Articles - Michigan Football 2007 Draft Preview

The Michigan University 2007 NFL Draft Preview by bryan@footballdialogue.com

The following is a short player-by-player analysis of each player from Michigan entering the 2007 NFL Draft this April. It includes a brief summary of their career with the Wolverines as well as some information on their plusses and minuses and where the might end up being drafted this April.

Willis Barringer-FS-206/5-11 - Barringer had a marginal career with the Wolverines and comes into the NFL draft as someone who will more than likely go undrafted. The positive side to Barringer is that he is intelligent and can react to plays very well. He is also solid against the run and plays aggressively. He does have some difficulty dropping back to defend against the pass and isn’t the best of athletes. He does have some trouble playing under control and has some issues missing tackles. Barringer is a leader on the field and isn’t afraid to talk during games. However, he just isn’t that athletic and will most likely go undrafted with a possible shot at making a team as an undrafted free agent.

Rondell Biggs-DE-276/6’1 - Biggs played in a tackle rotation during his career with the Wolverines backing up such standout players as Alan Branch. Biggs has had some injury problems during his career with Wolverines and that will be taken into consideration as teams evaluate him for the draft. He does play aggressively and has good mechanics but doesn’t have the starting experience that most NFL teams look for and therefore might not be considered by many NFL teams. Look for Biggs to go undrafted but wind up on the practice squad of an NFL team somewhere.

Turner Booth-LS-260/6’2 - With longsnappers becoming somewhat of a premium in the NFL (see Chicago Bears Patrick Mannelly) Booth stands a good chance of either being drafted in the later rounds or winding up on an NFL team as an undrafted free agent. Booth excels at what he is at Michigan to do and that is snapping the ball on special teams. He has a great ability to get the ball in the backfield and also does well on short snaps. He does have some problems with getting down the field in time but can tackle well. Look to see him somewhere in the NFL in 2007.

Alan Branch-DT-321/6’6-Branch started out his career with the Wolverines a little slow, playing sparingly as a freshman but exploded onto the scene as sophomore and never looked back. His career surged after that and he is now considered to be one of the top five defensive tackle prospects in the 2007 NFL Draft. Branch is huge and can dominate the interior of the defensive line. He is very good at closing up running lanes and is definitely someone that will have to be double-teamed often. He is also a great athlete that can get pressure on the quarterback. What Branch seems to lack is the ability to play hard on every snap and keep his head in the game. Mechanically, he needs to work on exploding off the snap more and getting through the line better. Branch is a promising prospect with a ton of potential and should be the first defensive tackle selected in the draft.

Steve Breaston-WR-180/6’1 - After a fairly successful career with the Wolverines, this senior standout is now ready to make his jump to the NFL. In terms of injury, Breaston hasn’t missed that much time and has only suffered a foot injury, which cost him one game. The upside to Breaston is that he has great speed and can beat some cornerbacks. Once he hits the open field it is next to impossible to catch him as he seemingly has another gear he kicks into and outraces the defenders. He also has some good moves to keep defenders guessing in the open field. Breaston could be a real weapon in the middle of the field and can take a hit despite his size and he runs good short routes. The areas where Breaston has struggled include catching deep balls, his release from the line and his overall durability. When making catches down the field (on deep passes) Breaston has some troubles adjusting to the ball and making catches over his shoulder. His size raises some questions about his durability as well. His size does make it difficult to release effectively from the line and not getting a clean and quick release would be a problem. Overall, Breaston does have some big play potential and will be of value to a team that needs to add a playmaker to their roster. Breaston should go somewhere in the 2nd to 4th round of the draft.

Prescott Burgess-OLB-243/6’4 - After coming to the Wolverines as a safety, Burgess switched to the outside linebacker and excelled at the position especially during his junior season which was his best. Now he is poised to go into the NFL and could make a huge impact at the outside linebacker position. The one thing that you will notice about Burgess right away is his size. He has great size for the position and possesses good speed as well. Burgess is a solid athlete and can cover receivers and make big plays against the pass when needed. One thing that Burgess lacks is great speed and doesn’t have what it takes to chase the play down from behind or catch up to faster offensive players. He does have a ton of potential and could become one a solid linebacker that makes a lot of plays (similar to the Chicago Bear’s Lance Briggs) and definitely has a ton of upside. Look for Burgess to go somewhere between the 2nd and 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Tyler Ecker-TE-250/6’6 - Ecker played in a part time role before his senior season at Michigan and didn’t post all too good of numbers during that time. Ecker is consistent but his athletic ability is somewhat of a question mark. He does have the ability to run good routes and his pass catching skills are very solid. He doesn’t have any trouble catching passes in traffic and make tough catches. Ecker is also a solid textbook blocker. Some of his downside is his lack of athletic ability as well as his lack of speed. Ecker might make it as a second or a third tight end somewhere in the NFL. As far as getting drafted, if he has strong workouts, it’s possible he could go very late in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Leon Hall 194/5’11 - After what many consider to be a stellar career at Michigan, Hall enters the 2007 NFL Draft as possibly the number one player at his position. He has the skills and abilities that teams will be looking for in April. Hall has all the skills needed to become an effective shutdown NFL corner. He excels in coverage and is not afraid to step up and play against the run or even rush the quarterback. He matches up with receivers very well and doesn’t get caught up in moves or fakes to easily. Like every player, there is a downside to Hall but it’s not a big one and that is that he is a little less athletic than what you would like in a corner but it’s really not that noticeable nor detrimental. Hall is most likely the best cornerback in the draft and could easily be a top ten or 15 pick in the 2007 NFL Draft.

