Juniors leaving early - speculation thread

[jwinslow]

Donte is better than average in coverage... tho I do not disagree that he will not go very high this year. I wish he had waited to put in his draft stock, b/c he has a lot more competition (especially across the board at other positions) that will lower when he is drafted.

I'm shocked that Youboty seems to be getting more interest by the pros than Whitner.
And Youboty had a "ruff" year?
Whitner had an excellent year?

youboty had a rough year, unless he was barking at dogs recently.

safeties typically do not go very high in the draft, whereas corners do.

 

[FKAGobucks877]

There is still a ton of difference in salary between a second round and third round pick.

As for Whitner, I guess I don't agree with the majority. Whitner is a hard-hitting, excellent tackler, who is by far above-average in coverage (for a safety). Safeties aren't as good as corners in one-on-one coverage, which is why they are safeties. But he can stick with RB's, TE's, and third WR's easily enough. He made several excellent coverage plays against ND. I'd like to see him stay, but the only reason he would get drafted higher next year is if the safety class is weaker.

 

[Taosman]

Donte is better than average in coverage... tho I do not disagree that he will not go very high this year. I wish he had waited to put in his draft stock, b/c he has a lot more competition (especially across the board at other positions) that will lower when he is drafted.
youboty had a rough year, unless he was barking at dogs recently.

safeties typically do not go very high in the draft, whereas corners do.

Picky,picky,picky.
No one said anything about your lack of caps!

 

[Dryden]

UCLA's Maurice Drew, BGSU's Omar Jacobs, Oregon's Haloti Ngata, and Fresno's Richard Marshall all announced their intent to head to the league today.

 

[The Man]

Heard CB Antonio Cromartie from FSU (and his healing ACL) are heading to the NFL.

 

[billmac91]

cromartie and ernie sims have both declared...cromartie cannot even come back at all b/c of grades anyways, im hoping ernie is just testing the waters b/c this is an awful year to come out due to LB depth...cromartie would have been the best corner in America as a junior if he had played tho, kid could be a major steal on day 1

 

[rock454]

Omar Jacobs leaving early surprises me. He didn't have near the season that everyone expected him to, although he was injured for a large part of it. I figured he would want to come back and try to make his senior year live up to the hype he was getting before this season. He'll probably do pretty well in combines though.

 

[crazybuckfan40]

Omar Jacobs leaving early surprises me. He didn't have near the season that everyone expected him to, although he was injured for a large part of it. I figured he would want to come back and try to make his senior year live up to the hype he was getting before this season. He'll probably do pretty well in combines though.

Well, it isnt like he would be playing for anything next year. They lose all their talent on O', and it wouldnt help him much coming back.

I said a while I would take Young and Jacobs b4 Leinhart, well I would still do that.

Jacobs reminds me so much of two other mac qbs in Leftwich and Culpepper.

I see Jacobs going late first or maybe early second, but he will be a steal.

If a team like the Saints could take Defense or OT in the first round and he would be there in the early second round that could give them an awesome draft. Much like the Chargers did when they traded the number one pick the year Vick came out and drafted LT and then Brees in the early second.

 

[Dryden]

Add Auburn's Stanley McClover, Florida's Chad Jackson, and Pitt's Greg Lee to the list of those who've declared.

 

[WaitingforKickoff]

and no doubt some of them will slide into the second and 3rd rounds...

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

scout.com (free)

1/7/06

<TABLE cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=0 width="98%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR><TD colSpan=3>Underclassmen Update: Big End to big week

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</TD><TD noWrap width=3></TD><TD vAlign=top>By TFY Draft Preview

Date: Jan 6, 2006

A flood of underclassmen made public their intentions to enter April's draft today as the week ended. Less then ten days remain for those who wish to follow suit.
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In what is no surprise to anyone, Oregon defensive tackle Haloti Ngata will enter the draft, as we first reported on December 4th. Ngata said financial concerns and his mother's poor health led him to the decision. "I just want to help my family out," Ngata said. "My mom's going to be in and out of the hospital." Likely the first defensive tackle to be selected in April, Ngata is a top 12 pick.

