ESPN INSIDER NFL DRAFT- KIPER'S TOP 5 AT POSITION BOARD

[Bretsky]

Asterisk denotes underclassmen who have declared for the draft.

Quarterbacks
1. JaMarcus Russell,* LSU
2. Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
3. Drew Stanton, Michigan State
4. Trent Edwards, Stanford
5. John Beck, BYU
5a. Kevin Kolb, Houston
5b. Troy Smith, Ohio State
5c. Matt Moore, Oregon State
5d. Chris Leak, Florida

Running Backs
1. Adrian Peterson,* Oklahoma
2. Marshawn Lynch,* California
3. Antonio Pittman,* Ohio State
4. Kenny Irons, Auburn
5. Brandon Jackson,* Nebraska
5a. Chris Henry,* Arizona
5b. Lorenzo Booker, Florida State 5c. Tony Hunt, Penn State
5d. Michael Bush,* Louisville
5e. Darius Walker,* Notre Dame
5f. Dwayne Wright,* Fresno State

Fullbacks
1. Brian Leonard, Rutgers
2. LeRon McClain, Alabama
3. Deon Anderson, Connecticut 4. Cory Anderson, Tennessee
5. Stan White Jr., Ohio State
5a. Jason Snelling, Virginia
5b. Bryson Davis, Mississippi State

Wide Receivers
1. Calvin Johnson,* Georgia Tech
2. Dwayne Jarrett,* USC
3. Dwayne Bowe, LSU
4. Steve Smith, USC
5. Ted Ginn Jr.,* Ohio St.
5a. Sidney Rice,* South Carolina
5b. Robert Meachem,* Tennessee
5c. Craig Davis, LSU
5d. Anthony Gonzalez,* Ohio State
5e. Paul Williams, Fresno State

Tight Ends
1. Greg Olsen,* Miami
2. Zach Miller,* Arizona State
3. Ben Patrick, Delaware
4. Matt Spaeth, Minnesota
5. Joe Newton, Oregon State
5a. Clark Harris, Rutgers
5b. Michael Allan, Whitworth
5c. Kevin Boss, Western Oregon
5d. Scott Chandler, Iowa

Offensive Tackles
1. Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
2. Levi Brown, Penn State
3. Joe Staley, Central Michigan
4. Marshal Yanda, Iowa
5. Tony Ugoh, Arkansas
5a. Renardo Foster, Louisville
5b. Chase Johnson, Wyoming
5c. Doug Free, Northern Illinois

Offensive Guards
1. Ben Grubbs, Auburn
2. Arron Sears, Tennessee
3. Justin Blalock, Texas
4. Josh Beekman, Boston College
5. Andy Alleman, Akron
5a. Tim Duckworth, Auburn
5b. Dan Santucci, Notre Dame

Centers
1. Ryan Kalil, USC
2. Samson Satele, Hawaii
3. Uche Nwaneri, Purdue
4. Kyle Young, Fresno State
5. Leroy Harris, NC State
5a. Enoka Lucas, Oregon

Defensive Ends
1. Gaines Adams, Clemson
2. Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas*
3. Adam Carriker, Nebraska
4. Jarvis Moss, Florida*
5. Anthony Spencer, Purdue
5a. Charles Johnson, Georgia*
5b. LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
5c. Tim Crowder, Texas
5d. Jay Moore, Nebraska
5e. Victor Abiamiri, Notre Dame
5f. Quentin Moses, Georgia

Defensive Tackles
1. Amobi Okoye, Louisville
2. Justin Harrell, Tennessee
3. Alan Branch, Michigan*
4. Tank Tyler, NC State
5. Turk McBride, Tennessee
5a. Brandon Mebane, California
5b. Quinn Pitcock, Ohio State
5c. Ryan McBean, Oklahoma State

