2001 NFL Draft at a glance

FIRSTROUND

1. Michael Vick, Falcons, QB – Multi-talented 20-year-old will hold the clipboard this year and learnfrom veteran Chris Chandler. Vick has tremendous athletic ability and armstrength but is a few years away from producing. Vick caught everyone¹sattention when as a freshman in 1999, he led the surprising Virginia Tech squadto the national championship game against Florida State. Coming out after just20 college games (he suffered a high ankle sprain during the 2000 season), helacks a lot of experience, but is a fast, quick and elusive runner with afierce desire, and who possesses a strong arm, although not always accurate.

5. LaDainianTomlinson, Chargers, RB – Will start and be featured in the new-look offense from day one.This guy is a workhorse and will get a lot of carries in Norv Turner’srun-oriented scheme. He has speed, quickness and can break tackles.Holds the NCAA record with 406 yards rushing against UTEP as a junior. Averaged6.4 yards and scored 40 TDs over his final two seasons, in which he led thenation in rushing yardage both times, amassing a total of more than 4,000 yardsin the two campaigns combined. Will be a good one.

8. David Terrell,Bears, WR – Terrellhas the size, speed and big-play ability that coaches love. He runsprofessional routes and will play a lot because Marcus Robinson and BobbyEngram are injury-prone. Suffers concentration lapses at times. Will begin asthe #3 man.

9. Koren Robinson,Seahawks, WR – Bigand explosive, he also runs very well after the catch. Will start immediatelyand produce. Comes out after two seasons at NC State. A gamebreaker. Could be an impact player if hetakes the game seriously enough. "I don't think it's a gamble atall," coach and GM Mike Holmgren said. "The only way to think thatway is that taking wide receivers in the first round, historically, that's theposition that works the least."

16. Rod Gardner,Redskins WR – Big,physical receiver should start opposite Michael Westbrook – and produce thisyear. He also blocks well for the Redskins’ run-oriented offense. The onlynegative to his game is that he lacks great speed. “Of all the video Ilooked at, he kept running by people,” Marty Schottenheimer said. “He hasa unique ability to make the contested catches... this was the guy we wanted.”

17. Santana Moss,Jets, WR – Anexciting player, Moss will be the #3 receiver and become the big play returnman they desperately need. A little short at 5’9” but could produce if given achance. Moss could start opposite Wayne Chrebet, filling the voidcreated by last year¹s trade of Keyshawn Johnson, although Matt Hatchette wasacquire for that purpose as well. "You ask yourself is he fast? Is hespecial?" Herman Edwards said. "We think he's special. He can scorefrom anywhere on the football field. When you can get explosive players onoffense, you dictate to defenses certain coverages they have to run. He's fast.Fast is fast."

23. Deuce McAllister,Saints, RB – This pick provides insurancefor Ricky Williams who is injury-prone. McAllister is big with good speed toget outside. He also catches the ball well and can be an effective kick andpunt returner. "We don't have any questions," GM Randy Muellersaid. "I actually think he's a tough guy and he'll be fine. We don't haveany questions about his durability. He has excellent speed; he may be thefastest back in the draft. He's a playmaker. He does all kinds of things, he'sa return guy, he's a receiver. They lined him up in the slot at Ole Miss and heran routes like a receiver." Will be a good one.

25. Freddie Mitchell,Eagles, WR – All-around athlete can make the acrobatic play and the big catch. Notoverly big or fast, but has the hands and attitude to be the go-to guy. Can andhas returned punts and kickoffs as well. He will compete for a startingjob in with James Thrash, Charles Johnson and Todd Pinkston.

27. Michael Bennett,Vikings, RB – Outstandingspeed with good cutback moves and runs hard but lacks good size. He will runbehind a big line with a good passing game to take the pressure off him. Needsto improve his vision and instincts but should start right away. Bennettwas drafted to fill the shoes of the retired Robert Smith. “We got a gift,”coach Dennis Green said about the fact Bennett slid to the number 27 spot inthe draft.

30. Reggie Wayne,Colts, WR – Wayneis a polished receiver who should compliment Marvin Harrison well. Not a burnerbut is big and physical. Will battle Jerome Pathon for the starting job.

