My man Andrew has just added some new features to the blog to help us get even more out of this site. We know will be able to post videos directly into the posts and we can also insert poll questions (something I have definitely wanted to use before) so that’s good to have.

Speaking of polls Andrew posted one earlier about whether or not the Giants should have signed Antre Rolle and so far 39 out of 40 votes say, Yes!

And I agree.

Nick Collins, the Green Bay Safety, just got a three year contract worth 3 years and 23.4 million dollars (which is 7.8 million dollars a year). Green Bay’s General Manager Ted Thompson is very conservative so if Nick Collins ( a very fine young player) is worth 7.8 million dollars a year for the team he is already on then I think Antrel Rolle’s contract worth 7.4 million dollars a year is definitely fair as far as I’m concerned.

The ONLY thing I’m worried about is Cap Space if they cap comes back NEXT year because Eli has a big contract, Rolle, Canty. The Giants are definitely paying some players so that might be an issue later, but if there is no Salary Cap I have no qualms at all.

And now onto the story:

From profootballtalk.com

Coin toss to determine whether Jets or Giants get dibs on first game at new digs

Posted by Mike Florio on March 13, 2010 8:20 PM ETSo with a brand new stadium opening soon in New York Jersey and two teams sharing it and no NFL equivalent of calling shotgun, the Jets and the Giants needed to come up with a way to determine who’ll play the first home game there.

And in this age of high technology, they have resorted to a decidedly low tech device.

Flipping a coin.

Per the Jets’ official web site, the league has said that a heads-tails contest will be used to decide who’ll get the right to christen the new venue.  The Jets, according to the report, have presented a plan for the flip to be held in the coming week.

The need to do it soon; the league will be unveiling the 2010 schedule in April.

The fact that a decision has yet to be made likely means that neither team will be hosting a prime-time event there in Week One.  If history holds, the games played under the lights during the first weekend of action will be announced during the annual league meeting that opens on March 21.

We’ll post on the outcome once the coin toss occurs; hopefully, there won’t be any interference. 

I know it’s a bit overdue but just wanted to test out this new polling feature of the blog that we just installed:

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Elaborate in the comments if you wish to explain your vote.

http://norcalvol.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/dexter-mccluster.jpg

Fuchs just did the first Giantsgab Mock Draft of the year . Check it out if you get the time. I also just posted the profile of CB Joe Haden   who might actually be available at 15 now after his very slow 40 at the combine.

I could sum up this entire post with two facts: Dexter McCluster is very explosive and he is very small, but that would be shotty work so I will do what I normally do for these profiles.

Pro-Draft Party Highlights

Dexter McCluster

Measurables

Born August 25th 1988. Senior.

5′9 172 pounds. (And therein lies all the questions about Dexter McCluster)

Combine 40 time 4.55, 20 reps at 225. 37.5 inch vertical.

McCluster was suprisingly slow at the 40 and suprisingly strong at the bench press. He outlifted a few of the offensive linemen at the combine, at weight that is nearly 1 and a half times his body weight.

 Stats (ESPN.com)

Career: 304 attempts (14 attempts his first two years), 1,955 yards, 15 touchdowns.

2009: 181 attempts, 1169 yards 6.5 yards per rush.  8 touchdowns. 44 receptions for 522 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Big Games:

@ Alabama 6 attmptes for 15 yards 3 receptions for 22 yards.

Vs Arkansas 22 carries 123 yards 7 receptions for a 137 yards and a touchdown.

@ Auburn 22 carries for 186 yards (1 touchdown). 4 cathces for 17 yards.

vs Tenneesse 25 carries for 282 yards. 4 touchdowns. 4 receptions for 42 yards.

vs LSU 24 carries 148 yards 3 catches for 18 yards.

vs Oklahoma State (Cotton Bowl) 34 attmepts 184 yards 2 touchdowns. 5 catches for 45 yards.

IF you were to ask Eric Berry from Tennesse I’m sure he would be in favor of draftin McCluster.

