NFL Training Camp Preview: 32 Best Value Rookies With Video
With training camps in less than a month, NFL teams are looking for the best value from their draft picks. Even though many of the rookies will not play as often as they or their team would like in 2010, there is still plenty to be said about many of these players.
The following is a selection of one rookie from each team's 2010 draft class who may become the best value for them either in 2010 or down the road.
Arizona Cardinals: John Skelton, Quarterback
1 of 32Round Five, Pick 155
College: Fordham
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 243
Skelton may not see too much playing time with the Cards in his rookie year, but with questions surrounding incumbent starting quarterback Matt Leinart and the inconsistencies of backup Derek Anderson, Skelton could turn into a great value pick if his number gets called on to play quarterback in Arizona in 2011 or beyond.
Atlanta Falcons: Mike Johnson, Guard
2 of 32Round Three, Pick 98
College: Alabama
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 312
Johnson was a solid blocker in both the running and passing attacks at Alabama, and his ability to control the line of scrimmage will be key in opening holes for Falcons' running back Michael Turner in 2010.
Baltimore Ravens: Sergio Kindle, Linebacker
3 of 32Round Two, Pick 43
College: Texas
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 250
Kindle was projected to be taken as high as in the middle of the first round in many mock drafts leading up to draft day.
As the Ravens always do in their drafts, they ignored their biggest needs and chose the best player available on their draft board with Kindle.
Adding Kindle to a defense that is already scary in the eyes of fellow AFC North teams will help make a successful pass rush even better in 2010.
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Buffalo Bills: Ed Wang, Offensive Tackle
4 of 32Round Five, Pick 140
College: Virgina Tech
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 314
Wang is a purebred athlete, since both of his parents were Olympics athletes themselves.
He may be a bit raw, but his talent potential is very high, and he can help jump-start the Bills' running game, especially with the addition of highly explosive running back C.J. Spiller.
Carolina Panthers: Eric Norwood, Linebacker
5 of 32Round Four, Pick 124
College: South Carolina
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 245
Norwood may be a bit shorter than the prototypical linebacker, but he will be a welcome addition to a Panthers defensive unit that is rebuilding in the wake of losing Pro Bowler Julius Peppers.
Chicago Bears: Dan LeFevour, Quarterback
6 of 32Round Six, Pick 181
College: Central Michigan
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 238
This choice for the Bears' best value pick is not meant to discredit current starting quarterback Jay Cutler, but if Cutler cannot shed his cavalier attitude and gunslinger mentality and protect the football better, LeFevour may get a chance to get into the lineup within the next few years.
Cincinnati Bengals: Jordan Shipley, Wide Receiver
7 of 32Round Three, Pick 84
College: Texas
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 193
Said to be similar to Patriots' star receiver Wes Welker, Shipley should easily fill the role in the slot vacated by T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Shipley will be quarterback Carson Palmer's new favorite target on the Bengals' roster in 2010 and for a very long time.
Cleveland Browns: Carlton Mitchell, Wide Receiver
8 of 32Round Six, Pick 177
College: South Florida
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 215
The Browns have huge question marks at the receiver position in 2010 with a full stable of young, inexperienced potential.
Even though it has been said that Mitchell is still a very raw talent, he could find himself as the team's No. 3 or No. 4 receiver in 2010 with a solid showing in training camp practices and preseason games.
The Browns need a true No. 1 receiver, and Mitchell has the attributes that teams look for in one, but it is up to him to fight through the ever-difficult transition that rookie receivers often face in the NFL.
Dallas Cowboys: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Cornerback
9 of 32Round Four, Pick 126
College: Indiana
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 207
Owusu-Ansah is one of those defensive backs who could play either cornerback or safety at the NFL level because of his height and weight.
The Cowboys have a need at safety after releasing Ken Hamlin, and training camp will tell if Owusu-Ansah is the answer as Hamlin's replacement or if he is better suited as a nickel back covering slot receivers his rookie season.
