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This is the sixth in a series of eight articles for this Web site, in which we're presenting excerpts from “the bible of the draft,” our 2008 Draft Preview book, which is on now sale at the PFW store. Each of the remaining articles in the series will be posted daily, through April 10. Please note that the top five players at each position are listed in the order in which they were ranked in the pre-draft issue of our print edition, published March 31.
E-mail your draft questions to Nolan Nawrocki at ASKquestions@pfwmedia.com. He'll be answering selected questions on this Web site every Wednesday preceding the draft.
1. DT Glenn Dorsey
(6-1½, 297, 5.13) LSU
Notes: Parade All-American as a prep and the Louisiana Class 4A Defensive Player of the Year. Started 3-of-12 games as a true freshman in 2004 and finished with 18 tackles and four tackles for loss. In ’05, played in all 13 games, starting one, and tallied 28 tackles, four for loss and three sacks in a rotation with St. Louis Rams ’06 third-round pick Claude Wroten and Buffalo Bills ’06 fifth-round pick Kyle Williams. Started all 13 games in ’06 at both left (four) and right (nine) defensive tackle despite a stress fracture in his right tibia and racked up 42-8½-3. Did not participate in ’07 spring practice while recovering from the stress fracture and had to wear a bone stimulator extensively to heal the injury. Started all 14 games in the fall, but suffered a severe right knee sprain as the result of an illegal chop block vs. Auburn. Played the remainder of the season with a brace on the right knee, and aggravated the injury vs. Alabama. Also played through a bruised tailbone and missed most of the Ole Miss contest with a sore lower back. Finished with 69-12½-7, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. Won the Bronko Nagurski (best defensive player), Outland (best interior lineman) and Lott (best character and athletics) trophies and the Lombardi Award (best lineman or linebacker).
Positives: Plays with outstanding effort and energy and dominates against the run. Shows exceptional agility, balance in traffic and lateral chase speed. Shows great in-game perseverance, effort and intensity and battled courageously through injuries without concern for his long-term health or draft stock. Has a good bubble and is stout at the line of scrimmage and is not easily moved. Tough to block — moves his feet incredibly well, plays with great leverage and controls blockers. Can anchor against and split the double-team. Shows great quickness and anticipation and can also overpower defenders at the snap. Strong wrap tackler. Very active hands and is tough to engage. Shows pass-rush ability and will rip under and spin off blocks to penetrate. Excellent character with a team-first attitude. Leads by example — plays with a warrior’s mentality and has a high tolerance for pain. Very mentally and physically tough. Excellent work ethic. Elevates the play of his teammates.
Negatives: Is short and not a great pass rusher from the inside. Plagued by leg injuries — a sprained knee as a senior and a stress fracture in right leg as a junior and wore metal braces to correct bowleggedness as a child. Did not attend the Senior Bowl or test at the Combine, raising concerns about past injuries. Too naive and could be blinded by the bright lights in a big city.
Summary: A ball of relentless energy and power off the snap, Dorsey often overwhelms blockers with his feet and marvelous agility. Physical talents aside, he possesses outstanding intangibles — passion, toughness, determination and on-field leadership, and makes everyone around him better. Durability is a consideration that could affect his longevity and draft status, but he has shown he will battle through any injury.
2. DRE-OLB Vernon Gholston (junior)
(6-3, 266, 4.67) Ohio State
Notes: Switched from linebacker to defensive end when he arrived on campus as a true freshman in 2004 and made appearances in six games as a reserve at the position. Was fighting for a starting job in ’05 until he broke his left hand in the season opener and redshirted the season. Started all 13 games in ’06, amassing 49 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 7½ sacks with one interception. Started 12-of-13 games in which he played in ’07, giving way to a three-man front and nickel defense to open vs. Purdue. Finished with 37-15½-14 and one forced fumble en route to Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year honors.
Positives: Layered with muscle and built like a Greek god. A special blend of power and speed. Very quick-twitched. Easily the strongest player pound-for-pound at the Combine. Plays with a low pad level and good leverage — can get under and walk blockers into the backfield. Has very long arms and is difficult for blockers to engage. Can get up the field before he is even touched. Can easily turn the corner. Can transfer speed into power and blast through and beat the double-team. Changes direction, redirects and is adept in coverage. Can dominate better competition and rise to the occasion (see Michigan and Wisconsin games). Shows good awareness in zone drops and sinks under route. Very productive. Lit up the Combine, tying Michigan’s Jake Long for the most bench-press reps.