31. Todd Heap, Ravens,TE – Excellentpass catching tight end. Replaces the departed Ben Coates to team with ShannonSharpe in the two-TE sets. "Getting a tight end with that pick wasa priority," said Phil Savage, the Ravens' director of college scouting."That was the mantra of the day. We planned it out yesterday and set ourcourse. The comment at the end of it was if we could get that tight end withthat first pick, it just sets up the rest of the day."

SECONDROUND

32. Drew Brees, Chargers,QB – May not havethe big time arm of most of the top QB prospects, but the Chargers think he canbe a solid starter in a couple of years. Very smart, competitive, accurate andcan scramble. "Drew may not be what you would say is immediate, buthe might be the immediate backup, and he's definitely ahead (of Vick) in beingable to take a team from the huddle to the line of scrimmage and play thegame," coach Mike Riley said.  Brees could be starting as soonas next year.

33. Quincy Morgan, Browns, WR – Morgan has good size and speed with excellentseparation skills and running ability. Has an outside shot at a starting job.Sometimes drops too many balls though. Can run after the catch. Needs towork on his concentration, which has affected his route-running and his abilityto hang into the football.

35. Alge Crumpler,Falcons, TE – Has goodstrength and power and is a fine athlete and blocker. Has good hands and can runafter the catch but is not overly big. Still a bit on the raw side but shouldbe a starter in a couple of years.

36. Chad Johnson,Bengals, WR – Very athleticwith good size, soft hands and excellent speed. Also runs well after the catchbut is still very raw in other phases. Will be the #3 or 4 receiver this yearbut is a good fantasy pick for the future. Can separate despiteunspectacular times in the 40, but experts believe that with some work on histechnique, those times can improve. Cousin of Keyshawn Johnson and SamariRolle.

38. Anthony Thomas,Bears, RB – Thomas is a very tough,strong and determined runner but doesn’t have good speed. He also has theability to make yardage after the hit. He can catch and block too. Will battleJames Allen for the starting job.

41. Robert Ferguson,Packers, WR – A fine athlete with size and decent speed but is raw. Good potential.Drops too many passes and will likely be the #3 guy this year.

49. Lamont Jordan,Jets, RB – Has good size, strength anddecent speed and can also break tackles. Catches the ball well but tends togain weight. Willback up Curtis Martin.

52. Chris Chambers,Dolphins, WR – Strong, athletic, good speed, long arms. Very fast and can jump, but has a tendency to drop theball at times. Also needs more work on his routes. Will be the #4 or 5 guy this year.

53. Quincy Carter,Cowboys, QB – Good size and arm and canrun but is erratic with his accuracy. Does not have good vision or judgment.Needs a lot of time.

58. Travis Henry,Bills, RB – Tough, determined runnerwith a lot of strength and power. Tough to bring down and gains yards aftercontact but is not as fast and elusive as a featured runner should be. Willbattle Sammy Morris and Antowain Smith for playing time.

59. Marques Tuiasosopo,Raiders, QB – A tough competitor, he know how to win. Goodleadership capabilities and can scramble if he has to. But his arm is notparticularly strong or accurate and is prone to turnovers. Will hold theclipboard for a couple of years.

THIRD ROUND

65. James Jackson, Browns, RB – Has enough speed to get outside and knows howto find a hole. He is not a very powerful inside runner but can break a tackle.Can catch the ball but is not a very elusive runner. Could challenge for thefeatured back position if Errict Rhett is not healthy.

66. Sean Brewer,Bengals, TE – Good size, speed and athletic ability but needs improvement in blocking,focus and drops too many balls.

74. Stevonne Smith,Panthers, WR – Has good speed and runs well after the catch but is small. Excellentkick returner.

77.Marvin Minnis, Chiefs, WR – Has natural receiving abilities and istough and quick. Needs bulk and to improve his running skills.

80. Kevan Barlow, 49ers, RB – A sleeper. Good size and speed but is not a burner. Runswith power and can catch the ball. Has problems with fumbling and needs toimprove his vision. He will compete with Paul Smith and Garrison Hearst,who is trying to come back from an ankle injury that has sidelined him the lasttwo seasons. Broncos Coach Mike Shanahan applauded this pick. “He called me 10minutes after the third round was over and said we picked the best back in thedraft,” Bill Walsh said. “We had felt that this man was among the best two orthree backs at least. He was very high on our board.”

