Atlanta Braves 2007 MLB Draft (rounds 1-5)

The fifth round of the 2007 First-Year Player Draft has just wrapped up, and I have to say, at first I wasn't very thrilled with how the Braves had done thus far, at least not right away, But after looking at some of their profiles and their scouting reports I started to come around. I'm still not sold on some prospects, like our third round picks, I just don't see why we would take them. We definitely passed up on a lot of great prospects and in return drafted some mediocre prospects according to scouting reports, scouting videos and hearsay that i've been able to find.

After doing some more research and talking with people who have first hand knowledge, our first three picks are actually pretty good, granted our third round pick I might've done differently but hey, that's just me. But alas, here are our first seven prospects that we drafted.

Side Note: These great player profiles come courtesy of MLB.com

1st round (14th overall):

Jason Heyward

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 220
Birth Date: 8/09/89
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
School: Henry County HS (McDonough, GA)
Position: Outfield and First Base



Hitting Ability: Heyward is a strong, left-handed hitter with the chance to hit for average and power.

Power: His best tool. He's got tremendous power and power potential from the left side.

Running Speed: Close to average. He's not a speedster, but he won't clog up the bases, either.

Arm Strength: Near average, but should develop average arm strength with a good long-tossing program.

Fielding: Heyward plays center for his high school team, but will likely be a left fielder or first baseman at the next level. He's average defensively overall.

Range: He's got average range. He's not a stiff, but won't win any gold gloves.

Baseball Instinct: He's got very good baseball instincts.

Physical Description: Heyward is a big strong, power-hitting lefty at age 17.

Medical Update: Healthy

Strengths: Power potential from the left side, approach at the plate.

Weaknesses: Some think he can be too patient at times, but that could be the result of not seeing any good pitches. He also may be limited to left field or first base.

Summary: Heyward is one of the most intriguing high school bats in the draft class. He's got legitimate power potential from the left side, always a hot commodity, but isn't an all-or-nothing hitter. He's got a good approach at the plate and has the chance to hit for average and power. If the cards fall right, he could be a future cleanup hitter.

My Grade: A+

Supplemental Round (33rd overall):

Jon Gilmore

Height: 6'3"
Weight: 190
Birthdate: 8/23/88
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
School: Iowa City HS (Iowa City, IA)
Position: Third Base



Hitting Ability: Gilmore showed a better approach at the plate during this showcase than he had in the past. He adjusted well to offspeed stuff and showed good extension through the zone.

Power: Gilmore has projectable raw power.

Running Speed: He's a below-average runner.

Arm Strength: Gilmore's arm seemed tired or labored during the showcase.

Fielding: Gilmore was a little slow defensively with an almost casual approach.

Range: The lack of quickness showed and his range was limited.

Physical Description: Gilmore has an Aaron Boone-body type and has changed physically in the past year, looking stronger now.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Offensive potential, with power and overall hitting ability projection.

Weaknesses: His defensive game is behind his bat and was lackluster with the glove at this showcase.

Summary: Gilmore improved at the plate tremendously in his senior season. The infielder has good raw power and showed a better overall approach in his offensive game. His defense isn't as sharp, but he will be drafted because of his bat potential.

My Grade: B-

Second Round (69th Overall)

Josh Fields

Height: 6'0"
Weight: 180
Birthdate: 8/19/85
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
School: Georgia University
Position: Relief Pitcher



Fastball: Fields throws a plus fastball that sat consistently in the 93-96 mph range.

Fastball Movement: Coming from a direct overhand slot, Fields' fastball is very straight.

Slider: Usually, Fields has a good hard slider in the 78-79 mph range. He didn't throw it much in his Friday outing.

Control: Usually Fields has decent control, but he was overthrowing up and out of the strike zone on Friday. He came out of his delivery and was constantly behind in the count, which kept him from getting to his above-average slider.

Poise: It was below average on Friday. He was given a lead and was perhaps too amped up to close out a win against Oregon State on opening night.

Aggressiveness: Being aggressive for a closer is a good thing, but he was overly-aggressive in a save situation on Friday. He can be too aggressive, wanting to come in and throw hard. He needs to learn to channel that.

Physical Description: He's a six-foot righty with a power arm who'll likely always have to answer questions about his size.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Fields has a legitimate power arm with the classic fastball-slider mix.

