1. Lamar Miller – RB – Miami - My 2nd rated RB in the draft is still on the board going into the 4th.  Miller’s combination of speed, quickness and power make him highly intriguing, particularly in a zone scheme where he can do what he does best – cut and go.  He’s not going to break down in space and make a lot of guys miss laterally, but he’s explosive through the hole and will pull away with 4.4 speed.

2. Jared Crick – DT/DE – Nebraska - Not an elite athlete by any means, Crick simply finds a way to consistently get the job done.  He’s not a double-digit sack guy and won’t blow blockers off the line, but he holds position, fights well with his hands and displays strong awareness and diagnostics.  Gets around the ball and makes plays on effort.

3. Chris Polk – RB – Washington - Polk is a tough runner who shouldered the load for several years at UW.  He’s physical between the tackles, keeps low pads and runs through contact.  A good receiver out of the backfield as well.  One-cut guy who will bring toughness as a runner and as a blocker.

4. Alameda Ta’Amu – DT – Washington - Massive human with rare quickness and natural explosion for his size.  If he’d have shown more consistency in staying low off the snap during his senior campaign, he could’ve easily been a first round pick. A run-stuffing nose tackle ideally, with “plus” gap penetration.

5. James Michael Johnson – LB – Nevada - Prototypical size and athleticism for the position. Explosive first step and good instincts against the run. Fluid in coverage.  Underrated defender who I had a 2nd round grade on.

6. Billy Winn – DE – Boise State - Quick, energetic lineman with more finesse than power.  Gets penetration consistently, but is easily taken out of the play when he doesn’t get his arms extended and keep his pads down.  NFL teams are hungry for guys who can get to the QB though, and Winn has that ability from a couple of spots on the line.

7. Cam Johnson – DE – Auburn - Explosive, active end who excels as a bull-rusher with a quick first step and good use of lower body drive.  Needs to be more active with his hands and doesn’t break down or change direction very well.  Good speed to get the edge though, and athleticism to develop a more expansive repertoire of moves.

8. Zebrie Sanders – OT – Florida State - Quick, athletic tackle who over-extends too frequently off the snap, but possesses all kinds of upside.   A very underrated run blocker.

9. Ben Jones – C – Georgia - Smart, tough competitor who consistently anchors well at the point of attack, and possesses nice lateral agility to mirror in pass protection.  Great value in the middle rounds.

10. Brandon Boykin – CB – Georgia - Versatile defender who can line up in the slot, or jam bigger receivers on the outside. Great speed and hip fluidity to turn and run, and a nose for the ball.  Big-time play maker with the ball in his hands. Extremely physical for his size.

11. Orson Charles – TE – Georgia - Athletic and somewhat raw tight end who can line up in the slot or out wide in addition to being up on the line.  Struggles to keep clean off the line from a three-point and isn’t a great blocker.  More of a big receiver with “plus” size and acceleration to provide a big target and stretch the middle of the field.  Physical after the catch.

12. Josh Chapman – DT – Alabama - Combination of strength and quickness make Chapman hard to move at the point of attack. Active with his hands to shed blocks and plug lanes, and displays great awareness and vision against the run.  Shorter frame and lack of pass-rush ability have some scouts wondering where he fits best.

13. George Iloka – S – Boise State - Long, lean safety with impressive range and big time pop.  Lacks fluidity in reverse but takes good angles against the run, is laterally quick for his size, tackles well and closes quickly on passes in front of him.  Reminds me of Kam Chancellor, and has the upside to be better in coverage than he is at the moment.

14. Marvin Jones – WR- California - Fluid route runner with soft, reliable hands and ideal length to pluck the ball at any angle. Balance and body control to haul in the tough one, tracks well over the shoulder and knows where the sideline is.  Could add some muscle.

15. Chris Givens – WR – Wake Forest - Explodes off the line, and hits top gear quickly. Active hands and good lateral quickness to beat initial press.  Tracks the ball and is a home-run threat anytime he’s on the field.  Chest-traps the ball too frequently and needs to be cleaner in and out of breaks on short and intermediate routes.

16. Ronnell Lewis – DE/OLB – Oklahoma - Explosive pass-rusher off the snap who plays with a killer instinct.  Active, violent hands and impressive burst to close after clearing the corner.  Inconsistent pad levels and shallow cache of moves at this point make him a project, but the athleticism and natural rush ability are intriguing.

17. Kirk Cousins – QB – Michigan State - Adequate arm strength and accuracy, and a strong leader.  Could be a lot better with consistent, fundamentally-sound footwork, and doesn’t handle blitzes very well.  Still, he played in a pro-style offense and had some impressive moments.  Needs to process information quicker, post snap, and step into his throws in the face of pressure.  Tools are there to start in the NFL.

18. Keenan Robinson – LB – Texas - Athletic, fluid ‘backer who can play the run, drop into coverage and get to the passer off the edge.  Isn’t a physical presence though, and will be best suited on the outside where his speed and quickness will be better utilized.

19. Alfonso Dennard – CB – Nebraska - In light of a recent serious arrest, Dennard simply may not get drafted.  But he’s a 2nd-3rd round talent who can cover inside or out, and is extremely tough for his size.  The NFL needs corners who can jam, and corners who can cover the slot.  Dennard can do both.  As long as he’s not punching cops in his spare time.

20. Ladarius Green – TE – Louisiana-Lafayette – A long, lean target with huge, soft, sure hands and a knack for securing the rock at the top.  Impressive athlete with big time leaping ability and surprising lateral agility for his size.  At his best from the slot, as he’s too easily blown up by ends and ‘backers coming off the line from a three-point.  Day-one red zone threat at the next level.  Looks more like a thick receiver than a tight end.

With the majority of pre-draft media focus directed at Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and the Indianapolis Colts, a solid class of receivers has gone relatively un-talked about. This isn’t the year of the explosive, big-play, vertical burner in terms of the wideouts, however, one thing this class does boast a lot of is size. This is a group loaded with big, physical pass-catchers, a few of whom I consider to be legit No. 1 candidates at the next level. That’s No. 1 receivers. Not No. 1 overall picks (just to be clear). Here are a few to keep your eye on at each stage of the draft (early, mid and late).

I’ve purposely excluded the outliers here – Kendall Wright, Chris Givens, Ryan Broyles, A.J. Jenkins, T.Y. Hilton, Joe Adams, etc. and a few others, as the focus of the article is to emphasize the load of “big” receivers in the crop.

Early (Rounds 1 & 2):

1. Michael Floyd – Notre Dame – 6’3, 228lbs - Floyd is not only an imposing physical specimen, but he possesses elite instincts when going up for the ball, great body control and a deceptive 2nd gear to separate.  Nevermind the absolute suction cups he owns for hands, and the good use of size and length to beat press consistently on the edge.  He has all the tools to be one of the league’s best within 3 years.   If I were a GM in need of a receiver, I’d take Floyd over anyone else in this draft, hands down.

2. Justin Blackmon – Okla St. – 6’1, 218lbs - Blackmon is actually one of the smaller “big” receivers in the crop, but he plays extremely physical, possesses strong hands, and is tough to bring down after the catch.  He’s a clean route runner and is particularly good at separating over the middle.  He tracks the ball well and consistently plucks off his frame.  Should be a guy who threatens 70+ catches right away.

3. Alshon Jeffrey - S. Carolina – 6’4, 230lbs - Jeffrey has been knocked for lack of speed, but that’s really a pretty common resort when people rely more on physical appearance than actual game performance.  Basically, if you look at him standing still, it’s easy to think “he must be slow.” He’s actually not slow.  He’s fast for his size, and uses his length extremely well to access balls that are at the high-point.  He’ll extend plays with his toughness after the catch, and uses his body well to shield defenders when extending for the ball.  He could clean up the routes a bit as he lacks suddenness coming back on the hitch or sticking in on the dig, but his size and ball skills, combined with better-than-expected speed make him a threat in several places on the field.

4. Rueben Randle - LSU – 6’3, 208lbs - Randle has crept up boards and for good reason.  He’s a really good route runner, catches the ball with his hands, is physical after the catch and blocks well in the running game.  He attacks the ball in the air at it’s high point and possesses good body control when forced to adjust.  Long arms and strong hands to consistently pluck the ball.  Could end up the 3rd receiver taken after Blackmon and Floyd (or vise-versa).

5. Mohamed Sanu - Rutgers – 6’2, 218lbs - Sanu isn’t fast.  No denying that.  Although he can pull away once he gets up to speed, he’s not a guy who will beat you with foot speed right off the line.  He’s quick though, and flashes good, consistent hands and concentration to secure the catch.  He understands routes and can run the entire tree relatively well.  Where he’s most effective though is after the catch.  He evades laterally really well for his size, and will extend plays by lowering the shoulder and flat running through tackles.  He’s tough, consistent and fundamentally sound despite not possessing the raw speed you’d hope for.  Probably more of a slot guy at the next level, but one who could catch a lot of passes and convert a lot of first downs in crucial situations.

