Quarterback – I think we are set to give Alex a shot and wait on Nate unless some draft board shakeup happens and somebody huge falls to the 2nd/3rd rounds. I would love to see us take a shot late or UDFA on a practice squad guy like Bill Stull or Ryan Perrilloux with a pretty even risk/reward ratio.
Running Back - CJ Spiller is a hot name on the boards, and I like him too…I do worry about going 1st round on a guy like that when, outside of Reggie Bush, most good part-time RB/KR guys have been mined from cheaper rounds. I think in terms of overall bang for the buck, LaGarette Blount is going to pay huge divi’s for some team, it may as well be us. I also like Deji Karim as a late mid-round gamble. My personal dream is to trade a pick and player to get Joshua Cribbs from Cleveland and playing him as the change of pace back/KR/PR/5th WR. Call me crazy (I’m sure a reply down there already has).
Fullback – Not sure of the direction the team intends to go, but Norris was used very little in 6-8 games last year. I like MRob and Brit, so I doubt anything dramatic happens here. Possible flyers taken on guys like Matt Clapp or Trevor Theriot from UCLA…or even Delanie Walker-clone Dorin Dickerson?
Wide Receiver – I’m not a big fan of the big name WR’s coming out this year. And for what we seem to need (quickness/speed/agility in slot-motion) I like guys like Golden Tate, Mardy Gilyard , Antonio Brown . Along the same lines, but more sturdy in build are Jeremy Williams , Combine-Snub Freddie Barnes (reminds me of a poor man’s Crabtree), or even “Steal-of-the-Draft” candidate Eric Decker. I also have a bias for Armanti Edwards , who I think can play WR/Taser QB/KR/PR if given a shot.
Tight End – TE is obviously not a position of desperate need, but there is no true blocking TE entrenched on the roster. I wouldn’t mind us rolling the dice on a bigger guy who also has soft hands like Jeff Cumberland or Nathan Overbay .
Tackle – A HUGE part of the decisions in the draft and especially the Oline I guessing centers on the identity of the team. I’m guessing they will fall in love some guys high on the board like Baluga or Anthony Davis. Riser Jared Veldheer is a huge cat (6’9” – 325 lbs) that could impress his way onto a roster like ours.
Guard – I’d look for a couple guys plugged in here…some may come from FA. As far as the draft though, I like to see the smaller name guys step up and prove their worth like Marshall Newhouse , but there’s always a good shot for Webzone fave Mike Iupati, or Ole Miss’ John Jerry higher in the draft.
Center – I’m not sure what the deal is with our guys’ contract length, but having a guy who can at least slide over, seems to be what McCloughan looks for. With that being said, look for versatile guys like Thomas Austin from Clemson to get a look.
[ Edited by TommyFrazier on Feb 11, 2010 at 1:59 PM ]