Injured Risk, Healthy Reward
By Hunter Ansley
Hunter is a freelance writer who has been published by ESPN the Magazine. He runs Draft Zoo.com
Send Hunter an e-mail here: draftzoo@gmail.com
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: wpc112@gmail.com
2009 NFL Draft Prospects Coming off Injuries
It's always tough to grade a prospect coming off of an injury. Will he make it back? Does he have the same explosiveness? Have his instincts been replaced by career-killing tentativeness? Just ask the Packers how that whole Justin Harrell thing is working out.
But that hasn't stopped draftniks from rating more than a few banged-up prospects near the top of their draft boards. Of course, the draft is getting close, and all the tests have been run. The war rooms are buzzing with more medical records than a pharmaceutical company during a West Nile outbreak, but we'll have to wait until April 25th to find out if these five guys are on their way to becoming instant millionaires or recent admits to the glue factory.
Pat White, ?, West Virginia
What is he? A quarterback? A receiver? The youngest guy on Earth named Pat? The debate will rage on until he either A) surprises with NFL success or B) surprises with NFL failure. One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is that White was banged up as a senior. Of course, that's bound to happen when you quarterback one of the most dangerous spread rushing attacks in the nation. It's actually pretty surprising that it didn't happen earlier or more often.
The good news here is that White's injury wasn't all that serious, and he ended up finishing the season back at 100 percent. In fact, he only missed one complete game.
But White makes this list because an injury history, no matter how slight, is one more reason to be wary of the guy who can't seem to convince everyone that he can play quarterback. Not to mention the concerns that his slight frame has taken a career's worth of beatings over his almost 700 carries.
White's no stranger to being doubted. He was a pretty highly recruited prospect coming out of high school (even Nick Saban wanted him at LSU) as a defensive back/athlete. But Pat wasn't content to watch someone else take all of the snaps. He chose West Virginia mostly due to the promise of nothing but a chance to play quarterback. Now, he's at it again. Naysayers aplenty. I'm sure I'm going to take some heat for what I'm about to say, but it's cold where I live so I'll welcome the warmth. I think White can make it as a pro passer. Not right away, mind you, but if given the time, I think he can do it. He's no Matt Stafford when it comes to arm strength, but more than a few scouts left workouts with White impressed with his velocity on the all-important deep out. Remember, he did play quarterback in college, and he's not that bad an athlete in case you've been living under a rock. And yeah, he's got a chance to earn a roster spot as a receiver. But why would White start appeasing the popular opinion now? It's just not something he's big on doing.
And I know there are plenty of pundits arguing that the Wildcat will quickly become a forgotten fad, thus eliminating his chances of being picked up by a team like the Dolphins. But they said the same thing about the Osbournes' and those curly neon shoelaces that everyone wore in third grade. Well, I just started sporting the pigtails and Ozzie got an entire episode of his "variety" show aired on FOX. Don't listen to them Pat, apparently anything is possible.
Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
So a big, versatile quarterback steps onto the UF campus ready to lead the Gators back to glory. He works hard, impresses the coaches, and keeps him name off of the Gainesville police blotter. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he's asked to make a switch to tight end, assured that the new position will guarantee him a spot in the NFL Draft. No, I'm not talking about Tim Tebow. The guy I'm referring to is Cornelius Ingram.
Ingram was smart enough to realize that the advice he was receiving was spot on. And the rest is history. One of the most athletic tight ends in the country, Ingram was well on his way to becoming Tebow's safety net before a torn ACL ended his college career a full month before the 2008 season started.
Ingram's an enigma. He looked great during his junior year racking up 508 yards and seven touchdowns, but how does anyone know what will become of a fairly inexperienced tight end coming off of a knee injury? The measurables are there. He's almost 6-4, 240. He runs the 40 in the 4.6 range, and he has great hands. But the league is littered with guys who just never made it back.
Ingram's getting a lot of consideration as a second-round pick, and we'll have to wait another two weeks to read the answer to this riddle, but it's likely that the former passer will be too tempting to pass up on Day 1, early Day 2 at the latest. I mean, this is a guy whom Urban Meyer referred to as the "best natural pass-catcher I've seen since Cris Carter." He's certainly the best former quarterback to play the position. Unless Ryan Leaf makes a comeback...
Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin Who knew they threw the ball at Wisconsin? I'm fairly certain that they promised Ron Dayne, Michael Bennett, Anthony Davis, Brian Calhoun, and PJ Hill that the quarterback position was an urban legend like Sasquatch or steroid cream. Steroid cream, haha, what will Major League Baseball come up with next? Those guys...
Anyway, if the forward pass was seen as a Madison taboo before Beckum's arrival, it quickly became the main act with him in the lineup. Beckum was one of the most prolific tight ends in the nation as a junior. His 982 receiving yards were more than most wideouts accumulated that season. Of course, the decision to return for Year 4 as a Badger was apparently the wrong one, football-wise. Fracturing your tibula is an excruciating way to go out.
Beckum's career is far from broken though. The tight end's unfortunate leg mishap hasn't affected his hands. He's got soft fingers and has shown the ability to catch the ball away from his body. It remains to be seen, however, if he still possesses a knack for getting into his routes quickly. And there's always the chance that his elusiveness after the catch has taken a hit.
More alarming is the fact that a snapped trunk hasn't ever been a real catalyst to become a more aggressive player. Beckum was never much of a blocker to begin with, and last time I checked, a broken leg is a pretty painful reminder that football can hurt. His tendency to go down with the first hit has been a problem in the past as well. It's tough to see Beckum returning to form, but his athleticism is a nice disguise. Still likely that someone pulls the trigger a little too early. I just hope they aren't aiming at his leg.
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
Definitely one of the hardest hit prospects by the injury bug. Mickens was a fringe first-rounder before an agonizing senior season that included a nagging knee ailment which required surgery and an early exit from the Senior Bowl. Playing at a position that puts too big a premium on straight-line speed, a knee injury is equivalent to feeding cat food to a hedgehog. It's a killer. Trust me, I've had some awful experience with the subject.
Mickens' 40 times are proof of the negative effect. A reported 4.4 guy before getting hurt, Mickens has seen his stock fluctuate due to consistent mid-4.5 range times. Of course, as we've said before, measurables aren't everything. The fact that Mickens was already looked down upon for playing without strength before blowing out his knee might not be everything either, but it's getting close. Same story as Beckum - if a guy was less-than-brutish before heading to the hospital, what reason is there to believe that the problem was fixed by a scalpel?
However, if watching Mickens has taught anyone anything, it's that he has good ball skills, works great in short-area zones, and is extremely competitive. Sometimes all it takes for a guy to reach another level of play is one more reason to prove someone wrong. After dropping from top-32 consideration to a possible first-day pick, Mickens is long on motivation. I just hope that he's not short on kneecaps. You only get two.
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
OK, so he wasn't injured, but he might as well have been. Ayers put up a decent season's worth of stats, but he's a conservationist so he stretched them out over a 4-year career. There are plenty of NFL stars who didn't find their true groove until they found their first paycheck, but I'm really not a fan of the former Vol.
Mike Mayock said that in two years Ayers will be the best defensive prospect from this draft class. Here's my prediction: In two years, Ayers will be the best defensive prospect from this draft class stuck working Fridays at the Gap.
OK, maybe that's a little harsh, but I just don't see it. He had one good week at the Senior Bowl, but how does that make up for a career full of underachievement? He lacks focus, and he seems like a surefire bet to cash his first check and immediately revert to anonymity.
Yeah, he's shown good technique and short-area burst on occasion, but consistency is key in the NFL, and he doesn't have it. I know I'm not alone in this opinion, but Ayers will never be the answer for a team looking for help with their pass rush. If he wants to be successful, it will have to come as a run-stuffing left end. Even that looks like a stretch. I could be wrong, but that's pretty rare for me. Not as rare as a Robert Ayers' sack, but still rare.
Thanks for your time, but I've got to stop here. I'm out of alternate ways to say "hurt."
