With the 2008 college football season wrapping up, NFL scouting departments are reorganizing their draft boards and refiguring the nation's top prospects. Mike Lombardi, Andrew Brandt and Wes Bunting of the National Football Post put together our list of the top 100 draft prospects for our NFL Draft partner, Rivals.com.
(* - denotes underclassman)
NFL Draft Top 100 Prospects
1. WR Michael Crabtree*, Texas Tech The nation's premiere threat at receiver. He has the entire package and is destined to become one of the NFL's top wide receivers.
2. OT Michael Oher, Ole Miss A powerful, well-proportioned tackle with light feet and impressive body control on the outside. He possesses the ideal skill set for a NFL left tackle.
3. DE Brian Orakpo, Texas An explosive athlete with a powerful frame and good flexibility in his lower half. He will be able to rush the passer as a 4-3 defensive end or a 3-4 outside linebacker.
4. DT Terrence Cody*, Alabama A massive two-gap nose tackle who eats up blockers and clogs run lanes; he's ideal for a 3-4 defense.
5. OT Andre Smith*, Alabama A nimble-footed tackle with great body control and agility. He may be best-suited to play on the right side because of his girth.
6. ILB Brandon Spikes*, Florida A do-it-all linebacker who displays great power in the box and fluidity in space. He's the kind of athlete you can build a defense around.
7. FS Taylor Mays*, USC A physically imposing safety who can play near the line of scrimmage and has great range against the pass.
8. QB Sam Bradford*, Oklahoma He's the nation's most accurate passer. He has all the intangibles to mature into a productive NFL quarterback.
9. CB Malcolm Jenkins, Ohio State A natural cover man who has the footwork and transition skills to stay with receivers in and out of their breaks.
10. DE Aaron Maybin*, Penn State This undersized defensive end showcases the first step and the closing speed to consistently get after the passer. He plays a lot more stout than his 245-pound frame would indicate.
11. LB Aaron Curry, Wake Forest An impressive sideline-to-sideline athlete who tracks the ball well in pursuit. He has good power inside, and plays the run and pass both equally well.
12. TE Jermaine Gresham*, Oklahoma He possesses the body control and athleticism of a wide receiver with the frame of a big-time tight end.
13. RB Chris Wells*, Ohio State He exhibits a rare blend of speed, burst and agility for a man of his dimensions (6 feet 1, 230 pounds).
14. DT Gerald McCoy*, Oklahoma The nation's most disruptive interior lineman. He has a powerful lower body, with the quickness to shoot gaps and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.
15. LB Rey Maualuga, USC He has the power to fill run lanes and destroy ballcarriers on contact. He is a much better athlete than given credit for.
16. QB Matthew Stafford*, Georgia He has the physical skill set to make scouts drool, but after a somewhat disappointing junior campaign, questions remain about his accuracy and intangibles.
17. DT B.J. Raji, Boston College An explosive nose tackle with a great first step and a powerful lower half He has the ability to simply overwhelm offensive linemen at the point of attack.
18. WR Percy Harvin*, Florida An explosive playmaker in every sense of the word. He can line up at running back or in the slot and will add a lot of versatility to an NFL team's passing attack.
19. DT Peria Jerry, Ole Miss He has played as well as any defensive tackle in the nation and is really shooting up draft boards. He has good girth, with the quickness to shoot gaps and blow up plays inside.
20. DE George Selvie*, USF He exhibits the most explosive first step off the line of any defensive end in the country. He is a bit limited with his pass rush repertoire but he is a consistent factor off the edge.
21. OT Eben Britton*, Arizona A long, smooth-footed tackle who has shot up draft boards. He has all the tools, but lacks any kind of real explosion to his game.
22. CB Vontae Davis*, Illinois The nation's most athletically gifted corner. Davis displays the size, speed and body control to be a star; he just needs to polish his technique a bit.
