NFL Draft Player Predictions

We here at Tremendous Upside Potential have long been fans of the NFL Draft. This is probably because we root for the Chicago Bears, a team that has had more top 10 draft picks then just about anyone during our lifetime. The draft was the one time when the Dave Wannstedt and Dick Jauron Bears actually produced hope: what if Cade McNown and Curtis Enis turned out to be awesome? We could win more then 5 games!

With that being said, we can’t wait for Saturday. We couldn’t be more delighted that our Bears aren’t in the top 10 (because that means we were actually good) and think that this class is good enough where they’ll still be some solid players at picks 31 and 37. While not as good as last year’s draft class, which may go down as one of the best ever, this year’s crop of incoming talent is better then a lot of people realize. Here’s our take on which guys will be good and which guys won’t. We, like everyone else, have been hit or miss on this kind of stuff in the past, but we’re way better then Merrill Hodge (“I wouldn’t draft Vince Young until the 6th round”). So we got that goin’ on for us. These predictions are going to be pretty bold- of course anyone could be good- so forgive us if our hyperbole gets a little out of control.

Guys that will be good.

Calvin Johnson- We’d be shocked if he didn’t turn out to be one of the ten greatest wide receivers ever. Clearly the best player in the draft and in our opinion the best prospect to enter the NFL since Julius Peppers, it shouldn’t matter whether he’s catching passes in Oakland, Tampa, or Atlanta. He will be a star, and should be the league’s best pass catcher by his second or third season.

Brady Quinn- There is not a lot of love going on right now for Quinn, but we think he’s the best quarterback in this class. He doesn’t have much bust potential and dominated his junior season when he had a better offensive line and receiving core that included Maurice Stovall. We’re not too worried about his big game struggles and think he’s a future all-pro.

Joe Thomas- A giant white guy from the Big 10? Of course we love him. If he can avoid injuries,
he should be a pillar on any offensive line for the next 10 to 15 years.

LaRon Landry- Our pick for safest player in the draft after CJ, Landry will have an immediate impact wherever he goes. He’ll develop into a pro bowler and will be one of the leagues top safeties in three years.

Amobi Okoye- All the love Okoye is getting recently is worrying us just a bit, but there’s just too much to like here. A super intelligent 19 year old that seems like a model citizen could develop into a Tommie Harris like defensive tackle.

Adrian Peterson- If he didn’t have durability concerns, we think Peterson would give CJ a run for his money as the top player overall. We think he’ll be a Hall of Famer and he will begin his run of pro bowls in his rookie season. If Peterson slips out of the top 5, teams are going to be kicking themselves for years to come.

Dwayne Jarrett- Saying his pro career will be like Mike Williams’ is pretty much the most asinine statement ever. Who cares if they went to the same school. What does that possibly tell us about Jarrett as a football player? We think he’s the second best receiver in the draft’s deepest position, a future all-pro for sure. We’ve seen a few mocks where he falls to the Bears at pick 37. If that happens, we’d be ecstatic.

Paul Posluszny- Puz has been one of “my guys” the last two seasons and will be a great NFL
player. We like him as much as any of the linebackers drafted last year, with the exception of Ernie Sims.

Anthony Spencer- Spencer wrecked havoc all year on Big 10 offensive lines and should become a double digit sack master in the NFL.

“Second Tier” running backs- We think Michael Bush, Antonio Pittman, and Kenny Irons will all be solid NFL starters. They won’t be as good as Peterson (though Bush might have a chance) but should all be starters in the NFL. None of these players will be drafted in the first round just because running back isn’t really a big need for a lot of teams, but all these dudes will be good.

Guys that won’t be good.

JaMarcus Russell- If Oakland takes him over Calvin, and there is a pretty good chance it happens, we think that would be the type of draft day decision that sets a franchise back five years. Russell’s main trait is his monster right arm- something that didn’t work too well for guys like Kyle Boller and Ryan Leaf.

Leon Hall- Got torched by good receivers like Ted Ginn and Anthony Gonzalez on Ohio State.
He might be drafted ahead of Darrell Revis, but we like Revis better.

Adam Carriker- A giant white guy from the Big 12? Why would we like him. One of our buddies pointed out that the only way he’s above average is playing defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.

Ted Ginn- We’re not saying Ginn is going to totally suck, but here’s the list of receivers in the draft we would take before him: Johnson, Jarrett, Robert Meachem, Dwayne Bowe, Gonzalez, and Craig Davis.

Lawrence Timmons- A workout warrior that really isn’t a workout warrior, Timmons will be a first round pick but we don’t think he’s worth it. He only started one season at Florida State and there are questions about his effort on every play.