Which SEC school do you think had the most players drafted this year? Nick Saban’s football factory in Alabama had 5 (including a whopping 4 first rounders). That would be a good guess. The defending National Champion Auburn Tigers had 4, including the first overall pick. How bout the Florida Gators? They tied Auburn with 4. Dan Mullen’s upstart Mississippi State squad also had 4. Reigning and defending SEC East Champs South Carolina only had two with controversial Weslye Saunders and early-entrant Tori Gurley both going undrafted. If you had your money on the LSU Tigers then you are half-right. The talent-rich Tigers had 6 players drafted this past weekend. Want to guess who tied them for the most in the SEC? That’s right, the 6-7 Georgia Bulldogs. It’s clear that the talent is still there in Athens, it just needs to be better utilized. Let’s take a look at who got drafted, where they got drafted and check in around the net for some opinions…
A.J. Green, Round 1, Cincinnati Bengals, 4th Overall Pick
Matthew Elder of Elder Scouting: For a team who may lose both Ocho and TO, Green is a great selection. Soft hands, big body, good speed. Don’t let the slower combine speed fool you, he’ll run by people. Best part of Green’s game is that he attacks the football in flight. Needs to get slightly more disciplined on his routes, tendency to wander on crossing routes. GRADE: A+
Pete Prisco of Cbssports.com: I love this pick. They need a big-play receiver and Green will be a star. He plays faster than he runs. Now he has to hope Carson Palmer stays. GRADE: B+
My take: It’s A.J. Green so I don’t possibly see how you could not like this pick. On the down-side it’s the Cincinnati Bengals so have fun in purgatory A.J.
Justin Houston, Round 3, Kansas City Chiefs, 70th Overall Pick
Matthew Elder of Elder Scouting: Great value for Houston who is a dangerous pass rusher. Fell due to positive drug test. GRADE: A
Pete Prisco of Cbssports.com: He had first-round ability, but there are problems off the field. If he can fix that, this is a great pick. Big if. GRADE: C+
My take: Considering that most mock drafts had Houston in the first round before his failed drug test I would say that this is a great draft pick in terms of value. While Houston was once suspended for two games at Georgia (I guess we know what that was for now) I think that his fall in the draft will teach him his lesson and that he’s going to work hard and be a valuable player for the Chiefs.
Akeem Dent, Round 3, Atlanta Falcons, 91st Overall Pick
Matthew Elder of Elder Scouting: Bit of a reach on Dent here. Gym rat who looks the part but never really became a dominant player. Think he’s a better fit in a 34 than a 43. GRADE: D
Pete Prisco of Cbssports.com: This is a nice pick. I heard a lot of good things about this kid in the weeks leading into the draft. He will play weak-side in their defense. GRADE: B+
My take: Akeem Dent had a really nice year for Georgia last year but I don’t really like this pick. As a Falcon fan I just don’t see him as an upgrade over Stephen Nicholas so that makes him a back-up/project for the Falcons. I tend to give Thomas Dimetroff the benefit of the doubt so I’m more than willing to wait to see how Dent turns out. I see him as a Keith Brooking type player at best. He makes plays past the line of scrimmage and he’s not a play-maker.
Clint Boling, Round 4, Cincinnati Bengals, 101st Overall Pick
Matthew Elder of Elder Scouting Tweener OL pick here, struggled at OT and was forced to move inside at UGA, gets dominated by uber quick linemen both inside and out. Better OG’s available. GRADE: C-
Jon Dove of Mocking The Draft: This is a great pick as Boling has 2nd round talent. The Bengals are aging up front so this pick will help. GRADE: A
My take: I REFUSE to believe that anybody who played on Georgia’s OL last year should have been taken in the NFL draft. Boling got a lot of hype in past seasons but really seemed like he vanished last year. No way I would have taken a Georgia lineman with this pick.
Kris Durham, Round 4, Seattle Seahawks, 107th Overall Pick
Matthew Elder of Elder Scouting Big target with good hands. Shined while Green was suspended, but average routes and serious concerns about his ability to separate. Timed speed does not translate to field. GRADE: F
Jon Dove of Mocking The Draft: This is another reach by the Seahawks which has been the theme of their draft. Durham has good size but doesnt bring much else to the table. GRADE: D
My take: This was definitely a reach but I think Kris Durham is going to be a solid pro. I see him as Brian Finnerann 2k11. He will be a solid Special Teams contributor as a rookie and will develop into a good possession/third down receiver in the future.
Shaun Chapas, Round 7, Dallas Cowboys, 220th Overall Pick
Matthew Elder of Elder Scouting: Classic lead blocker, lowers the boom and does not complain. GRADE: C+
Jon Dove of Mocking The Draft: Chapas is a big player with some athletic ability. He can lay down a block and also make a tough catch. GRADE: C+
My take: Great pick for a 7th rounder. Not sure why everyone gave him the C’s but this is a 7th round pick that could stick or at the minimum make the practice squad so that makes it a good one for me. Dallas loves them some FBs and Chapas could make for a good Cowboy in the future.
Make sure you follow Matthew Elder on twitter @Matthewcelder. Even though he’s not a Kris Durham fan, he’s still a good dude. As a reminder you can follow us on Twitter @CFBZ.
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