Big 12- Texas

Hunter Lawrence, K, Sr- I very rarely mention kickers or punters, but Lawrence will have a shot. With so many teams having kicking problems this year, Lawrence has shown he has the leg and can hit clutch kicks as well (look no further than the Big-12 Championship game where he hit the game winner as time ran out). He’s a late rounder, but a team like Washington or Dallas could be calling his name in the 5-7th round range.

Colt McCoy, QB, Sr- I love McCoy’s athleticism, but it still is a bit of hindrance for him. He will tuck it and run a bit too often instead of keeping his eyes downfield and making the throw. He needs to really be drilled on staying consistent with his drop backs, as he is wildly inaccurate when throwing on the run. He can be a starter in the league, but he needs solid coaching and probably a year or two to develop on the bench. I can’t believe I am going to say this, but I saw a chat where Kiper compared him to Jake Plummer and I actually think this is a very accurate comparison of McCoy. In my opinion, he seems like a mid-level starting QB who may lead a team to the playoffs but may never lead them to a championship (sounds like Plummer, doesn’t it?).

Jordan Shipley, WR, Sr- Shipley has always been a favorite of mine. He’s so versatile and runs great routes. Even though he’s not the biggest or the fastest guy on the field, he always seems to find a way to get open. Shipley has reliable hands, is a great return man, and will make a big impact for a team who uses him as a slot receiver and return man. It’s easy to make the comparison to Wes Welker, but they are very similar players. Shipley is at his best when the lights come on, and he’s a better football player than he is an athlete (so ignore what looked to be a poor performance at the Combine). I think he’s worthy of a second round pick, but he could slip to the third seeing as he is strictly a slot guy and return man.

Fozzy Whittaker, RB, So- Whittaker would be a beast if he had better balance. He has great burst, long speed, and power. He just gets out of control and tends to go down sometimes when he definitely shouldn’t. He’s young though and will be called upon a lot more next year with McCoy gone.

Adam Ulatoski, LT, Sr- I am not a fan of Ulatoski at all, and the ‘experts’ saying he’s worthy of a third round pick are out of their minds. He does not have the feet to play LT in the NFL, and I think he’d even struggle on the right side. What makes me think he will struggle at OT is a combination of heavy legs/slow feet, and his over commitment to the outside rush (so he gets beat easily across his face with the counter move). I also fear that Ulatoski is too tall to be a solid interior lineman, and he seems to lack the power to drive tackles off the ball. I’m sure he will be drafted, but I would not take him until late and I do not think he will be anything more than a back up that will be a liability if he has to play a lot.

Charlie Tanner, LG, Sr- Tanner is a guard prospect that I really like a lot and I think he’s the best sleeper pick that no one is talking about. He has very strong hands and has a great initial punch where he can really steer guys once he gets his hands on them. Tanner is a bit undersized, but quick, and may actually be better fit as a center at the next level. He blocks the second level well with his quickness, and the only thing I can ding him on is he can be a bit over aggressive in his blocks to the point where he can get too far over his feet and end up on the ground. It’s something simple a good OL coach can fix though, and his blend of power in the run game and quickness in the pass game makes me think he can start right away at the next level. After writing this, I got a bit of secondary confirmation on my thoughts in that Gerald McCoy was interviewed on the NFL Network coverage of the Combine about who was the toughest guy he faced that was not a teammate. The first person he mentioned was Tanner.

Chris Hall, OC, Sr- I think Hall is a sleeper at the center position. He’s a great technician, he really stonewalls rushing linebackers, and is a very good pass blocker. Hall can seal the rush lanes well, and he gets good placement even if he does not get ideal push off the line. He’s refined enough in his technique that I think he can start right away, and will probably go anywhere from the fourth round onward.


Kyle Hix, RT, Jr- I’m interested in seeing Hix next year. He looks like he’d fit well on the left side and will probably have his chances there next year with Ulatoski moving on.

Sergio Kindle, DE/OLB, Sr- Kindle has all the trappings of a premiere 3-4 rush OLB. He’s relentless in all phases, has an incredible burst, and he chases until the whistle. He’s a definite first rounder as he can come right in and be an 8-10 sack guy as a rookie. Kindle has a very similar build to a young Joey Porter, and I think he can make an impact in the same vein. In fact, I think Kindle will be an even better pro than college player as he will be used in a defense that better fits his strengths. The only thing Kindle struggled with at times was he could get overwhelmed at the point by bigger tackles, but again, in the right defense he shouldn’t be a ‘hand on the ground’ anchor on the edge. I don’t see him lasting past the top 20 picks.

Earl Thomas, FS, rsSo- I think Thomas is being very underrated coming close to draft day. Too many people are making a big deal of Taylor Mays’s physical attributes and not enough of his lack of field awareness. At the same time, those people are saying Thomas is too small. I disagree wholeheartedly with those that think Thomas won’t hold up in the NFL at the FS position. Thomas has elite level closing speed, he hits harder than Mays does as he drives through the tackle and wraps up, he can cover a receiver man-to-man, he can play deep zone, and he’s a great last line of defense as a sure tackler. His instincts really show on film, and he had some of the best make up speed I saw from a DB all year when he would potentially get caught out of position. If it weren’t for Berry declaring for this draft, Thomas would be far and away the best safety prospect, and he’s only a short distance behind Berry. The team that takes him will be getting one of the five best overall defensive players in this draft. Thomas and Berry are two of the best safety prospects I have seen in a very long time. The teams that pass on him in the first round will be very sorry.

Ben Alexander, DT, Sr- Alexander will make for a nice 4-3 run stuffing DT. He’s just a rotational guy, but he will make for a solid body occupier in the middle of an even man front. That’s nothing more than a late round value if not an undrafted free agent.

Lamarr Houston, DT, Sr- Houston is definitely vastly underrated right now. He can dominate with power, he reads plays well, and he has fantastic quickness off the snap to disrupt plays in the backfield. With so many top notch DTs in this draft, Houston gets lost in the wash and that’s a shame as he should be right up there as a starting caliber and versatile defensive lineman. He’s best fit as an undertackle in a 4-3, but he could slide out and play the five technique in an odd man front. If the Rams do go with Bradford with the first overall pick, it would not surprise me one bit to see Houston’s name called at the top of the second round. He won’t last far past that either. To add on to what I previously wrote about Houston, he surprised me a good deal at the Senior Bowl and Combine by weighing over 300lbs. I did not think he was that big because he was so quick, which further reinforces what I thought in that he is ideal for the undertackle spot. He dominated at the Senior Bowl as well and looked great in drills at the Combine, so don’t be surprised to see him go high come draft day.

Roddrick Muckelroy, OLB, Sr- I’m not as sold on Muckelroy as others. He’s a bit small, and definitely relies on speed. He will make a solid WLB, and is much better pass defender than a run defender. He’s going to have to go to the right system though in order to make an impact. Muckelory would definitely fit well on a team like the Colts.