Mayock's latest rankings

[San Diego Chicken]

Didn't see these posted yet. Interesting to say the least.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/story?id=09000d5d80d41b6d&template=with-video-with-comments&confirm=true

[Falcon_from_E_Oakland]

Man understands his craft, love that he understands Knowshon....although im not quite as high on Pettigrew/Ayers.

[PACKmanN]

lol, Rai ranked 11th. Keep on dropping, I love this :)


this entire list= fail, whats going on in Mayock's head?!

[Iamcanadian]

I cannot speak for the Ayers placing except to say this is not a strong draft at the top end IMO. There could be some real surprises on draft day if the top dozen prospects aren't separated by a whole lot.
With Mayock, you have to know what kind of players he likes for certain positions, he's not giving you a general view of prospects, it's his view and for instance, he likes RB who can pound the ball and isn't enthralled by speedy RB who go down too easily hence his dislike for McFadden last year. He knew McFadden was going higher than he had him on his board but his board reflects his preferences at a lot of positions. He says over and over he likes TE's who can block and doesn't like one dimensional TE's who are only receivers. This is why very few team's draft boards are similar, you not only have different offensive and defensive schemes, you have HC's who want a certain type of player for each position on his team and Mayock clearly reflects this way of thinking. His board isn't going to match every teams but if you listen to him explain his likes and dislikes, you'll get a better idea if his boards suits your team.
I think that is why he avoids mocks.

[Chief Papabear]

Taking a blocking TE over a receiving TE is like taking a RT before a LT.

It doesn't hold the same value, and they can be found later on in the draft

I hate these rankings.

Ayers is not fast enough to be an impact pass rusher, he is Turk McBride/Tamba Hali

Someone tell me why Brown doesn't belong in the top ten?

[Halsey]

I just don't understand Mayock's view on Stafford. He literally called Stafford "an elite quarterback" after UGA's pro day, yet has him ranked 8th. Why rank an elite prospect at the most important single position 8th, behind guys like Pettigrew and Ayers. Even if you don't agree that Stafford is elite, you can see the problem with ranking a QB you see as elite at #8 behind TE's, LB's and RB's.

[ElectricEye]

Really don't like this set of rankings. There's a few things that are just outright weird in them.

[Iamcanadian]

Taking a blocking TE over a receiving TE is like taking a RT before a LT.

It doesn't hold the same value, and they can be found later on in the draft

I hate these rankings.

Ayers is not fast enough to be an impact pass rusher, he is Turk McBride/Tamba Hali

Someone tell me why Brown doesn't belong in the top ten?

Not if your a run first team and want an extra superb blocker to open up holes for your RB or like a TE who can act like a second LT whichever side you line him up on on passing plays. Pettigrew is one of the best blocking TE prospects in recent years and he can catch the ball as well but just don't expect him to go on deep patterns.

Ayers dominated at the Senior Bowl and didn't slack off at the combine.

Brown is a borderline top 10 prospect, he lacks elite speed off the edge and is only 6'1". Maybin has a quicker 1st step and there are real question marks about how effective Brown will be at the next level.
This is a mediocre draft at the top end and I don't think any of the top prospects has seperated himself by a whole lot except maybe Curry. If your drafting #12, you could easily end up with a better prospect than the team drafting #1 overall, it's just that kind of draft.

[Halsey]

Taking a blocking TE over a receiving TE is like taking a RT before a LT.



He doesn't consider Pettigrew a "blocking TE". He considers him to be a TE that can block and catch. I'm just telling you what he thinks, so don't argue the point with me as if it's my opinion. I haven't watched enough of Pettigrew to give a strong opinion on him.

[CashmoneyDrew]

Dude is taking me and TH's love for Ayers to a whole new level.

[Iamcanadian]

I just don't understand Mayock's view on Stafford. He literally called Stafford "an elite quarterback" after UGA's pro day, yet has him ranked 8th. Why rank an elite prospect at the most important single 8th, behind guys like Pettigrew and Ayers. Even if you don't agree that Stafford is elite, you can see the problem with ranking a QB you see as elite at #8 behind TE's and RB's.

Mayock has been consistent since the post season draft process began in saying he doesn't see Stafford as elite, not even close and Mayock has an excellent reputation for predicting QB's.
This is basically what he says about Stafford and showed film to back up his claim, I'll paraphrase what he said to the best of my memory.