Denver Broncos: Eric Decker, Wide Receiver
10 of 32Round Three, Pick 87
College: Minnesota
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 217
Broncos' fans may question this choice, saying that Tim Tebow or Demaryius Thomas should be listed instead, but until Tebow is named the starter or Thomas blows away the competition in training camp, Decker is the choice.
Whether Kyle Orton or Brady Quinn start at quarterback this season, both players benefit from a short, possession-style passing attack, and that fits Decker's abilities perfectly.
Detroit Lions: Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle
11 of 32Round One, Pick Two
College: Nebraska
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 307
Some will wonder why the No. 2 overall pick is listed for the Lions, and that reason is simple.
Suh is the most touted defensive lineman to come into the NFL since Warren Sapp, and getting him with the No. 2 pick is tremendous value for the Lions, since Suh should have been picked No. 1 overall by the Rams instead of Sam Bradford.
Lions' fans will chat "SUH!" at Ford Field every time he makes a play for a very, very long time.
Green Bay Packers: Bryan Bulaga, Offensive Tackle
12 of 32Round One, Pick 23
College: Iowa
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 314
Bulaga was projected to be picked as high as No. 5 overall, but instead he fell right into the laps of the Packers at No. 23.
After suffering a string of injuries on their offensive line in 2009, the Packers needed to add depth, and with their pick they got a player who was rated as high as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the 2010 draft class by many draft experts.
Houston Texans: Dorin Dickerson, Wide Receiver
13 of 32Round Seven, Pick 227
College: Pittsburgh
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 226
A tight end in college, Dickerson will reportedly be converted into a wide receiver in the NFL, which better suits him based on his weight, but he may have to drop a few pounds too.
Extremely fast, Dickerson will only get faster if he sheds some pounds, and this would also increase his ability to be elusive, which is already impressive as shown in the highlights provided.
Dickerson could be a fantastic complement to Pro Bowler Andre Johnson in a few years as long as he can make the transition to receiver.
Indianapolis Colts: Jacques McClendon, Guard
14 of 32
Round Four, Pick 129
College: Tennessee
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 308
McClendon is a safe pick for the Colts since their offensive line is not getting any younger, and McClendon can take a year or two to get used to the speed and strength of the NFL before becoming one of Peyton Manning's protectors.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Fans Choice Pick
15 of 32
The Jaguars are a very tough pick.
So tough that Jags fans will need to choose a player from their 2010 draft class as the "best value pick."
Here are their choices:
Round 1, pick 10 - Tyson Alualu, DE, California
Round 3, pick 74 - D'Anthony Smith, DT, Louisiana Tech
Round 5, pick 143 - Larry Hart, DE, Central Arkansas
Round 5, pick 153 - Austen Lane, DE, Murray State
Round 6, pick 180 - Deji Karim, RB, Southern Illinois
Round 6, pick 203 - Scotty McGee, KR, James Madison
As you can see it is indeed a tough pick here, but one thing is for sure: The Jags wanted to beef up their defensive line, and they surely did, using their first four picks on defensive lineman.
Kansas City Chiefs: Javier Arenas, Cornerback
16 of 32Round Two, Pick 50
College: Alabama
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 197
Arenas was seen going in the first round of mock drafts leading up to draft day, but he fell out of the first, possibly because of his shorter height for an NFL cornerback.
Regardless, the Chiefs got a potential playmaker for their secondary, and Arenas can return punts and kicks if needed (highly unlikely though with Dexter McCluster on the roster too).
Miami Dolphins: Reshad Jones, Safety
17 of 32Round Five, Pick 163
College: Georgia
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 214
The Dolphins' secondary has high potential, but with all the young and inexperienced talent on the roster, it is still a big question mark too.
Jones has a chance to see many reps on game day if he can showcase his talents during training camp.
