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This is the seventh 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. The final article in the series will be posted Thursday. 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. WLB Keith Rivers
(6-2¼, 241, 4.61) USC
Notes: Named Parade All-American as a prep. Appeared in all 13 games at weak-side linebacker as a true freshman in 2004 and notched 25 tackles and three tackles for loss with one pass breakup and one interception. Started 11-of-13 games at weak-side linebacker in ’05, missing two contests with a hamstring strain, and totaled 52-3 and one sack with one interception and a pair of fumble recoveries. Started all 13 games in ’06, registering 85-7½-2 with two pass breakups, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Started all 12 games in which he played in ’07, missing the Arizona State game with a sprained left ankle suffered at California. Totaled 78-5-0 with four pass breakups, a team-high three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Did not work out at the Combine after having his right ankle scoped.
Positives: Looks like he has been sculpted out of granite and had the most impressive physique of any player at the Senior Bowl. Good arm length. Has the speed to consistently reach the perimeter, and once he zeroes in on a target, he will pop and run through ballcarriers. Plays downhill and will strike. Flashes big-hitting capability. Instinctive. Very quick to read screens and draws and attacks downhill with the proper shoulder. Covers a lot of ground and flies to the ball. Stays on his feet through traffic. Solid wrap tackler. Shows great awareness in coverage and is athletic enough to line up in the slot. Shows the speed to carry tight ends up the seam and cover backs. Versatile and has played all three LB positions. Has lined up with his hand on the ground and shows some pass-rush ability. Plays through injuries. Elusive blitzer. Hardworking. Solid character. Great intangibles. Has a passion for the game. Vocal team leader. Very good on special teams.
Negatives: Is a bit tight, and his stiffness shows up when he tries to transition. Not smooth changing direction. Plays a bit too recklessly, will overrun the ball and miss some tackles in space. Lacks great strength at the point of attack and can be driven back four yards when he gets engulfed. Takes some questionable angles and opens up cut-back lanes. Did not have great production.
Summary: Is capable of lining up at all three LB positions but is most naturally suited to play on the weak side. He was not at full health as a senior and played through an ankle injury that impeded his quickness, but he has the toughness, football intelligence, leadership ability and work habits to develop into a very good pro.
2. MLB Curtis Lofton (junior)
(6-0, 246, 4.83) Oklahoma
Notes: Also played fullback as a prep in Oklahoma, where he helped his high school team win the state championship in 2003. Parade first-team All-American in ’04. Played in 11 games in ’05, mostly on special teams with spot duty at middle linebacker. Finished with three tackles and one tackle for loss. Started 4-of-13 games in ’06, tallying 37-4 1/2 along with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in the Fiesta Bowl. Ranked second on the team with 10 special-teams tackles. Started all 14 games in ’07 at strong-side (10) and middle (four) linebacker, finishing with 157-10 1/2 and one sack plus four forced fumbles, one fumble recovered, five pass breakups and three interceptions. Has sickle cell trait disease and needed to take IVs at halftime of games.
Positives: Plays faster than timed speed. Has a very compact, square-cut build. Flies around with reckless abandon. Plays downhill and fills gaps fast. Strong, drive-through tackler. Has good instincts and a knack for being around the ball. Plays with intensity and elevates the play of his teammates. Very competitive. Plays with good pad level and leverage. Keeps his shoulders squared, shuffles down the line and drives hard to the ball. Hits on the rise with good coil in his legs. Very reliable open-field tackler. Has a nose for the football and sniffs out the run exceptionally well. Sifts through traffic. Takes great angles. Shows awareness in zone coverage and plays alert. Can run with backs. Very productive and makes plays all over the field. Brings special-teams coverage value.
Negatives: Lacks ideal height. Is tight-hipped and will veer rather than sink his hips to change direction. Lacks great acceleration and top-end speed and can be late to transition in lateral chase pursuit. Marginal blitzer — does not use his hands well, exposes his chest and allows blockers to engulf him too easily. Too naive and could be blinded by the bright lights of a big city.
Summary: Clocked slower than expected at the Combine, and durability issues could affect his draft status. However, he has great competitive speed, reads and reacts quickly and plays faster than he times. He personifies what it means to be a football player — not an athlete in pads — and simply gets the job done. He could step in from Day One and make an impact.
3. LB Dan Connor
(6-2 3/8, 231, 4.71) Penn State
Notes: Dad was a high school football coach. Named Parade and USA Today All-American and Big School Player of the Year by The Associated Press as a prep linebacker. As a running back, he rushed for 4,556 career yards and 77 touchdowns. Also lettered in basketball and track and field, competing in the high jump, javelin, discus and shotput. Graduated from high school early and enrolled at Penn State in the spring of his senior year. Started 4-of-11 games at outside linebacker as a true freshman in 2004, replacing an injured Tim Shaw and racking up 85 tackles, 4½ tackles for loss and one sack. Started the final 6-of-9 games in which he played at outside linebacker in ’05 after being suspended the first three games of the season for making crank phone calls to former Penn State assistant Joe Sarra. Finished the season with 76-5½-1½ with eight pass breakups and one fumble returned 18 yards for a TD against Illinois. Started all 13 games at outside linebacker in ’06 despite breaking a bone in his left hand prior to the Wisconsin game and amassed 113-9-5 with two interceptions and three forced fumbles. Replaced Buffalo Bills second-round pick Paul Posluszny at middle linebacker in ’07. Played in all 13 games, starting 12, as a senior, and he paced the team with 145-15-6½ and an interception. Won the Chuck Bednarik Award as college football’s defensive player of the year. Was ill at the Combine and did not work out.
