By Nolan Nawrocki
April 29, 2007

Now that teams have had a chance to regroup and figure out who is still available, the best players remaining in the draft will begin coming off.

Michael Bush slipped to the fourth round because of injury and work ethic concerns. If he can stay healthy in the pros, he could be a solid pick at this spot, but at this point, it would appear to be a big "if." The fact that his former coach Bobby Petrino passed on him, like Petrino did with Amobi Okoye in the first round, should say a lot, and it's a credit to Petrino.

The first punter comes off the board to Jacksonville in the fourth round, filling a need for the Jaguars with Maryland P Adam Podlesh. Many teams would take the stance that they would not draft a punter until the final round, if at all. Good ones can be found in free agency following the draft. But the importance of special teams should not be underestimated, and when a team loses the field-position battle as consistently as the Jaguars did — Chris Hanson was the worst in the league with a 33.4 net average — it's easy to see it made sense for the Jaguars to reach here.

Minnesota continues to have a great draft, landing Texas DE Brian Robison in the fourth round. He plays very hard, gets off the ball quickly and could challenge for playing time out of the gate.

Washington QB-WR Isaiah Stanback is very much like Brad Smith (Jets) and Michael Robinson (49ers), both drafted early in the fourth round last year, and he should be able to make an immediate impact as a receiver and possibly be groomed as a quarterback. The Cowboys are positioning themselves to capture the NFC East with the shrewd moves they are making. They have gotten better.

San Francisco's selection of DE Jay Moore in the fourth round was a very questionable selection, especially given his character, which has come into question in the week preceding the draft. He is not a great fit for a 3-4 front, and it would seem the Niners would have plans for him to line up at linebacker. They likely could have drafted him two rounds later. With all the other players available, this was a reach and I think it will turn out to be a bad pick.

Landing A.J. Davis in the fourth round is a solid value. Davis fits what the Lions do and could cover short zones. He is a bit of an underachiever and has some bust potential, but Rod Marinelli's tough style of coaching could benefit Davis.

The Lions would have been better off selecting Tanard Jackson, whom the Buccaneers wisely snatched with the next pick. Jackson is bigger than Davis, he has safety-corner versatility and he perfectly fits the Tampa-2 system that the Lions also employ.  

The Saints did not have a need at running back, but with Antonio Pittman sliding to the fourth round, Sean Payton clearly recognized the value in the pick and decided to make a strength a greater strength. Pittman can be brought along slowly and likely give the Saints another option on third downs.  

The Dolphins were considering Michigan DT Alan Branch in the first round, as they were Brady Quinn, but they clearly planned out their draft well in advance and likely did not see much as much difference between Branch and Paul Soliai, their pick here, and Quinn and John Beck, as they did between Ted Ginn and the next-best receiver. I think the Dolphins will turn out to be wrong. At his best, I think Beck is a backup. Soliai, although he flashes tremendous potential, did have some off-field concerns and underachiever tendencies that affected his value, and it could be difficult to get the most out of his ability. And I question whether Ginn will be able to stay healthy at 177 pounds. Overall, typical of many past Randy Mueller drafts, this one has classic boom-or-bust potential.

Atlanta landed one of the draft's more underrated talents in the fourth round. South Florida LB Stephen Nicholas did not get a lot of fanfare, but he was a very productive four-year starter who made a ton of plays from the strong side. He is versatile and could play on the weak side for the Falcons. I expect he will compete for a starting job and earn one sooner than later. Once he gets an opportunity, he won't look back and is the type of player who will entrench himself in the starting lineup. Great pick by the Falcons.

Cincinnati CB John Bowie can flat out fly. He is not a very disciplined player, but he can compensate for his lack of discipline with his tremendous speed. The Raiders likely could have drafted him in the sixth round, but the fourth round is when teams feel comfortable drafting height-weight-speed prospects. This is a classic Al Davis pick.

Buffalo, which was widely criticizing for reaching in last year's draft, wound up having one of the more productive drafts in the league, producing five starters. Marshawn Lynch and Paul Posluszny will start immediately, and Trent Edwards and Dwayne Wright will provide plenty of competition and depth. Wright is a zone runner who is well-suited for the Bills' blocking scheme. He could bring added versatility as a fullback and line up in the backfield with Lynch. He slipped to the fourth round because of his lack of straight-line speed, but he is quick, instinctive and could be a solid pro. However, with the holes the Bills have in the secondary, it is surprising they have ignored their need at cornerback, and it could cost them here that they decided to focus on the backfield instead of landing a corner.

The Steelers traded up to land the draft's most strong-legged punter, Baylor's Daniel Sepulveda. Chris Gardocki struggled with his accuracy and placement last year, landing fewer punts (11) inside the 20 than any other punter in the league. Sepulveda is a precision punter with a booming leg and should improve the Steelers' field position. He was clearly drafted to play now and can be penciled in as a starter.

The Jaguars reached here to draft Missouri DE Brian Smith, a classic tweener who does not have the bulk or strength to stay healthy in the pros. He is too straight-linish and does not have the change of direction to be effective as a linebacker. His value will have to come as a situational pass rusher.

The Bengals addressed their need at safety with a solid player in Marvin White. He is fast and physical and should make an immediate impact on special teams and eventually develop into a solid pro. If he were better able to handle coverage calls and were a more secure tackler, his value would have been higher.

To land North Carolina State C Leroy Harris in the fourth round was a steal for the Titans. The only question with him is durability. If he can stay healthy, he will be a 10-year starter in the pros.

