OC’s Draft Guide – Offensive Skill Position Players

For those that frequent here often you should know by now I’m not a big fan of Mock Drafts, I like rankings.   Mock Drafts are all well and good if everything goes to plan, but if you’ve ever watched the NFL Draft you know that’s simply not the case.   Picks like Ted Ginn to Miami and Mario Williams to Houston throw any Mock into a tailspin.   What I have done here is create a rankings set for each position.   It is by no means comprehensive, after all I do kind of have a real job so I couldn’t possibly go through and scout every single potential sleeper in just a couple months.   If a player has been included in the top 3 rounds of any mock I have researched them, if they’re a player I have been following since college they’ve also been broken down.   I’ve also kept my eye open for small school sleepers and think I’ve stumbled upon some gems.   I have omitted players that I have scouted that I deemed undraftable, but everyone else is included – all 166 of them.   This first installment will break down the offensive skill position players, I’ll do the lines and the defensive back 7 next week.   You’ll find next to each player the area of the draft I have them valued and an indicator detailed below to highlight the best and worst values I see.

If you have any questions/comments, see my thread in the Main forum – I’d be happy to go further in depth regarding a specific player, ranking, what I was thinking that specific day, etc.   Now sit back, grab your beverage of choice, enjoy, and then tell me how little of a clue I have.   I’ll be waiting.

Note

*** à Player I’m high on and may be a bargain

xxx à Player I’m not high on and feel will be over drafted

QB – This year’s QB class is very weak. If you’re a fan of a team in need of QB help, I'm sorry. All of these guys will probably be taken earlier than they should be.   There could be some decent values to arise from the muck, but there will be more busts than booms in this class than most.

1. Matt Ryan BC (early 2nd round) – No better than Henne, moves around in the pocket better than him but his decision making cancels that out
2. Chad Henne Michigan (early 2^nd round) – Locking onto his target is a problem as is improvisation skills, but other than that there are no glaring weaknesses in his game sans his lack of mobility.
3. Josh Johnson San Diego (early 3^rd round) - Mobile and accurate, doesn't look to run first like other mobile QBs and he knows the game very very well
4. Brian Brohm Louisville (xxx - early 4^th round) – He’s just a system QB, throws too many INT's and cannot make all the throws required of an NFL QB.   His stock was too high before last season, his freefall down the draft board is a correction.   I expect to get some flack for this ranking.
5. Joe Flacco Delaware (early 4^th round) – I see John Navarre
6. John David Booty USC (late 4^th round) – He can make plays on the run, but his accuracy is horrible and I question his toughness
7. Andre Woodson Kentucky (late 4^th round) – David Carr + Byron Leftwich + Tim Couch = Andre Woodson.   He’s a huge project.   If he’s forced onto the field before 010 he has not shot, even if he’s not thrown out there too soon he still may never get it.

8. Dennis Dixon Oregon (5^th rounder) – I do not know where he will play at the next level, but this kid’s going to get a shot at something

9. Kevin O’Connell (late rounds) – Joe Flacco without the rocket arm

10. Ben Mauck Cincinnati (late rounds) – If I were to take a flier on a QB in the last round to develop three years from now he’d be it.
11. Colt Brennan (late rounds) - combine workout gets him back onto the map, still don't believe in him but in a WCO offense he may at least deserve a shot...but not before the 7th round.

12. Matt Flynn LSU (UDFA)

13. Erik Ainge Tennessee (UDFA) – Captain Checkdown

14. Sam Keller Nebraska (UDFA) – Erik Ainge with a worse delivery

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