Positives: Very good nose for the football — does a nice job of diagnosing screens and draws. Downhill, physical tackler. Good striker. Plays smart and understands the game. Always around the ball. Uses his hands well to jam receivers. Plays with intensity and gives good effort and chases in pursuit. Shows good awareness in zones, keeps his head on a swivel, sees underneath crossers and reacts quickly to the thrown ball. Very hardworking and competitive. Team captain. Vocal leader. Superproductive — finished his career as Penn State’s all-time leading tackler. Is versatile.
Negatives: Lacks bulk and is not very big-framed. Not a great athlete and lacks the foot speed and short-area burst to reach the perimeter consistently. Shows some tightness in his movement. Lacks great size and strength and can be late to disengage and shed blocks. Could do a better job of timing up the blitz, making himself small and hitting gaps. Mischievousness has gotten him into some trouble off the field, and he could stand to mature.
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Tennessee LB Jerod Mayo (left)
and Penn State LB Dan Connor
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Summary: Will be downgraded for his lack of bulk and athleticism but seamlessly kicked inside as a senior to replace Posluszny. He answered any questions regarding his ability to make plays and attack the football with an impressive Senior Bowl outing. Does a nice job of filtering through traffic and taking on blocks, but his lack of girth could keep him outside.
4. WLB Jerod Mayo (junior)
(6-1¼, 242, 4.58) Tennessee
Notes: Three-year starter at both LB and RB positions as a prep in Virginia. Redshirted in 2004. Was arrested in April ’05 and charged with felony aggravated assault after being accused of hitting a UT student in a fight that broke out at a party on campus. Denied involvement in the incident and was supported adamantly by head coach Phillip Fulmer. The charges against Mayo were dropped in August ’05 after the witness who had claimed to see Mayo hit the student failed to show up in court. Played in six games in ’05, starting one at weak-side linebacker, and made 13 tackles. Missed the Mississippi game with a knee injury, returned for two games, then missed the final four games with the knee injury. Started 11-of-12 games in which he played in ’06, finishing with 83 tackles, 12½ tackles for loss and five sacks with one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. Left the Vanderbilt game late in the season with a knee injury and returned in a reserve role for the Outback Bowl. Started all 14 games in ’07 at middle (13) and weak-side (one) linebacker, tallying 140-8½-1½ with one forced fumble, three pass breakups and one interception. Lined up at his more natural weak-side position for the bowl game. Did not lift at the Combine because of a left pectoral strain.
Positives: Has a solid build with good upper-body strength. Plays with power. Shows good speed to get to the outside and has good movement skills. Filters through traffic and runs to the ball. Will step up to take on the lead. Can propel his body and hit with some thump. Versatile and has played inside and outside. Very good production.
Negatives: Has a thin lower body. Instincts are off. Shows no burst in pursuit and can lose the corner. Does not play with core strength — gets knocked off balance by minimal contact. Consistently bites on play-action and gets fooled by misdirection. Too straight-linish. Susceptible in pass coverage and often is taken out in nickel situations. Drag-down tackler who always looks to tackle low. Does not give great effort in backside pursuit. Too often gets walled off and sealed and is late to get off blocks. Overpursues, takes bad angles, comes underneath blocks and opens up cut-back lanes. Tight-hipped. Can be sidestepped and juked in the open field. Marginal blitzer — struggles to dip, bend and take an edge. Limited range in coverage. Has had multiple knee injuries. Character needs to be evaluated.
Summary: Ran well in a straight line at the Combine but does not play up to his speed. He lacks the take-on strength to excel in the middle and looked most comfortable on the weak side in the Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin. Played his best late in the year when he began to recover fully from his surgically repaired knee injury.
5. LB-DRE Cliff Avril
(6-2 7/8, 253, 4.62) Purdue
Notes: Also lettered in basketball and track in high school. Started 4-of-12 games at strong-side linebacker as a true freshman in 2004 and tallied 36 tackles, three tackles for loss and one-half sack and added one forced fumble. Started 4-of-10 games at strong-side linebacker in ’05, missing the Wisconsin contest with a lower back fracture. Finished with 33-2½-0. Missed much of the ’06 spring practice in order to rest the back injury. In ’06, started all 14 games — four at strong-side linebacker and 10 at weak-side defensive end opposite Anthony Spencer — registering 84-15-6 with six pass breakups, one interception and two forced fumbles. Started all 13 games in ’07 at strong-side defensive end, totaling 41-15-6½ to go with four forced fumbles, three recovered fumbles and an interception.
Positives: Versatile — has experience playing with a hand down, as well as standing up at linebacker. Shows some natural pass-rush ability. Disciplined — maintains backside responsibilities. Good size with very long arms (34 5/8 inches) and good body length. Impressive lateral range and long speed. Good competitor. Plays with a lot of energy and plays hard. Had a good Senior Bowl week, showed great agility in linebacker drills at the Combine and looked as athletic as any rush linebacker when dropping and moving around.
Negatives: Does not show the burst to win off the snap or turn the corner. Plays too short-armed and tries to shoulder past blockers. Struggles to disengage. Disappears too much. Lacks mass to anchor and hold his ground. Does not have quick feet and is an easy target for blockers to engage. Can be engulfed and struggles with size. Does not play with awareness or sense plays developing.
Summary: Played out of position in college at strong-side defensive end and was continually overmatched and outmuscled. Developed a reputation as a 1-for-4 hitter, disappearing every three snaps, and was most effective when he lined up at strong-side linebacker as a junior. Outstanding showing standing up at the Combine, and long lineage of successful Purdue rush linebackers should enhance his value for an aggressive, blitzing 3-4 defense used by a team like the Ravens, Niners or Steelers. Could fit as an inside ’backer in a traditional 3-4 defense like the Patriots’, but his best fit might be as an open-side end in an aggressive 4-3 front.
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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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