Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State, Dallas Cowboys            

Team Needs:

OT: (average) Sam Young, big, tall, and athletic for his size, but not ready to step into a starting role.  Tepper is a more traditional Cowboys' tackle, big, wide, and a little ornery.  However, his lack of quick feet led many to suggest his best position might be guard.  Barker is a project, similar to Young in body type, but with some off-field issues.

S: (good) Owusu-Ansah is a corner who rarely saw anyone at his college level to challenge his natural ability and speed.  The Cowboys are projecting him at safety, but that will take some time and coaching.  Church is a linebacker size athlete with amazing closing speed who may be a steal as an FA.  McCray lost his appeal for another year of eligibility at LSU.  A lot of ability but injuries forced a lack of opportunity to develop it.

WR: (excellent) Bryant was the best talent at the position in the draft.  Hudgens was a small college phenom with near TE size who set FBS or FCS records for career receptions, 100-yd games, and receiving yards, and games with touchdowns.  Tucker fought through injuries at Cal with a reputation for giving up his body for every catch.

K: (fail) With Folk signing with the Jets, the 'boys have no replacement yet?

OG: (poor) Teofilo is a gritty FA, but probably not an NFL talent.  Tepper might be able to move in here.

ILB: (average) Aside from the injury concerns, Lee was considered the best ILB talent available.  Some insurance or options would have been helpful.

Other: CBs Wall, a solid 6th rounder, and Bryan McCann, C-USA career leader in intercepts were excellent selections for depth.  QB Nichols was a small school 45 game starter who led his team to perennial tournament appearances.  Miller is considered almost a clone, a bit less shifty, but equally fast, of his Fresno teammate Mathews.  TE Sicko would have been drafted if he had played for a bigger program.  He is big, fast, caught a conference career record number of passes in 49 college games.

OT: (excellent) Williams and Okung were very similar in stature with Okung possessing a more refined skill set, but Williams is more purely athletic.  Barring injury, both will be Pro Bowl bookends or alternates for years to come.  Capers was in the next echelon of OTs, nearly as big and almost as athletic.  He could be a steal in the 7th.

DE: (fail) Besides trading for Adam Carriker, the Redskins recently signed Greg Peterson. OLB Riley is less a pass rusher and more a solid weakside tackler.

S: (poor): No one drafted.  UDFAs McNally has limited natural talent but was Stanford's field general.  Russell was demoted to 2nd string at the Ohio State.

OG: (poor) Moving Williams to OG would be a waste.  Capers might be able to do it.  Erik Cook was a wide, slow center who might try OG.

RB: (poor) Morris was a short yardage red zone TE who will attempt to transition to FB.  UDFA  Tony Nelson of UMass has deceptive speed in the open field, but may not have the moves to get him there.  Williams had collarbone and ankle injuries which haven't healed.  He had some talent early in his college career but now may be better suited to FB as well.

QB: (fail) UDFA Clark is athletic and smart but will not be a QB in Shanahan's system.  Rex Grossman and an oft-injured Colt Brennan don't seem like much of an answer if McNabb goes down.

Other: WR Austin was taken primarily as a return man.  TE Paulsen has the size and some athleticism which were used on occasion in clutch situations by UCLA.  DT Slocum is more famous for an infamous facebook personality survey while at Michigan than for his performance on the field.

S: (excellent) Wright is a good hitter who isn't as agile or quick as some other prospects, but he is football smart and always around the ball.  UDFA Quentin Scott was a small school monster back who tackled like an LB at 6-3 224, but could cover deep with under 4.5 speed.  He must learn to play disciplined, assignment defenses.  Woodall is another big safety with slow reactions but good closing speed to make up the difference, but must gain more anticipation.

WR: (average) None drafted, but Barnes set a Div. 1 season record with 155 receptions.  Mathews got lost a little in the shuffle at Michigan, but has very good hands and runs good routes. 

OT: (good) Webb is a large, gifted small school player with better than average football instincts who uses his size well, but doesn't have the talent to be special.  UDFA Horn is similar to Webb, but makes up for slightly less athleticism with a more grizzly demeanor. 

