NFL Draft 2011: 5 Late-Round Picks Poised to Make Biggest Impact
The 2011 NFL Draft ended a couple days ago, but that doesn't mean us football junkies have to stop talking about it any time soon. After all, it's basically the only football topic at this point in time that doesn't incite depression.
There were plenty of great players that went in the early rounds of the draft, and history tells us that a good number of them will contribute right away. However, history also tells us that an equal number of players taken in the later rounds will also contribute right away.
Because these players slid so far, it's obviously quite difficult to evaluate their star potential. But what the heck, I'm going to give it a shot anyway.
Here are five late-round picks that I think are poised to make a big impact.
Note: "Late-round" in this case means any player taken on Day 3.
Alex Henery, K, Philadelphia Eagles
1 of 5
I'm going to talk about another Nebraska guy in a second, but first I want to make sure Alex Henery gets his due.
Trust me, I know there's nothing sexy about kickers, but the truth is that they are a vital component of the game. The fact that the Eagles took Henery with the 120th pick in the fourth round would suggest they agree.
Of course, the Henery pick also means the Eagles are ready to move on from David Akers. Henery will thus take over kicking duties right away, and because he has a strong and accurate leg, there's no reason he can't get the job done.
If you're still not sold on the idea, keep in mind that the Eagles could have beaten the Packers in the playoffs last year if they'd gotten a couple clutch field goals. Food for thought.
Chris Carter, OLB, Pittsburgh Steelers
2 of 5
I don't know about you, but I have trouble keeping track of all the Chris Carters in the world. There's the former NFL wide receiver, there's the former UC Davis wide receiver, there's the dude who created The X-Files and now we have the Chris Carter from Fresno State.
In case you're wondering, the Fresno State guy was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 162nd pick in the fifth round.
I didn't know much about Carter before he was drafted, but he certainly sounds like a Steeler. He played the entire 2009 season with a broken hand, and he developed into a dangerous pass rusher in 2010, posting 11 sacks.
This being said, Carter does not really project as an impact player at the pro level. But the Steelers have a pretty impressive track record when it comes to linebackers, and Carter is the only one they took in the draft. Pretty simple reasoning, perhaps, but I have a hard time convincing myself it's bad reasoning.
So yeah, Carter is going to rock.
Jeremy Kerley, WR, New York Jets
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We don't know whether or not Santonio Holmes and/or Braylon Edwards are going to be back with the Jets next season, but the fact that the team drafted two wide receivers might just suggest that they want to have enough personnel just in case.
The first receiver the Jets took was TCU's Jeremy Kerley, who they nabbed with the 153rd pick in the fifth round. He doesn't have the sexiest skill set, but he definitely has the goods to produce right away, especially if a spot opens up if and when the Jets lose one of their high-profile free agents.
Kerley is not much of a vertical threat for small guy (a hair under 5'10"), but he has shown that he can be lethal after the catch. He knows how to make a catch on the move, and he doesn't mind doing so over the middle.
The one thing I think bodes well for Kerley is that this could be the year where Mark Sanchez puts it all together. He has been maddeningly inconsistent in his first two years as a starter, but the times in which he looks brilliant are enough to convince me that he can become a star sooner or later. If sooner, Kerley will benefit.
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Ricky Elmore, DE/OLB, Green Bay Packers
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Heading into the draft, one of the biggest needs most of us thought the Green Bay Packers needed to fill was that of an outside linebacker that could help take some pressure off of Clay Matthews.
Instead, the Packers chose to fill other needs and it wasn't until the sixth round that they selected somebody who fits the above bill: Arizona defensive end Ricky Elmore.
Despite the fact he is not rated as highly, Elmore is very similar to Brooks Reed (who went to the Texans in the second round). He's a high energy guy who loves to get after the quarterback, and he was very productive in that regard, totaling 21.5 sacks in the last two seasons.
Because Elmore will be converted to outside linebacker, there will be a learning curve for him. Either way, this was a great value pick and the Packers might just have themselves a productive sack artist.
Roy Helu, RB, Washington Redskins
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I've been championing Roy Helu pretty much from the very moment the Redskins selected him with the 105th overall pick in the fourth round. I will admit that this is partially because we went to the same high school, but it's also because I trust Mike Shanahan's judgment when it comes to running backs.
The former Nebraska standout is not the shiftiest back you're going to find, but he is a very fast runner who can be deadly when he gets to the second level. His pad level is inconsistent, but he does run with plenty of determination. You could definitely ask for worse things in a running back.
Helu is going to provide some much-needed depth in Washington's backfield, but he is probably not going to supplant Ryan Torain as the starter. However, keep in mind that Torain missed a handful of games with a hamstring injury last season, so the injury precedent is there.
Either way, Helu is going to get his carries, and Shanahan's eye for running backs tells me that he is going to get production out of his new guy.
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