An Excerpt from our NFl Draft Blog Posting on 3.13.09.....
Every year you have some outstanding college football players who are snubbed in the NFL Draft process because they are viewed as not big, strong or fast enough to succeed professionally. Sometimes the NFL draft process is correct and other times not. WR Mike Haas and C Greg Eslinger are a couple of examples from the 2005 NFL Draft of highly productive college players who were viewed as too slow and small to make it in the NFL. The evaluation process proved correct, as Haas and Eslinger were not drafted until the 6th round and have bounced around the league struggling to make an active roster.
Nick Reed of Oregon was probably the most productive defensive lineman in the Pac-10 in 2008 and had a standout collegiate career. He was not even invited to the Scouting Combine because he was viewed as too small and slow for the NFL. Reed had his pro day the other day and ran the Forty in 4.71 seconds, vertically jumped 31.5 inches and bench pressed 225 pounds for 24 reps. Reed showed that he belonged at the Combine. I do not see Reed developing into an NFL defensive end despite the workout numbers. The Morris Trophy winner is still only 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds. He would need a special first step and elite quickness and strength to make it in the NFL as a defensive end. The Oregon All-American does not have that type of ability.
However, the part of his workout that interested me most was the linebacker positional drills he performed. I heard from an unbiased source that Reed looked solid in these drills. I would be interested in seeing how Reed fits as an inside linebacker in a ........ To continue reading this NFL Draft article, please go to our BLOG @ www.profootballdraftnetwork.com/wordpress