Weaknesses: Normally, command is not a problem for Fields, but it was on Friday. He has shown the ability to keep his fastball down in the zone and will need to get back to that in the future.

Summary: Fields will be one of the most-watched college closers this season. His outing on Friday may be just one hiccup chalked up to Opening Night jitters. His size will always be an issue because of his plane to the plate and leverage, though others (Billy Wagner from the left side) have shown size doesn't always matter.

My Grade: C+

Third Round (78th Overall)

Frederick Freeman

Height: 6'5"
Weight: N/A
Birthdate: 9/12/89
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
School: El Modena HS (California)
Position: Third Base

I apologize for this, but I can't find any information on Frederick Freeman, I'll will be trying my damnedest to find out some stuff about him...I will update when I do.

The only thing I can find is his scouting video...here's the link, just scroll down and click the "400k" next to his name.

Third Round (108th Overall):

Brandon Hicks

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205
Birthdate: 9/14/85
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
School: Texas A&M University
Position: Shortstop



Hitting Ability: Hicks grades out as a below-average hitter.

Power: He has below-average power.

Running Speed: Hicks has above-average speed.

Base Running: He uses his speed well and knows how to steal a base.

Arm Strength: Hicks has above-average arm strength at short.

Fielding: He is average across the board defensively.

Range: The speed helps, and Hicks has Major League average range.

Physical Description: Hicks is an athletic middle infielder with a Jay Bell body type.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: He's solid defensively, he can run well and his makeup is off the charts.

Weaknessess: There are questions about whether he'll hit enough at the next level.

Summary: Hicks is a speedy shortstop with excellent defensive skills and tremendous makeup. All of that won't make him an everyday shortstop at the next level unless he can hit enough, something that scouts question. Worst-case, he could make for a very good defensive-minded utility guy who can run.

My Grade: D+

Fourth Round (138th Overall):

Cory Gearrin

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 185
Birthdate: 4/14/86
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
School: Mercer University
Position: Relief Pitcher



Fastball: Gearrin throws an average fastball.

Fastball Movement: His fastball has below-average life.

Slider: Gearrin's slider projects as an average pitch. Right now, it's not as there is too much sweeping action when he throws it.

Control: He should have average command in the future.

Poise: Gearrin is a very aggressive pitcher as Mercer's closer.

Physical Description: Gearrin is a sidearming right-hander with a Scot Shields body type.

Medical Update: Healty.

Strengths: Gearrin's sidearm action is difficult to pick up for hitters.

Weaknesses: The arm angle does cause the sweep on the slider.

Summary: Gearrin jumped on the map early this year when his Mercer team took two games from the University of Miami. Gearrin saved both of those games, going three innings and striking out six without allowing a hit. The sidearmer is a very aggressive pitcher who'll need to work on tightening his slider. He profiles as a decent middle or setup guy out of someone's bullpen.

My Grade: C+

5th Round (168th Overall):

Dennis Dixon

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205
Birthdate: 1/11/85
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
School: Oregon University
Position: Outfield


Much like Freeman, there is no information available at this time on Dennis Dixon. But when I heard his name, it rang a bell for some reason, after thinking about it for a second I realized that Dennis Dixon was the Oregon Ducks starting quarterback last season. That shows how athletic he is if he can start at quarterback at a major college and be successful. After doing some further research, I found that he was once ranked as a tremendous baseball prospect as an outfielder and was chosen in the 20th round of the 2003 Amateur Baseball Draft by Cincinnati. Obviously he decided to go ahead and pursue a career in football, but now he's back and looking to help out my beloved Braves.

My Grade: C

My thoughts:

I'm sorry but one of the biggest disappointments for me so far have been us not drafting a starting pitcher, despite the fact that we are currently having starting pitching problems, now I know that majority of the guys we draft won't make it to the majors for at least two or more years, but still, we need starting pitching. Besides the lack of addressing starting pitching, another move that left me in awe was both of our third round picks. First off, we had just drafted a third baseman two rounds before, why would we need to draft another, less talented player at the same position? You got me. And secondly, what the fuck is this team's obsession with middle infielders that can't hit for shit? We, in essence, drafted Pete Orr version two when we picked Brandon Hicks with the 108th pick. Besides those two picks, I was overall pleased.