That same day we alerted subscribers Fresno State cornerback Richard Marshall would also enter the draft and the junior declared his intentions today as well. Though Marshall made no public comment his coach Pat Hill did. "Right now Richard is in a position where he is expected to go on the first day of the draft and believes he's ready to start making a living in the NFL." A potential shutdown cornerback, Marshall should slide into the draft's top-45.

Bowling Green quarterback Omar Jacobs made known today what sources had led us to believe in the middle of December. "It was a decision that was certainly not easy and a decision that I hope the people who have supported me throughout my career can understand and respect," said Jacobs, the schools all-time leader in touchdown passes.

Off an All-American sophomore campaign we rated Jacobs as an early first round choice. Yet an injured shoulder hampered him throughout the season and Jacobs is likely to slide into the third round.

Our friends at Bucknuts.com alerted us on December 9th that Ohio State safety Donte Whitner would enter the draft and he did just that today.

Whitner is the second Buckeye to enter the draft this week as receiver Santonio Holmes did the same on Wednesday.

In a bit of a surprise North Carolina State linebacker Stephen Tulloch announced he would enter the draft. A first-team All-ACC performer, Tulloch was voted MVP of the Meineke Car Care Bowl, which found the Wolfpack victorious over South Florida.

Equally surprising was the decision of Washington State receiver Jason Hill to bypass the draft. Even after a big season and early indications that he would enter the draft because of financial concerns, Hill opted to return for his senior season.

In similar fashion Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell has also decided to return for his senior season.

Obviously one story which must be watched is that of Marcus Vick. The Virginia Tech quarterback was dismissed from the team Friday, the result of numerous legal transgressions and his conduct in the Gator Bowl.

Will Vick now declare for the draft? If he does it will be a huge mistake.

Character issues aside, several scouts we spoke with at the ACC title game in Jacksonville state Vick is nowhere near ready for the next level.

UNDERCLASSMEN MAIN PAGE​

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[Dryden]

Mel Kiper Jr.'s Top Juniors (Insider):
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=2277919

Juniors begin to make impact on '06 draft
By Mel Kiper Jr.

Now that the bowl season is almost over, more and more underclassmen are declaring for April's NFL draft, and that will have a direct impact on the Big Board. This week's Personnel Points takes a closer look at those players who have declared, including three underclassmen who have the potential to be high first-round draft picks in the 2006 draft.

Also this week, I note some good performances in bowl games by players who will be worth remembering when the draft moves past the first round.

Notable underclassmen who have declared for the draft

RB Laurence Maroney | Minnesota
2005 season: 281 carries, 1,464 yards, 10 TDs
He's been productive over the last two years. Once he gets through the hole, long runs have been pretty commonplace for Maroney. He was used a little more in the passing game this season, although it's an area that he could improve on. The only thing that bothers me is that his yards per carry has gone from spectacular to good (6.9 yards per rush as a freshman to 5.2 as a junior). Maroney will be a very good featured running back in the NFL and figures to go in the late first round.

WR Santonio Holmes | Ohio State
2005 season: 53 receptions, 977 yards, 11 TDs
I've said all along, he's the best junior wide receiver, and with a mediocre group of senior wide receivers (Arizona State's Derek Hagan and Sinorice Moss of Miami are the only two senior receivers on my Big Board), Holmes could be the first receiver to come off the board. He's not an especially big receiver (5-10, 180) but that doesn't matter because smaller receivers are back in vogue in the NFL. He averaged almost 18 yards per catch and has a knack for finding the end zone (25 touchdowns in three seasons). He has very good hands and is willing to sacrifice his body to make a catch. Holmes could be the first wide receiver drafted, possibly in the middle of the first round.

