Top 10 Can't Miss Prospects

[Texan in Japan]

I thought it would be interesting to assess who as fans we think are the top 10 "Can't Miss" Prospects for 2006 Draft. Here are my 10 in order of predicted NFL success.

1. A. J. Hawk - LB OSU; I just think this guy will be a beast...speed, strength, size, quickness, instincts and mean streak
2. Vernon Davis - TE Maryland; Phenomenal athlete...could revolutionize position.
3. Michael Huff - S/CB Texas; Awesome athlete w/ incredible talent, instincts and desire.
4. D'Brickshaw Fergurson - OT Virginia; Natural bodyguard and super fit for LT in zone blocking scheme.
5. Reggie Bush - RB USC; Speed, moves and instincts separate him from field...size only concern for RB.
6. Nick Mangold - C OSU; Throwback player...talented and nasty.
7. Mario Williams - DE NC St; Has all-world talent, but have it translate on the field consistently.
8. DeAngelo Williams - RB Memphis; Exciting player, who has flair and skills.
9. LenDale White - RB USC; Workhorse back, who needs to keep his weight in check.
10. Ernie Sims - LB FSU; Height only downside, this guy is a one man wrecking crew.

So who are your top 10?

[Maddict5]

In order- Davis, Hawk, Mario, D'brick, Mangold, Reggie, Davin Joseph, Leinart, Deangelo Williams, Huff

[YoungTexanFan]

This is my list in order of expected sucess in the League:

1. D'brick - Complete Stud who will have no problems blocking anyone. Best player in the draft IMO.
2. Mario - Complete Stud who has better measurables than Peppers. He is a bit raw but will dominate shortly.
3. Vernon Davis - A freak of an athelete. Will create mismatches with anyone and has excellent hands.
4. Ko Simpson - Will be a value pick but quickly become one of the best in the league. He has the best ball-hawking skills since Sean Taylor and is better than Taylor in run support and a better wrap up tackler. He is just less experience and way less hyped.
5. Halaiti Ngata -He is going to mow down interior lines. He is a load but he can motor. He is 350lbs of muscle too, and he will take a defense to the next level.
6. Nick Mangold - Not the sexy choice, but an excellent center. Probally the best since LeCharles Bently came from Ohio St. and was considered the best at his position also. Hmmm...
7. Matt Leinhart - The best QB in the draft. MUCH better than last years crop. Has all the intangables.
8. Reggie Bush - Great dynamic player. Lots of questions but tons of talent. I don't see him being an instant sucess in the league.
9. Michael Huff - Good player who will have some good years. He will not be a stud, but is a great imediate fix and will make an impact.
10. AJ Hawk - A solid LB who makes plays. Ahmad Brooks is a better talent and prospect, but he is in the supp. draft if anything. Hawk has great speed but struggles to shed blockers quickly.

[HJam72]

Originally Posted by Texan in Japan

I thought it would be interesting to assess who as fans we think are the top 10 "Can't Miss" Prospects for 2006 Draft. Here are my 10 in order of predicted NFL success.

1. A. J. Hawk - LB OSU; I just think this guy will be a beast...speed, strength, size, quickness, instincts and mean streak
2. Vernon Davis - TE Maryland; Phenomenal athlete...could revolutionize position.
3. Michael Huff - S/CB Texas; Awesome athlete w/ incredible talent, instincts and desire.
4. D'Brickshaw Fergurson - OT Virginia; Natural bodyguard and super fit for LT in zone blocking scheme.
5. Reggie Bush - RB USC; Speed, moves and instincts separate him from field...size only concern for RB.
6. Nick Mangold - C OSU; Throwback player...talented and nasty.
7. Mario Williams - DE NC St; Has all-world talent, but have it translate on the field consistently.
8. DeAngelo Williams - RB Memphis; Exciting player, who has flair and skills.
9. LenDale White - RB USC; Workhorse back, who needs to keep his weight in check.
10. Ernie Sims - LB FSU; Height only downside, this guy is a one man wrecking crew.

So who are your top 10?

Fine, let's just draft all of them and see if it helps.

[Coach C.]

YTF I like your list, other than Haloti Ngata being that high and Ko Simpson being that high. Yesterday I watched some tape on some different guys and my opinion's have changed a bit.