6. Nick Toon – Wisconsin – 6’2, 220lbs - Toon runs clean routes, knows how to defeat press, has good speed and displays strong hands to make the tough catch away from his body.  He’s not as physical as he could be after the catch, but flashes the toughness and balance to run through tacklers.  He’s not extremely explosive, and suffers from the occasional drop but he’s a well rounded receiver with no major glaring weeknesses.  I see him as a solid possession guy at the next level who needs to grow in his consistency, but I still have a 2nd round grade on him.

Mid (Rounds 3 to 5)

1. Dwight Jones – North Carolina – 6’4, 225lbs - Jones is a tall, long, powerful athlete with a knack for making tough catches in traffic.  He’s inconsistent though, and his effort has been questioned from time to time.  He’s fast for his size and could be a legit vertical threat at the next level if he could become more consistent at using his hands to fight off press at the snap, as he lacks initial burst and lateral quickness to win with his feet right off the line.  Has been projected by some to go as high as in the bottom of round one, but the inconsistency should drop him to the mid rounds where he could be a potential steal.

2. Jeff Fuller – Texas A&M – 6’3, 225lbs – Much like Jones, Fuller is a guy with massive size and strength for the position, but he too has been inconsistent, particularly when it comes to dropping easy balls.  The concentration lapses were far too frequent in ’11, and his stock has suffered as a result.  There’s no doubt surrounding his knack for attacking the ball in the air and securing some tough passes thrown off the body, and he’s surprisingly sudden for his size when asked to dig and come back to the ball.  He can be an absolute beast to bring down after the catch and he’ll fight for extra yards.  He’s not a burner and will need to rely more on size, body control and hand activity to create separation at the next level. Another guy with early round talent who will probably fall to the mid, if not late rounds due to lack of consistency.

3. Juron Criner – Arizona – 6’3, 228lbs – Criner is a big, tough kid with soft hands and good acceleration to pull away for his size.  He’s not among the quickest of the receivers in the crop and he lacks top instincts when asked to go up for the jump ball, but he uses hands and strength well to get off press and extends his long arms to secure passes off his frame.  He didn’t line up a ton against press in college and his route-running was a bit limited, but his willingness to go over the middle combined with extremely consistent hands should give NFL teams options in terms of where to line him up.   A possession guy who provide the most value operating from the slot.  He’ll drag defenders after the catch to move the sticks as well.

4. Marvin Jones – Cal – 6’2, 195lbs –  Jones is one of the more underrated receivers in the class this season, in my view.  A smooth, precise route runner with good sideline awareness and soft hands, Jones is deceptively fast and displays the ability to adjust his body on throws off stride.  He’ll need to improve his strength to get better at beating press, but he is a guy who could come in and challenge for a 3rd or 4th receiver role on a team right away.  Could even end up starting for a receiver-starved team like Cleveland.

5. Brian Quick - App. State – 6’4, 222lbs - The size/speed combo that Quick presents is intriguing to say the least.  But that’s not all he posesses.  He sinks his hips well into breaks, possesses strong hands to secure the ball away from the body and locates the ball early on hot, timing throws.  Granted, a lot of the evaluation on Quick has been generated while viewing him against a lower level of competition than most, and he won’t have as easy of a time breaking press or separating at the NFL level, so the jury is out on how well his game will transition.   Another tough guy to bring down after the catch, though.   He’s a gamble in the first two rounds, but there’s enough there to grab him in the late 3rd or early 4th and feel good about the pick.  Could be a big time star if the game does transition.

Late (Rounds 6 & 7):

1. B.J. Cunningham - Michigan State – 6’2, 220lbs - Cunningham is a guy I’ve liked all along and continue to tout as a sleeper pick in the later rounds.  Is he a blazer? No.  Does he possess elite quickness?  No.  He does run clean, precise routes, understands how to beat his man in a short area, displays good concentration to pull in the tough catch in traffic, and can locate and adjust to poorly thrown balls.  He won’t run away from anyone in the open field, but he’ll secure the rock and break tackles to extend plays.  A sure-handed, highly underrated receiver who could make a living in a west-coast, timing-based passing system.  Runs the corner fade well and displays good leaping ability and timing at the high-point.  I have a high 4th round grade on him, but he’ll probably be around in the late 5th.

2. Marvin McNutt - Iowa – 6’2, 219lbs – McNutt is another tough, physical receiver who will punish defenders after the grab.  He’s been red-flagged for injuries and lack of overall quickness/explosiveness, but there’s no denying the guy can go up and get the ball.  He’ll drap your jaw with the occasional acrobatic catch, and he displays incredible radius to pull the ball in from various angles.  Not a blazer, but possesses good acceleration to separate once he’s up to speed.  A guy who can play inside or out, in my view and has legit No. 1 capability down the road if he can improve his route running.  Possesses a good pop at the point of attack to defeat press get into his route quickly.  Another 3rd round talent who will fall somewhere between 4 and 6.

3. Tommy Streeter - Miami – 6’4, 218lbs - If you’re looking for a raw athlete with tons of potential, Streeter is your guy.  At Miami, he lived on vertical routes and high-pointing the ball.  He possesses a great vertical leap and impeccable timing on the jumper, and reaches top gear quickly for his size.  He’s not afraid to take a hit over the middle and will hold on after the thump.  He lacks route precision on pretty much anything other than a fly, post or deep slant, and will have a lot of work to do if he’s going to be more than a vertical jump-ball specialist (which I’m not sure there’s really room on any NFL roster for), so he’ll need to make scouts believe that he’s teachable.  But the physical tools are there, and he’s worth taking a chance on in the last two rounds.

4. Greg Childs – Arkansas – 6’3, 215lbs – If it weren’t for injury concerns, we might be talking about Childs as a late 2nd or early 3rd round prospect.  Aside from the injuries, Childs is one of the more refined receivers in the group.  He’s not a blazer and won’t out-quick or shake defenders off the line with his feet, but he’s extremely effective at using his body and length to box out for the pass.  He’s particularly good in the timing game, when asked to slant in a 5 yard box, or hit the sideline on the short out.  Downfield, he’ll go up in traffic and win the high-point battle, but for the most part he’s a strong possession prospect who could be a legit #2 or #3 at the next level if he can shake the injury bug.  

5. Junior Hemingway - Michigan – 6’1, 225lbs – Hemingway is a thick, powerful receiver who is at his best after the catch.  He displays good use of leverage and lower body power to beat press at the line, is highly competitive when the ball is in the air and is a hands-first catcher.  After the grab, he possesses a nice combination of strength and shiftiness, and can make would-be tacklers miss in a variety of ways.  Isn’t an A+ route runner at this point and is still developing, but if you find a way to get the ball in his hands, he’ll extend plays and ove the sticks.  A good value anywhere between the mid 5th and 7th rounds.

Others worth a mention:

Stephen Hill - Georgia Tech – 6’4, 221lbs (projected round: 2nd)

Rishard Matthews - Nevada – 6’0, 220lbs (projected round: 3rd-4th)

DeVier Posey – Ohio State – 6’2, 212lbs (projected round: 6th – UDFA)

Gerrelle Robinson – ASU – 6’3, 227lbs (projected round: 6th – UDFA)

Well, it’s been a bit of a whirlwind for me lately.  I’ve traveled more in the last 90 days than I had previously in my entire life.  From Mumbai, India, to London and a few trips back and forth to New York, I’ve made my rounds.  Unfortunately, all the travel has fallen during the most active time of year for me, in terms of writing, being that we’re in draft season.

All that said, I’ve managed to continue looking at tape, and am now back for quite a while.  Feels good!

So, let’s kick off my return with some general draft notes…

• A lot of people (media and fans) are shocked by climb that Ryan Tannehill has been making up mock boards and Big Boards around the web.  And I’m shocked that it’s so surprising.  Here you’ve got a big, strong-armed, highly athletic and mobile QB who has done nothing but improve since transitioning to the position from wide receiver.  Combine that with the fact that he plays the most important position on the field.  Now combine that with a major shortage of playoff-caliber QBs at the NFL level.  Sprinkle a little bit of unnecessary hype, and then look at the long track record of QBs rising late and teams over-drafting them, and there should be no surprise.  I think Tannehill will eventually be a good starting QB in the NFL, with potential to be elite.  And more than any position, elite upside will be enough for a lot of  teams to take the gamble.  I’m not as turned off by this as I am players at other positions making such late rises, because as mentioned already, long-term winning QBs are so hard to come by, you almost have to take the gamble when you see one with a toolbox that indicates he has the potential to be elite.  I think Tannehill does.

• Dontari Poe has been dropping on a lot of boards, and again, I’m not surprised.  All you have to do is look at the tape.  You’ll see a massive athlete with freakish physical ability and burst, and absolutely no idea what he’s doing half the time.  The football instincts and ability to find the ball are sub-par.  I think he’s a better pass-rushing prospect from the inside than he is a nose tackle prospect, simply because I think the best you can hope for with him, at least immediately, is to line him up and run him at a single gap.  Great athlete.  Rare size/speed/quickness/power combo.  Not a great football player right now.