'The thing that is keeping Stafford out of the top 5 rankings is his inaccuracy and by that I don't mean his completion %. He has a bad habit of placing the ball where the CB can either knock it down or intercept it. He has trouble hitting his receivers in stride and often puts the ball slightly behind them say on crossing patterns. I think he relies too much on his arm strength and hasn't worked on his accuracy because of it otherwise he'd clearly be the #1 prospect in this year's draft without question. Maybe he can correct it and I won't say he can't but it is a real weakness at this point.'

[Chief Papabear]

Not if your a run first team and want an extra superb blocker to open up holes for your RB or like a TE who can act like a second LT whichever side you line him up on on passing plays. Pettigrew is one of the best blocking TE prospects in recent years and he can catch the ball as well but just don't expect him to go on deep patterns.

Ayers dominated at the Senior Bowl and didn't slack off at the combine.

Brown is a borderline top 10 prospect, he lacks elite speed off the edge and is only 6'1". Maybin has a quicker 1st step and there are real question marks about how effective Brown will be at the next level.
This is a mediocre draft at the top end and I don't think any of the top prospects has seperated himself by a whole lot except maybe Curry. If your drafting #12, you could easily end up with a better prospect than the team drafting #1 overall, it's just that kind of draft.
I'd rather take an OT prospect in the 5th or 6th if you just need another blocker. Jason Dunn role


I don't care if Ayers didn't slack off, dude's got the first-step of a slug

Brown does NOT lack speed off the edge, this is misinformation
Maybin might be quicker but he has not shown the constant improvement or passrush ability that Brown has.

[Geo]

A month before the draft and not a single mock draft from Mayock...
Noticeable, but ultimately not a big deal to me. Maybe it's because anyone and their grandmother puts out a mock draft these days, I can't really muster any serious level of interest in the mock draft nowadays. I'd just rather find out more about the prospects, than give a damn what some other guy (or gal) thinks will happen. Maybe being a Colts fan plays a part.

Now Mayock putting out three different rankings out before the Draft saying three different things, that is confusing and hopefully is in the past. Get it all straight and run with it.

Mayock doing the broadcasts for the Senior Bowl, Combine, Path to the Draft, and Draft itself though, that is where his game is at.

[Cicero]

According to NFLDS their ten yard splits are all basically the same.

Maybin: 1.57
Orakpo: 1.58
Brown: 1.59

[Halsey]

Mayock has been consistent since the post season draft process began in saying he doesn't see Stafford as elite,'

He called Stafford elite after his pro day. He says it on an NFL.com video titled "NFLTA: Georgia Pro Day". Feel free to go here: http://www.nfl.com/videos and search the video if you like. It won't let me link you directly to the video, so you have to go there and use the search function if you want to see it. I searched it just to make sure it comes up. You have to scroll to the second page if you search the exact title of the video, for some reason.

Edit: Ok, I see how to direct link to it now: http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80f5a773

[Geo]

Dude is taking me and TH's love for Ayers to a whole new level.
Like a YFS level, if you catch my drift.

[SaintsMan]

Davis before Jenkins? I hope. I want Malcolm Jenkins to fall to 14.

[Sveen]

I usually like a lot off what he says, but his rankings always boggles me. I mean Ayers at #5 at Stafford at #8?!

[PossibleCabbage]

According to NFLDS their ten yard splits are all basically the same.

Maybin: 1.57
Orakpo: 1.58
Brown: 1.59

Check out their vertical jumps though:
Maybin: 38.0" (40.5" at his pro day)
Orakpo: 39.5"
Brown: 31.5" (31.0" at his pro day)
(B.J. Raji: 32.0")

The Broad Jump numbers are also illuminating:
Orakpo: (10' 10" at his pro day)
Maybin: 10' 4" (10' 10" at his pro day)
Brown: 9' 6" (9' 9" at his pro day)

When you're looking for a pass rusher, the vert and broad are two of the most important combine numbers, since they measure the explosiveness of the first step. The 10 yard split will give you the quickness of that first step, but no matter how fast you are, if there's no power in the explosion in that step you're going to get blocked by anybody who gets his hands on you. IMO, Brown is not a top 20 prospect.

[Chief Papabear]

a 9'9" broad isn't great but it's better than most

When you watch him play he plays with an explosive first step, and he times snaps well.

[Iamcanadian]

Davis before Jenkins? I hope. I want Malcolm Jenkins to fall to 14.