David Harris-ILB-251/6’2 - After having a lackluster first three years of school, Harris improved himself during his senior season and now stands ready to continue his career in the NFL. After suffering injury to his knee he has improved his play, stayed healthy and has produced well during his career. He is a great run defender and can move quickly in the box. He can react to plays very well and isn’t afraid to take on blocks. Harris does not fair too well when he has to defend against the pass either rushing the passer or covering. He lacks the speed to keep up with fast wide receivers and running backs which is now somewhat of an importance in the NFL today and has trouble catching up to plays when coming up from behind. Harris will get a lot of looks from teams before the draft and could very well go in somewhere between rounds 3 and 6 of the 2007 NFL Draft.

Jerome Jackson-RB-200/5’11 - Jackson took a back seat to Mike Hart who was the undisputed starter at the running back position and didn’t get too much time to play during his career. Jackson also had some trouble with the school during his time there, which cast a deep shadow on his career and a potential career in the NFL. Right now, with such little playing experience, it appears as if Jackson will go undrafted and take his chance as an undrafted free agent.

Mike Kolodziej-OT-310/6’6 - After moving through a career filled with health problems, Kolodziej now makes an attempt to start a career in the NFL. Kolodziej played in a rotation for most of his college career and didn’t get a chance to start as often as he would have liked to have had. He has good size for his position and plays tough but lacks the experience, quickness and tools to play effectively in the NFL. Some teams might give him a look as a developmental player but he probably won’t get drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft.

Garrett Rivas-PK-215/5’9 - Rivas had a pretty solid career with the Wolverines but is just a little bit shy on true NFL talent but then that’s what many said about Chicago Bears kicker Robbie Gould and now look where he is. Rivas lacks the leg strength to drive the ball deep on kickoffs and this is something that NFL teams covet in a kicker. This lack of leg strength will also hurt him when he has to make field goals from over 40 yards. Rivas does have the ability get the kick off quickly but needs to work on his mechanics and kicking accuracy. He probably won’t get drafted but will get a chance to participate in training camp with an NFL team this summer.

Ross Ryan-P-206/6’1 - Ryan had a pretty solid career with the Wolverines and could be a player that you see in the NFL someday soon. Ryan was a dual-purpose player at Michigan playing punter and kicking off and did both very well. He gets great hangtime on his punts as well great direction and can play in a variety of weather conditions. If there are any teams that are in need of a punter Ryan could be at the top of their list and could be drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft somewhere during the second day of the draft.

Brian Thompson-FB-237/6’2 - After a career in which he helped block for some of the better rushers in the country, Thompson makes an attempt to make a name for himself in the NFL and get drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft. Thompson did suffer a foot injury during school and that hampered some of his junior season but it appears as if he is ready to go and injury free. He has good speed and quickness as well as good lateral movement. He is a very hard worker who has good football intelligence and plays hard on every play. Thompson might work well on special teams and then into a role as a full time starting fullback somewhere in the NFL. He might be a second day pick possibly taken somewhere between the 5th and 7th round of the draft.

LaMarr Woodley-DE-274/6’2 - Woodley came to Michigan as one of the top recruits in the nation and now stands on the cusp of making some big money in the NFL and possibly being an All-Pro at some point in his career. When you look at Woodley, the first thing that you will notice is his size. He is a monster at the outside linebacker position and thus might be better suited for the defensive end position. He is strong and plays very tough which will bode well in the NFL and can play on the line, which is a big, plus for his position and he could get after the quarterback easily. He is also good at stopping the run and keeping the edge contained. Woodley projects to be someone who can help contain plays on the edge and keep containment on the quarterback. His height might be the only drawback and he would really work best in a 3-4-type defense. Woodley’s success at Michigan should carry over into the NFL and it’s very possible that he could have a ton success in the NFL as well. It appears as if he would go to a team with a 3-4 defense but could work well in a 4-3 defense also. Right now, barring any major disaster during workouts, it appears as if Woodley could go anywhere from the bottom of the first round to the mid second round in the 2007 NFL Draft.