22. OLB Ezra Butler, Nevada… 6-1, 250, SR, 4.55… The WAC is known more for its offensive stars these days, however, the conference does feature one of college football’s more disruptive OLBs in Nevada’s Ezra Butler. Butler, who lines up outside in the Wolfpack’s 3-4 scheme, has excellent size at almost 250 pounds, plus he’s both quick and fast with a reported 40time in the mid-4.5 range. In fact, Butler who is too quick off the snap for most collegiate OTs, had 33.5 tackles for loss including 13 sacks the past two years as he camped out in opposing backfields. Butler, though, also does a decent job holding the point of attack and has excellent quickness and instincts and he piled up 146 total stops the past two years. Butler, though, still has to prove that he can play in reverse as he isn’t asked to drop into coverage all that often at Nevada but he has been productive at times in that area picking off a pass in 2006 and breaking up three others the previous season. Indeed, Butler who was born in South Africa and only came to the U.S. is actually just starting to scratch the surface of his physical potential, especially given that he also didn’t become a full-time LB until 2005 after starting his career as a DE.

21. FB Owen Schmitt, West Virginia… 6-2, 260, SR, 4.80… The Mountaineers, of course, feature one of the nation’s most explosive offenses with juniors RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White ripping off huge chunks of yardage. Helping to clear the way for the dynamic duo, though, is unsung FB Owen Schmitt. Schmitt actually started his college career as a Division III RB at Wisconsin-River Falls, but has developed into one of the best all-around FBs in the nation since transferring to West Virginia. Schmitt is an enthusiastic lead blocker with top weight-room strength; indeed, Schmitt is one of those prototype workout warriors with great intangibles. Schmitt is also an excellent receiver who may get some snaps at TE this season. For good measure, Schmitt is also a better than average runner who has been an effective short yardage back and can grind out some tough yardage between the tackles. Indeed, Schmitt had over 1,000 yards in his year in DIII and has had another 700 in two years with the Mountaineers.

20. QB Paul Smith, Tulsa… 6-2, 195, SR, 4.75… Tulsa’s Smith is the undisputed QB on our proverbial ‘best player in the country nobody but pro scouts has seen’ All-America team. Smith lacks prototype measurables for a NFL pocket passer in that he isn’t overly big and doesn’t have a huge arm. However, Smith reads the field well, makes efficient decisions, and has a quick, compact release. He’s also not a true burner, but moves well and has the ability to make something positive out of a broken play. Smith also throws well on the run; indeed, he is a very accurate passer who throws a very catchable ball. Overall, Smith completed 67% of his pass attempts in 2006 for 2,700 yards and 15 scores against 9 picks. Smith also is considered to have good intangibles.

19. OT Duane Brown, Virginia Tech… 6-5, 310, SR… One of the new trends in college football, and by extension the NFL, has been the emergence of a number of a offensive tackles who are converted TEs. That’s because what you usually get is a very athletic offensive lineman. And one of the more athletic OTs in the 2008 draft class is Virginia Tech’s Duane Brown, who is just by chance a converted TE. Indeed, Brown was lining up as a TE as recently as pre-season practice in 2005, but switched to OT just before the start of the season and has been a rock on the Hokies’ offensive front since. Indeed, Brown started every game the past couple of seasons at RT – and in fact played just about every snap last fall – but slides over to the left side. Brown has bulked up to around 310 pounds, but still reportedly runs under 5.0 seconds for the 40. Brown also has a reported 32.5 vertical leap which would have been the second highest figure at the 2007 scouting combine, just a half inch less than that posted by Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas, yet another former TE who was the third player selected at the 2007 draft. Brown is a physical drive blocker who gets off the snap very quickly and can really lock on with his long arms. Brown also has nimble feet in pass protection, although he is till somewhat unpolished in that area of the game. For good measure, Brown is also a good special teamer who has blocked kicks in the past and has been known to hustle downfield and make the tackle when blocking on the punt team.

