It
can be very difficult to pin down rookie wideouts so for
that reason I am going to go ahead and try to provide a glimpse into
what my
top five pass catchers bring and where I think they might be taken. Of
course,
after the Combine, some guys will climb up some boards around the
league but I
have never been a big believer in the Combine and thus stick to my guns
like I
did with Dwayne Bowe last year about this time. His Combine was rough,
but his
rookie season was rough on veteran DBs all over the NFL. Let’s see if I
can
repeat that sort of foresight here.
Malcolm Kelly, Oklahoma
Kelly has great size and speed and really knows how to use
them. Unlike Mike Williams from USC, he is not afraid of his own size
at 6-4
and 217 pounds. He might not be the quickest or even the most athletic
guy out
there at this position, but so what? He meets the ball instead of
letting it
come to him and that is something that can help out just about any QB
in the
league. We saw that this season with Plaxico and Eli in NY. In my mock,
I have
him at 17 to Minnesota
and I
think that’s the perfect spot for him and for Tarvaris Jackson.
However, he
could go as high as 11 to Buffalo
where he would provide a number two to relieve Lee Evans and
Burress-esque
target for young Trent Edwards. |
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DeSean
Jackson, Cal
Explosiveness for days and oozing athleticism, Jackson
reminds some of Ted Ginn but unlike Ginn, I think Jackson
is a great WR prospect. He does not have
ideal size but his speed and ability to get yardage after the catch
reminds me
a lot of Laveranues Coles. His ability to create matchup problems is
key in the
NFL and regardless of where he lines up, everyone knows where he is or
else
they pay. Right now I project him at 20 to Tampa
where the west coast offense gives him a chance to turn five yard plays
into 60
yard scores. He would also look good in Minnesota
or Houston as well and I
really
think that someone will try to move up to select him if he is there at
15 or
so. Maybe even a team that doesn’t have a pick in round one. A treat to
watch
him play.
Early
Doucet, LSU
Doucet had a somewhat disappointing season but some of that
I think can be attributed to some inconsistency at quarterback. He is a
guy who
likes to be physical but won’t go out of his way to make contact.
Doucet’s
speed is very underrated and he often slips in behind coverages like
two and
three deeps and abuses single coverage. Right now I have him going to San
Diego at 27. It might seem strange to say it,
but he
reminds me of Braylon Edwards at times and if he shows it in testing,
he could
go as high as 14 to the Bears or 17 to Minnesota
if things fall right.
Limas
Sweed, Texas
Sweed’s injury scares me a little bit but someone like Limas
can really change a game by changing what a defense does in coverage.
However,
as I said, an injury to a WR’s hand is almost as bad as an injury like
a
hamstring and NFL teams know that. He will really need to show some
health and
some raw speed in testing to move any higher on my board than Tennessee
at 25. However, he could easily go a lot higher maybe 10 or 12 picks
higher.
This is a situation and a guy worth keeping an eye and ear on over the
next
couple months.
Harry
Douglas, Louisville
A bit of a mystery right now due to the fact that his team
dropped off the national radar early on in the season as far as
positive press
goes. A bit undersized but a pure WR that runs good routes and goes to
the ball
and becomes effective in situations where the DB has better position
and Douglas
needs to become a DB. Crazy speed and amazing quickness make him one of
my
favorite guys if not the top prospect. SF at 30 seems like a great fit
and if
he doesn’t go there, I don’t see him going any earlier as of now. A lot
of
teams will be hoping he falls to the top of round two.
Michael
Abromowitz's 2008 NFL Mock
Draft
Gregory Cox's 2008
NFL Mock Draft
Paul Eide's 2008 NFL
Mock Draft
Jared
Donnelly's 2008 NFL Mock
Draft
Mock
Draft Database
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