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings - May 24
2013 NFL Mock Draft - May 22
Charlie's 2013 NFL Mock Draft - May 21
2012 NBA Mock Draft - May 19
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 7
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© 1999-2011 Walter Cherepinsky : all rights reserved
Privacy Policy
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Hunter is a freelance writer who has been published by ESPN the Magazine. He runs Draft Zoo.com
Send Hunter an e-mail here: draftzoo@gmail.com
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: wpc112@gmail.com
2009 NFL Draft Prospects Coming off Injuries
It's always tough to grade a prospect coming off of an injury. Will he make it back? Does he have the same explosiveness? Have his instincts been replaced by career-killing tentativeness? Just ask the Packers how that whole Justin Harrell thing is working out.
But that hasn't stopped draftniks from rating more than a few banged-up prospects near the top of their draft boards. Of course, the draft is getting close, and all the tests have been run. The war rooms are buzzing with more medical records than a pharmaceutical company during a West Nile outbreak, but we'll have to wait until April 25th to find out if these five guys are on their way to becoming instant millionaires or recent admits to the glue factory.
Pat White, ?, West Virginia
What is he? A quarterback? A receiver? The youngest guy on Earth named Pat? The debate will rage on until he either A) surprises with NFL success or B) surprises with NFL failure. One thing that everyone can agree on, however, is that White was banged up as a senior. Of course, that's bound to happen when you quarterback one of the most dangerous spread rushing attacks in the nation. It's actually pretty surprising that it didn't happen earlier or more often.
The good news here is that White's injury wasn't all that serious, and he ended up finishing the season back at 100 percent. In fact, he only missed one complete game.
But White makes this list because an injury history, no matter how slight, is one more reason to be wary of the guy who can't seem to convince everyone that he can play quarterback. Not to mention the concerns that his slight frame has taken a career's worth of beatings over his almost 700 carries.
White's no stranger to being doubted. He was a pretty highly recruited prospect coming out of high school (even Nick Saban wanted him at LSU) as a defensive back/athlete. But Pat wasn't content to watch someone else take all of the snaps. He chose West Virginia mostly due to the promise of nothing but a chance to play quarterback. Now, he's at it again. Naysayers aplenty. I'm sure I'm going to take some heat for what I'm about to say, but it's cold where I live so I'll welcome the warmth. I think White can make it as a pro passer. Not right away, mind you, but if given the time, I think he can do it. He's no Matt Stafford when it comes to arm strength, but more than a few scouts left workouts with White impressed with his velocity on the all-important deep out. Remember, he did play quarterback in college, and he's not that bad an athlete in case you've been living under a rock. And yeah, he's got a chance to earn a roster spot as a receiver. But why would White start appeasing the popular opinion now? It's just not something he's big on doing.
And I know there are plenty of pundits arguing that the Wildcat will quickly become a forgotten fad, thus eliminating his chances of being picked up by a team like the Dolphins. But they said the same thing about the Osbournes' and those curly neon shoelaces that everyone wore in third grade. Well, I just started sporting the pigtails and Ozzie got an entire episode of his "variety" show aired on FOX. Don't listen to them Pat, apparently anything is possible.
Cornelius Ingram, TE, Florida
So a big, versatile quarterback steps onto the UF campus ready to lead the Gators back to glory. He works hard, impresses the coaches, and keeps him name off of the Gainesville police blotter. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, he's asked to make a switch to tight end, assured that the new position will guarantee him a spot in the NFL Draft. No, I'm not talking about Tim Tebow. The guy I'm referring to is Cornelius Ingram.
Ingram was smart enough to realize that the advice he was receiving was spot on. And the rest is history. One of the most athletic tight ends in the country, Ingram was well on his way to becoming Tebow's safety net before a torn ACL ended his college career a full month before the 2008 season started.
Ingram's an enigma. He looked great during his junior year racking up 508 yards and seven touchdowns, but how does anyone know what will become of a fairly inexperienced tight end coming off of a knee injury? The measurables are there. He's almost 6-4, 240. He runs the 40 in the 4.6 range, and he has great hands. But the league is littered with guys who just never made it back.
Ingram's getting a lot of consideration as a second-round pick, and we'll have to wait another two weeks to read the answer to this riddle, but it's likely that the former passer will be too tempting to pass up on Day 1, early Day 2 at the latest. I mean, this is a guy whom Urban Meyer referred to as the "best natural pass-catcher I've seen since Cris Carter." He's certainly the best former quarterback to play the position. Unless Ryan Leaf makes a comeback...
