NFL Draft 2011: 10 Prospects Being Undervalued
The NFL draft is rapidly approaching, and I am checking all the mock drafts to see where these prospects are likely to land. As I was checking these mocks, I always kept thinking about the word value.
Value is the name of the game for NFL executives who are drafting for the future. The key for NFL teams is to scoop up the prospect who everyone passes on for some reason or another.
As in past years, I already see 10 prospects who are being undervalued with their current draft projections. These players are better talents then the experts are giving them credit for.
I will let you know who will be available one or two rounds too late, and why they are draft-day steals.
Greg Jones (Michigan State)
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Greg Jones ended his storied Michigan State career with 464 tackles, 16 sacks and three forced fumbles. Jones served as the leader of a stingy Spartan defense. His football instincts and high motor ensure that he is never too far removed from a play.
Despite all of that glowing praise, Greg is projected to slip to the third round or further in most mock drafts.
The knock on Jones is that he only has limited potential as an NFL prospect. Scouts also point to Greg’s smaller 6’1", 228-pound frame as a cause for concern. The worry is that Jones will get overpowered or will not be able to keep up at the NFL level.
These concerns are valid, but I must say that Greg has dealt with this type of criticism before. Coming out of Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Jones was not a blue chip recruit. In fact, Rivals only rated Greg as a 3-star prospect.
Greg Jones is a playmaker on the football field. Questions about Jones’s physical makeup should not overshadow his instincts, motor and proven track record. Any team that selects Greg Jones in the third round or lower will be getting a draft day steal.
Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh)
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Greg Romeus missed the majority of his senior season with a torn ACL. Greg’s injury has severely limited his draft prospects. At one time Romeus was being discussed as a possible first-round pick, but now many mock drafts have Greg falling to the third round.
Romeus had his coming out party during his junior season in 2009. He recorded 43 tackles, eight sacks and forced two fumbles. Greg was widely considered to be the top pass rusher in the Big East going into last season, but he saw his senior campaign end halfway through Pittsburgh’s opening game versus Utah in which he suffered a torn ACL.
At 6’6", 270 pounds, Romeus has tons of potential and possesses a lethal mix of size and speed. The one concern that is holding Greg back is his injury history. He has suffered injuries in the past, but the aforementioned torn ACL is really hurting him in particular.
The injury concerns will keep Romeus out of the first or second round, but based on talent and potential alone, there is no questioning that Greg is a first-round prospect.
Cecil Shorts III (Mount Union)
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Cecil Shorts III is far from the most talked about wide receiver in the 2011 NFL draft. It is easy to dismiss Cecil because he played his college football at Division III Mount Union College. It should be mentioned though that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon is also an alumnus of Mount Union College as well. So history has shown that Mount Union can produce top-tier NFL talent at the wide receiver position.
Shorts III runs a 4.5 40-yard dash. Cecil obviously uses his speed to his advantage as a wide receiver, but his quickness also makes him a potent return man on special teams. Cecil’s collegiate accomplishments include being a three time Division III All-American and accumulating 5,989 all-purpose yards during his time at Mount Union.
Shorts III is projected as a fifth- to sixth-round draft selection. There are valid questions about whether the 6’0", 205-pound wide receiver has the strength to play at the NFL. Cecil’s lack of size and college pedigree will ensure that he is a late-round draft pick, but I must say that Shorts III is a steal in the fifth, sixth or seventh round.
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Chris Rucker (Michigan State)
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Chris Rucker’s poor off-field decision making has caused his draft stock to plummet. Rucker recently served eight days in jail for a probation violation that stemmed from a reckless driving charge. These off-field issues have caused Chris to drop from an upper tier prospect to a probable sixth round selection.
Character issues aside, Rucker’s skills in the secondary cannot be denied. Chris could play either cornerback or possibly safety in the NFL.
He finished his Spartan career with 183 tackles, five forced fumbles and six interceptions. His 4.58 40-yard dash time at the combine is impressive, and it should help revitalize his once burgeoning draft stock. Rucker has been a mainstay in Michigan State’s secondary throughout his four years at the school. Finally, Chris’s size is comparable to the top cornerbacks in the draft such as Patrick Peterson.
Character issues are always a major red flag for NFL teams, but if executives can get past Rucker’s checkered past, they will find a high level prospect waiting for them in the later rounds.
Greg McElroy (Alabama)
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Greg McElroy’s critics will point to his lack of arm strength, limited athleticism and recovering broken hand as reasons not to buy stock in the Alabama quarterback.
With that being said, Greg is still a great pickup for teams that are looking for a solid quarterback prospect late in the draft. McElroy obviously has a high football IQ and always stays poised in the pocket. Aside from that, Greg has no character concerns and was a consistent winner during his time under center at Southlake Carroll (Texas) High School and Alabama.