• There is still a realistic chance that the Colts end up taking Robert Griffin III over Andrew Luck, although I think it’s unlikely.  I would just say don’t write it off as media hype.  Griffin shows just as much, if not more arm strength and accuracy as Luck, and we know Griffin is the better athlete.  Size is never a concern for me, so I don’t deduct any points from Griffin for that.  Where I do think Luck has the advantage though, is in fundamentals, reading defenses and making adjustments at the line.  His drop is cleaner, footwork more consistent and his progressions are swifter.  That said, Griffin didn’t have to go through many progressions at Baylor, so in that sense, they can’t necessarily be compared on tape.  Both guys command respect as leaders, and both have great character.  If I’m Irsay, I’m taking Luck.  But I’m a fundamentals guy first, so that’s just me.  It’s going to come down to what the Colts value the most in a QB.  Griffin is an elite athlete, but how many NFL offenses require elite athleticism of their QB?  Don’t forget that Luck too is a really good athlete.  Anyway, I take Luck, but I’m certainly not pouting if I’m the Redskins and I’m left with Griffin.

• I’m starting to get the feeling that Lamar Miller is going to be a huge steal for some team in the 2nd round.  While I think Trent Richardson is the top RB prospect in the class, I don’t put Miller very far behind him.  Richardson is better on contact, but Miller possesses the natural power to improve in this area, and he’s a faster, more explosive back in terms of initial burst and 2nd level pull-away, and I don’t see any major advantage that one has over the other as a receiver.  I’m not usually an advocate of drafting RBs high in the first, unless they can do more than run.  In other words, if they give you multiple high-level weapons from one position, I’m all for grabbing them in the first.  If they can run between the tackles, beat you outside, get the tough, hard yards on contact, catch the ball out of the backfield and block in the passing game, they’re a worth a consideration.  Since when did moving the chains and scoring points suddenly not become important?  It’s almost as if there’s been a concerted effort to devalue running backs and there’s really no reason for it.  Show me proof that a high-octane passing attack is better than a dominant running attack, and maybe I’ll think differently about it.

• There really isn’t any one pure pass-rusher that jumps out as a guy who will be an automatic NFL sack-master in this class.  There are some guys with potential, who I think are still developing repetoirs and have the upside to be double-digit producers at the next level, but right now, I have Melvin Ingram, Nick Perry and Andre Branch rated the highest in terms of pure pass-rushing ability (not in overall grade).  I actually see Nick Perry and Andre Branch as more technically sound pass rushers coming off the edge, with Perry possessing the most natural feel for the rush.  Ingram is more versatile in terms of being able to move around and rush from various spots, and Branch isn’t a pure speed guy, but shows good hand use to defeat blockers and displays a good closing burst when he has daylight.  His length could create opportunities that guys like Perry and Ingram may not get, and physically, he looks more the type as well.  Looking purely at pass rush, I would have all three of these guys graded in the low first round if I were a GM, but Ingram’s versatility and ability to do other things moves him up in overall grade, to the mid first.

These are just a few thoughts I wanted to get down on my return, and there are certainly many more to come.

We’ll take a look at team needs over the next 10 days or so, with updated mock drafts coming more rapidly as the big day approaches.

We’ve touched on 10 defensive players to be wary of in the first round.  Now let’s take a look at 5 players on the offensive side of the ball who may not be getting enough attention and could end up steals in the middle to late rounds. 

1. Ryan Broyles – WR – Oklahoma – 5’10, 188lbs
Broyles could be overlooked for the first couple of rounds come draft week, and some will say it’s due to the injury he suffered toward the end of the season.  While the injury was significant, Broyles probably would have fallen regardless. These days, there’s so much emphasis on size, speed and raw athleticism when it comes to traits that teams are most enamored by, that consistency, instincts and fundamentals are way too frequently overlooked.  The Stephen Hills(Georgia Tech) and Dwight Joneses(UNC) of the world end up projecting higher on many draft boards than a guy like Broyles (even the healthy version), despite Broyles projecting as a much more reliable, consistent performer when breaking him down on tape. Despite the fact that he isn’t an absolute blazer, Broyles has quick feet, hip flexibility and balance that allow him to create separation out of his breaks.  He can diagnose and exploit zone holes extremely well, gets his head around and locates the ball early, tracks well over his shoulder and secures the ball off his frame.  He’s fearless over the middle and displays some “shake” to evade defenders after the catch, and he’ll willingly initiate contact to reach the sticks.  This combination of awareness and good technique, along with the fact that he consistently performed at a high level against some of the nation’s top competition, make him a guy who could be a huge steal for a team between rounds 3 and 5, despite the injury that he’s recovering from. 

2.  Andrew Datko – OT – Florida State – 6’7, 328lbs
There will be, in all likelihood, a minimum of four offensive tackles off the board by the time the first round comes to a close in April.  Datko will not be one of those guys.He’s not the makes-it-look-so-easy athlete that Matt Kalil and  even Reilly Rieff appear to be.  He doesn’t possess the raw power of a Mike Adams.  He doesn’t display the graceful footwork in pass protection that Jonathan Martin does.  But he gets the job done. He comes off the line a bit awkward, almost as if he’s crouching down, or folding over at the waist.  His kick-slide looks somewhat “clunky” and his upper body and lower body don’t always appear to be connected.  Sounds bad, right? A closer look shows a guy who, considering his long frame, understands the importance of knee bend and absorbing impact with his lower body. Watching him engage with a defender, it’s clear that for the most part, the impact is being transferred properly despite the initial appearance of a guy who lacks the grace that scouts would like to see at tackle.  As for the footwork, although it’s unorthodox, he possesses enough lateral agility and quickness to seal off the edge or move back inside to defend the spin. He won’t always blow his guy off the line when run blocking, but he stays with it, and displays good use of his long arms and lower body leverage to steer defenders out of the play. He has good arm length, is pretty lean for his size and can get to the 2nd level consistently when asked to blow and go in the running game.  He plays to the whistle and puts out great effort consistently.  I think Datko could start on either side at the next level, primarily due to the fact that he gets results consistently, and has done so against some top college competition.  

3. Ryan Miller – OG – Colorado – 6’8, 321lbs
Miller is the classic case of a guy who has gone relatively unnoticed simply due to the fact that he played on a bad team.  When you watch the tape, however, you see a guy with massive size, surprisingly quick feet, and impressive strength.  Technically, he’s not as consistent as you’d like him to be in terms of keeping his feet moving on contact or keeping his pads low.  He comes off the line a bit high and relies on his size and impressive reach to wall-off defenders more than he does consistently slide to mirror his man, but when correct, he flashes dominant capabilities.  From an athleticism standpoint, he possesses a long frame with good lower bend and above-average lateral agility for his size.  As a run blocker, he has what it takes to get down field in front of the run and pick up second level targets, and he’s physically aggressive in taking would-be tacklers out of the play completely.  His effort is consistent and he has shown steady improvement with his technique.  To me, Miller looks like a guy who could be a starting guard in the NFL after a year or two.  

4. B.J. Cunningham – WR – Michigan State – 6’2, 215lbs
I’ve been vocal about my admiration for Cunningham as a prospect.  I think he’s a highly underrated receiver who will be a steal for a team in the middle rounds.  He’s not a blazer, but gets off the line pretty clean against press, knows how to run routes, locates early and consistently catches the ball with his hands.  He possesses long arms, a big frame, toughness to finish over the middle, and displays impressive body control when asked to adjust to throws off stride.  A solid leaper who times well on the high toss, and strong hands to bring it down in a crowd.  There’s nothing flashy about him, and he won’t straight beat defenders in a foot race, but he’s crafty with how he uses his hands to keep clean at the line and create separation across the middle.  He doesn’t always sink his hips into the sharper routes (i.e. digs, deep outs), but he’s sudden when planting on come-backs, and is an effective quick slant runner against press.  He tracks well, too.  A lot to like, despite the fact that he’s not the explosive, fast playmaker who will pop the top off a defense.  He’s a solid, well-rounded, consistent performer who will make the tough catches and create space for himself.  A possession guy who could be a nice 3rd or 4th option for a team right away, with No. 2 potential. 

5.  Chandler Harnish – QB – Norther Illinois – 6’2, 220lbs
Harnish is one of my favorite QB prospects in this year’s class, because he’s much more refined technically than many give him credit for, and I can see him being a real steal late, and potentially competing for a starting NFL role within a couple of years.  He’s a “plus” athlete for the position with a good feel for escaping pressure and making throws on the run.  His accuracy is almost better on the run than in the pocket (not necessarily a good thing), but when he sets his feet and steps up, he displays good accuracy and more-than-adequate zip on short and mid-range throws.  The deep ball is inconsistent, but he has the arm strength to hit all the routes, and he does show the ability to hit vertical routes in stride, again, even on the run.  There is a rawness to him, in the sense that he needs to be more of a quarterback than an athlete, as he tends to tuck and run before he needs to.  I actually see a lot of similarities to Ryan Tannehill, in that Harnish is developing still at the position and although it may take a couple of years, if he continues to improve, he could move up a depth chart and compete for a starting role.  He’s got poise, he’s tough, and exudes a confidence and leadership on the field that will appeal to NFL scouts.  Anywhere past the 4th round, I see Harnish as a value pick for a team willing to develop him.  

