#1- WR-Brandon Marshall- UCF- 22 years old, 6?4?, 230 lbs., 99 SPD, 29 STR, 50 AWR, 96 AGI, 96 ACC, 73 CTH, and 80 JMP
Team Analysis: The Lions are all in on Marshall. They?ve made that abundantly clear. It will make them a top 5 WR core in the league.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Marshall appears to be the consensus #1 overall in this year?s draft. It comes down to his 6?4?, 230 lbs. frame with 99 SPD, 96 AGI, and 96 ACC. Those numbers are elite and at a premium position. Detractors, including to some degree me, will look at his 29 STR and 50 AWR and call him a broken player. Proponents of Marshall will point out Drew Carter on the Super Bowl champion Cardinals, but I argue that the Cardinals are far more than Carter. Time will tell, but what we pretty much know for sure is that Marshall will be the first overall pick in this year?s draft.
#2- LT-DBrickashaw Ferguson- Virginia- 22 years old, 6?6?, 312 lbs., 60 SPD, 93 STR, 68 AWR, 73 AGI, 74 ACC, 87 PBK, and 88 RBK
Team Analysis: The Saints may well go Hawk here, but I think Ferguson makes sense, particularly with all the teams in this draft who need offensive linemen.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Ferguson tops the list of offensive line in this year?s draft. Ferguson is definitely a top 10 overall prospect in this draft and maybe even top 5. It?s rare that you find a talent that has both elite physical attributes as well as great attributes that progress. Ferguson is that guy. Now he is listed at LT, but in reality he may be better suited to play the premium position of RT.
#3- WR-Corey Rodgers- TCU- 22 years old, 6?2?, 210 lbs., 99 SPD, 48 STR, 44 AWR, 99 AGI, 97 ACC, 75 CTH, and 88 JMP
Team Analysis: The Chargers ?guy? could be Hawk, but I think they are equally in need of a guy like Rodgers who is going to be a star.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Rodgers is an absolute burner. What makes him so unique is that is has top level SPD, AGI, and ACC at 6?2?. This creates a mismatch with the fastest CB?s who are smaller in height. An early mock draft has Rodgers going in the top 5 and there?s no reason to think otherwise. In fact, if he makes it out of the top 5 GM?s will be trading up to grab him. Rodgers is a game changer.
#4- WR-Todd Watkins- BYU- 23 years old, 6?3?, 195 lbs., 91 SPD, 50 STR, 64 AWR, 97 AGI, 91 ACC, 79 CTH, and 78 JMP
Team Analysis: I think the Texans would love to have Rodgers, but Watkins is underrated and a clear upgrade.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Todd Watkins comes in at #3 in the WR rankings. Watkins possesses good overall physical attributes to go along with being 6?3?. His AGI is off the charts good and unlike Marshall and Rodgers, Watkins actually has good AWR. Also unlike Marshall and Rodgers, he lacks the elite level SPD and ACC. Still Watkins is a good WR and I think he sneaks into the first round somewhere. Some GM?s might not be thrilled with his 78 JMP but I don?t know that the JMP attribute is high on most people?s list.
#5- ROLB-A.J.Hawk- Iowa, 22 years old, 6?1?, 246 lbs., 83 SPD, 82 STR, 61 AWR, 85 AGI, 88 ACC, and 82 TAK
Team Analysis: Hawk falls to the Ravens who will gladly take a high end starting ROLB to replace Pat Thomas.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): The consensus #1 OLB in this draft appears to be A.J. Hawk. His 83 SPD, 82 STR, 85 AGI, and 88 ACC is really good. Hawk is this year?s Dansby, Jackson, and Merriman. All three of those guys went in the first round, Dansby and Merriman at pick 1.8 and Jackson at 1.18. Depending on need, you might see Hawk go a little earlier or between 1.8 and 1.18. I really can?t see him falling anywhere beyond that. He?s an elite OLB in this class or in any class.
