 2008 season. However, Toney came back this season and was by far the best back on his team. He has NFL size at 5-10 and 225. He runs with vision and power. He catches the ball downfield. As long as he is healthy, I believe Toney will play football on sunday. Toney has similar size and athleticism to Jonathan Stewart.

 

[DaBruinz]

There are always good players to be found late in the draft and in the UDFA pool. What players from the 6th round down do you folks think can make this team on opening day?

I would choose Toney Baker, running back from NC State. He had a knee injury in 2007 that kept him out of football for the whole 2008 season. However, Toney came back this season and was by far the best back on his team. He has NFL size at 5-10 and 225. He runs with vision and power. He catches the ball downfield. As long as he is healthy, I believe Toney will play football on sunday. Toney has similar size and athleticism to Jonathan Stewart.

Baker missed most of 2007 and all of 2008 with his knee injury and had 2 surgeries before he was good to go. As a result, he spent 5 years in college. He turns 24 in June of this year. So he's slightly younger than Maroney.

Did not get an invite to the combine from what I can find.

Is listed as 5'9.5" by NFLDraftscout.com and is expected to be a UDFA.

 

[MaineMan]

I have 78 WR prospects in my database. Probably 32-34 will get drafted by the end of the 7th round. Based on composite pre-Shrine Bowl rankings from several sites, that would still leave about 8-10 undrafted guys who I think might be worth taking a look at in Camp, plus 2-3 guys I like a bit who may get drafted in the 6th/7th rounds. My guess is that the best chance for a "late" guy to make the team comes from that WR pool more than any other position this year.

 

[Badluck]

dont know many late round prospects
but i would love if the pats picked up freddie barnes

 

[furley]

I think one of the draft day sleeper picks will be running back Joique Bell. The hype train hasn't left the station on him because he'd played for a Division II school.

"People here think I'm just here representing Wayne State, but I'm not just representing Wayne State," Bell said. When Bell won the Harlon Hill Trophy in December as the Division II player of the year, he spoke to former NFL star Shannon Sharpe, who played at Savannah State. "He said when he came out, he was representing the whole Division II," Bell said. "He said, well, if he's not good enough to play at this level, then who is? So I feel that if I'm not able to pass at this level, then who is? "I'm doing this to open up a gateway for other D-II players to come in ... and give them a shot to come out here and compete against the best. I'm going to take full advantage of this opportunity. Hopefully, I can turn a couple heads."

Wayne State's Joique Bell stands out among All-Stars at Senior Bowl | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

 

[upstater1]

Check out UConn's Marcus Easley.

He was a walk-on, who wasn't even on UConn's depth chart early on. He was probably 4 deep at either receiver position, behind two or three true freshman. Didn't play much to start, but when the freshman showed they weren't ready, Easley came on like gangbusters. He ripped through the Big East, and he damaged Notre Dame and South Carolina badly.

I have no idea if he can run routes well, but he's huge, 6'2 or 6'3 but built like a tank, he's really fast, strong, and has big mitts for hands, makes great catches.

Hard to say if he has any technique whatsoever because he has not gotten much playing time until the 2/3rd of this year.

 

[Metaphors]

Seyi Ajirotutu (WR, Fresno St.) - 6'4", 210
Big kid but likely won't test too well at the combine...so should be around in the 6th/7th. Does everything well but doesn't have the straight line speed everyone falls in love with.

Tim Hiller (QB, WMU) - 6'5", 230
Prototype QB size with a strong arm, though not a cannon. Has some downside, like his pocket presence and inconsistent throwing motion on deep passes, but nothing that can't be corrected. Knocked down in draft because of a rough senior year, but that was more due to the talent (young and suckish) around him. Check out his prior years and you will see the dude can play. Top notch intangibles too.

 

[mayoclinic]

Seyi Ajirotutu (WR, Fresno St.) - 6'4", 210
Big kid but likely won't test too well at the combine...so should be around in the 6th/7th. Does everything well but doesn't have the straight line speed everyone falls in love with.

Tim Hiller (QB, WMU) - 6'5", 230
Prototype QB size with a strong arm, though not a cannon. Has some downside, like his pocket presence and inconsistent throwing motion on deep passes, but nothing that can't be corrected. Knocked down in draft because of a rough senior year, but that was more due to the talent (young and suckish) around him. Check out his prior years and you will see the dude can play. Top notch intangibles too.

Good choices.

 

[furley]

This is interesting...

The Texas vs. the Nation Challenge can become an afterthought on the postseason all-star game circuit, primarily because it is held in El Paso the week after the heralded Senior Bowl.

The success of recent participants has helped raise interest in the game among scouts and administrators.