18. DT Lorenzo Williams, Missouri… 6-1, 295, SR, 4.85… The 2008 draft has something for everybody at DT. There are a number of outstanding big tackles including the trio Frank Okam of Texas, Red Bryant of Texas A&M, B.J. Raji of Boston College who, for the record, average close to 330 pounds per man. Meanwhile, teams looking for a smaller, quicker DT will be looking at the likes of Glenn Dorsey of LSU and USC’s Sedric Ellis, both of whom figure to be off the board before the end of next April’s first round. In fact, however, there are a number of very quick interior DTs including Missouri’s Williams. Williams is a very athletic interior defensive lineman who actually started out his career at LB. Williams is very disruptive upfield posting 12.5 career sacks including 6 last season. Williams is a 295-pounder with reported 4.85 speed; indeed, he’s very quick off the snap and keeps his pads low. Williams is also an adequate run defender with excellent lateral range, although he isn’t all that big and will struggle at times to hold the point of attack. Williams, in fact, is a very good athlete who was a multi-sport prepster who lettered in football, track, basketball, wrestling and baseball; in particular, he was a standout discus thrower who was nationally ranked in high school.

17. a and b… San Jose State CB Dwight Lowery, 6-0, 185, SR, 4.45 and MLB Matt Castelo, 5-10, 230, SR... It wasn’t all that long ago that the San Jose State football program came that close to going under, however, the Spartans fashioned one of college football’s better turnaround seasons in recent memory last fall when SJSU exploded for nine wins and went to their first bowl – and won - since 1990. And San Jose State should keep it going this fall with a solid lineup that includes two of the most productive players in the country. CB Dwight Lowery, for example, has been one of the most opportunistic cover corners anywhere picking off 22 passes in his past 28 games. That included 9 last season in his first year at SJSU after transferring in from a junior college. Lowery is exceptionally quick and very fluid coming out of his backpeddle; he is also comfortable in both press and zone coverage as he reads routes well and breaks aggressively on the ball. Lowery also has excellent ball skills and is a dangerous runner once he gets the ball in his hands. And while not overly big, Lowery is a good tackler. What pro scouts want to see, though, is whether Lowery has legitimate second-gear recovery. Meanwhile, MLB Matt Castello is a prototype tackling machine who had a remarkable 165 tackles in 2006 including almost 90 solo stops; a hard hitter, Castelo also forced four fumbles and for good measure had an interception, although he isn’t all that comfortable in coverage. Castelo is a very smart player who is always around the ball and is a solid wrap-up tackler when he gets there. He’s also very instinctive player who reads the field well and does a nice job avoiding the trash on the way to the point of attack. Castelo, though, is more quick than fast with good though not necessarily great speed. Size, or lack of it may also be a concern for pro scouts; Castelo is listed at 5-10, 230 for the upcoming season but has actually played at closer to 210 the past couple of years.

16. FS Josh Barrett, Arizona State… 6-2, 231, SR, 4.55… Another qualifier in the proverbial ‘one of the very best players at his position in the nation who no one other than pro scouts has seen play much! Barrett in fact has an impressive combination of LB size and near CB speed; he’s a 230-plus pounder who still times in the mid 4.5 range for the 40. Not surprisingly, Barrett is a tough tackler who had 82 tackles in 2006, including 7.5 for loss. Barrett can also run with most receivers, but isn’t all that nimble changing directions. Still Barrett has been productive enough in coverage; he’s an instinctive player who reads the field well and has decent ball skills. Overall, Barrett picked off three passes last fall and broke up three others. For good measure, Barrett has also always been a solid special teams contributor. Barrett is also an acknowledged team leader who is an excellent student; he has already graduated and is thinking about becoming a dentist after football. Barrett, though, did sit out spring practice with an undisclosed injury and also missed most of his freshman season back in 2003 with a shoulder surgery.

15. CB Jack Williams, Kent State… 5-9, 175, SR, 4.40… One of the better stories of the 2007 draft was the emergence of Kent State CB Usama Young as a legitimate prospect who ultimately was an early third round pick by New Orleans this past April. For the record, Young was a four-year starter with the Flashes but didn’t really get much respect from pro scouts until he posted some really impressive numbers at the team’s on-campus workout. And the good news for Kent State is that the Flashes return a CB in veteran Jack Williams who has been just as productive as more productive former teammate Young. Williams isn’t all that big at just 5-9, 176 pounds, but he’s a solid tackler who forced 5 fumbles last fall. Williams also has next level speed with close to sub-4.4 speed for the 40; Williams also has exceptional quickness and change of direction skills; he also has good ball skills and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Overall, Williams had 62 tackles in 2006, including 3 sacks; he’s also a true ball hawker with 10 career picks including 4 last season.

