2000 NFL Draft - Top Offensive Prospects

By Richard C. Harris

April 14, 2000

Running Backs

As many as four running backs could be taken in the first round this year, and the field is fairly deep. The leaders of the group are Thomas Jones, Jamal Lewis, Ron Dayne, and Shaun Alexander, though none of these young men are guaranteed to be a franchise back. Jones (5-10, 216) appears to be the back who will be taken first. He has a nice combination of size and speed (4.48), a solid work ethic, and intelligence. He had a tremendous senior year, rushing for 1,798 yards and 16 TDs on 334 carries and catching 22 passes for 239 yards and one score, and earning All-America honors. Dayne enters the NFL with impressive credentials. In his senior season, he finished second in the nation in rushing with 1,834 yards, won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Award as the best football player in America, and the Doak Walker Award as the best running back in the country. He also was named the MVP of the Rose Bowl for the second straight year and set an NCAA career rushing mark, breaking the record that Texas' Ricky Williams set a year earlier. Dayne (5-11, 259) is a bruising runner with 4.5 speed, but his detractors will note his lack of pass receiving skills and his penchant for injuries. Alexander (6-0, 218) is a solid all-around back who can score touchdowns (40 in the last two seasons). He is a very good cut back runner with adequate speed (4.5) and strength. At 5-11, 240 and 4.3 speed, Lewis may have the most upside of the group, but there is some doubt as to whether he can stay healthy -- he had reconstructive knee surgery in ’98 and shoulder problems in ’99. He has good instincts, toughness, determination, balance, and very good hands. If he can avoid major health problems, Lewis could prove to be the best back of this draft. Other notable backs are Travis Prentice, Curtis Keaton, Trung Candiadte, and Michael Wiley. Keaton (5-10, 214) wowed scouts at the Combine with his 4.4 speed, 41½ " vertical jump, 10’11" long jump, and 23 reps with 225 pounds on the bench press. Prentice (5-11, 225, 4.5 speed) rushed for 1,500 yards in each of his last three seasons at Miami of Ohio, and Canidate and Wiley are burners with 4.3 speed.

Fullbacks

Not too much to get excited about here. The better blockers, such as Aaron Shea and Deon Dyer, have limited rushing and receiving skills, while the more talented backs, such as Sammy Morris and Paul Smith are undersized for the position.

This group has a wealth of talent; for example, All-American and Biletnikoff-Award winner Troy Walters is 25^th on my list. The most coveted player in the group is the game-breaking Peter Warrick. Though he does not have great size (5-11, 194) or speed (4.5), he is an exceptional athlete that can deliver big plays with his ability to run with the ball after the catch. Plaxico Burress, who at 6-5, 231 has drawn comparisons to Randy Moss, closely follows Warrick. With 4.5 speed Burress is not as fast as Moss, but his height, strength, and leaping ability should cause many problems for opposing cornerbacks. Though Burress may have the most upside of any receiver in the draft, he may be the third or fourth WR taken because of perceived attitude problems. After Burress, there are a number of receivers that have first-round potential. These players include Dez White, Travis Taylor, Jerry Porter, Dennis Northcutt, Sylvester Morris, R. Jay Soward, and Todd Pinkston. White, Taylor, Morris, and Pinkston all stand six feet or taller and have 4.4 speed. Northcutt (5-10, 175) is not as tall as those four, but he has big-play ability similar to Warrick, and 4.4 speed to match. Soward (5-9, 177), Laveranues Coles, and Chris Cole are the three fastest receivers in the draft, running the forty in the 4.3 range. The hidden gem may be Porter. A quarterback in high school and used mostly at free safety at West Virginia, he is somewhat of an unknown commodity. As a receiver in college, he totaled just 28 receptions. Even so, scouts are drooling over Porter’s skill set. Standing 6-2 and weighing 221, he runs the forty in 4.34 and has an unbelievable vertical leap of 44½ inches. The talent does not stop with Porter. Draft expert Mel Kiper calls Ron Dugans the 19^th best player in the entire draft, and Muneer Moore, Trevor Gaylor, and Mareno Philyaw are receivers from small schools, who have good height, speed, and leaping ability.

Tight End

It is almost unanimous that Daniel "Bubba" Franks out of Miami of Florida is the best tight end in the draft and will be taken in the first round. At 6-6, 265, Franks is a big target and can be a physical blocker. He also possesses good hands and the ability to make circus-type catches. His downside is that he does not have exceptional speed (4.8). Anthony Becht is likely to be the next tight end taken, and he could go as high as the second round. Becht (6-6, 270) is not extraordinary in any one area, but is a solid all-around tight end with a good head on his shoulders. Erron Kinney, James Whalen, and Dave Stachelski are also solid prospects who are likely to be taken in rounds three through five.

Center

This is another position where one player appears to be a head above the rest, and that player is John St. Clair out of Virginia. Though St. Clair (6-5, 302) has great size, he is not considered a prototypical center and lacks some experience, which equates to him being taken in the second or third round. The other top prospect at the position is Brad Meester from Northern Iowa. Meester (6-3, 298) is very smart and athletic, but not overly powerful.

Guard

There are some very solid players in this group, but none may be taken in the first round. It is likely that the top two or three will go in the second round, and seven of the top ten will be gone by the end of the fourth. The top two prospects are Travis Claridge and Cosey Coleman. Claridge (6-5, 303) is very durable and prides himself on being ready to play every week. He is also versatile, able to line up at either guard slot or at right tackle. At USC for four years, he started every game of his career. He moved from guard to right tackle in '99 and had the best season of his collegiate career. Coleman (6-4, 322) is considered one of the strongest players in the draft, but is still not a polished lineman. He did not impress the scouts at the Combine, looking somewhat out of shape, but he will merit a lot of consideration because of his size, athleticism, and upside potential.

Tackle