PLAYER REPORTS | MOCK DRAFT | POSITION RANKINGS | TEAM NEEDS PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY BecomeBecome aa DRAFTDRAFT EXPEREXPERT l 2 Get four weeks of the best player evaluation 00 and draft scuttlebutt you’ll find anywhere. 8 DRAFT PREVIEW For the 10th consecutive year, Pro Football Weekly’s staff, led by personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki, will provide daily insights into the NFL draft, beginning April 1 and continuing through the post-draft analysis. OUR DRAFT COVERAGE WILL INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: DAILY, TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, APRIL 1-25: “THE WAY WE HEAR IT,” WITH HOT DRAFT RUMORS, WORKOUT RESULTS AND WHAT THE SCOUTS ARE SAYING. APRIL 7: INDIVIDUAL WORKOUT RESULTS FROM NFL SCOUTING COMBINE. APRIL 10: DRAFT RANKINGS BY POSITION. APRIL 11: DRAFT RANKINGS REGARDLESS OF POSITION. MONDAYS, APRIL 7-21: DRAFT-RELATED FEATURE. TUESDAYS, APRIL 8-22: DRAFT VALUE DEPTH CHART. By WEDNESDAYS, APRIL 9-23: Q&A WITH PFW’S NOLAN NAWROCKI. NOLAN NAWROCKI FRIDAYS, APRIL 11-25, AND SATURDAY, APRIL 26: MOCK DRAFT. APRIL 23: UPDATED DRAFT RANKINGS BY POSITION. APRIL 24: UPDATED DRAFT RANKINGS REGARDLESS OF POSITION. APRIL 28: EVALUATION OF EACH TEAM’S DRAFT. NOTE: Schedule is subject to change. ALSO, CHECK OUT OUR DRAFT BLOG AT: NFLblogs.ProFootballWeekly.com 85 PRICE: $19.95 You’ll find our draft coverage in the NFL Draft channel. By NOLAN NAWROCKI 0 71486 02417 0 AND THE EDITORS OF PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY www.profootballweekly.com IFC AD Draft Mag 3/5/08 11:09 AM Page 192 AA BESTBEST SELLER!SELLER! GET THE COMPANION PUBLICATION TO THE 2008 Draft Preview, PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY’S BEST-SELLING 20082008 DraftDraft GuideGuide. Besides being packed with scouting reports on 350-plus NFL prospects, the 2008 Draft Guide has numerous features, including: • Learn what motivates LSU star DT Glenn Dorsey. • Arkansas RB Darren McFadden is ready to run over the NFL. • Expanded fantasy football section, previewing the ’08 rookies. • How Ohio State’s Vernon Gholston morphed into a likely top-10 pick. • Looking ahead: the top prospects for 2009. • Each NFL team’s top five areas of need. • Q&A with Virginia DE Chris Long. • Sleeper watch. Don’tDon’t missmiss out.out. Pro Football Weekly’s 2008 Draft Guide isis onon salesale atat newsstandsnewsstands and bookstores around thethe country.country. Or, you can purchase a copy at PFWstore.com or by calling 1-800-FOOTBALL ((1-800-366-8225). Pro Football Weekly — ‘The Authority on Pro Football’ COVER PG MASTHEAD 3/5/08 2:43 PM Page 1 2008 BY NOLAN NAWROCKI AND THE EDITORS OF PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY PFW STAFF CREATORS & FOUNDERS Arthur Arkush, Robert Drazkowski and Joel Buchsbaum Publisher/Editor Hub Arkush Editor-in-chief Keith Schleiden Art director Bob Peters Managing editor Mike Holbrook Executive editors Dan Arkush Neil Warner Senior editors Nolan Nawrocki Eric Edholm Mike Wilkening Associate editors Matt Sohn Dan Parr Production assistant Matt Quinnan Editorial assistants Billy Wellner Matt Duffy NEW MEDIA Publisher Sue Nemitz Web developer Tom O’Brien Business manager Christine Klimusko Network support tech. Bob Boklewski Distribution manager Arthur Arkush Subscription manager Kristine Carlsson ADVERTISING SALES VP, Marketing Phil Hornthal AD SALES OFFICE: 1-847-940-1100 BRUCE L. SCHWARTZMAN Book designed by Bob Peters Printed by Express Printing and Promotions Northbrook, Illinois Cover photos: Bruce L. Schwartzman (Matt Ryan); SportPics (Glenn Dorsey, Jake Long & spine). Copyright 2008 by Pro Football Weekly 302 Saunders Road, Suite 100 Riverwoods, Illinois 60015 Phone: (847) 940-1100 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3/5/08 2:44 PM Page 2 2 2008 DRAFT PREVIEW TABLETABLE OFOF CONTENTSCONTENTS 2008 draft overview ....................................................4 SCOUTING REPORTS QUARTERBACKS ........................................ 6 RUNNING BACKS ...................................... 18 WIDE RECEIVERS...................................... 39 TIGHT ENDS ............................................ 64 OFFENSIVE LINEMEN .................................. 73 DEFENSIVE LINEMEN .................................. 96 LINEBACKERS ........................................ 121 DEFENSIVE BACKS .................................. 142 SPECIALISTS.......................................... 169 NFL teams’ 2008 draft needs .................................. 172 Mock draft ................................................................ 187 Player printout: Draft rankings by position.............. 188 Player rankings regardless of position .................... 195 SPORTPICS Glossary ..................................................................196 Chris Long Alphabetical player index.......................................... 