Official 2006 NFL Draft Thread

[Dr. Jones]

With the fouth pick, the NY Jets select:

Strengths: Possesses good height, continues to fill out his frame and has room to add more bulk. Possesses a very good wingspan. Is a rare athlete for the position. Does a terrific job of utilizing his long arms and strong hands. Is as technically sound as it gets for a collegiate OT. Does an exceptional job with his first step and takes great angles as a run blocker. He shows terrific feet and body control. Is outstanding when it comes to finding his assignments and executing on the second level. Plays with very good leverage; is a natural knee bender. Is outstanding in pass protection. Gets set as quickly as any OT in this class and possesses elite mirror-and-slide ability. Possesses long arms and big hands. Will ride perimeter pass rushers up the field. Shows the balance and lateral mobility to redirect inside. Rarely loses a battle to quickness. Shows very good awareness in pass pro and almost never allows his guy to get to the QB. He's also a durable player, hard worker and high-character guy. Well grounded and has his priorities in tact. A young prospect who did not turn 22 years old until the end of the 2005 CFB season. He also is very mature for his age.

Weaknesses: Lacks ideal bulk. He has continued to add weight but still needs to get bigger. Also must prove that he can handle 15-to20 more pounds without losing too much mobility. He lacks a powerful initial punch and does not show the ability to jar defenders upon initial contact. He is not an overpowering run blocker. Seems to lack a mean streak. Will have some trouble anchoring versus more powerful bull rushers in the NFL. Needs to be in good position to complete his assignment because he lacks the massive bulk and base to simply engulf defenders at the POA. Suffered a minor knee injury as a senior in 2005, but otherwise has been extremely durable.

Overall: Ferguson earned the starting job at left tackle as a true freshman in 2002 and started all 39 games prior to his senior season in 2005. He earned first team All-ACC honors as a junior in 2004. Ferguson missed two games because of a knee injury as a senior, but he started the other 10 games at the left tackle position. Ferguson can still add bulk to his frame and he has room to improve in terms of his power as a run blocker. Otherwise, Ferguson is the complete package. He is the most athletic offensive tackle in this year's draft class, as well as the most efficient in pass protection. Thanks to his good height and long limbs, Ferguson has the frame to continue to get bigger and he has recently eclipsed the 300-pound plateau. What separates him from most is his exceptional quickness, agility and body control for the position. As it stands right now, Ferguson grades out as the top offensive lineman and one of the top-five prospects overall in the 2006 class. He has all the physical and mental components necessary to develop into an upper-echelon starting left tackle in the NFL.

* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

Here comes the Packers!!!

 

[red desert]

We are getting a quarterback!!!!!!!!!

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

With the Jets taking D'Brick, think the Cards could swing a trade with Oakland for the #7 pick in order to take Leinart? I think its pretty safe to say Green Bay and San Fran wont draft him.

 

[stewdog1]

So far its going our way. I believe it all depends on if the Rams try to get in front of us.

 

[The Commish]

Dude Leinart looks like someone just ran over his dog. He really wanted to go to NYC.

 

[devilfan02]

Oh man, Leinart looks like a deer caught in the headlights- looks like he could cry. I don't care who the player is, I always feel bad when this stuff starts happening

 

[red desert]

With the Jets taking D'Brick, think the Cards could swing a trade with Oakland for the #7 pick in order to take Leinart? I think its pretty safe to say Green Bay and San Fran wont draft him.

Why? We take Leinart or Cutler, whichever falls to us. Let fate decide.

 

[slanidrac16]

The Rams or Vikings.

 

[gamebird98]

Id give Tom Jackson a 100 bucks to punch Michael Irvin in the face.

 

[devilfan02]

With the Jets taking D'Brick, think the Cards could swing a trade with Oakland for the #7 pick in order to take Leinart? I think its pretty safe to say Green Bay and San Fran wont draft him.

Theres a slim chance GB could take Leinart. Hopefully neither takes a QB though

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

Why? We take Leinart or Cutler, whichever falls to us. Let fate decide.

Because most seem to prefer Leinart to Cutler by a pretty large margin.

 

[Evil Ash]

The Rams or Vikings.

Teams aren't going to trade down with Minn because they are too far down in the draft. The Rams may have the same strategy as us ... stay put and let them fall to you

 

[HooverDam]

Well GB and SF for sure (youd think) wont take Leinart. Oaklan normally goes for big arms, so maybe theyll pass. But I could also see Detroit trying to grab Leinart. I think the Cards will have to trade up if they want Leinart.

 

[devilfan02]

Because most seem to prefer Leinart to Cutler by a pretty large margin.

Agree 100%. Letting "fate" decide who we pick with the 10 spot is crazy. I'm sure Denny and the Cardinals draft board don't have "fate" as a deciding factor in who to take, even if a QB were to fall to us

 

[Pariah]

Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap. Holy Crap.

Matt Leinart a possibility? Holy Crap.

 

[Dr. Jones]

Withe the fifth pick, the Packers select:

Strengths: Has been one of the most productive and reliable LB's in the nation since 2003. Plays the game with great intensity and toughness. An absolute throwback with ideal recognition skills and motor for the position. Plays with a mean streak. Has some versatility with experience at WLB and ILB. He is one of the most instinctive linebackers in college football. Few play the position with better recognition skills and toughness. He reads his keys as quickly as any linebacker in the nation. His pursuit angles are outstanding. He shows good closing burst to the ball carrier and is a powerful tackler that will also break down and consistently wrap-up in space. He is the definition of a sideline-to-sideline player. Is always around the play and has a knack for making things happen. Has adequate range in zone coverage and can match up underneath vs. most RB's one-on-one. Has better than average ball skills. He is explosive and instinctive as a blitzer. Can be extremely disruptive when turned loose upfield. Shows good initial quickness and burst to the quarterback as a pass rusher. Also flashes some good pass rush moves after he's been reached.

