Pac-10- Oregon

Ed Dickson, TE, Sr- If he had a better QB, I think he would have had an even bigger year than he did. Like so many other TE prospects this year, he’s not a traditional inline TE, but he’s a great pass receiving threat. He’s one of the better pass catching TEs in this draft, and he should be a steal if he slips to the third like I think he may. If he showed even a slight bit of blocking skills, he’d push his way into the second round.

LeGarrette Blount, RB, Sr- I don’t see it and he’s a waste of a pick of he goes any higher than the 5th. He is a solid power runner, but he tries to run like a speed back. He waits too long for the hole to open, and he does not have the kind of one-cut burst to do this. Someone will take a chance on him, but I wouldn’t touch him because of his work ethic and questions about his character after the whole Boise State post-game punching thing.

LaMichael James, RB, Fr- He’s got a sick burst and great long speed. He’s another fantastic true Freshman RB who will no doubt be a three an out player. He can hit the home run in the run and pass game. James is a very good prospect. Strangely enough, after writing this many months ago, James has since been charged with domestic battery for assaulting his girlfriend. So no matter how talented he is, there will always be this stigma attached. It’s a shame, but he ahs no one to blame but himself for doing something so stupid.

Jeremiah Masoli, QB, So- Besides not having the skills of an NFL QB, Masoli’s too short to play the position at the next level. He will have to change positions at the next level and he may be able to because of his athleticism. He plays like a LB, but that’s not what you want in a QB. I question if he will be able to adjust to another position though, and may end up being a good college QB and nothing more. Like James, Masoli also ran into off the field problems this off-season. He got busted stealing a laptop from a fraternity house, so his playing season is in doubt at this point. Seriously, what are these guys thinking??

T.J. Ward, SS, Sr- I’m concerned about his pass coverage ability as he seemed to always be in a trail position, which makes me think his instincts I coverage are just not there. What he is though is an impact athlete in the run game. He absolutely blows up the ball carrier and drives through his tackles. But this one dimensional style of play is not what will drive his value up any higher than the late third to early fourth. If a team is looking for an in the box safety or someone who might be able to move to WLB, Ward is a great fit.

Walter Thurmond, CB, Sr- I was hoping to see big things from Thurmond this year as he looked solid the past two years, but he just did not look good. Couple that with the fact that he ended up blowing out his knee, and his stock will slip to the late rounds at the very best. He could provide a nice value though once he gets healthy, and he has shown he can return kicks as well, so someone may take a stab and hope he can turn it around eventually.

Will Tukuafu, DE, Sr- Tukuafu is an interesting guy who I would like to see some height/weight numbers on. He seems undersized, and is a bit too reliant on rushing right around the edge with speed, but he has some ability in this area. He’s not outstanding, but he’s a solid effort guy. I would expect him to make a solid back up at worst, and if he is in fact undersized, he should still make a decent rush OLB with his edge speed. His effort on film also shows he should be able to contribute on special teams.

Kenny Rowe, DE, Jr- Rowe is a VERY intriguing prospect. He reminds me a lot of the Eagles’ Trent Cole. Every game I watched, he just made plays. Explosive first step, gets the corner immediately, and he can really disrupt plays with backfield penetration in the run and pass games. His ability to penetrate is a blessing and a curse though as he can run himself out of plays because of it and is a bit susceptible to the draw and screen plays. What was really intriguing was that Rowe at times played from the two-point stance, and did an admirable job covering backs out of the backfield. Granted, he did not do great at this but it showed he can do this when asked to next off-season. He impressed me though, and if he can work on his field awareness a bit, I could see him making some noise next year.

Casey Matthews, MLB, Jr- He’s got the pedigree, but he is still trying to get used to playing the position. His technique is lacking, but his athleticism is on point. Another year of seasoning will hopefully show up in his play on the field next year, and he’s someone I have high expectations of improving like his cousin did at USC.

John Boyett, FS, rs Fr- I absolutely LOVE this kid!! He’s undersized, he’s not the fastest guy on the field, but he may be the smartest. He was all over the field and showed some of the best ball skills and field awareness I saw all year in a safety. For a player his age, that tells me he has the natural ability to play the position and his triangle numbers will never matter. He has time to get bigger, faster, and stronger and the thought of that makes me think this kid will make a fantastic NFL safety. He’s someone to watch over the next two to three years.

Eddie Pleasant, SLB, So- If Pleasant can put some size on, he can be very good overall. His speed is safety-like and he has the frame to put some size on without losing too much speed. He’s an intriguing guy to come back to in two years to see if he improved his technique and strength.