I just really wished we could've got Matt Harvey, a right-handed pitcher out of Fitch HS in Groton, Conn. The kid has so much talent and should've been a top 15 pick this season if it wasn't for his choice in a representative(aka an agent). He decided that it would be a good move to have Scott Boras as his agent, and it cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars and he dropped, oh about 100 picks, give or take. Boras had teams afraid to draft Harvey because he mentioned that he wanted his clients to be signed to huge contracts and teams weren't willing to invest as much as he wanted to an 18 year-old high school kid. But he was finally taken by the Los Angeles Angels with the 118th overall selection and trust me, if they can get this kid signed, he's an bonafide STEAL.

The other 45 rounds(!) will begin tomorrow, I won't be live blogging that, for obvious reasons, but I'll recap with my Braves' picks.

UPDATE:

Thanks to Stephen of the BravesJournal, he found information about Frederick Freeman and he graciously shared with me. Also the link that he supplied also had infomation on Dennis Dixon, so I'll go ahead and update him as well. So without further adieu, here's Freeman's and Dixon's profile.

Third Round (78th Overall)

Frederick "Freddie" Freeman

Height: 6'5"
Weight: N/A
Birthdate: 9/12/89
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
School: El Modena HS (California)
Position: Third Base

The Braves love this power-hitting infielder who spent most of his high school career at third base but will play first base as a pro. Freeman can also pitch, but the Braves feel he has great power potential as a corner infielder. Like Heyward, Freeman is only 17 and doesn’t turn 18 until September 12th. The six-foot-five, 215-pounder has a solid swing from the left side of the plate. He hit .453 this season with 5 home runs and 20 RBI in 75 at bats. Freeman will join Heyward in the Gulf Coast League this summer in Florida.

5th Round (168th Overall):

Dennis Dixon

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 205
Birthdate: 1/11/85
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
School: Oregon University
Position: Outfield

Dennis Dixon was drafted by the Reds in the 20th round out of high school a few years ago, but instead he decided to attend Oregon to play football. He’s been one of the Ducks’ starting quarterbacks the last few seasons, but he believes baseball is his future. Even though he has not played baseball in a few years, the Braves were one of a few teams interested in Dixon on the diamond. He worked out twice for the Braves, and the scouts were convinced he would be a project worth the gamble. Dixon is six-foot-four, 205-pounder and he will turn 23 next January. The Braves will send him down to the Gulf Coast League this summer, and then he’ll return to Oregon for his senior season as the Ducks’ starting signal-caller in August. Dixon can run, throw, and catch the ball, so he just has to work on his hitting. The Braves will not rush him, and the scouts feel like he could be a special athlete that could really excel on the baseball field.

A couple of draft possibilities for Atlanta.

With the MLB draft just a few days away, it's got me thinking of just who the Braves are going to take with the 14th overall pick. There is a lot of players that I think they should take, most of which are pitchers, but here is a list of 1st round possibilities for the Atlanta Braves.

1. Blake Beavan, RHP

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 210
Age: 18
B/T: R/R
School: Irving High School (Irving, TX)

Blake Beavan is a right-handed flamethrower from Irving Texas and is drawing many comparisons to the Big Unit, Randy Johnson for his size, intimidation factor and his ability to strike out batters. Beavan is one of the top pitching prospects in this years upcoming draft and teams would be foolish to pass up on this kid.

With his ability to funnel his fiery attitude into a positive attribute, he impressed everyone going 8-1 with a 0.36 ERA, while striking out 99 batters in just 58 innings of work this past season. He has had a lot of success going back to his time on USA's Youth National Team he went 3-0 with a 1.10 ERA and helped the United States to a silver medal. Not only is he a great pitcher, he can also hit very well, he put up a .379 batting average and had 26 hits and 16 RBI's.

2. Jason Heyward, OF/1B

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 198
Age: 17
B/T: L/L
School: Henry County High School (McDonough, GA)

Jason Heyward is a versatile player that can play multiple positions and posses "intriguing raw power" that has many scouts comparing him to former All-Star, Fred McGriff. He has a big, muscular frame that allows him to generate a lot of power into his swing.