Minnesota Viking: Everson Griffen, Defensive End
18 of 32Round Four, Pick 100
College: USC
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 273
The Vikings already have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL, and they really do not need Griffen to fill a hole immediately barring any injuries, which means Griffen can learn from Jared Allen and the others first before becoming a starter in the NFL.
New England Patriots: Taylor Price, Wide Receiver
19 of 32Round Three, Pick 90
College: Ohio
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 204
Pats' coach Bill Belichick may have found yet another diamond in the rough in the third round of the 2010 draft.
Price has great hands and speed, and his addition to an offense that is already dangerous in the air is more than a perfect fit for Price and the Pats.
With Welker still recovering from a terrible knee injury in 2009, Price's role may be expanded as a rookie, and if he can perform to the highest of standards that Pats fans' expect from their team, fans will quickly fall in love with Price's playmaking abilities.
New Orleans Saints: Jimmy Graham, Tight End
20 of 32Round Three, {ick 95
College: Miami
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 260
Yes the Saints have tight end Jeremy Shockey, but the Saints were smart in drafting Graham since Shockey has a history of injuries.
Enter Graham, who is a former basketball player, much like Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates was coming into the NFL.
The addition of Graham to this potent Saints offense means that he could easily become one of the top-producing tight ends in the NFL very early in his career.
Fantasy Footballers take note of Graham and keep an on eye him for the next few years.
New York Giants: Mitch Petrus, Guard
21 of 32Round Five, Pick 147
College: Arkansas
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 310
Petrus was the strongest man at the NFL Combine, tying a combine record with 45 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press.
The Giants needed to add to their offensive line to not only help protect quarterback Eli Manning, but also to help jump start their running game behind Brandon Jacobs, who had a tough year in 2009, not even breaking the 1,000 yard mark.
New York Jets: Kyle Wilson, Cornerback
22 of 32Round One, Pick 29
College: Boise State
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 194
Wilson was rumored to be going as high as the No. 5 overall pick, but instead he fell in the first round and fell right to the Jets.
The Jets did not need another cornerback after trading for Antonio Cromartie earlier in the offseason and still having Pro Bowl sensation Darrelle Revis, but Jets; coach Rex Ryan went with picking the best overall player left on their board over need in the first round.
Wilson will most likely be penciled in as the nickel back, and he will probably return kicks and punts in 2010 as well, but his real value is his ability to cover. Ryan uses many defensive formations that call for three cornerbacks on the field at the same time, and
the trio of Revis, Cromartie, and Wilson may see opposing offenses running the ball more often than they would like in 2010.
Oakland Raiders: Bruce Campbell, Offensive Tackle
23 of 32Round Four, Pick 106
College: Maryland
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 314
The obvious choice for the Raiders is Campbell, who was projected to be their pick in the first round because of his tremendous athletic ability for a 300-plus pound lineman.
After the Raiders passed on him in the first round, Campbell fell harder than possibly any other player in the 2010 draft class, and if he uses that as motivation to succeed in the NFL, then look out because he has all the intangibles to be a top-tier lineman as long as he wants to.
Philadelphia Eagles: Charles Scott, Running Back
24 of 32Round Six, Pick 200
College: LSU
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 238
A former Heisman prospect, Scott was derailed in 2009 because of injury.
Now he faces an uphill battle to redeem himself in the NFL, and with the Eagles cutting ties with Pro Bowler Brian Westbrook, they are in need of a big, bruising back to complement fellow running back LeSean McCoy's fast and elusive playing style.
Scott may have found a home in Philly as long as he is fully recovered and can once again pound defenders between the tackles.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Jonathan Dwyer, Running Back
25 of 32Round Six, Pick 188
College: Georgia Tech
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 229
The Steelers are in the midst of more drama than ownership and fans could have ever imagined, and since they will be without their two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback for at least the first four games of the 2010 season, they will have to go back to the ways of smash-mouth football.
Starting running back Rashard Mendenhall will take most of the carries during the season, but running backs need to get some rest during games as well, and the departure of Willie Parker leaves an opening for a new player to step in.
