Round 1

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Analysis by ESPN Scouts Inc.

Round 1
PK(OVR)	TEAM	NAME	POS	SCHOOL
1(1)	Detroit	Matthew Stafford	QB	Georgia
	Stafford has very good upside. He has a very strong arm, good size and adequate height. In other words, the sky's the limit for Stafford. Our concern is that he lacks elite intangibles. This is problematic when you look at the situation in Detroit. The best-case scenario is Stafford winds up as the Lions' franchise quarterback for years to come. In order for that to happen, however, the Lions need to bring him along slowly and that's going to prove difficult. If they rush him, the Lions risk losing out on their investment. Video \| Complete analysis
2(2)	St. Louis	Jason Smith	OT	Baylor
	A former tight end with great athletic ability and quickness, Smith has potential to quickly develop into a franchise left tackle. It's important to point out that he isn't nearly as complete a player as 2008 No. 1 pick Jake Long. He has a ways to go in terms of his drive-blocking and he played in a spread scheme in college, but we believe he will improve on those weaknesses. Video \| Complete analysis
3(3)	Kansas City	Tyson Jackson	DE	LSU
	Jackson can step in and be a starting 5-technique defensive end from day one. He has the size and upper-body strength to stack and shed offensive tackles, making him a perfect fit for the 3-4 scheme. Although he's never going to be a great pass-rusher and it's highly unusual for this type of player to go so high, he can keep blockers off the outside linebackers, which should give K.C.'s pass rush a boost. Video \| Complete analysis
4(4)	Seattle	Aaron Curry	OLB	Wake Forest
	This is a great value at the fourth overall pick. Curry and Jason Smith graded out higher than any prospect in this year's draft, and when you watch Curry on film you can see why. There's not much he can't do. Curry is an instinctive run defender with the quickness to disrupt plays in the backfield and sideline-to-sideline range. He can also match up in coverage and rush the passer. That's not all, either. Curry has the work ethic, dedication and tenacity teams covet in their first-round picks. He's the complete package. Video \| Complete analysis
5(5)	NY Jets (from Cleveland)	Mark Sanchez	QB	USC
	Sanchez doesn't have as much arm strength or the same body of work as Matt Stafford, but on the other hand teams have fallen in love with his intangibles and arm accuracy during the offseason. There's a lot to like about his pocket presence and ability to elude the rush. We are concerned about rushing him into the starting lineup, but if any of this year's quarterback prospects have the mental toughness to learn on the fly Sanchez is the one. Video \| Complete analysis
6(6)	Cincinnati	Andre Smith	OT	Alabama
	We feel Smith is more suited to play right tackle because there are some concerns about his overall quickness, footwork and pass-protection skills. With that said, Smith is the best run-blocker in this year's offensive tackle crop. Although we still believe Smith has some developing and maturing to do he brings excellent value at this pick. Video \| Complete analysis
7(7)	Oakland	Darrius Heyward-Bey	WR	Maryland
	This is a significant reach considering both Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin are on the board, though this is the type of player the Raiders often go for. He has outstanding top-end speed, running a 4.30 at the combine, and he's a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He also has good size at 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. Our concern with Heyward-Bey is his inconsistent hands. In addition, he needs to work on his route-running. Video \| Complete analysis
8(8)	Jacksonville	Eugene Monroe	OT	Virginia
	Jacksonville was lucky to land Monroe here. He has the quick feet, length and awareness to develop into a franchise left tackle. Although he isn't a dominant drive-blocker at this point, Monroe almost always finds a way to get the job done. He's quick enough to get into position and he does a nice job sustaining once he locks on. In addition, we expect him to get stronger once he gets into a team's weight-training program. Video \| Complete analysis
9(9)	Green Bay	B.J. Raji	DT	Boston College
	Players who can become 3-4 nose tackles are extremely difficult to find, and Raji has the potential to be one of the best in the league. He's big and strong enough to clog up the middle, but the reasons he's so special are his rare athletic ability and quickness. You just don't find 337-pound men who move like him. There are some character concerns, but Raji's too much of a talent to pass up at this point in the first round. Video \| Complete analysis
10(10)	San Francisco	Michael Crabtree	WR	Texas Tech
	Despite leaving school after his redshirt sophomore year, Crabtree is an outstanding route-runner. He does an excellent job setting up his breaks and exploding out of his cuts. His ability to catch the ball in stride and determination as an open-field runner make him dangerous after the catch. Of course, it also helps that he can catch anything thrown in his area. A lot has been made about his lack of ideal timed speed, but we believe this is an overrated criticism. Although Crabtree isn't a burner, he plays faster on film than he runs on the track. Video \| Complete analysis
