By Nolan Nawrocki
April 5, 2008

This is the third in a series of eight articles for this Web site, in which we're presenting excerpts from “the bible of the draft,” our 2008 Draft Preview book, which is on now sale at the PFW store. Each of the remaining articles in the series will be posted daily, through April 10. Please note that the top five players at each position are listed in the order in which they were ranked in the pre-draft issue of our print edition, published March 31.

E-mail your draft questions to Nolan Nawrocki at ASKquestions@pfwmedia.com. He'll be answering selected questions every Wednesday preceding the draft.

1. TE/H-back Dustin Keller
(6-2, 242, 4.57) Purdue

Purdue TE Dustin Keller

Positives: Very athletic with good foot speed. Competitiveness stands out on tape — plays with some fire. Attacks the ball in the air. Can elevate and make the acrobatic grab. Accelerates quickly off the line, takes smooth strides and can run by linebackers in the short-passing game. Moves fluidly. Shows good balance in his feet and good body control to stay on his routes through contact. Has shown the ability to take short catches the distance. Will fight for the tough yards, dropping his shoulder and bowling over would-be tacklers. Very active blocker and will work to sustain. Well-conditioned athlete — lives in the weight room. Great work ethic.

Negatives: Lacks size and girth to control defenders at the point of attack and is not effective as an in-line blocker. Not an every-down player. Does not shoot his hands with authority. Plays short-armed, does not extend and lock out. Lacks functional strength and does not always convert his weight-room strength to the field. Not very elusive. Was not used a lot vertically.

Summary: A converted receiver who could be very effective in a situational type of role where he could line up in the slot and create on the move but is not a throwaway as a blocker and does compete well enough to be functional in this area. Outstanding Combine performance will elevate his draft stock.

2. TE Martellus Bennett (junior)
(6-6 1/8, 259, 4.72) Texas A&M

Notes: Brother, Michael, is a defensive lineman with the Aggies. Martellus also lettered in basketball as a prep, averaging 23 points and 8.2 rebounds. Considered entering the 2005 NBA draft out of high school but elected to forgo the draft and enter Texas A&M after not being projected as a first-round pick. Played 25 games as a reserve for the Aggies’ basketball team during the 2005-06 season, and only four games as a reserve during the ’06-07 season. Quit the team to focus on football. On the gridiron, started 5-of-11 games in which he played as a true freshman in ’05, splitting time with Boone Stutz and Joey Thomas. Recorded 18 receptions for 162 yards (9.0-yard average) and three touchdowns. Started all 13 games in ’06 and caught 38-497-3 (13.1). Started 6-of-12 games in which he played in ’07, missing the Nebraska contest with sprained ankles, and tallied 49-587-4 (12.0).

Positives: Very natural athlete with big hands and long arms. Moves fluidly, is very light on his feet and adjusts easily to the ball. Good agility and flexibility. Lines up in-line and in the slot and shows the ability to sustain blocks in-line and on the move. Can pluck the ball out of the air. Flashes the agility to sidestep tacklers after the catch but will also turn upfield and run with some power. Can control and steer defenders with his hands. Loaded with upside.

Negatives: Not a blazer. Lacks suddenness. Too often is late off the ball. Not a polished route runner. Will struggle to separate with speed at the next level. Comes off as arrogant and immature. Relies on his natural ability and does not like to work. Too immature. Not punctual. Not a great team player. High-maintenance and will need monitoring.

Summary: Is very physically gifted and is as athletic as any pass catcher in the draft, but his lack of discipline, selfishness and concerns about his work ethic could restrict him from becoming the type of pro he is capable of being.

3. TE John Carlson
(6-5 1/8, 251, 4.88) Notre Dame

Notes: Also lettered in tennis and basketball as a prep, earning McDonald’s preseason All-America honors as a senior. Redshirted in 2003 but did play two games for the Irish basketball team. Started 2-of-12 games at fullback in ’04 and compiled six receptions for 31 yards (5.2-yard average). Started 6-of-12 games in multiple-TE sets in ’05 alongside Dallas Cowboys 2006 second-round pick Anthony Fasano, finishing with 7-56 (8.0) and one touchdown. In ’06, started 11-of-13 games, missing two contests with a right medial collateral ligament sprain suffered against Air Force, and recorded 47-634-4 (13.5). Also named as one of three finalists for the John Mackey Award (nation’s top tight end). Started all 12 games in ’07 as one of four team captains and grabbed 40-372-3 (9.3). Was forced to withdraw from the Senior Bowl because of a virus that caused him to lose 17 pounds in eight days. Already has graduated.

Positives: Well-built with long arms and good athleticism. Gets off the line quickly, can beat the jam and get into his routes. Diagnoses coverages, setttles into zones and can find soft spots in coverage. Natural catcher. Can extend outside his frame, pluck the ball out of the air and make difficult catches in traffic. Good concentration. Will drop his shoulder and fight for extra yardage after the catch. Sustains blocks and mirrors his man. Very smart and competitive. Excellent worker. Coach’s son — has a good feel for the game and will be able to digest an NFL playbook quickly.

Negatives: Not an elite athlete. Does not have great burst or short-area quickness to separate. Lacks bulk and plays a bit narrow-based as a blocker. Not nasty and does not drive defenders into the ground. Average anchor strength. Plays with little power. Could improve in pass protection.