When evaluating draft prospects, many people struggle to differentiate between grading a player on potential or “upside” versus evaluating and ultimately grading them as the football player that the currently are. The word “talent” is thrown around way too often when justifying a high pick projection.

I take a different approach. I grade primarily on three key criteria. They are (in order of importance):

1. Consistency
2. Instincts & Awareness
3. Fundamentals

I care more about these critera than size, speed, raw athleticism or statistics, as I believe history has shown that players who are strong in these three areas transition much better to the NFL than players who are high in “raw upside” but lacking in their consistency, instincts and fundamentals.

With these criteria in mind, here are 10 prospects who teams should be cautious of on day one:

1. Zach Brown – OLB – UNC
Brown possesses speed and explosiveness that today’s NFL defensive coordinators salivate over. The speed is elite. Like, as in wide receiver-type speed. In college though, speed and explosiveness can mask other inefficiencies, such as sub-par instincts and bad tackling.  Unfortunately, Brown displayed plenty of the latter two over the course of his time at North Carolina.  He struggles to shed blockers, takes less-than-impressive angles to the edges against the run, and isn’t as fluid in coverage as some assume him to be.  He’s definitely an amazing athlete, and there’s something to be said for that.  But I have a feeling some scouts are mistaking “first round talent”, which he may be, for a “first round linebacker”, which he definitely is not.

2. Whitney Mercilus – DE – Illinois 
Mercilus led the nation in sacks in 2011. There’s definitely something to be said for a guy putting up such prolific numbers.  But I have some serious concerns about his lack of technical consistency off the edge.  His pad levels are extremely inconsistent off the snap, and when he gets too high on contact, he’s easily pushed out of the play.  He has some natural power to bull-rush or penetrate a single gap, and looks relatively good rushing from the inside which he did frequently at Illinois, but he’s not nearly as natural off the edge.  Against the run, the instincts are sub-par and he’s extremely stiff in the hips when attempting to break down or change direction in pursuit.  As a traditional 4-3 end or even rush 3-4 ‘backer, I don’t see the agility or technical consistency to warrant a top 32 pick.  Looks more like a rotational inside rusher who could have an impact on the strong side if he can improve against the run, but as of now, that’s his weakest area.

3. Alfonzo Dennard – CB – Nebraska
I haven’t been nearly as high on Dennard as most scouts I’ve read.  It’s not that I don’t love the tough, physical aspects of his game which are surprising considering his size.  But downfield he struggles to stay engaged, and doesn’t display the ball skills that Jenkins, Claiborne and Kirkpatrick show.  Despite how physical he can be with receivers at the line, he doesn’t appear to fight as hard through contact when defending the run, and his level of aggression can be volatile.  He’s fast and quick enough to turn and run with speedy receivers outside, but he’s late to break on comeback routes and lacks a natural feel for how to time his approach to the ball.  In a press/zone type of scheme, his physicality and plus natural agility could allow him to shine, but he’ll need to maintain a high level of aggression more consistently and become better against the run.  He also tends to give up a lot of ground on crossing routes, as his hips just don’t get around early enough. The tools are there for Dennard to be an above-average starting corner at the next level, but anytime a player’s effort and instincts, together, are inconsistent, I have a hard time putting a first round grade on him.

4. Michael Brockers – DT – LSU
There’s no doubt that Brockers has a ton of potential.  He’s long, powerful and possesses some natural burst off the snap.  Like Coples, Brockers flashes the ability to disrupt from multiple spots along the front line.  But I’m always skeptical of guys with only one solid year in school, particularly if that year yielded a showing of more “potential” than actual results, which was the case with Brockers in ’11.  Again, people see the physical package, and the flashes of big time effectiveness, and automatically want to put the guy in the first round.  The inconsistency and lack of experience leave him out of my top 32 though, and I think he has a ways to go before he’s ready to be a consistent impact player at the NFL level.

5. Stephon Gilmore – CB – S. Carolina
Gilmore is a great athlete.  He’s played safety, corner, can return kicks, punts, you name it.  He has the ability to be extremely versatile.  Where I have concerns is in trying to figure out where he fits at the next level.  He has NFL talent without question, but as a cornerback, he isn’t as dynamic as his athleticism might lead scouts to believe he is.  He tracks the ball well over his shoulder and can go up for it, but when asked to close on plays in front of him, he’s often late to diagnose.  As big as he is for a corner, he’s not as physical as he should be in press coverage, and he lacks route anticipation to consistently break on time underneath or know when his receiver is going to stop and come back to the ball.  He’ll lose a step in transition when flipping his hips, and his speed doesn’t necessarily translate into great “recovery speed” to make up for ground given up.  He may best fit at safety, but the unknown is what takes him out of the first round, for me.  In fact, I’ve got him down as more of a high third round prospect.

6. Dont’a Hightower – LB – Alabama
Hightower is a big, physical linebacker who is more than adequate against the run, and closes on plays in front of him surprisingly fast for his size.  He lacks fluidity in space though, diagnoses late too often and struggles to redirect quickly enough to consistently make plays outside the box.  I love his aggression and power, but when engaging blockers he leads more with his shoulder than he should and could be more active with his hands.  The coverage struggles are where I have the biggest concern, simply because you need your linebackers to be able to drop back and cover today in the NFL, plain and simple.  Do I think he has a place in the league?  Absolutely.  Could he be a starter? These days it’s less about “starting” and more about how often a guy is on the field, and I see him as a guy who could instantly upgrade a run defense.  He just isn’t an every down ‘backer which is what I think he needs to be to warrant a first round pick.  This isn’t a situation where I see a guy becoming a “bust” as much as it is one where I think he could be more of a strong role player than a game-changer at the next level.

7. Quinton Coples – DE – UNC
As much as I hate to beat an already very dead horse, Coples is an extremely polarizing prospect who warrants the close look, and his play has been erratic enough to justify major concern.  Just as well, his potential is as close to limitless as anyone you’ll find in this class, with an extremely rare combination of size and athleticism.  There are two things that concern me about Coples. The first would be his effort.  There are times he plays with a pinned throttle, and he has the potential to be extremely disruptive when doing so.  There are other times when he seems to coast, and rely just enough on his athleticism and strength to be an adequate factor in plays, but he isn’t nearly as dominant. This won’t work at the next level. Scouts love the former version, and are terrified of the latter.  The second concern I have is more of the physical variety.  He’s a bit tight in the hips and struggles to redirect, particularly once he’s in the backfield and asked to change direction in pursuit of a QB or RB.  He possesses enough natural explosiveness, length and football smarts to compensate for it though, so really the effort is the chief concern here. And it’s a big one.  He’ll be a first round pick, no doubt, but I’ve got a late first/early second round grade on him considering the motor issues.

8. Dontari Poe – DT – Memphis
I’ve looked pretty closely at Dontari Poe on tape, and there just isn’t a whole lot that convinces me he’s ready to transition and be a starter at the next level right away.  Don’t get me wrong, for a 350-pounder, this guy is an incredible athlete.  He’s not a big-belly clogger that you’d expect when you see his height and weight listed.  He’s got an extremely powerful lower half, and his combine bench press performance indicates he’s no slouch in the upper half either.  But I still have the problem of actual game play which shows a guy who’s inconsistent off the line, and doesn’t appear to always know what his next move should be once engaged.  When he stays low, the guy can be unstoppable and he has a surprising closing burst to go with pretty light feet and impressive change-of-direction ability.  But the low pads just aren’t nearly consistent enough.  I’ll admit I get excited when I think about what this guy could do if he’s able to put it all together.  But I have to be honest about the “right now”, which only tells me there’s more “potential” than anything else. And with the way I grade, that’s just not enough to give this guy a definitive top-32 mark.

9. Nick Perry – OLB/DE – USC
I like the makeup that Nick Perry possesses, physically.  He uses leverage extremely well despite being undersized for a traditional down defensive end, and possesses a natural burst off the snap to go with a growing collection of pass rush moves that make me think he could transition and become a consistent threat off the edge in the NFL.  What concerns me is that he really only had the one good year (’11) and a significant number of his 9.5 sacks last year came in situations where the opposing QB held the ball too long. There weren’t many situations where he cleanly beat his man and got to the QB in rhythm for the sack.  He bull rushed quite a bit at USC as well, which he won’t have nearly as easy of a time doing at the next level against bigger, more powerful and agile offensive tackles.  He’s really going to have to continue to develop moves that rely even more on leverage, quickness and agility to be a consistent sack artist.  I have seen some things that lead me to believe he’ll continue to develop, which is why I have him in my top 32 currently.