Heyward is not only a great power hitter, he is very good defensively as well and much like a current Brave, Jeff Francoeur, he's equipped with an absolute cannon for an arm that has some thinking he could do some pitching beyond high school. This past season he led his high school, McDonough High, to the school's first state championship in baseball, hitting .456 with five home runs, 41 runs and 23 stolen bases. The only problem with Heyward is that he in all likelihood will be off the board by time the Braves make their selection.

3. Josh Smoker, LHP

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 195
Age: 18
B/T: L/L
School: Calhoun High School (Sugar Valley, GA)

Josh Smoker is one of the top lefthanded pitchers in this year's draft and with his fluid pitching motion it reminds me of Braves' current starter, Chuck James. He has exceptional upside and with that loose and easy delivery it enables him to generate low-90s fastballs and an above-average changeup.

Even though he doesn't over power hitters, he is able to record a lot of strikeouts. This past season, Smoker went 8-2 1.52 ERA with 88 strikeouts in just 50 innings of work. And if you think that is impressive, then look at his numbers he put up as a sophomore. As a sophomore he went 12-0 with an astonishing 0.09 ERA and broke his own school strikeout record with 137 in 75 innings in leading Calhoun to the Georgia Class 2-A State Championship.

According to a mock draft done by John Sickles over at Minor League Ball, Smoker is the Braves' first round selection.

4. Matt Harvey, RHP

Height: 6'4"
Weight: 190
Age: 18
B/T: R/R
School: Fitch Senior High School (Mystic, CT)

Matt Harvey is also one of the top ten pitchers in this years draft and he has all the makings to be a great #2 pitcher for a long time. He has a loose fluid delivery and is able to pound the strike zone with in upwards of five pitches all of which he throws very well. His fastball can reach up to 95 at any given time, he also has one of the best, if not the best change up in this years draft, a two-seam fastball, a curve ball that has good spin and movement and a hard slider that breaks quickly. Matt also has experience at the closer role, which could increase his value. Something that is seeing him drop down draft boards has nothing to do with talent, it's because of his adviser, which is Scott Boras, and that leads teams to believe that he may be difficult to sign because of Boras' history.

Harvey led Fitch High to Connecticut's Class 2-A State Championship as a junior, posting a 5-0 record with two saves and a 0.82 ERA. In 43 innings he racked up 80 strikeouts against 14 walks with 13 hits allowed. He is a great pitcher and a team, say the 14-20 range could find themselves a steal, should he drop that low because of Boras of course, which it seems he may.


5. Tim Alderson, RHP

Height: 6'7"
Weight: 208
Age: 18
B/T: R/R
School: Horizon High School (Phoenix, AZ)

It's pretty easy to see why so many teams and scouts are enamored with Arizona prep star, he has great command on all of his pitches and is just as good as anyone in the high school ranks. He hardly walks anyone and he can reach 95+ on the radar guns. To compliment Alderson's 95+ fastball he has a nasty curveball that breaks hard.

Alderson led his Horizon High team this past season as the team's ace as he compiled an 8-3 record with a 0.95 ERA. He also recorded 122 strikeouts and eight walks on his way to being selected the Class 5-A Player of the Year by the Scottsdale Tribune. As a sophomore at Horizon, Tim went 8-1 with an astonishing 0.13 ERA. But with an unorthodox delivery it has some scouts concerned and it could end up meaning him dropping to the later picks in the first round.

The MLB Draft starts this coming Thursday and ends Friday(7th-8th) and for the first time it will be on national television. Expect me to be live blogging this much like I live blogged the NFL Draft and will be live blogging the NBA Draft when it happens.

Draft Notes (updated)

And your #1 pick is......

According to ESPN's Michael Smith, the Oakland Raiders have contacted JaMarcus Russell's camp and informed him that he will be their selection with the 1st overall pick. There was talks with the Cleveland Browns, who reportedly covet Russell, about about a swap with the Raiders that would give the Browns the first overall pick, but the talks fell through because the Raiders and Al Davis wanted too much in return. The trade was believed to be a #1 and #3 swap and in addition to the position change, the Browns would send their 1st round pick last season, Kamerion Wimbley and multiple draft picks. If that deal were to happen, it would be evidently more clearer that the Raiders would be taking Brady Quinn. But like I said, that fell through and the Raiders will be taking Russell unless an unseen blockbuster trade is made before their 15 minutes are up.