Here’s what worries you about McCluster he had some HUGE games…but he had 4 games where he had under 20 yards rushing, but knowing how Sneed played this year that could have been becuase they turned the ball over on the first play of every series.

ESPN’s Scouts Inc (1 exceptional, 3 average, 5 marginal)

 Football Fan Spot

1/17/10: A blur of a football player who is a bit undersized. He has lined up at both running back and wide receiver in his career and had 1169 rushing yards and 520 receiving yards last season. He has also lined up as a wildcat so there’s going to be a spot in the NFL for him, though it is not going to be a conventional one. He will play the Percy Harvin role for a team, a slot receiver, return guy, and occasional 3^rd down back and wildcat and will be plenty valuable doing so.

8/6/09: Speed thrills in the NFL so McCluster is going to get some looks in the mid rounds. He has great versatility and can play running back and wide receiver and had 600 yards of each last season. He can be a 3^rd down back and a slot receiver and maybe play some wildcat if he can learn to throw. He’s a poor man’s Percy Harvin and is less injury prone. He’s smaller than Harvin though. He could stand to put on about 10 or 15 pounds, but doing so could hurt his speed, which is pretty much the only thing he brings to the table of an NFL prospect. Though he has never had major injury problems in the past, his small frame leaves him susceptible to injuries. Even though he is small and one dimensional, his blazing speed makes him valuable to an NFL team, especially in the new wildcat era. His versatility also helps his draft stock a lot.

NFL Comparison: Poor man’s Percy Harvin

NFL.com/combine

Overview

Undersized for the running back position and may end up being a wide receiver or return specialist at the next level. McCluster got a lot of all purpose yardage as a combination running back/receiver in Mississippi’s offense. He has had ball security issues over the years and needs to prove he can avoid turnovers if he wants to prove a player his size can contribute. He has the speed to turn a short dump off pass into a long touchdown with just a single missed tackle. While he is a bit of a luxury item, some team is apt to take a chance that he can contribute in situations.

Strengths

McCluster possesses elite speed and explosiveness for the running back position. Has outstanding initial quickness needed to get through the hole. Displays impressive receiving skills and can be a threat deep down the field. Feisty player who loves to compete. Has dangerous elusiveness in space, is a terror on the perimeter, and is a true home run threat.

Weaknesses

McCluster does not have the necessary size and strength to carry the load at next level. Could struggle with his inside running but was willing and productive in college. Blocking is an area of concern due to his lack of size and strength necessary to pick up blitzing linebackers. May not break many tackles.

NewEraScouting.com

Height/Weight: 5’8 – 165

40 Time:

Pro Potential: Darren Sproles – San Diego Chargers

Position Traits

Acceleration/Burst/Quickness: Reaches his top speed in a blink. Once he has three to four steps moving downhill, he is moving at a higher speed than anyone else on the field.

Ball Protection: Hides the ball very well when moving through traffic, uses both arms to cover the ball as he lowers his shoulder. Very aware of the ball’s location in relation to his body when moving in space.

Elusiveness/Feet/Agility: Can miss a lot of tacklers, has the last second quickness to evade hits. Can cut on a 45 degree angle while moving at full speed without losing his momentum. Can find the tiny windows. Has an agile and flexible lower half with feet that appear to glide along the ground when he is in stride.

Pass Catching: Can make the tough catch all over the field. Smooth and fluid receiver that has plenty of experience playing in the slot. Totaled 130 receptions over his four year career at Ole Miss. Could very well end up playing wide receiver at the next level.

Pass Blocking: Willing to step and can deliver a surprising jolt to the pass rusher. Has power in that little frame . Does not have a lot of experience staying home and blocking however. Was almost always running a route when the ball was not in his hands.

Power: Knows when to put his head down and fight for the extra yard. Shows no hesitation in lowering his shoulder in to a pile. Surprising power for a player his size.

Size/Length/Hand Size: Very thin, even for a 5’8 frame. Has a strong body with some bulk up top.

Speed: Top tier game speed that can allow him to run away from anyone in the open field. Changes the defense’s approach to a play with his presence on the field.

