40 Acres Sports

Jake Long will be first pick of 2008 NFL Draft. What does that mean for the rest of the teams picking in the top 10?

Position: Tight End
Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 243 pounds
Hometown: Diboll, TX

Strengths: Size and speed causes major match-up problems if you put a linebacker on him. Great hands and can go up and grab the football in traffic, fights off defenders well. Tons of upside that may cause a team to reach for him earlier than you expect.

Weaknesses: Can’t and/or won’t block anybody. Doesn’t show much desire to get physical down with the big boys and he can’t be a number one tight end if he’s a liability pass and run blocking. Has good height but is light for an NFL tight end, should be able to add more weight to his frame. Wasn’t a consistent contributor game in and game out for the Longhorns. Needed another year of experience to realize more of his potential.

Projection: 4th or 5th round

Related Links

• Jermichael Finley archives
• Draft Countdown profile
• ESPN draft profile
• NFL Combine profile
• NFL Draft Scout profile

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Position: Running Back
Height: 5-11
Weight: 200 pounds
Hometown: Port Arthur, TX

Strengths: Good quickness and incredible speed. Football player with track star speed. Runs well inside the tackles, doesn’t go down on first contact, and can take it to the house if he gets the edge. Charles is a big play waiting to happen. Never had a ton of receptions as a Longhorn but catches the ball well out of the backfield and is dangerous once he has it in his hands.

Weaknesses: Durability and ball security are Charles’ two biggest issues affecting where he’ll be picked. He never had a serious injury but he also never seemed to be at 100%. Because of his size and his history, NFL teams will be concerned about if he can stay on the field for 16 games per year. Jamaal’s fumbling issues limited his carries for a stretch during the 2007 season, that is another huge red flag that will scare off some teams in a deep draft for running backs.

Projection: 2nd or 3rd round

Related Links

• Jamaal Charles archives
• Draft Countdown profile
• ESPN draft profile
• NFL Combine profile
• NFL Draft Dog profile
• NFL Draft Scout profile

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Titans looking to provide Vince Young with more help. Hopefully the team adds an offensive playmaker (or 3) to give Vince more options on offense.

Rick Gosselin’s latest NFL mock draft (4/18) has Jamaal Charles going incredibly high at #20. Also has Limas Sweed in the first round.

Tony Hills is finally back after ankle injury. Should be a mid-round pick, hopefully he’s healthy enough to stick with a team.

Pro day, or pro timing day, is an NFL Draft prospect’s chance to show scouts what he’s got in a comfortable environment. They’re on their own campus, in their own gym, working out with their teammates and coaches. It also is a chance for the guys who weren’t invited to the NFL Combine to show their stuff. At Texas’ pro day Wednesday, sixteen players were weighed, measured, timed, and did position drills for 75 NFL personnel people.

Most of this information is cribbed from NFL.com, Orangebloods, and the Austin-American Statesman blog post on UT’s pro day. The numbers are inconsistent because they always are, everybody gets their times from a different source. Here’s how some of the Horns performed:

• Cornerback [tag]Brandon Foster[/tag] – 5-7 5/8, 185, 10-8 broadjump. Ran a blazing 4.28 time in the 40-yard dash. He also showed athleticism with a 38-inch vertical jump. His performance might offset the fact that Foster was measured at 5-7.
• Running back [tag]Jamaal Charles[/tag] – 5-11, 199 pounds. Elected not to run, allowing his 4.38 time that he posted at the combine to stand. Ran position workouts and looked good catching the football.
• Receiver [tag]Limas Sweed[/tag] – 6-4 1/8, 210, 37 vertical. Ran a 4.40, shaving nearly a tenth of a second off of the time he ran at the NFL combine last month. 4.33 short shuttle, 7.14 cone drill. Ran position drills and looked good catching the ball.
• Tight end [tag]Jermichael Finley[/tag] – 6-4 3/4, 240 pounds. Ran a 4.62, dropping his time from the combine by .24. His time is now the second fastest run by a tight end in workouts leading up to next month’s draft.
• Backup safety [tag]Drew Kelson[/tag] – 6-0 1/2, 216, 10-9 broad jump. Posted a 41.5-inch vertical jump and ran a 4.45. We’re checking to see if any other player in the country has jumped higher in draft workouts.
• Defensive tackle [tag]Derek Lokey[/tag] – 6-1 3/8, 293, 33.5 vert. Did 38 reps on the 225-pound bench press. He also worked out at fullback and deep snapper. 9-foot, 4-inch long jump, 4.37 short shuttle, 7.57 cone drill, 38 reps in the bench press, and ran position drills.
• Linebacker [tag]Scott Derry[/tag] – 6-2 1/2, 221
• Tackle [tag]Tony Hills[/tag] – 6-5, 307 lbs. 24 reps in the bench press, but could not run or do other drills due to an injury.
• Defensive tackle [tag]Frank Okam[/tag] – 6-4 7/8, 27.5 vertical. Dropped 12 pounds since his weigh-in at the combine. He is weighing 335 right now.
• Safety [tag]Marcus Griffin[/tag] – 5-10, 196, 37.5 vert. Ran a 4.5 40.
• Wide receiver [tag]Billy Pittman[/tag] – 5-11, 195. Ran a 4.56.
• Also participated: safety [tag]Erick Jackson[/tag], wide receiver [tag]Nate Jones[/tag], linebacker [tag]Robert Killebrew[/tag], defensive tackle [tag]Thomas Marshall[/tag], punter [tag]Justin Moore[/tag], and former Longhorn safety [tag]Lee Jackson[/tag].

Related Links

• UT press release
• The Longhorn family
• Player quotes
• Photo gallery

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Replacing The 2008 NFL Draft Early Entries. Vondrell McGee replaces Charles and Blaine Irby has to step up for Finley.