A great draft can increase NFL
odds for a team…or you can be stuck with a Matt Leinart-like bust in the
first round. Here’s a look at who could be Leinart ’09.
Andre
Smith, Cincinnati
The former Alabama standout was taken sixth by the
bad-luck Bengals, and he was a consensus All-American last year. But he missed
the Sugar Bowl due to illegal agent activity, then he showed up to the NFL
combine out of shape. To top it off, Smith left the combine early and didn’t
tell anyone so he could go to Alabama’s Pro Day, but he was still overweight. He
still hasn’t signed with the Bengals either, meaning he’s behind on the
learning curve. This guy may make 1989 bust Tony Mandarich look like a
brilliant pick.
Darrius
Heyward-Bey, Oakland
The No.7 pick had a high of 786 yards in three seasons
at Maryland, and that came in his sophomore year, so yes, he took a dive in his
last year. But he’s really, really fast, as his 4.3 40-yard time was the best
at the combine. We’re betting management (specifically, Al “Speed
Kills” Davis) from Oakland fainted over that time and figured they had to have him.
The only possible win the Raiders can take from this is that Heyward-Bey is
signed, while Michael Crabtree is playing games with San Francisco. Still,
Heyward-Bey won’t be one of the online betting candidates for “Rookie of the Year”,
and you can write that in stone.
Malcolm
Jenkins, New Orleans
The Ohio State product was drafted 14th by
the Saints, who need all the defensive help they can get. Jenkins was the 2008
Thorpe Winner, given to the NCAA’s best defensive back, but he ran a relatively
slow 4.54 at the combine, and some think he’d be better suited at safety.
Another thing is that the Saints don’t have a pass rush, which means Jenkins
would be left in coverage for a long time, which isn’t a good thing for a
rookie’s psyche.
Larry
English, San Diego
He’s the least likely on this list to be a bust,
because quite frankly, no one heard much about English, the No.16 pick. He
played defensive end at Northern Illinois, where he was the MAC MVP for two
straight years, but he’ll be a pass-rushing linebacker in the Chargers’ 3-4
scheme. San Diego took a chance on Shawne Merriman in 2005, and he ended up
being Defensive Rookie of the Year. He’s either going to prove that you don’t
need to go to a “big” school to be one of the top NFL picks…or he’ll get
pushed all over the field.
Chris
“Beanie” Wells, Arizona
Depending on who you talk to, this guy could be a steal
or a bust. Wells was taken with the 31st pick after a great career
at Ohio State, but his junior year was bogged down by injuries. It’s probably
not a good sign that he hurt his ankle in preseason and could miss the start of
the year for the Cardinals, who need help badly in the backfield to balance out
the offense. With his talent, he can prove the “steal” people right. But if he
continues to get hurt, Arizona will be left wondering “what if?”, and their Super Bowl odds
will take a hit.