CB: (average) Moore is a big, fast athlete who must show he can apply his natural abilities to his job.  He's not exactly a gym rat or workout fiend.  UDFA Brown is like Moore only with more willingness to mix it up, but with a little less agility and smoothness. 

ILB: (poor) None drafted, Matt Mayberry has good speed and is strong for his relatively small frame (6-0.5 235)  He made a lot of tackles and can rush the passer.  UDFA Munoz is not much bigger than a safety, but is a sure tackler and an intuitive play reader.

OG: (fail) None drafted?  However, they did cover an aging Olin Kreutz by auditioning a couple bad tempered centers cut from the same mold: Tim Walter and Austen Steichen.

Other: If DE Wootton returns to close to his previous promise, he'll be a great 4th round pick.  QB LeFevour is a winner.  All numbers and measurables aside, he does what it takes to win games, 38 of them in college.  Though not known as a runner, he is the only player in Div. 1 history to throw for more than 12,000 yards and rush for 2,500.  RB Jake Sharp is a stocky, strong back with exceptional speed and agility, could be a 3rd specialist bigger and faster than Wolfe, younger than Taylor.  P Mante is an intriguing long punter who also got 17 inside the 20. P Cullen can also kickoff.  TE Carey has great hands and also played some OLB.

CB: (average) Some scouts projected Spievey as a safety.  He's short and stiff with only decent speed.  He will be overmatched in the NFL.  UDFA Berry is small and slight, but was twice All-Big East. 

OT: (good) Fox is tall, but not that strong.  His toughness has been called into question.  UDFA Hicks is about the same size and stronger if a bit less naturally gifted, but he played in a record 47 games at UConn.

DT: (excellent) Suh is one of the best defensive talents to come along in years.  He is a game plan changer.  UDFA Calloway is a small school version of Suh, a little heftier and not quite as fast, but a lot of tackles, a lot of game changing of his own. 

S: (fail) None drafted, but Phillips was the 4th tackler on Miami (FLa).

RB: (good) Best, if he stays healthy, is as talented as anyone in the league, but it's a big "if."  UDFA Clapp is a FB who can carry, catch, and block well.  Higdon is more of a return man.

QB: (fail) Stafford, as tough as he showed he was, is coming off a multiple injury season. Who's the back up?  Shaun Hill was dubbed a veteran backup, but without Singletary's insistence, he'd never have seen the field.  Drew Stanton?

Other: DE Young is a decent all-around player who needs some bulk and strength to play in the NFL.  UDFA OLB Stamper was the Gators leading tackler, but doesn't have an abundance of athletic ability. Jacobs is another Saginaw Valley star who was a monster man at 227, but may be too small for OLB, but he made nearly 400 tackles.  WR Moore had a late pro day where he proved himself the strongest receiver in the draft at just 200 lbs. and also one of the best cone and jumps.

CB: (average) Cook was considered a talented player, big and fast, but who may not have been tested by fire or NFL pulling guards.  He has the tools, but must show them for this to be a good pick.  UDFA Williams was very good at tiny Ferris State, and he has nowhere near the size or ability of Cook.  (The Vikings did sign journeyman Lito Sheppard to shore up the position.)

OG: (average) Degeare is a big, strong OL who was granted an extra year of eligibility.  It looks like he took advantage of the meal plan.  He played primarily OT and must learn OG.  UDFA Austin fell almost off most draft boards after his measurables and film got around.  He's very strong, but quite slow and not that big or agile.  He might be able to convert to C.  Hernandez played center for UC-Davis which means he pass blocked a lot, but may not have the bulk for OG.

QB: (average) None drafted, but UDFA Perriloux was once the top HS recruit in the country who proved difficult to coach at LSU and finished up a Jacksonville State.  He still has raw talent to be harnessed.  Archer was a steady game manager who led his team to an NCAA semi-final tournament game.

DT: (fail) None drafted, but they are looking at Randy Earl, an excellent small college player who might be better suited for DE.

S: (poor) None drafted, but UDFA Skinner is a big guy with speed but not much agility or strength. 

ILB: (good) Triplett has some talent and size but is nagged by a neck and shoulder problem.  D'Imperio may be the scoop here as a 7th rounder.  He is big, strong, and so athletic many teams were projecting him as an FB.