WR Greg Lee | Pittsburgh
2005 season: 49 receptions, 962 yards, 7 TDs
In 2004, Lee showcased plenty of talent, and it looked like he could develop into a great receiver. His receptions went down from 68 in 2004 to 49 this season, but he did show big-play ability when he had his hands on the ball. He averaged 19.6 yards per catch in 2005. The knock against Lee is he that sometimes drops catchable balls. I also didn't see him fight for balls in traffic and make the difficult catch. But based on his talent and size (6-1½, 200) and his average of almost 20 yards per catch, it wouldn't shock me if Lee became a second- or third-round pick.

TE Vernon Davis | Maryland
2005 season: 51 receptions, 871 yards, 6 TDs
I've been raving about him all season. He is such a spectacular athlete. I doubt you will find, maybe ever, a tight end with more physical gifts than Davis -- and I mean from 25 years ago to 25 years from now. How many tight ends are 6-3 and 250 pounds, run the 40-yard dash in the 4.4 range, and have a vertical leap of 40 inches while bench-pressing 400-plus pounds? We'll see if he tests out that fast during workouts, but those are rare qualities from a physical and athletic standpoint. His blocking needs to improve, and he'll work on that. Davis is a spectacular pass-catching tight end because he has wide-receiver skills. Keep in mind, the quarterback play at Maryland the last few years hasn't been scintillating. After workouts, Davis should project as a top-10 pick.

TE Leonard Pope | Georgia
2005: 39 receptions, 541 yards, 4 TDs
He is a huge target (6-7, 252). Tight coverage on him doesn't mean a lot because he can go up and grab a pass, and he's great in traffic. He plays almost like a power forward in basketball. He's very difficut to match up against in coverage. He is an adequate blocker and a force in the passing game; Pope could be a late first-round pick.

DE Ray Edwards | Purdue
2005 season: 5½ sacks, 11 tackles for loss
While Purdue's '05 defense was supposed to be one of the best in college football, it was anything but. As a sophomore, Edwards was one of the best young pass-rushers in college football (eight sacks in 2004). In 2005, he had 11 tackles for loss but managed just 5½ sacks -- and two came in the season's final game against Indiana, one of the worst teams in the Big Ten. It's tough to pinpoint why he wasn't as dominant this year. He has power (6-5, 273) and can be effective on the bull rush, and he has enough speed to beat offensive tackles off the edge and close quickly on the quarterback. Edwards, because he has shown pass-rush ability, could end up being a second-round draft choice.

DE Mario Williams | NC State
2005 season: 14½ sacks, 24 tackles for loss
He had a tremendous season, although at times he does fade from the action; that is the only knock on him. "Super Mario" has physical gifts, but he does need to be more consistent -- although you could say that about a lot of defensive ends in the NFL. Williams has a chance to be an elite defensive end in the NFL early in his career if he can play at a high level on a consistent basis. Based on that, Williams should be a top-five pick, and it wouldn't surprise me if he were the first defensive player drafted.

CB Antonio Cromartie | Florida State
2005: Missed season with torn ACL and MCL
He has great size (6-3, 205) for a cornerback. Cromartie was one of the elite corners going into season. He's a former wide receiver, and he has very good speed. The big question is, how long will it take for him to recover from his knee injury? I've been told he's at about 90 percent right now in his rehabilitation process and hopes to be 100 percent by the combine. With his athleticism, Cromartie could be a late first-round pick.

CB/Returner Devin Hester | Miami
2005 season: 11 tackles, 1 INT
It is somewhat of a surprising move that he would declare. He has been known as a lethal kick/punt returner, and big play was expected from Hester at cornerback, but he was a nonfactor much of the season. He had only one interception and 11 tackles. His punt-return average was very good (14.2 yards), but his kickoff-return average was only 18.5 yards. He has not shown he can be a big-play cornerback and a top-notch returner. Some people said he was a preseason Heisman Trophy candidate, but he has yet to carve out a niche as to what position he will play. He didn't put it all together in college, so he will have to try to do it in the NFL -- and that's a tall order. There's talent and potential with Hester, no question, but you don't know what you have with him.