Weaknesses: Has had some minor durability issues in the past, including season-ending injury as a senior in high school. He lacks ideal fluidity. Has quickness and speed when working laterally and forward, but is a bit stiff in the hips and will lose too much in transition when opening to turn and run. Will struggle to match up against elite receivers at the RB position in the NFL. He is powerful but lacks ideal lower body strength. Is much more effective when covered. Will fill hard but doesn't always match up in the phone booth. Has somewhat of a narrow base and will get washed out by bigger iso-blockers at the POA.

Overall: Hawk served as a backup to Cie Grant (Saints) during his true freshman season in 2002. As a sophomore in 2003, he led the Buckeyes with 106 total tackles, including 13.5 for loss and four sacks. As a junior in 2004, he finished with 141 tackles, eight tackles for loss and one sack. Hawk started all 12 games as a senior in 2005 and finished with 121 tackles, 16.5 TFL, 9.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and one interception. He was a two-time first-team All-American, three-time first-team All-Big 10 selection, and he also was the defensive MVP of the 2003 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Hawk lacks elite fluidity in his hips, which will limit him a bit in coverage in the NFL. He also lacks ideal lower body bulk and strength to take on bigger blockers versus the inside run. However, what he lacks in elite athleticism and base he more than makes up for with instincts, toughness, speed, quickness and power. Hawk is at his best when he has room to roam uncovered, which allows him to best use his diagnostic skills and high motor to chase plays down without having to fight through much traffic. Hawk is an absolute ball-hawk versus the run and he is a playmaker in the passing game  both as a pass rusher and in coverage. He could probably play inside or weak-side linebacker in the NFL but we think he'll fit best at WLB, where he'll be in space more often. Hawk should be the first linebacker prospect to come off the board in the 2006 draft  somewhere between the fifth and tenth overall selection.

* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

Up Next..... THE NINERS!

 

[devilfan02]

Hawk to the Pack. Keep Leinart coming to us

 

[arthurracoon]

this first round has gone fast

5 picks before 10:00.

 

[Mike Olbinski]

I'll just crap my pants if we get Leinart...unbelievable...

I hate this waiting...

 

[devilfan02]

Assuming the Niners take Davis, that leaves:

OAK
BUFF
DET

picking before us..... Can Leinart slip past all of them. They could all easily pick a QB, primarily Leinart. Here's to hopin they don't or someone takes Cutler first

 

[Dr. Jones]

With the sixth pick, the Niners select: Vernon Davis

Strengths: A dynamic athlete with exceptional upside. Has rare speed and athletic ability for the position. Shows explosive initial burst to get off the LOS and the top-end speed to stretch the field vertically. He will be a matchup weapon as a pass-catcher in the NFL. Shows a good feel for reading coverages. Is remarkably savvy in terms of setting up defenders in man-coverage and finding soft spots in zone. He shows burst out of his cuts and will consistently separate in one-on-one situations. He has terrific leaping ability and will make the acrobatic catch. He has soft and reliable hands. Shows upper body strength and power at the POA as a blocker. He continues to improve his technique and angles as a space blocker. He also is a workout warrior who set school strength records (in spring of 2005) for a TE in the bench press (460 pounds), power-clean (335 pounds), vertical jump (40 inches), squat (685 pounds) and 40-yard dash (4.41)

Weaknesses: Possesses less than ideal height and bulk. Is powerful in his upper body but lacks a wide base to anchor as a blocker. Needs to improve his hand-usage, angles and overall technique as a blocker. May never develop into anything more than an H-back that needs to be protected as a blocker in space in the NFL.

Overall: Davis played in all 13 games as a reserve during his true freshman season in 2003, and finished with five catches for 59 yards. He started six of the 11 games he played as a sophomore in 2004, finishing with 27 receptions for 441 yards and three touchdowns. Davis had a breakout season as a junior in 2005, when he led the Terps with 51 catches for 871 yards and six touchdowns, earning first-team All-America honors. Davis is the best pure athlete at the tight end position in this year's draft class. He lacks ideal size and has some room to improve as a blocker, but his overall combination of physical tools and playmaking savvy are what make him the premier prospect at his position in 2006. After verifying his exceptional speed, power and agility at the 2006 NFL Scouting Combine, Davis should be considered a top-10 draft prospect in this year's class.

* Player biographies are provided by Scouts Inc.

Next up: THHHEEEE Raiders!!!! TAKE HUFF!!!!

 

[Evil Ash]

Believe it or not our strongest competition for Leinart may be Detroit.

Buffalo is too locked on Bunkley and Oakland likes strong-armed QBs

 

[MadCardDisease]

Darn

I was hoping Davis would fall to us and not go to a divisional opponent.

 

[devilfan02]

Al Davis and the Raiders are gonna crush our dreams. Davis wants a QB bad and he's prob gonna jump all over Leinart. Hopefully not

 

[Evil Ash]

Raiders take Huff

Leinart keeps dropping