1. Mario Williams- the kid is a beast and is still quite raw he has the best chance in a long time to break Kearse's rookie sack record.
2. Matt Leinhart- yeah I thought he was just solid, but this guy has that cool demeanor and accurate arm that will make him a stud QB
3. A.J. Hawk- you know what you are getting a solid 100+ tackle guy that will be solid for years barring injury
4. D'Brick/Winston- these two tackles are the best in the draft and they will both be solid for their respective teams
5.Reggie Bush- the kid is alot better than I thought he was, if you look at his body of work, you see a tough yet small back that will be successful in this league
6. Vernon Davis- a freak is right, and he knows were to go to get open, will be coveted and hated by his team and their opponents
7. Nick Mangold- just solid, that is all that needs to be said.
8. Jonathan Joseph/B. Carpenter- cant seperate these two guy, they both will make whatever team drafts them very very happy, they are talented and fast
9. Broderick Bunkley- this behemoth is built like a tank and is as athletic as a DE. He will be a terror in the middle or on the outside
10. Some guy that I did not think of- every year there is a 3,4,or 5th round guy that just has a hell of a year and that guy is my number 10.

[beerlover]

Just to be a little different-

1. Reggie Bush- Will become the Texans all-time leader in yardage gained from scrimmage.

2. A.J. Hawk- Challenge Zach Thomas rookie mark for tackles (182) from sideline to sideline the most effective linebacker coming out in a few years.

3. Michael Huff- The first db taken, has the skill set to be a top flight CB & size to convert latter in career to safety.

4. Jay Cutler- Gunslinger style, classic dropback in the Brett Farve mold.

5. Anthony Fasano- The most complete TE in the draft, reminds me of Heath Miller of the Steelers, can stretch the defense, make the big catch over the middle or endzone and blocks like a mother within the framework of the offense.

6. Sinorice Moss- Could fall to a good team with other weapons & fill in the slot as the teams #2 WR. might surprise people in return duties as well.

7. Marcus McNeil- Big franchise RT who is ready to start right away in the NFL, a perfect fit for Tampa Bay, in run dominated offense. very athletic!

8. Nick Mangold- Young anchor @ Center that will start for some team the next decade or longer, excellent choice for rebuilding or expansion franchise.

9. Darryl Tapp- High motor pass rushing specialist available in the 2nd rd. or given a hard look at by one of the championship 34 teams @ OLB.

10. DeAngelo Williams- A productive RB in the Emmitt Smith mold, very compact with package of moves and a big heart.

[Honoring Earl 34]

Can't miss prospects = 0

Most talented / athletic prospects

1 Reggie Bush
2 Mario Williams
3 Vernon Davis
4 AJ Hawk
5 DBrick
6 VY
7 Bunkley
8 Leinert
9 Deangelo Williams
10 Ngata

[Texans_Chick]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

Can't miss prospects = 0

True that.

There is no such thing as a can't miss prospect.

A couple of years from now, I am guessing that this thread will be unintentionally funny. Just look at past drafts to see tons of guys that had huge promise and didn't live up to it. (And all sorts of folks that nobody was paying attention to but end up succeeding.)

Obviously, there are injuries to look at, more so than in just about any sport because of the contact. Usually it is not a question of if someone gets injured but a question of when, and how bad the injury is.

Also, because of the very team focused aspect of this sport compared to others, if a player gets put on a team that is not a good fit, or has a poor surrounding cast or poor coaching, it is hard for that individual player to succeed.

In addition, there are some positions that are harder to project than others and usually take longer for the player to develop. QBs can be iffy that way. Even some of the best left tackle prospects don't start out at that position because playing on the line in the NFL compared to college is a huge transition.

Even taking away injuries out of the equation, I really doubt that there are 10guys in this draft that are SOOO good that they would succeed no matter what situation they were put in. Even if some of these guys end up being probowlers, it doesn't necessarily mean that they were a Can't Miss--it just might mean that they were put in a good situation.

[tulexan]

Some guy in the 4th round that nobody ever heard of.

[MorKnolle]

I wouldn't say that anyone is a can't miss prospect, but in I'll go into this under the assumption that certain football skills can be taught and I am going to rank my list more in terms of size and athleticism (things you can't teach) and some consideration to football talent and intelligence/motor/desire:

1. Mario Williams - it's hard to argue against his incredible combo of size/athleticism and I think he has the intelligence and drive to be great.
2. Reggie Bush - not any special size but he's built well and has incredible athleticism and I think he has the smarts and drive to be a good RB for a long time.
3. Matt Leinart - doesn't have great athleticism or arm strength, but he has ideal size, great accuracy and touch, the intelligence, leadership, and drive to be great.
4. Vernon Davis - great size, strength, and athleticism and has all the talent to be a great TE for a long time, even though TE is hard to put this high on the list.
5. A.J. Hawk - good size and athleticism and a very solid LB. I don't think he'll be a legend or anything but should be a very good LB for a long time.
6. Brodrick Bunkley - very big and very athletic for his size plus very strong, can play any spot on the DLine other than a 4-3 RDE.
7. DeAngelo Williams - workhorse RB that had a ton of carries and production and college and had a very strong pro day that convinced me to add him.
8. Eric Winston/D'Brickashaw Ferguson - IMO the most complete OT and the best LT in the draft, respecitvely. Rare athleticism for an OL and both are skilled.
9. Michael Huff - good size and great athleticism and toughness, can play any position in the secondary, should be very good and potential to be great.
10. I'll follow Coach's example and say an unnamed darkhorse that will emerge from nowhere and end up being a stud.

[Mario Williams]

Great topic.

[Texan in Japan]

Originally Posted by Honoring Earl 34

Can't miss prospects = 0

"Can't Miss" is a label that scouts have used to illustrate a prospect's talent. I didn't start the thread to debate the validity of whether "Can't Miss" prospects exist or not, but merely to encourage folks to share who they think will be this year's sure picks.

T_C: Exactly...if I had more time, I would have given my lists up from other drafts to show that as you go into any draft, hype and excitement over certain players is so high that you don't see them failing. However, some go into systems that aren't geared to their particular talents or get injured or get involved w/ drugs, etc.

You'll notice I didn't add any QBs...I don't see any of them as "sure things." Although Matt Leinart is probably as polished as any QB in recent memory and Vince Young has a boat load of ability, I wouldn't bet a dime that either will be successful--too many variables for QBs.

This thread was started for fun, don't over analyze the topic.

[kastofsna]

1 - matt leinart
2 - michael huff
3 - reggie bush
4 - deangelo williams
5 - d'brickashaw ferguson
6 - antonio cromartie
7 - ernie sims
8 - manny lawson
9 - max jean-gilles
10-mike hass

[Honch Delgado]

1.DeAngelo Williams (Offensive ROY)
2.Vernon Davis
3.Mario Williams
4.LenDale White
5.Chad Jackson
6.Vince Young
7.Reggie Bush
8.Dbrick
9.Jon Scott
10.Nick Mangold

[YoungTexanFan]

Originally Posted by Honch Delgado

1.DeAngelo Williams (Offensive ROY)
2.Vernon Davis
3.Mario Williams
4.LenDale White
5.Chad Jackson
6.Vince Young
7.Reggie Bush
8.Dbrick
9.Jon Scott
10.Nick Mangold

To be honest, that is the most out there top 10 I've seen this year. LenDale White, Chad Jackson, and Jon Scott don't belong on anyones list. I wont start about #6 because that is your opinion and that's fine.

[YoungTexanFan]

o ya, forgot to add...Deangelo at #1? You really think he will have the biggest impact this year? Maybe top five if you really like the guy, but #1?? I don't think so.

[AJExplosion80]

#1 Reggie Bush
#2 Matt Leinart
#3 AJ Hawk
#4 Mario Williams
#5 D' Brick
#6 Vernon Davis
#7 Michael Huff
#8 Vince Young
#9 Jimmy Williams
#10 Deangelo Williams

Not necessarily how they are put as prospects but I think as pro's this is how they will stack up.

[uteric3232]

Originally Posted by YoungTexanFan

To be honest, that is the most out there top 10 I've seen this year. LenDale White, Chad Jackson, and Jon Scott don't belong on anyones list. I wont start about #6 because that is your opinion and that's fine.

I could argue Ko Simpson and Nick Mangold dont belong on anyones list either. What is so out there about his top 10? This is ALL opinion.

White could end of being the best back in the draft (I think he will be the 2nd best after Williams) and he was at time a projected top 10 pick before James signed with zona. Jackson could be the best receiver and become a top 10 caliber stud. And Scott has been projected as high as low second round, about the same area as Mangold.

I guess I will add mine...

1. Mario
2. Hawk
3. VY
4. D'Brick
5. Huff
6. Leinart
7. DeAngelo
8. LenDale
9. Jimmy Williams
10. Ernie Sims

[axman40]

So guys how would you rate your top 10 list?

[Bubbajwp]

Originally Posted by axman40

So guys how would you rate your top 10 list?

1. Demeco Ryans
2. Marques Colston

Nuff said.