10. Devon Still – DT – Penn St.
Devon Still is a naturally explosive lineman who gets off the snap consistently, and displays low pad levels to get penetration from the inside.  Where he’s inconsistent is with his effort, much like Coples.  What I like about Still is that he played a lot better during his senior campaign in terms of effort, than he had in previous years, and he showed some improvement as far as technical consistency goes.  I don’t think he’s very instinctive against the run and he’ll engage his opponent with his head down at times, often causing him to lose sight of what’s going on.  He doesn’t change direction very well, and he frequently finds himself too far over his feet and off balance.  He’s the guy I worry about the least on this list though, as he has shown that he can improve, and the effort has gone up.  He’s not out of the woods yet though, and will need to keep the motor running high if he’s to develop into the dominant player he’s capable of being at the next level.  Another fringe first rounder who I’d put somewhere between 27 and 32.

We’ve put up a new Big Board 32 this morning!

Be sure to check it out, HERE!

While Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III make up what could be considered the elite class of 2012 Draft prospects at the QB position, there are far more than two teams in need of a signal caller.  In fact, there are as many as six teams who could consider taking a quarterback in the first 12 selections.  Indianapolis, Minnesota, Cleveland, Buffalo, Miami and Seattle could all make a case for QB selection early, but in evaluating the entire crop for 2012, beyond Luck and Griffin, it may be hard to justify taking the next slinger until later in the first round.  Thus, you may see several, if not all of the aforementioned six teams attempt to trade back and stockpile additional later picks.  

It’s not that talent at the position is scarce for 2012.  In fact, this year’s group, although it drops off a bit after Luck and Griffin, appears to be deeper in terms of starting-caliber prospects, than the crop of 2011.  It’s just that teams may be willing to pass on a guy in the first if they have a bigger need and feel that they can still grab a potential future starter in the 3rd.  This wasn’t the case last year.  The confidence in middle round QB prospects wasn’t necessarily oozing for guys like Ricky Stanzi, T.J. Yates and Nathan Enderle as it may be this year for potential middle rounders like Kirk Cousins (MSU), Ryan Lindley (SDSU), Brandon Weeden (OSU), Kellen Moore (BSU), Russell Wilson and Chandler Harnish (NIU) among a few others, all of whom I’ve graded as potential starters at the next level within 2-3 years time.  The key word there is “potential”.  I am not saying these guys WILL BE starters, so don’t go gettin’ all excited on me.  We’ll talk about some of the grading criteria in a bit when we break down a couple of this year’s prospects.  Even mid-late round prospects like G.J. Kinnie (Tulsa), Dominique Davis (ECU) and B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga) flash “plus” tools that project them better as potential NFL regulars than the Yates, Enderle and McElroys of the mid-late to latter rounds in ’11.  

Where this year’s solid QB depth leaves us now, is wondering then about the 2nd tier of prospects.  Who are they, and where should they be selected?  Last year, I had Newton, Dalton, Ponder, Locker and Mallet all graded within just a few points of each other. They made up the top tier, yet none would’ve graded as highly as Luck or Griffin do this year, although a top-10 pick of Newton could still be justified (regardless of rookie year hindsight) due to his unique athleticism and ability to learn quickly.  I actually had Ponder rated the highest of the prospects due to consistency and displayed intelligence at the college level, with Dalton and Newton close behind (Newton for different reasons that Ponder and Dalton).  I considered Gabbert and Kaepernick to be more 3rd or 4th round talents, and then beyond those two…utter darkness and void.  Nothing.  Stanzi garnered a 4th-6th round grade, and then beyond him, we had Enderle, Yates, and McElroy as 6th and 7th round grade-outs.  Kaepernick was intriguing, but a definite reach in the high 2nd by San Francisco I thought, and due to low level of competition, and coming from a 1-read, shotgun spread offense that demanded almost nothing in the way of progression cycles or adjustments at the line, I felt he had no business being mentioned anywhere near Dalton, who displayed good fundamentals and pro-like intelligence both pre and post-snap, throughout his college career.  All this to say that the 1st tier in ’11 was also it’s 2nd tier, because when compared to this year, there really was no distinguishable, runaway elite QB. 1st and 2nd tiers were pretty much lumped together into one pile of some distinguishable “plus” skills and a load of questions.

So who are the Daltons, Ponders and Lockers of this year?  We know that Luck is in a class all his own and Griffin, although comparable to Newton in athleticism, appears to be further along in terms of instincts and overall efficiency as a pure QB.  It’s the 2nd tier group that the majority of QB-needy teams will be evaluating the hardest come April, save an opportunity for one or two of them to somehow pry away the first two picks of the draft.  

Let’s take a look at one 2nd tier QB who may be a consideration for one of these top 12 teams, come April…

Ryan Tannehill – Texas A&M – 6’4, 228lbs – Senior

Tannehill is intriguing because he enters the draft having completed his first and only full year as a collegiate starting QB after spending the majority of his A&M career as a receiver.  For anyone to make this switch, and do so in the fashion that Tannehill did (3744 yards passing, 29TDs, 61.6% completions) indicates a unique ability to learn and progress quickly.  This is huge in a player’s transition to the NFL at any position, but especially at quarterback where absorbing and decyphering information in substantial loads is perhaps the newcoming signal caller’s biggest initial challenge.  Tannehill’s ability to make the switch and do so with the success he garnered, is a positive indicator for NFL scouts who want an intelligent, teachable quarterback.

Tannehill’s rare size/speed combination is second only to Griffin III in the group.  The guy can flat out fly in the open field, and more importantly, he extends passing plays with his feet, giving himself more time to be a QB.  Far too often, QBs who can run will resort to tucking and scrambling at the first sign of pressure.  Tannehill thinks like a QB first, and a runner second.  When pressured off the edges, his instinct is to step forward in the pocket, keep his eyes downfield and keep his arm cocked.  When pressured up the middle, he displays a natural ability to subtly side-step his rusher and stride forward into his throw, or when under unavoidable middle rush, will roll out of the box while maintaining field scan and receiver awareness.  In both cases, he’s buying time to find a downfield target.  He doesn’t panic under pressure, and he doesn’t tuck the ball and run until he’s flat out of options.  In summary, he displays QB instincts and elite supplemental athleticism, rather than run-first instincts and a serviceable arm to go with it.

Mechanically, Tannehill possesses a quick release and above-average arm strength.  He generates consistent velocity to put the 10-15 yard stick throws on the numbers with zip, places the ball outside the numbers and onto the sideline from the far hash relatively easy, and displays good anticipation and recognition when asked to adjust his touch in accommodating the timing routes to lead his man.  He needs to improve his footwork, as he’s happy to throw off the back foot and rely solely on arm strength too often.  When setting his feet, he gets a bit too narrow, bringing them closer together than he should, particularly when asked to stick his foot in the ground on a 3-step drop and hit the quick slant, hitch or drag.  This disallows him to shift his weight properly, and as a result, the ball will sail, or if he gets too far forward, will shoe-top from time to time.  This is an area that appears to have improved over the course of his senior season which, again, speaks to his ability to learn and make adjustments quickly.  He doesn’t spin the tightest spiral on a consistent basis, particularly when he drops his arm angle or puts more power than necessary behind the throw.  He needs to become more comfortable with the fact that he has plenty of arm strength, and if he continues to improve in setting his feet with a wide, balanced base, these sound mechanics will generate the velocity he needs.  This will help correct the spiral issue as he won’t feel like he needs to rely so much on arm speed.  He flashes a good back-shoulder throw and although arm strength isn’t an issue, he too often forces his receiver to have to adjust and go up for the ball on the bucket (deep) toss rather than dropping it into outstretched arms in stride.  Having a guy like Jeff Fuller who attacks the ball in the air and can high-point with the best of them, to catch passes at A&M helped Tannehill and allowed him to get away with this more than he’ll be able to at the next level where cornerbacks simply play the ball better and are getting bigger. So there remain some questions on the deep ball.  

In terms of intangibles, Tannehill certainly wouldn’t be classified as light in the confidence department, and he doesn’t shy away from contact when stepping up to throw in the face of pressure.  Over time he has become much more relaxed in the pocket, and is less and less rattled when forced to hold the ball beyond his first or second options.  He cycles through progressions routinely, although he will lock on too often, almost as if he’s trying to will his man open, and as a result is susceptible to the sack or a flush-out.  This is where his athleticism has helped to mask some of his decision making issues, as he’s been able to buy time with the feet.  Not that this is necessarily a bad thing.  Heck, if you’ve got it, flaunt it. But it’s when he stands in the pocket too long rather than buying time, where he tends to get into trouble, and that comes as a result of not moving through progressions quicker and committing to one. 

In summary, there’s a lot to like about Tannehill.  Normally, being someone who looks for fundamentals and consistency first in a prospect, I would expect someone like Tannehill to be lower on my board.  After all, the guy hasn’t really started enough games to accurately gauge consistency as we like to see it, and as a convert from wide receiver, the fundamentals certainly aren’t as far along as I’d like to see in a first round QB.  The “X factor” here though is the speed with which Tannehill has not only been able to learn the position, but also correct errors and avoid repeating them.  He puts the tough games behind him and continues to show improvement in nearly all facets of his game, and that gives him a first round grade in my view.  Top 10? I’m not going there.  But if one of these QB-hungry teams can trade down into the 18-25 range and find him available there, he would be worth the pick.  

