Should the Bears draft Andre Smith? That’s what Kevin Allen of the Chicago Sun Times is wondering after the offensive tackle’s recent slide down draft boards. Smith is arguably the top talent in the draft, he’s just made too many mistakes to be drafted in the top ten.

Could QBs take an Aaron Rodgers type tumble? It’s something I’ve mentioned in previous posts, although I’m not all too sure it will happen.  Cliftin Brown of the Sporting News thinks both Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez have a reason to be worried.

Ranking the Running Backs: Who is the top running back in this year’s NFL Draft? I’ve stated in the past that I think it’s Georgia’s Knowshon Moreno and it appears King5’s Evan Silva agrees with me.

What if the Lions Don’t take Matthew Stafford? Once again here’s another possible look at a slide for Stafford that could send him flying towards the middle of round one. If this happens it will severly affect his bank account.

Curry ran a 4.56 40 yard dash and recorded a 37″ vertical leap, which were both tops among linebackers. Curry could even sneak into the #1 overall picture overall and give the Detroit Lions something to think about. If he doesn’t go there then chances are St. Louis and Kansas City aren’t going to let him drop too far.

Curry is taking advantage of what he’s got going for him now, especially after he told this story about what happened to him two years ago:

“I came home from college and my mom was telling me we were being evicted and we didn’t have anywhere to stay,” said Curry. “At that point, we didn’t have the funds to get into another house. Those are the moments you think about in the fourth quarter when there’s a play that needs to be made and you have the opportunity to provide for your family for the rest of their lives.”

Curry was the overall winner of the NFL Draft combine. He steadied his stock and improved it in a lot of ways, assuring himself of a mammoth contract in April.

Matter of fact, in SI.com’s Don Banks latest mock draft Curry is slotted to go #1 overall to the Lions. Before the NFL combine that wasn’t very likely.

]]> http://nflmocks.com/2009/02/27/aaron-curry-a-sure-top-five-pick-after-combine/feed/ 1 http://nflmocks.com/2009/02/24/michael-crabtrees-decision-puzzling-to-some/ http://nflmocks.com/2009/02/24/michael-crabtrees-decision-puzzling-to-some/#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:32:15 +0000 nflmocks http://nflmocks.com/?p=1009

Michael Crabtee (NFLDraftDog.com)

Michael Crabtree has decided to wait until after his personal NFL tryout to have surgery on a stress fracture on his left foot. Or at least that was his intial decision, which he appears to now be re-thinking.

The former Texas Tech wide receiver’s first plan was to run his 40 yard dash for NFL scouts before having the surgery.  To some, like ESPN’s Todd McShay that made no sense. Crabtree has two seasons of excellent video tape already assembled, meaning he doesn’t really need an impressive 40 yard dash time to raise his draft status.

In all honesty an unimpressive effort looks like the only thing that can really affect Crabtree’s NFL Draft stock right now. To some scouts the news of his stress fracture likely has added to his already stat filled college career. It’s pretty incredible that a guy can put up the kind of numbers Crabtree did while playing with a stress fracture.

What should Crabtree do? Run? Or have the surgery and depend on his college stats and highlights to propel him into the top ten?

Let’s hope that doesn’t happen.

Matthew Stafford, the strong armed QB from Georgia, appears to be the frontrunner (if there is one). If his statement on the Dan Patrick show didn’t win over Lions fans then nothing will. This article has the whole story but here’s the quote:

“I think in the end that’s a heck of an honor, and that’s something I’d definitely love to be able to associate that with my name and maybe turn that franchise around,” he said.

“I’d love to be a part of something like that. I’m a competitive guy and love a challenge, and that would definitely be a fun situation for me.”

To sum up his comments Stafford said that he’d love the challenge of turning around a franchise that just went 0-16. Most people would see that as a bad thing, you know, going to a franchise that just went winless. Not Stafford. It’s just a chance to see what he’s really got. I love it personally. I broke down Stafford’s NFL readiness a few days ago.