#6- CB-Marcus Maxey- Miami, 6?1?, 192 lbs., 95 SPD, 49 STR, 53 AWR, 92 AGI, 93 ACC, 60 CTH, and 51 TAK
Team Analysis: The Bucs need help in the secondary and Maxey is the best CB available.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Usually the top CB in the draft class has both height and SPD. He also typically has good AWR and CTH. While Maxey checks the height and SPD boxes, he does not check either of the AWR and CTH boxes. However, he?s still a bit better than any other CB in this class. Initially, some GM?s were anticipating a better version of Antonio Cromartie, but that version has not shown up in this draft class. I think Maxey is a cross between Mike Hawkins of the Falcons and Travis Daniels of the Lions. He?s definitely a first round pick.
#7- LT-Marcus McNeill- Auburn- 22 years old, 6?7?, 336 lbs., 63 SPD, 88 STR, 70 AWR, 69 AGI, 79 ACC, 86 PBK, and 88 RBK
Team Analysis: The Seahawks need an offensive lineman with one of the their two first round picks. McNeill is the athletic OT they tend to love.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): McNeill is a super-elite athlete with incredible AWR and blocking skills. The only attribute that he is lacking is STR. Now 88 STR can turn into 90 STR with a favorable skew or AP points. Additionally, McNeill is a big tackle with long arms to keep DE?s from getting to the QB. McNeill?s best position may be at RT though that will require a bit of an AWR hit, but it would still leave him with higher AWR and highlight his athleticism.
#8- MLB-Leon Williams- Miami, 23 years old, 6?3?, 238 lbs., 85 SPD, 73 STR, 55 AWR, 80 AGI, 89 ACC, and 86 TAK
Team Analysis: Brackett is really regressing and there other two guys are really raw. Williams fills a huge need.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Williams is a very close second to Jackson and in reality, they could be 1a and 1b. If Williams just had better AWR, he would be the clear cut #1, but he doesn?t. His 55 AWR makes me think he will struggle for a year or two until that AWR comes up. Williams has elite level SPD and ACC. He also has good size for the position. So I?m certain that like Jackson, Williams will be a first-round pick.
#9- WR-Maurice Stovall- Notre Dame- 21 years old, 6?5?, 220 lbs., 90 SPD, 69 STR, 57 AWR, 88 AGI, 90 ACC, 73 CTH, and 82 JMP
Team Analysis: The Panthers GM seems to really want tall WR?s and Stovall is that and the bonus is he?s athletic too.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Stovall comes in at #4, though some may put him above Watkins. Stovall is a big-framed WR with above average SPD and ACC. He?s also really strong. He reminds me a bit of the Patriots Clarence Moore or the Bears Vincent Jackson, both WR?s were taken in the first round and I think that will be the case with Stovall as well. He needs to improve his CTH a bit but overall he?s a good prospect.
#10- LG-Max Jean-Gilles- Georgia- 22 years old, 6?4?, 340 lbs., 62 SPD, 96 STR, 60 AWR, 67 AGI, 70 ACC, 79 PBK and 90 RBK
Team Analysis: The Panthers need a LG. Jean-Gilles is an outstanding LG who is both big and decently athletic.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Jean-Gilles is the beast of the the OG?s. He has imposing size with elite strength and athleticism, while not being his strength, is still pretty decent. He?ll be a great run blocker immediately though he?ll need some time to get to the same level in pass blocking. If you want to play him at LG then you can handle his AWR but if you want to move him he?ll be pretty raw in AWR. I think both Joseph and Jean-Gilles are destined for the first round. It?s just a matter of where and when.
#11- RT-Quinn Ojinnaka- Syracuse- 22 years old- 6?5?, 295 lbs., 65 SPD, 92 STR, 60 AWR, 73 AGI, 75 ACC, 82 PBK, and 81 RBK
Team Analysis: The Vikings need a replacement at OT for Wade Smith. Ojinnaka is an athletic OT who can start.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Ojinnaka is another highly skilled, athletic offensive lineman with great SPD, AGI, and ACC. He?s already positioned at RT though some people may want to move him to OG. He lacks the ideal size for the position and he has lower AWR as well but he?s still elite. I think he goes in the top 15 of this year?s draft.