198 Because the deadline for information contained in Pro Football Weekly’s 30th annual Draft Preview was March 5, some of the information may have changed by the time you read this book. Player reports include analysis and workouts up to and including the Indianapolis Scouting Combine. Many players did not work out at the Combine and, instead, were planning individual workouts in late March or early April. Also, the draft needs of the 32 NFL clubs were being altered dramatically by free agency almost daily as we went to press, and the free-agent signing period continues well past the draft. Comprehensive updates on the 2008 draft, including late-breaking player printouts, will be featured in PFW’s exclusive draft-preview issue, scheduled to go to press March 30, as well as online at ProFootballWeekly.com. The final ratings will be printed in the post-draft issue of Pro Football Weekly. All players in this book were rated by NFL standards, which are the highest standards in the world. Almost all were exceptional players and athletes on the collegiate level. All 40-yard-dash times are the most accurate averages we could come up with and are curved to take into account the type of running surface. Heights and weights are the latest verified figures we could obtain, except in the few cases where they are estimated. Almost every player who ran poorly at the Combine will be retimed and retested and has the scouts’ respect for working out there. Those who were not injured and did not work out lost points in many teams’ estimations. To get the maximum information value out of the Draft Preview, don’t forget to refer to the glossary on page 196 if you run across unfamiliar terms in the player reports. We would like to thank the college coaches, sports information directors and NFL teams who have been so helpful in compiling this book. Without their assistance — in the form of media guides, videotapes, pho- tographs, etc. — this project wouldn’t have been possible. Not to be forgotten is the late Joel Buchsbaum, whose incredible work ethic and pure dedication to the game of football have been the heart and soul of this book since its inception in 1979. — the editors of Pro Football Weekly Read comments on each of the early-round picks DraftDraft Day shortly after they are chosen, and see a WHO’S updatesupdates real-time list of picks NO.1? ???? as they are made. onon thethe At the conclusion of TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE the draft, we’ll have WebWeb round-by-round and team-by-team lists. www.profootballweekly.com www.profootballweekly.com 3 AD Subscription 3/5/08 11:11 AM Page 3 Step inside the huddle 2008-2009 To keep up with the comings Pro Prospects Preview and goings throughout the NFL, your No. 1 option is a subscrip- A NEW MAGAZINE tion to Pro Football Weekly, EVALUATING “the Authority on Pro Football.” TOP NFL PROSPECTS PFW has been covering pro IN COLLEGE RANKS football for 40 years. 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PREPARING Your subscription to PFW will FOR 2008 bring you the following: NFL SEASON ● Insider information ● Player evaluation Preview 2008 ● Draft prospect analysis ● Game previews SCOUTING REPORTS ● Fantasy football advice ON EVERY TEAM, PLAYER RANKINGS, ● Handicapping tips ROSTERS, DEPTH CHARTS AND MUCH MORE To order a subscription to Pro Football Weekly, mail the order form below, For faster service, you can phone toll-free along with the payment, to: PRO FOOTBALL 1-800-FOOTBALL1-800-FOOTBALL WEEKLY (1-800-366-8225) P.O. Box 26 24 hours a day and charge it to your Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card. Deerfield, IL 60015 If you order by phone, mention the code “B8DP” to ensure that you receive the bonus magazines. OFFER EXPIRES AUG. 31, 2008, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. ■ Send me 30 issues of Pro Football Please charge my: ■ Visa ■ MasterCard ■ Discover ■ Am. Express Weekly for $79.95. As a FREE bonus, send me Preview 2008, Fantasy Football Guide 2008 and 2008-09 Pro Prospects Name E-mail Address (Required to activate online access) magazines as soon as they’re published. ■ (Outside the U.S.) For airmail delivery, Credit Card # Exp. Date add $64 for Canada or Mexico, $135 for all other countries. Surface delivery is Address Phone Number $48. Check one: ❏ airmail; ❏ surface. ■ Enclosed is a check/money order in City State Zip the amount of $______________ (U.S. ORDER FORM funds), payable to Pro Football Weekly. Signature (if paying by credit card) B8DP OVERVIEW 3/5/08 7:28 PM Page 4 4 2008 DRAFT PREVIEW DRAFTDRAFT OVERVIEWOVERVIEW his year’s draft does not feature a true marquee talent the way the past two have, but after a massive early entrance of juniors the overall depth improved significantly. Headlining SPORTPICS are three seniors: Boston College QB Matt Ryan, Michigan OLT Jake Long and LSU DT Glenn Dorsey. TRyan is a potential franchise quarterback whose impressive stature and strong, accurate arm are perhaps even surpassed by his phenomenal intangibles — namely pocket presence, toughness, leadership, intelligence and poise.