Inside Linebackers
1. Patrick Willis, Mississippi
2. David Harris, Michigan
3. Buster Davis, Florida State
4. Rory Johnson, Mississippi*
5. Zak DeOssie, Brown
5a. Brandon Siler, Florida*
5b. Zach Diles, Kansas State

Outside Linebackers
1. Lawrence Timmons, Florida St.*
2. Paul Posluszny, Penn State
3. Jon Beason, Miami
4. Stewart Bradley, Nebraska
5. Michael Okwo, Stanford
5a. Quincy Black, New Mexico
5b. Rufus Alexander, Oklahoma

Cornerbacks
1. Leon Hall, Michigan
2. Eric Wright, UNLV*
3. Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh*
4. Aaron Ross, Texas
5. Chris Houston, Arkansas*
5a. Marcus McCauley, Fresno State
5b. Jonathan Wade, Tennessee
5c. Josh Wilson, Maryland
5d. Daymeion Hughes, California

Safeties
1. LaRon Landry, LSU
2. Eric Weddle, Utah
3. Reggie Nelson, Florida*
4. Brandon Meriweather, Miami
5. Michael Griffin, Texas
5a. Tanard Jackson, Syracuse
5b. Josh Gattis, Wake Forest
5c. Aaron Rouse, Virginia Tech

Place-Kickers
1. Mason Crosby, Colorado
2. Justin Medlock, UCLA
3. Matt Clark, Auburn
4. Nick Folk, Arizona
5. Andrew Wellock, Eastern Michigan
5a. Brian Wingert, Northern Iowa

Punters
1. Adam Podlesh, Maryland
2. Daniel Sepulveda, Baylor
3. Kody Bliss, Auburn
4. Adam Graessle, Pittsburgh
5. David Simonhoff, Southeast Missouri State

[Bretsky]

Weddle over Nelson and Meacham so low surprised me

[gbpackfan]

I would be very happy to see TT grab Bowe/Meachem in the 1st and follow up with Pittman in the 2nd.

Or, trade for Moss, grab Olsen in the 1st, Pittman in the 2nd. That would add a little spice to the O.

[PaCkFan_n_MD]

Weddle over Nelson and Meacham so low surprised me

Alan Branch not number two suprised me.

[Bretsky]

concerns about laziness, work effort, and lack of consistency is pushing him to low 1st at this point per ESPN

[Bretsky]

MORE FROM ESPN INSIDER RECENT WORKOUTS


Russell, Stanton impress scouts

By Todd McShay
Scouts Inc.
Archive

BATON ROUGE, La. (March 14) -- With more than 100 NFL coaches and front-office members in attendance, LSU's pro day felt like a reunion from last month's scouting combine in Indianapolis. While Florida had the most players invited to the combine, LSU should have the most players selected in the top 40 picks, hence the turnout in Baton Rouge on Wednesday.

QB JaMarcus Russell headlined the event. After opting not to work out at the combine, the potential top pick was the focus of all eyes, and Russell did not disappoint. For starters, he showed up nine pounds lighter (256) and in noticeably better shape than he did a few weeks ago in Indianapolis. Russell ran his only 40-yard dash attempt in 4.84 seconds, which is more than respectable considering Ohio State QB Troy Smith (6-foot, 222 pounds) ran in the 4.7-second range.

Most impressive was Russell's passing session, which lasted nearly an hour and consisted of 75 attempts. Russell was not perfect -- he mistimed a couple of throws and bounced one of his out-route attempts to the left side. Nevertheless, I can't remember being in such awe of a quarterback in my decade of attending combines and pro days.

Russell's arm strength is sensational; he makes the toughest deep-outs and post-corner passes look seamless. He also displayed outstanding footwork and the ability to make strong, accurate throws on the run, both to his right and left.

By no means do I think a team will be persuaded to take Russell because of what they saw inside LSU's indoor practice facility on Wednesday. However, if the Raiders were already leaning toward taking Russell, their representatives in attendance (including new head coach Lane Kiffin) should feel even better about selecting him.

