[Chief Rum]

Skill Position Draft Overview

Before one can do a draft, one must take a look at that draft to see what's there, no?

QUARTERBACK

By Grade

# 6.0 Or Above: 0
# 4.0 Or Above: 5

Avg Grade Top 4: 4.6
Avg Grade Top 9: 4.2

Best Players

Bernie Palmer, Northwestern (4.8) (16/58) Very smart and agile. Not all that clutch, and is undersized. Short passes QB. Extremely risky (99% Vol). Mid-to-late first rounder.

Kenneth Poole, Stanford (4.8) (15/59) Faster, justa s agile and stronger than Palmer. Not as smart, and needs a lot of work on his timing and reading defenses. Roll out QB. Very safe pick (14% Vol). Late first rounder.

Mel Penick, Winona State (4.5) (17/54) As fast as Poole, as smart as Palmer, and more agile than both. Lacks strength and size. Needs a lot of help on the longer passes, and in avoiding interceptions. Short passes QB. Very safe pick (15% Vol). Early second rounder.

Most Ready To Step In Ray Corlett, Arizona State
Biggest Project With Nice Upside Rod Woodson, Hawaii
Sleeper Pick Teddy Wingfield, Indiana
Bust Pick Palmer

Comments: This is a pretty weak draft at a premier position. I am glad I need to lookat other areas first. There are two Hawaii QBs in the draft--what's up with that?

RUNNING BACK

By Grade

# 6.0 Or Above: 3
# 4.0 Or Above: 5

Avg Grade Top 4: 6.0
Avg Grade Top 9: 4.7

Best Players

Shane Muncy, North Carolina (7.0) {65/67) Big bull of a runner with surprising agility. By far the most powerful every down ball-carrying back, with solid speed as well. Doesn't get downfield well in receiving and doesn't run outside as well as between the tackles. Top 5 pick.

Clay Shepard, Boise State (6.3) (46/67) One of fastest backs in draft. Quick and elusive, with good hands. Could use more power inside, although he still packs a good punch. Smart runner, but needs to work on his route running. Extremely risky pick (99% Vol). Top 10 pick.

Bart Wells, Georgia Tech (53/64) Fastest back available. Very smart. Has solid strength, but could be more agile. Despite speed, he has very little elusiveness, and he isn't as strong inside as Muncy or Shepard. Considered to be a fairly safe pick (29% Vol). Mid-first round pick.

Most Ready To Step In Muncy
Biggest Project With Nice Upside Shannon Bell, Tulane
Sleeper Pick Jorge Curtis, LSU
Bust Pick Shepard

Comments: This position starts off with a punch with three very good backs available, but falls off dramatically after that. The second tier group is fairly deep, though, after the top dogs.

FULLBACK

By Grade

# 6.0 Or Above: 1
# 4.0 Or Above: 4

Avg Grade Top 4: 5.3
Avg Grade Top 9: 4.2

Best Players

Byron Alston, Oregon (6.3) (43/67) A do-everything fullback. Tremendous blocking ability in both pahses of the game. Very solid inside runner. Good receiving skills, but tends to drop too many. Not very smart, will need to be coached. Speed among best at position, but doesn't stand out in any other way. Late first rounder, early second rounder.

Danny Curtis, Virgina Union (5.8) (49/60) Back who packs a punch as a lead blocker. Needs work blocking the pass, though. Solid inside runner and fine receiving skills. Drops too many. Smartest fullback in draft, and one of the fastest, too. More ready to step in than most and is considered low-risk (8% Vol). Early second-rounder.

Most Ready To Step In Curtis
Biggest Project With Nice Upside Brad Kemp, Utah
Sleeper Pick Blaine Jefferson, Lane
Bust Pick Ryan Lynch, Wake Forest

Comments: There are a couple nice fullbacks at the top, but no real standouts. The talent fall is gradual and there is a fair amount of mediocre talents available for teams looking to filla hole.

TIGHT END

By Grade

# 6.0 Or Above: 1
# 4.0 Or Above: 8

Avg Grade Top 4: 5.3
Avg Grade Top 9: 4.7

Best Players

Winfred Bradford, Kansas (6.5) (42/72) Handles both roles of the tight end well. Very strong and smart, maybe the smartest player in the draft. Tremendous blocker, especially in the run. Fine receiving skills as well, but doesn't adjust well to balls and isn't known to be clutch. Not especially atheltic, although he has enough to get by. Mid-to-late first rounder.

Albert Hernandez, Illinois (5.4) (30/62) Best "package". He is smart and strong. He is by far the fastest tight end in the draft, and one of the most agile as well. Despite that and a smaller stature, he is a better blocker than receiver. He get sdownfield well and his hands swallow up everything, but he needs a lot of work int he mental area of the game in receiving situations. Great upside, but also a significant risk (95% Vol). Early second rounder.

Most Ready To Step In Bradford
Biggest Project With Nice Upside Carl Kleinsasser, Arkansas State
Sleeper Pick Max Dixon, Virginia Tech
Bust Pick Hernandez

Comments: This position doesn't wow, but there are some players here for the middle rounds. A solid handful of potential difference-making tight ends as well at the top, even though they collectively need a lot of work to get there.

WIDE RECEIVER

By Grade

# 6.0 Or Above: 2
# 4.0 Or Above: 9

Avg Grade Top 6: 5.6
Avg Grade Top 13: 4.7

Best Players

Herman Bernhardt, Penn State (7.6) (57/77) Sky's the limit on this guy. He should start from day one, wherever he goes. He has a touch of dropsy on occasion, and he is a mighty mite receiver (5'10") who can be knocked off route, but he will be one of the fastest men int he league when he first steps ont he field. He is also by far the smartest receiver and perhaps the most agile and elusive as well. There is simply very little this guy can't do. Considered somewhat of a risk (80% Vol), but huge upside. Candidate for top pick.

Eddie Westbrook, Duke (6.3) (41/68) Bernhardt-Lite. Another small receiver with some minor issues with his hands, but he's nearly as fast and elusive as Bernhardt, and has few holes in his game. Not very smart or strong. He is thought to be a very safe pick (8% Vol). Top 15 pick.

Emmitt Downs, Central Florida (5.4) (31/60) Downs is a taller (6'1") possession-type of receiver with decent speed. He isn't very elusive or good int he open field, and he is also going to require some coaching, as he isn't very smart at all. Still, the guy is tough and courageous, willing to go over the middle and catch the tough passes. He is also very solid in the clutch and one of the strongest receivers in the draft. Mid-to-late first rounder.

Hugh Wagner, Boston College (5.0) (32/57) Taller, faster and more agile than Downs, although they could rival each other in ignomious mental achievements. Despite size (6'4"), is weak and needs a lot of work in the weight room. Has extremely soft hands and rarely drops a ball. Has a solid all-around game, but outside of swallowing up throws, he doesn't look to be particularly spectacular at anything. Thought to be a pretty safe pick (22% Vol). Very late first, early second rounder.

Most Ready To Step In Bernhardt
Biggest Project With Nice Upside Scottie Conway, Montana
Sleeper Pick Alan Dunn, Mississippi State
Bust Pick Downs

Comments: This looks to be a pretty solid position. There are some nice receivers near the top, even if only one or two of them are true gamebreakers. Below them is a fairly steady decline of talent in a pretty deep second and third tier set of receivers.

CR