11(11)	Buffalo	Aaron Maybin	DE	Penn State
	Maybin has the quick first step and the athleticism to be extremely effective rushing the passer off the edge. He also displays great balance along with strong closing burst when in pursuit from the backside. One of the concerns we have about him includes his being light in the hips, which may cause him to struggle when caught in phone-booth situations with bigger blockers. Video \| Complete analysis
12(12)	Denver	Knowshon Moreno	RB	Georgia
	We place a high value on competitiveness when we evaluate running backs and Moreno is clearly the most determined runner in this class. He runs with an attitude and can run over or make defenders miss when he gets into the open field. Although Moreno ran a disappointing 40 time (4.62) at the combine he has outstanding quickness and he reaches his top-end speed in a flash. We also believe that he's an underrated receiver, making him a three-down back. Video \| Complete analysis
13(13)	Washington	Brian Orakpo	DE	Texas
	Orakpo came off the board this early because he can get to the quarterback. He has excellent first-step quickness, he can redirect inside after starting outside and has better closing speed than his 4.7 40 suggests. That's not to say he can't defend the run. He has excellent upper-body strength and is tough at the point of attack. Still, he could stand to add five to 10 pounds to his frame. Video \| Complete analysis
14(14)	New Orleans	Malcolm Jenkins	CB	Ohio State
	At 6-feet, Jenkins is on the taller side for a corner. Corners that size can have a hard time sinking their hips and exploding out of their cuts, but he has the toughness, speed and ball skills to develop into an effective press or Cover 2 corner, but we believe he may be a better fit at safety. He's a sound tackler, does an excellent job of reading eyes when he lines up at safety and has enough range to cover the deep half of the field. He can also match up with slot wideouts in certain situations. Video \| Complete analysis
15(15)	Houston	Brian Cushing	OLB	USC
	Cushing's greatest strength is his ability to defend the run. He locates the ball quickly, is strong enough to set the edge and he is a big hitter who wraps up on contact. There's also a lot to like about his range and motor. He isn't as strong in coverage or as a pass-rusher, but he can masque his lack of ideal hip flexibility with positioning and his ability to jam tight ends at the line. Video \| Complete analysis
16(16)	San Diego	Larry English	DE	Northern Illinois
	There's nothing eye-popping about English's measureables. He's 6-foot-2, weighs 255 pounds and ran the 40 in 4.88 seconds. However, he's a far better football player than athlete. His first-step quickness really jumps out when you break down film on him. He's absolutely relentless rushing the passer. He's going to struggle against the run early on, but his excellent upper-body strength and toughness make this weakness less of a concern. Video \| Complete analysis
17(17)	Tampa Bay (from N.Y. Jets through Cleveland)	Josh Freeman	QB	Kansas State
	In terms of natural ability you couldn't ask for anything more in a QB prospect. At 6-foot-6, Freeman is tall enough to scan the field from the pocket. He's big enough at 248 pounds to bounce off would-be tacklers and is mobile enough to pick up yards with his feet when nothing's available downfield. The concern we have is his ability to absorb an NFL offense and adjust to the speed and complexity of NFL defenses. There couldn't be more of a red flag for a quarterback when it comes to film evaluation than that. Video \| Complete analysis
18(18)	Denver (from Chicago)	Robert Ayers	DE	Tennessee
	Ayers possesses the size and athleticism to be an effective outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme. He has the strength to hold the edges against the run and fluidity to spot-drop when ask to drop into coverage. One of Ayers' best qualities is his ability to get to the passer. That capability was the reason Denver pulled the trigger on him. Video \| Complete analysis
19(19)	Philadelphia (from Tampa Bay through Cleveland)	Jeremy Maclin	WR	Missouri
	Maclin is a big-play threat both as a wideout and a return man. He reaches his exceptional top-end speed quickly and is an instinctive open-field runner who reads defenses as well as his blocks well. Maclin has to improve his route running and ability to get off the line working against press coverage, but his quick feet suggest he's capable of improving in both areas. Video \| Complete analysis
20(20)	Detroit (from Dallas)	Brandon Pettigrew	TE	Oklahoma State
	Pettigrew is the most complete tight end prospect in this class. At 263 pounds he's an effective drive-blocker who can hold his own working against NFL defensive ends. Although he lacks elite speed and isn't going to stretch the field as much as some other prospects in this class, Pettigrew is a reliable possession receiver who does an excellent job throwing his weight around and using his frame to shield defenders from the ball. Video \| Complete analysis