In addition to Russell, DS Laron Landry and WRs Dwayne Bowe and Craig Davis showcased their skills. Landry wisely chose to stand on his 40 times from the combine (4.37 and 4.40), but did participate in the 20-yard shuttle (4.36 seconds), three cone (7.11 seconds), broad jump (10-6) and vertical jump (38 inches). Landry also recorded 20 reps on the bench press after opting out at the combine, although the recording scout claimed he failed to lock out his arms on 17 of the 20 reps.

Both Bowe and Davis were able to improve their 40 times from the combine. Bowe made the bigger improvement by running a 4.40 on Wednesday, compared to his time of 4.57 at the combine. Davis strained his groin during his first 40 attempt (4.49) at the combine, but was healthy enough to run a 4.38 on his home turf.

While Bowe is considered the better overall pro prospect, Davis showed better speed and hands running routes during Russell's passing session. Davis did tweak his groin toward the end of the workout, which could prevent him from running privately for NFL teams between now and the draft.

DS Jesse Daniels, DE Chase Pittman and RB Justin Vincent also worked out at LSU's pro day on Wednesday. Vincent was not invited to the combine and Pittman couldn't run because he was ill with the flu.

Other Pro Day Briefings

Michigan State Spartans (March 14)
Noticeably absent from LSU's festivities were Lions head coach Rod Marinelli and offensive coordinator Mike Martz. While his decision may have had more to do with proximity than draft interest, Marinelli chose to attend Michigan State's pro day instead. Drew Stanton reportedly took full advantage of his audience, throwing the ball with impressive timing, accuracy and arm strength.

By all accounts, Stanton increased his chances of being the third quarterback taken in the upcoming draft -- behind Russell and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. In fact, a source who attended both private passing sessions told me Stanton's was more impressive than Russell's.

Oklahoma Sooners (March 13)
After an exceptional showing at the combine a few weeks earlier, RB Adrian Peterson managed to build on the momentum during Oklahoma's pro day on Tuesday. Peterson stood on some of his outstanding workout results from the combine, including an electronic time of 4.41 seconds in the 40, a 38½ vertical jump, a 10-1 broad jump and a 4.4-second short shuttle.

His time in the long shuttle (11.79) is good for a back his size (6-foot-1, 217 pounds), but the individual portion of the workout was what drew rave reviews from NFL brass in attendance. While no team intends on playing him as a wide receiver, Peterson spent the majority of his positional drills running routes -- out of the backfield, in the slot and split out wide.

Despite recently giving veteran RB Jamal Lewis a one-year deal, the Browns are expected to seriously consider taking Peterson with the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

Arkansas Razorbacks (March 13)
DE Jamaal Anderson was under a microscope after opting out of the combine workout. Fortunately for him, Anderson had nothing to hide. The 6-foot-5, 284-pound underclassman verified his unusual combination of size and athleticism by running both his 40-yard dash attempts in the high 4.7-second range, while also posting high marks in the short shuttle (4.22), three cone (6.88), broad jump (9-8), vertical jump (32½) and bench press (22 reps).

Anderson can be inconsistent and his technique needs some polishing, but his type of natural physical tools can't be coached. That's why I still believe Anderson is the second-best defensive end prospect in this year's talent-laden crop. Arkansas' other first-round talent in this year's draft class, CB Chris Houston, elected not to run after posting remarkable all-around results at last month's combine.

Ohio State Buckeyes (March 13)
Ted Ginn Jr. disappointed the approximately 70 NFL coaches and front-office members in attendance at Ohio State's pro day by opting not to work out for the second time in less than a month. Scouts hardly need to see Ginn Jr. run in shorts to conclude he's one of the most explosive wide receivers and return specialists in the 2007 class. Still, with so much money riding on a first-round pick, personnel departments understandably become paranoid this time of year.