82. Heath Evans, Seahawks,FB – Decentrunning and receiving skills but needs work in the blocking department.

85. Travis Minor,Dolphins, RB – Goodspeed and running and catching skills but lack of size relegated him to a third-down role.

90. Shad Meier,Titans, TE – Decent receiver, needs work onblocking and staying healthy.

FOURTH ROUND

98. Bill Gramatica,Cardinals, kicker – Strong leg but needs to work on accuracy. Lesser talent than hisbrother Martin.

100.Rudi Johnson, Bengals, RB – Ok speed but has good vision andinstincts. He is quick and powerful to the hole and is tough to bring down butis not is not elusive nor a breakaway threat. Needs work receiving and blockingas well.

106. Chris Weinke, Panthers, QB – Good size, intelligence, toughness andleadership skills. Has a strong arm but not much mobility. Also needs toimprove accuracy. Could be a sleeper.

108. George Layne,Chiefs, FB – Mostlya blocking a receiving back.

109. Sage Rosenfels,Redskins, QB –Good size,intelligence, mobility and speed. Has a decent arm but poor throwing mechanicsand needs to improve accuracy.

115. Moran Norris,Saints, FB – Strongrunner but needs improvement in consistency, pass catching and blocking.

116. Milton Wynn,Rams, WR – Goodsize, athleticism, speed and runs well after the catch. Routes and consistencyneed improvement. Still raw.

119. Jabari Holloway,Patriots, TE – Nice hands and athletic ability. Needs to play more physical and improvehis blocking. Lacks good speed and size.

121. CorrellBuckhalter, Eagles, RB – Good size, speed and vision plus he can catch the ball but is not veryelusive and is easy to tackle. As primarily a backup at Nebraska, stillmanaged to run for more than 2,200 yards and 21 scores in his final three yearswhile running at well over a 6-yard-per-carry clip. Good athletic skills, butneeds more experience. Good receiver. Better than you think and will be Duce Staley’sbackup this year.

124. Justin McCareins,Titans, WR – Has good size, toughness and hands. Could be a go-to receiver down theroad but does not have burner speed. Need to prove it against bettercompetition. “We're really pretty excited about Justin,” Jeff Fishersaid. “We were just crossing our fingers that he'd survive to our pick, and hedid.” He said McCareins could compete for a starting job.

125. Jesse Palmer, Giants, QB – Good size, poise, toughness and arm strength.Needs to work on his accuracy.

129. Brandon Manumaleuna, Rams, TE – Big with good hands andathletic ability. Needs to improve his blocking because he plays a little soft.

131. Cedric James,Vikings, WR – Very strong with big hands, speed and is a good leaper but drops toomany passes. Needs to improve his route running as well. Excellentspecial-teams player because he likes to hit.

FIFTH ROUND

136. Vinny Sutherland,Falcons, WR – Good speed, quickness and toughness. Knows how to get open but is notvery tall. Can return kickoffs and punts. Good quickness, speed andacceleration.

140.Alex Bannister, Seahawks, WR – Tall, tough, quick, plays hard,improving blocker. Decent speed, questionable hands, works hard.

141.Billy Baber, Chiefs, TE – Good hands, speed and athleticism. Needsmore power as a blocker.

147. Tony Stewart,Eagles, TE – Good size and big hands.Good all-around athlete and hard worker. Needs to improve his blocking andstrength.

148. Scotty Anderson,Lions, WR – Goodsize, deceptive speed, runs well after the catch. Needs more strength andpower. Drops too many passes.

149. Scott McMahon,Lions, QB – Goodsize, poise, mobility, toughness, athleticism. Has a quick release and good armstrength. Lacks accuracy and a soft touch. Is also impatient in the pocket ashe sometimes forces the ball into coverage. Has potential.

150. Derrick Blaylock,Chiefs, RB – Has a good burst, vision,speed, quick feet and can catch the ball. Lacks size so he should be athird-down back and kick returner.

153. Onomo Ojo, Saints, WR – Good size and deep speed but very inexperienced. Needs alot of work in his routes and against better cover men.

154. DarnerianMcCants, Redskins, WR – Good height and speed but suffers from inconsistency.

155. A.J. Feeley,Eagles, QB – Good size and arm strength with a quick release but is not very mobile.Has a lot of talent but needs more experience since he missed some time with anelbow injury.

159.Eddie Berlin, Titans, WR – Works hard and has a lot of natural passreceiving skills but is not a burner. Excellent prospect but needs to provehimself at higher levels.