Vision/Balance/Running Instincts: Has average cutback vision, more of a straight ahead runner that can anticipate lanes past the line of scrimmage. Runs with very little wasted motion, tremendous balance and ability to maintain his maximum explosion and speed.

Final Word: A look at Dexter McCluster leads many to believe he is simply too small to hack it at the next level. But the explosion, quickness, and speed he is able to bring to the field every play of every week is going to possibly get his name called in the second round. McCluster is one of the most versatile playmakers in the country that can play a Wes Welker role as a receiver and a Darren Sproles role as a running back. He has plenty of experience in the wildcat formation and his return abilities will be used right away in the NFL. On top of all the physical ability, McCluster is one of the smartest players that Ole Miss coaching staff has ever dealt with. He is another coach on the field that can make sound, quick decisions. Playing at 165 pounds in the NFL cannot happen however, so he will need to bulk up if he is planning on taking 15-20 hits per game for a 16 week season. With this kind of athleticism though, McCluster is one of the safer bets of the 2010 draft class

Big Board Rankings

ESPN Scouts Inc 55.

CBS NFL Draft Scout 56

The Football Fan Spot 83

Bartolis Summary and Final Verdict

McCluster is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the ball. McCluster is also very little for an N.F.L. running back or Wide Receiver, which he is both or neither. McCluster is getting a lot of listings as ATH, or athlete. McCluster is not even a 175 pounds and he’s  at most 5′9 inches.

What he does do well though, is catch the ball great for a Running back. And he reaches his second gear instantly.

Final Verdict

Reese is clearly Best Player Available in most cases and the Giants grading will depend on whether or not the Giants show any interest in McCluster and when. If you think McCluster is able to withstand the punishment he is a very solid second round pick and has the talent of a first round pick. However, not a lot of people think he can withstand a constant pounding and that most teams will use McCluster for 10 touches a game, mostly coming out of the backfield as a pass catcher and ocassional runs.

Darren Sproles is a natural comparision for McCluster becuase both are small and explosive. Another one of the major concerns, (but again relating to size) is whether or not McCluster can even block to be in on passing downs.

I believe the Giants need a player who can catch the ball out of the backfield and take it the distance. Bradshaw is O.K. at that, but he’s not Sproles, McCluster, or C.J. Spiller at that (or what McCluster and Spiller could be). I am not against drafting McCluster, especially in the third round, but even the second round is fine value.

I, however, do not think that McCluster is really a Tom Coughlin kind of player (the perception of course being that Couhglin wants guys blocking, blocking, blocking and contributing on Special team….which D.J. Ware didn’t get to do and I can’t imagine McCluster doing that then) and I don’t see him ending up on the Giants.

Previous Profiles

CB Joe Haden

S Nate Allen

Jason Pierre Paul

DT Geno Atkins

DT Lamarr Houston

RB Jahvid Best

OT Trent Williams

Derrick Morgan

OL Mike Iupati

S Chad Jones

OLB/DE Sergio Kindle

Sean Weatherspoon

ILB Sean Lee

S Eric Berry

OT Bruce Campbell

ILB Daryl Washington

DT/NT Dan Williams (Updated with K.C. Joyner’s Draft Lab 2/7)

CB Kyle Wilson

DT Jared Odrick

DE Carlos Dunlap

ILB Micah Johnson

DT Arthur Jones

OT Bryan Baluga

OT Anthony Davis (UPDATED 2/5/10)

DT Brian Price

ILB Brandon Spikes

S Earl Thomas

ILB Rolando McClain

RB C.J. Spiller

S Taylor Mays

The draft is a little over a month away. It’s time to start mocking. Of course, this is the first of many. And, to start you off, this is only the first three rounds.

When you look at the Giants needs, there are a couple things that stand out: Middle Linebacker, Offensive Line, Defensive Line. That’s the three big ones. You can say secondary depth, but that’s a later round thing. The Giants need a middle linebacker.  I think they should go after Kirk Morrison, costing them a third round pick. But, he’s not on the Giants yet, so that’s the biggest need.