Negatives: Unrefined talent. Lacks game-to-game consistency and does not always play hard. Does not have great instincts or a fiery on-field demeanor. Shows some tightness in his hips. Motor does not always run. Can be too aggressive in collapsing down on play-action fakes and give up contain. Could be more consistently strong and play with better leverage vs. the run. Does not have great football intelligence and takes some time to process what he sees. Showed some tightness in his movement in LB drills at the Combine.
Summary: Over the past two seasons, Gholston dominated Big Ten play and produced more sacks than anyone in the country, overpowering even Jake Long. A rare combination of strength, power and speed, he shows excellent twitch and can explode off the edge when he wants to. Might turn off some coaches with his quiet, cerebral demeanor but is coachable and has all the physical ability to be molded into an elite pass rusher. Like too many supremely talented pass rushers, his motor does not always go, but most of his flaws are correctable. With good coaching and more consistent intensity, he could be a perennial Pro Bowler and one of the most dominant players in the game. Oozing with upside, he could fit as a 3-4 rush linebacker or a 4-3 right defensive end and will command double-teams.
3. DE-OLB Chris Long
(6-3, 272, 4.81) Virginia
Notes: Father, Howie, amassed 84 career sacks, eight Pro Bowl berths and four All-AFC selections as a Hall of Fame defensive end with the Oakland Raiders (1981-93) and was a member of the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1980s. Chris was named Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year as a high school senior. Also lettered in lacrosse, baseball and basketball, winning the 2003 YMCA Slam Dunk contest for high school students. Appeared in five games as a true freshman in ’04, missing five contests with mononucleosis, and logged five tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack. Started all 12 games in ’05 as a defensive end in a 3-4 scheme, tallying 46-10-2, seven pass breakups and 26 quarterback hurries. In ’06, started all 12 games and registered 57-12-4 and 21 QB hurries. Voted team captain and started all 13 games in ’07, finishing with 75-19-14, adding seven batted balls, one interception and a blocked kick. Named Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Positives: Outstanding hand use — is very noticeably well-coached and uses his hands and feet together in unison to set up moves extremely well. Can rip, tug, crack and slap. Tremendous technician — pass-rush moves are executed to near perfection. Understands how to counter his blocker and attacks with variety and at different angles. Excellent motor, instincts and energy. Explodes out of his stance with a low pad level and has a very quick first step. Comes off the edge like a bull and can power his way into the backfield. Athletic enough to drop in coverage. Can bring heat off the edge when turned loose and not playing in the crouched anchor position that he often uses. Athletic and very effective shooting through the gap on slants. Strong, physical tackler. Very impressive leverage and body strength to anchor vs. the run. Incredibly strong — can power through the double-team. Plays with power and can control blockers. Very physically and mentally tough. Absolutely relentless at the line and in pursuit. A leader. Outstanding intangibles. Great versatility.
Negatives: Showed he could be contained vs. top competition. Got knocked around by Pittsburgh’s Jeff Otah and can be outmatched by top size. Does not have elite edge speed.
Summary: Tremendous leader and football player who could never allow himself not to be great. Will get nitpicked from an athleticism standpoint and criticized for having little upside, but he more than compensates for any “shortcomings” with unparalleled effort, tenacity and a precise, well-honed technique. Understands how to win his battles and is prepared for every test. A winner.
4. NT Sedrick Ellis
(6-0½, 309, 5.31) USC
Notes: Played one game as a true freshman in 2003 before suffering a fractured left ankle and redshirting. Appeared in 11 games in ’04 and totaled two tackles. Started all 13 games in ’05, tallying 50 tackles, eight tackles for loss and 4½ sacks and added one forced fumble. Started all 10 games in which he played in ’06, missing three early-season contests with torn right knee cartilage that required arthroscopic surgery. Totaled 34-8-4½ with three pass breakups, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and a blocked field goal. Awarded the Morris Trophy as the best defensive lineman in the league as voted by the league’s offensive linemen. Started all 13 games in ’07, compiling 58-12½-8½ with seven batted balls and two fumble recoveries. Named the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year.
