PSU-NFL Draft Projections

With the NFL Draft this weekend, I thought we'd take a quick look at those departed:

1. Dan Connor - While he is probably the best linebacker in the draft, this
years heavy focus on other defensive positions means he will probably fall, much like Posluszny, to a very early first round slot. Scouts has him at #33:

With Jake Long going first in the draft in the real world, that leaves either Glenn Dorsey inside or Chris Long outside for the Rams’ defensive line. Having another elite defender on the line with Adam Carriker will be a dream for defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, but there’s one certainty about any defense – especially a 4-3. Without a stalwart linebacker in the middle, your talent will never come together to its fullest potential. Connor is the latest member of Joe Paterno’s Linebacker U club, an extremely cerebral player with surprising speed who will be asked to lead a St. Louis defense that has been directionless for a number of years.

2. Justin King - Scouts has left King out of their second round projections, but most of the 'experts' are split on him. One one side of the coin you have a very underdeveloped sense of position and, of course, him getting totally burned all day by Indiana's James Hardy. And now to flip that coin: King was athletic enough to shutdown the shock of last years first round (I still don't understand why the Dolphins did this), Ted Ginn Jr., in two different games. He also ran a 4.31, which helps.

Still, that Indiana game seems to be the focal point in the discussion about him:
Six months after the fact, it still seems to Justin King that he is shadowing James Hardy. Or, more to point, being shadowed by the Indiana wide receiver. King, the Penn State cornerback who came out for the NFL draft after his junior season, believes he was unfairly singled out for criticism after Hardy caught 14 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns in the Nittany Lions' 36-31 escape against the Hoosiers. "Did it irk me? Of course," King said of the widespread belief that the 6-6, 222-pound Hardy had toasted him like a breakfast bagel. "But I kept moving forward and went about my business, trying to get better at what I do." King is expected to go sometime in the second round of Saturday's NFL draft, but he thinks he could be taken in the first round if there is the early run on cornerbacks that some expect. "Cornerbacks are always at a premium," said King, from the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville. "I know that. Anywhere from three to six could be taken in the first round. You never know. Depending upon teams' needs, I could be one of those." - Bernard Fernandez, Philadelphia Daily News

While projections appear to be all over the place, I think mid-second round is a reasonable average.

3. The Rest: Anthony Morelli, Rodney Kinlaw, Austin Scott - It's hard to find anyone who thinks any of these guys are going to be picked up in the seven round draft. They've all proven enough on the field to be signed after the fact for a look, however.

Morelli...well Morelli doesn't need much of an explanation. I could turn this into Morelli bash #453 but I'm over that now.

Kinlaw lack the size to be an NFL back. It's not an uncommon story.

Finally, there is Scott, who may or may not have baggage issues...something the pundents like to make a big deal about. Guess what? Dallas just traded for Pacman Jones. Stop kidding yourselves about "how character issues are more important than ever".