Official 2008 NFL Draft thread Day 2

[Gunakor]

With 3 seventh rounders, I would seriously consider taking a flier on Ike at CB. He fits our defensive system, as he excelled at press coverage in college. He likely would have been a 3rd-4th round pick without his injury.

Ike went to the Iggles, he is off the board

[Rastak]

Steelers take C Mundy - No Bio

[Lurker64]

Jaymar Johnson? Another Jackson state guy? Do the Vikes just scout that school really closely?

[The Leaper]

Ike went to the Iggles, he is off the board

Damn...he went early! I checked the 5th and 6th rounds and didn't see him. I'm surprised he went in the 4th.

[Rastak]

Jaymar Johnson? Another Jackson state guy? Do the Vikes just scout that school really closely?

What exactly are you talking about with Jackson State? I believe he's the first guy they have from that school.

[RashanGary]

Too many projects for my taste. I esspecially don't like using a 2nd on a project at CB. That's why you bring in guys like Tramon Williams - projects that don't cost anything.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Funny. This was on rivals.com about Jeremy Thompson. He has an exceptional 10-yard dash.

Murphy: Thompson provides the Packers with another solid pass rusher off the bench. He has the ability to start at the NFL level. His 10-yard time of 1.53 was as good as Chris Long or Vernon Gholston, who both went in the top-10 picks.

[Rastak]

Phins take OG Thomas:
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trengths: Takes sound angles to blocks and gets into position quickly. Stays low to the ground, drives legs once in position and flashes the ability to root defenders off the ball. Does a nice job of climbing up to second level and explodes upon contact with linebackers. Moves adequately and is able to get out and pull around edge. Shuffles feet extremely well and can redirect in pass protection. While lacks ideal size, gets adequate knee bend in pass sets and can stand ground working against bull rushers. Possesses a quick punch and can jar defenders in pass protection. Does a nice job of recovering when rushers get into him by sinking hips and using his strength to gets back into position.

Weaknesses: Does not possess elite initial quickness and could have problems preventing penetration working against one-gap defenders. Does not possess elite lower body strength and isn't going to get much movement in short-yardage situations. Struggles to adjust on the fly and can have problems reaching moving targets in space. Footwork is inconsistent and lunges at times. Hands slide outside the defender's frame too much and can struggle to sustain blocks as a result. Didn't crack the starting lineup until late in the 2006 season and is still somewhat raw. Charged with assault in the third degree and breach of peace in 2006, Connecticut suspended him for two games as a result and character is a concern. While durability isn't a substantial issue, it's worth noting that he tweaked his knee in the Hula Bowl.

Overall: Thomas enrolled at UConn in 2003 but didn't play football. He joined the football team in 2004 and redshirted the season. He played in all 11 games in 2005, serving as the wedge-buster on kickoffs. In 2006, he appeared in 10 games and earned his first start, at left guard. As a senior in 2007, he started all 13 games at right guard. Thomas is a late-bloomer whose stock has steadily risen over the last year and for good reason. He's emerged as a tough drive blocker who plays bigger than his size would indicate and has the natural ability to develop into an effective pass blocker. However, Thomas isn't fundamentally sound, his lack of size is still reason for concern and questions linger about his 2006 arrest so he projects as a sixth round pick.

[Rastak]

Colts take TE Santi:


Strengths: Takes sound angles to blocks, has adequate initial quickness and gets into position quickly. Gets adequate hand placement, he moves feet and fights to sustain blocks once in position. Shows good body control in space and can get into position at the second level. Footwork is sound and runs adequate short-to-intermediate routes. Appears to read defenses well and can locate soft spots when sees zone coverage. Has adequate top-end speed and flashes the ability to work the seam. Runs hard and flashes the ability to pick up yards after contact. Can line up at fullback and has the potential to develop into an effective role player in a scheme that uses H-Backs. Has experience lining up wide and is versatile. Has experience blocking for kickoff returns and can contribute on special teams. Missed one game with an injury in 2007 but has been durable otherwise.

