Sleepers To Watch At the NFL Draft

Football

By ERIC EDHOLM
April 22, 2008

When it comes to finding talent in the draft, no place is too remote for scouts, general managers, and coaches. Teams largely have finished their player evaluations, and their travels have taken them to some interesting places.

Two of the top cornerback prospects, Leodis McKelvin and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, went to Troy and Tennessee State, respectively, and are first-round locks, showing that the NFL isn't shy about discovering big talent in small places.

But the majority of the players drafted from schools as small as these will go far later in the draft. They are the subjects of intrigue and mystery even in an era of mass amounts of information free to all on the Internet.

And it's these remote places that often produce some notable sleepers — but also some colossal busts. Perennial Pro Bowl safety Darren Sharper was a second-round pick out of William & Mary College; linebacker Michael Hamilton, of North Carolina A&T, drafted 14 spots after Sharper, played for three teams in four years, and was out of the league by 2000.

However, so-called sleepers don't always come from remote places, but sometimes from obscurity at bigger schools. Witness Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Jason Peters, who just made his first Pro Bowl. He went undrafted out of Arkansas as an oversize tight end. New England Patriots backup quarterback Matt Cassel was drafted after attempting only 33 passes in his USC career, mostly playing backup to Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart.

Near or far, big school or small, here is a look at some sleeper candidates who might emerge as legitimate talents down the road. After all, it's not where you come from, but where you end up.

QUARTERBACK

JOSH JOHNSON, SAN DIEGO

A hot name now, Johnson might have graduated from sleeper status because of the fact that he worked in pro sets under former coach Jim Harbaugh, who left for Stanford before last season, and because Johnson had an unfathomable 43-to-1 TD-INT ratio. He has some athletic ability but certainly is a two- or three-year project who will need serious grooming.

Scout's take: "There are no [cornerbacks] who run as slowly as what he saw there, but the kid has some ability. And it's not a great year for [quarterbacks]."

Others: Kevin O'Connell, San Diego State; Brad Roach, Catawba

RUNNING BACK

JEROME MESSAM, GRACELAND (IOWA)

Like Elvis, this guy is big, and at 6 feet, 3 1 /2 inches and 230 pounds, with a frame to carry more weight, some people are comparing Messam to the Giants' Brandon Jacobs. Messam might not quite possess Jacobs's power, but he does run downhill and through contact enough to intrigue teams that might be looking for a shortyardage runner in the fifth or sixth rounds.

Scout's take: "He might be worth developing. I'd like to see a little more explosion, but he's interesting."

Others: Matthew Lawrence, Massachusetts

WIDE RECEIVER

DEXTER JACKSON, APPALACHIAN STATE

He had barely laced up his cleats at the Senior Bowl as an injury replacement for Texas's Limas Sweed before Jackson started making diving catches. In college, he was hampered by limited opportunities in a spread-option offense but put his big-play ability on display in the Mountaineers' colossal upset of Michigan, catching three passes for 92 yards and two TDs, plus a 19-yard end around. Though Jackson almost certainly will be a slot receiver, at 5 feet, 9 inches and 182 pounds, he could go as high as the second round, fitting in with a pass-heavy team that employs spread looks, such as the Patriots or Colts. Scout's take: "He can fly. And he plays fast, too."

Others: Jerome Simpson, Coastal Carolina; Darnell Jenkins, Miami (Fla.); Pierre Garcon, Mount Union

TIGHT END

MARCUS STONE, NORTH CAROLINA STATE

The converted quarterback has great hands but is slow. He had a quietly productive season, despite the Wolfpack's offensive issues, and while he could be a project, he is one worth gambling on. Stone might not be straight-line fast, but he has enough athleticism to play special teams. Scout's take: "He gives a decent effort blocking also."

Others: Andrew Atchison, William & Mary

OFFENSIVE LINE

BRANDON KEITH, NORTHERN IOWA

There has been more attention paid to UNI teammate Chad Rinehart, who went to the Senior Bowl, but Keith appears to have more upside. He has flown relatively under the radar since transferring from Oklahoma, but Keith is a massive right tackle or right guard prospect who could fit best in a team that utilizes a power-running scheme.

Scout's take: "I'd take (Keith) over Rinehart. He'll go a round ahead of him, I think."

Others: Jamey Richard, center, Buffalo; Mackenzy Bernadeau, guard, Bentley College (Mass.); Nate Garner, tackle, Arkansas

DEFENSIVE LINE

MARTAIL BURNETT, UTAH

A converted high school safety, Burnett has recorded a 40-inch vertical jump and has the tools to make a coach's eyes light up. But whoever gets him must be patient. Burnett is a work in progress who needs to play with more power and vary his pass-rush moves more. But he's extremely long-armed, and at 6 feet, 2 inches and 262 pounds, Bentley could land either as a left defensive end or as a pass-rushing linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

Scout's take: "He'll take a while (to develop), but he plays low and gets into the backfield. Some coaching could do him good."

Others: Andy Studebaker, defensive end-rush linebacker, Wheaton (Ill.); Joshua Thompson, nose tackle, Auburn

LINEBACKER

CHRIS GRAHAM, MICHIGAN

Graham lit it up at his Pro Day, lifting the 225-pound bench press 37 times, which is an impressive total for any player, much less for a 5-foot-11-inch, 228-pound linebacker who had a fairly undistinguished college career. But scouts think Graham has the drive and desire to be a special-teams demon, and he did stand out on tape going back to his junior season. Sadly, Graham lost his sister recently in a fire, but he is a highly motivated young man who should continue on after this tragedy.

Scout's take: "He reminds me of [Patriots special-teams ace] Larry Izzo."

Others: Thomas Williams, outside linebacker, USC; Kroy Biermann, outside linebacker-rush end, Montana

DEFENSIVE BACK

MARCELLOUS "TYRELL" JOHNSON, ARKANSAS STATE

Johnson has an outside chance of being the first safety drafted and could even slip into the back of the first round, where the Giants have shown a lot of interest. He stood out consistently against better competition in the Texas and Tennessee games and has all the physical and intangible elements teams are looking for. Johnson's outstanding combine performance might have moved him ahead of Miami's Kenny Phillips as the top safety.

Scout's take: "Other than the competition, there aren't many questions. Once he learns the nuances of (pass) coverage, I think he'll be very good."

Others: Trey Brown, cornerback, UCLA; Cornelius "Pig" Brown, safety, Missouri

Mr. Edholm, a senior editor at Pro Football Weekly, can be reached at eedholm@pfwmedia.