Why, he cannot play CB for a basic 4-3 team like New Orleans, he is way too slow unless they intend to switch him to FS.. He'll be drafted by a Cover 2 team which only asks its CB's to play zone over 90 % of the time.

[Iamcanadian]

According to NFLDS their ten yard splits are all basically the same.

Maybin: 1.57
Orakpo: 1.58
Brown: 1.59

That's actually a huge discrepancy for only after 10 yards.

[Iamcanadian]

a 9'9" broad isn't great but it's better than most

When you watch him play he plays with an explosive first step, and he times snaps well.

His 1st step is way overrated by a lot of people, it just isn't as good as people think.

[hannah73]

That's actually a huge discrepancy for only after 10 yards.

.01 seconds difference is about 3-4 inches. Not a big difference.

[Babylon]

I usually like a lot off what he says, but his rankings always boggles me. I mean Ayers at #5 at Stafford at #8?!

Moreno and Pettigrew over Stafford also, Wow!

[Babylon]

.01 seconds difference is about 3-4 inches. Not a big difference.

10 yards splits are going to be close amone good athletes, i'd put more stock into the vert and the jump myself.

[nobodyinparticular]

.01 seconds difference is about 3-4 inches. Not a big difference.

3-4 inches is more than the length of the fingers. In football, that could be the difference between getting the tip of your finger on the ball or catching it. Or in the case of a defensive lineman, brushing the QB or knocking him down.

[Chief Papabear]

His 1st step is way overrated by a lot of people, it just isn't as good as people think.

It's better than just about anyone else in the draft, minus maybe Barwin, MJ. And they haven't shown his passrush ability.

And .01 really is nothing, that could have just as easily been a timing discrepancy.

[hannah73]

3-4 inches is more than the length of the fingers. In football, that could be the difference between getting the tip of your finger on the ball or catching it. Or in the case of a defensive lineman, brushing the QB or knocking him down.


Yeah, you're right. That's a huge difference. For every 100 balls one DE gets his hands on, the other guy only gets 99. But if that comes in the SB, then it's clear you should draft the slower guy a lot lower, maybe not at all.

[nobodyinparticular]

Yeah, you're right. That's a huge difference. For every 100 balls one DE gets his hands on, the other guy only gets 99. But if that comes in the SB, then it's clear you should draft the slower guy a lot lower, maybe not at all.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

[fear the elf]

Why, he cannot play CB for a basic 4-3 team like New Orleans, he is way too slow unless they intend to switch him to FS.. He'll be drafted by a Cover 2 team which only asks its CB's to play zone over 90 % of the time.

HE ISN'T THAT SLOW! 4.55 isn't elite by any means, but it's not sooooo slow that he automatically has to move to safety! why is this so hard to understand?

[nobodyinparticular]

Just for fun, I did the math on it, and if both Brown and Orakpo had 2 seconds to sprint to the QB at the rate which they timed (which will not happen due to the whole difference between shorts and shirt vs pads and a slew of other factors), Orakpo would have an advantage of 2.866 inches. If that's one second, then the advantage drops to just 1.433 inches.

I figure if we're going to throw out inches based on numbers that mean absolutely nothing then we might as well have correct figures that mean absolutely nothing, right?

[thebow305]

I trust Mayock immensely, so if this is what he says, expect some big surprises on draft day.

Ayers at 5 is questionable, but this is also the first time I have even seen him mentioned as the top pass rusher available. Maybe he will be in that that mix on draft day to Green Bay, Buffalo or Denver instead of Everette Brown. Certainly a dark horse at this point.

[Chief Papabear]

I trust Mayock immensely, so if this is what he says, expect some big surprises on draft day.

Ayers at 5 is questionable, but this is also the first time I have even seen him mentioned as the top pass rusher available. Maybe he will be in that that mix on draft day to Green Bay, Buffalo or Denver instead of Everette Brown. Certainly a dark horse at this point.

his #5 lb last year went in the 7th round

[Iamcanadian]

HE ISN'T THAT SLOW! 4.55 isn't elite by any means, but it's not sooooo slow that he automatically has to move to safety! why is this so hard to understand?

NFL CB's run in the 4.3 or 4.4 range. 4.55 means you cannot cover a WR in man defense one on one especially on deep patterns. In fact it is soooo slow that no team is likely to draft him to put him in that position. He'll either be a FS or only play CB for a Cover 2 team. Why is it so hard to understand that on deep patters, he will be 3 or 4 feet behind a speedy NFL WR who runs in the 4.3 or 4.4 range, which by the way most NFL receivers do have that kind of elite speed.

