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NFL Draft 2007 – 100 Top Prospects

The ultimate guides to the NFL draft are produced by Rick “Goose” Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News and ESPN’s Mel Kiper. Gosselin’s is the best, in my judgment, because it’s compiled by consulting the people who actually make the decisions: the scouts and general managers. He’s put out his top 100 prospects. Here are the top 40, which should theoretically take us well through the first round:

1-10
Rank, player Position School
1. Calvin Johnson WR Ga. Tech
Gosselin on Johnson: Since the NFL opened the door to underclassmen in 1990, juniors have gone first overall in 10 of 17 drafts. Come Saturday, make it 11 times. The Oakland Raiders are likely to select either LSU QB JaMarcus Russell or Johnson with the first overall choice. Both are skipping their senior seasons. It also will be the third consecutive draft an underclassman has gone first overall, following QB Alex Smith in 2005 (San Francisco) and DE Mario Williams in 2006 (Houston). A record 15 underclassmen were selected in the first round in 2005. Seventeen juniors carry potential first-round grades into this draft. At 6-5, 239 pounds with 4.35 speed in the 40, Johnson is the best of the bunch.
2. Adrian Peterson HB Oklahoma
3. JaMarcus Russell QB LSU
4. Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin
5. Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame
6. Gaines Adams DE Clemson
7. LaRon Landry S LSU
8. Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh
9. Levi Brown OT Penn St.
10. Leon Hall CB Michigan
11-20
Rank, player Position School
11. Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
12. Patrick Willis MLB Mississippi
13. Adam Carriker DE Nebraska
14. Marshawn Lynch HB California
15. Lawrence Timmons OLB Florida St.
16. Robert Meachem WR Tennessee
17. Reggie Nelson S Florida
Gosselin on Nelson: Since 1967, when the AFL and NFL merged drafts, there have never been four safeties taken in a first round. That could change with LaRon Landry, Nelson, Michael Griffin and Brandon Meriweather all toting first-round grades. The search is on for safeties with ball skills, and Nelson is coming off a six-interception season for the national champions. "His nickname is the Eraser," Florida CB Reggie Lewis said. "If I got in a situation where I was beaten, I knew I had the Eraser back there. With Reggie behind me, I knew I didn’t have any problems."
18. Ben Grubbs G Auburn
19. Ted Ginn Jr. WR Ohio St.
20. Joe Staley OT C. Michigan
21-30
Rank, player Position School
21. Amobi Okoye DT Louisville
22. Aaron Ross CB Texas
23. Jarvis Moss DE Florida
24. Jon Beason OLB Miami-Fla.
Gosselin on Beason: The Hurricanes are no longer a college football power, but they remain a dominant force every April. They’ve had first-round selections in 12 consecutive NFL drafts, the longest current streak among the colleges. The next longest streak is five by Oklahoma. Miami also has had 22 players selected in the first round this decade – 10 more than runner-up Florida State. The Hurricanes can pad both totals with three potential first-round draft picks: Beason, S Brandon Meriweather and TE Greg Olsen. Beason has been compared to ex-teammate Jonathan Vilma, a No. 1 pick by the Jets in 2004. A bit undersized (6-0, 237), Beason packs a heavyweight’s punch in a middleweight’s body.
25. Dwayne Bowe WR LSU
26. Michael Griffin S Texas
27. Paul Posluszny MLB Penn St.
28. Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
29. David Harris MLB Michigan
30. Brandon Meriweather S Miami-Fla.
31-40
Rank, player Position School
31. Greg Olsen TE Miami-Fla.
32. Anthony Gonzalez WR Ohio St.
33. Alan Branch DT Michigan
34. Anthony Spencer DE Purdue
35. Chris Houston CB Arkansas
36. Ryan Kalil C Southern Cal
37. Trent Edwards QB Stanford
Gosselin on Edwards: The pre-draft hype focused on the two elite passers at the top of this board, LSU’s JaMarcus Russell and Notre Dame’s Brady Quinn. But three quality quarterbacks factor into the second round: Edwards, Drew Stanton of Michigan State and Kevin Kolb of Houston. All could go quickly. Edwards went 26-0 in his final two seasons at Los Gatos (Calif.) HS and set a state record by completing 78.1 percent of his passes as a junior. But he played on some terrible teams at Stanford, winning only 10 of his 31 starts. He also took a beating, missing time with shoulder, thumb and foot injuries. Still, he’s 6-4, 231 pounds with a big arm. The NFL loves measurables at quarterback.
38. Arron Sears G Tennessee
39. Dwayne Jarrett WR Southern Cal
40. Drew Stanton QB Michigan St.

For 41-100, see his guide.

Mel Kiper is the most famous of the draft geeks and he’s good. He lives and breathes the prospects and knows them better than almost anybody. But that doesn’t mean his opinion–even if it’s right–will match up with that of the GMs and scouts on draft day. Here are his final projections for the 1st round:


FIRST ROUND PROJECTION
Pick

Team
Player
Position
School
1.
Oakland Raiders
JaMarcus Russell
QB
LSU
2.
Detroit Lions
Calvin Johnson
WR
Georgia Tech
3.
Cleveland Browns
Brady Quinn
QB
Notre Dame
4.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Gaines Adams
DE
Clemson
5.
Arizona Cardinals
Joe Thomas
OT

Wisconsin
6.
Washington Redskins
LaRon Landry

S
LSU
7.
Minnesota Vikings

Adrian Peterson
RB
Oklahoma
8.

Atlanta Falcons (from HOU)
Amobi Okoye
DT
Louisville
9.
Miami Dolphins
Levi Brown
OT
Penn State
10.
Houston Texans (from ATL)
Leon Hall

CB
Michigan
11.
San Francisco 49ers

Patrick Willis
LB
Ole Miss
12.

Buffalo Bills
David Harris
LB
Michigan
13.
St. Louis Rams
Jamaal Anderson
DE
Arkansas
14.
Carolina Panthers
Reggie Nelson
S
Florida
15.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Lawrence Timmons
LB
Florida State
16.
Green Bay Packers
Marshawn Lynch
RB
California
17.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Adam Carriker
DE

Nebraska
18.
Cincinnati Bengals
Darrelle Revis

CB
Pittsburgh
19.
Tennessee Titans

Ted Ginn Jr.
WR
Ohio State
20.

New York Giants
Joe Staley
OT
Central Michigan
21.
Denver Broncos
Alan Branch
DT
Michigan

22.
Dallas Cowboys
Aaron Ross
CB

Texas
23.
Kansas City Chiefs
Justin Harrell

DT
Tennessee
24.
New England Patriots (from SEA)

Robert Meachem
WR
Tennessee
25.

New York Jets
Greg Olsen
TE
Miami
26.
Philadelphia Eagles
Brandon Meriweather
S
Miami
27.
New Orleans Saints
Chris Houston
CB
Arkansas
28.
New England Patriots
Paul Posluszny
LB
Penn State
29.
Baltimore Ravens
Ben Grubbs
OG
Auburn
30.
San Diego Chargers
Dwayne Bowe
WR

LSU
31.
Chicago Bears
Anthony Spencer

DE
Purdue
32.
Indianapolis Colts

Jon Beason
LB
Miami

We’ll check back tomorrow to see who got closest. It’ll take four or five years to know whose picks were best.

 
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