2006 NFL Draft Prospects Poll

[Sunstroke]

A. J. Hawk is the best player on that list

You are such a Buckeye Homer... 

[Sunstroke]

I was going through the Senior Bowl and other draft stuff today and decided to do a little cut and pasting of reports about some of the QB prospects that Miami could be looking at in the draft, as well as a few other positional player blurbs that I thought were interesting. Thanks to The Tennessean, ESPN, Mobile Register, Sun-Sentinel, Memphis Commercial and any others that I forgot here:

QB Jay Cutler

On Monday, he had a lengthy talk with Miami Dolphins Coach Nick Saban, and on Tuesday he met for a half hour with Titans Offensive Coordinator Norm Chow, one of Cutler’s coaches on the North squad this week.

“He’s a bright young man with a strong, live arm,” Chow said. “He has a lot of zip on the ball and he has a good quick release.”

Chow’s assessment seems to be the general consensus on Cutler’s ability.

~ Vanderbilt QB Jay Cutler has been receiving rave reviews and has a live arm, but he is not as precise or as accurate as USC's Matt Leinart. He has not allowed his receivers to maximize their receptions. When separating the top QBs in the 2006 draft, I'd still rank Leinart and Vince Young above Cutler. However, Cutler will still be in the top 10 draft picks, probably at No. 10 to Arizona or No. 9 to Detroit.

~ On Tuesday, Cutler split reps with Clemson’s Charlie Whitehurst and Penn State’s Michael Robinson. Cutler showed off his arm strength with several completions on out routes and comeback routes. He also had one of the nicest throws of the 11-on-11 scrimmage, hitting USC tight end Dominique Byrd on a seam route 20 yards down the field in heavy traffic.

~ Titans coach Jeff Fisher described Cutler's first two practices as inconsistent, but said he was eager to see how he progressed through game time.

~ Drop city: The North wide receivers had a terrible start to practice, struggling in one-on-one drills against defensive backs with drops that seemed to get contagious. Arizona State's Derek Hagan, Oregon's Demetrius Williams and Michigan's Jason Avant all had big roles in the struggles, which left plenty of scouts and personnel executives shaking their heads. "The timing with the quarterbacks is just a little off right now, we're not all the way there," Hagan said. "But when he quarterback puts the ball in the air, the receiver is supposed to catch it no matter where the ball is at." Said Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler: "We were a little off as quarterbacks too, it goes both ways. We're going to get better. We're still learning timing and trying to figure out depths. We'll be fine by the end of the week."

QB Brodie Croyle (and WR Sinorice Moss)

~ Croyle had a terrific showing at the South squad's Senior Bowl practice on Wednesday. He rolled left and made accurate throws across his body, connected on throws while rolling to the right, and was accurate from the pocket.

~ Brodie Croyle had all the right moves during Wednesday's practice. Croyle was precise on short, intermediate and deep throws. He had only one bad throw all day. Croyle showed velocity and a smooth motion. He threw the ball like a first-rounder and really helped himself. Croyle had a nice connection with WR Sinorice Moss, who also brought his A game on Wednesday. Croyle hit Moss in stride on a beautiful throw and catch.

QB Darrell Hackney

~ Hackney was all over the place. The UAB product was very inaccurate, missing many targets with high throws. Shockley also misfired on some throws that should have been completed.

~ Like with other quarterbacks being interviewed, Hackney was asked to draw a play from his college offense on a board and "walk through my reads." The Dolphins then had Hackney do the same with a play given to him by the San Francisco 49ers' coaching staff, which is directing the Senior Bowl's South squad for Saturday's all-star game. Finally, a Dolphins coach drew one of the team's own plays on the board and asked Hackney to dissect it. "They want me to tell them what I'm looking for -- the rotation of the safeties and what I'm thinking," said Hackney, who passed for 9,886 yards and 71 touchdowns with the Blazers. "I think they were happy with what I did."

QB Charlie Whitehurst

~ Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst had an even longer meeting with the Dolphins on Monday night. "The Dolphins ran the whole gambit," said Whitehurst, who jokingly added that the team "had a nice little office up there on the 11th floor. There were some football questions, and you get on the board a little bit. They figure out if you can think at all. They ask about your family and gameday, how you're feeling and your approach to the game. They try to get a feel of your intelligence and maybe your competitiveness and background a little bit, too."


Misc...

OT D'Brickashaw Ferguson

Virginia OL D'Brickashaw Ferguson got the best of Boston College DE Mathias Kiwanuka again in Wednesday's practice. Ferguson has won what seems like 97 percent of his one-on-one battles with Kiwanuka. Scouts are raving about Ferguson's long arms and great feet. He has solidified his status as a top-five pick.

CB Tye Hill

Clemson CB Tye Hill impressed again. He showed great recovery skills and a natural feel for the corner position. Hill is in the mix as a first-round pick.

DT Gabe Watson

Michigan defensive tackle Gabe Watson is receiving rave reviews for his performances this week as the 6-3, 335-pounder has clogged the middle for the North defense. "Very, very impressive," Fisher said when asked about Watson. "Disruptive to the point where we almost needed to take him out so we can get something done inside, which is a good thing to see.