Weaknesses: Doesn't deliver a violent punch, doesn't roll hips into blocks and isn't going to knock many defenders off the ball. Lacks ideal lower body strength, plays a little too high and isn't a great in-line blocker. Lets the ball get to pads far too often, appears to lose focus at times and drops too many passes should catch. Takes too long to change directions and lacks the burst to consistently separate from man coverage. Doesn't use hands well, lacks the quick feet to avoid contact at the line of scrimmage and struggles to get open when gets jammed. Doesn't have breakaway speed, isn't going to make many defenders miss and isn't much of a threat to turn a catch underneath into a long gain.

Overall: Santi appeared in 34 games (20 starts) in his first three seasons at Virginia (2004-06), compiling 61 receptions for 766 yards (12.6 average) and three touchdowns. As a senior, he started in eight of 12 games and had 36 catches for 418 yards (11.6 average) and three touchdowns. He also played some fullback and contributed on special teams during his career with the Cavaliers. Santi missed one game in 2005 because of an injury and another in 2007 because of an ankle sprain. Santi isn't a strong drive blocker and he isn't going to make many highlight reels so he projects as a seventh round pick or rookie free agent. That being said, he has the potential to develop into a valuable backup because he is versatile, he's a reliable short-to-intermediate receiver and he's big enough to develop into an effective blocker.

[digitaldean]

Funny. This was on rivals.com about Jeremy Thompson. He has an exceptional 10-yard dash.

Murphy: Thompson provides the Packers with another solid pass rusher off the bench. He has the ability to start at the NFL level. His 10-yard time of 1.53 was as good as Chris Long or Vernon Gholston, who both went in the top-10 picks.

With my bum knee, I actually might make the 10 yard dash.

[Rastak]

Funny. This was on rivals.com about Jeremy Thompson. He has an exceptional 10-yard dash.

Murphy: Thompson provides the Packers with another solid pass rusher off the bench. He has the ability to start at the NFL level. His 10-yard time of 1.53 was as good as Chris Long or Vernon Gholston, who both went in the top-10 picks.

How is his 3 yard dash?

[HarveyWallbangers]

Too many projects for my taste. I esspecially don't like using a 2nd on a project at CB. That's why you bring in guys like Tramon Williams - projects that don't cost anything.

I don't consider Lee a project. He started a lot of games in the best conference in college football. Sure, his best football is ahead of him, but can't you say that about most guys. A project is Mike Hawkins.

[Carolina_Packer]

With 3 seventh rounders, I would seriously consider taking a flier on Ike at CB. He fits our defensive system, as he excelled at press coverage in college. He likely would have been a 3rd-4th round pick without his injury.

I thought Ike was going back to college for another year.

[Rastak]

Pats take LB Ruud:



Strengths: Possesses good height, adequate bulk and room on his frame to get bigger. Also possesses good straight-line speed for his size. Very instinctive and gets quicker breaks on the ball than most at his position. Takes solid angles in pursuit, consistently breaks down in space and plays under control. Does a very good job of tackling low and shows adequate power at the point of attack. Does not miss many open field tackles. Displays good instincts and shows good awareness in zone coverage. Closes quickly on the ball in front of him and will separate the receiver from the ball with initial pop. Also displays better-than-average ball skills in coverage. Has some potential as a pass rusher and uses his straight-line burst and power to occasionally make plays in that facet of the game. He's a hard worker with great passion for football.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal athleticism. Has good straight-line speed but is stiff in his hips. The more space he's in the less effective he becomes. He struggles to change directions quickly and will not be able to match up versus most RB's in man-to-man coverage. Not an explosive hitter and seems to lack ideal power with his hand punch. Slightly undersized and needs to improve bulk in order to hold up as a strong-side LB in the NFL. Also must improve his hands and consistency when attempting to shed blocks. Slowed by a knee injury last year and durability is somewhat of a concern.

