Meineke Care Car Bowl: West Virginia vs North Carolina

West Virginia:

Pat White, QB – With the recent outbreak of the wildcat offense in the NFL, White’s stock has gone up slightly. I still don’t believe he’s an NFL QB, but he can play the position on gimmick plays like the wildcat. He has a winding throwing motion, his accuracy is poor in the pocket and worse when on the move, and he’s very short. All of those aspects point to White not being able to transition his game as an every down NFL QB. What is not in question is White’s speed. Pat White has the running ability of an NFL RB or WR, which is where he will fit in the pros. He needs to show he can run routes and catch the ball consistently, but he’s worth taking a shot on late in the third or early fourth because of his versatility and playmaking speed. I’m hoping White realizes he should participate at the combine as a WR, and not a QB, because he really needs to prove he can play another position at the next level.

Noel Devine, RB- Devine has one of the best initial bursts of any running back I have watched. He’s too small to be an every down NFL back, but Steve Slaton’s success in the NFL showed that RB’s of Devine’s skills can tote the rock consistently. His long speed is just as good as his burst out of cuts, and he can break tacklers ankles in the open field. He’ll come out early next year if he’s smart because backs of his size can't take a four year pounding.

Ryan Stanchek, OT- Stanchek isn’t getting much love in the draftnik world. I think Stanchek is a very good prospect even though he was not invited to the combine. He holds his own in pass protection on an island, even though he’s a bit light in the backside to anchor against the bull rush. What sets him apart for me is his demeanor. He follows running plays down the field and will keep blocking to the whistle. The one thing I do question is his arm length. He looks to have shorter than ideal arms to play OT at the NFL level. But seeing his tenacity in the run game, I think he’s be an excellent OG. He’s going to slip to the late rounds, and I think he’ll be a steal wherever he is drafted.

Greg Isdaner, OG- I have no idea why Isdaner came out early. He’s not special in any way. He’s a late round guard prospect who will probably be drafted no earlier than the 6th round.

North Carolina:

Hakeem Nicks, WR- Besides Crabtree, I think Nicks is the best perimeter receiver in this draft. Yes, I know, Jeremy Maclin is considered a top ten draft pick, but I see him more as a slot receiver that gets moved around to find areas of zone coverage. Nicks is a big WR with long arms that runs great routes. He snatches the ball away from his body with his hands, and he can out leap most DB’s even at 6ft plus tall. His body control and ability to get in front of the defender is what I like most about Nicks. The only thing I question about him is his long speed. If he can run well at the combine, I think he will skyrocket up draft boards. He’s more NFL ready than Maclin, even though I think they are very different receivers. Even with a 40 time in the 4.5 range, I would doubt he makes it out of the first round. If he does, he’s a major steal at the top of the second round.