motife
04-24-2007, 02:27 AM
Draft Preview: Wide receivers, tight ends
Experts say Johnson is best player in draft this year
Posted: April 23, 2007
On the Packers
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Eighteen personnel men responsible for the entire country were asked by the Journal Sentinel to identify the best player in the entire draft.
No one brought up other names. No one hemmed or hawed. Most of the replies came instantaneously.
By acclamation, wide receiver Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech was No. 1.
"Oh, without a doubt, it's Johnson," said Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts. "As much as anybody can be can't-miss, he's can't-miss."
In a draft with a franchise running back in Adrian Peterson, a tremendous tackle in Joe Thomas, a terrific pass rusher in Gaines Adams and a sensational safety in LaRon Landry, Johnson stands alone by unanimous decree as the leading man.
Given almost four months to do nothing but scrutinize on-field performance and off-field behavior, a National Football League scout can diss or dig dirt up on anybody. It's a wonderful year for wide receivers, probably the best position in the draft, but the peerless Johnson is a cut above.
"There's questions, big questions, on the other receivers," said Marc Ross, an 11-year veteran of NFL scouting circles who handles the national side for Buffalo. "But he basically is everything you want in a player. This guy might be the best player that I've ever scouted, like Reggie Bush last year. He's a once in a lifetime kind of talent."
You start with Johnson's size. He's 6 feet 5 inches and 239 pounds, for heaven's sake. For comparison sake, Randy Moss was 6-3 1/2, 200 when he entered the NFL in 1998, Michael Irvin was 6-1 1/2, 200 in '88 and Jerry Rice was 6-2, 195 in '85.
Johnson's speed in the 40-yard dash time is 4.35. Moss ran 4.42. Irvin and Rice were in the range of 4.55, as was Terrell Owens (6-3, 211) in '96. Javon Walker (6-2 1/2, 210) ran 4.41 in '02. Roy Williams (6-2 1/2, 212) ran 4.44 in '04.
On his pro day in Atlanta last month, Johnson's vertical jump was 42 1/2 inches and his broad jump was 11-7. Both efforts were incredible, especially the broad jump. Chris Chambers went 11-2 in '01, the best by a receiver at the combine this decade.
Arm length? Johnson was measured at 36 inches, tied for third longest among 320 athletes at the combine.
Wonderlic intelligence test score? Johnson posted 23, higher than the other top eight wide receivers. In their day, Moss mustered 12, Owens scored 13 and Sterling Sharpe registered 16.
Johnson often is compared to Keyshawn Johnson in terms of size and body control. But Johnson (6-3, 220) ran 4.53, had a vertical of 31 1/2 and scored 11 on the Wonderlic.
Humble and mature, Johnson's character might be just as flawless. His mother uses her Ph.D. in a leading administrative position for the Atlanta public school, his father is a conductor for the Southern-Pacific Railroad and his sister attends medical school.
The noted trainer, Tom Shaw, after working with Johnson this winter, said, "He's Peyton Manning."
Johnson's highlight reel is filled with circus catches in traffic, powerful releases against press coverage and 28 touchdowns in three seasons despite constant double-teaming and quarterback Reggie Ball's wild arm.
Arizona scout Jerry Hardaway was coaching at Grambling when Rice played at Mississippi Valley State and has been evaluating talent across the Southeast for not quite two decades. Moss remains the ultimate for Hardaway in terms of deep receiving ability, and he says Johnson doesn't play quite to Moss's deep speed. But Hardaway and others see Johnson having impact early similar to Moss.
"Why not?" asked Jerry Angelo, Chicago's general manager. "And given the character. You kind of almost can say you got Moss traits with Jerry Rice character."
Obviously, Johnson got all 18 first-place votes (90 points) in a Journal Sentinel poll asking scouts to list their favorite receivers on a 1-to-5 basis.
After Johnson, it was Robert Meachem with 50 points, Dwayne Bowe with 42, Ted Ginn Jr. with 41, Dwayne Jarrett with 18, Steve Smith with 10, Craig Davis with nine, Sidney Rice with eight and Jason Hill with two.
The antithesis of 2006, this draft is so loaded with wide receivers that Angelo said Green Bay's Greg Jennings would rank about eighth this year. And Angelo is high on Jennings.
"Four in the first (round), maybe five," said Angelo. "The teams that wanted a receiver last year and couldn't get him because there weren't any will now go back into the draft."
Just the opposite is true at tight end, which was an extremely deep and talented position in '06 but is barren now. In a Journal Sentinel poll asking scouts to name the best one, Miami's Greg Olsen drew 16 votes, Arizona State's Zach Miller had one and the other personnel man said none was deserving.
"Olsen is going to get pushed up so far because he's the only guy and he's not a first-round guy," Ross said. "There's not an athlete. There's not a blocker. It's a terrible year for tight ends. Terrible."
