2011 NFL Draft: Top 20 Prospects Who Could Run the Wildcat
The 2011 NFL Draft will have an excess of talented skill players.
Many of them will be able to be used if teams opt to run the Wildcat, the offensive scheme where a running back or another player lines up at the quarterback position and takes a direct snap. The University of Arkansas made it popular with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, and the Miami Dolphins began to use it with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams.
Running the Wildcat takes a fast, elusive player, and it doesn't necessarily have to be just a running back. Many thought, for instance, that when Tim Tebow was drafted by Denver, he could be a perfect option for the Wildcat, and Cleveland used one of its receivers today in the scheme.
Besides just cutting straight upfield, the Wildcat has also developed where that player can now pitch to another running back, throw play action seam passes or play action halfback passes.
While players still have until the middle of next month to declare whether they will enter the NFL Draft or return to college, we'll go ahead and speculate. Here are 20 players who could probably fit into the Wildcat and make it hum:
20. WR Damaris Johnson, Tulsa
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Think Johnson's stock may rise after his Hawaii Bowl performance? Johnson finished with 326 all-purpose yards in Tulsa's 62-35 win over Hawaii. The junior had two games with 100 yards receiving during the regular season, and also had six rushing touchdowns.
19. WR James Rodgers, Oregon State
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He doesn't have quite the shiftiness as his brother Jacquizz, but has been used on special teams and finished with the second-most receptions on the team this year. James had 44 catches for 287 yards and also averaged more yards per carry (4.8) than Jacquizz (4.6).
18. RB Jay Finley, Baylor
3 of 20
Finley had four games of over 100 yards rushing, finishing the regular season with 183 carries for 1,155 yards (6.3 average) and 11 touchdowns. He also had nine receptions for 76 yards (8.4).
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17. RB Damien Berry, Miami
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Here are two things that have almost become certainties: You'll always find talent at Miami, and you can always depend on their running backs being playmakers. Berry finished the regular season with 181 carries for 865 yards with five touchdowns, along with nine catches for 93 yards (10.3) and a score.
Not the typical numbers you're used to from a Miami running back, but I think it would be worth the gamble to line him up in the Wildcat and see what happens.
16. RB Da'Rel Scott, Maryland
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He split carries with D.J. Adams and Davin Meggett in the backfield, but still finished with 109 carries for 508 yards (4.7 avg.) and three touchdowns. He also had 14 catches for 170 yards (12.1) and three touchdowns.
15. RB Chad Spann, Northern Illinois
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The MAC's top rusher finished the regular season 20th in the nation in rushing with 1,293 yards. He's also finished with 20 touchdowns in back-to-back seasons, and had 15 carries for a career-high 223 yards against Minnesota this year.
14. RB Baron Batch, Texas Tech
7 of 20
It's been a down year for both the Red Raiders and Batch, who had 17 carries for 805 yards and five touchdowns. He also had 31 catches for 220 yards and three touchdowns. Not quite like his 2009 numbers (884 yards rushing), or 2008, when he averaged 10 yards per catch.
13. RB Evan Royster, Penn State
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Royster had consecutive 1,000-yard seasons as a sophomore and junior. He has 916 yards rushing right now and could top that mark in the bowl game. For his career, he's rushed for 3,834 yards and 29 touchdowns.
12. RB Mikel Leshoure, Illinois
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The Fighting Illini (6-6) finished fourth in The Big Ten, but were 13th in rushing, with 242.3 rushing yards per game. Leading the way was Leshoure. In 12 games, he has 252 carries for 1,513 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also has 15 catches for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
11. RB Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
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He's been a playmaker throughout his time with the Cowboys. It would make perfect sense to give him a shot at this.
10. RB Mark Ingram, Alabama
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He is similar to Darren McFadden in terms of hitting the edges and running straight through blockers. The Heisman Trophy winner led the Crimson Tide in rushing (816) again this year, and also had 20 catches for 252 yards. Ingram should be gone in the first round.
9. WR Jeremy Kerley, TCU
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Kerley's already had experience in the Wildcat at TCU. From the time he was a freshman, coach Gary Patterson found a way to get the ball to Kerley. This year, he finished with 517 yards receiving, 92 yards rushing and 12 total touchdowns.
8. RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
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Murray's continued to remain a playmaker throughout his career at Oklahoma, but he's become a much stronger runner over time, which will make him even more dangerous in the Wildcat.
7. RB Daniel Thomas, Kansas State
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He was ninth in rushing during the regular season with 1,495 yards and 16 touchdowns. Thomas had seven games with over 100 yards rushing, including two 200-yard performances.
6. QB Cam Newton, Auburn
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There is a heavy debate circulating about just how good a quarterback Newton will be in the NFL. That's for a different discussion, but the 6'6" Heisman Trophy winner rushed for 1,409 yards and almost became impossible for just one defender to take down.
5. WR Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma
16 of 20
He'll leave as perhaps the greatest receiver in Oklahoma history. Broyles will be one of the top receivers in the draft after the big three (A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Justin Blackmon) and is always a threat whenever he touches the ball.
4. WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State
17 of 20
Obviously he'll be a future No. 1 receiver and a return man for some team, but Blackmon has the ability to excel in the Wildcat. He finished the regular season with 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns.
3. WR A.J. Green, Georgia
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Players this talented can always make something happen wherever they are on the field. This has been obvious with Green ever since he came out of high school as one of the nation's top receivers.
2. CB Patrick Peterson, LSU
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The nation's top cornerback has shown himself to be dangerous as well on special teams. Earlier this year, there was talk of trying him out on offense and reports of him flinging 40-yard passes with ease.
1. RB Noel Devine, West Virginia
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Oklahoma had no answer for him when they played West Virginia in the Fiesta Bowl. Devine's got the speed, shiftiness and the ability to run both laterally and upfield. He would be perfect for the Wildcat.
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