September 10, 2009

We are all aware that Oklahoma's Jermaine Gresham had a fantastic junior year and very well could have been the first tight end off the board in last year's draft. How does the injury that will sideline him for the entire season affect his stock? Did his performance as a junior cement him as the top tight end available or will he have to get healthy and make a big splash at the Senior Bowl, Scouting Combine or Pro Day to maintain his status as a first rounder and the top player at his position?

Trevor
Burlington, Ontario

     I have always been a huge Jermaine Gresham fan and he was actually the #4 overall senior prospect in my initial rankings. Not only would Gresham most likely have been a first round pick in the 2009 NFL Draft had he come out after a standout junior campaign but might have challenged Brandon Pettigrew to be the first tight end selected. Unfortunately Gresham is now going to have some extremely difficult decisions to make after undergoing arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. As you mentioned Gresham will not play in 2009 and his recovery time has been estimated at five months. If that timetable is accurate Gresham won't be healthy in time to take part in the Senior Bowl, which means by the time the 2010 NFL Draft rolls it will have been about 15 months since scouts actually saw the kid on the field. Personally, I have seen enough of Gresham to still feel comfortable labeling him a first round pick but the NFL may not share my sentiments and teams could be leery of investing such an early pick on a guy coming off a knee injury. Remember, Florida's Cornelius Ingram faced a similar situation a year ago and after once being considered a fringe first round pick he dropped all the way to round five. Gresham does have a redshirt year available to him but will he want to delay the start of his NFL career yet another year after almost going pro as a junior? Right now Gresham's stock is very much up in the air and the only sure-thing at this point is that he made a monumental mistake by not cashing in that first round lottery ticket when he had the chance.

- Scott Wright, Draft Countdown

Eric Berry and Taylor Mays are unanimously viewed as the two best safety prospects for the upcoming draft. Mays is currently your #1 senior prospect in the nation but if Berry declares will he overtake him in your rankings? Can you explain why you would like one over the other?

Thomas
Chattanooga, TN

     If Tennessee's Eric Berry enters the 2009 NFL Draft after his junior season he would indeed leapfrog Southern Cal's Taylor Mays in my rankings. It's not as cut-and-dried as some make it out to be though. Right now Mays is catching some flak because he only has 4 career interceptions in three years while Berry has 12 in just two seasons. However, it's important to keep in mind that they are two different types of players. Bob Sanders has only picked off 5 passes in his pro career and Ed Reed has snagged 43. Does that make Sanders, a former Defensive MVP, any less of a player? Of course not. It's like choosing between vanilla and chocolate ice cream, both are good! The reason I give Berry a slight edge is because he's a little more versatile. Not only can Berry make those impact plays in coverage but he will also come up to hit whereas Mays is more enforcer than playmaker.

     Both Berry and Mays look like legitimate Top 5-10 overall picks at this point.

- Scott Wright, Draft Countdown

The Eagles appear to be loaded top to bottom, with depth all over the place and a great offense for the first time since Terrell Owens was here. What would you say their biggest need might be come Draft Day. Could you make an argument for a young quarterback like a Tim Tebow as our first pick to groom behind Donovan McNabb?

Phil
Hillsborough, NJ

     Let me tackle the second part of your question right off the bat: No, the Eagles are not going to use their first round pick on a quarterback. Donovan McNabb has plenty of good years left and even if Michael Vick moves on after this season they still have former second round pick Kevin Kolb, who they are heavily invested in.

     As you mentioned the Eagles are in pretty good shape on offense, with tight end being the lone possible exception. The team really likes Brent Celek but he has been injury-prone and is still unproven so if he struggles as a starter in 2009 that could be an area of concern. If Celek comes through Philly will most likely turn their attention to the defense, where they have a number of question marks. In particular they have some issues at linebacker, where they lack a true difference-maker on the outside and Stewart Bradley has once again been bitten by the injury-bug. There are also some potential problems in the secondary. Quintin Demps and Macho Harris are attempting to replace Brian Dawkins at safety but that is a tall order and nobody knows if either of them is up to the task. Meanwhile at cornerback Sheldon Brown is still unhappy with his contract situation while Ellis Hobbs is due to hit the open market next offseason. Philadelphia is certainly better off than most but no team is without needs and the Iggles will definitely have some holes to address next April, most likely on the defensive side of the ball.

- Scott Wright, Draft Countdown

How do you think the Richard Seymour trade helps the Raiders and Patriots? Would picking him up lessen the Raiders need for a defensive end? Also do you believe JaMarcus Russell will have a breakout year?

James
Dixon, CA

     As I am writing this Seymour has yet to report to the Raiders. However, assuming he does eventually show up it won't change or affect Oakland's need for a defensive end since Seymour will be playing inside at tackle in their 4-3 defense.

     This deal really left me scratching my head and I just can't see how it makes sense for the Raiders. Then again, that is par for the course in Oakland these days.

     The Raiders have been picking in the Top 7 of the NFL Draft for years now so unless they experience a major turnaround that 2011 first rounder they sent to New England will likely be a premium pick. That is a high price to pay for a 30-year-old defensive lineman who has battled injuries the past couple of years. Perhaps the most perplexing aspect of this trade is that the Raiders didn't lock up Seymour, who will be a free agent next offseason, to a long-term deal. Why give up so much for a guy when there is a chance you could lose him less than a year later? Then when you factor in Seymour's apparent unhappiness with the move this has the potential to blow up in Al Davis' face. Sure Seymour makes the Raiders a better team in 2009 but they mortgaged their future for a season that could end with them in last place of their own division. Unfortunately this trade is just another sign that the Oakland franchise is in complete and utter disarray.

     When it comes to JaMarcus Russell, I just haven't seen him display the type of work ethic or intangibles needed to be a top quarterback in the NFL.

- Scott Wright, Draft Countdown

I saw you made a comment on Twitter that Miami (FL) DL Allen Bailey is a "Mario Williams-esque freak". What position do you think best suits him in the NFL, when do you think he will enter the draft, and how high do you think he will go when he does?

Chris
Villanova, PA

     Keep in mind that Bailey is only a true junior and I haven't seen a lot of him yet. With that said I was very impressed with him while watching the Hurricanes knock off Florida St. during the opening weekend. Checking in at a chiseled 6-4, 288 pounds Bailey, who actually began his college career as a linebacker, reportedly runs a 4.65 forty, has a 39-inch vertical leap and power-cleans 375 pounds. Workout Warrior indeed! Bailey still needs to translate all of that sheer talent and potential into production on the field but his future appears to be bright. After playing sparingly as a backup and special teamer in 2007 Bailey earned four starts at defensive end last year, racking up a respectable 9 tackles for a loss and 5 sacks. Now playing inside at defensive tackle, Bailey is already off to a hot start in 2009 and he even picked up his first sack of the season against the Seminoles.

     As far as a position goes, based on my limited exposure I'd say Bailey is capable of playing either end or tackle in a 4-3 and possibly the five-technique in a 3-4.

     It's still too early to speculate about how high Bailey might go in the draft when he comes out, especially since I haven't seen all that much of him yet. However, the sky is the limit for him in terms of upside and if he continues to develop I wouldn't be surprised to see Bailey ultimately wind up being a first round pick.

- Scott Wright, Draft Countdown