Remember Kevin Ferguson here on Fansided covers the Lions year around on his SideLion Report site.  I will have more on the Lions as well as the other 31 NFL teams soon, along with a new NFL Mock Draft.

Stay tuned.

Leadership: 9
Stafford likes to put his team on his shoulders, and he likes to make big plays. The problem is that his big play mentality also helps out the defense because a lot of times it fails.

Arm Strength: 10
He has a super arm. There’s not a lot of throws Stafford can’t make and that’s the reason he will likely be the #1 pick in this 1009 NFL Draft to the Lions. He likes to look down the field first and then come back through his reads to shorter throws.

Accuracy: 9
This is the one thing he needs to work on some. His accuracy isn’t bad, but it also doesn’t compare nicely to his arm strength. When people discuss Stafford they talk about his strength and not his precision.

Awareness: 8
Stafford is going to be like most rookie quarterbacks, meaning he is going to make mistakes when he misreads defenses. In college he had a few lapses but he still didn’t turn the ball over excessively.

NFL Readiness: 10
First of all no NFL QB is ever going to be 100% ready but based off of his physical tools, skill set, and athletic ability I think Stafford is as ready as any college QB making the leap to the pros can be. He has a lot of work to do but he will work hard and will try to make it at the next level.

Score: 46
Stafford is a guy I’ve been watching for a couple of years. He’s been my pick as the top NFL ready quarterback for that entire period. I expect him to make it in the league, although a lot will depend on which team he goes to.

Everyone knew he would be.

By all means he was an offensive lineman, yes an offensive lineman, that won Alabama’s Mr. Football honor coming out of high school. Did I say he was an offensive line?

If you want to know how good Smith is, well that’s how good. And he was that good the entire time he was at Alabama. He started every game he wasn’t injured or suspended for (Utah).

Let’s break him down:

Run Blocking: 10
No doubt that this was always Smith’s strong suit at Alabama. When he was missing against Utah the Crimson Tide’s strength, their offensive line and uncontrollable running game, was stuffed.

Pass Blocking: 8
Smith’s one weakness might be pass blocking. He struggles with his footwork against speed rushers.

Awareness: 10
It’s not easy to judge the ‘awareness’ of an offensive lineman, but since Smith usually does pick up every blocker in his way I’d say he’s seeing the field just fine.

Overall Size: 10
Smith is an overpowering figure that probably scared the heck out of opposing defensive lineman over this three seasons at Alabama. I expect him to have the same affect on a lot of the defensive lineman he will face in the NFL after he gets a few years of experience behind him.

NFL Readiness: 10
If you’ve ever seen footwork of Smith then you know he’s an obvious top ten pick and it’s even arguable that he’s the most NFL ready prospect in this draft class.

Overall: 48
Smith’s name is going to be called very early in April and he’s earned it. He should have a very successful NFL career.

I don’t blame him.

This guy can be the next Larry Fitzgerald. He isn’t as physically overpowering as Fitzgerald but he is a playmaker. He would automatically upgrade any offense. Graham Harrell’s disastrous performance at the Senior Bowl only makes Crabtree look better.

Let’s break him down:

Hands: 10
Crabtree can catch anything. He has great hands and he will go up and catch anything with them.

Vertical Leap: 9
Crabtree doesn’t have the leaping ability of Oklahoma State’s Dez Bryant but he does have a nice sized leap. He can go up and catch passes and he’s not afraid to do it in traffic. Those things usually equal a great receiver.

Speed: 8
His speed isn’t lightning quick but he’s very strong and athletic, allowing him to break tackles without “breakaway speed”. I expect his quickness to translate well into the NFL.

Awareness: 10
If Graham Harrell was in trouble Crabtree always came back to him and allowed him to have a security blanket. Crabtree always knows where the ball is and he’s always trying to block down the field on run plays.

NFL Readiness: 10
I think he’s the most NFL ready playmaker in this draft. He will upgrade any offense automatically. I have a feeling a lot of GMs are going to try to trade up to get in position to take him.

Total: 47
He’s ready to play right now, just draft him and stick him into your lineup NFL GMs.