The Giants need some offensive lineman. There’s a couple ways of going about doing this. You can get a mauling right tackle, move Will Beatty over to left tackle, and slide David Diehl to left guard. You can get a premier left tackle, move Diehl to guard, and Beatty to right tackle. You can also get a stud guard, move Betty to left tackle, and Diehl to right tackle.

The last one is defensive tackle. With Chris Canty a question mark, and Jay Alford coming off of surgery, the Giants need a run-stopping defensive tackle.

The Giants will try to address these needs within the first three picks. I’m a proponent of drafting best player available. But, with needs that can be filled through the draft, the Giants should take the best player available of those three positions. If the best player available in the first round is a running back, you take the best available linebacker or lineman, and decide which one is better.

So, with that said, here it is.

WITH THE 15th PICK IN THE 2010 NFL DRAFT, THE NEW YORK GIANTS SELECT….

BRYAN BULAGA, OT, IOWA

I watched a lot of Bulaga this season, and in every game, I was impressed. He’s a left tackle, but I think he will be a stud at right tackle, where I would pencil him in for the 2010 season. Mauling, but quick. Great pass blocker, and improving run blocker. His prospect profile is here.

If the Giants draft Bulaga, the offensive line is a strength again. Diehl moves inside to left guard. Think about that: Diehl is a Pro Bowl left tackle. You move him inside to left guard? He’s an All-Pro. Will Beatty is your left tackle. Beatty was impressive last year in limited duty, and I think, as he continues to add weight and muscle, he will be a stud. The Giants rarely isolate the left tackle, so Beatty won’t have to do it alone. Bulaga is your right tackle. It’s possible that Bulaga starts at left tackle, but I think, coming straight out of college, going right to left tackle is a mistake. He could be there in 2011, and Beatty at right tackle. Your line is pretty good. The comparison I’ve seen about Bulaga is Michael Oher, who had an outstanding season for the Ravens, playing at left and right tackle. If Bulaga can do that, watch out.

WITH THE 46TH PICK IN THE 2010 NFL DRAFT, THE NEW YORK GIANTS SELECT…

ARTHUR JONES, DT, SYRACUSE

With the horrible play of Canty and Bernard, and the departure of Fred Robbins, a defensive tackle is needed. You can argue for Dan Williams in the first round ,but he’s more of a 3-4 tackle. Enter Arthur Jones. His profile is here. He’s a better run defender than a pass rusher, but I think that’s okay. Jay Alford is your pass rushing tackle. You don’t need Jones to be that guy. You need him to stop the run.

I think Jones is an awfully talented player–someone who could play right away. He played on a bad Syracuse team, and still played well. Surrounded by talent, he could put up huge numbers. He’s a smart player. Some say he’s better suited to be a 3-4 defensive end. There’s validity to that, and that may scare the Giants off. Still, as a 4-3 defensive tackle, he’s a heck of a talent, and someone who will produce in Blue.

WITH THE 76th PICK IN THE 2010 NFL DRAFT, THE NEW YORK GIANTS SELECT…

MICAH JOHNSON, ILB, KENTUCKY

Micah Johnson is a prototypical middle linebacker. Athletic, good tackler. His profile is here. The dude has sideline-to-sideline ability, something Antonio Pierce didn’t have. He’s pretty good in pass coverage, but not exceptional. He’s a great tackler.

Some say he could go in the second round, but after hurting his knee in Kentucky’s bowl game, he may fall into the third round, which would be a boon for the Giants. He played in a 3-4 in college, but I think he’s verstaile enough to play in a 4-3.

One problem: I think he’s not a starter right away. I think he contributes right away, especially on special teams, but he won’t start. Outside of Rolando McClain, there isn’t a middle linebacker who can start right away. That’s why the Giants should go after Morrison. I do think Johnson is a potential starter, and a very good one at that. The Giants have to decide if they want to stick with Jon Goff, or go after a vet.

That’s the first three rounds of the Giants draft. The address all their needs, and get players who can play right away. All three were productive, and from big schools. I like the way it plays out. Your thoughts?

