The player with the best chance to be drafted on the 2nd day is Jason Worilds. Worilds was a quick defensive end with a high motor at Virginia Tech, but in the NFL he will be asked to play a different position. At 6'1" and 250 lbs, he is not considered to be big enough to play the standard defensive end position in a 4-3 defense. Teams will try him as an outside linebacker in the 3-4 defense where he will sometimes be lined up with his hand on the ground over a tackle or tight end, and other times he will be lined up standing on two-feet over a receiver or in zone coverage. I think it's the later part that seems to me will be a tough challenge for Jason Worilds. He seems to have pretty good speed for his size, but he certainly never seemed to be fluid when put into coverage against a running back while at VT. Because of this need for a position change, I could easily see Worilds dropping to the 4th round or lower.
Cody Grimm is going to have to fight his way onto a roster yet again. He had to scrap and claw to get onto the Virginia Tech roster, and he'll have to do it again starting as a special teams player in the NFL. At 5'10" and 200 lbs, he doesn't have the size (or the speed) that NFL teams want to see at strong safety, which is the NFL position most suited for Grimm... well other than special teams, of course. I could see Cody Grimm turning into a special teams ace in the NFL, but I think that's as far as he'll ever get. And honestly, that's not a bad career. Just ask Steve Tasker.
I could see Kam Chancellor getting taken on the 2nd day as well, even though he isn't projected as high as Jason Worilds. Kam has an NFL-caliber body and NFL speed, which goes a long way at the free safety position. Nevermind that Kam had one outstanding performance in the Orange Bowl against Cincinnati and then had a quiet season in '09-'10. I am willing to bet that his past performance won't even matter in the draft. They will love his workouts and they will love his physical gifts, and that will get Kam Chancellor drafted a lot earlier than he should be.
The player with the best chance to start is former punter Brent Bowden. ESPN lists him as the #2 punter in the 2010 class, which shouldn't be a surprise to many Hokies. Bowden has a big leg, but also excels at pinning opponents inside their own 20. Plus he has those dreamy locks that earned him the nickname "Sunshine". Thanks for that Remember the Titans. For the record, I am not insinuating that Bowden is gay like the character in the movie... I'm just talking about the hair, man.
As far as the NFL teams, here are some quick hits:
- St. Louis has to take Sam Bradford. Their fans would crucify them for taking another defensive line player, and that's what they would take if they passed on Bradford. Consider it a done deal, even though it's not done yet. Bradford definitely seems to be the best QB in this draft from a physical standpoint, so I have no problem with that pick.
- The 2nd and 3rd pick will be Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy in some order. I think Suh definitely needs to go first to Detroit. You can't argue with production, and Suh was the more productive defensive lineman. Although, I am never surprised by either Detroit or Tampa Bay when they buck conventional wisdom and do their own thing. I wouldn't be terribly surprised to see Dez Bryant get taken by either team.
- Whether the Redskins trade down or not, they absolutely need to take a left tackle. Their line was pitiful last year and someone like Russell Okung will solidify the left side of that line for years. Do the smart thing here, Dan Snyder... don't go for the flashy pick and outsmart yourself.
- Eric Berry should be taken somewhere between pick 5 and pick 7. I only got to see Berry play once and it was in the VT/Tennessee bowl game. I don't remember the announcers mentioning Berry during the game... that's how invisible he was. That could be a good thing because he's covering players too well to allow for a throw, but I just remembered the lack of involvement surprised me. Most scouts think he is the next Ed Reed... I'm a little more hesitant, but I still think my Cleveland Browns should take him if he falls to #7.
- Speaking of the Browns, Mel Kiper has Dez Bryant going to them at #7. This is an intriguing pick to me. There is no doubt that the Browns need a #1 caliber wide receiver, and although Mohammed Massaquoi has been a pleasant surprise, he's probably not ever going to be a legit #1. Bryant would also be a nice pick if the Browns decide to grab Colt McCoy in the 2nd round as their QB of the future (which wouldn't be a bad pick considering Mike Holmgren plans to instill a west coast offense in Cleveland... the perfect fit for McCoy).
- Like everyone else, I like Tim Tebow. I hate Florida, but I like Tebow. He has the competitive drive and leadership attributes that you want in a quarterback, so it's hard to see how he wouldn't push himself to make the necessary adjustments to become a top NFL QB. He's apparently already making strides in shortening his throwing motion and working on his drop steps. Honestly, I think he's a steal if he drops to the second round... he really has Steve Young potential.
- Those are my thoughts... what do you all think?
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One other note, I saw an interview with Ed Wang/"Godzilla". There seems to be a pretty good chance he'll get drafted and if he does he'll be the first Chinese-American ever selected in the NFL draft. That's pretty cool.
Well I'm terrible at assessing talent. Especially at the QB position. Like you, I'm not totally sold on Berry and I'm not sold on Clausen either (what do you think of him?) I think McCoy can be a great QB at the next level and think McCoy and Bryant would make the Browns a very interesting team in the next couple of years. Any picks for late round steals? Is Spiller going to have a good career?
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