unofficial top 15 draft prospects

[bitonti]

Bitonti's very unofficial top 15 (with juniors)

1) RB Reggie Bush

2) OT DBrickashaw Ferguson

3) QB Jay Cutler

4) QB Matt Leinart

5) DT Haloti Ngata

6) OT Marcus McNeil

7) DE Mario Williams

8) OT Eric Winston

9) CB Jimmy Williams

10) DE Mathias Kiwaunka

11) RB Deangelo Williams

12) LB AJ Hawk

13) LB Chad Greenway

14) OT Andrew Whitworth

15) OT Jon Scott

(YES i like Cutler better than Leinart - based on pure tools and imagining what Leinart would do with Vanderbilt's so called supporting cast - all it would take for this to happen is a great Senior Bowl from Cutler and crap workouts from Leinart)

players like QB Brady Quinn, OT Joe Thomas, DE Adam Carriker are on this list if they declare... but i don't think they will.

[bman]

I'd love it if the jets can SOMEHOWw land Williams (by trading down, and then Cutler and an OT in rd 2..

)

[Maxman]

5 OT's in the first 15 picks? Wow.

[faba]

We are picking in the right year to try to rebuild the offensive line because this sdraft is deep at offensive tackles especially

That is one reason I am more inclined to grab if at the top a playmaker that we badly need

[R44]

Bit has strong liking (football wise) for 1) Samoans 2) Offensive tackles, so he tends to subjectively skew his opinions in a very "predictable way"

According to Bit, me and his brother Ben, a behind the scenes contributor, have similar draft attitudes....smart fellow

By the way, watchout fore Mike Huff of Texas, he could easily displace Williams as the elite S/CB.....

Hey Bit, when do start the top 100 list....That should cool...I'll just copy and paste all the names and don't have to worry about typos.

[Maxman]

Bit has strong liking (football wise) for 1) Samoans 2) Offensive tackles, so he tends to subjectively skew his opinions in a very "predictable way"

Holy crap...R44 is on fire today.

Bit likes Somoan men. Interesting. I don't think I read any of that info on the draft daddy blog. Total censorship!

[bitonti]

Hey Bit, when do start the top 100 list....That should cool...I'll just copy and paste all the names and don't have to worry about typos.

ask and ye shall receive - check your PM

[Bugg]

Do you think the fact that Leinart won the Hesiman last year and Bush has become USC's main weapon has just caused everyone to look for reasons to dislike Leinart just to be contrarian? Is this based on talent and projection as an NFL QB or more people trying to knock him to be too cool for the room?

Bradway said the other night that many people had Leaf rated higher since they were looking for reasons to poormouth Peyton Manning. Is something similar happening?

[bitonti]

Do you think the fact that Leinart won the Hesiman last year and Bush has become USC's main weapon has just caused everyone to look for reasons to dislike Leinart just to be contrarian? Is this based on talent and projection as an NFL QB or more people trying to knock him to be too cool for the room?

Bradway said the other night that many people had Leaf rated higher since they were looking for reasons to poormouth Peyton Manning. Is something similar happening?

Bugg to be honest it's possible I am wrong. I am definately going against consensus with this ranking. I have given it alot of thought though.

a main reason why I particularly don't love Matt Leinart (especially for the Jets) can be summed up in his game against UCLA. It was a windy so-cal day (i don't know how that compares to a windy meadowlands day it probably doesn't) - his balls were getting absolutely manhandled by the elements.

If this Chad Pennington thing has taught us anything it's that there's no substitute for Arm Strength.

People compared Chad to Joe Montana - that wasn't the case - Montana had an above average arm and could make any throw on the field. he didn't have a howitzer like Elway or Farve but he could get it done. Tom Brady is like Montana. Chad... well Chad is like Matt Leinart. And that scares me.

If I am a GM i don't want a guy who gets by with accuracy and guile and soft loopy balls.

There are gonna be times when it's cold playoff football with players bearing down on the QB, that guy is going to have to rocket it around the field to have any chance. The defense is going to have to respect the deep ball or they will blitz like animals.

In the right setting - a dome team perhaps (New Orleans) Matt Leinart could be very very successful. Also don't get me wrong he is gonna go high. But he doesn't have above average arm strength.

More than that he has been surrounded with possibly the greatest supporting cast in the last 20 years of college football. He has two first round backs, a first round WR, a third round TE and at least one first rounder on the OL. How hard is it to be Matt Leinart? Ok sure it's not easy to win 37 games but can we imagine Leinart being as much of a winner if he is playing with the 1-AA level scrubs that Jay Cutler plays with? I don't think so.

[RSJ]

Mike Mayock(sp?) of NFL Network also said that scouts are predicting Cutler will get drafted ahead of Leinart. Better tools and tougher.

[sirlancemehlot]

- his balls were getting absolutely manhandled by the elements.

i don't want a guy who gets by with accuracy and guile and soft loopy balls.

.

so much fot total sensorship, eh, max.

Apologies to Bit for being 12yrs. old for a moment.

[Maxman]

JerryK started a very good thread about this the other day. How much are these U.S.C. guys benefitting from each other?

[Scott Dierking]

Matt-Where would you see Posluszny going in relation to Hawke, if he comes out.

PSU guys ususally stay, but it will be tempting for hi. He and Hawke have some similarities.

I agree on Cutler-The kid is tough and a born leader. He has absorbed a lot of hits at Vandy and also played a lot of desperation football drives where he had to lead his team back. I like QB's that have faced adversity like that

[bitonti]

Matt-Where would you see Posluszny going in relation to Hawke, if he comes out.