14a DE Kendall Langford, Hampton… 6-5, 295, SR, 4.95… There won’t necessarily be that strong a representation form the lower divisions at the 2008 draft, however, Hampton’s Langford just may be the best non-D1A prospect to come along in the 2000s. The 6-5, 295-pound Langford is a big two-way DE who has been camped out in opposing backfields the past three years. Langford has 42 career tackles for loss including 15.5 in each of the past couple of seasons; he also has 19.5 career sacks including 8 last season. By way of comparison, Langford looks, and plays, a lot like former Nebraska DE Adam Carriker, the 13th player taken overall at the 2007 draft. Like Carriker, Langford won’t break any records in the 40, but gets off the snap quickly, gets and maintains good leverage and goes hard to the whistle. He’s also a strong run defender who uses hands well to shed blockers. Over the course of the upcoming season, pro scouts will debate whether Langford’s best fit at the next level will be as a 3-down DE, a DT, or a combination of early down DE who slides inside on passing downs; he’ll also get plenty of consideration as a 3-4 DE. Langford, though, is not the only full-sized DEs pro scouts will be checking out at the lower level. 14b DE Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb… 6-5, 280, SR, 4.65 is another D1AA two-way DE with good size and surprising athleticism. Indeed, the 280-pounder reportedly runs in the mid-4.6 range over 40 yards; Johnston also has a quick first step off the snap and has a great change of direction. He also his hands well to shed blockers and shows good lateral pursuit. Overall, Johnston had 78 tackles in 2006 and was his conference’s leader in sacks the past couple of seasons including last fall when he had 8 sacks; he was also credited with 6 other tackles for loss, as well as 23 QB hurries.

13. WR/KR Weston Dressler, North Dakota… 5-8, 165, SR, 4.35… The dimunitive Dressler is already a three-time D1AA All-American, twice as a WR and once as a punt returner. And Dressler is diminutive at barely 5-8, 165, but he's very fast; indeed, he's the state record holder for the 100M with a time of 10.44; Dressler is also very quick and explosive and is dangerous with the ball in his hands. Overall, Dressler had 90 receptions in 2006 for over 1,200 yards and 16TDs. Interestingly, despite his size and speed, Dressler is actually more of an underneath receiver with good hands who runs excellent routes than a pure deep threat. For ood measure, Dressler is also a top return artist who averaged over 15 yards per punt return in 2005 when he brought back 3 punts and 1 KO for scores.

12. FS Quentin Demps, Texas-El Paso… 6-0, 205, SR, 4.52… Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that the 2008 draft will be particularly strong at safety. Indeed, it is possible that, other than perhaps for Miami draft eligible sophomore Kenny Phillips, there won’t be any safeties worth a first-round pick next April. One senior safety pro scouts will be watching closely this fall, though, will be UTEP FS Quentin Demps. For the record, Demps is 6-0, 205 with reported speed in the low 4.5 range. He fits the bill as a ball-hawking type FS with 12 career interceptions to date including 7 in 2006. Demps reads the field well and has nice break on ball; plus he has good ball skills. Demps, though, will also come up and force the run with over 200 career tackles. Just for good measure, Demps is also a pretty good KO returner. And while they are checking out Demps, pro scouts will also be keeping an eye on Miners’ OLB Jeremy Jones, a 240-pound tackling machine who had 130 tackles in 2005 – and was off to a hot start in 2006 when he averaged 12 tackles per game in the Miners’ first two games - but broke his leg in practice and missed the remainder of the season. Jones has good quickness coming off the edge and is also effective dropping into coverage.

11. LB Red Keith, Central Michigan… 5-11, 245, SR, 4.75… Keith probably qualifies as one of those proverbial ‘best player no one but pro scouts has seen play” at his position. Indeed, Keith is a very active mike backer with 326 career tackles including 127 in 2006. Keith isn’t overly tall at barely 5-11, but has good bulk and strength. Keith also reads the field well and does a nice avoiding traffic between the tackles. He also uses his hands effectively to fend off opposing blockers and keeps his feet alive. And when he gets there, Keith is a solid tackler; he can also get upfield, but has never been much of a pass rusher. Keith is an adequate athlete with 4.75 speed; while that’s not super fast, he does get good drops in coverage and breaks well on ball; indeed, Keith had 5 picks in the past couple of years. For good measure, Keith is also a smart player who doubles as an academic all-conference player.