[parrish_lemar24DBSkins]

I'm surprised he doesn't see Michael Oher as a top 20 prospect.

Josh Freeman isn't one of the top 20 players in the draft, even if he is the #2 QB on the board.

I don't care how well Ayers performed in post season predraft games or how well he tested. Based on film he's not a 1st round DE.

I don't recall the last outstanding pro DE who had minimal production in college.

I agree the draft is weak at the top for DE prospects, but that's no reason to inflate Ayers value. Buyer beware!!

No Maualuga in the top 20 but Cushing is? Based on what?

DHB is left out of top 20? Beanie Wells can't crack his top 20?

I've always viewed Mayock to have an expert, reasoned, well-thought out opinion on the draft, but this list is upside down.

BTW, has anyone seen extensive film on Curry? Whenever I see him, he reminds me of Derrick Johnson, OLB for KC.

Whenever I see Aaron Curry, I see a great athlete at the LB position, excellent size and measurables who covers a lot ground and makes a ton of tackles, but is he an impact-type-player who can " distort the game" from the LB position?

I see him as a nice piece on a defense, but not the featured player.

[hannah73]

NFL CB's run in the 4.3 or 4.4 range. 4.55 means you cannot cover a WR in man defense one on one especially on deep patterns. In fact it is soooo slow that no team is likely to draft him to put him in that position. He'll either be a FS or only play CB for a Cover 2 team. Why is it so hard to understand that on deep patters, he will be 3 or 4 feet behind a speedy NFL WR who runs in the 4.3 or 4.4 range, which by the way most NFL receivers do have that kind of elite speed.

I get what you're saying, but I think Asante Samuel ran 4.5 or 4.55 coming out. He was a 4th or 5th rounder but was eventually a starting CB.

Just saying, top end speed is very important. Quickness in changing direction or in getting up to that top speed are important too though.

[ThePudge]

Like many of you, I am quite surprised at the 5-7 range (Ayers, Moreno, Pettigrew). The absence of Beanie Wells, who is on the rise and may not get out of the Top 15, or even Top 10, is very evident and near glaring in my mind. Robert Ayers is a prospect that I think, more and more every day, may don a Buffalo Bills jersey at 11th Overall. The Bengals love him, but I'm praying they don't like him quite as much as Mayock does.

[Matthew Jones]

If he swapped out Ayers for Everette Brown, Moreno for Beanie Wells, and Pettigrew for...anyone, I guess Oher, that would be okay, even if a little weird. Ayers is probably not even going to break my top-32 though before the draft. He just didn't get to the quarterback and finish in college. This guy is the definition of a workout warrior - I might even take Michael Johnson ahead of him, and everyone knows I despise him. Moreno is a good back and I really like his character and work ethic, but I just don't see him as a top-10 talent. I suppose Cadillac made the top-5, but Moreno just doesn't have the speed to be a game-breaking running back, just a good starter. Pettigrew is in no way worth a top-10 pick to me, either. He'll probably fit in between #25 and #40 for me.

[Matthew Jones]

Davis before Jenkins? I hope. I want Malcolm Jenkins to fall to 14.

That's actually one of the few things I like. I prefer Vontae to Jenkins as a pure cornerback. People think he was a bad football player, but he was an All-Big Ten Freshman first team his first year, then All-Big Ten First Team the next two. Besides being one of the two best cornerbacks in the Big Ten the last two years, what else would you have liked to see him do? I agree he's a bit too full of himself, but so are a lot of the good wide receivers and cornerbacks - the positions almost demand it. Jenkins could be a decent starter at cornerback, but you don't draft someone to be just decent in the top 20 picks. He'd be a nice starting free safety for someone though (hence why I think the Saints would take him), a la Antrel Rolle. Strictly speaking on the skillset for a cornerback though, I don't see Jenkins covering any top receivers in the NFL that have a good deal of speed to their game. Imagining him getting scorched by Steve Smith twice a year is not pretty to think about.

[Who Dat Nation]

Has Mayock done a mock draft yet?