Twenty-five players who participated in the Challenge last season were drafted in April, including immediate NFL contributors such as Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox (Abilene Christian), Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang (Eastern Michigan), Bengals running back Bernard Scott (Abilene Christian) and Ravens cornerback Lardarius Webb (Nicholls State). Alumni from the 2008 game include left tackle Demetrius Bell (Bills/Northwestern State), wide receiver Pierre Garcon (Colts/Mount Union) and running back Tim Hightower (Cardinals/Richmond).

The 2010 rosters -- no longer fully tied to geographical boundaries -- are filled with small-school stars and solid players from major programs not invited to the East-West or Senior Bowl.

Players from outside the Football Bowl Subdivision (former Division 1A) to watch this week include hustling South Dakota State defensive end Danny Batten (6-3, 250, 4.68), agile end/linebackers Tim Knicky (Stephen F. Austin, 6-4, 236, 4.64) and Adrian Tracy (William & Mary, 6-3, 243, 4.70), strong but quick running back Deji Karim (Illinois State, 5-9, 204, 4.48), productive receiver Juamorris Stewart (Southern University, 6-1, 196, 4.56), and tall, athletic offensive tackle Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale, 6-8, 321, 4.89).

Several talented SEC players will draw attention. Tennessee quarterback Jonathan Crompton (6-4, 228, 4.79) and Ole Miss safety Kendrick Lewis (5-11, 195, 4.59) are likely to receive the most attention from scouts.

Texas vs. Nation gets higher profile with lower-profile guys - NFL - CBSSports.com - NFLDraftScout.com

 

[Box_O_Rocks]

UDFA projections: position in parentheses is my projection as to where they might fit for NE. Bold are priority UDFA's in my mind.

Bryan Anderson, WR, Central Michigan
Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers
Marc Mariani, WR, Montana
Andrew Brewer, WR, Northwestern
Mickey Shuler, TE, Penn State
Steven Pfahler, TE, Montana
Dan Beaudin, TE, Montana
Kerry Meier, FB, Kansas (WR)
Manase Tonga, FB, BYU (RB)
Jameson Konz, FB, Kent State (WR)
Chris Gronkowski, FB, Arizona
Luke Lippincott, FB, Nevada (RB)
Richie Brockel, FB, Boise State
Dennis Landolt, OT, Penn State (OG)
Nick McDonald, OT, Grand Valley State (OG)
Dace Richardson, OG, Iowa
Alex Daniels, DE, Cincinnati (OLB)
John Fletcher, DE, Wyoming (DE)
Doug Worthington, DE, Ohio State (DE)
Jan Jorgensen, DE, BYU (OLB)
Brandon Sharpe, DE, Texas Tech (OLB)
Barry Turner, DE, Nebraska (DE/OLB)
Frank Zombo, DE, Central Michigan (OLB)
Mitch Unrein, DE, Wyoming (DE/OLB)
Jay Ross, DT, East Carolina (NT/DE)
Boo Robinson, DT, Wake Forest (NT)
DeMarcus Granger, DT, Oklahoma (NT)
Phillip Dillard, ILB, Nebraska
Ryan D'Imperio, ILB, Rutgers
Boris Lee, ILB, Troy
Bear Woods, ILB, Troy
Carl Ihenacho, OLB, San Jose State
Arthur Moats, OLB, James Madison (ILB)
Jason Beauchamp, OLB, UNLV
Stevenson Sylvester, OLB, Utah (ST/SS)
Junior Galette, OLB, Stillman
Prince Miller, CB, Georgia
Walter McFadden, CB, Auburn
Robert McClain, CB, Connecticut
Shann Schillinger, FS, Montana
Darian Stewart, SS, South Carolina
Aaron Webster, SS, Cincinnati
Mike Kafka, QB, Northwestern
Tim Hiller, QB, Western Michigan
Matt Nichols, QB, Eastern Washington
Chris Todd, QB, Auburn

 

[p8ryts]

UDFA projections: position in parentheses is my projection as to where they might fit for NE. Bold are priority UDFA's in my mind.