Those of you who know me and know a bit about my player evaluation criteria probably know that I don’t put a lot of stock in the combine or pro day workouts. Never have.

My reasoning is simple…

There’s nothing about a combine workout or pro day drill that comes remotely close to emulating what a player will experience in an NFL game.

There is, however, in the case of most combine invitees and draft eligible players, a way to get a more accurate indication as to how these guys might perform in actual games at the next level. It’s called “watching them play football.”

I’m stating the obvious, I know. But am I though? If I was stating the obvious, would we see so much fluctuation in player draft stock between the end of the college season and draft day? Does anyone else find it a bit ironic that the majority of player stock fluctuation actually takes place while no football is being played?

By the way, when I refer to stock fluctuation here, I’m referring primarily to media scouts and draft analysts. We don’t really know where teams start off in terms of their ranking of a player. Ultimately, we only find out where they end up ranking a given player and for all I know, they could be discounting these pre draft workouts as much as I am.

So A.J. Jenkins, the former Illinois wideout, goes out and runs a sub 4.4 40, and suddenly he’s catapolting up mocks and expert draft boards around the country. But a glance at the game footage shows he plays nothing like a sub-4.4 runner when asked to go vertical, primarily because he struggles to beat press and lacks a clear 2nd gear to pull away and create separation. He’s quick out of the blocks, but it takes a lot more than pure straight-line speed to actually separate from defenders as a receiver, and that is what a pre draft workout cannot show you.

Bruce Campbell blew everyone away a couple of years back at the combine when he put on an absolute clinic in big man athleticism. While several in the media began putting him in the first round, NFL teams appeared to have done their homework as he slipped all the way to the 4th before Al Davis couldn’t take it anymore and the Raiders scooped him up. All one had to do was look at his game tape at Maryland and see that he was severely flawed in terms of his O-line technique and extremely raw as a prospect.

So when you’re watching live draft coverage and you hear an analyst calling a particular pick a reach, or another a sleeper, take into consideration the possibility that perhaps that analyst is evaluating and grading players more on measurables and raw athleticism than actual football fundamentals and instincts. NFL teams, for the most part grade on the latter, although there is the occasional exception.

Don’t get me wrong. The combine isn’t a complete waste. It’s possible that some players may not have had the chance to show what they’re fully capable of in school because they might have played in a particular scheme that didn’t fully utilize or showcase their abilities. In these cases, the combine or pro day allow that player to garner some attention that may lead scouts back to the tape for a closer look. Or in cases where there’s no footage or a player has had limited playing time (i.e. Tom Brady, Matt Cassel), then at least you have something to remember the player by when making selections.

The bottom line is, a pre-draft workout should be viewed as a nothing more than a small supplement to a player’s real game performance, and should never override it.

Not to beat a dead horse here but the Raiders took JaMarcus Russell first overall in 2007 after he wowed scouts with an impressive workout prior to the draft. People were raving about his 40 time, footwork and arm strength on the heels of the workout, but what’s absolutely nuts is that when it counted (in games), Russell’s footwork was terribly inconsistent, his accuracy had been all over the place, and his speed hadn’t been much of a factor because he struggled to feel pressure and escape the pocket consistently. All I had to do was watch a handful of his games at LSU to draw that conclusion. All the same tape, and more, was available to scouts who attended the workout, but some were so entranced with how he performed by himself with no pads on, that they somehow managed to overlook the important stuff. I’ve talked to NFL scouts who, going strictly off college game performance, literally had 5th, 6th and even 7th round grades on Russell as a quarterback, prior to the draft. I would get into Darrius Heyward-Bey next, but the point of the article isn’t to make the Raiders look bad. They haven’t needed me for that.

The same goes for pre-draft bowl games like the Senior Bowl and the Shrine game. You’re taking a bunch of seniors from around the country, giving them vanilla schemes to run, teaming them up with a bunch of other players who, in many cases, have never met each other, and you’re giving them a week to practice together before throwing them out on the field and expecting them to show something new to grade on. Then stock is adjusted because of good or bad performance in the game(s). I’ve seen it a thousand times and it’s absolute lunacy.

Like pre-draft workouts, these bowl games should be considered a less meaningful supplement to real game performance, and shouldn’t be taken very seriously. If nothing else, the’re a good way for scouts to meet, greet and interview a lot of the players they’re scouting, in one place.

I will say that workouts and bowl games may help to evaluate certain aspects of a players game that aren’t quite as clear on TV, like how precise a receiver runs certain routes, or how fluid a safety or linebacker is in space. Sometimes seeing them perform drills, you can catch something about their agility or athleticism that you weren’t able to see as well on game tape. Again, this would be supplemental and not overriding.

Watch players in real game situations. Watch their fundamentals. Watch for consistency and improvement in their fundamentals. Watch their instincts – awareness, reaction, decision-making. These give a far more accurate projection as to how a player will fare at the next level.

Happy scouting.

I’ve been getting questions about Compensatory picks; how they’re awarded, how the league determines who gets what, which rounds they’re awarded in, etc…

So here’s a brief summary that I hope makes some sense:

Every year 32 Compensatory Picks are handed out in the draft.

The Compensatory Picks are awarded based on net player value lost in Free Agency. Placement of the picks is determined by a few different factors. The NFL does not disclose it’s exact formula for determining whether a team lost more value or better players to FA than they gained during the FA period. We do know, however, that the departing player’s salary has the biggest impact on pick placement. Other factors include playing time and post-season accolades achieved with his new team.

Typically, if you lose and gain the same number of players in FA, you won’t be awarded any Compensatory picks the following year unless you lost higher value than you gained (i.e. lose a $5M salaried player, and gained a $1.8M salaried player). Those picks however, can only be in the 7th round.

Assuming the league doesn’t hand out the alloted 32 Compensatory picks, the left over picks will be handed out in the order that a hypothetical “8th Round” would be conducted.

Make sense?

A few other notes about Compensatory Picks….they can be in any of rounds 3 thru 7, but never higher than the 3rd round. Also, they’re always placed at the end of their respective rounds. No team can receive more than 4 total Compensatory picks per year.