His draft projection is very difficult right now. I can't see him going in the first two rounds, but I could see him going in the third or fourth round based on potential (Maurice Clarett was a third-rounder last year). Any earlier than that is unrealistic at this point.

S Bernard Pollard | Purdue
2005 season: 92 tackles, 3 INTs
He has linebacker size (6-2, 228) with great run-support skills. Pollard is a physical presence who can lower the boom and really hit you. His coverage skills are a bit of a concern, but he showed improvement in this facet of his game the last two years. If he runs and tests well in workouts, Pollard was a good enough player at Purdue that he could get some late-first-round consideration. Worst-case scenario, he could end up in the second round.

Notable bowl game performers

QB Marques Hagans | Virginia
25-of-32, 358 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT in win over Minnesota
Hagans was an excellent quarterback at Virginia who will move to wide receiver in the NFL. The comparisons, however, to Steelers wide receiver Antwaan Randle El are a little exaggerated. Randle El showed he could catch the ball and was a natural at wide receiver at the Senior Bowl practices in 2002. Hagans hasn't yet shown that, so it's a bit premature to say Hagans is going to be everything Randle El is just because they were both college quarterbacks. It remains to be seen whether he can effectively play the wide-receiver position at the next level. Right now, I'm projecting Hagans as a fourth-round pick, with the chance to move either up or down depending on how his workouts go and how he catches the ball.

TE Owen Daniels | Wisconsin
3 receptions, 46 yards, 1 TD in win over Auburn
Daniels has really moved up because his pass-receiving ability sets him apart from many other tight ends. Daniels is similar to Chris Cooley of the Redskins; that's the role Daniels will play in the NFL. He has good size (6-3½, 242) and few, if any, peers at the college level when it comes to catching the ball. If NFL teams are looking for that type of player, they should look in the second round for Daniels -- because if they wait for the third round, he might be gone.

CB Marcus Hudson | NC State
9 tackles, 1 pass breakup in win over South Florida
He has very good size (6-2, 203) and will probably start his career as a cornerback in the NFL. He could shift to safety down the road. Also, from the day he sets foot in a training camp, Hudson will be one of the top special-teams players. He does a great job in coverage on punts and kickoffs and is very effective at blocking kicks. I see no reason why he can't be a first-day selection, either in the second or third round.

 

[Dryden]

Mel Kiper Jr's first Top 5 by position which includes juniors:
http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=2282715

Top 5 players by position
By Mel Kiper Jr.

Jan. 6, 2006 | Now that underclassmen are declaring for the NFL draft, the Top 5 list will take on a different look in the coming weeks. Instead of Top 5 Seniors by Position, it is now Top 5 Players by Position, based on seniors and underclassmen who are involved in the draft process. Expect many more changes in the next few weeks, since underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to declare for April's draft.

Quarterbacks
1. Matt Leinart, USC
2. Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt
3. Brodie Croyle, Alabama
4. Darrell Hackney, UAB
5. Charlie Whitehurst, Clemson
5a. Barrick Nealy, Texas State
5b. Kellen Clemens, Oregon
5c. Bruce Eugene, Grambling

Running Backs
1. DeAngelo Williams, Memphis
2. Laurence Maroney, Minnesota (Junior)
3. Joseph Addai, LSU
4. Jerome Harrison, Washington State
5. Leon Washington, Florida State
5a. Andre Hall, South Florida
5b. P.J. Daniels, Georgia Tech

Fullbacks
1. Lawrence Vickers, Colorado
2. J.D. Runnels, Oklahoma
3. Matt Bernstein, Wisconsin
4. Daccus Turman, South Carolina
5. David Kirtman, USC

