Draft
preview conversation with Scott Wright of NFL Draft Countdown
Scott
Wright runs one of the best and most well known
draft sites on the net www.NFLDraftCountdown.com Scott has been scouting players and
evaluating the NFL Draft since 1993. He
has historically had some of the most complete and precise mock drafts
available, including a 1st place finish nationally in 2004. Scott was kind enough to take some time from
his busy schedule upon returning from the Senior Bowl to do an interview with
us.
Exclusive to Stillers.com,
here is some Q&A with NFL draft guru Scott Wright.
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Q: First, talk to us a little bit
about the overall quality of this draft class.
Some say the group of seniors isn’t great, but a record 53 underclassmen
declared helping the talent pool. In
comparison to other years is this a good, average, or poor overall draft class?
A: Technically
I’m not sure if there is such a thing as a “weak” class because there are
always plenty of good players available.
With that said I think this year’s crop of players is definitely lacking
in terms of elite talent. Now I am
pretty stingy with that “elite” label and at most I only give it to 4-5 guys
each year but as of right now Darren McFadden is the only guy who carries that
lofty grade in my mind. Glenn Dorsey and
Jake Long are just off the pace. The
bottom line is that this class doesn’t appear to be anywhere near as good as
the past couple, especially at the top, but there are some good players out
there.
Q: How will next years class look
considering that 53 top prospects came out early into this draft.
A: Honestly, I am already getting
excited about next year’s crop of talent.
I am a huge fan of Ole Miss OT Michael Oher
and both James Laurinaitis of Ohio St. and Rey Maualuga of USC would have been Top 10-15 overall picks had
they come out this year. There doesn’t
appear to be a top senior quarterback for 2009 but there are some good
underclassmen who could come out and don’t sleep on Ohio St. running
back Beanie Wells, who could be a great one.
I could go on and on but let’s just say that 2009 should be a better
draft than 2008 in terms of sheer talent.
Q: The positions that appear to be the
strongest in this draft are tackle, cornerback, and running back. Talk a little bit about the talent in each of
those groups.
A: It’s kind of ironic that running
back and cornerback were viewed as two of the weakest positions in the draft
for a long time but now with the underclassmen in the mix they are all of the
sudden two of the strongest. This is
probably the best class of running backs in a good long time. Darren McFadden is a stud, I am a huge
Jonathan Stewart fan and both Rashard Mendenhall and
Felix Jones are legit first rounders as well. At cornerback there may not be a shutdown
type but there are a lot of good ones out there. Aqib Talib could jump to the top of the pack if he runs well,
people are finally starting to appreciate how good Leodis
McKelvin is, Mike Jenkins is very solid and Dominique
Rodgers-Cromartie is really moving up fast after his
performance at the Senior Bowl. As for
the offensive tackles, not only do you have the top seniors like Jake Long,
Chris Williams, Jeff Otah, Sam Baker, etc. but then
Ryan Clady came out as well. Last year we had a weak crop of offensive
tackles but this year should help make up for that.
Q:
On the flip side the guard and center positions appear pretty thin in
this draft class. What do you make of
those two positions and who are your top players at each spot?
A: Brenden
Albert, a junior from Virginia,
is the top offensive guard, followed by Roy Schuening
of Oregon St. Both will be 2nd or 3rd
round picks. After that there is a big
drop-off. At center there isn’t much to
get excited about at all, especially if you want someone with size.
Q:
The Steelers have a big need at Center, but most scouting reports for
the top center prospect list “struggles with larger DT’s” in their description. Which center prospects would fare the best
with a large nose tackle lined up over top of them?
A: Keep an eye on Fernando Velasco
of Georgia
if you’re a Steelers fan, he is an intriguing prospect with good size (6-4,
318) and offers some versatility.
Q:
At the Senior Bowl which players did you see the Pittsburgh Steelers staff speaking with if
any?
A: In my Senior Bowl coverage (http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/features/seniorbowl/index.html)
I think I literally listed hundreds of player/team observations but did not see
one Steeler scout talking to a player on the field after the practices. That doesn’t mean they weren’t talking to
anyone, they were probably just doing it behind closed doors.
Q:
What do you see as the biggest areas of need for the Steelers in this draft.
A: I definitely think they’ll be in
the market for some offensive line help with Alan Faneca
and Max Starks set to leave as free agents and Marvel Smith’s deal up a year
from now as well. After that some
secondary help would probably be next on the list.
Q: Dom Rodgers-Cromartie
really opened some eyes during the week of the Senior Bowl and at the
game. Has he moved up to the top of the
CB class yet, and what would you say are his
weaknesses right now?
A: He is moving way up and I love
“D.R.C.” but I’m not sure he’ll reach the very top of the cornerback
rankings. With that said round one is
not out of the question. About the only
thing not to like about him is his bulk (183 lbs.) because when it comes to
height, athleticism, speed, ball skills, hands, playmaking ability he is a
stud.
Q:
The Steelers are really lacking depth at the 3-4 DE spot. What prospects from this class would be the
best fit for that position?
A: Virginia’s Chris Long is the top 3-4
defensive end available and he’ll likely be a Top 3 overall pick. Miami’s Calais Campbell
could be a 3-4 defensive end as well. Later on keep an eye on Jason Jones of
Eastern Michigan in round two or three, Kendall Langford of Hampton
in the middle rounds and then Johnny Dingle of West
Virginia and Marcus Dixon of Hampton
in the late rounds
Q: With Rey Maualuga
and James Laurinatis returning to school, the ILB
quality in this draft took a big hit.
What players do you think make the best 3-4 ILB prospects.
A: Some feel Dan Connor might be a
good fit there but I’ll say Jonathan Goff of Vanderbilt. He is shaky in coverage but he’s a true
thumper in the middle.
Q:
If you were the Steelers GM, knowing their current state of the O-line,
which two O-line prospects would you target with their top two picks (23 &
53 overall) would be the best value?
A: In round one I am looking for
the best available offensive lineman, which will probably be a tackle, and then
I could move Willie Colon inside to replace Faneca at
guard. Jeff Otah
would be a guy I’d target. After that,
if I wanted to go o-line again in round two, I’d take a look at Oniel Cousins from U.T.E.P., who could either play guard or
maybe even eventually replace Smith at left tackle. I think with those two players I’d feel
pretty good about the long-term future of my offensive line.
Thanks again for your taking time to
answer some questions for us Scott.
Everyone feel free to check out www.NFLdraftcountdown.com for more
player rankings, mock drafts, Senior Bowl info, forums, features and much, much
more.