NEXT: Defensive linemen
Experts say Johnson is best player in draft this year
Posted: April 23, 2007
On the Packers
Bob McGinn
Green Bay - Eighteen personnel men responsible for the entire country were asked by the Journal Sentinel to identify the best player in the entire draft.
No one brought up other names. No one hemmed or hawed. Most of the replies came instantaneously.
By acclamation, wide receiver Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech was No. 1.
"Oh, without a doubt, it's Johnson," said Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts. "As much as anybody can be can't-miss, he's can't-miss."
In a draft with a franchise running back in Adrian Peterson, a tremendous tackle in Joe Thomas, a terrific pass rusher in Gaines Adams and a sensational safety in LaRon Landry, Johnson stands alone by unanimous decree as the leading man.
Given almost four months to do nothing but scrutinize on-field performance and off-field behavior, a National Football League scout can diss or dig dirt up on anybody. It's a wonderful year for wide receivers, probably the best position in the draft, but the peerless Johnson is a cut above.
"There's questions, big questions, on the other receivers," said Marc Ross, an 11-year veteran of NFL scouting circles who handles the national side for Buffalo. "But he basically is everything you want in a player. This guy might be the best player that I've ever scouted, like Reggie Bush last year. He's a once in a lifetime kind of talent."
You start with Johnson's size. He's 6 feet 5 inches and 239 pounds, for heaven's sake. For comparison sake, Randy Moss was 6-3 1/2, 200 when he entered the NFL in 1998, Michael Irvin was 6-1 1/2, 200 in '88 and Jerry Rice was 6-2, 195 in '85.
Johnson's speed in the 40-yard dash time is 4.35. Moss ran 4.42. Irvin and Rice were in the range of 4.55, as was Terrell Owens (6-3, 211) in '96. Javon Walker (6-2 1/2, 210) ran 4.41 in '02. Roy Williams (6-2 1/2, 212) ran 4.44 in '04.
On his pro day in Atlanta last month, Johnson's vertical jump was 42 1/2 inches and his broad jump was 11-7. Both efforts were incredible, especially the broad jump. Chris Chambers went 11-2 in '01, the best by a receiver at the combine this decade.
Arm length? Johnson was measured at 36 inches, tied for third longest among 320 athletes at the combine.
Wonderlic intelligence test score? Johnson posted 23, higher than the other top eight wide receivers. In their day, Moss mustered 12, Owens scored 13 and Sterling Sharpe registered 16.
Johnson often is compared to Keyshawn Johnson in terms of size and body control. But Johnson (6-3, 220) ran 4.53, had a vertical of 31 1/2 and scored 11 on the Wonderlic.
Humble and mature, Johnson's character might be just as flawless. His mother uses her Ph.D. in a leading administrative position for the Atlanta public school, his father is a conductor for the Southern-Pacific Railroad and his sister attends medical school.
The noted trainer, Tom Shaw, after working with Johnson this winter, said, "He's Peyton Manning."
Johnson's highlight reel is filled with circus catches in traffic, powerful releases against press coverage and 28 touchdowns in three seasons despite constant double-teaming and quarterback Reggie Ball's wild arm.
Arizona scout Jerry Hardaway was coaching at Grambling when Rice played at Mississippi Valley State and has been evaluating talent across the Southeast for not quite two decades. Moss remains the ultimate for Hardaway in terms of deep receiving ability, and he says Johnson doesn't play quite to Moss's deep speed. But Hardaway and others see Johnson having impact early similar to Moss.
"Why not?" asked Jerry Angelo, Chicago's general manager. "And given the character. You kind of almost can say you got Moss traits with Jerry Rice character."
Obviously, Johnson got all 18 first-place votes (90 points) in a Journal Sentinel poll asking scouts to list their favorite receivers on a 1-to-5 basis.
After Johnson, it was Robert Meachem with 50 points, Dwayne Bowe with 42, Ted Ginn Jr. with 41, Dwayne Jarrett with 18, Steve Smith with 10, Craig Davis with nine, Sidney Rice with eight and Jason Hill with two.
The antithesis of 2006, this draft is so loaded with wide receivers that Angelo said Green Bay's Greg Jennings would rank about eighth this year. And Angelo is high on Jennings.
"Four in the first (round), maybe five," said Angelo. "The teams that wanted a receiver last year and couldn't get him because there weren't any will now go back into the draft."
Just the opposite is true at tight end, which was an extremely deep and talented position in '06 but is barren now. In a Journal Sentinel poll asking scouts to name the best one, Miami's Greg Olsen drew 16 votes, Arizona State's Zach Miller had one and the other personnel man said none was deserving.
"Olsen is going to get pushed up so far because he's the only guy and he's not a first-round guy," Ross said. "There's not an athlete. There's not a blocker. It's a terrible year for tight ends. Terrible."
NEXT: Defensive linemen