Players that dropped and why

[PantherPaul]

per ESPN Insider:

• Chad Jackson, WR, Florida
Patriots, third pick (No. 36 overall), second round
Jackson needs work as a route runner and he occasionally drops catchable passes when attempting to get up the field before securing the ball. However, he has the most upside of any receiver in the 2006 class -- and that includes Ohio State WR Santonio Holmes. Once again, the Patriots found a way to maneuver the board for a tremendous value at a position of need in the wake of David Givens' offseason departure.


• Jimmy Williams, DB, Virginia Tech
Falcons, fourth pick (No. 37 overall), second round
There are legitimate concerns regarding Williams' inconsistent effort and abrasive attitude, but there's no way that a top-10 talent should fall this far with no legitimate off-the-field incidents on his record. Making this an even better pick is the fact that DeAngelo Hall was his teammate and an upperclassman while the two played in the Hokies' secondary. If Hall keeps Williams focused, this will be a steal of a pick for the Falcons.


• Winston Justice, OT, USC
Eagles, sixth pick (No. 39 overall), second round
Teams became increasingly nervous about Justice's off-the-field issues as the draft neared, but he should never have fallen as far as he did. Justice possesses an outstanding combination of size (6-foot-6, 328) and athleticism. He played right tackle in college, protecting southpaw Leinart's blindside, but Justice could probably play on either side of the line in the NFL. If the Eagles can keep him on the straight-and-narrow, while also polishing his technique, Justice could emerge as a future replacement for aging left tackle Tra Thomas.


• Eric Winston, OT, Miami-FL
Texans, second pick (No. 66 overall), third round
Winston slipped because of his 2004 knee injury and a sub-par senior season. It also didn't help his cause that many NFL offensive line coaches believe he lacks the necessary toughness that it takes to hold up on the perimeter. However, if he continues to progress and return to form, the Texans will have their starting left tackle of the future.


• Claude Wroten, DT, LSU
Rams, fourth pick (68th overall), third round
Wroten is a one-gap penetrating type defensive tackle with excellent initial quickness and a motor that never quits. In all reality, he was a first-round consideration prior to a January incident. Arrested and charged with possession of marijuana and intent to distribute, Wroten spent several hours in the Ouachita Correctional Center before making bail. A month later, prosecutors decided not to pursue the charges because of a lack of evidence and some questions over the legality of the search. If he can stay out of trouble, Wroten has the potential to develop into a playmaking starter for the Rams.

• Ashton Youboty, DC, Ohio State
Bills, sixth pick (70th overall), third round
Youboty has the natural physical tools of a late first- or early second-round draft pick. He gives away his tendencies and got burned on several occasions as a junior in 2005 (see Minnesota and Texas games). He seemed to lose confidence at times last season and he didn't exude confidence in combine interviews, which is considered essential for an NFL cornerback. It also worked against Youboty that this year's class was loaded with first- and second-round talent at cornerback. Despite his draft-day freefall, Youboty can still develop into a playmaking starting cornerback in the NFL if he gets the proper coaching and regains his confidence. Regardless, this was Buffalo's best pick in a draft otherwise marred by reaching for overvalued talent (see: safety Donte Whitner and DT John McCargo).


• Leonard Pope, TE, Georgia
Cardinals, eighth pick (72nd overall), third round
Pope was considered by most as a possible late first-round prospect coming out of college but the pre-draft process did not treat him well. Pope interviewed poorly at the combine and there are reports that his work ethic is in question. However, if Pope can become a harder worker, fill out his frame and become a more physical blocker, he certainly shows enough potential to emerge as an impact short-to-intermediate receiver. Leinart will need a security blanket early in his career, so it will be important for Pope to establish a rapport with fellow rookie, quarterback Matt Leinart.


• Gabe Watson, DT, Michigan
Cardinals, 10th pick (107th overall), fourth round
At 6-foot-3½, 339 pounds, Watson is a massive nose tackle prospect with impressive agility for his size. He possesses the physical tools of a first-round prospect, very similar to Oregon's Haloti Ngata, who was selected 12th overall by the Ravens. Unfortunately, Watson takes too many plays off and he lacks playmaking instincts. There are also concerns that Watson is "soft" and doesn't show enough toughness to handle the rigors of the NFL. He failed to meet expectations in college, and Michigan coach Lloyd Carr benched him for four games as a senior in 2005. With all that in mind, though, the Cardinals got Watson for a great value in the fourth round. If defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast can light a fire under him, Watson could become one of the biggest steals from the 2006 draft class.