This really isn’t a Giants post but there are two reasons I am posting this.  First off the Giants play on FieldTurf and secondly I am a golf course superintendent and nothing beats the real thing.

I came across this on USNEWS.COM

Pro football players are more likely to suffer certain types of knee and ankle injuries on an artificial turf called FieldTurf than on natural grass, a new study contends.

Researchers analyzed data from the 2002-2008 National Football League seasons and found that teams playing on FieldTurf had an 88 percent higher rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries and a 48 percent higher rate of eversion ankle sprains(foot twists outward).

Per team game, the rate of all reported game-related lower extremity injuries was 27 percent higher on FieldTurf than on natural grass.

“These injuries could be happening for myriad reasons, and we need to further explore and initiate research into exactly why this is happening,” study leader Dr. Elliott B. Hershman, chairman of orthopedic surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and chairman of the NFL Injury and Safety Panel, said in a news release.

He added that “many NFL players prefer FieldTurf because it is softer and more comfortable to land on than other playing surfaces such as natural grass, but the more that NFL players play on this surface, the more prone they are to injury. It is important for athletes, coaches, athletic trainers and fans to be aware of this issue.”

Speaking to the Associated Press, FieldTurf president Eric Daliere took issue with the findings. He said that recent data published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine by Michael Meyers of Montana State University found lower rates of injury among college football players who played on FieldTurf. That research was funded by FieldTurf and did not look at NFL football, the AP noted.

“Michael Meyers has come to a very different conclusion on a different level and his is a real study, not just a report,” Daliere told the AP. “He mentions poorly designed [analyses] and this is the kind of work he does and that the statistical analysis by the [NFL] panel was also flawed.”

“I don’t put a lot of weight in it and think if is unfortunate it is coming out this way at this time,” he said.

According to the AP, nine NFL stadiums now use FieldTurf — Cincinnati, Detroit, Indianapolis, New England, Atlanta, Minnesota, St. Louis, Seattle and New Jersey’s new Meadowlands Stadium.

The study was to be presented Friday at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ annual meeting, in New Orleans.

Here are the top five performance based pays for the Giants.

#1 Bruce Johnson $270,766

#2 Michael Johnson $235,455

#3 Kevin Boss $221,100

#4 Terrell Thomas $207,125

#5 Aaron Rouse $193,596

Not bad for Bruce Johnson who’s salary was $310,000.  Michael Johnson should be accused of robbery after making that much and playing that poorly.

To anyone who had doubts about Kevin Boss being an absolutely stellar pro football player, read this:

http://www.boyzoid.com/blog/index.cfm/2010/3/8/Kevin-Boss-Gets-It

Buried inside this story, is a disturbing note about every Giants fan’s favorite team, the Eagles. Here it is:

the Vikings only tendered a first-round pick to Ray Edwards, are they suggesting the same? There’s a report from Bob Grotz of the Delaware Times that the Eagles are expecting to make a push to sign Edwards. Edwards would certainly help the Eagles’ rushing opposite Trent Cole and would give them a blue-chip front seven player they desperately need to improve their defense.

Ray Edwards was a top DE last year for Minnesota – and the guy really got up for his rivalry games against Green Bay.  If the Eagles did somehow sign Edwards it would most certainly spell:

D – I – S – A – S – T – E – R

…for the Giants.

Now — there’s no reason to think that Minnesota will let their front 4 collapse due to a first round tender that the Eagles manage to capitalize on…. but the very idea that Trent Cole and Ray Edwards would be rushing Eli next year at the same time for 60 minutes gives me an ulcer.

Why this blurb was buried inside the “Gentle Giant” story I can’t be sure…. but as fate would have it does have everything to do with the Giants once you read between the lines.

From: http://www.gatorzone.com/football/honors/images/2008/haden.jpg

 Measurables

5′11. 193 pounds. 18 Bench Presses. 4.57 40 at the combine.  Born April 14th 1989.

He has nice size and weight ratio he didn’t show great strength with 18 reps (not terrible though), and he had a VERY slow 40 time for an elite Corner Prospect.

