2011 NFL Draft: Who Could Be This Year's Jay Ratliff?

Jay Ratliff has become the standard for seventh-round draft picks in the league.

He was the 222nd player chosen in the 2005 NFL Draft, the same year the ‘Boys picked DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears.

Ratliff is, hands down, the best 3-4 nose tackle in the NFC East and some may argue that he’s one of the best in the league.

He can sometimes get swallowed up by huge centers because of his size, but Ratliff is able to alter so many plays at the line of scrimmage due to his versatility and creativity.

Teams are built on players chosen in the latter rounds, like Jay Ratliff, but who may fill those shoes for the ‘Boys this year?

Let’s take a look at five players Jerry Jones and his kid may target in the later rounds.

1. Kelvin Sheppard, ILB, LSU

For me, personally, I can’t understand why Sheppard is going so low.

Professionally, I get it because of Sheppard’s shortcomings. However, I think that my man from the bayou has the goods to become a heck of an NFL player.

Sheppard has nice size, great speed and he has great field vision. I’ve seen projections as high as the third round for Kelvin and as low as the sixth round for homie.

But he has high potential and will develop quickly.

2. Roy Helu, RB, Nebraska

Helu rushed for over 300 yards in a single game last season in the rough and tough former Big 12 football conference.

Helu can run with the best of them, but he has issues with blocking and picking up the blitz. Due to his ineptness as a blocker (well, partly), Helu will either go in the seventh round or undrafted.

If Helu is able to develop into a decent enough blocker to where his offensive coordinator and quarterback trust him, then there is no reason to believe that he can’t turn into one of the league’s best rushers.

3. Lee Ziemba, OT, Auburn

Lee Ziemba’s stock is actually falling and I believe it’s due to his lack of athleticism.

Ziemba is a pretty huge guy as he weighs 317 pounds and is a decent pass blocker, but Lee is going to need a decent amount of development before he turns into, say, the next Joe Thomas.

If he’s able to improve his hip movement, then he could be a very good tackle for a very long time.

4. Chris Rucker, CB, Michigan State

The knock on Rucker will be his character.

He had some issues at state and I’m sure his suspension due to his DUI will be replayed over and over in plenty a war room come draft day.

But I think his speed and potential will force teams to take a chance on him and Rucker will repay them. I'm not saying that he’s the next Deion Sanders or anything, but his upside far outweighs the negatives.

5. Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State

I really like Dane due to his potential as a special teams guy. He has decent speed and may actually work out as a slot guy.

He’s projected to go in the sixth round, but his stock is still rising.

Like any late-round pick, he’ll need a little development, but enough to where he could be the team’s next Jay Ratliff.