Summary: Decided to return to school for his senior season and was handicapped by a weak supporting cast and a revolving door at quarterback. Evaluators who do not revisit junior tape could underevaluate him and not give him the credit he deserves. A better pass catcher than blocker at this stage in his career, Carlson has the smarts, intelligence and work ethic to develop into a very solid all-around prospect. Combine performance raised concerns about speed.

4. TE Fred Davis
(6-3, 255, 4.74) USC

Notes: Also lettered in basketball and track in high school. Played in nine games at wide receiver and tight end as a true freshman in 2004, catching four passes for 30 yards (7.5-yard average). Started 3-of-13 games in ’05 at tight end and grabbed 13-145 (11.2) and two touchdowns. Started 10-of-13 games in ’06, grabbing 38-352-3 (9.3). Started all 13 games in ’07, amassing 62-881-8 (14.2) and leading the Trojans in receptions. Was voted the Mackey Award winner as the nation’s top tight end.

Positives: Looks the part with a thick, solid build and long arms. Still has room to get bigger. Has natural receiving skills and good body control to adjust to the ball. Can create mismatches in the slot with his size and athleticism. Good movement skills. Shows the ability to separate against man coverage. Can adjust to poorly thrown balls, extend outside his frame and make the difficult catch. Turns his shoulders upfield quickly after the catch. Can wall off defenders and get in the way. Excellent production.

Negatives: Does not play toughly or very physically. Not aggressive or strong at the point of attack and does not consistently finish blocks. Comes off the ball late and lacks discipline in his overall play. Although he is physically capable of becoming a solid blocker and shows flashes in this area, he does not show much desire and might never reach his potential. Struggles to seal linebackers on the second level. Not a finisher. Takes choppy steps and does not show great burst or explosiveness out of his breaks. Shows some hesitation entering traffic and does not secure the football on contact. Not an elusive runner after the catch. Is immature and needs to be monitored.

Summary: If he could stay focused, toughen up and become a more willing blocker, he could develop into a great pro, but it took until his senior year for him to really emerge at USC and he might require some patience in the pros. Will bring the most value as a pass catcher. Still plays with too much of a receiver’s mentality.

5. TE Craig Stevens
(6-3 1/4, 254, 4.64) California

Notes: Cousin, Mike Tully, won a silver medal in the pole vault in the 1984 Summer Olympics. Craig broke his left ankle in his final game in high school. Redshirted in 2003 and was named the Scout Team Player of the Year on offense. Started 1-of-12 games in ’04, catching four passes for 61 yards (15.3-yard average) and one touchdown. Started all 12 games in ’05, catching 13-165-2 (12.7). Started 7-of-13 games in ’06, with Cal opening in three-receiver sets in five games, hauling in 17-239-1 (14.1). Suffered a concussion on the opening kickoff vs. ­Tennessee and sat out the whole game. Appointed team captain by Jeff Tedford as a junior, one of only two juniors to ever receive the distinction (joining former QB Aaron Rodgers). Named the offensive team captain again in ’07 and started all 13 games, corralling 17-204-3 (12.0).

Positives: Has a good, solid build. Plays tough, is strong at the point of attack and can control the line of scrimmage. Plays physical. Gets into blocks, can run his feet on contact and work his hips around. Has the strength to anchor against bigger defenders. Good hand use. Solid footwork. Will finish blocks. Initiates contact after the catch and will drop his shoulder. Great work ethic. Solid character. Has been very durable. Ran surprisingly well at the Combine.

Negatives: Not a great athlete. Does not get great extension. Tends to cradle-catch and has a good share of drops. Has a laboring release with build-up speed and takes time to get into routes. Is not a nifty or elusive runner after the catch.

Summary: Spent a lot of time honing his craft as a blocker at Cal and is still underdeveloped and inconsistent as a pass catcher. Stood out as a blocker at the East-West Shrine game and should be able to contribute readily as a No. 2 blocking tight end in the pros. Must continue to work on catching the ball.

2008 Draft Preview

If you would like to read more about the players who are about to enter the April 26-27 NFL draft, Pro Football Weekly has two publications that will fit the bill — the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide.

The 200-page 2008 Draft Preview book, which sells for $19.95, contains detailed scouting reports on nearly 500 prospects with each player's height, weight, 40-time, positives and negatives. You'll also get our rankings of more than 900 draft prospects and a breakdown of each NFL team's needs, by position. Written by PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki and the editors of PFW, the Draft Preview book is widely recognized as the "bible of the draft." Books are now ready to be shipped. 

2008 Draft Guide

Meanwhile, hot off the presses, the 2008 Draft Guide is a 152-page magazine that sells for $6.99, showcasing feature stories on Arkansas RB Darren McFadden and the secret to drafting success, a sleeper watch, a fantasy forecast and more. In addition, you'll find scouting reports on more than 350 players, draft previews for all 32 teams (including each club's top five areas of need and a "hot list" of prospects who fit the team's schemes) and rankings of the prospects by position. 

The 2008 Draft Guide is available now at newsstands and bookstores throughout the country. Both of the above publications can be ordered now from the PFW store. You will receive a discount if you purchase both the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide magazine from the PFW store with our Combo-Pack offer.

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