Any football fan worth their salt loves the NFL draft. And any fantasy player should love it just as much, if not more. Watching the NFL draft, finding out where the NFL stars of tomorrow end up, and how well they fit, gives you a leg up on the competition in your league. So, here are a few players you should be paying attention to on April 26.
Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas – McFadden is certain to go somewhere in the top 10 of the draft. He’s got breathtaking speed, first-rate quickness and could be this year’s Adrian Peterson. If he lands with a team that’s got a decent offensive line, McFadden could merit as high as a second round pick in your draft. The Raiders at #4 and Jets at #6 are probably the most likely landing spots.
Jake Long, OT, Michigan – Long obviously won’t generate many fantasy stats on his own, but he’s going to upgrade someone’s offensive line tremendously. There’s some debate as to how well he’ll fit in at left tackle, but Long is a punishing run blocker, and that aspect of his game should upgrade someone’s running game significantly, whether he starts at left or right tackle. If the Dolphins pass at #1, the Rams probably won’t at #2. In no event will he get past the Chiefs at #5.
Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College – Ryan is very much an “eye of the beholder” prospect. To some people, he looks like a franchise QB. To others, he only looks good because the rest of the QB class is weak. His physical skills are plenty good enough to make any throw necessary in the NFL, but his decision making must improve before he makes himself an NFL star. Ryan was considered to be in the running for the #1 overall pick for awhile, but that appears to have subsided. Now, there’s some question as to exactly where he’ll end up. The Falcons at #3 are a distinct possibility, but there’s at least a slim chance he’ll have a Brady Quinn/Aaron Rodgers type fall, as far as #20 to Tampa Bay.
Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon – Want a sleeper for your league’s draft? Watch where this guy ends up. Stewart is a very complete back who might well have been a top 10 player until sustaining a toe injury that will probably drop him to the mid to late portion of round 1, as it figures to keep him out of training camp, and he’ll need time to get up to speed. But Stewart could be a guy who overtakes a veteran starter in-season and pays huge dividends.
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois – Mendenhall burst on the scene last year and took advantage by declaring for the draft after his junior year. He’s got very good open-field speed, and has the power and size to get through the line of scrimmage. He’s got good hands and should supplement his rushing yards with some catches. He should be a starter with whatever team he ends up. The Bears at #14 are a distinct possibility for a landing spot.
Limas Sweed, WR, Texas – Sweed is part of a pretty deep crop of wide receivers who figure to go in the mid to late portion of round 1. Sweed is, in our estimation, the best of the lot. He’s a very big guy with speed and quickness aplenty, and very, very soft hands. The only thing holding Sweed back was a wrist injury that cost him much of his senior season, though that apparently has healed. The usual caveats about rookie wide receivers apply to him, and every other receiver in this draft, of course, but Sweed is very pro-ready and could make an impact sooner than later.
Fred Davis, TE, USC – Davis is a fine pass catching TE who has a real second gear, and can separate from defenders. He’s not a giant, like Antonio Gates, but he’s big enough that QBs can find him in traffic. With tight ends becoming an ever more important part of passing games, Davis could make an impact right away, and should hear his name called sometime in the first half of round 2.
Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue – Keller is less a tight end than an H-back, but any way you slice it, his draft stock has been skyrocketing, to the point that he might well go at the end of round 1. He’s got speed that makes him almost impossible to cover with a linebacker for any extended period of time, with big play potential that’s extremely rare from the tight end spot.
Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State – Some people think Thomas is the best receiver in the draft, and he may well have the best physical tools of any receiver in the draft. He can really make things happen after the catch, and a West Coast-oriented team might be able to make the best use of his talents. The Bucs at #20 might be a really good fit, and it’s hard to imagine him getting past the Cowboys at #28.
Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville – Brohm has a good head on his shoulders, is very accurate, and might be a bit more pro-ready than Matt Ryan, though Ryan likely has the better future. You can’t bet on any rookie QB being all that good, but if you had to pick one who might play well as a rookie, Brohm might be the best bet.
Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas – He backed up Darren McFadden in college, so there’s a bit of a question as to whether he can carry a full workload, but Jones has speed, speed and more speed. He’s got a good attitude, never complaining about backing up McFadden, so he should adjust to the NFL pretty easily, and fit in with his new team. He also has very soft hands, and might fit nicely at first as a complement to a big, bruising tailback. In PPR leagues, he could be a tremendous bargain.
Jamaal Charles, RB, Texas – The latest in a long line of fine tailbacks from UT, Charles doesn’t quite have the size and power of guys like Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell, but he’s got speed that stacks up with any running back in this draft. He’s very dangerous once he hits the open field, and though he’s not real big, his production got much better as games went on, showcasing his ability to wear down opposing defenses. Someone in round 2 figures to call his name.
Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh – Otah is a mammoth right tackle who is an absolute mauler who should immediately upgrade some lucky team’s running game. He’ll go sometime in the middle of round 1.
John Carlson, TE, Notre Dame – Carlson is a very big (6’5) target who runs nice routes, and has speed enough to get separation from a defender, especially linebackers. He’s not the big play threat that Keller might be, and he lacked consistency last year, but then, so did everyone else on Notre Dame. Carlson’s combination of size and speed mean he could put up numbers right away in an offense that looks for the tight end.
And here are a few guys who could be mid-to-late draft sleepers:
Mike Hart, RB, Michigan – Not quite big enough, not quite fast enough, and yet he ended up as one of the most productive players in Big Ten history. Hart’s an extremely hard worker who may not look all that impressive at any one glance, and then you’ll look at the stat sheet and wonder how he managed 120 yards. He’ll be a third or fourth round pick, but if he ends up with a team that has a so-so starter, or someone who’s injury prone, he could surprise.
Tashard Choice, RB, Georgia Tech – His draft stock is down because he couldn’t stay healthy in college, but he has the physical makeup of a first or second rounder. When healthy, he was very productive, and has all the skills to be a quality running back. His track record means he won’t go before round 4, but he might surprise if he can stay healthy.
Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State – Davis had some off-field problems at MSU that have hurt his draft stock, but he’s a very good pass catcher who can get open and make plays in the red zone. His speed isn’t great, but it’s good enough, and his hands are plenty good enough. If he keeps his head on straight, he might have a productive career at TE. As It is, he’ll go in round 4 or 5.
Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville – Douglas has impressive speed, quickness and hands. What’s holding him back is his diminutive size; 176 pounds is very, very small for an NFL receiver, and it makes Douglas a good bet for injury, but he was tremendously productive in college, and could be a productive #3 receiver. Perhaps in the right offense, he could be a fantasy contributor, much like Brandon Stokley or Az-Zahir Hakim have been at various points in time.