23. DE Everette Brown, Florida State One of the most productive ends in the nation, Brown has a good first step and an excellent motor in pursuit. He uses his hands well on the outside and knows how to turn the corner.
24. OT Eugene Monroe, Virginia A dancing bear on the outside with good length and smooth feet in pass protection. He needs to continue to add more strength, but he has the quickness to handle speed off the edge.
25. WR Jeremy Maclin*, Missouri An explosive receiver who has really polished his route-running ability since last season. He is dynamic with the ball in his hands and is a constant vertical threat.
26. OT Russell Okung*, Oklahoma State He is a bit undersized and needs to add some girth to his frame, but Okung may have the best feet and body control of any tackle in the nation.
27. DT Sen'Derrick Marks*, Auburn An undersized, quick-twitch tackle who makes a living in opponents' backfields. He has an explosive first step and the lower-body strength to fight through blocks.
28. OT Trent Williams*, Oklahoma Blessed with the feet of a left tackle and the size and power of a right tackle, Williams will continue to shoot up draft boards after a dominant 2008 campaign.
29. WR Darrius Heyward-Bey*, Maryland One of the premier vertical threats in the draft, Heyward-Bey combines size (6-2) and speed (4.35) to consistently get down the field and create big plays.
30. LB James Laurinaitis, Ohio State A smart, instinctive linebacker who has a nose for the ball. He plays the game the way it is supposed to be played and relies on his technique and smarts to make up for his physical shortcomings.
31. RB Knowshon Moreno*, Georgia One of the most instinctive runners to come along in years, Moreno has great vision and the ability to run between the tackles and create plays in the open field.
32. CB Sean Smith*, Utah He's 6-3 and scouts still are tying to determine his position at the next level. He exhibits the fluidly and body control to become a top press corner in the NFL.
33. RB LeSean McCoy*, Pittsburgh He's blessed with rare quickness and "wiggle." McCoy has the type of athleticism to be an X-factor in the run game at the next level.
34. OT Jason Smith, Baylor This former tight end has made a smooth transition to tackle and displays some of the best feet in the country. He still is working on his technique, but you can't ignore his natural athleticism.
35. TE Brandon Pettigrew, Oklahoma State The most polished tight end prospect in this year's draft. He can hurt you in the passing game and he also is a physical blocker.
36. DE Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech A tall, angular pass rusher with a great first step and closing speed off the edge. While his production has yet to match his physical tools, he has a ton of upside.
37. OLB Mark Herzlich*, Boston College A versatile outside linebacker who has a good first step. He can get after the quarterback as a 3-4 outside linebacker or play the strongside in a 4-3.
38. G Duke Robinson, Oklahoma A massive guard prospect with smooth feet and good body control. He could be the first guard off the board and can be penciled in to start for the next 10 years.
39. DE Corey Wootton*, Northwestern A long, angular defensive end who plays with good leverage and uses his hands well to shed blocks. He knows how to slip blockers.
40. LB Antonio Coleman*, Auburn A thick, powerfully built (6-2, 254) linebacker who can stack and shed inside the box; he also has the feet and re-direction skills to hold his own in space.
41. CB Alphonso Smith, Wake Forest An undersized corner (5-9) who makes up for his lack of height with great awareness and re-direction skills. He gets in and out of his breaks as well as any corner in the draft.
42. LB Brian Cushing, USC A versatile athlete who will be able to line up at an array of positions at the next level, which will only help his draft stock.
43. DE Greg Hardy*, Ole Miss A talented pass rusher who has the ability to reach the corner or stunt inside with an impressive counter move.
44. G Herman Johnson, LSU A massive in-line blocker who showcases impressive body control and feet for his size. He gets good push in the running game and absolutely engulfs defenders against the pass.
45. CB D.J. Moore*, Vanderbilt An athletically gifted corner with great feet and re-direction skills in and out of his breaks. He has the feet to stay with NFL receivers, but is too easily boxed out of plays.