Updated 4/26/2012

Rk	Name	Pstn	School	Summary
1	*Andrew Luck	QB	Stanford	As strong of a prospect to come around in the last 15 years as any, at any position, Luck touts the total package. Arm strength, athleticism, poise, accuracy, decision-making, leadership - you name it, he has it. This isn't to say he won't make mistakes. What he's shown over and over that he will do though, is correct mistakes and not repeat them. He reads defenses, decyphers information quickly and makes proper adjustments rapidly throughout games. A day-one starter with pro bowl capability by year two.
2	*Trent Richardson	RB	Alabama	Richardson's combination of size, speed and power make him unique, but his cutback ability, vision and agility are often overlooked. This guy is the total package. The days of the 30-carry 'back are for the most part, gone in the NFL. But Richardson has the make-up to be that type of back. He's above average as a receiver out of the backfield, can take it between the tackles or bounce it to the outside, and has better than expected straight-line speed to pull away at the 2nd level. Should be gone before pick 7.
3	*Robert Griffin III	QB	Baylor	Griffin made huge strides between the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He fixed a notable hitch in his delivery, improved his footwork and displayed better instincts and ability to read defenses during his '11 campaign at Baylor. The athleticism is through the roof, and he throws the best deep ball in the crop. Character is impressive and leadership quality is there. The biggest question is how quickly he can adapt to an NFL offense having come out of a unique spread system at Baylor. All indications are that he'll quickly learn anything he's given. He can certainly improve the consistency of his footwork, which will help him to improve accuracy on some of the mid-range throws, but overall, Griffin looks like a promising, 2nd year starter type at the next level.
4	*Matt Kalil	OT	Southern California	Kalil is an interesting prospect. Despite being one of the top tackle prospects to come along in the last few years, his still-maturing frame and easy-going approach to the game suggest that he has even more room to grow. He's a natural athlete with a flexible lower half, light feet, long arms and elite lateral agility to mirror pretty much anyone coming off the edge. Where he needs to show improvement is in his run blocking technique as he tends to rely more on his athleticism than fundamentals, and will get away with taking some bad angles, bending at the waist or engaging too high at the second level. A few things to clean up, but the potential is limitless for Kalil.
5	*Morris Claiborne	CB	LSU	Claiborne was a guy I identified at the end of 2010 as the top CB prospect coming into the 2011 season, and he certainly did nothing during his junior campaign to prove me wrong. Claiborne can jam, turn and run, close on the ball with an explosive first step, change direction rapidly, play the ball like a receiver and provide "plus" run support from the corner. A day-one upgrade for pretty much any NFL team at one of the edges. Pretty good return man too.
6	*David DeCastro	OG	Stanford	There aren't many guard prospects with the combination of size, athleticism and natural power that DeCastro possesses. Instinctively, he showed week to week improvement with his run blocking, and in pass protection he's quick to get set, flexible to get low without doubling over at the waist, and displays quick, agile feet to mirror anyone on the interior. Where he could improve is at the 2nd level where he doesn't always square up to erase his defender and relies more on his natural athleticism than technique and will get a bit sloppy at times. He's more than an athlete though and is much more polished technically than he was a year ago. The top guard prospect in the draft hands-down, and a day 1 starter with All-Pro upside.
7	*Luke Kuechly	ILB	Boston College	Kuechly represents everything you want in a football player. He's tough, he's a leader, he's intelligent and he loves to play the game. Instinctively, he's as good as it gets at the position, consistantly diagnosing early and reacting quickly to both the run and the pass. Fluid in coverage and always around the ball despite lacking top end athleticism. May be the most fundamentally sound tackler in the draft. Another day-1 starter who should step in and lead an NFL defense immediately.
8	Courtney Upshaw	OLB	Alabama	Upshaw is a guy who may not jump out immediately on tape, as there's not a ton of flash to his game. But he's a consistent impact player off the edge who can put his hand in the ground and rush from either side of the line, or play as a linebacker rushing or dropping back into coverage. He possesses a high football IQ, great instincts against the run and a surprising burst to reach top speed quickly from a stop. He's still developing as a pass rusher and he's not a pure speed end who will consistently outrun tackles to the edge at the next level. But he's becoming more active with his hands and he's able to generate and utilize lower body power to execute an effective bull rush. Does everything really well and may be the most well-rounded defender along with Morris Claiborne in this year's class.
9	*Fletcher Cox	DT	Mississippi State	Cox has gone overlooked by several scouts and in my opinion is the best all-around D-lineman in this year's draft. Explodes off the snap, maintains consistent pad levels, is active with his hands and possesses a natural ability to penetrate gaps quickly. Displays a nice closing burst to finish in the backfield, changes directions surprisingly well for his size and has shown the versatility to be a pass rushing threat from both the interior and the edge. He's not your typical run clogger and he'll misdiagnose the run from time to time, but he has the athleticism to correct course and run plays down from behind. For a team in need of some interior pass rush help, Cox brings the consistent burst and instinct to fill the role right away.
10	*Justin Blackmon	WR	Oklahoma State	Blackmon is an intriguing prospect simply because he doesn't jump off the screen as being truly elite in any one tangible area of athleticism. He's not a burner. He may not out-jump a lot of guys and he's not the most consistent at beating press with physicality off the line. What he does do though is catch passes. A lot of them. He's crafty in how he uses his feet to create separation despite lacking the burner speed, in that he sinks his hips extremely well and loses very little acceleration into his breaks. Coming out of his breaks, he gets up to speed quickly and he makes good use of his sturdy frame and long arms to out-extend the defender for the ball. He'll occasionally drop the easy one, but he showed improved concentration in 2011. After the catch, he's as tough as anyone in the class to bring down. He's more of a Reggie Wayne or Brandon Lloyd type with more physicality by my assessment, than he is a Brandon Marshall or Andre Johnson. Still, he's a go-to receiver who could be a No. 1 in the right system.
11	*Riley Reiff	OT	Iowa	The first round boasts some serious talent at the tackle position, and Riley Reiff just might have the most expansive toolbox. He's not as polished or consistent as Kalil, but if he can realize his full potential, his ceiling is no lower than the USC standout's. Like Kalil, Reiff possesses a rare combination of size and athleticism, flashes shutdown ability in pass protection and gets off the line and to the 2nd level quickly in the run game. Reiff's biggest problem has been in techincal consistency where he's still developing in both the run game and pass protection, but he has displayed steady improvement and is a top 20 pick come April. Great work ethic.
12	Melvin Ingram	OLB	South Carolina	Ingram intrigues me as a guy with tremendous natural athleticism for his size. He brings the versatility to line up as a down end, an outside linebacker and can even rotate inside and rush from the 3-tech on passing downs. He possesses a high motor, active hands and better-than-expected coverage and ball skills when asked to drop back. He's flexible to flatten at the edge and turn the corner, but also displays impressive quickness on swims and spins back to the inside. He won't overpower NFL O-linemen on raw strength alone, but knows how to use leverage and flexibility to beat bigger opponents. He doesn't have a consistent, full repetoire of pass rush moves just yet, but he has a more-than-adequate toolbox to develop one. Multi-positional pass rushers aren't exactly a dime a dozen, so expect to see Ingram gone before pick 20.
13	Michael Floyd	WR	Notre Dame	Michael Floyd is another guy who hasn't helped himself much off the field. He's a freak of an athlete though, who may be the most naturally gifted receiver in this year's class. He displays soft hands, runs good routes, possesses deceptive speed to stretch the field, and a unique ability to adjust to the ball in the air and secure it at the high point. Possesses a huge catching radius and can be tough to bring down after the grab. He needs to be more disciplined and consistent in his route running, and he isn't going to blow by too many NFL corners on speed alone, but his strong work ethic should lead to more fundamental consistency.
14	Janoris Jenkins	CB	North Alabama	If Jenkins hadn't had so many issues off the field at Florida, more people would know just how good this guy is. He's tough, athletic, plays with a chip on his shoulder and flat knows how to cover. He's extremely physical in press coverage and displays impressive strength on contact. Possesses quick hips to turn and run without bogging, tracks the ball well and can plant and close at an elite level, on balls in front of him. He's drawn comparisons to Asante Samuel, but I argue that he's more physical, and stronger against the run. He gets sloppy in his tackling at times and will whiff occasionally on his jam, but the closing speed is sufficient to recover, allowing him to take some chances up on the line. Everything about Jenkins is to like - on the field. Off the field, he has a lot to prove. Some scouts are convinced that he's a good kid who will correct course with strong leadership. Time will tell, but the talent is top 15 material.
15	Lavonte David	OLB	Nebraska	I've already taken quite a lashing from some scouts for grading David this high. But I'm not one to grade on hype, raw athleticism, or potential over consistency, fundamentals and good instincts. David possesses all of the latter three, and to a high degree. He's the best coverage linebacker in the crop, one of the most fundamentally sound tacklers in the entire draft and his instincts both in coverage and against the run are superb. He diagnoses and closes quickly on the run, takes consistently good angles to the sidelines on plays to the outside, mirrors like a safety and routinely anticipate routes underneath. He's the total package. One of the most complete football players in the 2012 class and worth every bit of a first round pick. He'll get caught up in the wash when taking on bigger blockers from time to time, occasionally allowing his pads to get too high. And he'll need to learn to play with even better leverage in the bigger, more powerful NFL, but as a guy who makes adjustments and improvements pretty rapidly, he should adapt just fine.
16	*Lamar Miller	RB	Miami (Fla.)	With Trent Richardson drawing so much attention, it's easy to overlook Lamar Miller. He's probably the fastest of the 'backs coming out this year, and has notable size and power to go with it. He's explosive between the tackles and gets up to speed quickly to make the edge and turn the corner on the outside. He's more of a one-cut back than anything, and he doesn't always anticipate blocks or spot cutback lanes like he should, but he runs well through contact and will simply blow through the second level with his impressive speed. As a pass-catcher he could be more consistent, but he's a first round talent ready to step in and compete for a starting role in the NFL.
17	Cordy Glenn	OG	Georgia	Glenn possesses a mammoth frame, nimble feet, a powerful upper half and good awareness. He's inconsistent as a technician and will need to work on bending more at the knees than at the waist, but he possesses explosive strength at the point of attack, and is surprisingly quick to get out in front of the runner and seal the edge or square up at the 2nd level. The combination of power and grace make Glenn a rare prospect who will most likely fit best as a guard at the next level.