Overall: Ruud arrived at Nebraska in 2003 and redshirted the year. He appeared in 36 games (23 starts) in his first three active seasons (2004-'06), recording 162 tackles (21 for losses), 4.5 sacks and three interceptions. As a senior in 2007, he played in 11 games (10 starts) and had 54 tackles (four for losses), two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and two interceptions (both of which he returned for touchdowns). Ruud missed the Cornhuskers' final two games last season because of a knee injury. He also sat out the Alamo Bowl against Michigan in 2005 after suffering a broken arm in practice. His father, Tom, and brother, Barrett, played linebacker at Nebraska and in the NFL. Two of Ruud's uncles and his great-grandfather also played for the Cornhuskers. Ruud spent the first four years of his career at Nebraska at WILL linebacker before moving to SAM linebacker prior to his senior season in 2007. In our opinion, Ruud's best shot of making it in the NFL is to bulk up and remain on the strong-side. While he may never be a fulltime starter, he does have some versatility as a potential reserve linebacker and he also has the right tough-guy mentality to contribute on special teams so he projects as late round pick or rookie free agent.

[Rastak]

Gaints take Woodson (at last) QB:

Strengths: Possesses prototypical NFL quarterback size. Is tall with adequate bulk and room on his frame to add 10 more pounds. Has proven to be extremely accurate. Displays very good touch and timing. Possesses very good arm strength (just a notch below elite level such as JaMarcus Russell). Can drive the ball downfield vertically and can fit the ball into tight spots in the intermediate passing game. Gets great zip on deep-out throws. Is competitive and has proven capable of leading his team from behind (Louisville and LSU in 2007). Teammates believe in him. Is tough; will stand in the pocket and take a hit when following through on a throw when necessary. He has been durable throughout his career. While he lacks ideal quickness, he does build speed as he goes and he also gets set quickly on drops.

Weaknesses: His delivery is too slow. Dips the ball before throwing it and takes too long to get from start to finish. Still makes some questionable decisions. Is improved in this area but still tries to force too many throws. He gets happy feet in the pocket, pats the ball a lot when he doesn't know where to go with it and will telegraph some of his throws, as a result. Needs to do a better job of reading coverages while dropping. Lacks ideal mobility. Not a very sudden athlete. Does not buy much extra time with his feet and he won't ever be much of a running threat. It seems on film like he has small hands? Has some trouble controlling the ball at times and doesn't always seem comfortable selling pump fakes.

Overall: Woodson was redshirted in 2003. In his four active seasons at Kentucky (2004-'07), he played 44 games (38 starts) and completed 791 passes on 1,278 attempts (61.9 percent) for 9,360 yards and 79 touchdowns compared to 25 interceptions. Woodson also rushed for five touchdowns. As a senior, his 40 touchdown passes set school and SEC records. He finished the year with 327 completions on 518 attempts (63.1 percent), 3,709 passing yards and just 11 interceptions. Woodson has prototypical size, excellent arm strength and good accuracy as a passer. He also is a proven playmaker in the clutch. However, Woodson has a hitch in his delivery and it takes him too long to get rid of the ball. With the speed in the NFL and the defensive backs' ability to break on and attack the ball, Woodson needs to get this fixed or he risks getting a lot of his out routes taken back the other way for defensive scores. Furthermore, while he has made significant strides mentally, Woodson still needs to break some bad habits, such as locking on to primary target too frequently. Woodson still has enough upside to emerge as a solid NFL starter but he must find a way to speed up his delivery without affecting his accuracy as a passer much easier said than done. Woodson's stock has taken a sizeable hit from early in his senior season, when he was soaring up draft boards following big performances versus Louisville, Arkansas and LSU. Woodson is a bit of an enigma right now but he should come off the board in the second-to-third round range.