46. WR Hakeem Nicks, North Carolina A thick, well-built receiver with great ball skills and body control. He lacks great speed but knows how to make plays with the ball in his hands.
47. OT Ciron Black*, LSU He has great feet and showcases an ability to re-direct in space. He may be best-suited to play on the right side in the NFL.
48. QB Mark Sanchez*, USC Sanchez still needs more polish, but he has the arm strength and accuracy from the pocket to warrant late first-round consideration.
49. RB C.J. Spiller*, Clemson A two-stepper who gets up to speed instantly. He has the "wiggle" and body control to consistently make defenders miss in the open field.
50. C/T Max Unger, Oregon This left tackle-turned-center possesses elite feet inside and has the versatility to play just about any position on the line.
51. RB Shonn Greene*, Iowa A productive back who has good quickness and lateral mobility for his size. He is a powerful, downhill back who knows how to carry the load between the tackles.
52. WR Juaquin Iglesias, Oklahoma A smooth route runner who gets in and out of his breaks quickly and shows the burst to separate on all levels of the field. He has the potential to be a poor man's Reggie Wayne.
53. G Sergio Render*, Virginia Tech A stout, powerfully built guard with good feet and re-direction skills inside. He has the athleticism and power to contribute in any kind of blocking scheme.
54. C Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas He displays great feet and athletic ability for his size (6-4, 314), but doesn't have the kind of power his dimensions would indicate.
55. LB Sean Weatherspoon*, Missouri He's a sideline-to-sideline linebacker with good straight-line speed and fluidity in coverage. He has a nose for the ball, but can be overwhelmed and washed out at the line of scrimmage.
56. TE Jared Cook*, South Carolina A big, athletic tight end prospect who displays a lot of upside as a receiver. He is far from a finished product but has the athleticism to cause mismatches in the secondary.
57. OLB Clint Sintim, Virginia A 3-4 outside linebacker prospect who has good power on the outside and impressive closing speed off the edge. He knows how to get after the quarterback and has experience playing in Al Groh's 3-4 defense.
58. QB Tim Tebow*, Florida A physical leader who has put together two of the most impressive statistical years in college football history. The position he will play at the next level is still up in the air, but you can't count out a guy with his kind of passion.
59. WR Brandon LaFell*, LSU LaFell was productive this season, especially considering all the struggles LSU's offense endured. He has a big frame and the ball skills and speed to handle the rigors of being a team's top wideout at the next level.
60. DT Fili Moala, USC He displays good athleticism and burst off the ball, with the power to drive lineman into the backfield. He lacks lateral mobility, and if Moala doesn't win the battle with his first step, he really struggles.
61. DE Brandon Graham*, Michigan A stocky, powerful end with good first-step quickness and the ability to get under blockers and dip around the edge. He plays both the run and pass well.
62. TE Chase Coffman, Missouri A natural receiver who loves to fight for the ball and craves contact. He has the power and aggressive nature to become a sound blocker at the next level.
63. CB Trevard Lindley*, Kentucky A tall, thin-bodied corner with good deep speed and body control down the field. A bit raw but has great ball skills and make a lot of plays on all levels of the field.
64. WR Kenny Britt*, Rutgers A physically built athlete with the size (6-4) and speed to (4.5) to develop into a go-to receiver at the next level.
65. LB Connor Barwin, Cincinnati This former tight end has made quite the transition to defensive end as a senior. He is tough and instinctive and has the ability to rush the passer as a linebacker in the 3-4.
66. G John Jerry*, Ole Miss A massive (6-5/348) guard prospect who plays with good bend and can really move defenders off the ball in the running game. He's an ideal fit for a power-blocking scheme.
67. OLB Eric Norwood, South Carolina A short, stout (6-0/267) athlete who will make the transition to a pass-rushing outside linebacker in the 3-4. He exhibits great lower-body strength, and has the flexibility to dip his hips to turn the corner on tackles.