21(21)	Cleveland (from Philadelphia)	Alex Mack	OC	California
	Mack displays great strength and comes from a wrestling background, which allows him to play with great balance. He also possess the necessary ability to sink his hips and reset his feet when going up against bigger interior defensive tackles, and he shows excellent hand use. Complete analysis
22(22)	Minnesota	Percy Harvin	WR	Florida
	Harvin possess rare and dynamic open-field capabilities. He runs with a low center of gravity, which allows to get in and out of his cuts effortlessly. He also shows an elite burst and has the acceleration to take it the distance. Although Harvin will need some tweaking with his route-running his overall athleticism is too much to pass up at this point. Video \| Complete analysis
23(23)	Baltimore (from New England)	Michael Oher	OT	Mississippi
	Oher has yet to realize his potential and he likely will line up at right tackle to start his career, but if the light ever comes on for him he will emerge as an excellent left tackle. He has very good foot speed for his size and is fluid changing directions. He also has the size and power to develop into an effective drive-blocker. The one concern with him is his ability to pick up the offense, so it may take him a little longer to crack the starting lineup than a lot of other prospects with his talent. Video \| Complete analysis
24(24)	Atlanta	Peria Jerry	DT	Mississippi
	Jerry wouldn't fit well in a two-gap scheme because he has problems holding his ground and working against double-teams. He also needs to add some lower-body strength. On the flip side, we expect him to develop into a one-gap, upfield player who can disrupt running plays in the backfield and get to the quarterback. We especially like the way he uses his hands when he rushes the passer. Video \| Complete analysis
25(25)	Miami	Vontae Davis	CB	Illinois
	Davis is the best pure cover corner in his class. He's fluid changing directions, shows great burst coming out of his cuts and is fast enough to run with wideouts downfield. Davis is more than a one-dimensional player, too. He's a playmaker and can defend the run when he puts his mind to it. So why didn't he come off the board earlier? There are questions about his work ethic and teams were likely wondering if he would to play to his ability. Video \| Complete analysis
26(26)	Green Bay (from New England through Baltimore)	Clay Matthews	OLB	USC
	Matthews possesses great versatility. He has excellent range against the run along with the fluid change of direction to make him one of this draft's best coverage linebackers. He has also improved his ability to bend as a rusher off the edge, not to mention the oustanding value he brings on special teams. Video \| Complete analysis
27(27)	Indianapolis	Donald Brown	RB	Connecticut
	There's a fine line between patience and hesitation for running backs and Brown does an excellent job of straddling that line. He reads his blocks extremely well, hits holes as they open and reads the flow of defenses well. There are some questions about his pass-catching ability but we believe he's going to develop into an excellent receiver, especially after watching him catch and track the ball during UConn's pro day. Video \| Complete analysis
28(28)	Buffalo (from Carolina through Philadelphia)	Eric Wood	OC	Louisville
	At 310 pounds Wood has ideal size for a center and the strength to hold his own when nose tackles line up over his head. He also does a good of getting into position and covering up linebackers. Although he lacks ideal lateral mobility Wood shows good footwork and uses his hands well in pass protection. Complete analysis
29(29)	NY Giants	Hakeem Nicks	WR	North Carolina
	Nicks gained 14 pounds between the combine and his pro day and that is reason for concern. However, we still believe he has the ability to make an immediate contribution. He doesn't have great initial quickness, but he shows good footwork getting in and out of his breaks, and he isn't going to get pushed around by corners. Nicks also flashes fly-trap hands and the ability to make spectacular catches. His catch during the Meineke Car Care Bowl was one of the year's most impressive. Video \| Complete analysis
30(30)	Tennessee	Kenny Britt	WR	Rutgers
	Britt has a nice blend of size, hands and better-than-expected top-end speed. Although he's a bit raw in his route-running, Britt has the potential to develop into the big-play wideout the Titans desperately need. Video \| Complete analysis
31(31)	Arizona	Chris Wells	RB	Ohio State
	Wells possess a rare combination of size, speed and balance as a runner. He is one of the most talented prospects at any position in this year's draft, but we have concerns about his durability and his mental toughness. Video \| Complete analysis
32(32)	Pittsburgh	Evander Hood	DT	Missouri
	Although Hood plays with a mean streak he lacks ideal lower-body strength, so he has some problems holding up when teams run at him when he's lined up on the inside. That said, he's big and strong enough to set the edge as a 5-technique in a 3-4 scheme. He also has the quickness and motor to get to the quarterback on occasion. Video \| Complete analysis

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