Greg does not project to be an All-Pro quarterback at the NFL level, but in the sixth or seventh round McElroy is a steal for a franchise that is searching for a dependable backup. History has shown how rare it is that the starting quarterback takes all the meaningful snaps throughout a 16-game regular season. Greg McElroy is the type of quarterback you want waiting in the wings for times when the starter cannot get the job done.
Jeff Maehl (Oregon)
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Jeff Maehl’s limited athleticism and 6’0", 190-pound frame are causes for concern. Those two drawbacks are major strikes against Maehl.
As of right now, Jeff is being projected as a seventh-round pick or an undrafted free agent. Scouts are not convinced that Maehl has the type of body that will translate to the NFL.
With that being said, Maehl is a sure-handed receiver who enjoyed his best campaign just last season as a senior. Jeff improved his production during each of his four seasons at Oregon, culminating with 77 catches for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2010. Jeff also averaged 14 yards per catch, but obviously Oregon’s spread offense was conducive to big plays so that statistic needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
I understand why NFL teams are so leery of the “Maehlman” as a prospect, but Jeff has sure hands and does all the little things well. In the seventh round, a prospect such as Jeff Maehl has tremendous value for an organization looking for added depth at wide receiver.
Chris Carter (Fresno State)
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I had the opportunity to watch Chris Carter play against Cincinnati last season and was immediately blown away by Carter’s disruptive nature on the field. Chris notched three sacks in that game. He kept playing at that high level all season long and was named WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2010.
Chris posted his strongest statistical numbers last season as a senior. This is an encouraging sign for NFL teams that are thinking of pulling the trigger on the defensive end.
Injury history and a concern over Carter’s ability to play in a 3-4 defensive system are causing NFL executives to be apprehensive about drafting Chris.
Nevertheless, Carter posted 11 sacks last season and will be a great pass-rushing prospect on the defensive line for whichever team he falls to.
Lance Kendricks (Wisconsin)
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Mock drafts are projecting Lance Kendricks as a third-round pick, which is simply too low for the tight end.
Lance has great size at 6’4", 215 pounds, and he has no problem elevating in traffic for passes. The fact that Kendricks only had 663 receiving yards and five touchdowns last season is seen as a cause for concern. Remember this tough, Wisconsin has traditionally been a run oriented football team. Last year in particular, the Badgers had John Clay, James White and Montee Ball in the backfield.
If I had to power rank the tight ends in the 2011 NFL draft, I would rank Kyle Rudolph out of Notre Dame as my number one prospect, but that should not diminish Lance’s NFL upside. Lance has the size and speed to be an immediate contributor in the right situation on an NFL team.
Lance Kendricks is a second-round talent. He becomes undervalued as a third-round selection or lower.
Jordan Todman (UConn)
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Jordan Todman’s tiny 5’8", 203-pound frame is preventing him from moving up into the top couple rounds of the draft. Scouts are worried that Todman will never be able to handle a full NFL rushing load, and that he may be susceptible to injury based on his small stature.
Jordan is being projected as a middle -ound pick that could fall into the fourth round. With the aforementioned negatives, I still feel that Jordan Todman has tremendous value at this point in the draft.
Todman recently ran a 4.4 40-yard dash and takes advantage of his speed to create separation on the football field. Jordan was also rarely injured during his collegiate career at UConn. Speaking of his time in college, Jordan made the most of his last two seasons with the Huskies rushing for 2,883 yards and scoring 28 rushing touchdowns.
Jordan most likely will not be a team’s number one back, but in the fourth round, Jordan has great value as a situational runner and a special teams prospect.
Kelvin Sheppard (LSU)
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The first LSU defender that you think of in regard to the NFL draft is Patrick Peterson, but Kelvin Sheppard is a very solid prospect in his own right.
Sheppard recorded over 100 tackles during each of the past two seasons at linebacker for the Tigers. Kelvin always had a reputation for being a sure tackler, but as a senior he recorded four sacks and forced two fumbles. This added playmaking ability is an encouraging sign for Kelvin as he transitions to the next level.
Sheppard is currently being projected as a mid-round draft pick who will likely fall in the fourth or fifth round. He will have great value at this point in the draft for any team that is searching for a solid prospect to bolster their linebacker core.
At 6’3", 240 pounds, Kelvin has good size for the position and his sure tackling ability will translate immediately to the NFL. Sheppard also served as one of the leaders on a stingy LSU defense that dealt week in and week out with some high powered SEC offenses. There are questions about Kelvin’s upside at the NFL level, but those questions should not warrant a fifth round landing for this prospect.
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