It is no surprise that Zak DeOssie landed with the Giants. He had to be a favorite of the franchise, with his father having played there, and Tom Coughlin. He is big, physical and could eventually challenge for a starting job and instantly contribute on special teams, both as a long-snapper and as a coverage specialist.

The Lions like big, tough maulers, and Texas Tech OG Manuel Ramirez fits the profile. He's not a great fit for many teams and will struggle if he does not get his hands on defenders early and has to work inside a phone booth.

Carolina improved its special teams with Miami (Ohio)'s Ryne Robinson. He is a dynamic returner with top-notch intangibles and has been very productive throughout his career despite being very undersized. He is the type of player who will find a way to succeed at whatever he does. The Panthers may have been able to land him a round or two later, but if he contributes immediately on special teams, the pick could be justified.

Missouri Southern OT Allen Barbre is an athletic zone blocker well-suited for the Packers' blocking game. He could provide depth as a swing tackle and has developmental potential if he can get stronger.

Miami (Fla.) Baraka Atkins had first-day athletic ability and potential, but he is an underachiever who could lose his motivation easily and will need to be pushed hard to achieve. Seattle has a tough-minded, demanding defensive coaching staff that might be able to get the most out of him.

Denver, with the longest-tenured and most bulletproof head coach in the league, could get away with drafting a player with deep character questions like Florida DT Marcus Thomas. From a talent perspective, he was worth a first-day pick. Mike Shanahan likes to take chances on outcasts, as he did with Maurice Clarett, early on the second day, because he has a strong core of veteran leadership on the team who can keep players in line. However, they likely could have landed Thomas a round or two later and he is a big "if," and it's starting to look as if Shanahan is too stubborn.

Landing Doug Free in the fourth round is a great value for the Cowboys. If he could strengthen up, he could be a solid left tackle for years to come. He is mentally tough and will play through injuries, as he did most of his senior season, and it may have affected teams' evaluations of him more than it should have. The Cowboys seem to be concentrating on getting better in the trenches, and it could make all their skill talent look a little better.

Houston was considering cornerbacks in the first round but decided to go with value and take the top defensive player on their board. Coming back around in the fourth round and landing Fred Bennett was another strong value pick. He has size and natural cover skills and could contribute sooner than later. The Texans continue to get better through the draft.

If Georgia Tech OG Mansfield Wrotto turns out to be as good of a pro as his potential suggests, Mike Holmgren might be able to forgive Tim Ruskell for letting Steve Hutchinson get away and not being able to sign Kris Dielman in free agency. Wrotto played out of position at right tackle as a senior, but he is big, strong and physical and has a world of potential inside.

The Saints landed an immediate starter in Jahri Evans last year and might have found another small-school sleeper in Towson OT Jermon Bushrod at this spot. He is a developmental prospect with good feet and pass-pro potential and might be able to challenge for time quickly.

Washington S Dashon Goldson, who lined up at cornerback at times for the Huskies, has the ability to develop into a solid coverage safety and good special-teams coverage defender. With the Niners acquiring Michael Lewis and Nate Clements in free agency, Goldson should be allowed time to develop.

Miami (Fla.) DT Kareem Brown has the size and strength to man two gaps and fits what the Patriots do well. He has been a bit of an underachiever throughout his career, but the Patriots have one of the best groups of fundamental teachers in the league, if not the best, and Brown should benefit by landing in New England.

The Titans are doing a very solid job on the second day of the draft, landing Leroy Harris earlier and now Florida State WR Chris Davis. Davis is a good, competitive football player with return ability and could be a surprise as a rookie with the lack of depth on the Titans' roster at the position. The best value for receivers is on the second day, and I like the Titans' approach.

Iowa TE Scott Chandler is not a great blocker and may never be with his linear, WR build, but he could contribute in multiple-TE packages as a pass catcher for the Chargers and will give effort as a blocker.

The Bears, who were eyeing Ben Grubbs in the first round, were able to come back around in the fourth and grab a Jerry Angelo favorite, Boston College OL Josh Beekman. Beekman is on the short side and is not a great athlete, which is why he belonged in the fourth round, but he is tough and very functional in a phone booth.

Troy S Brannon Condren is a Bill Polian type of player. He is a self-made former walk-on similar to Matt Giordano, whom the Colts drafted in a similar spot two years ago. Condren is very tough and could contribute on special teams immediately.

Oklahoma State DE Ryan McBean is a developmental base end well-suited for a 3-4 front. If he can learn to play every down with a greater sense of urgency, he could be a solid pro.

Georgia TE Martrez Milner is a very inconsistent pass catcher who surprisingly caught every ball thrown to him at his pro day. If he can continue to work on his hands and become more consistent under pressure in game situations, he could become a solid option alongside Alge Crumpler for the Falcons.

Florida International DE Antwan Barnes projects to linebacker for the Ravens. He is still raw and has not learned how to use his outstanding speed, but if he learns to put it all together, he could be very good.

Florida DT Joe Cohen is versatile, having lined up at end and tackle, and will do whatever he is asked. He plays with leverage and can factor into a rotation as a rookie for the Niners after they let Anthony Adams walk in free agency.

Pittsburgh OLB Clint Session measured at less than 5-foot-10 at the Combine, but the Colts have never been concerned with a player's height. Session is a good college football player with fine instincts and enters a scheme that could give him a chance to be successful. At the least, he could be a factor on special teams.

With Ovie Mughelli having departed in free agency, the Ravens landed a powerful workhorse in Alabama FB Le'Ron McClain, who can clear some holes for Willis McGahee, with the final pick of the fourth round. McClain has good hands and could also be a factor in short-yardage situations. He is the top pure fullback in the draft, and to land him in the fourth round was a solid value.

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