#12- ROLB-Thomas Howard- UTEP- 23 years old, 6?3?, 240 lbs., 84 SPD, 86 STR, 51 AWR, 85 AGI, 86 ACC, and 74 TAK
Team Analysis: The Bengals need a new ROLB and Howard is going to be a stud.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Howard comes in at #2 in our OLB rankings. He?s a bigger OLB, with great physical skills and an eye-popping 86 STR. He is, however, quite raw as a prospect. He only has 51 AWR and 74 TAK. He?s going to be out of position a fair bit and may fail to may some tackles along the way. He could well be eligible for training camp which could help substantially help him. I think he?s a first-round pick, particularly for a good team with high AWR in much of their defense. If that?s the type of place he goes, he should be able to play and grow at the same time.
#13- LOLB-Jamar Williams- Arizona St., 23 years old, 6?0?, 234 lbs., 87 SPD, 68 STR, 58 AWR, 84 AGI, 88 ACC, and 76 TAK
Team Analysis: The Seahawks are well known for taking speedy OLB?s and Williams is exactly that.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Williams is an elite level athlete. There?s nobody quite like him at the position. If indeed the skew is not negative Williams will be a sought after commodity in this draft as well via trade. You are looking at the potential of an 88 SPD, 70 STR, 85 AGI, and 90 ACC OLB. Covering TE?s and RB?s out of the backfield will be a strength of his. Now he?s a smaller LB, which makes sense considering his SPD. But he?s well worth a first-round pick. He has the feel of a guy who could end up in Seattle. That?s just total speculation, I have no insider information on his destination at all.
#14- CB-Jimmy Williams- Virginia Tech- 6?2?, 213 lbs., 89 SPD, 62 STR, 54 AWR, 90 AGI, 93 ACC, 69 CTH, and 70 TAK
Team Analysis: The Patriots made the Super Bowl last year and are stacked. But the one place they could add depth is at CB. Williams is the best available on the board.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Williams is a big-body CB who can cover the bigger WR?s in this league. With Williams and Cromartie, GM?s will be looking for a skew up in SPD because that only increases their value. Comparables for Williams are Nnamdi Asomugha of the Dolphins and Curtis DeLoach of the Jets.
#15- MLB-DQwell Jackson- Maryland, 22 years old, 6'0", 230 lbs., 82 SPD, 80 STR, 75 AWR, 80 AGI, 84 ACC, and 87 TAK
Team Analysis: Michael Barrow is regressing big time and the Bucs need to address the MLB position for the long haul. Jackson is the type of guy who can play immediately which I think the Bucs GM will want.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): There are three or four players that are in the discussion for the best MLB in this draft. I think they all could be first-round picks. Jackson is the first player in my rankings because he has the best combination of AWR and TAK. His 75 AWR and 87 TAK combined with good physical attributes make him the safest bet to be productive in this league from day one. Now, there are other players who have a higher upside than Jackson but can be good now and later, so he tops the list. Jackson reminds me a bit of the Ravens Bart Scott or the Rams Odell Thurman.
#16- RT-Ryan OCallaghan- California- 23 years old, 6?7?, 344 lbs., 58 SPD, 99 STR, 63 AWR, 64 AGI, 72 ACC, 78 PBK, and 89 RBK
Team Analysis: I know the Falcons need help in the secondary but they also need a RT and OCallaghan is a big bruiser who could potentially start as a rookie.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): OCallaghan is perhaps the most interesting OT prospect. He has the 99 STR that so many GM?s covet but he lacks a bit of the athleticism guys like Ferguson, McNeill, and Ojinnaka have. OCallaghan?s initial blocking skills set up better for an OG than it does for an OT. But long-term he has the size, strength, and athletic ability to be a tackle. I think OCallaghan is higher than this on some boards but lower on this than others, so I?m trying for a middle ground. He?s a very good prospect just like the three guys ranked above him.