The Patriots might have already made their choice in the first round

The New England Patriots hold two 1st round draft picks this year because of their trade last season with the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for receiver, Deion Branch. Recent reports are that the Pat's may have at least one of their picks done with. The Patriots look like they will be taking inside linebacker, David Harris, out of Michigan. They love Harris and he's been rising up draft boards lately, the Pats look for Harris to be the replacement for Teddy Bruschi in a few years.

UPDATE:

Could Adrian Peterson miss the whole 07' season?

This comes from the AOL Fanhouses' Ryan Wilson:

One of the big issues heading into today's draft was that there are maybe 15 players worthy of a first-round grade. This explains why just about every team wants to trade down. But an emerging story line involves Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson and the extent of his injured collarbone. Here's the Mike Mayock during the NFL Network's pre-draft coverage:

Mayock: The runningback thing really facinates me. I spoke to two teams earlier today; both teams told me that the medical on Adrian Peterson's collarbone is pretty significant. You may have to re-break the bone, insert a plate. If so, he's probably '08. And if you try to play him this year, there's a chance it could re-break.

So, if you're looking for a runninback-- and our guy Marshall [Faulk] told us yesterday--it might be Marshawn Lynch ahead of Adrian Peterson because of the injury.... I have never seen so much intrigue at the top end of the draft.

Wow. We heard reports about Peterson's collarbone, but nothing this serious. If these rumors are true (and rumors are always true), you have to think the Browns have scratched Peterson off the list at No. 3, and now it's down to Brady Quinn or Joe Thomas (assuming either are available). Or better yet, maybe a trade down. Or, as the NFL Network's Adam Schefter just reported, Cleveland might try to trade up ... all the way to No. 1. Oakland is asking for too much -- at least from the Browns' perspective -- so that plan is on hold ... for now.

In my opinion, it could mean the Browns and Vikings shy away from Peterson, but if you really think about it, why? They both have starting runningbacks as it is, and Peterson--healthy or not-- would only serve as the second back in a dual back system. So if they want to go ahead and pass up Peterson, let them. I'm sure the Miami Dolphins(and the Bills/Packers/Titans), and Davey, would be more than happy to pick him up.

UPDATE #2:

Will Randy Moss be in New England before the day is over?

According to NFL.com's Adam Schefter, the Raiders have resumed trade talks with the New England Patriots over disgruntled receiver, Randy Moss. The Patriots offered the Raiders a second-day pick in this years draft, which Al Davis immediately shot down, but now he may be reconsidering it. The Raiders do NOT want Moss on their team no longer and it seems like the only team Moss wants to play for is the Patriots. The Raiders asked Moss to restructure his contract in order to make it easier to trade the Pro-Bowler, but he quickly declined. He did say that he will be more than happy to restructure his contract which calls for him to make $9.75 million this season, for the Pat's, he said the only thing he wants to do right now is win a Super Bowl and he believes the best place for him to succeed in that journey is in New England.

UPDATE #3

It looks like we know the top four selections in this year's draft before it has even started

Well according to Mr. Schefter, the Browns in all likelihood, will be taking Joe Thomas, left tackle out of Wisconsin with their 3rd overall pick. This of course, is assuming that the Raiders do indeed take Russell at number one and the Lions take Calvin Johnson at #2. This also could mean that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, unless they try to trade for Johnson, would take Gaines Adams at number four and possibly Adrian Peterson or Jamaal Anderson at #5. Good stuff from Schefter.

NFL Draft notes.

According to ESPN's Sal Paolantonio, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions are currently discussing becoming possible trade partners. The Lions hold the second pick in this year's Draft and they are looking to trade down and the Bucs have the fourth pick and desperately want the best overall player in draft, Calvin Johnson. There are currently two possible scenarios right now.

1st scenario:

The Lions want to trade their second selection to the Bucs for their fourth selection and both of their second round picks(#35 and #64). If you look at the trade value chart then it's just about even and makes sense, but the Bucs are reluctant to pull the trigger. They have their hearts set on rebuilding with the draft and to do so they need to keep at least one of their 2nd round picks. Maybe if the Lions would be happy with one of the 2nd round picks then the deal would get done, but it's not a guarantee.