Other: RB Toby Gerhart should be a good compliment to Peterson when he gets his usual nicks and fumblitis.  DE Griffen is a good pass rusher who can also play the run.  WR Joe Webb is a QB w who spent the entire spring perfecting his receiving talents to the point he may have been a top ten prospect at that position.  At 6-3 223, he may be the best all-around athlete in this draft.  UDFA Tindal is close to Webb in physical skills with a little less weight and didn't face div. 1 players at Newberry.  WR Ray Small may be too small.  TE Shuler has good blood lines, but hasn't shown much yet.  OT Noethlich is a talented 6-6 with good body control and long arms from a small school known for its passing game.

WR: (great) Meier is a big workhorse receiver who gets off the line and out of his breaks well.  He also has a deceptive gear which helps him get behind DBs trying to jump his patterns.  He averaged 100 catches a season.  UDFA Harvey is a bit taller and more angular, but with a similar skill set, has good first step with deceptive speed to get deep.  However, he was inconsistent and sometimes disappeared in games.  Ryan Wolfe set the Mountain West record for career receptions in 2009.  Even fighting through injuries, he played in 47 games and was All-Mountain West three times.

OLB: (great) Weatherspoon was considered one or two on all boards.  He wasn't as big as Kindle, but is faster, stronger, and has much agility along with great leaping ability.  UDFA Johnson is not as fast, but is stronger with better pass rushing skills.  Stephens is a former DE who will be a pass rushing specialist at most.  Woods is a tackling machine, but at 6-0 is probably better suited to the middle.

OG: (good) Mike Johnson gets the most out of his slow, unathletic build.  He is football smart with a motor which overcomes a lot.  He may have been a small stretch in the 3rd.  Hawley was projected by many as an OG, but he is as strong and athletic as any center in the draft.  He's quick, agile and explosive.  He moves well when he gets to the second level.  He's too feisty for his own good sometimes and lets NTs get him off his game.

TE: (average) None drafted, but UDFA Peek was a pre-season All-American, but never seemed to progress.  He has the size, blocks, but has inconsistent hands.  Palmer has more speed, but is slow off the line, slow to react and not quite as big or agile. 

QB: (fail)  Looks like Chris Redman or John Parker Wilson are quality back ups?

DE: (fail) None drafted.

Other: DT Peters was a big reach in the 2nd.  He's a grinder, but lacks strength and athleticism aside from decent speed for his size.  CB Franks is a good football player, but he also fell down boards as the pre-draft comparisons were made.  He isn't big, agile or strong and has limited leaping ability.  UDFA Daniels is a small school athlete with some skills, but may not be enough at the NFL level.  S Schillinger is a solid, all-around, all-out player, a ballhawk and field general.  He has good speed and good agility for a downhill safety who likes to play in the box.  K Lindholm made a 64 yd FG and posted an 83% FG his senior season.

WR: (good) LaFell is a very nice 3rd round pick.  Many gurus had him as a top five or ten wide out.  He's tall with good agility and body control if not all out speed.  He can be a big play guy, but is willing to pile up the short route catches.  Edwards, the only two-time Payton Award winner, is obviously a project, may be a "slash" type, but was certainly taken early.  He's very athletic, but also quite small and will have much to absorb.  Gettis is a big, fast receiver who has trouble getting off the line and often traps the ball against his chest instead of catching it in his hands.  UDFA Young was taken primarily for his return skills.

S: (poor) None drafted but UDFA Matt O'Hanlon posted good measurables except for straight ahead speed.  He's a solid tackler, always seems to be in position, and has good leaps.  McClain was a CB in college but has the mentality and willingness to hit of a safety.  He may have been drafted for his returns.

DE: (poor) Hardy is not that fast or strong, but has enough agility to make tackles in the open field.  He has been injury prone. 

QB: (great) Clausen will be a steal or a bust.  Not many people had him falling to the 48th player taken.  Add Tony Pike in the 6th and the Panthers got some great value to succeed or support Matt Moore.

OG: (average) None drafted but UDFA Noah Franklin is a three-year starter who is very strong, smart, and is known for his character.  Gregory is an big, unathletic player with some decent speed upfield; has decent strength and football IQ. 