#17- WR-Demetrius Williams- Monmouth- 23 years old, 6?2?, 197 lbs., 93 SPD, 50 STR, 53 AWR, 91 AGI, 94 ACC, 77 CTH, and 75 JMP
Team Analysis: The 49ers are in desperate need of WR help though they could also go LOLB here. I just think WR is more important than OLB.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): . In the 2003 or 2004 draft Williams would have been more valuable due to lack of overall league wide talent at the time. However, the league has more depth now and so the value of both Williams and Austin have decreased a bit. I think he is probably a late first round talents in a separate tier from the first four. Williams has good SPD and ACC bordering on great. At 6?2? he will pose matchup problems quite often. The downside for him is his 53 AWR and if you care, 75 JMP.
#18- RT-Jeremy Trueblood- Boston College- 23 years old, 6?9?, 330 lbs., 53 SPD, 93 STR, 65 AWR, 62 AGI, 73 ACC, 86 PBK, and 86 RBK
Team Analysis: The Broncos have just added WR-Terrell Owens but they need a LT to protect Sorgi so he can get the ball to Owens. Trueblood isn?t highly athletic but he should be able to protect the QB.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Another good OT here in Jeremy Trueblood. I do think he is the first of a second tier of tackles though. Still probably in the first round, but he just doesn?t have the physical attributes of the four guys ranked above him. Now, he does have great size; as good as or better than McNeill and OCallaghan. What he does lack is the elite level SPD, AGI, and ACC. Many GM?s don?t really care about SPD for their offensive linemen. For them, Trueblood will be fine. He should be ready to play now with his AWR and blocking skills so that?s why when you look at the entire picture for him, I see a first round grade.
#19- RE-Mario Williams- N.C. State- 21 years old, 6?7?, 265 lbs., 85 SPD, 73 STR, 37 AWR, 82 AGI, 84 ACC, and 72 TAK
Team Analysis: The Dolphins need a RG and RE. Davin Joseph is available here but so too is Mario Williams.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Williams is another pass-rushing DE like Darryl Tapp. He offers higher-end speed that Tapp and better agility, but he has 37 AWR which is unbelievably low and that?s prior to any potential position change to the left side (incidentally Tapp will likely undergo the same position change as well). Again, like Tapp I think Williams is a broken player. However, I think he?s a player that will get drafted and probably in the first round as well. I think in both Williams and Tapp?s case GM?s will look at LE-Osi Umenyiora and think the success he has had is the type of success both of these players can have.
#20- RG-Davin Joseph- Oklahoma- 22 years old, 6?4?, 312 lbs., 61 SPD, 95 STR, 64 AWR, 66 AGI, 73 ACC, 83 PBK, and 86 RBK
Team Analysis: The Bears don?t have many needs but I think they could upgrade on Kelly Washington as their #2 WR or draft a RG to replace Whitley who is in the last year of his deal.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Joseph is the prototypical OG good athleticism combined with superior strength and attributes that progress. He doesn?t have a weakness in any of his attributes. Now you might argue that you want someone who has better size. And I can understand that. But you won?t find superior attributes for the position in this class.
#21- LT-Charles Spencer- Pittsburgh, 24 years old, 6?5?, 352 lbs., 60 SPD, 89 STR, 63 AWR, 65 AGI, 73 ACC, 79 PBK, and 88 RBK
Team Analysis: The Eagles need a starting OT, speed in their secondary and some more athletes in general. Hill is on the board and so is Tapp but they could also go OT with a guy like Spencer.
Player Analysis: Spencer is one of the older players in this draft but he has great size and above-average athleticism. Additionally, he has good AWR so a move to inside won't kill his ability to play immediately.
#22- MLB-Stephen Tulloch- N.C. State, 5?11?, 242 lbs., 85 SPD, 80 STR, 69 AWR, 78 AGI, 85 ACC, and 84 TAK
Team Analysis: Chris Draft is not your 2006 starting MLB in Denver. The good news is there are still a couple to choose from here. The smart play is to get the offensive lineman first and then address MLB.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): If only Tulloch was taller. Will GM?s overlook his height? The ?short? answer is yes. I think they will. Still, I believe Tulloch is a first-round pick. If you look a couple of years out, Tulloch could be 85 SPD, 80 STR, AGI, and 85 ACC plus. That?s just gold particularly when he starts out with 69 AWR and 84 TAK. All four of these MLB?s are tightly bunched in my mind even though I have ranked them individually.
