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This is from Zierlein's weekly pro football email commentary. I highly recommend getting on the list. Email him at sideline@ev1.net to join.
2006 NFL Draft / Lance Z.
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* I'm not surprised one single bit that Vandy QB Jay Cutler is suddenly being considered a first round QB. I've felt all along that he has all the tools to sneak into the first round but with the lack of quality QBs in this year's draft, his stock will likely shoot even higher within the first round. He's big (6'3 / 225) with a good arm. He is a four year starter who has shown great poise and toughness and he has good mobility. He continued to improve year after year even though he was playing with much less talent around him than the talent he faced against SEC defenses. Much like Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney, I think Cutler has an outside shot at being the best in the draft at his position when it is all said and done.
* There was nobody more fun to watch in the Big 12 this year than Texas Tech safety Dwayne Slay. With size and aggressiveness, Slay had some of the biggest hits that I've ever seen at the college level from a safety. He is the type of safety that WRs look for when they are going over the middle and he was the key element in an improved Tech defense this year. The problem for Slay is that he's not very fast. In fact, if he runs in the mid 4.5s it will be a good time for him but there is also a chance he'll be in the 4.6 range. What does that mean for Slay. Well, that means that he won't be on Mel Kiper's "Big Board" and that means that he could fall out of the top 3 rounds. However, it also means that someone is going to get themselves a good football player when they do draft him. He has pretty good instincts and he's great in run support and teams with good talent evaluators will recognize that his 40 time doesn't measure his football ability.
* While this year's draft won't feature three running backs in the top 5 picks like last year, it is still a solid RB draft within the first couple of rounds. Bush, DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), Maroney and Lendale White will all be first round picks but the guy who many teams will be excited about landing in the early part of the 2nd round (Titans, for example) could be Joseph Addai from LSU. Addai has good NFL size (needs to add a few more pounds) and good speed to go with it. The thing that impresses me most about Addai is his ability to stop and start and change directions quickly while still running with some power. His game against Miami likely earned him a few hundred thousand dollars more on his signing bonus and possibly more if he sneaks into the first round.
* If you need a tight end that can have an impact on your offense then this is a good year for you. There are as many as 8 tight ends who could end up being NFL starters coming out of this year's draft and there is a little something for everyone. Vernon Davis (Maryland) is the most gifted of all the tight ends but Marcedes Lewis (UCLA) figures to be a solid NFL offensive threat as well. Leonard Pope (Georgia) rounds out the trio of tight ends who will likely be first round picks. However, there is great depth after that with Anthony Fasano (Notre Dame), Dominique Bird (USC), Joe Klopfenstein (Colorado), David Thomas (Texas) and possibly Tim Day (Oregon) all likely to be drafted within the first four rounds and possibly the first three.
** If you are interested in expanded draft coverage including more Mock Drafts from me and links to other mocks from around the country as well as inside info on the Texans along with news and notes on players I get from scouts across the NFL then simply reply to me that you want to sign up for the All Access Newsletter which is $20 from now until the draft.
2006 Mock Draft Top 10
1. Houston Texans - Reggie Bush, RB, USC
2. New Orleans Saints - Matt Leinart, QB, USC
3. Tennessee Titans - Vince Young, QB, Texas
4. New York Jets - Mario Williams, DE, N.C. State
5. Green Bay Packers - D'Brickashaw Ferguson, LT, Virginia
6. Oakland Raiders * - A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State
7. San Fran 49'ers * - Haloti Ngata, DT/NG, Oregon
8. Buffalo Bills - Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
9. Detroit Lions - Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State
10. Arizona Cardinals - LenDale White, RB, USC
2006 NFL Draft / Lance Z.
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* I'm not surprised one single bit that Vandy QB Jay Cutler is suddenly being considered a first round QB. I've felt all along that he has all the tools to sneak into the first round but with the lack of quality QBs in this year's draft, his stock will likely shoot even higher within the first round. He's big (6'3 / 225) with a good arm. He is a four year starter who has shown great poise and toughness and he has good mobility. He continued to improve year after year even though he was playing with much less talent around him than the talent he faced against SEC defenses. Much like Minnesota RB Laurence Maroney, I think Cutler has an outside shot at being the best in the draft at his position when it is all said and done.
* There was nobody more fun to watch in the Big 12 this year than Texas Tech safety Dwayne Slay. With size and aggressiveness, Slay had some of the biggest hits that I've ever seen at the college level from a safety. He is the type of safety that WRs look for when they are going over the middle and he was the key element in an improved Tech defense this year. The problem for Slay is that he's not very fast. In fact, if he runs in the mid 4.5s it will be a good time for him but there is also a chance he'll be in the 4.6 range. What does that mean for Slay. Well, that means that he won't be on Mel Kiper's "Big Board" and that means that he could fall out of the top 3 rounds. However, it also means that someone is going to get themselves a good football player when they do draft him. He has pretty good instincts and he's great in run support and teams with good talent evaluators will recognize that his 40 time doesn't measure his football ability.
* While this year's draft won't feature three running backs in the top 5 picks like last year, it is still a solid RB draft within the first couple of rounds. Bush, DeAngelo Williams (Memphis), Maroney and Lendale White will all be first round picks but the guy who many teams will be excited about landing in the early part of the 2nd round (Titans, for example) could be Joseph Addai from LSU. Addai has good NFL size (needs to add a few more pounds) and good speed to go with it. The thing that impresses me most about Addai is his ability to stop and start and change directions quickly while still running with some power. His game against Miami likely earned him a few hundred thousand dollars more on his signing bonus and possibly more if he sneaks into the first round.
* If you need a tight end that can have an impact on your offense then this is a good year for you. There are as many as 8 tight ends who could end up being NFL starters coming out of this year's draft and there is a little something for everyone. Vernon Davis (Maryland) is the most gifted of all the tight ends but Marcedes Lewis (UCLA) figures to be a solid NFL offensive threat as well. Leonard Pope (Georgia) rounds out the trio of tight ends who will likely be first round picks. However, there is great depth after that with Anthony Fasano (Notre Dame), Dominique Bird (USC), Joe Klopfenstein (Colorado), David Thomas (Texas) and possibly Tim Day (Oregon) all likely to be drafted within the first four rounds and possibly the first three.
** If you are interested in expanded draft coverage including more Mock Drafts from me and links to other mocks from around the country as well as inside info on the Texans along with news and notes on players I get from scouts across the NFL then simply reply to me that you want to sign up for the All Access Newsletter which is $20 from now until the draft.
2006 Mock Draft Top 10
1. Houston Texans - Reggie Bush, RB, USC
2. New Orleans Saints - Matt Leinart, QB, USC
3. Tennessee Titans - Vince Young, QB, Texas
4. New York Jets - Mario Williams, DE, N.C. State
5. Green Bay Packers - D'Brickashaw Ferguson, LT, Virginia
6. Oakland Raiders * - A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State
7. San Fran 49'ers * - Haloti Ngata, DT/NG, Oregon
8. Buffalo Bills - Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland
9. Detroit Lions - Tamba Hali, DE, Penn State
10. Arizona Cardinals - LenDale White, RB, USC