68. FS William Moore, Missouri His play has declined a bit as a senior, as he hasn't shown the same type of physical, ball-hawking ability he did in the past. He will need a good Senior Bowl showing to move back up draft boards.
69. DT Ndamukong Suh*, Nebraska He has a quick first step off the snap and plays with good leverage and power inside. He has the ability to shoot gaps and can engage and slip blockers against the run.
70. CB Victor Harris, Virginia Tech He lacks technique and isn't the most fluid of corners, but he has the ability to close quickly and make plays on the ball.
71. RB Javon Ringer, Michigan State A compact, well-proportioned back with good quickness and burst through the hole. He has a lot of wear on his tires and will need to work in a running back-by-committee at the next level.
72. CB Mike Mickens, Cincinnati A tall, angular corner with good length and ball awareness out of his transition. He needs to work on his technique.
73. LB Sergio Kindle*, Texas A big, physical linebacker with the girth and power to play inside the box and the speed and burst to make plays on the perimeter.
74. LB Jerry Hughes*, TCU An undersized pass rusher with the first-step quickness to attack the edge. He uses his hands well on his outside rush, but may need to make the transition from end to a 3-4 outside linebacker.
75. C Alex Mack, California A tough, physical lineman who loves to maul defenders in the running game.
76. DT Ziggy Hood, Missouri He has a good first step and plays with a motor that runs non-stop. He has good lateral mobility and uses his hands well to shed blocks.
77. LB Joe Pawelek*, Baylor An instinctive athlete who does a great job getting a deep drop down the seam and reading the quarterback's eyes. He has impressive range and makes a lot of plays in pass coverage.
78. WR Derrick Williams, Penn State A gifted athlete, but his production never has matched the skill. A real boom-or-bust prospect who will be selected a lot higher than many think because of his upside.
79. DE Tyson Jackson, LSU He has the girth and power to control blockers at the point of attack. Jackson has the makings of a five-technique defensive end in the 3-4.
80. OLB Larry English, Northern Illinois An explosive pass rusher who needs to play outside linebacker in the 3-4 to be successful. He lacks the flexibility and bend to really coil up and attack the edge from a three-point stance.
81. FS Derek Pegues, Mississippi State A bit thinned frame, but Pegues has great instincts and a nose for the ball. He will be an ideal centerfield-type rover.
82. RB Donald Brown*, Connecticut He displays a nice skill set, but needs to learn to run behind his pads more. He reminds some scouts of
I think in the case of Jackson that there is simply so many talented jrs that are entering the draft, that it is kicking him down toward the second or third round. This could be the biggest jr class ever!
Smith plays upright more than Oher, but he is an anchor at left tackle. Those two should be the top two picks.
A friend is running Detroit in a FF draft and we're considering a move back w/ the Bengals so they can secure Smith.
I haven't watched a whole lot of Crabtree but #1 overall?? I'm not sold on taking him as a #1 WR because of that speed knock on him & the games I've watched him in, he disappears for long spells. That happened against Texas though he still made the TD winning grab & in this past bowl game.
I look at someone like Brandon Marshall of Denver as a legit #1. I can count on him getting open on nearly every play. Plus I would look for my #1 as having some form of breakaway speed leaning on taking one who can take it to the house whenever it's a foot race once he hits a clear path or open spaces. I see Crabtree get caught from behind almost regularly. My man Jerry Rice didn't look all that fast but he had it when it counted, that GAME SPEED...once he saw an open lane & was past the secondary it was goodbye see ya later, no one caught him from behind. For sure Crabtree's a legit threat in the Red zone with his quickness.
No doubt Murder. Oher to me is the safer pick. Smith was talked into by Sabean to lose 30 lbs. Where did that leave him 330-40ish? Sounds like a challenge every year for him to me. There will probably be some kind of weight clause in his contract. Smith's a franchise OT/LT no doubt. Oher is pure gold, he's one of my predictions to be special & a star in the league future multiple ProBowler. The other I have there is Rey Maualuga, a pure 100% beast.