#23- ROLB-Manny Lawson- N.C. State, 22 years old, 6?6?, 245 lbs., 85 SPD, 67 STR, 58 AWR, 78 AGI, 84 ACC, and 73 TAK
Team Analysis: The Jets have a need for depth at CB, a starter at RE upgrades at OLB, and depth at WR. They?ve got four picks in round one to make this happen.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): At #6 on the OLB is Manny Lawson. I?ll admit that I think Lawson could be really good. I think he has potentially more upside than Greenway or Gocong. I can?t really find any comparable players currently in existence in the SFL. He will be the tallest OLB in the league once he is drafted plus he has good SPD and ACC. So why is he ranked #6? It?s because of his dreadful 73 TAK and mediocre 58 AWR. I?d so love to hear other GM?s perspectives here because I might be able to narrow down his value that way. For now, I think he could go as high as the middle of round 1 or as low as late round 2.
#24- CB-Tye Hill- Clemson, 5?10?, 185 lbs., 96 SPD, 48 STR, 64 AWR, 92 AGI, 94 ACC, 64 CTH, and 55 TAK
Team Analysis: The Jets have a need for depth at CB, a starter at RE, and depth at WR. They?ve got three picks in round one to make this happen.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Hill is a prototypical small SPD corner with 96 SPD and 94 ACC. He?s only 5?10? so he will struggle with the taller WR?s in the league but the shorter speed receivers are a good matchup for him. Hill also has 64 AWR which gives him a great head start to high AWR. A comparable for Hill is Nathan Jones.
#25- RE-Darryl Tapp- Virginia Tech- 21 years old, 6?2?, 265 lbs., 83 SPD, 84 STR, 44 AWR, 78 AGI, 85 ACC, and 75 TAK
Team Analysis: The Eagles need speed in their secondary and some more athletes in general. Hill is on the board at CB but if Tapp is still on the board, he fits the athlete the Eagles GM likes.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Tapp is a classic pass rusher. He has the combo of 83 SPD, 84 STR, and 85 ACC. In most Madden leagues this equals a high-end pass rusher. His 78 AGI and 75 TAK are acceptable attributes as well. You wouldn?t necessarily be drawn to those attributes if the SPD, STR, and ACC weren?t as high as they are, but since the AGI and TAK are fine. Where Tapp runs into problems in the evaluation process is with his 44 AWR and lack of size at 6?2?, 265 lbs. His weight isn?t as much of a problem is his lack of height. I think Tapp is still a top of round 1 talent. I just don?t think you can let a guy of his caliber go particularly with the lack of talent league-wide at the position. Could he drop? Yes, he could particularly with high end DE talent on the trade market currently.
#26- SS-Roman Harper- Alabama, 23 years old, 6?1?, 200 lbs., 87 SPD, 76 STR, 68 STR, 82 AGI, 91 ACC, 63 CTH, and 74 TAK
Team Analysis: There is a need for additional speed at SS and the entire safety class is still available.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Harper is the type of SS that teams look for. He has good size and STR, but it?s not just his size and STR. He also has great attributes that progress, 68 AWR, 63 CTH, and 74 TAK. Finally, he?s a good athlete with 87 SPD and 91 ACC. If there?s a knock against him it?s his 82 AGI. Obviously, he is a player who can step in and play right away and he should be good for the better part of ten plus years. It is doubtful he will be eligible for second-year progression due to how good he is now. He?s a similar looking player to Corey Chavous of the Vikings and Michael Hawkins of the Panthers. I think he?s a clear-cut first round pick even though he a safety.
#27- FS-Nate Salley- Ohio State, 6?3?, 220 lbs., 87 SPD, 48 STR, 60 AWR, 91 AGI, 90 ACC, 62 CTH, and 71 TAK
Team Analysis: The Giants need speed at safety and OLB. I think they like their OLB?s but the safety class offers plenty of options.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Nate Salley comes in at #2 on our FS rankings. Salley is another tall FS at 6?3? with 87 SPD and 90 ACC. These are elite attributes for a FS and, much like Watkins, is a special player. I think he?s the type of player with a high ceiling but also ready to play as a rookie. He has the potential to be a 90 SPD, 90 AGI, and 90 ACC plus player at 6?3? with good AWR, CTH, and TAK. I think he is another first-round talent in this year?s draft.