Stats

Career: 197 tackles, 2 FF, 8 INT (3 years) and 3 sacks.

2009: 57 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 FF, 4 INT.

Big Games:  8 tackles vs Tennessee and an INT

@ LSU 5 tackles, 1 INT, 2 passes defensed

@ Miss State 7 tackles

@ South Carolina 10 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT, 1 pass defensed

@ Alabama 3 tackles,  2 passes defensed

Joe Haden was Super Productive in college, and in 2009. 3 sacks from the CB spot and 4 INT is impressive in the S.E.C. as you can see vs quality teams he had good games. South Carolina, LSU Alabama are all pretty good to very good teams and he played well in all of those games.

Stats

Scouting Reports

ESPN’s Scouts Inc. (1 exceptional, 3 average, 5 marginal)

Draftboardinsider.com

Scouting Report::  The more I watch Haden the more I love his game.  He’s got great size.  Keep in mind I have never been a big fan of corners over 6′ tall so for Haden at 5′10″ that’s just right.  He’s got a strong physical build and long arms.  In terms of a skill set Haden is the top CB in this draft, and no.2 whoever you want to plug in, is a distant 2nd.  Haden excels in Man coverage.  he can maintain his backpedal, hips stay low, and has great instincts.  And like most Florida players, he’s a superb athlete with impressive closing speed and fantastic ball skills.  But perhaps the most impressive thing about Haden is just how physical he is.  He’s physical in coverage, he’s nasty in the run game, he’s an excellent blitzer and a rock solid tackler.  If he has a shortcoming, it’s his ability to play zone.  He has a tendency to get pulled off in zone, losing his assignment.  But really this is nitpicking.  Haden is a great player and seems to get better week after week.
Draft Status: Great cover corners, especially ones who can defend the run, tackle and with great ball skills are rare in every draft, but especially so in this one.  I suspect if he declares(and why wouldn’t he?) he’s the first CB off the board, and when you consider the drop in talent after him, he’ll end up in the top 15, and the next corner not until the end of the round.Reminds me of: Terrance McGee, CB Buffalo Bills-Both with short stout frames, and are super physical in coverage and in run support.and is an even better blitzer. Haden has a chance to be a special player in this league, just like McGee is.

Final Analysis: I entered the season with a list of 4 corners I expected to have as first round grades.  Haden wasn’t one of them, and that’s my bad.  Haden is a superb athlete, and a great football player.  There’s very little he needs to improve in his game, other than possibly play recognition and his assignments in a zone defense.  Of course his physical style of coverage will probably cost him a flag or two early but the number of big plays he will make will far outnumber those.Big Board Rankings

New Era Scouting.com

Agility: Displays elite high-point agility. Shows loose hips that he can open up to turn.You’d like to see Haden explode more when he opens up his hips, though. His change of direction ability isn’t as great as you’d like, but it’s serviceable.

Ball skills: Don’t mistake Haden’s eight interceptions in three years for ordinary ball skills. Where Haden’s ball skills are evident when he’s in the air with a receiver. He had 34 career passes defended and really came up his best here in big games. Haden’s ball skills are what makes him a true shutdown corner.

Body control: Haden flashes excellent body control when he’s in the air. Positions himself to get in front of receivers to make a play on the ball. Rarely got called for interference or illegal contact. Times his jumps nicely.

Instincts: Possesses extremely impressive recognition skills. Pump fakes don’t move Haden around and reads routes nicely. Very good at differentiating run and pass plays to break toward the line of scrimmage. Has good instincts when the ball is in the air.

Man coverage: Haden’s press skill is excellent and he can handle large receivers at the line. A picky defensive backs coach might want to work with Haden on his backpedal. He’s more of a side step, which gets him in trouble against shifty receivers. Once Haden is turned and running with the receiver, he stays right on them and uses his hands well here.

Pursuit: If he gets a clear lane, Haden shows excellent back-side pursuit against the run. Takes good angles, so long as he doesn’t get held up by a blocker. For a cornerback, Haden is a solid pass rusher. Had three sacks as a junior.