TE: (fail)  None drafted, but UDFA Andrew George was a second TE at BYU who was overshadowed by Dennis Pitta.

Other: OLB Norwood has decent speed and an excellent first step to pursuit.  He is an excellent all-around player and was a good 4th round choice, but was it a need?  UDFA Ware was a former safety who moved up with size and strength to OLB, gets to a lot of tackles.  CB Jordan Pugh has excellent reaction which makes up for his slight lack of agility.  He's not tall, but has very good leaping ability.  Stanford also has good reacts but with even more speed.  He is quite small though and needs coaching on his footwork.  McClain is also short, but very strong and physical, but doesn't always have the skills to back it up.  DT Neblett was a stalwart who helped Temple improve defensively earning him All-MAC 1st team.  He's a short bull of a player, a little slow off the snap, but has a motor and a determination which wore down opposing centers. RB Porter was an inconsistent two year starter who had some big games.  FB Jackson was considered by most to be the best pure FB in the draft.  K Aaron Pettrey has a big leg, but there were concerns about his injury.

OLB: (poor) None drafted, but UDFA Beauchamp finished up at UNLV with school record for tackles in 48 college games.  He's big and strong, but doesn't have great speed or agility.  He uses anticipation and a nose for the ball.

DT: (good) Woods was a very nice value in the 4th.  He's got great feet, better than average speed, and has the agility to beat offensive linemen.  His one knock is his lack of strength and power so he rarely dominates opponents physically.  UDFA Udofia is squat, very strong, and gets to tackles.  He has a history of nicks, but fought through to play 39 games.  Ross is another strong tackle with more quickness off the snap.  He moves well, but doesn't have much pursuit.

OG: (average) None drafted, but Tennant is projected as an OG.  He is a bit small, but very smart, moves well if not overly powerful.  He has had elbow injuries.  UDFA Carter was a borderline draftable player, but his piercings, hair and face painting, and over-the-top behavior scared many teams.  Charles Brown seems to be a prototypical OT, but could possibly grow into the role.

S: (average) None drafted, but UDFA Coleman was once considered a high pick, but his lack of speed, strength, and other measurables lowered his pre-draft evaluation.  He was voted Defensive MVP by his teammates.  Hamilton lost his NCAA bid for a sixth season.  Even amid the serious injuries, he managed over 200 tackles.  His desire in unquestioned, but his body may hold him back.

ILB: (fail) A lot of scouts thought DE Brandon Sharpe had the makings of good ILB.  He's too small and a bit slow for DE, but very aggressive and instinctive about attacking the play.

QB: (average) Canfield was a definite riser on draft boards.  His overall athletic ability and good film got noticed.  His arm is still considered suspect, but he has time improve if Brees doesn't fall victim to the Madden game jinx.  UDFA McKenna has a cannon arm, but bad footwork causes him often to be wild.

Other: CB Robinson was a top five corner, but he isn't big and doesn't have great reactions.  Also, with Jabari Greer, Tracy Porter, Malcolm Jenkins, Randall Gay and Glenn Sharpe, do the Saints need to draft a CB at no. 1?  Just in case a first rounder wasn't enough, UDFA Young runs a sub-par 4.4.  Priest was All-Mountain West, but is small and has a foot issue.  Welch from tiny Kentucky State is a headhunter, but is super aggressive and defends every ball in the air or already in receiver hands.  TE Graham is a former basketball star, much more athletic than Gates of San Diego, but much in need of coaching and experience.  UDFA DE Galette was considered one of the best small college sleepers on most draft boards. He's not big, but doesn't have quite enough speed to play OLB.  He's very agile and surprisingly strong.  He needs coaching on technique.  WR Chris Bell is a big target with good speed and excellent hands, but stiff hips and not much open field speed.  LS Gresham is considered by most scouts as the best available in this draft.

QB: (great) Skelton moved up a lot of charts, but slipped on others.  He appears to be good at times, but can be rattled.  He's big, with a big, but sometimes erratic arm and moves really well for a guy 243 lbs.  Max Hall is about the opposite, barely 6-0 with a brawler's scrappiness and calm countenance in the toughest situations.  No big arm but a lot of intermediate accuracy.  This should be a great battle to see who gets to replace Leinert when he melts down again.