18	*Jonathan Martin	OT	Stanford	As a guy who grades consistency and fundamentals extremely high, I like Johnathan Martin a lot. In pass protection, Martin possesses the best footwork of the bunch, consistently gets his arms extended with proper hand placement inside his opponents pads, and is extremely agile. Gets a great jump off the snap, keeps a flat back, absorbs impact with his lower half and has the lateral quickness to mirror some pretty dynamic rushers. He's more finesse than power, and more technical than he is freakishly athletic, so he'll probably fly a bit under the radar compared to Kalil and Reiff. But some team will be happy to grab him in the top 20 as he can step in and immediately start at either tackle spot and upgrade the pass protection instantly.
19	Ryan Tannehill	QB	Texas A&M	I don't consider Tannehill to be very far behind Robert Griffin III in his development as a quarterback. He's got a quick, mechanically consistent delivery, plenty of arm strength, good feet, poise and elite athleticism. He has picked up the QB position extremely quickly and has shown a unique ability to rapidly correct mistakes and make improvements. He tends to rely too heavily on his arm strength too often and will get lazy with his footwork or overpower throws unnecessarily. He's still learning to feel pressure in the pocket, and doesn't always move through progressions quickly enough, but again, he has shown steady, rapid improvement over the short time that he has played the position, and I believe he'll continue to do so at the next level.
20	*Nick Perry	DE	Southern California	Perry is the classic "tweener" who some think will fare better as a linebacker in a 3-4 than he will as a traditional down D-end in a 4-3. I tend to lean more toward the latter, as despite his lighter frame, he possesses a powerful lower body, an explosive first step and knows how to get low and use leverage to beat his man. He flashes good use of the hands to create space, flexibility and balance to flatten at the edge and a strong closing burst to finish on the quarterback. He's better rushing the passer than he is defending the run, and he's more one-dimensional than Ingram or Upshaw at the moment. But he's a more natural pass rusher than the other two, and still has substantial room to grow. He relied more heavily on the bull-rush than he'll be able to at the next level, and the fact that a good portion of his sacks in '11 came as a result of opposing QBs holding onto the ball too long does raise some concerns.
21	Mark Barron	SS	Alabama	Barron isn't going to blow you away with speed or elite ball skills, but he has better than average range, good recovery speed, early recognition and is a strong fundamental tackler. Most encouraging to me has been his steady improvement over the course of his career at Alabama, particularly in becoming a reliable tackler in run support. He closes quickly on plays in front of him and makes himself tough to block with violent, quick hands. He's much better now at protecting the top of the defense, and does a good job of getting his hips around to anticipate and get into position to break up the vertical pass. He can play deep or up in the box and should challenge for a starting spot immediately.
22	Quinton Coples	DE	North Carolina	Sorry folks, I'm not a hype guy. I don't care how big and athletic someone is if they aren't consistent, or at least steadily improving their consistency. Coples was just okay for me this year. The motor turns on, and the motor turns off. And the Senior Bowl performance did nothing for me. Sorry. I do see loads of potential. He's a natural penetrator with tremendous length, an explosive first step and a disruptive nature when the pedal is to the floor. The question is, will the pedal be on the floor more at the NFL level than it was at NC. It will need to be, if he's going to prove his worth as a first round pick, let alone a top 10 pick where most have him going. I see a ton of red flags, and I even hesitate to put him in the top 32 here. He is the most naturally talented D-lineman in the group and has the greatest potential though, and he wasn't completely ineffective at NC, posting respectable sack numbers in 2011 and showing slight improvement over the previous season. Still, I'm cautious.
23	*Peter Konz	C	Wisconsin	The top center prospect in the crop, Konz is a complete O-lineman. He's instictive, tough and powerful, but also quick in a small area, light on his feet and displays good intelligence and anticipation. He could line up at any of the three interior positions and hold his own from day one in the NFL. He possesses natural fluidity in pass protection to mirror his opponent laterally, violent hands to create space off the line, and displays consistent hand placement and solid pop to the chest of his man when asked to blow-and-go as a run blocker. He gets down field quickly for having such a long frame and is technically consistent in keeping a low center, flat back, and active feet. With the high demand for tackles, Konz could drop into the late first round, where he'd be a tremendous value.
24	Devon Still	DT	Penn State	Still is a bit of a lightning rod, in that some people project him going as high as 8 or 9 and others think he belongs closer to the bottom of the round. I'm sold on his natural explosiveness and power, but like Coples, I see intermittent lapses in effort and energy and that is a bit worrysome. I love his timing off the snap, his consistently low pads and natural ability to penetrate and I think he has the potential to develop into a good interior pass rusher. However, he gets lost and often turned around against the run, lacks consistent backfield vision and awareness, and struggles to break down in space and redirect (change direction). I think he's best suited on the strong side in a traditional 4-3, or eventually as a 3-technique considering his ability to get off so quick and penetrate. However, he needs to show more consistency in his effort, and do a better job at diagnosing and reacting to run plays if he's going to be anything more than a situational rusher from the inside or rotational 5-tech. At this point, he could go either way, and that's not a gamble I'm willing to take with a top 10 pick.
25	Shea McClellin	DE	Boise State	McClellin has been blazing up draft boards, and for good reason. A look at the tape, and you'll see an extremely explosive, instinctive pass rusher who diagnoses plays quickly, defends the run, and can drop into coverage. He's more than the one-trick pony that some had suspected him to be, in that aside from his "plus" pass-rush and elite speed for the position, he possesses strong football instincts and a toughness that could put him on the field for three downs consistently.
26	Kendall Wright	WR	Baylor	Teams looking for an explosive playmaker to stretch the field at wideout should have Wright at the top of their list. He possesses elite speed, locates and tracks the ball as well as anyone in the class, and has a surprisingly large catching radius for his size. He consistently plucks the ball off his frame and displays impressive body control when asked to adjust to the ball in the air. An explosive, highlight reel receiver who has the potential to make an immediate impact similar to that of DeSean Jackson in his rookie campaign. Wright is more physical, and more reliable over the middle than Jackson though.
27	*Rueben Randle	WR	LSU	Randle appears to have most of the traits that today's NFL scouts look for in a prototypical receiver. Size, speed, hands, clean routes and toughness after the catch. He also displays unique body control when adjusting to throws off his frame, and strong hands to secure in a crowd. He's been inching up draft boards as scouts have looked closer at the tape and seen a natural receiver with game-changing athleticism and big-play ball skills.
28	*Dre Kirkpatrick	CB	Alabama	I've been more critical of Kirkpatrick than some, and not for the same reasons that many are critical of him. I agree that he needs to get his act together off the field, but on the field, though he has some undeniable elite ability, he's lacking fundamentally and with his consistency. He tends to take plays off, and rely too heavily on his natural athleticism, and he's been able to get away with it for the most part, at the college level. He's big, but could be a lot more physical with his jam at the line, as he simply lets receivers off the hook too frequently. He possesses naturally quick hips to turn and run, but often gets around later than he should as he seems to try and bait opposing QBs, which won't work as well at the next level when dealing with the accuracy and timing of NFL QBs and receivers. He's solid against the run and will offer immediate support there, and has really impressive read and react skills to balls thrown in front of him, but plays too far off at times to make a difference and break up the pass. Looking at Kirkpatrick, there's a lot to like. Big, fast, long, athletic corner who possesses the physicality to be a dominant press corner one day. He just hasn't quite put it all together. Will most probably be a first round pick, with a chance to go in the top half, but there's no doubt that he's not at the level of consistency of a Morris Claiborne or even a Janoris Jenkins just yet.
29	Mike Adams	OT	Ohio State	Mike Adams is another massive tackle with elite power. He's surprisingly agile laterally for a guy his size, and maintains good discipline technically when sliding in the passing game or sealing the edge as a run blocker. He's a bit heavy-footed straight ahead and doesn't always get to the 2nd level in time, but in a man-blocking scheme, he could really flourish on the right side. He's quick enough to play the blind side in my view, but considering how strong and powerful he is, teams will definitely look for him to man the strong side, at least initially in the NFL. He's a good athlete but not quite as nimble as Kalil, Reiff or Martin.
30	Andre Branch	DE	Clemson	Andre Branch may have been inconsistent as a pass rusher in 2011, but he showed improvement toward the latter part of the year as he developed a repetoire of moves and learned to play better through contact. He's the prototypical, long-armed end with a good natural burst off the snap to carve the edge. He's a bit light-framed and can get stood up from time to time so he has to continue to develop at keeping his pads low and feet churning, but he's beginning to realize his potential and could emerge as one of the better sack artists in the class. He's not a pure speed rusher, but the combination of an explosive first step and active, violent hands allow for various methods for getting to the QB and Branch is beginning to discover and develop those.
31	*Dwayne Allen	TE	Clemson	Dwayne Allen is this year's most complete tight end, though he may not wow you in any one area. He's thick and powerful to hold his own as a run blocker, either up on the line or even coming out of the backfield as a Fullback/H-Back. As a receiver, he is a disciplined route runner who can create separation with good acceleration out of his cuts, and secures the rock away from his body with big, soft hands. He's not going to stretch the middle of the field on pure speed, but his strong initial burst and ability to stay clean and balanced off the line allow him to get behind linebackers and find space as a mid-range target over the middle. He tracks the ball well vertically and displays good timing and body control to go up for the high one and snatch. He can be effective from the slot as well, and will give an NFL team a lot of options in terms of where to line him up. A bit of a throwback in a league where teams look for the WR/TE hybrids like Jimmy Graham or Kellen Winslow. For a team that builds around a power rushing attack and play-action, he'd be a great addition at Tight End.
32	*Dont'a Hightower	ILB	Alabama	Hightower has moved up my own board as I've progressed through the '11 tape and seen drastic improvement in his explosiveness. He's a run-stuffing machine with a massive frame and impressive quickness for his size. Where he has been inconsistent is in pass coverage, and in getting to the edges when asked to chase the outside run. But again, his responsiveness and first step improved over the course of the season, after coming back from an '09 ACL/MCL tear that many worried would hamper him permanently. Good instincts, diagnoses the run quickly and is adequate at covering the middle of the field when dropping back. The toughness and plus size/athleticism combo, to go with a high football IQ probably get him into the late first round.

*Indicates Underclassman