[cdub11]

I dont see Josh Freeman as one of the top 20 overall players

[Iamcanadian]

Like many of you, I am quite surprised at the 5-7 range (Ayers, Moreno, Pettigrew). The absence of Beanie Wells, who is on the rise and may not get out of the Top 15, or even Top 10, is very evident and near glaring in my mind. Robert Ayers is a prospect that I think, more and more every day, may don a Buffalo Bills jersey at 11th Overall. The Bengals love him, but I'm praying they don't like him quite as much as Mayock does.

I was just watching a video on NFL.com on DT's in the draft where Casserly and Mayock were discussing where DT's will go in this year's draft and both agreed that this is a terrible crop of prospects generally. Kirwin has already stated that there are only maybe 20-25 1st round types available in this year's draft and Casserly said that a prospect like Raji would normally go in the middle of round 1 but because of the general weakness of this year's draft he has a shot at top 5.
It is obvious that a lot of prospects in this year's draft are getting way too much hype and simply aren't as good as we thought. So it should come as no surprise that people are including slightly above average players in their top 20 because apparently, solid prospects are hard to find no matter where you are drafting.

[phlysac]

I still find it interesting that when people criticize Malcolm Jenkins' 40 time they neglect to mention his ridiculously insane shuttle and 3-Cone times. Also many tend to defend Michael Crabtree by saying his speed isn't important because he knows how to get open. Well... Jenkins is most definitely faster than Crabtree and guess what?... he knows how to cover.

[JRTPlaya21]

Wow Stafford's kinda low.

[Geo]

I still find it interesting that when people criticize Malcolm Jenkins' 40 time they neglect to mention his ridiculously insane shuttle and 3-Cone times. Also many tend to defend Michael Crabtree by saying his speed isn't important because he knows how to get open. Well... Jenkins is most definitely faster than Crabtree and guess what?... he knows how to cover.
Hear hear. Jenkins seemed fast enough in dominating at the college level, and yet now he's too slow to play corner.

[rascal]

lol, Rai ranked 11th. Keep on dropping, I love this :)


this entire list= fail, whats going on in Mayock's head?!

No kidding...please drop to 12.

[rascal]

No Maualuga in the top 20 but Cushing is? Based on what?



Maualuga is slow and overrated. The USC system funneled everything to him and made him look good.

[PossibleCabbage]

No Maualuga in the top 20 but Cushing is? Based on what?

Maualuga is a 2-down linebacker in the NFL, Cushing is not. Nobody who has ever seen Maualuga attempt to play coverage would leave him on the field in nickel situations, whereas Cushing's outside pass rush experience means he's an asset rather than a liability in passing situations.

Taking a 2-down LB with a top 20 pick is questionable.

[jsa230]

I still find it interesting that when people criticize Malcolm Jenkins' 40 time they neglect to mention his ridiculously insane shuttle and 3-Cone times. Also many tend to defend Michael Crabtree by saying his speed isn't important because he knows how to get open. Well... Jenkins is most definitely faster than Crabtree and guess what?... he knows how to cover.

well put...we should just save this post and use it any time a jenkins-basher pops up

[Geo]

I see Maualuga dropping well into the 2nd round.

[Babylon]

I see Maualuga dropping well into the 2nd round.


I think that is where he should go but someone will bite if he gets to round 2.

[parrish_lemar24DBSkins]

I see Maualuga having the best career out of all the USC 'backers coming into the draft this year, with Clay Matthews Jr. being a darkhorse potential stud.

Rey isn't a cover 2 LB, but IMO he's still the #1 rated MLB in the draft.

Maybe not top 20, but I fully expect him to be taken in the top 32.

[Geason Noceur]

I just don't understand Mayock's view on Stafford. He literally called Stafford "an elite quarterback" after UGA's pro day, yet has him ranked 8th. Why rank an elite prospect at the most important single position 8th, behind guys like Pettigrew and Ayers. Even if you don't agree that Stafford is elite, you can see the problem with ranking a QB you see as elite at #8 behind TE's, LB's and RB's.

I like Mayock, but he's usually a bit narrow minded in his analyses. He always wants to turn DEs into LBs or athletic QBs into WRs, and if a QB is not a 5th year senior he automatically sees it as a negative. He criticized Stafford because he's a jr yet he doesn't mention that Stafford started more games in the SEC than his beloved Matt Ryan did in the ACC. He also said that he was concerned that Stafford didn't have better numbers while throwing to elite WRs. First of all, not a single Georgia fan will say that Massaquoi is an elite WR. Not one. Second, AJ Green was a true freshman that was injured most of the year. He was not elite last year. Third, Stafford was protected by a bunch of freshmen and sophomore linemen while throwing to said WRs. And fourth, Stafford led the SEC in total offense so I don't know where the 'didn't have better numbers' excuse comes from.