10. WR Sammie Stroughter, Oregon State… 5-11, 185, SR, 4.40… Arguably the best receiver in college football no one other than pro scouts has seen, Stroughter has great hands, runs outstanding routes and has a solid understanding of passing offense. Stroughter isn't all that big at around 5-11, 185, but he will go up and catch the ball in traffic. Both fast and quick, Stroughter has 40 speed in the low 4.4 range. For the record, Stroughter had 74 receptions in 2006 for almost 1,300 yards, an average of 17.5 yards per reception. Stroughter is also a dangerous runner with the ball in his hands, but didn’t get in the end zone all that much with just 5 TD receptions last fall. And just for good measure, Stroughter is also an outstanding punt returner who averaged 15.7 yards per return last fall when he brought back three punts for scores.

9a, 9b and 9c: Rb Kevin Richardson, FS Corey Lynch and OG Kerry Brown, Appalachian State… The most popular stop for pro scouts last fall outside the ranks of Division 1A schools was Hampton which had a total of 5 players invited to the scouting combine, although when all was said and done just one former Pirate was taken this past April. The one, though, was LB Justin Durant, the first non-D1A player taken this year when he was selected 48th overall by Jacksonville. This year’s must-see non-D1A program could be Appalachian State which has at least three players who should get plenty of attention from NFL teams this year. RB Kevin Richardson, for example, is a two-time all-American, the reigning Southern Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the 2006 Walter Payton Award, after he rushed for almost 1,800 yards and 30 TDs last season. Richardson isn’t all that big at just 5-9, 190, but he runs low and has good lower body strength; he’s also very quick with a burst when he gets into the hole. For good measure, Richardson is also an excellent receiver who caught 82 passes over the past couple of years. Richardson was joined on the past two D1AA All-America teams by ball-hawing FS Corey Lynch. Lynch, a tough 6-0, 205-pounder, is a solid open field tackler who piled up 180 tackles the past couple of seasons. Lynch’s great strength, though, is in coverage where he has excellent range and instincts along with good ball skills. Indeed, Lynch already has 18 career picks at ASU after notching 31 in high school. For good measure, Lynch is a dangerous kick blocker. The other ASU player pro scouts will be playing close attention to this fall will be 310-pound OG Kerry Brown. Brown is a physical drive blocker with very good athleticism; he’s also a tall OG with long arms.

8a and 8b: LBs Ryan Henegan and Danny Lansanah, UConn… 6-0, 250, SR, 4.70… With the firm of Henegan and Lansanah, UConn should boast one of the better 1-2 LB combinations in the country this fall; in fact, the duo combined for 191 tackles in 2006 including 18.5 tackles for loss and three sacks. The 6-0, 250-pound Lansanah will line up inside this fall, but actually projects to the outside at the next level; he’s a good all-around backer with excellent size and decent athleticism – he runs the 40 in the low-to-mid 4.7 range – plus he’s a tough, solid tackler who racked up 180 stops the past couple of years including 99 in 2006. Lansanah also gets great drops in coverage where he is very instinctive with a nice break on the ball; indeed, is one of the better coverage LBs in college football with 6 picks the past couple of years including 4 in 2006. Meanwhile, the 6-0, 240-pound Henegan chipped in 92 tackles of his own last fall working the weakside. He also has decent size and athleticism, however, while he did break up four passes last fall, Henegan is generally more comfortable attacking the line of scrimmage – he had 9 tackles for loss last fall - rather than dropping into coverage where he lacks top instincts. Of note though, Lansanah was one of several Huskies suspended for awhile in that incident in which several Huskies shot out a car window a couple of years back.

7. QB Josh Johnson, San Diego… 6-2, 195, SR… Of non-D1A QB prospects for the 2008 draft, New Hampshire QB Ricky Santos may get all the national pub, but San Diego’s Johnson may ultimately be the better pro prospect. Johnson is an outstanding dual threat D1AA QB with a live arm and excellent mobility; indeed, he took off and ran for over 700 yards in 2006. He’s not real tall at just 6-2, but moves around the pocket well and can find the passing lanes; he’s also a very accurate passer with decent arm strength. In fact, Johnson has a 68% career completion mark as he has thrown for over 6,700 yards in two seasons along with 70 TD passes against just 14 interceptions. And if he doesn’t make it in the NFL, figure there are a bunch of teams in the Canadian league who would love to give him a shot.

