2006 Draft Preview
Rick Gosselin is in the writer’s wing of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He’s also arguably the most respected writer on the annual NFL college draft. While he doesn’t have the encyclopedic knowledge of high school players of a Mel Kiper, NFL general managers talk to him and give them his insights because they trust his discretion. The result is that he tends to put out the most accurate Top 100 draft list year in and year out, because it’s based on what those who will actually make the picks think, not one guy’s view of who the best players are.
Gosselin says this is a draft class to get excited about.
Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush is a can’t-miss prospect at the top of the 2006 NFL draft. He’s not alone.
I was talking with an NFL general manager the other day, and he was marveling at the options at the top of this draft board. Specifically, Bush, defensive end Mario Williams, linebacker A.J. Hawk, quarterback Matt Leinart and offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. “You could take any one of them with the first overall pick and feel great about your pick,” he said. Then he elaborated. In his opinion:
• Williams may be the most talented defensive end to hit an NFL draft board since Julius Peppers, who went second overall to Carolina in 2002 and has already been to two Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl.
• Leinart may be the most NFL-ready quarterback to hit a draft board since Peyton Manning in 1998. Manning is a two-time NFL MVP for Indianapolis.
• Ferguson may be the most polished left tackle to hit a draft board since Jonathan Ogden in 1996. Ogden has been to the last nine Pro Bowls for Baltimore.
• Hawk may be the most gifted linebacker to hit a draft board since Junior Seau in 1990. Seau went to 12 Pro Bowls with San Diego.
• And Bush may be the most dynamic runner to hit a draft board since Barry Sanders in 1989. Sanders walked away from the NFL in his prime as the game’s No. 3 all-time rusher for Detroit.
If the same five players had been in the 2005 draft, all would have rated higher on the board than No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith. All are players of extreme accomplishment.
Bush and Leinart each won a Heisman Trophy at Southern California, and Hawk won the Lombardi Award as the best lineman in football at Ohio State last season. Ferguson was a four-year starter at Virginia, and Williams would have been at North Carolina State had he not given up his senior season to enter this draft.
Goose’s Top 100 for this year at the link. The top 32, i.e., the guys who should go in the 1st round if everyone takes the “best available athlete” rather than reaching for a player in a position of need, goes like this:
- 1. Reggie Bush HB Southern California
2. Mario Williams DE North Carolina State
3. A.J. Hawk OLB Ohio State
4. Matt Leinart QB Southern California
5. D’Brickashaw Ferguson OT Virginia
6. Vernon Davis TE Maryland
7. Vince Young QB Texas
8. Michael Huff S Texas
9. Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
10. Brodrick Bunkley DT Florida State
11. Ernie Sims OLB Florida State
12. Haloti Ngata DT Oregon
13. Kamerion Wimbley DE Florida State
14. Antonio Cromartie CB Florida State
15. Chad Greenway OLB Iowa
16. Manny Lawson DE North Carolina State
17. Donte Whitner S Ohio State
18. Bobby Carpenter OLB Ohio State
19. Johnathan Joseph CB South Carolina
20. Tye Hill CB Clemson
21. Winston Justice OT Southern California
22. Laurence Maroney HB Minnesota
23. Jimmy Williams CB Virginia Tech
24. Nick Mangold C Ohio State
25. DeAngelo Williams HB Memphis
26. Santonio Holmes WR Ohio State
27. Tamba Hali DE Penn State
28. Jason Allen S Tennessee
29. Marcus McNeill OT Auburn
30. LenDale White HB Southern California
31. Eric Winston OT Miami
32. Joseph Addai HB LSU
Follow the link for more analysis and players 33-100.
Gosselin also provides his final mock draft, dated this morning. Obviously, he knew that the Texans passed on Bush in favor of Williams.
- Could Bush Fall to #5?
- NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #8 – Buffalo Bills – S Donte Whitner
- Texans Sign Williams
- Rick Gosselin’s 2007 NFL Draft Rankings
- NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #5 – Green Bay Packers – LB A.J. Hawk
- NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #4 – New York Jets – OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson
- NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #7 – Oakland Raiders – DB Michael Huff
- 2010 NFL Draft to include record tying 53 non-seniors
- Are you ready for some bowling? II
- NFL Draft 2006 – Round 1 #18 – Dallas Cowboys – OLB Bobby Carpenter
- Eight is Enough- Edmonton beats Chicago 8-4
- Lydia Ko wins New South Wales Open
- The Comeback I- Pittsburgh Penguins beat NY Islanders 5-0
- Seattle Mariners Outfielder Greg Halman stabbed to death at age 24
- Hee Young Park wins CME Titleholders Championship
- Oklahoma State Women’s Basketball Coach Kurt Budke dead at 50
- Costly mistake- Blackhawks waive Rostislav Olesz
- Manager Tony La Russa announces retirement
- Puck Drop- Florida Panthers start the 2011-12 NHL season
- 13-time PGA Tour winner Dave Hill dead at 74
- The Florida Masochist linked with That is an understatement...
- NFL Draft 2006 - Round 1 #12 - Cleveland Browns - linked with OTB Sports
- NFL Draft 2006 - Round 1 #8 - Buffalo Bills - S Donte Whitner linked with OTB Sports
- NFL Draft 2006 - Round 1 #15 - St. Louis Rams (from Broncos) - CB Tye Hill linked with OTB Sports
Gosselin doesn’t give Tye Hill the respect most other analysts give him. I’ve seen several projections and mock drafts put him in the Top 10 and the big jump occurred after Clemson’s Pro Day and the Combine.
Considering he was overshadowed by Justin Miller prior to 2005 and that his freshman year he was a running back, I guess the 5’9 thing is the only negative Gosselin can find.
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