NFL Draft 2011: 5 Players Who Will Not Be Drafted in Their Predicted Round
The NFL Draft is just one day away, and as the hours inch closer and closer to the big day, we can only wait in anticipation to see what our home team will do with their selections.
Throughout this draft process, we have all kept our eye on the numerous NFL Mock Drafts that have been floating around the internet as of late.
While most drafts differ at some point, there are a lot of common names that we see falling throughout the first couple of rounds.
So we ask, is it possible that some of those players whose names we have seen in the first round, might not get drafted in round one? What about in the following rounds?
Let's take a look at NFL Draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr. and his most recent mock draft, and seek out five players who will not be drafted in their predicted round.
Let the fun begin.
5. Aaron Williams, CB Texas
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Aaron Williams is a guy who has the ideal size and speed to be a successful cornerback in the NFL one day.
But when you look at this year's cornerbacks in the draft, Patrick Peterson and Prince Amukamara stand out above the rest, and both should be top-13 picks.
After that, Jimmy Smith and Brandon Harris stand out, and both should go somewhere in the 20-31 range.
In my opinion, that leaves Texas CB, Aaron Williams as the odd man out when it comes to first round selections.
"Williams is the classic young, talented risk-taker at the cornerback position. He has a a lot of natural ability, likes to steal a look into the backfield and turn errant passes into six points going the other way. While some see him ultimately becoming a great cover safety, I'm not ready to push him off the the edge. Dick LeBeau was a great cornerback, and would do well working with a talent like Williams."
Pittsburgh does have a need for a cornerback, but I think they will go after an offensive lineman in the first round, perhaps a guy like Baylor G, Danny Watkins.
The reason that Williams won't go in the first round isn't because he isn't talented enough, it's because other teams have other needs they want to fill early on.
4. Justin Houston, LB, Georgia
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When it comes to linebackers in this year's draft class, we know that Texas A&M's Von Miller will be the first one off the board, and then after that, who comes next is really anyone's guess.
It seems like there are a ton of players in this year's draft who seem to be unclear about what position they will play in the NFL. Most of those players are either defensive ends or outside linebackers, depending on the defensive scheme.
One of those players is Georgia's Justin Houston.
The former Georgia standout has the pass-rushing skills to play that 3-4 outside linebacker position. But, a lot of NFL personnel see him as a player capable of growing into the 4-3 defensive end position.
"Starting as a pass-rush specialist, Houston should be able to develop into an every-down player. A lot of natural ability here; Houston is another guy who would probably go in the top 10 had he waited a year, making him a potential steal at this point."
I agree that Houston could develop into an every-down player, but I just don't see him going in the first round.
Akeem Ayers is a guy who plays a similar position, and seem to be more athletic and versatile than Houston.
3. Jerrel Jernigan, WR, Troy
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Jerrel Jernigan is a guy who many draft experts have tagged as a sleeper in this year's draft.
Well, when you have him going in the second round, like Mel Kiper does in his most recent NFL Mock Draft, that pretty much takes everything away from the term "sleeper."
The former Troy standout has exceptional speed, but he lacks in the height department, standing at only 5'9".
Because of that, he will probably be used primarily as a slot-receiver and a return specialist at the NFL level.
It's always hard to pass up on a guy who has exceptional speed like Jernigan does. But drafting a No. 3 receiver in the second round of the draft seems a little ridiculous for the Atlanta Falcons, or any team for that matter.
Jernigan will be a good one in the NFL, but I think that his stock is more in the third round range.
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2. Brandon Burton, CB, Utah
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Brandon Burton is a name that we have not heard a lot about leading into tomorrow's NFL Draft.
The former Utah standout has good size, standing at 6'0", 190 pounds, but he doesn't have elite speed like some of the other top-notch corners in this year's draft class.
When watching Burton, it seems like he struggles against big receivers, which became evident in Utah's blowout loss to TCU this past season.
ESPN.com's Mel Kiper Jr. has Burton going in the second round to the Philadelphia Eagles with the No. 54 overall pick.
This is nothing against Burton and his ability to be an NFL cornerback, but this just seems far too early for this guy to come off the board.
There are other corners, guys like Ras-I Dowling and Chimdi Chekwa, who should be selected well ahead of Burton in this year's draft.
Look for this guy to come off the board around the third-fourth round range.
1. Phil Taylor, NT, Baylor
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A lot of draft experts seem to be high on Baylor DT, Phil Taylor heading into tomorrow's NFL Draft.
But, is that because so many teams have a need for a defensive tackle, or because Taylor is really worthy of a first-round selection?
The former Baylor standout is quite a load, standing at 6-foot-3 and weighting right around 340 pounds. That can be viewed as a bad thing, or a good thing, depending on how you look at it.
"You can stack blockers on him, but Taylor won't give ground, and will free up linebackers to make more plays in the running game. The Saints can't go wrong if they get a really good defensive tackle or defensive end with this pick."
It looks to me as if the Saints have just as big of a need at the defensive end position, and there should be plenty of good defensive ends sitting there when New Orleans is on the clock with that first round pick.
Taylor also comes with some baggage, which I'm sure that teams are aware of.
He was involved in an on-campus fight while attending Penn State, and was suspended and charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct. Taylor was then dismissed from the team in 2008 and that is when he made the transfer to Baylor.
The Saints are a world-class organization, and something tells me that Sean Payton won't go for a guy who doesn't follow his rules.
Look for Taylor to come off the board somewhere in the second round.
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