Brohm, Jenkins should be first-rounders

By Darrell Laurant  |   Friday, April 25, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The Top 20 Big East NFL draft prospects:

1. BRIAN BROHM, QB, LOUISVILLE. 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. Threw for 4,024 yards in his senior season -- and, perhaps just as importantly, was relatively injury free. Brohm is smart, tough, poised and has a more than adequate arm. Look for him to go somewhere in the late first round.

2. MIKE JENKINS, CB, SOUTH FLORIDA. Big (5-10, 197) and fast (4.40), half of a killer pair of cornerbacks (along with Trae Williams) in '07. Perhaps the best pass defender in the draft. He should be picked in the first round.

3. JEFF OTAH, OT, PITT. A huge (6-5, 323) physical specimen who is valued for having the proverbial "upside." Didn't start playing football until his senior year in high school, has quick feet from playing basketball and imposing brute strength. Projection: First or second round.

4. RAY RICE, RB, RUTGERS. Performed well at the NFL combine, flashed more speed (4.40) than he was generally given credit for. He was enormously productive as a Scarlet Knight, including 2,012 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns last season. Can also catch the ball out of the backfield (25 receptions in '07). Given his relatively small size (5-8, 199), he could slip out of the first round and into the second or third. That lack of size, however, is offset by his raw strength and chiseled frame.

5. TYVON BRANCH, CB, CONNECTICUT. Reeled off the second-fastest time (4.31) at the combine. That, coupled with his size (6-0, 204), has NFL teams intrigued. There are a few technique issues with Branch, but many scouts feel his physical attributes trump those. Projection: Second round.

6. JEREMY ZUTTAH, OL, RUTGERS. One of the most athletic linemen at the combine, he posted one of the top 40 times (4.93) among the big guys and was second in bench-press reps to Michigan's Jake Long, the No.1 pick in the draft. Rutgers had a 2,000-yard rusher, 3,000-yard passer and two 1,000-yard receivers last season -- somebody must have been moving opposing bodies out of the way. Projection: Second round.

7. STEVE SLATON, RB, WEST VIRGINIA. The featured back for the Mountaineers his first three seasons, Slaton may find his role changing in the pros. Some teams are looking at him as a wide receiver, others primarily as a third-down back or return man. Slaton runs a 4.4 and is very explosive in the open field, but his durability and ability to break tackles have been questioned. Projection: Third round.

8. MIKE McGLYNN, OL, PITT. John Madden would like this guy. A weight-room warrior and fierce competitor, the 6-4, 311-pounder has been described as a "meat and potatoes" type who could enjoy a long NFL career. Projection: Third or fourth round.

9. GARY BARNIDGE, TE, LOUISVILLE. Tight ends are always in short supply, and the 6-5, 243-pound Barnidge makes an enticing target. A few more pounds would make him a better blocker, but he finished in the top 10 in seven Combine events for his position, and can also function as a long snapper. Projection: Fourth round.

10. TRAE WILLIAMS, CB, SOUTH FLORIDA. Has suffered a bit in comparison to his fellow Bulls cornerback, Jenkins, and is a tick slower afoot. Still, how can you not like a DB who has picked off 13 passes over the past two years and ran three of them back for touchdowns in 2007? Projection: Fourth round.

11. HARRY DOUGLAS, WR, LOUISVILLE. Although this is not a great draft for wide receivers, Douglas has been ranked anywhere from 12th to 20th. He has some speed (4.5), but his 5-11, 176-pound frame does not bode well for escaping the savage jams of NFL defenders. Douglas knows how to get open once he's into the clear, though, and can also return kicks. Projection: Fourth or fifth round.

12. OWEN SCHMITT, FB, WEST VIRGINIA. He's down this low simply because of his position, but Schmitt is a prototype NFL fullback -- enormously strong, tough-minded, good hands out of the backfield. One of the reasons Pat White, Steve Slaton and Noel Devine reeled off so many long runs was the 247-pound Schmitt's ferocity at the point of attack. Projection: Fourth or fifth round.

13. BRENO GIACOMINI, OL, LOUISVILLE. The key word here is "potential." Recruited as a tight end, Giacomini grew out of that position and into an offensive tackle spot. He did this while maintaining much of his mobility, however, and the pros think he can get even bigger than his current 6-7, 303 pounds. Projection: Fourth or fifth round.

14. JAMEEL McCLAIN, DE, SYRACUSE. A force on the defensive line as a junior, he slipped last season from nine sacks to 1.5, thanks in part to constant double-teaming. He's a fearsome edge rusher a la Dwight Freeney (albeit a few steps slower), and will probably be a third-down specialist in the NFL. The problem is, he's not big enough at 6-0, 249 for the defensive line and not nimble enough to play linebacker. Nevertheless, good pass rushers are hard to find. Projection: Fifth round.

15. PEDRO SOSA, OL, RUTGERS. Didn't come off as well as linemate Zuttah at the combine or on pro day, but is still a versatile "big" who is solid at pass protection. Projection: Fifth or sixth round.

16. MARIO URRUTIA, WR, LOUISVILLE. His rather pedestrian 40 time at the combine (4.67) will hurt him on draft weekend. He's a rangy target (6-5, 232), however, has good leaping ability, and could even be bulked up into a tight end. Projection: Fifth or sixth round.

17. DARIUS REYNAUD, WR, WEST VIRGINIA. Built more like a running back (5-9, 201) than a receiver, Reynaud has explosive speed and was an underrated part of the Mountaineers' potent offense last season. Will probably begin his NFL career as a return man. Projection: Fifth or sixth round.

18. DONALD THOMAS, OG, CONNECTICUT. Primarily a basketball player in high school, Thomas -- like Otah and Giacomini -- is a project, but a promising one. He ran the fastest 40 time of any guard at the combine and is quick-footed and aggressive. Projection: Sixth or seventh round.

19. ANGELO CRAIG, DE, CINCINNATI. One of those "motor never stops running" guys, but a bit light at 252. Odds are he'll be moved to linebacker. Projection: Sixth or seventh round.

20. ART CARMODY, PK, LOUISVILLE. The all-time leading placekicking scorer in NCAA history -- which sounds impressive, but much of that was a function of the prolific Louisville offense. Carmody is deadly accurate and cool under pressure, but his leg strength is somewhat suspect.





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