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NFL Draft 2008 – Round 6

NFL Draft 2008 Logo The 6th round of the 2008 NFL Draft is underway.

1(167) Dallas (From Miami) Erik Walden DE MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE
Walden excels at getting to the quarterback and has experience lining up at linebacker and end. This is the second pick in a row on which we feel Dallas has reached; Walden isn’t big enough to hold his ground at defensive end position and his speed will make it difficult for him to be effective in coverage as a 3-4 outside linebacker.

2(168) Washington (From St Louis) Durant Brooks PT GEORGIA TECH
He was the best punter at the college level last year, winning the Ray Guy award. This was a major need for the Redskins and they took the best punter available.

3(169) Oakland Trevor Scott DE BUFFALO
Scott lined up at tight end for his first three seasons at Buffalo, but he was moved to defensive end because of the lack of depth there. The fact that he played one season at defensive end means he has a lot of work to do in terms of technique, but he did a good job getting to the quarterback and is showing potential to develop into a productive pass-rusher.

4(170) Kansas City Barry Richardson OT CLEMSON
His lack of a mean streak is a concern. He should be a better drive blocker for a player with his size. That being said, he moves well for his size and has long arms to ride edge rushers past the pocket.

5(171) NY Jets Marcus Henry WR KANSAS
He’s a smooth route-runner with good size and he’s not afraid to go over the middle. However, his lack of ideal upper-body strength is a concern because physical corners can muscle him off routes. In addition, he drops some catchable balls.

6(172) Atlanta Thomas Brown RB GEORGIA
There are concerns about his ability to stay healthy and he doesn’t have breakaway speed. He reads his blocks well, though, and his small stature means linebackers have trouble finding hem. He fits as a between-the-tackles runner and has good hands out of the backfield.

7(173) Houston (From Baltimore) Dominique Barber S MINNESOTA
He plays a lot like his older brother — Dallas RB Marion Barber: aggressive and physical. Dominique fills hard in run support and fights off blocks, though he has limitations in coverage because he doesn?t have great speed or ideal athletic ability.

8(174) San Francisco Josh Morgan WR VIRGINIA TECH
Morgan isn’t much of a threat after the catch and he takes far too many plays off. On the other hand, he has good quickness and changes directions well for his size, so he can get open underneath. He can also contribute on special teams.

9(175) Tampa Bay (From Chicago) Geno Hayes OLB FLORIDA STATE
Hayes is an excellent value at this pick, especially for a Cover 2 team like the Bucs. Although he has problems anchoring against the run, he has good instincts and sideline-to-sideline range as a run defender. He can also cover a lot of ground in zone coverage.

10(176) Miami (From Detroit) Jalen Parmele RB TOLEDO
He’s a big back who runs hard between the tackles and catches the ball well. He also has good top-end speed, but he takes too long to reach it. As a result, he’s going to have a hard time turning the corner at the NFL level.

11(177) Cincinnati Corey Lynch S APPALACHIAN ST
He isn’t big enough to line up in the box and he doesn’t have great man-to-man coverage skills. However, he is a sound tackler who fills hard in run support, makes the occasional big play on defense and will contribute on special teams.

12(178) New Orleans Taylor Mehlhaff PK WISCONSIN
We are surprised to see Mehlhaff as the first place kicker to come off the board because his mechanics are inconsistent. However, he has excellent range, so he can kick on deep field goal attempts and get touchbacks on kickoffs.

13(179) Buffalo Xavier Omon RB NW MISSOURI ST
He is a big back who makes a crisp first cut and gets upfield in a hurry. However, he isn’t quick enough to turn the corner at the NFL level and he doesn’t have breakaway speed.

14(180) Washington (From Denver through St Louis) Kareem Moore S NICHOLLS STATE
Moore is a playmaker both in coverage and as a return man. He also has good size and the potential to develop into an in-the-box safety, but he faces a steep learning curve.

15(181) Carolina Nick Hayden DT WISCONSIN
He has good size with the ability to put weight on and not lose quickness. He is a very active player with a high motor. He shows the ability to collapse the pocket with power moves, but is not a great athlete and he lacks some explosiveness. He needs to locate the ball better.

16(182) Kansas City (From Minnesota) Kevin Robinson WR UTAH STATE
Robinson isn’t fast enough to stretch the field and he’s going to get pushed around by physical corners. However, he shows good body control and he isn’t afraid to go over the middle. He’s also an effective return man who should make immediate contributions on special teams.

17(183) Denver (From Houston) Spencer Larsen ILB ARIZONA
He is a tough and instinctive inside linebacker with good awareness in pass coverage. He plays with a mean streak and he is not the type of guy you want to meet in a dark alley. He plays too high at times and has trouble shedding blocks. He is overaggressive at times and finds himself out of position.

18(184) Philadelphia Michael Gibson OG CALIFORNIA
Gibson has a quick first step and he sustains his blocks once he’s in position. Although he plays with a mean streak he doesn?t appear to have great lower-body strength, so he isn’t going to drive defenders off the ball. He’s also had problems staying healthy.

19(185) Arizona Christopher Harrington DE TEXAS A&M
He is a high-motor player who has good athletic ability, but he might never develop into an every-down player. He lacks the speed to consistently get to the quarterback off the edge and struggles to hold his own when teams run at him.

20(186) Washington Colt Brennan QB HAWAII
Brennan put up outstanding numbers at Hawaii. He’s quick enough to buy time in the pocket and accurate enough to lead receivers when throwing underneath. However, there are substantial concerns about the Hawaii spread scheme inflating his numbers and he doesn’t have great arm strength, either. His recent hip surgery raises concerns about Brennan’s ability to stay healthy.

