Players being invited to the draft...
 

NFL Increasing Draft Invite List
Posted by Aaron Wilson on April 10, 2009, 7:47 p.m. EDT

The NFL is going to need a bigger green room for the draft.

According to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, the league has increased the list of players invited to the draft in New York from six to 10 top prospects.

Although the NFL is reportedly not just inviting sure-fire top 10 draft picks and will include players with “compelling stories,” they have also increased the chances of more players having to pensively sweat out a long wait with cameras watching their every mannerism a la Cleveland Browns quarterback Brady Quinn from a few years ago.

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez was invited to the draft, but, for now, is planning to remain in California with family and friends.

Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, USC linebacker Brian Cushing and Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman have accepted invitations, according to Mortensen, who indicated that an official announcement is expected to happen on Monday.

Plus, the following players are also likely to be in New York for the draft: Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith, Ole Miss offensive tackle Michael Oher, Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe.

So lets get this right a few guys are intentionally being invited knowing that they'll go later so we can "watch them sweat" because it's good for TV?

man that probably will suck for freeman and maybe cushing, those 2 will be sitting a couple of hours IMO. and to the last sentence, thats just not right

Michael Oher is in no way a lock to go high either.

yeah you're right, i was probably thinking about how everyone jocked him last year:shake:

Oher may end up making some team extremely happy, he has the potential and ability to be the best LT from the draft while not going nearly as high.

i know. its just funny how he's thought of now vs then

Shit happens, I think he has much greater upside than Monroe does. Either way I think all 3 of those guys are better prospects than Jake Long was.

i would like to know if he would have been #1 last year

#1 probably not but he probably cost himself a few spots, he'd have probably gone in the range of Chris Williams and Ryan Clady.

eh who knows, you yourself said he's a better prospect than long

I think he is but teams get all caught up in safe, Oher has some questions with attitude and mental makeup and such.

Last year I think he goes between 10-15, this year he may not go till 15-25.

mental is HUGE IMO

Strengths:
Outstanding athleticism...Has prototypical size with excellent bulk and long arms...Quick and agile with great balance...Nimble and light on his feet...Very strong...Moves well laterally...Mobile and can get out to the second level...Exceptional pass blocker who makes it look easy...Stout at the point of attack...Powerful and gets a great push in the run game...Able to control defenders once he locks on...Plays with a nasty demeanor...Tough and durable...Offers some versatility...A lot of experience against elite competition...Still has considerable upside.

Weaknesses:
Inconsistent and does not always play up to his abilities...Motor runs hot and cold...Lacks great awareness...Needs to improve his technique when it comes to things like footwork and use of hands...Gets high in his stance and he doesn't always play with proper leverage...Might require extra attention from coaches ... Intelligence could be an issue.

Notes:
Last name is pronounced "oar"...Was a four-year starter in the SEC and never missed a game...Played offensive guard as a freshman with the Rebels and some feel that might be his best position in the pros...Named a 1st Team All-American in 2008...A three-time All-SEC selection (2nd Team in 2006 and 1st Team in 2007 and 2008)...One of three finalists for the Outland Trophy as a senior...Didn't start playing football until late in his high school career yet didn't allow a sack as a junior or senior...Averaged 22 points and 10 rebounds in basketball and also finished as the state runner-up in discus as a prep...Originally entered the 2008 NFL Draft after his junior season but changed his mind and went back to Oxford...To say he has overcome a lot in life would be an understatement (see video below) and his story was the subject of a best-selling book by Michael Lewis titled The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game...There are some question marks when it comes to intangibles but this guy has the raw physical tools to be a franchise left tackle in the NFL...Boom or Bust type who personifies the term "High Risk / High Reward"...Rare physical specimen with arguably as much pure talent as any offensive tackle to come along in many years.

here's my problem.

Saccogoo thinks you're a moron. He has him in his Top 5, and would rather draft Oher than Stafford OR Sanchez

I am pretty sure Sackofgoo is a troll account.

There's no "think" about it. Oher is a dominant OT with a skill set that is superior to any other guy they are pimping for LT in this draft. I have no idea why he's being downgraded by some of these people. Someone is going to steal him if he drops out of the top ten.

He has more potential than any tackle in the draft, but he needs lots of work to get it. That's not top 5 material, and it's definitely not top 3 material.

Bullshit. Oher is, as of right now, better than any LT in this draft on the field. And he has more potential as well. That's top 1 material if you ask me. At least when you compare him to a guy like Jake Long in last years draft.

The only reason that Monroe is being pimped over him is because people think that he must be all-world to have kept Brandon Albert inside at guard....yeah. And are you seriously going to tell me that a guy from Baylor is THE guy? I don't think he ever got his hand dirty once playing LT for Baylor, and there is a huge question mark about his ability to support the running game.

Oher will absolutely bury people in the run and if he locks on a guy in the pass, it's over. And he seems to relish burying people. The dude can be flat out nasty.

If Jake Long, Joe Thomas and D'Brickashaw Ferguson can be considered top five talent, let alone Jason Smith and Eugene Monroe, than you sure as hell can bet that Michael Oher is as well.

Jesus got invited

Michael Oher probably would be considered better if he had put his issues to bed during the senior bowl and the offseason but he didn't...

He appeared to have mental lapses and he wasn't a physically dominant as some would have expected in his workouts.

Ballerinas at the LT position get hyped up during the evaluation process. People fall in love with those feet. Monroe and Smith have those pretty feet but as far as run blocking and straight ahead nastiness goes Oher's gonna make somebody really happy.

Will they still open the draft with a prayer since he'll be in the greenroom. or will someone just walk in and ask him to bless the ceremony?

Oher is a great story and will give the networks something good to talk about for 15 minutes when he's drafted.

eh. I dont like it. 6 sounds good. 10 is over doing it.

It will be interesting to see if Clady takes a step back this year, since Shanahan's offense basically suited him perfectly and masked his weaknesses.