So as we can see, sometimes even the best don't do their homework.

[Flippityskip91]

I still find it interesting that when people criticize Malcolm Jenkins' 40 time they neglect to mention his ridiculously insane shuttle and 3-Cone times. Also many tend to defend Michael Crabtree by saying his speed isn't important because he knows how to get open. Well... Jenkins is most definitely faster than Crabtree and guess what?... he knows how to cover.

They also fail to mention that most of the top CBs this year didn't exactly blow the roof off the dome either with their 40s. Although, on that note, Darius Butler did have a 4.38 at his pro day I think. Regardless, the notion that Jenkins can't play corner because he ran in the mid 4.5s needs to be applied to every corner in the draft and not just him.

[Iamcanadian]

This is an exceptional weak draft with little in the way of elite talent and little depth as well. The combine 40's for the skill players exposed this draft and teams are going to be very lucky to get 1 or possibly 2 starters out of this draft and a # of them won't start for a year or 2.
The stronger GM's will excel in this draft because of their ability to project a prospect 2 or 3 years down the road, the weaker GM's are going to end up with a lot of busts even in round 1 because they lack these skills. You had better look at your GM's record as a drafter in a weak draft like this to see if you have any chance for success.

[Caddy]

I really don't understand what makes Ayers a top 5 prospect.

[Iamcanadian]

I really don't understand what makes Ayers a top 5 prospect.

It's simple, the talent in round 1 is exceptionally weak and Ayers has shown more at the Senior Bowl and the combine than a lot of the so called other top 5 talents. In fact, the top 5 is so weak that players with real bust poitential are being placed there by default.

[Addict]

This is an exceptional weak draft with little in the way of elite talent and little depth as well. The combine 40's for the skill players exposed this draft and teams are going to be very lucky to get 1 or possibly 2 starters out of this draft and a # of them won't start for a year or 2.
The stronger GM's will excel in this draft because of their ability to project a prospect 2 or 3 years down the road, the weaker GM's are going to end up with a lot of busts even in round 1 because they lack these skills. You had better look at your GM's record as a drafter in a weak draft like this to see if you have any chance for success.

I don't really agree with you on 1-2 starters. I think this draft may surprise people. We got a little spoiled with two loaded drafts in years passed I think.

[Caddy]

It's simple, the talent in round 1 is exceptionally weak and Ayers has shown more at the Senior Bowl and the combine than a lot of the so called other top 5 talents. In fact, the top 5 is so weak that players with real bust poitential are being placed there by default.

I guess so. I really don't like the fact that a guy can have a solid showing at the senior bowl and come from nowhere to being a top 5 ranked player.

[DiG]

I see Maualuga dropping well into the 2nd round.

I'm surprised by this. I think he grades out as the best of the three USC backers in the right scheme. He doesn't fit every scheme but I think the ones he does he could be very successful.

[parrish_lemar24DBSkins]

Ayers had 9 sacks TOTAL for his four year career.

And Michael Johnson had inconsistent production in college?

I'm very curious to see who drafts him and in what round.

[MarioPalmer]

I actaully like the rankings, I think there are some things that I disagree with but for the most part he has an excellent grasp of talent and how college players transition to the NFL.

The Robert Ayers slot though is intriguing to say the least and I don't think he is nearly the best DE in this draft, but if your looking for a solid RDE then I guess he would be your guy. I don't see Ayers as a legit pass rush threat coming off the edge like Orakpo, who has shown his expolision off the line and has the agility and speed to get around the edge and beat the tackle.

Also, I think it's a bit unfaur to not have Rey Maualuga in his top 20, yet have Larry English in it. It doesn't mean that Rey wouldn't be in his last 12 spots as his top 32 players, but I still have Rey ranked as a top 20 player in this draft. English is still abit of a question mark to me. I think with him playing against weaker competition in college and him not having a real legit position yet, is still abit high for him to be ranked. He isn't iverly athletic like DeMarcus Ware was coming out of Troy that justified him being ranked and picked where he was, and he hasn't blown people away with his workouts and interviews. So I have a hard time believeing that English is a better prsospect that Maybin, Mathews and Everett Brown. Who have all played against elite college competition and have excelled when giving the chance to prove themselves in workouts.