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USC NT Sedrick Ellis
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Positives: Built like a tank with broad shoulders and a powerful base. Possesses great functional strength and owns the line of scrimmage. A rock at the point of attack. Flashes the ability to toss blockers aside. Plays with natural leverage and can collapse the pocket. Consistently makes his presence felt by penetrating the backfield. Shows a variety of pass-rush moves. Very quick-handed to slap away defenders’ hands. Plays with great leverage off the ball and gets under blockers. Shows the core strength to man two gaps and split the double-team. Aggressive chasing laterally vs. the run. Very instinctive — quick to diagnose and locate the ball and can gain an advantage at the snap. Great body control and balance. Has strong hands and shows the ability to control blockers. Well-respected team leader.
Negatives: Lacks great height. Will play tall vs. the double-team. Does not have great change of direction and closing speed and will lose battles vs. the ballcarrier in confined spaces. Will give up his body at times and does not always play square. Does not have the frame to add much more weight or bulk. Weight has fluctuated. Can be too reliant on strength and will lean on muscle over technique. Can be overaggressive shooting gaps and take himself out of plays. Does not show a lot of violence in his hands. Has been dinged up and has missed some time with injuries.
Summary: Chose to participate in the Senior Bowl and put on a show. Easily the most dominant player at Senior Bowl practices and punctuated the week with a stellar game. Fits best as a nose tackle in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense. A top-15 pick.
5. DE Derrick Harvey (junior)
(6-4⅝, 271, 4.86) Florida
Notes: Named Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year and USA Today second-team All-American after racking up 150 tackles, a state-record 31 sacks and five forced fumbles as a high school senior, this after playing football for the first time as a junior. Also lettered in basketball. Redshirted in 2004. Appeared in nine games as a reserve in ’05 and notched seven tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack. Started only 5-of-14 games in ’06 in a rotation with Steven Harris and 49ers’ ’07 third-round pick Ray McDonald, yet compiled 35-13-11 and three fumble recoveries, highlighted by three sacks and a Defensive MVP selection in the national championship game vs. Ohio State. Started all 13 games in ’07 and racked up 49-17-8½, five batted balls and one forced fumble.
Positives: Very good athletic ability with quick feet, balance and bend to dip underneath blockers and penetrate. Outstanding take-off quickness. Can run, accelerate upfield and close on the quarterback. Shows good strength in his hands and outleverages bigger blockers (see Michigan game). Good balance and coordination to fight through trash and stay on his feet. Can squeeze the edge and contain vs. the outside run. Has good closing burst and ability to trim the edge. Plays with intensity.
Negatives: Could do a better job of keeping his shoulders square against the run. Lacks great anchor strength and can be neutralized when he is aligned head-up. Exposes his chest and struggles some to disengage. Didn’t have great sack production. Has little experience moving in reverse. Bulked up and appeared to lose a half-step at the Combine.
Summary: Appeared too straight-linish in LB drills at the Combine to transition easily to the OLB spot in a 3-4 defense, but could bring value as a pass rusher from either side. Best fit will come on the left side in a 4-3 defense, where he has shown he can set the edge and overpower strong right tackles.
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2008 Draft Preview
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If you would like to read more about the players who are about to enter the April 26-27 NFL draft, Pro Football Weekly has two publications that will fit the bill — the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide.
The 200-page 2008 Draft Preview book, which sells for $19.95, contains detailed scouting reports on nearly 500 prospects with each player's height, weight, 40-time, positives and negatives. You'll also get our rankings of more than 900 draft prospects and a breakdown of each NFL team's needs, by position. Written by PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki and the editors of PFW, the Draft Preview book is widely recognized as the "bible of the draft." Books are now ready to be shipped.
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2008 Draft Guide
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Meanwhile, hot off the presses, the 2008 Draft Guide is a 152-page magazine that sells for $6.99, showcasing feature stories on Arkansas RB Darren McFadden and the secret to drafting success, a sleeper watch, a fantasy forecast and more. In addition, you'll find scouting reports on more than 350 players, draft previews for all 32 teams (including each club's top five areas of need and a "hot list" of prospects who fit the team's schemes) and rankings of the prospects by position.
The 2008 Draft Guide is available now at newsstands and bookstores throughout the country. Both of the above publications can be ordered now from the PFW store. You will receive a discount if you purchase both the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide magazine from the PFW store with our Combo-Pack offer.
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