Wide Receivers
1. Santonio Holmes, Ohio State (Junior)
2. Derek Hagan, Arizona State
3. Sinorice Moss, Miami
4. Chad Jackson, Florida (Junior)
5. Hank Baskett, New Mexico
5a. Maurice Stovall, Notre Dame
5b. Brandon Williams, Wisconsin
5c. Greg Lee, Pittsburgh (Junior)
5d. Travis Wilson, Oklahoma
5e. Jonathan Orr, Wisconsin

Tight Ends
1. Vernon Davis, Maryland (Junior)
2. Leonard Pope, Georgia (Junior)
3. Owen Daniels, Wisconsin
4. Dominique Byrd, USC
5. David Thomas, Texas
5a. Marcedes Lewis, UCLA
5b. Joe Klopfenstein, Colorado
5c. Tim Day, Oregon

Tackles
1. D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia
2. Ryan O'Callaghan, California
3. Jeremy Trueblood, Boston College
4. Marcus McNeill, Auburn
5. Andrew Whitworth, LSU
5a. Eric Winston, Miami

Guards
1. Jason Spitz, Louisville
2. Taitusi Lutui, USC
3. Max Jean-Gilles, Georgia
4. Kevin Boothe, Cornell
5. Rob Sims, Ohio State
5a. Davin Joseph, Oklahoma
5b. E.J. Whitley, Texas Tech

Centers
1. Nick Mangold, Ohio State
2. Greg Eslinger, Minnesota
3. Ryan Cook, New Mexico
4. Mike Degory, Florida
5. Marvin Philip, California

Place-Kickers
1. Stephen Gostkowski, Memphis
2. Josh Huston, Ohio State
3. Connor Hughes, Virginia
4. Deric Yaussi, Wyoming
5. Kurt Smith, Virginia

Defensive Ends
1. Mario Williams, NC State (Junior)
2. Tamba Hali, Penn State
3. Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College
4. Kamerion Wimbley, Florida State
5. Manny Lawson, NC State
5a. Elvis Dumervil, Louisville
5b. Ray Edwards, Purdue (Junior)
5c. Jason Hatcher, Grambling
5d. Charlton Keith, Kansas

Defensive Tackles
1. Orien Harris, Miami
2. Claude Wroten, LSU
3. Brodrick Bunkley, Florida State
4. Kyle Williams, LSU
5. Titus Adams, Nebraska

Inside Linebackers
1. D'Qwell Jackson, Maryland
2. Abdul Hodge, Iowa
3. Gerris Wilkinson, Georgia Tech
4. Oliver Hoyte, NC State
5. Leon Williams, Miami

Outside Linebackers
1. A.J. Hawk, Ohio State
2. DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
3. Chad Greenway, Iowa
4. Thomas Howard, UTEP
5. Bobby Carpenter, Ohio State
5a. Cameron Vaughn, LSU
5b. Rocky McIntosh, Miami

Cornerbacks
1. Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech
2. Antonio Cromartie, Florida State (Junior)
3. Kelly Jennings, Miami
4. DeMario Minter, Georgia
5. Anwar Phillips, Penn State
5a. Marcus Hudson, NC State
5b. Jason Allen, Tennessee
5c. Tye Hill, Clemson
5d. Marcus Maxey, Miami
5e. Alan Zemaitis, Penn State
5f. Cedric Griffin, Texas

Safeties
1. Michael Huff, Texas
2. Anthony Smith, Syracuse
3. Bernard Pollard, Purdue (Junior)
4. Dwayne Slay, Texas Tech
5. Daniel Bullocks, Nebraska

Punters
1. John Torp, Colorado
2. Steve Weatherford, Illinois
3. Tom Malone, USC
4. Jeff Williams, Adams State (Colo.)
5. Sam Paulescu, Oregon State

 

[SanClementeBuck]

For lllloyd's sake, thar ain't no weasels in the bunch!

 

[buckeyeboy]

I've said all along that Mangold is a better center than that overrated guy from Minnesota.