PSU guys ususally stay, but it will be tempting for hi. He and Hawke have some similarities.

any other year (including next year) i see "the puz" as a mid-late first rounder - but this year he might even slip to the second because his measurables aren't amazing and it's just a stacked group across the board. he will probably stay in school.

[Scott Dierking]

any other year (including next year) i see "the puz" as a mid-late first rounder - but this year he might even slip to the second because his measurables aren't amazing and it's just a stacked group across the board. he will probably stay in school.

Thanks, Bit. I always enjoy reading your stuff

[bitonti]

Thanks, Bit. I always enjoy reading your stuff

i forgot to mention - that being said - if Puz declares and goes in the second he will definately be a steal for someone. He will be a player in the league there's no doubt in my mind - the question you asked was about draft positioning - in terms of being a pro i think he's about as close to can't miss as they make. he has the eye of the tiger.

[Stonehands]

This draft is a success if we can go RB/LT with our first two picks in any combination. That would go a long way towards rebuilding this offense.

[GlennFoley]

13) LB Chad Greenway

Bitonti, you lost all credibility with this.

Greenway is a typical Iowa plough jockey. He is by far the DIRTIEST and most overrated player in the Big 10..

I remember one incident this year. Northwestern was coming back, and Greenway realized that the game was slipping away from Iowa so Greenway plowed into Basanez's helmet after the play was over hoping to give him a concussion as that was the only way Northwestern wasn't going to score..

I am positive that is what he was trying to do.. It was as late a hit as there is.. Even Northwesterns coach called him out after the game.

Greenway's production also dropped this year without the Big Dlineman he had from last year..

Greenway is a 3rd round pick at best IMO..

Greenway=Brian Bosworth

[R44]

Matt-Where would you see Posluszny going in relation to Hawke, if he comes out.

PSU guys ususally stay, but it will be tempting for hi. He and Hawke have some similarities.

I agree on Cutler-The kid is tough and a born leader. He has absorbed a lot of hits at Vandy and also played a lot of desperation football drives where he had to lead his team back. I like QB's that have faced adversity like that

SD, we were all over Cutler from the start, while the "pay sites" were pumping out B.S about glorified RB's and a bunch MAC QB's that were putting up #'s in 58-57 joke games......Some sites in August didn't have him among the top 20 QB's in his class

1) I read about a zillion articles for the blog and knew for a fact NFL types loved him...

2) Bit told me this summer find us some "traditional QB's", that are 6-4 or 6-5 that can thow the ball -- we came up with Quinn (who no one liked before this season) and Stanton, who did well until he played the last 3 games with a broken finger....

Looking ahead, who's the next Cutler among the juniors?

Maybe Jordan Palmer of UTEP or Jeff Rowe of Nevada or Isiah Stanback of Washington or Sam Hollenbach of Maryland or Sam Keller of ASU....

Not sure who it is, but we'll find him before Kiper does

**********

Matt did a nice job on Poz.....Some think he'd be a lock #1 pick if he comes out, but truth is he's not a workout warrior, so he's better off staying and owning the next draft....

BTY, some say his teammate Dan Connor is that workout warrior/ future star....

Here's what I wrote about Poz and will post it soon (I also want to add another name too):

MLB Paul Posluszny ~ Penn State -- Poz handed Lions fans an early Christmas present when he informed the media he'd stay for his senior season. NFL Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham, a PSU alumnus and current radio analyst, stated Poz is the best linebacker to ever play at PSU. How about that for praise? He projects as a first round pick when he's ready to play in the NFL.

MLB Patrick Willis ~ Mississippi -- Outstanding middle linebacker, with "star" written all over him. But he's only 20, so an extra season could help him immensely. Don't forget this name, he's real good.

.

[Barton]

Riggs and Bit:

What do you guys think of Ernie Sims?

I saw him play, and he is an exciting player.

But is he just more of a great athlete right now, than a football player?

[bitonti]

13) LB Chad Greenway

Bitonti, you lost all credibility with this.

Greenway is a typical Iowa plough jockey. He is by far the DIRTIEST and most overrated player in the Big 10..

I remember one incident this year. Northwestern was coming back, and Greenway realized that the game was slipping away from Iowa so Greenway plowed into Basanez's helmet after the play was over hoping to give him a concussion as that was the only way Northwestern wasn't going to score..

I am positive that is what he was trying to do.. It was as late a hit as there is.. Even Northwesterns coach called him out after the game.

Um... your point being?

This is the NFL not tiddly winks. I agree he makes dumb penalties but they are almost always due to over-aggressiveness. Coaches can live with that rather than the alternative, being a wussy.

Let's be real a guy like Greenway you hate when he's on the other team but you love when he's on your team. Call it the Bill Rominowski factor if you will (btw Greenway is a legit athlete, unlike Romo). That guy will spend his free time thinking of ways to hurt the other team on the field that's something every team needs.

---

RE Ernie Sims - i think he's flat out nasty. NASTY. sure he could do with another year to increase bulk etc. but some of the best linebacking I have seen all year. Very productive. He has the ability to take over games, and he has... and he could do likewise in the NFL. Again, probably not a guy you want your daughter showing up with in tow but that's the nature of the league.

[StillerPaul]

Mike Mayock(sp?) of NFL Network also said that scouts are predicting Cutler will get drafted ahead of Leinart. Better tools and tougher.

Speaking of him, how do you guys feel about Mike Mayock? I like the in-depth job he does of breaking players down and going over their strengths and weaknesses.