2nd scenario:

The second scenario and probably the best scenario for both teams(in my opinion) would involve a swap of draft rights just like in 2004 with Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. The Detroit Lions would select Calvin Johnson at #2 and then the Bucs would select Gaines Adams at #4 then the two teams would swap the rookies and along with the Bucs sending Adams they would also send disgruntled cornerback, Brian Kelly and possibly a later draft pick as well.

It also has been recently released that the Lions have every attention on drafting Calvin Johnson and holding onto him. They would draft him, but still be open to listening to trade proposals. This would make the 4th wide receiver taken by Matt Millen in the past five years if they would do this.

The saga that is the Oakland Raiders

What to do, what to do? The NFL Draft is less than 20 hours away right now and it still up in the air what the Raiders will do. Will they take JaMarcus Russell? Will they take Calvin Johnson? Or will they trade down? All three are very possible and smart choices, let's face it, the Raiders have a lot of problems more notably on offense and trading down to get more draft picks would certainly help out. They are going to trade Randy Moss, that is cetain, teams have been calling Al Davis asking what will it take to get Moss and it isn't going to be much, probably a mid-round pick and the rights to take over his contract. So taking Calvin Johnson would be a good move seeing as how they won't have a true #1 receiver. But when it comes down to it, the guy they absolutely need to pick is JaMarcus Russell. Russell has the best potential at quarterback and we all know how much Al Davis loves his arm strength. If they don't take Russell then we will all be asking the same questions next April, "what will the Raiders do with the #1 pick?". Oh and if they do take Calvin Johnson I guarantee you they will either trade for the guy Russell is being compared to, Daunte Culpepper, or they will look to sign free-agent, Josh McCown. But I still think they are going to take Russell.

Brady Quinn or Adrian Peterson?....Or Joe Thomas???

The Cleveland Browns have a tough choice at the number 3 pick. They could go with the golden boy, Brady Quinn, who is the best quarterback right now in the draft. Yes, I think he's better than Russell, but Russell has more potential. The second choice for them right now would be Adrian Peterson. They traded away their starter for the past few years, Rueben Droughns, and they did sign former 2,000 yard rusher, Jamal Lewis, to a 1-year contract. But Lewis is in the decline and they don't have another option right now at runningback. And Peterson is an amazing prospect with a great mixture of power and speed, he could be the next Eric Dickerson. But there are concerns about his health, he broke his collar bone and missed the second half of Oklahoma's season but he did play in their bowl game agaisnt Boise State and it was just released a few days ago that he re-aggravated the injury and could miss the start of training camp so this could scare a lot of teams away. But what it's going to come down to is, first are the Browns willing to give Charlie Frye and or Derek Anderson another year to see if they can develop? They have to answer that before they even think about drafting Quinn/Peterson. To add more questions, now Joe Thomas' name is apparently now in the mix. I don't think they will take Thomas, but who knows.

There's always sleepers, and here's mine

Ben Grubbs, OG(AUB)- Ben Grubbs is the highest ranked offensive guard in the entire draft and if he was a tackle, he'd be a top 15 pick this year. He's an outstanding athlete that has played tight end and defensive tackle before settling on offensive guard in 2004. He has great quickness and is very smart and strong. He is still developing and has a ton of upside.

Projected round: Late 1st early 2nd.

Josh Beck, QB(BYU)- Josh Beck is one of the most underrated quarterbacks this year. He didn't get a lot of headlines partly because he went to BYU, but he's been for the past three years and had a huge year last season, throwing for 3,885 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions while completing almost 70% of his passes. He is very accurate but his arm strength is only a little above average, a true leader that steps up under pressure and can hurt a defense with his feet.

Projected round: 3rd or 4th round.

Ben Patrick, TE(DEL)- Although he has recently seen his stock rise considerably, he is still a sleeper that could turn out to be one of the best tight ends in this year's class. He's a smooth route runner with outstanding hands and good size at 6'3" 250. Very smart and puts a lot of effort at being a blocking TE just as much as a pass catching TE. He has all the intangibles to be a successful tight end for many years to come and the team that does draft him is getting an Alge Crumpler clone. In my opinion, no matter where he is drafted, he will turn out to be one of the biggest steals of the draft.

