 Player Profile |
The Ohio State University 2007 NFL Draft Preview by bryan@footballdialogue.com The Ohio State Buckeyes senior class is a good one and there is a chance that most of these guys could be drafted in 2007. The following is a player by player look at all of the athletes that will be coming into the 2007 NFL Draft including how they fared in college, what their positive and negative features are and where they might go in the 2007 NFL Draft. Mike D’Andrea-LB-6’2 250-- After suffering through a career filled with injury, D’Andrea is now ready to try his hand in the NFL. D’Andrea missed parts of the 2004 and 2005 seasons due to knee surgery and missed some of the 2006 season due to injury. The upside to D’Andrea is that he has great speed and strength for his position and isn’t afraid to get in and mix things up a little bit. He is also an intelligent player with a real nose for the game. His downside is, of course, the injury issues he has had in the past and this is the number one problem with D’Andrea. He also has some problems going back and covering backs and wide receivers and does not move well towards the ball at times. If D’Andrea can prove to NFL scouts that he is over his injury issues, he could be drafted somewhere during the second day but most likely, he will go un drafted and wind up trying out on an NFL team during training camp. Doug Datish-C-OG-With the capability to play both guard and center, Datish could solidify himself a spot in the 2007 NFL Draft. Datish had a solid career with the Buckeyes and helped anchor an offensive line that was one of the top lines in college football. Datish is a very athletic lineman who plays with a ton of skill and good effort. He is a strong blocker with good moves and great footwork moving side to side and forward. Datish plays hard on each play and plays smart. The only real drawback to Datish is that he has some short arms and therefore has some trouble keeping rushers off the edge when playing at the guard position and this might be the reason why he projects to be a center in the NFL. Look for Datish to go somewhere early on the second day to a team that is looking for a good backup center. Timothy Downing-OG—6’4 292 - After not logging much playing time during his career with the Buckeyes, Downing makes an attempt to come into the 2007 NFL Draft and get selected. His lack of playing time might and other factors might hurt his chances of being drafted however. Downing is not as athletic as the ideal lineman should be and has some issue with footwork and moving up and down the line as well as meeting defenders on the move to block. His mechanics aren’t too great and he has not that physical. He does have some great football intelligence but probably won’t get drafted in this April’s draft. He might find his way onto an NFL team as an un drafted free agent. Ted Ginn-WR—6’0 180 -- After a successful career with the Ohio State Buckeyes, Ginn comes out a year early to take his chances in the NFL. Coming out as a junior should be the right choice for Ginn who had a very productive career as a wide receiver and kickoff and punt return specialist. Ginn has awesome speed and quickness and can accelerate when it is needed. He can also dub as a return specialist which makes him that much more valuable to any NFL team. The downside to Ginn is his lack of experience at the position, which makes him somewhat inconsistent. He needs to get some help with running routes and needs to work on getting stronger. It is entirely possible that Ginn could be switched back to cornerback and be used as a return specialist as well. This will depend on how well he works out before the draft and where NFL teams see him playing. However, his talent makes him a sure first round selection and he should have a great career in the NFL. Roy Hall-WR—6’2 235 - Hall had his good moments with the Buckeyes but may not have enough to make it as a star in the NFL. Hall does have some great size to him but doesn’t have the speed that you would like in an ideal wide receiver. When Hall is part of the game and balls are coming his way, he is very active and very much into the game but when he is not involved, it’s hard for him to keep his head in the game. He does have some questions regarding his mechanics and isn’t a strong blocker. Don’t look for Hall to get drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft but it’s possible he could wind up as a free agent or on a practice squad somewhere in the league. David Patterson-DT-6’2 285 - Patterson had a good career with the Buckeyes as more of a specialized player (coming in during nickel situations) and can play both defensive tackle and defensive end. Patterson lacks great speed and burst up the field and it doesn’t appear as if he could work the edge that well and keep containment (when playing the end position). He does display some skill in getting past blockers and does possess some great football intelligence and can really hustle on the field but he isn’t the greatest of athletes and might be somewhat of a situational guy in the NFL than a full time starter. However, with a great pre-draft set of workouts, Patterson could get taken somewhere in the later rounds of the draft but he should be able to land somewhere in the NFL in 2007. Quinn Pitcock-DT—6’3 295 - Pitcock had a little bit of an up and down career with the Buckeyes but he managed to come through quite nicely as a senior and is now poised to make it big in the NFL. Pitcock would excel in a 4-3 type defense that emphasizes gap control (such as the Chicago Bears) and is great against the run. He is a strong player and can take on blocks well and get up field well also. What Pitcock lacks is bit play ability, which is vital for his position. He also doesn’t move around the field very well and lacks the agility to be an effective pass rusher. He will be better suited, as previously said, in a 3-4 defense as a run stuffing specialist. Depending on how he works out in the combine and during his pro day workouts, Pitcock could possibly crack the bottom of the first round but is most likely an early to middle second round pick. Jay Richardson-DE—6’5 273 - Richardson had a decent career with the Buckeyes that was filled with mediocre play and injury. Mechanically, Richardson does have some issues including some trouble getting off of blocks and getting off of the snap fast enough. He could also stand to add some bulk and get stronger as well but really needs to work on his mechanics if he is going to have a career in the NFL. Look for Richardson to go un drafted in the 2007 NFL Draft and possibly come in somewhere as an un drafted free agent this summer. Troy Smith-QB-6’0 215 - Smith, coming off a career in which he helped his team win quite a few games and garner him the Heismann trophy, enters the 2007 NFL Draft as one of the top quarterback prospects. However, his stock may have taken a dip after a poor performance in the BCS Championship game and he will have to prove himself during workouts prior to the draft if he wants to get drafted higher than he is projected to go. When looking at Smith, the one thing that sticks out right away is his ability to throw on the move and run with the football. He is very effective when he throws on the run, which is something that every NFL coach covets in a quarterback. Smith has a strong arm as well and can throw the long pass accurately. He has good pocket presence and can sense the rush and move within the pocket accordingly. If you had to point out one glaring fault that Smith has it would be his size. Smith isn’t the tallest quarterback in the draft and his size limitations might make some teams shy away from him. He doesn’t have a ton of playing experience either but that can be remedied with some time at second string in the NFL. It’s tough to tell where Smith might go in the 2007 NFL Draft. He isn’t quite first round talent but it is possible he could go early in the second round, which is the most likely scenario. By Bryan of FootballDialogue.com |