There is increasing concern regarding the severity of Ginn Jr.'s foot injury, which he suffered more than two months ago celebrating his touchdown return in the national title game. Ginn Jr. is hoping to schedule a private workout in early April. For now, any team contemplating drafting him in the top half of the first round has to be cooling on the idea.

After taking his lumps over the course of the past two months, Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith demonstrated resiliency with a strong overall showing during his pro day workout. The dual-threat quarterback was much more efficient during his passing session, while also showcasing his athleticism and competitiveness during his agility drills. The only real negative was the subpar showing in the 40 (4.71 and 4.77).

While those are above-average times for the quarterback position, Smith was expected to run faster -- particularly on the notoriously fast track at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Teams considering Smith as a possible slash-type player at the next level cannot be pleased by his top-end speed.

Despite all the other talent working out in Columbus on Saturday, it was wide receiver Roy Hall who stole the show. Hall, who was buried on the depth chart behind Ginn Jr., Anthony Gonzalez and Brian Robiskie, only notched 52 career receptions.

He showed some promising signs late in his senior season, including three catches for 38 yards and a score versus Michigan. But even area scouts aware of Hall's untapped potential couldn't have predicted his performance. At 6-foot-2, 229 pounds, Hall blazed a 4.41-second 40 and leaped 37½ inches on his vertical jump.

While it's unusual for a player to get drafted almost completely on potential shown at a pro day workout, it has happened at powerhouse programs before. Most recently, the Patriots found a quality backup quarterback in the seventh round of the 2005 draft in Matt Cassel. He almost never saw the field at USC, playing behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

Scouts Inc.'s Top 32
RANK NAME POS CLASS SCHOOL PREV
1. Calvin Johnson WR JR Georgia Tech 1
2. Joe Thomas OT SR Wisconsin 2
3. JaMarcus Russell QB JR LSU 3
4. Gaines Adams DE SR Clemson 4
5. Adrian Peterson RB JR Oklahoma 5
6. Brady Quinn QB SR Notre Dame 6
7. Alan Branch DT JR Michigan 7
8. Laron Landry S SR LSU 8
9. Jamaal Anderson DE JR Arkansas 9
10. Amobi Okoye DT SR Louisville 10
11. Levi Brown OT SR Penn State 11
12. Leon Hall CB SR Michigan 12
13. Adam Carriker DE SR Nebraska 13
14. Dwayne Bowe WR SR LSU 15
15. Marshawn Lynch RB JR Cal 16
16. Patrick Willis ILB SR Mississippi 20
17. Chris Houston DC JR Arkansas 18
18. Lawrence Timmons OLB JR Florida State 17
19. Jarvis Moss DE JR Florida 19
20. Dwayne Jarrett WR JR USC 21
21. Aaron Ross CB SR Texas 22
22. Greg Olsen TE JR Miami-FL 23
23. Ted Ginn Jr. WR JR Ohio State 14
24. Anthony Spencer DE/LB SR Purdue 26
25. Ryan Kalil C SR USC 28
26. Paul Posluszny OLB SR Penn State 29
27. Robert Meachem WR JR Tennessee 24
28. Charles Johnson DE JR Georgia 25
29. Reggie Nelson S JR Florida 27
30. Darrelle Revis CB JR Pittsburgh 30
31. Sidney Rice WR JR South Carolina 31
32. Ben Grubbs OG SR Auburn NR

[the_idle_threat]

While it's unusual for a player to get drafted almost completely on potential shown at a pro day workout, it has happened at powerhouse programs before. Most recently, the Patriots found a quality backup quarterback in the seventh round of the 2005 draft in Matt Cassel. He almost never saw the field at USC, playing behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

Yeah, Cassell has been excellent at holding a clipboard for the past two seasons. That was a quality find. :jig:

[red]

gee, nice top 5 list mel, ya jackass

lets see, i only have time to rank 4, so i'll take the next 10 guys and say their all tied for 5th, then i can think less