Projected round: Mid to late 2nd

Anthony Spencer, DE(PUR)- At one time he was a 1st round projection but has recently fallen to the 2nd round, but don't let that fool you, Anthony Spencer is going to be one of the top defensive ends this season. He racked up 26.5 tackles for loss(led the nation), 93 tackles and 10.5 sacks. He could end up as an Adalius Thomas type player, a defensive end/outside linebacker hybrid. He's a big time playmaker with great speed off the snap and is a solid tackler and is very productive against the run.

Projected round: Early 2nd.

Tarell Brown, CB(TEX)- I have said before that I think he could become one of the better corners this year, I loved how he played at Texas, he has good size, very fast, hits like a safety and plays the game angry. He's a solid tackler and plays the run well too. He does have some character issues that he needs to work through, he was arrested on marijuana and weapon charges in September of 06' and then again charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in March of 07'. He was highly regarded as a top Pro prospect before he ran into law trouble, but if he can work through these issues he could be very a productive NFL corner.

Projected round: 4th round to 5th round

Justin Durant, OLB(HAMP)- A very underrated linebacker out of Hampton University, he's been constantly around 100 tackles the past three seasons, including 124 in his junior year. He is a smooth athlete with good speed and quickness. He very strong and closes in quickly, he's a big hitter and is good in coverage as well. He is a little undersized at 6'0" 230 but he makes up for it in his play and fiery demeanor. He's a three-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Year and will make an excellent weak-side linebacker in the NFL.

Projected round: Late 2nd round early 3rd

Calvin Johnson is a by far the best player in the draft

Let me first start off by saying, Calvin Johnson is the best receiving prospect I have seen coming out of college in some time. He is truly a freak of nature, seriously, he's 6'5" 240 and runs a sub 4.40 in the 40 yard dash he has some of the softest hands and runs routes to a tee. He's has been compared to players like Terrell Owens and Randy Moss, but I think he's going to be better than both. Experts have said he has the body type and strength of Owens and the speed and catching ability of Moss. But first of all he's way bigger than the 6'3" 225 Owens, but overall I feel that comparison is pretty good, but he's way faster. And the speed and catching ability of Moss is also a pretty good comparison, but you know, with out the attitude of both guys. He has the body of a tight end but the speed and hands of a receiver, people 6'5" 240 aren't supposed to be able to run that fast, it's just not fair. He's going to make a hell of a pro.

Former Virginia Tech standout, Bruce Smith, will announce the Bill's first pick.

The NFL's career sacks leader and former Bills star defensive end Bruce Smith will announce Buffalo's first-round pick in the draft. Bruce Smith, former Virginia Tech star, will announce the pick as part of a "Salute to Virginia Tech" following last weeks massacre in which 32 students and professors were murdered. Smith played college ball at Virginia Tech, and was drafted first overall by the Bills in 1985. Others with Virginia Tech connections to take part in the draft are Atlanta Falcons quarterback, Michael Vick and cornerback, DeAngelo Hall and Virginia Tech head coach, Frank Beamer.

"All of us in Hokie Nation are heartbroken," said Smith, who retired after the 2003 season. "As far as the league asking me to announce the Bills' pick, I consider it to be an honor."

That's all for now, more will come as the draft nears. I am going to be live blogging the NFL Draft tomorrow, which starts at 11 AM.

UPDATE:

According to NFL.com's Adam Schefter, the Lions have settled on who they will pick tomorrow with their 2nd overall pick.

" The Detroit Lions organization met Friday and concluded that, unless a blockbuster trade offer comes their way, they will draft Georgia Tech wide receiver Calvin Johnson."

He also goes on to say that if the Raiders do select LSU quarterback, JaMarcus Russell with the 1st pick, then they have no choice to go with the best player available. If they do get Johnson and don't trade him, they have a scary trio of wide-outs, Roy Williams, Mike "Furreyous" Furrey and now Calvin Johnson, Jon Kitna will have plenty of targets to throw to. Now if they can just fix their defense and running game.

Also in that article it mentions that a "long-time employee" of the Raiders said that "I'm hearing the Raiders might not take (JaMarcus) Russell." And said that he heard them say that they will be taking Calvin Johnson.