21(187) Minnesota (From Tampa Bay through Kansas City) John Sullivan OC NOTRE DAME
He is an excellent value at this point in the draft. While he doesn’t have great lateral mobility, he masks this weakness by locking out his arms and riding pass rushers down the line. He is also a physical drive-blocker. Vikings now have an heir apparent for an aging Matt Birk.

22(188) Pittsburgh Mike Humpal OLB IOWA
Humpal is an instinctive linebacker; he reads his keys very well and is able to locate the ball carrier quickly. He also plays with sound leverage and does a good job of wading through traffic. He is a solid open-field tackler. However, he’s a bit stiff in the hips and might struggle to run with tight ends, and Humpal needs to work on utilizing his hands better.

23(189) Seattle (From Tennessee) Tyler Schmitt LS SAN DIEGO STATE
He is a four-year long snapper who is accurate and puts good zip on the ball. He is also an adequate open-field tackler.

24(190) Cleveland (From Seattle) Ahtyba Rubin DT IOWA STATE
At this point, Rubin plays with too narrow of a base and not enough leverage. In addition, he’s never going to be a great pass-rusher. But he has the size and quickness to develop into an effective nose tackle once his technique improves.

25(191) Cleveland (From Philadelphia) Paul Hubbard WR WISCONSIN
He has the athletic ability and size to make plays in the red zone. He also has the speed and body control to make plays downfield, but he needs to improve his route-running and become more consistent catching the ball.

26(192) San Diego DeJuan Tribble CB BOSTON COLLEGE
Tribble has good short-area cover skills; he quick and athletic. He can also contribute in the return game. However, he gets pushed around by bigger receivers and he isn’t fast enough to run with receivers down field.

27(193) Minnesota (From Jacksonville) Jaymar Johnson WR JACKSON STATE
He is a big-play threat both as a receiver and a punt-retuner, but he’s also undersized and lacks ideal upper-body strength. He is going to have problems beating press coverage and he will get muscled out of some routes.

28(194) Pittsburgh (From Green Bay through NY Giants) Ryan Mundy S WEST VIRGINIA
Mundy has had some problems staying healthy, and he doesn’t have great top-end speed or the ability to change directions quickly. On the plus side, he hass experience lining up at both corner and safety.

29(195) Miami (From Dallas) Donald Thomas OG CONNECTICUT
He displays adequate feet, bends naturally in the knees, displays brute strength and does a good job rooting defenders off the ball. Does not possess elite lower-body strength and struggles to adjust on the fly while trying to hit moving targets.

30(196) Indianapolis Michael Santi TE VIRGINIA
Santi isn’t going to knock defenders off the ball or burn defenses deep. But he is a better football player than athlete. He gets into position as a blocker, runs good routes and can contribute as a blocker in the return game.

31(197) New England Bo Ruud OLB NEBRASKA
He has good straight-line speed and also takes sound angles in pursuit. He is a solid open-field tackler, shows good instincts in zone coverage and good quickness when closing in coverage. He lacks ideal athleticism, though, and is stiff in the hips.

32(198) NY Giants Andre Woodson QB KENTUCKY
The hitch in Woodson’s release played a big role in his poor showing at the Senior Bowl and caused his stock to plummet. In addition, he makes questionable decisions and telegraphs some of his throws. He does, however, have great size, excellent arm strength and he shows toughness in the pocket.

33(199) NY Giants Robert Henderson DE SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
He is big enough to hold his own against the run and can collapse the pocket as a pass rusher, but he doesn’t have great speed and is going to have a harder time at the NFL level.

34(200) Philadelphia Joe Mays ILB NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Mays has adequate size, good instincts and plays with a great motor. He’s also a sound tackler and flashes the ability to make the big hit, but he isn?t a sideline-to-sideline run defender and he has limitations in coverage.

35(201) Indianapolis Steven Justice OC WAKE FOREST
He shows great initial quickness. He is able to snap the ball and gets into position very quickly. He moves well laterally and can cut off defenders down the line, but he needs to work on overall strength, especially in his lower body.

36(202) Indianapolis Mike Hart RB MICHIGAN
At one time he was a first-round prospect, but he dropped due to pre-draft workouts. He is a natural runner who displays great patience setting up his blocks. He is very slippery and is able to break arm tackles. But he is very undersized, lacks top-end speed and shows an inability to be very helpful in pass-protection.

37(203) Philadelphia Andrew Studebaker DE WHEATON
Studebaker is a ‘tweener; he’s not big enough to holdup against the run as an end and might not have enough athletic ability to develop into an every-down outside linebacker. Also, he doesn’t show great instincts. However, he has good quickness and he closes well, so he can get to the quarterback.

38(204) Miami Lex Hilliard RB MONTANA
Hilliard lined up at running back at Montana and should be a productive short-yardage runner at the NFL level. However, he’s probably going to fit better at fullback in the NFL; he doesn’t have great speed or elusiveness. It will also take some time for him to develop as a blocker.

39(205) Indianapolis Pierre Garcon WR MT UNION
He shows solid quickness off the ball and possesses a good burst in and out of breaks. He adjusts well to poorly thrown balls and he’s not afraid to go over the middle and shows solid strength after the catch. He lacks top-end speed and elusiveness in the open field.

40(206) Baltimore Haruki Nakamura S CINCINNATI
He was a tackling machine in college with good instincts, but he is a strong safety in a free safety’s body.

41(207) Cincinnati Matt Sherry TE VILLANOVA
His size causes matchup problems for safeties. He can make plays downfield and has good hands, but he offers little as a blocker at this point.

FEATURED POST: NFL Draft 2008 – Round 6- Dallas Cowboys – DE Erik Walden

 
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