Bryan Anderson, WR, Central Michigan
Tim Brown, WR, Rutgers
Marc Mariani, WR, Montana
Andrew Brewer, WR, Northwestern
Mickey Shuler, TE, Penn State
Steven Pfahler, TE, Montana
Dan Beaudin, TE, Montana
Kerry Meier, FB, Kansas (WR)
Manase Tonga, FB, BYU (RB)
Jameson Konz, FB, Kent State (WR)
Chris Gronkowski, FB, Arizona
Luke Lippincott, FB, Nevada (RB)
Richie Brockel, FB, Boise State
Dennis Landolt, OT, Penn State (OG)
Nick McDonald, OT, Grand Valley State (OG)
Dace Richardson, OG, Iowa
Alex Daniels, DE, Cincinnati (OLB)
John Fletcher, DE, Wyoming (DE)
Doug Worthington, DE, Ohio State (DE)
Jan Jorgensen, DE, BYU (OLB)
Brandon Sharpe, DE, Texas Tech (OLB)
Barry Turner, DE, Nebraska (DE/OLB)
Frank Zombo, DE, Central Michigan (OLB)
Mitch Unrein, DE, Wyoming (DE/OLB)
Jay Ross, DT, East Carolina (NT/DE)
Boo Robinson, DT, Wake Forest (NT)
DeMarcus Granger, DT, Oklahoma (NT)
Phillip Dillard, ILB, Nebraska
Ryan D'Imperio, ILB, Rutgers
Boris Lee, ILB, Troy
Bear Woods, ILB, Troy
Carl Ihenacho, OLB, San Jose State
Arthur Moats, OLB, James Madison (ILB)
Jason Beauchamp, OLB, UNLV
Stevenson Sylvester, OLB, Utah (ST/SS)
Junior Galette, OLB, Stillman
Prince Miller, CB, Georgia
Walter McFadden, CB, Auburn
Robert McClain, CB, Connecticut
Shann Schillinger, FS, Montana
Darian Stewart, SS, South Carolina
Aaron Webster, SS, Cincinnati
Mike Kafka, QB, Northwestern
Tim Hiller, QB, Western Michigan
Matt Nichols, QB, Eastern Washington
Chris Todd, QB, Auburn

Official Binky declaration, Brandon Sharpe Texas Tech pass rushing LB. Looked to have exceptional acceleration once he got by the edge.

 

[MaineMan]

Box --

Off your list, Worthington looked pretty good in Shrine practices. If he can run around 4.85 in a good Pro Day, I'd at least invite him to Camp

Also, Mike Kafka might even be worth a Camp look for a 7th rounder.

 

[sbpatfan]

I really like Blair White from MSU. You know as a former walk on that he's a hard worker and he has the intelligence (was accepted to dental school this year), a very underrated attribute. Plus he led the B10 in receiving yards, I believe. Or he's up there. I know he was the leader at some point.

 

[ForThoseAboutToRock]

Rich Gunnell - WR from Boston College. 5-11 196 lbs. Set the all time BC career receiving yards record this year as a senior. He's a good citizen and leader on the field, not typical for a WR in my book. He had a strong day against USC in the bowl game w/ 5 catches for 117 yards including a 61 yard TD.

Is yet to be invited to the combine.

 

[upstater1]

West Virginia Stops Inspired UConn Team - ESPN Video - ESPN

Go to the 45 second mark.

Marcus Easley is strong. Wide shoulders, between 6'2 and 6'3, and he weighs 220 pounds. Has big hands and snags balls. He's very fast. How good a route runner? I have no clue.

12/01/2009 - 12/01 NFL DRAFT SCOUT RISER: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut: Few receivers in recent history have increased their production as much as Easley has this fall. Before this season he had five career receptions for 102 yards; in Saturday's win over Syracuse he caught six balls for 105 yards and two scores. UConn's leading receiver averages 20.3 yards on his 36 grabs using his 6-2, 216-pound frame and sub-4.5 speed. Some scouts will treat him as a one-year wonder and he's no finished product (though wide open on his first touchdown, he still double-caught the ball). But his postseason workout and big plays this fall may convince a team to take a chance on his future growth in the fifth-to-seventh rounds - which would have been considered a pipe dream coming into the year. - Chad Reuter, The SportsXchange, NFLDraftScout.com

He supposedly runs a 4.4 40.

 

[MaineMan]

I really like Blair White from MSU. You know as a former walk on that he's a hard worker and he has the intelligence (was accepted to dental school this year), a very underrated attribute. Plus he led the B10 in receiving yards, I believe. Or he's up there. I know he was the leader at some point.

Not really a hidden gem anymore after his Shrine Game practices and performance (Freddie Barnes, also). I highly doubt he's still available after the 4th and might even go in the 3rd. I'd certainly take him in the 4th.

Oh, yeah. Remember, he's also a former teammate of Brian Hoyer.

 

[tanked_as_usual]

DE Clifton Geathers So. Car....6'6"/295.....runs a 4.95/40......will turn 21 only in November

other measurements have him at 6'8"/281 and running a 4.90

the potential to be devastating.....

 

[mayoclinic]

DE Clifton Geathers So. Car....6'6"/295.....runs a 4.95/40......will turn 21 only in November

other measurements have him at 6'8"/281 and running a 4.90

the potential to be devastating.....

He's been one of my late round binkies since he declared. I think he has tremendous upside. Can't wait to see how he does at the combine.

 

[WhiZa]

What do you all think of Kelton Tindal? He seems to have the size and the measurables just lacking in the production department

 

[tanked_as_usual]

He's been one of my late round binkies since he declared. I think he has tremendous upside. Can't wait to see how he does at the combine.

I just hope he doesn't produce a video of him jumping out of a pool........that guy was a dud