1: Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame - would have been the 2nd or 3rd pick in this draft. Displays great intangibles & ability to pick up a new offense quickly. Great armstrength & accuracy & plays in an NFL offense.
2: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma* - under the radar this past year because a couple injuries held him back. He was right when he said he was an NFL back coming out of high school. Great size, strength, with deceptive break away speed.
3: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech* - unheard of by many, has excellent size & good speed for a man his size. Plays up to his competition & reminds me of Larry Fitzgerald. If he had a better QB he'd be more popular.
4: Paul Posluszny, LB, PSU - a gritty, tough linebacker that is all over the field & makes plays.
5: Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville* - excellent arm strength & size. Played well as a freshman & played better as a sophomore. He holds onto the ball a little long sometimes. I worry about him playing in the spread offense, who unlike Quinn, has not played in another system.
6: Ahmad Brooks, LB, Virginia - if he can put his nagging little injuries behind him he could move ahead of Posluszny as the best LB in the class. No size questions here. He's an ILB in Al Groh's 3-4 scheme & can play either ILB or OLB in a 4-3 system.
7: Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson - was expected to forego his senior year to be a top 15 pick. A major part of Clemson's great dline this year. Good size, power, & speed.
8. LaRon Landry, FS, LSU - everyone's favorite safety this year. Has good size for a FS, can cover like a corner & isn't afraid to help support the run.
9: Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal* - with his #10 jersey hanging in my closet how can I leave him off. An extremely unheralded RB in the Pac-10 this year behing Reggie Bush & Maurice Drew. A homerun hitter similar to the playing style of Reggie. Has great hands out of the back field & put up excellent ypc #s vs everyone he played this year without the threat of a consistent passing game.
10: Drew Stanton, QB, Michigan St - would have probably declared this year had his team not stumbled down the stretch & not make a bowl game. He's a great leader, good frame, excellent arm, good accuracy & mobility. His fault is his consistency.
11: Joe Thomas, T, Wisconsin - it's sad but it seems like he's gonna be Eric Winston all over again. A once projected top 5 player that will fall because of a torn ACL, what's worse is that it happened in the last game of the year.
12: Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC* - has great ball skills, goes for the ball at the highest point, consistently beats double teams, comes up with the big catch, & has excellent size. His speed is the only knock on him.
13: Ted Ginn, WR/KR/PR, Ohio St* - excellent speed & agility. His hands need some work but he's a big time playmaker. Needs to refine his skills as a WR & will have to prove to be the man this year with Holmes gone.
14: Brandon Meriweather, DB, Miami - he's the Michael Huff of this draft. Has great coverage ability with some experience at corner, plays nickel back for the U now. He's a playmaker & a big hitter too. Could move up ahead of Landry.
15: Levi Brown, LT, Penn St - a 3 year starter with great size. He's a converted DT that's more of a run blocker. He has the athleticism to play LT in the NFL.
16: Greg Olsen, TE, Miami* - now the best TE in the country. A great security blanket that knows how to get open. Has good, not great speed, & excellent hands. Needs to improve his run blocking & add bulk.
17: Michael Griffin, S, Texas - talk about a hitter, Griffin hits like a truck & is very aggresive. Overshadowed a bit by Huff but Griffin lead the team in both tackles & interceptions. Isn't as good in coverage as Huff is & may be better suited as a SS in the NFL. Has only started one year so he may not have hit the ceiling yet.
18: Michael Bush, RB, Louisville - is a big back that runs tall, similar to Eddie George, which will probably lead to a short career. Takes on everyone & gets hit a lot. An excellent goal line & short yardage back. A former top QB recruit so a team that likes trick plays could use that to their advantage.
19: Patrick Willis, OLB, Ole Miss - a speedy ILB that can tackle. Extremely tough & dedicated player, as he played with a sprained MCL & broken finger this year. Could stand to add some size & projects as in OLB.
20: Sam Baker, LT, USC* - a three year starter at LT who's an excellent pass blocker.
UR: Justin Blalock, RT, Texas - would be rated higher if he didn't project as a guard or RT in the NFL. Great strength, more of a run blocker.