Crabtree draws so much attention from opposing defenses week in and week out. HE was banged up with a bad ankle yesterday but was nearly doubled on every play. The man is unreal. Also who cares about pure deep speed. Crabtree will run high 4.4's to low 4.5's, which is good enough. Marshall isnt a burner but he has great body control and burst out of his breaks...just like Crabtree.
The item with USC players is trying to determine upside. So many of them are so well coached there may be limits to their upside. Some can do more things in other schemes, most of the time Carrol will employ those possible options.
It is a very complicated dance to scheme a D down tight. When you do, is there room for more plays after that? I think Ray M already shows that he is sound in a system AND he makes plays past that capacity. He is truly special to game planning.
Which player is put into position through Carrol's overall approach? That proves coachability, but is there room for taking that to the next level? Finishing strong, while attacking the football, on every play(Troy P).
That is what USC's dynamic young lineman brings. He has intangibles, fundamentals, and still has the ability to go beyond all of that and create additional opportunity for himself and others.
As for Smith from 'Bama, when he gets his hands on you, you're through. Oher is more athletic, and dymanic, but Smith is more along the lines of an Ogden in the way he can maul you down. I don't know if the arm span is quite the same as most tackles, he seems to be better and letting you get into his body and then just absorbing you into his strength.
You can even have tackles just use arms to extend people out of a play, but Smith is more of the "here I am, you will not run through me" type. He keeps people in front of him and when players are in front of him he gets to use his hands.
Smith's hands and guns are automatic, he can lock you down out on an island. Some may argue NFL ends are too fast for that but the Cards played one up tackles all night last night.
If you cannot run through an OL then you can ALWAYS set up three to five steps and get your pass out. So teams start going max cover, and Smith already showed he can master the play pass style for setting up deep like a classic power pass protector can do.
He is exaclty what Carson Palmer needs to rebuild the left side of their line. protect Palmer, you should be in every game you play. Rivers is coming back from injury so their D should continue its improvement. Cincy should try and move up, Detroit needs the picks and should move back.
You guys should list their weights for all of the prospects.
Does anyone else think Crabtree is overrated here? Calvin Johnson was the number 1 overall prospect on a lot of boards two years ago. But, is Crabtree even close to comparing to CJ? I don't think so. He doesn't have nearly the physical tools that Johnson had coming out. I know it's tough to compare prospects across draft classes. But, I just don't see how Crabtree has the same seperation that CJ did from the rest of his draft class. No way.
Look at many top receivers in league-there sppeed is 4.5 or slower coming out. I.E. Fitzgerald, boldin, jennings, wayne, and studs from past like rice, irvin, reed, carter etc. You need to be a football player w/ football instincts. Timed speed is nice but a bit overrated in my eyes. Just make plays. Crabtree is this kind of player.
Crabtree is 10 times the route runner and more polished wide out then Calvin Johnson was coming out. Look at johnson now, struggling to run any route outside of the nine route. Crabtree looks more polished and even though he will run high 4.4s low 4.5s I still think there isn't a prospects out there as safe as Crabtree
Sure, Crabtree is a more polished WR right now. But, you can't learn what CJ has. Crabtree will never have the upper end speed, size, and leaping ability that CJ has. Johnson will become a better route runner with time and better coaching (that is if Detroit can find some one willing to go up there and coach for their terrible organization). Despite his "shortcomings" he still has progessed very nicely and has great numbers. Yes, Detroit threw the ball a lot this year. But, they had no other threats but CJ and they had QB's that couldn't start for some major college programs right now. I think Crabtree is a great player and upper end prospect. But number 1?
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Jan 03, 2009
12:54 PM
Interesting that you have Tyson Jackson at #79, a s I know a lot of people that think he could sneak into the 1st round. While he'd be ideal as a 3-4 DE, could he also be used as a 4-3 DE on running downs and then shift inside on passing downs?