CB: (average) Calvin is small, weak, and totally stiff and unagile, a project and a reach in the 6th.  UDFA Green is even smaller, but does have some closing speed.  Jefferson made a big impression leading up to the draft with his numbers (44 vert and 4.00 shuttle), but didn't have much on-field to show for it.  There is a lot of talent there, but returning kicks may be where he starts out.

OT: (average)  None drafted, but UDFA Knips is a tall, rangy tackle with long arms who is also quite strong and solid when he has his base under him.  He could use some muscular bulk.  Tyler is even taller and stronger, but needs coaching and experience.

ILB: (average) Washington is a smaller, stocky OLB who made a lot of tackles and may be best suited for ILB.

OLB: (average) If Schofield heals and returns to anywhere near his production at Wisconsin, his pick in the 4th round won't seem like such a stretch. 

C: (poor) None drafted, but UDFA Moosman played OG and C, is very strong, if a bit light.  He can block in several different offensive sets because of his experience at Michigan.

Other: DT Williams was a big stretch up at the 26th pick.  He's not big, strong, or quick.  He does have a motor, but it runs out of gas often.  WR Roberts was a draft sleeper darling.  He's a little short and not a natural pass catcher, but does have foot speed.  UFDA WR Stewart is another small school ace, a shade bigger and faster, but is even more herky-jerky, doesn't get his head around, but hauled in a lot of passes.  He was an '09 AFCA All-American and the all-time receiver at Southern.  WR Williams is a tall workhorse receiver who averaged 75 catches a season for Toledo.  He has excellent moves for a guy nearly 6-5.  TE Dray fought through lower leg injuries to continue to be productive.  He is a good blocker with the agility and understanding to get himself open.  UDFA RB Alphonso Smith is one of the fastest backs in the draft with a sub 4.4 40 who also has good hands to catch passes deep and strength to break tackles.  His knock is his lack of nifty feet to get him into the open.

QB: (great) When you have the no 1 pick, you should take the best player you need.  The Rams got that done.  UDFA Lewis had the same coach as the Manning brothers and is a smart willing learner who can get better as he supports Sam.

WR: (good) Gilyard is a big play receiver who doesn't realize he's in a marginal body, not big or fast, but can go up or lay out for catches.  UDFA McRae played for his new position coach when he was head coach at Mississippi State.  He is a big, tall receiver still recovering somewhat from a broken leg.  He is consistently productive when he plays.

OLB: (great) None drafted, but UDFA Cardia Jackson, 240 lbs. with good speed, made over 100 tackles last season and finished up 3rd all-time in NCAA career stops (381) and was Co-Defensive Player of the Year and All-Sun Belt in 2009.  Freddie Harris is another small college hopeful who is fast with great reactions and closing speed.  Simoni Lawrence is not big or fast, but is explosive and has a 40 inch vert.  He's an intense competitor who could help out.  Josh Hull is most likely destined for ILB.  He was Penn State's leading tackler two year's running despite not getting the press of Lee or Bowman.

TE: (average) Hoomanawanui fell off most draft boards because of a lack of measurables and attitude.  He was a reach in the 5th.  Onobun is another intriguing ex-basketballer who has a couple years of TE under his belt in a pass-oriented offense.  He has height (6-6), speed, leaps, and even a desire to play special teams.

OT: (great) No player ascended the charts as far or as steadily from the beginning to the draft as Roger Saffold.  He improved his play all season and then showed strength, agility, and explosiveness at the combine.  He's a smart, dedicated player who will probably get better.  UDFA Trautwein is a converted TE who carries 300 on a 6-6 frame and looks lithe.  Even though he was All-SEC, scouts concerns are that he relies too much on quickness and finesse, may have trouble with NFL DL.  Richter is a similar body type to Trautwein, but with some obvious tendencies to mix it up.  Hebert is more of an OG, but he has played some tackle.  He was captain and All C-USA twice.

