Why they fell: Draft prospects picked later than expected (Shutdown Corner)
Each year, there are players who fall in the draft for a number of reasons. We all remember the sight of Aaron Rodgers and Brady Quinn waiting far beyond expectations for their names to be called, and the divergent paths their careers have taken give us one more reason to say that the draft is, in the end, pretty much a total crapshoot. Here are this year's latecomers, with Nebraska's Alfonzo Dennard as the all-time cautionary tale regarding taking it easy the week before the draft. [ Michael Silver's rankings: Gus Frerotte gives Kirk Cousins advice in Redskins quarterback race ] Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama (35th overall pick, Baltimore Ravens) -- Upshaw, a dynamic pass rusher who was expected by most pundits to go in the mid-to-late first round, apparently started to drop when he showed up to his Pro Day weighing 279 pounds . The Ravens let the draft come to them and selected a great value pick who could really shine opposite Terrell Suggs. Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford (42nd overall pick, Miami Dolphins) -- Expected to be a sure first-rounder at one point, Martin's game tape bugged enough teams to have them looking in different directions. A good player without a strong anchor point who was protected in college by a conservative heavy-blocking offense. [ Les Carpenter: NFL 'Die Hards' sit through all three days of the draft ] Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall (59th overall pick, Philadelphia Eagles) -- This one is hard to explain, because Curry flashed a great deal of potential as a pure pass-rusher or LEO end even when he was facing stout competition. Might be small-school bias, because there are no obvious red flags. Down the road (and very much like Upshaw), Curry may be much happier in an ideal situation despite the lower pick -- he's a perfect fit for the Eagles' aggressive defense. Rueben Randle, WR, LSU (63rd overall pick, New York Giants) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars traded up to get Justin Blackmon, so the alleged bias against one-speed receivers with outstanding overall characteristics doesn't seem to apply. Could be that Randle was dinged because he played in an offense that was anything but friendly to receivers, but the Giants put a first-round grade on him, and Tom Coughlin had a cake-eating grin on his face when explaining the pick on TV. Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State (102nd overall pick, Washington Redskins) -- Could have been a second-round guy but for his tendency to lose his mechanics under pressure. People question the Redskins picking him in the same draft as RGIII, but Cousins is the ideal Shanahan project quarterback, and could be a very reliable backup and spot starter over time. [ Shutdown Corner analysis: Why some top prospects fell down the NFL draft board ] Bobby Massie, OT, Mississippi (112th overall pick, Arizona Cardinals) -- Concerns about conditioning, toughness, and schematic fits (not a zone blocker at all) pushed Massie down, but the Cardinals picked up an excellent run-mashing right tackle with the ability to protect the quarterback from the right side. Jared Crick, DL, Nebraska (126th overall pick, Houston Texans) -- Steal of the draft, and the best mix of player and scheme on this list. Crick is a second-round prospect based on his tape, but he lost most of the 2011 season to injuries and fell under the radar. Really impressed me in 2010 when he kept his production up even after Ndamukong Suh left for the NFL and he became the primary focus of every offensive line he faced. In Wade Phillips' multiple schemes, Crick can be a 3-4 one-gap end, provide pass rush in big fronts, and even slip inside as a nose shade if Wade's feeling particularly creative. [read full article]
From Yahoo! Sports