Size: Haden size is adequate for the position. He has decent bulk on his frame and long arms. Some question, though, if he is truly 5-foot-11. Plays much bigger than his measurables.

Speed: Shows that he has optimum playing speed. Stayed in stride with just about every receiver he lined up against, especially when running in a straight line. Is an explosive closer. Gets up to speed in an instant.

Tackling: Even though Haden doesn’t have the best size, he is strong supporting the run. His tackling skills are good. Although he could stand to get lower on his tackles, he wraps up properly and doesn’t let go.

Zone coverage: Improved his zone coverage skills as a junior. Did a better job of trusting his football intelligence and understanding where a route is going to develop. Before he would bite on combo routes and have to rely on his closing speed. Has the burst to close his cushion fast.

Final word: There is no better college cornerback than Haden. He’s come along this season as a complete corner capable of shutting down a side of the field and helping against the run. Although Haden struggles at times against shiftier receivers in man coverage, he has good speed and can out-muscle opponents.

Haden was a starter upon setting foot in Gainesville. He missed only one game in his career due to injury and started 40 games for the Gators.

Clearly the top cornerback available in the 2010 NFL Draft. Has the strength, tackling ability and closing speed to play free safety as well.

ESPN Scouts Inc 6th

Draftboardinsider.com 5th

Walterfootball.com 8th

Drafttek.com 8th

Where the Mocks Have him Falling

Mel Kiper Jr. 1st round pick 13, San Fran 49ers

McShay 1st round pick 7 Cleveland Browns

Draftek.com 1st round pick 11 Denver Broncos

Walterfootball.com  1st roun dpick 13, San Fran 49ers

Bartolis Summary and Final Verdict

Joe Haden is THE top Cornerback in this draft class and has been for quite a while. Joe Haden was almost a sure fire top ten pick before the combine and is probably still a guranteed top 16 pick now (no way he makes it past the Titans at 16).

Haden is physical in run support, a very good blizter from the cornerback position, and great in coverage. Haden plays well in big games and is a very good cornerback prospect who is still young, yet exeprienced at the same time.

Bartolis Final Verdict

If Joe Haden is still available at 15th overall he will be the best player available (minus some freaky happenings). Haden is a very good cornerback prospect who plays FAST on TAPE and so is combine time is not really all that concerning to me….but a player like McClain who looks a little slow when you watch him play and then runs a little slow at the combine has legetimate speed concerns.

Haden not so much. A lot of people (including Deion Sanders) believe that haden had Terrible 40 form and that is low time is more indictative of a bad form than it is his speed becuase he plays fast on tape and he looked pretty fast after he got started.

I like Joe Haden a lot as a prospect and have absolutely no qualms if the Giants race up to the stage to select Joe Haden at #15 overall in the upcoming draft, even though we have a lot of young talent in the secondary…you can never have too many good cornerbacks.

Previous Profiles

S Nate Allen

Jason Pierre Paul

DT Geno Atkins

DT Lamarr Houston

RB Jahvid Best

OT Trent Williams

Derrick Morgan

OL Mike Iupati

S Chad Jones

OLB/DE Sergio Kindle

Sean Weatherspoon

ILB Sean Lee

S Eric Berry

OT Bruce Campbell

ILB Daryl Washington

DT/NT Dan Williams (Updated with K.C. Joyner’s Draft Lab 2/7)

CB Kyle Wilson

DT Jared Odrick

DE Carlos Dunlap

ILB Micah Johnson

DT Arthur Jones

OT Bryan Baluga

OT Anthony Davis (UPDATED 2/5/10)

DT Brian Price

ILB Brandon Spikes

S Earl Thomas

ILB Rolando McClain

RB C.J. Spiller

S Taylor Mays

Adam over at VikingsGab is doing a live–LIVE!–mock draft for all 32 teams on Saturday. Read about it here. You’ll be debating with other SportsGab readers about each pick, and a majority rules process will be used to make the pick. It should be exciting. VikingsGab is awesome, and Adam does a great job of covering the Purple People Eaters. So, Saturday at 4, head over to VikingsGab, and have some fun mocking.