DE: (great) Hall Davis was very good pick in the 5th.  He was a top ten DE on most boards.  He was likely available because of the concerns over his competition at UL-L.  He's a total package, strong and agile, fast enough to pressure QBs, but tackles well enough to shut down the run.  Selvie is not quite as big or fast, but was impressive in bursts at South Florida.  Sims is 6-6 but only 245 soaking wet.  He might be a better fit at OLB.  He rushes the passer, destroys screens, and deflects passes.  He's an impact player who was AP and AFCA Div II All-American.

Other: CB Murphy is extremely agile with good leaps and decent speed.  He was probably taken a little early in the 3rd, but may be a solid corner.  UDFA Johnson was a second and third stringer in college.  It's more than likely he would have been available after the draft, but when you have extra picks, it's hard not to burn them on favored projects.  UDFA S Darian Stewart was a top 20 safety who many thought would be drafted, a stocky hitter who overcomes lack of agility with fierce competiveness.  RB UDFA Toston got more of the offense when Bryant was forced off the team.  He has good hands, good instincts, and is tough, but not gifted.  Henderson is a very similar runner in size and style to Toston.  He rushed for a 1000 yds in consecutive seasons to help N. Arizona remain a contender.  UDFA FB Woolridge is a bowling ball who can actually really carry the ball as well as block, has awesome leverage, really gets under defenders.

CB: (great) Adams is a shorter corner with quick reactions if not great agility or foot speed.  He was 2-time ALL-MEAC.  UDFA Brock is the first Belhaven player to sign an NFL contract.  He's built much like Adams, but has a little more of a ballhawk in him.  Stoudamire is a bit bigger than the other two, a little faster and very agile, consistently hard to throw on, doesn't have the leaps to intercept a lot, of defends well.  He was 3-times All-Missouri Valley.  He was originally recruited as a basketball point guard.

S: (good) Mays was perhaps the most freakishly gifted player physically in the draft.  It's just not natural for a 230 lbs dude to run sub 4.4 40, sub 7.00 in the cones, and leap 41 inches.  Now, if he could just translate that into Superman on the playing field.  The fact he was still available at the 49th pick causes some concern.  UDFA Maragos is the opposite case, a player with few natural physical attributes to recommend him except for his uncanny ability to make plays on the field.

OLB: (excellent) Bowman is a rock.  Even with his blockiness, he has decent speed and closes very fast.  He comes from linebacker U. so he has the basics.  UDFA Kristick is a little slow to react, but has good foot speed, decent agility, and great closing speed to tackles.  He lead the team in tackles and was All Pac-10.  Only drawback are the occasional stinger which plagued him from hitting so hard.  Balogun was a budding star at Oklahoma, but has been out of football for a year.  He has worked hard to get back and has much of the same upside going for him.  He is fast enough and talented to play inside or outside.

QB: (poor) None drafted, but UDFA Jarrett Brown is the most physically gifted of all the div. 1 QBs.  At 6-3 and 224, he runs a legitimate 4.50 and has a slingshot arm.  The drawback is lack of experience and coaching time.  

DT: (fail) ???

OT: (average) Davis rated anywhere from top 5 to out of the top 20 on draft boards.  He appears to be somewhat overrated for a guy who is slow, lacks power, has suspect feet, and is not that strong or explosive.

Other: OG Iupati can also play OT.  He is big, strong, and passionate about winning the battle at the line of scrimmage.  He still has much to refine in technique and must keep his weight under control.  RB Dixon is more likely a pounding FB.  He's slow, unagile, and already goes 235.  TE Byham is fast and very agile for a 268 pounder.  He's very offensive-minded who is willing to block and would be a perfect second TE or red zone weapon.  WR Williams may yet choose to play baseball for the White Sox.  At 5-10 and under 190, he is most likely at best a back up return man to Ted Ginn.  UDFA Scott Long is a steal as a free agent.  He's incredibly agile for a big target (6-2 216).  He's strong and quite fast with a 41.5 vertical.  He also ran a 6.45 cone drill which means he can close on any type of throw.  He was recovering from ACL surgery in 2009, but still caught 53 passes.   WR Hodge also has deceptive closing speed which gets him the occasional long ball, but overall, he's mostly a sloppy, weak, unagile, slow off the ball plodder who has no hops.