Dwyer can grind it out, so look for a three-headed monster of a power running game with Mendehall, Dwyer, and Mewelde Moore running hard against opponents in 2010.
San Diego Chargers: Donald Butler, Linebacker
26 of 32
Round Three, Pick 79
College: Washington
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 245
Butler should be able to bring his hard-hitting style to the Chargers' interior defense from day one.
A bit undersized to be an inside linebacker in the NFL, Butler makes up for it with jaw-rattling hits and speed.
Even if he doesn't crack the starting lineup this season, it will not be long until he is manning the middle of the field in San Diego.
San Francisco 49ers: Taylor Mays, Safety
27 of 32Round Two, Pick 49
College: USC
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 230
A gifted athlete for his size who has amazing speed too, Mays may have dropped from the middle of the first round because of experts questioning his true playmaking ability.
The Niners grabbed Mays up in the second not only because they needed a big presence in the defensive backfield, but also possibly because of coach Mike Singletary's fancy for defense, him being a Hall of Fame defender himself.
Singletary is the right type of coach who can make Mays into a top safety in the NFL.
Seattle Seahawks: Jameson Konz, Wide Reciever
28 of 32Round Seven, Pick 245
College: Kent State
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 227
A former linebacker and tight end with Kent State, Konz's pro day workout was only attended by the Cleveland Browns, but once word got out about Konz's freakishly athletic abilities, teams were flying Konz in left and right.
ESPN.com listed Konz as a tight end, but in an interview with Konz here, he said Seahawks' coaches were talking to him about being a receiver.
At 227 pounds Konz may be a bit too big to be a receiver, but he is also a bit too small to be a tight end too, so whether he can packs on the pounds or sheds some weight will determine where he will play on the football field.
Kent State has been a player in the NFL community in the last decade producing talents like Steelers' linebacker James Harrison, Chargers' tight end Antonio Gates, and Browns' return specialist Josh Cribbs.
Is Konz next on this list?
St. Louis Rams: Jerome Murphy, Cornerback
29 of 32Round Three, Pick 65
College: South Florida
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 196
The Rams are a team in rebuilding mode, and obviously top overall pick quarterback Sam Bradford will make some kind of impact starting from day one, but Murphy could too make an impact on defense.
With a defense that is low on talent, Murphy could step into the starting role or the nickel back role and make plays in the secondary his rookie year.
Tamps Bay Buccaneers: Brian Price, Defensive Tackle
30 of 32Round Two, Pick 35
College: UCLA
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 303
Bucs' fans will question why Gerald McCoy was not the choice here. The
reason is that the two will complement each other on the Bucs' interior defensive line.
A brand new interior to their defensive line will help the Bucs stand up against the opponents' running games and will also cause chaos to opposing quarterbacks' rhythm if either McCoy or Price can get penetration through the offensive line.
Tennessee Titans: Myron Rolle, Safety
31 of 32Round Six, Pick 207
College: Florida State
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 215
Rolle is a Rhodes Scholar, and everyone is questioning his commitment to playing pro football.
In his year abroad Rolle keep himself in top physical condition and was still able to impress many NFL scouts and coaches, which should have alleviated the commitment concerns, but it did not.
Rolle fell to the sixth round, and he is sure to use all the critical comments toward him as motivation to succeed.
A pissed off Rhodes Scholar could be a very good thing for the Titans and a very bad thing for the rest of the NFL.
Washington Redskins: Selvish Capers, Offensive Tackle
32 of 32
Round Seven, Pick 231
College: West Virgina
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 308
Capers will have hardly any pressure on him, unlike his fellow rookie offensive lineman and first round pick Trent Williams, who will have to perform at a very high level in 2010.
The advantage for Capers is that he is a big body who might actually be a better fit to move inside to guard, but there is no pressure on him to make it into the starting lineup in his rookie year. Capers can slowly adjust and learn the game and then become a starter in a few years.
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