160.John Markam, Giants, kicker – Strong leg but needs to work on accuracy.

161. ChrisBarnes, Ravens, RB – Runs with power and vision and, even though he is not aburner, is quick to the hole. But he is not big, strong or particularlyelusive. Lacks experience in the passing game.

162. JonathanCarter, Giants, WR – Very fast with big-play ability but needs strength andexperience. Still drops a few and needs work on his routes.

SIXTH ROUND

166. Bobby Newcombe,Cardinals, WR – good speed and has big-play potential in the past because he runs wellafter the catch at times. Makes for a good return man. Needs to stay healthyand stop dropping passes.

169. Cedrick Wilson,49ers, WR – Quick,tough and can return kicks and punts but lacks burner speed. Does not have goodsize.

172. Josh Booty,Seahawks, QB – Good size and athletic ability. Has a live arm but is very erratic. Verypoor throwing techniques and gets into some real ruts because of them. Put himdown as a developmental prospect.

174.Jameel Cook, Bucs, FB – Decent runner and catches the ball well. Hastweener size and not the pure power needed from the fullback position and notfast enough to be a halfback. Needs to improve his blocking.

175. Dadrian Brown,Panthers, RB – Decent vision and instincts but lacks breakaway speed. More of a third-down back.

177.Josh Heupel, Dolphins, QB – Poise, intelligence, toughness, fearless.Sees the field well and has a quick release but with just average arm strength.Lacks height as well

180. Arther Love,Patriots, TE – Decentblocker but must improve in that area and in the pass catching department.

190. Kevin Kasper,Broncos, WR – hard worker, toughness and good hands. Decent speed and quickness but isnot a burner. Needs to improve his separation skills.

192.Dan Alexander, Titans, RB – A big man who runs with power, speed andtoughness. Can play halfback and fullback but does not have very good vision orinstincts for a tailback. Need to improve his receiving and blocking skills.

195.Dan O’Leary, Bills, TE – Decent pass catcher but needs to improvehis separation skills and blocking.

197. Francis St. Paul,Rams, WR – Goodspeed and quickness but is small and has been inconsistent in the past.

198. David Martin,Packers, WR – Big, physical who sometimes struggles with his weight. Looks more likean H-back than wide receiver. Drops too many as well.

SEVENTH ROUND

204. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals, WR – Physical, tough and can run after the catchbut lacks big time speed and quickness. Needs to work on his separation skills. Canreturn kicks and punts.

205. Dauntae Finger, Bucs, TE – Strictly backup material. Decent size but lacksspeed.

208. John Capel, Bears, WR – Excellent speed but on the smallish side.

214. Reggie Germany, Bills, WR – Good height, speed,toughness, athleticism. Needs bulk and drops too many passes but has a lot oftalent.

216. Owen Pochman, Patriots,kicker – Fairlyaccurate left-footed kicker but does not have a super strong leg. Kickoffsneeds work.

218.Chris Taylor, Steelers, WR – Excellentspeed and runswell after the catch but issmall and drops too many passes. Can return kicks and punts.

224. Eric Johnson, 49ers, TE – Has played wide receiver,tight end, H-back and fullback and is a very good pass catcher but is too smallto be a tight end and too slow for a wide receiver. Will probably play H-back.

227. Mike Roberg, Panthers, TE – Decent size and hands butlacks quickness off the line. Needs to improve his blocking as well.

228. Derek Combs, Raiders, RB – Excellent speed but lacksgood size, strength and power. He is a home run hitter but does not breaktackles well. He also needs to work on his pass receiving skills.

229. Ken-Yon Rambo, Raiders, WR –Decentsize, speed and athleticism. Can return kicks and punts. Has big-play ability.Could be a decent player someday but needs to improve his routes andconcentration. Unfortunately, he has small hands and drops too many passes.

235. Richmond Flowers, Jaguars,WR – Goodathlete with soft hands and very good concentration. Lacks big time speed butis a bit more than a possession receiver. Can return kickoffs.

236. Quentin McCord, Falcons, WR– Good speed and runs wellafter the catch but lacks good height and has small hands.

245. Andre King, Browns, WR – Good size, hands andtoughness. Runs well after the catch and is a good blocker. Is not a burner andis a tad old at 27. Can return punts.

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