Travis Beckum, TE, Wisconsin Who knew they threw the ball at Wisconsin? I'm fairly certain that they promised Ron Dayne, Michael Bennett, Anthony Davis, Brian Calhoun, and PJ Hill that the quarterback position was an urban legend like Sasquatch or steroid cream. Steroid cream, haha, what will Major League Baseball come up with next? Those guys...
Anyway, if the forward pass was seen as a Madison taboo before Beckum's arrival, it quickly became the main act with him in the lineup. Beckum was one of the most prolific tight ends in the nation as a junior. His 982 receiving yards were more than most wideouts accumulated that season. Of course, the decision to return for Year 4 as a Badger was apparently the wrong one, football-wise. Fracturing your tibula is an excruciating way to go out.
Beckum's career is far from broken though. The tight end's unfortunate leg mishap hasn't affected his hands. He's got soft fingers and has shown the ability to catch the ball away from his body. It remains to be seen, however, if he still possesses a knack for getting into his routes quickly. And there's always the chance that his elusiveness after the catch has taken a hit.
More alarming is the fact that a snapped trunk hasn't ever been a real catalyst to become a more aggressive player. Beckum was never much of a blocker to begin with, and last time I checked, a broken leg is a pretty painful reminder that football can hurt. His tendency to go down with the first hit has been a problem in the past as well. It's tough to see Beckum returning to form, but his athleticism is a nice disguise. Still likely that someone pulls the trigger a little too early. I just hope they aren't aiming at his leg.
Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
Definitely one of the hardest hit prospects by the injury bug. Mickens was a fringe first-rounder before an agonizing senior season that included a nagging knee ailment which required surgery and an early exit from the Senior Bowl. Playing at a position that puts too big a premium on straight-line speed, a knee injury is equivalent to feeding cat food to a hedgehog. It's a killer. Trust me, I've had some awful experience with the subject.
Mickens' 40 times are proof of the negative effect. A reported 4.4 guy before getting hurt, Mickens has seen his stock fluctuate due to consistent mid-4.5 range times. Of course, as we've said before, measurables aren't everything. The fact that Mickens was already looked down upon for playing without strength before blowing out his knee might not be everything either, but it's getting close. Same story as Beckum - if a guy was less-than-brutish before heading to the hospital, what reason is there to believe that the problem was fixed by a scalpel?
However, if watching Mickens has taught anyone anything, it's that he has good ball skills, works great in short-area zones, and is extremely competitive. Sometimes all it takes for a guy to reach another level of play is one more reason to prove someone wrong. After dropping from top-32 consideration to a possible first-day pick, Mickens is long on motivation. I just hope that he's not short on kneecaps. You only get two.
Robert Ayers, DE, Tennessee
OK, so he wasn't injured, but he might as well have been. Ayers put up a decent season's worth of stats, but he's a conservationist so he stretched them out over a 4-year career. There are plenty of NFL stars who didn't find their true groove until they found their first paycheck, but I'm really not a fan of the former Vol.
Mike Mayock said that in two years Ayers will be the best defensive prospect from this draft class. Here's my prediction: In two years, Ayers will be the best defensive prospect from this draft class stuck working Fridays at the Gap.
OK, maybe that's a little harsh, but I just don't see it. He had one good week at the Senior Bowl, but how does that make up for a career full of underachievement? He lacks focus, and he seems like a surefire bet to cash his first check and immediately revert to anonymity.
Yeah, he's shown good technique and short-area burst on occasion, but consistency is key in the NFL, and he doesn't have it. I know I'm not alone in this opinion, but Ayers will never be the answer for a team looking for help with their pass rush. If he wants to be successful, it will have to come as a run-stuffing left end. Even that looks like a stretch. I could be wrong, but that's pretty rare for me. Not as rare as a Robert Ayers' sack, but still rare.
Thanks for your time, but I've got to stop here. I'm out of alternate ways to say "hurt."
2012 Fantasy Football Rankings - May 24
2013 NFL Mock Draft - May 22
Charlie's 2013 NFL Mock Draft - May 21
2012 NBA Mock Draft - May 19
2013 NBA Mock Draft - May 7
© 1999-2011 Walter Cherepinsky : all rights reserved
Privacy Policy
2 5 9