National Scouting Grades

[Alo]

Some interesting stuff for those of you who follow the draft process closely.

National Scouting Grades Arrive: D-Line Heavy!

Anticipation of the grades handed the top senior prospects from the NFL’s scouting services reaches fever pitch every June. And as promised from our podcast of June 4th, TFYDraftInsider.net will break them down for you. Over the next week we will break down every position, looking at the highest rated prospects and who surprisingly received low grades. Tonight we start with the top 25, the players left out of that mix and a few big names from the ranks of the small schools.

National Scouting Top 25

1) Prince Amukamara/CB/Nebraska/7.3: NU’s talented corner ties for the highest grade in the senior class.

2) Adrian Clayborn/DE/Iowa/7.3: Clayborn keeps up the recent trend of college speed rushers that are given the highest pre-season grade by the scouting services. Last year Greg Hardy was given the highest grade of any senior who took the field while Quentin Groves was the highest rated player in 2008, after Quentin Moses took the honor in ’07. Hardy was a sixth round pick last year while Groves and Moses have been busts in the NFL. Clayborn was a verified 6’3’’/287lbs.

3) Mark Herzlich/OLB/Boston College/7.2: Herzlich’s grade, 7.2, is the same as the one he received last year after his cancer diagnoses.

4) Allen Bailey/DL/Miami-Fl/6.9:

5) Von Miller/OLB/Texas A&M/6.9: Miller, who plays defensive end for the Aggies, is listed as an outside linebacker by National Scouting.

6) Greg Romeus/DE/Pittbugh/6.8: Romeus’ measurements are a verified 6051/267lbs.

7) Marvin Austin/DT/North Carolina/6.7:

8 ) Christian Ponder/QB/Florida State/6.7: Ponder scored a big number on the pre-season Wonderlic.

9) Jake Locker/QB/Washington/6.7:

10) Stephen Paea/DT/Oregon State/6.5: Paea gave serious thought to entering last years draft. We compare him favorably to Sedrick Ellis. His measurements are a verified 6013/306.

11) Anthony Castonzo/T/Boston College/6.5: We are surprised Castonzo is the highest rated tackle, a grade we don’t agree with. He is another who scored very well on the pre-season wonderlic.

12) Pernell McPhee/DE/Mississippi State/6.4:

13) Stefen Wisneiwski/C/Penn State/6.4:

14) Jeremy Beal/DE/Oklahoma/6.3:

15) Ross Homan/ILB/Ohio State/6.3: Another player we think is rated way to high.

16) DeMarcus Love/T/Arkansas/6.3:

17) DeMarco Murray/RB/Oklahoma/6.3: This makes Murray the highest rated senior running back.

18) Niles Paul/WR/Nebraska/6.3: At 6011/222lbs, Paul is the highest rated senior receiver.

19) James Smith/CB/Colorado/6.2: Smith was on the verge of entering the draft this year.

20) Ras-I Dowling/CB/Virginia/6.2: The more we watch Dowling the more we like him. Pre-draft 40-time will be critical.

21) Jabaal Sheard/DE/Pittsburgh/6.2: Sheard is a terrific player and a solid 4-3 end but gets overlooked playing with Romeus. His verified measurements of 6027/254 is a good sign.

22) Jerrell Powe/DT/Mississippi/6.2: When all is said and done we think Powe will make a big rise up boards.

23) Bruce Carter/OLB/North Carolina/6.2: In our opinion, the top senior linebacker moving toward 2010.

24) Derek Sherrod/T/Mississippi State/6.2: Sherrod is a tackle we’ve like for some time now and wrote about extensively last year.

25) Rodney Hudson/G/Florida State/6.1: One of the better zone blocking guards to come around in a while.

More here.

[mz.]

8 ) Christian Ponder/QB/Florida State/6.7: Ponder scored a big number on the pre-season Wonderlic.

9) Jake Locker/QB/Washington/6.7:

I saw this when you tweeted it last night, Aaron.

Ponder over Locker. This is almost shocking to me. Not because I don't believe it, but because others might be starting to see it, too. I'll take the uber-cerebral guy over the toolsy guy with the questionable head any day.

How high must have Ponder scored on the Wonderlic to get rated this highly? Alex Smith-high?? Everything I've watched that you posted on youtube etc. shows a guy with the basics down but some work to do.

I'm excited to watch Ponder and Luck this year. Those guys just seem to be the Manning/Brady/Brees cerebral with decent tools types I gravitate towards.

[Solon16]

Bruce Carter/OLB/North Carolina/6.2: In our opinion, the top senior linebacker moving toward 2010.

He's probably rated as OLB in pro's but I hope we go 9-7 then draft him at ILB! Dude is SOLID!

[Alo]

Originally Posted by mz.

How high must have Ponder scored on the Wonderlic to get rated this highly? Alex Smith-high?? Everything I've watched that you posted on youtube etc. shows a guy with the basics down but some work to do.

Well, he's already got his undergrad degree and an MBA, so you know he's very good in the classroom.

Also, Ponder's playing in an offense that should provide an easier adjustment to the NFL than Alex Smith had. He seems to be a very good leader as well, which was something of a problem for Alex Smith earlier in his career (though understandably so, given that he sucked & Mike Nolan didn't like him).

[Alo]

Originally Posted by Solon16

Bruce Carter/OLB/North Carolina/6.2: In our opinion, the top senior linebacker moving toward 2010.

He's probably rated as OLB in pro's but I hope we go 9-7 then draft him at ILB! Dude is SOLID!

I'm not a huge fan of Carter: he's a great athlete, but I'm not sure he's a special difference-making LB.

As such, I kind of took National's #23 ranking as validation for my opinion. The guys at NFLDraftScout have Carter going at #3 and #11 in their mocks; I've got him much lower.

[Legacy Fan]

I hate to immediately jump ship on Colt (I'm not, by the way), but I am excited to watch Ponder bounce back from his injury.

I like him considerably more than Locker.

[Solon16]

Originally Posted by Alo

I'm not a huge fan of Carter: he's a great athlete, but I'm not sure he's a special difference-making LB.

As such, I kind of took National's #23 ranking as validation for my opinion. The guys at NFLDraftScout have Carter going at #3 and #11 in their mocks; I've got him much lower.

I of course think he is special LB....so is sturdivant IMO. Me likey Von Miller as well!

[King of Kings]

Originally Posted by Solon16

I of course think he is special LB....so is sturdivant IMO. Me likey Von Miller as well!

Hell yeah, I wouldn't mind Von Miller at all.

[Alo]

Some more great info from the folks at TFY Draft:

'10 National Grades: Quarterbacks

[King of Kings]

4) Nate Enderle/Idaho: Enderle could make a big move up boards. His grade of 5.8 translates to a third round selection. He’s got great size at a verified 6042/234lbs. His pre-season wonderlic was even higher than Ponder’s score and the best of any signal caller.

Interesting....

[mz.]

Ladies and gentleman, the next John Friesz!!!!!!

[Alo]

And I know this will surprise some people on this board:

8) Casey Keenum/Houston: Keenum was the first of back-to-back surprises. He also received a late round grade and is considered nothing more than a back-up on the NFL level at this point. Keenum seriously considered entering last April’s draft. 5th-7th