6. DT Dre Moore, Maryland… 6-3, 315, SR, 4.95… Moore is a big, physical run-stuffing DT with surprising quickness. Very strong, Moore is a workout warrior type who will be a star in pre-draft testing; indeed, he holds the team-record with a 365-pound clean lift. Moore though can also get upfield with a reported sub-5.00 40 clocking. Moore is tough to move off the line of scrimmage as he keeps pads low and uses hands well to fight off blockers; while primarily a run stopper also can be disruptive upfield, posting 3.5 sacks and 4 other tackles for loss last season. Moore, though, is still something of a developing talent who played only one year of high school football.

5. RB Calvin Dawson, Louisiana-Monroe… 5-10, 210, SR, 4.55… ULM’s Dawson could well be the proverbial ‘best back no one other than pro scouts has seen play’; for good measure, he also just may be the Sun Belt Conference’s best player overall. Dawson emerged over the second half of the 2006 season as a solid all-around workhorse back rushing for over 1,200 yards and catching 21 passes. Along the way he averaged 5.7 yards per carry and scored 11 times as he proved to be a solid short yardage back. Dawson is not a burner with a 40 clocking in the mid-4.5 range, but he’s sneaky quick with good vision and instincts; he also runs with good power and generally tended to get stronger as the game – and season – wore on last fall.

4. WR Chris Williams, New Mexico State… 5-8, 155, JR… Williams came from nowhere last fall to catch 92 passes for over 1,400 yards and 12 TDs. And Williams didn’t pick his spots burning unbeaten Boise State for 13 catches and 191 yards. Williams isn’t very big at just 5-8 and 155 pounds, but’s he’s a good leaper with outstanding speed. Indeed, Williams was was a three-time state champ running both the 200M and in the high jump in high school. Williams also has excellent hands, runs decent routes and will battle for the ball in traffic.

3. WR Marcus Smith, New Mexico… 6-1, 215, SR… In a very good for receivers, one of the sleeper types at the position for the 2008 draft is Marcus Smith of New Mexico. Smith is a former RB who emerged as a big-play receiver in last fall when when he averaged over 16 yards per catch on 53 total receptions, 9 of which went for TDs. Smith is a big, physical receiver who is a major match-up problem for a lot of smaller DBs. Smith, who has also run track for the Lobos - he placed in the conference 200M finals in 2005 and has been timed at 10.8 for 100M – also has excellent speed; he’s a also a dangerous runner with the ball in his hands. Smith, though, is still somewhat of an unfinished product; he very raw technically; doesn’t always look the ball into his hands and needs to sharpen his routes.

2. Dorian Smith, DE, Oregon State, 6-3, 260, SR, 4.72… It has been pretty well established that the 2008 draft will be particularly deep at several positions, in particular WR and OT. However, another position which we are finding should also be very strong next April are the DEs with a number of players at the position that can really get after the QB. One late arrival in the 2008 DE class is Oregon State’s Smith, a sack artist who got to the QB nine times last fall for the Beavers after posting 12 the previous year in the junior college ranks. Smith is something of a tweener, but comes off the snap with authority and has decent closing speed with a 40 time in the low 4.7 range. Smith also uses hands well to disengage and has a nice array of pass rush moves, but needs to be more aggressive forcing the run where he sometimes struggles to hold the point of attack on plays right at him.

1. Trevor Scott, DE, Buffalo… 6-5, 258, SR… Buffalo hasn’t exactly been a gold mine for NFL teams since moving up to the ranks of D1A’s programs eight years ago; indeed, the Bulls have only had one player drafted – and that in the 7th round – in that period. The Bulls, though, should have themselves an emerging pass rusher this fall in Scott, a TE who had 9 sacks in his first full year at the position. Scott is a rangy type with long arms and a quick first step coming off the edge; also has good closing speed and a motor that runs until the whistle blows. Scott, though, needs to get stronger holding the point of attack. The Bulls could actually have a second prospect this year in OLB Ollice Ervin, Buffalo, an athletic player who was recruited as a top prep RB. Ervin is a 232-pounder with decent speed with sideline to sideline speed and range; he’s also a physical player who could also play inside in a pinch, but is not very experienced in pass coverage. For the record, Ervin had 96 tackles, including 6.5 for loss in 2006 along with an interception.

If you have comments or suggestions, e-mail the Editor, Great Blue North Draft Report. The GBN can also be reached by phone at (613) 727-3388; by fax at (613) 951-0387;or regular mail at P.O. Box 5282, Merivale Depot, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2C 3H5.

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