#28- RG-Tony Palmer- Missouri, 23 years old, 6?2?, 330 lbs., 64 SPD, 91 STR, 57 AWR, 72 AGI, 75 ACC, 80 PBK, and 85 RBK
Team Analysis: The Cowboys need a starting LG and some speed at OLB, particularly at LOLB.
Player Analysis: Palmer wasn't initially on my radar but as I have review the class some more, he actually looks really good. He's an elite athlete, the only concern will be his AWR and the hit it takes to move from RG to LG.
#29- SS-Tyrone Culver- Fresno State, 23 years old, 6?1?, 200 lbs., 89 SPD, 67 STR, 57 AWR, 90 AGI, 89 ACC, 64 CTH, and 67 TAK
Team Analysis: The Panthers have addressed a couple of key positions. They can still upgrade their speed at safety and there are many options for them to do so.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Culver is another valuable SS in this draft class and comes in at #2 in the rankings behind Harper. Culver offers a similar skill set to Harper but has 11 less AWR points which means he?s not ready to make the same first-year impact, but it could also mean he would get his second-year progression. He?s got great physical attributes with 89 SPD, 90 AGI, and 89 ACC. He?s also got good size. I think that?s he worthy of a first round pick, I just don?t know how many teams are looking at SS?s early in the draft.
#30- DT-Domata Peko- Michigan St.- 21 years old, 6?3?, 319 lbs., 69 SPD, 87 STR, 57 AWR, 73 AGI, 76 ACC, and 79 TAK
Team Analysis: The Browns are in win-now mode. They need a #2 DT and a backup MLB. Peko, Booker, and Hodge are all on the board. The safe bet would be Peko.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Peko is a pure athlete at the DT position. His 69 SPD, 73 AGI, and 76 ACC are elite, particularly his SPD. But he still has decent size and his 79 TAK means he won?t be a liability in this run game. If he were to stay the same through the skew I could see a case where he would be a good 3-4 DE. If he were to skew up just one or two points in ACC he could approach the 70 SPD, 90 STR, 75 AGI, and 80 ACC mark. Now Marcus Spears would be better physically than him but Spears also started out as a DE as well. It will be really interesting to see where Peko plays in this league. I do think that as far as the draft goes, he?s a first round talent.
#31- DT- Haloti Ngata- Oregon- 22 years old, 6?4?, 336 lbs., 57 SPD, 93 STR, 50 AWR, 66 AGI, 79 ACC, and 87 TAK
Team Analysis: The Patriots need depth and maybe a starter at DT. With all DT?s still on the board, they can clearly do so.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): I struggled a bit to figure out who was #1 ranked DT in this draft class. Ultimately, I landed with Ngata because of his size and strength but there are other DT?s who better SPD and AGI. At the end of the day, I just couldn?t overlook how effective Ngata could be as a run stopper. He?s already got 87 TAK which is great. Plus his size is a problem for interior lineman. And it?s not as though he isn?t athletic for his size. His 79 ACC is really good. A mock draft has him as going as high as fifth overall to the Ravens and I could actually see that. He?ll be a really good player in this league.
#32- WR-Miles Austin- Monmouth- 22 years old, 6?2?, 219 lbs., 93 SPD, 60 STR, 46 AWR, 91 AGI, 92 ACC, 72 CTH, and 89 JMP
Team Analysis: The Jets have a need for depth at WR but they could go best player available.
Player Analysis (from draft guide): Austin is the last WR we will profile in this draft guide. As I mentioned in Williams? profile, Austin is very close in talent level to Williams. He?s 22 lbs. heavier which some GM?s will like and he also has 14 more points in JMP which some GM?s will also like. His 46 AWR isn?t ideal though. I still think he?s a 2nd round pick though.