Another problem, is that Raji is too far down in the draft. It's all but a lock that Cincy will take him if Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith won't be there for them to take, so you have to have Raji as a top 10 pick. Plus he is without a doubt the most dominant defensive lineman in the draft. That alone makes him a top 10 prospect. I used to be very stad-offish with Raji, but the more I watch him and the more I see his games and his Senior Bowl practices I can't help but believe that this guy is a certified stud that will be a huge run plugger in the NFL from day one with thepotential to be an outstanding pass rusher in the mold of Booger McFarland. Raji shouild be at least in the top 10 of his list.

I still think Crabtree is too high. I can't think of the last receiver that didn't particpate in the Combine nor his workout and still be drafted on his college play alone. I mean even Willis McGahee ran a little just to show that his rehab was coming along smoothly. Crabtree's height also bothers me. Don't get me wrong, if Crabtree turns out to be Dwayne Bowe then he is definitly worth a top 15 pick, but if thats all he is then he doesn't deserve to be higher than other prospects that have elite potential. Crabtree just doesn't make a splash for me, I think he will be a very good wide out and at best he will be the next Anquin Bolden, but I think right now with this injury and him not participating in any workouts is a bit of a let down and I wouldn't have him as a top 5 prospect let alone a top 3.

The more I educate myself on these players and try and predict how these kids will translate to the NFL, the more I get dissapointed. I was very very high on this draft back in Jan and Feb, now I can't help but think that it might be another 2005 NFL Draft, that will have very few eye popping studs in the first round. Hopefully Stafford and Sanchez pane out and become franchise QBs because I think if they both faulter then this draft will be in the tank as one of the worst ones.

[PossibleCabbage]

Another problem, is that Raji is too far down in the draft. It's all but a lock that Cincy will take him if Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith won't be there for them to take, so you have to have Raji as a top 10 pick. Plus he is without a doubt the most dominant defensive lineman in the draft. That alone makes him a top 10 prospect.

I believe it's sort of a philosophical thing about putting together lists of the top prospects. Do you rank them based on who you think the first 20 (or whatever number) to be drafted will be, or do you rank them based on who are the 20 best players, regardless of position?

I don't have a problem with Mayock saying that "there are at least 10 players in the draft who are better players than Raji", since that may well be true. But you're absolutely right in saying that there's no way Raji makes it out of the top 10, since he plays such an important position. It's the same case with the QBs. I don't know that many people believe that Sanchez/Stafford is the best player in the draft, but most believe that one of the two will be the first selected overall simply because the QB position is so important.

I think, reading Mayock list, he's projecting "who he thinks will have the best NFL careers" rather than "who will be drafted when." Which explains the omission of several players from the list, Mayock simply thinks that a player that other people might be high on probably won't work out well in the NFL. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see if Maualuga and Brown are much less successful than their draft positions might suggest, while a guy like Ayers or English will be much more successful than his draft position would suggest. That's the important difference between a "top prospects list" and a "mock draft", you're allowed to be opinionated about "player x isn't very good", "player y is totally underrated" in a prospects list.

[Iamcanadian]

I don't really agree with you on 1-2 starters. I think this draft may surprise people. We got a little spoiled with two loaded drafts in years passed I think.

Well, as Detroit fans we both hope Mayhew has a real successful draft but realistically his resume scares me as to his ability to be a productive drafting GM. It is totally blank when it comes to the draft.
Some teams with good GM's will have a successful draft, they almost always do but teams that don't have a solid GM will suffer. Even weak drafts produce stars as the 2003 draft showed but there is no guarantees among the higher 1st round picks. The GM just has to be able to project a player 2 or 3 years down the road. Let's hope Mayhew has that ability!!!

[Diehard]

I think, reading Mayock list, he's projecting "who he thinks will have the best NFL careers" rather than "who will be drafted when."

I agree. His 5-6-7 picks, which many will disagree with, point in this direction. They're "safe" choices - guys with all-around games, solid if not flashy. It seems to me he's saying "these guys can be successful in the NFL", rather than who has the most potential... perhaps because potential that is not realized is worth jack **** at the end of the day.

Maybe he's just more focused on the deficits of players rather than their assets, i.e. what is it that will prevent a prospect from being successful at the next level. Sometimes casual observers (and I'd put myself in that category) get dazzled by the highlights rather than looking critically at the whole package.

Of course, all of this is somewhat refuted by the fact he likes Josh Freeman...