2011 NFL Draft Results: 10 Players That Should Have Been Drafted
The 2011 NFL Draft can be a great time for a player. Those who are ranked as top prospects get to relax, find out which teams will spend big money to bring them in, and despite the lockout they will be in good shape.
For others, the draft is a trying matter, as you could be projected as a fourth or fifth-round pick, and end up sitting there, watching name after name being called until there are no more names left. For those players, it's tough.
It's even more tough when those players deserved to be drafted, and this year it felt like there were many who deserved to be. Here are the top ten in my mind that deserved to get a shot in the NFL.
Normally, these ten could sign as undrafted free agents, but because of the lockout they're stuck, so they're doubly hurt by being undrafted.
10. Dane Sanzenbacher, WR, Ohio State
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Sanzenbacher made his reputation known as a reliable passing target in his time at Ohio State. He was never a dynamic player, simply one who got the job done when needed.
However, his offseason workouts were not all that good, and that may have been what knocked him from being a sixth-round prospect to an undrafted player. He has the tools to be a target on any team as a second wide receiver option if a team wants to take a shot on him, though he's no number one WR.
9. Zach Hurd, G, Connecticut
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It's tough to gauge where exactly offensive linemen should go once you get down into day three, but the name that jumped out at me when reading through the list of undrafted anchors was UConn's Zach Hurd.
While UConn linebacker Greg Lloyd was drafted after barely playing his senior season, two-time All-Big East guard Hurd was bypassed. He's a big guy at 6'6 and 316 pounds and was projected as a sixth-rounder. He helped Jordan Todman become a household name in Connecticut as well.
8. Mario Harvey, ILB, Marshall
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While Harvey being undrafted is not as surprising as other prospects, since he was projected to go at the end of the draft, I know for a fact all the AFC North teams were strongly considering him, and I figured at least one of them would have picked him up.
He's on the short side at 5'11, but otherwise has all the tools to be productive at the next level, and is incredibly fast for a man of his build. If nothing else he would make a great special teams tackler for any team when he's signed.
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7. Terrence Toliver, WR, LSU
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Toliver was projected to be a mid-round wide receiver, and after putting on a great workout performance at his pro day, I did not see him falling further than the fifth round. He's not unlike Jon Baldwin without the diva attitude at 6'4 with solid speed.
Alas, he fell completely off the board somehow. He had poor numbers his senior year, but in his case that actually was the product of the system, with LSU having lots of issues elsewhere on offense which ate away at his numbers.
6. Mark Herzlich, OLB, Boston College
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We all know this story by now. Herzlich was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2009 draft, but returned to college where it was discovered he had bone cancer. He took a year off and played this past season, and played well at times, at least enough to be drafted.
If nothing else, being drafted in his case would have been an amazing story, since he's earned it after all he's gone though. He may not have a long NFL career, but he has the ability even after losing some strength to be a force in the NFL.
5. Kendric Burney, CB, North Carolina
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Because of the suspension issues, many North Carolina players fell further than their talent. A couple ended up surprisingly being undrafted though, including free safety Deunta Williams.
The most surprising of that group was Kendric Burney, considered by ESPN the best available player during the final two rounds. He's small at 5'9/186, but makes a great nickel cornerback with his aggressiveness, and would have been a solid sixth-round selection for any team wanting one.
4. Derrick Locke, RB, Kentucky
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Small, speedy running backs are ones that can fall to late in the third day. It's something we've seen plenty of times, and I figured it would cause Noel Devine and Mario Fannin to go undrafted. what I did not expect was that Derrick Locke would join that group.
The 5'8 running back out of Kentucky was dynamic in the SEC during his career there. Yes, he had no trouble putting up great numbers against NFL talent already, and his workout numbers were all great. He's never going to be an every-down back, but he could have complemented any feature back in the league a la Darren Sproles with the Chargers.
3. DeAndre McDaniel, SS, Clemson
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The most shocking Clemson drop was not Da'Quan Bowers falling to the middle of the second round, though that was a big surprise. The big shock was instead DeAndre McDaniel not being drafted at all.
He was a solid cornerback for Clemson last year, leading the team in interceptions, and the year before he notched over 100 tackles. His 40-yard time likely kept players from drafting him, but that time wouldn't matter if he was used as a zone safety, available to snag the ball when needed. Any team could use a ballhawk like that.
2. Joe Lefeged, FS, Rutgers
9 of 10
At least scouts have the excuse on McDaniel that the 40-yard time could have been a red flag. They have no such excuse for passing on Rutgers' Joe Lefeged, who I figured to be a day three steal.
Projected as a sixth-round pick, Lefeged doubled as a solid safety and dynamic kick returner for the team. During the offseason, he posted good numbers and had a very good workout, and a day three selection from a team was considered a no-brainer. He'll find a team without difficulty once free agency starts up.
1. Ian Williams, DT, Notre Dame
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Ian Williams is a big defensive tackle at 6'1 and 319 pounds who is a solid anchor in the middle. He's not overly athletic, but he can be a run stopper and hold the fort without difficulty. How then, did he go undrafted?
Williams was projected as a third-to-fifth round player, and that's what his skill set confirms. His injury isn't a concern for the NFL, and his size is hardly a significant issue. He's a guy that can be on any team as a backup anchor to plug in when a starting tackle needs rest, and he could easily do that for 10 years.
I still haven't quite wrapped my head around this miss more than any other.
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