• A.J. Nicholson, OLB, Florida State
Bengals, 25th pick (157th overall), fifth round
This nosedive was expected. Nicholson lacks ideal speed but he is a versatile playmaker with outstanding quickness, aggressiveness and tackling skills in run support, as well as instincts, fluidity and ball skills in coverage. He started all 12 regular season games as a senior in 2005, when he led FSU with 100 tackles and also finished with 10 tackles for loss, including one sack with two interceptions. But Nicholson comes with two tons of baggage. He was charged with two separate alcohol-related offenses within a one-year span leading up to his senior season in 2005, and suspended by the team for the 2005-'06 Orange Bowl after an off-the-field incident. Add durability issues (torn right MCL in May of 2003) to the mix and it's no wonder why this ultra-productive former Seminole saw 156 other prospects get selected ahead of him in the 2006 draft. If anyone can get Nicholson back on track it is Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, but even Lewis has his hands full with Nicholson.


• Rodrique Wright, DT, Texas
Dolphins, 18th pick (226 overall), seventh round
The biggest knock on Wright is that he's soft. Some NFL coaches that worked him out and/or interviewed him worry that he lacks the toughness to excel in the NFL. Poor technique and inconsistent effort also hurt Wright's draft stock. Even with all that in mind, Wright has entirely too much natural talent to slip as far as he did on draft weekend. After all, he notched 227 total tackles, 42 tackles for loss and 17½ sacks during his four-year career at Texas.

 

[Collin]

Chad Jackson - I wonder if the history of Florida receivers worked against him even though it's a different system. In any case, he went where he should have, but it's puzzling to see him go this low considering that he's a better receiver than Troy Williamson with a similar 40 time.

Jimmy Williams - He has no instincts. He has an excellent body for a corner, but I routinely saw him get turned around and lose his man. He talked a lot of shit and was occasionally a dirty player, but I didn't think he was that great in terms of production. There is a real split at VT between the cocky segment of the team and the blue-collar segment.

Winston Justice - I was shocked to see him fall as far as he did, but in fairness, he never stood out on film. I just thought he'd go early because of his outstanding measureables and the total lack of tackle talent in this draft. I'm worried about the Eagles getting him.

Eric Winston - Flat out sucks. Texans fans undoubtedly feel that they got a steal, but they didn't. This guy is horrible.

Claude Wroten - Very, very active guy, but it was absurdly stupid for him to test positive for marijuana after getting arrested with a shit ton of dope in his car. He wrote teams and swore that he was going clean, but he was about as sincere as Snoop.

Ashton Youboty - I like him more than most of the players on this list. There's nothing really wrong with him, he just came out a little too early. He needs to develop some more, but when he does, he should be a solid starting corner. I don't see Pro Bowls in his future, but he's good.

Leonard Pope - Dumb as a box of rocks, and I agree with Piper that he might actually be too tall. I still like him just because of his potential to be an uncoverable physical freak, but he has a lot of developing to do, both as a receiver and especially as a blocker.

Gabe Watson - The LenDale White on defense. Watson is lazy and overweight, but he has the talent to be a contributor. I question whether or not he'll be able to turn things around in Arizona given how many fat underachievers they already have.

A.J. Nicholson - I really, really like him as a linebacker but his off the field issues just made it impossible to justify an early pick. I don't give a shit what his 40 time was, this guy routinely impressed me with his outstanding instincts at the position and his ability to bring down ball carriers. He did not miss tackles or assignments, and he always seemed to be making more plays than Ernie Sims.

Rodrique Wright - He sucks too. I was just never impressed with this guy when watching Texas. He reminded me a lot of Ryan Sims in that he'd vacate his spot just to try and go after the quarterback. He was completely useless against the run.

 

[lde]

Chad Jackson - I wonder if the history of Florida receivers worked against him even though it's a different system. In any case, he went where he should have, but it's puzzling to see him go this low considering that he's a better receiver than Troy Williamson with a similar 40 time.

I wonder if the fact he was recruited by the old people hurt. Also, the new system is a spread O, which also inflates numbers. Williamson didnt do that well last year. Of course, rookie WRs often don't do well, but I wonder if some thought in retrospect that he went too high. Lastly, I think the mocks presumed teams like Denver and maybe Philly would reach, because they HAD to have a big WCO type WR. Guess they didnt have to have one, just like you said. I think most of the rankings had him lower, but not as low as he went.

 

[Collin]

Guess they didnt have to have one

It also obviously helped that Denver was able to trade for Javon Walker.