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 The bulk of NFL rosters are built in the final four rounds of the
draft, where teams can find future starters or fill spots on special
teams. Many picks won't pan out, but the NFL is filled with third
day success stories, just ask Tom Brady, Jared Allen and the
countless number of other examples.
Here is a look at the top 10 players still available in the 2014 NFL
Draft entering the fourth round Saturday.
1. QB Tom Savage, Pittsburgh: Over the past few months, no player
had more of a perceived jump up draft boards than Savage, who went
from draft afterthought to potential crasher in the back-half of
round one. But while he has the prototypical size and arm strength,
his raw qualities from the neck up are why he's still available.
2. OLB Carl Bradford, Arizona State: A relentless, energetic
front-seven defender, Bradford was an All-Pac 12 performer the past
two seasons, combining for almost 40 tackles for loss. His most
glaring weakness is his lack of a natural position, but it's easy
for coaches to fall in love with the way he plays the game.
3. DT DaQuan Jones, Penn State: A quick, strong upfield penetrator,
Jones has some medical dings on his resume, which are a big reason
he's still on the board after three rounds. He needs some technique
work, but has the well-rounded skill-set and likeable traits to fit
both three- or four-man fronts.
 4. OT Antonio Richardson, Tennessee: Widely believed to be the top
offensive lineman from Tennessee last season, Richardson watched his
teammate Ja'Wuan James go in the top 20, while he fell out of the
top 100. Richardson has more talent, but knee and hip concerns have
hurt his value and the long-term durability is a question mark.
5. WR Bruce Ellington, South Carolina: A high school quarterback who
went to South Carolina to play basketball, Ellington plays with
burst and acceleration to create with the ball in his hands. He
still has quite a bit of growing to do on the field with his
route-running and reliability in traffic, but has the athletic
traits the NFL wants.
6. CB Keith McGill, Utah: An older prospect at 25 years old, McGill
fits the mold of the bigger cornerback that is en vogue currently in
the NFL at 6-feet-3 and 33-inch arms. And while he looks the part
with enough speed and flexibility to cover, he needs to continue to
develop his skills in both man and zone coverage.
7. OT Cameron Fleming, Stanford: After earning the starting right
tackle job as a redshirt freshman, Fleming started there all but two
games the past three seasons. He has the natural base and massive
frame you want, but isn't as physically mauling as he looks, falling
off blocks and struggling to sustain.
8. WR Martavis Bryant, Clemson: After just 19 catches over his first
two seasons, Bryant emerged as a reliable option opposite Sammy
Watkins in 2013 with 42 catches for 828 yards and seven scores. He
has the size/speed combination that will intrigue, but is still raw
with his ball skills and route-running.
9. CB Jaylen Watkins, Florida: The older brother of Sammy Watkins,
the Florida corner has experience at cornerback (inside and outside)
and at safety, lining up all over the Gators' secondary. He has
light, controlled feet and does an excellent job in his backpedal to
flip his hips and stay in the wide receiver's pocket.
10. OLB Telvin Smith, Florida State: Although he looks more like a
safety when you see him on the sidelines (6-3, 218), Smith plays
like a linebacker with the speedy range to cover both sidelines.
Smith's lack of bulk and growth potential are tough to overlook, but
he's competitive and the motor doesn't shut off.
QUARTERBACK
1. Tom Savage, Pittsburgh (6-4, 228)
2. A.J. McCarron, Alabama (6-3, 220)
3. Zach Mettenberger, LSU (6-5, 224)
4. Aaron Murray, Georgia (6-1, 207)
5. Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech (6-6, 248)
RUNNING BACK
1. Andre Williams, Boston College (5-11, 230)
2. Devonta Freeman, Florida State (5-8, 206)
3. Ka'Deem Carey, Arizona (5-9, 207)
4. Lache Seastrunk, Baylor (5-10, 201)
5. James White, Wisconsin (5-9, 204)
 WIDE RECEIVER
1. Bruce Ellington, South Carolina (5-9, 197)
2. Martavis Bryant, Clemson (6-4, 211)
3. Kevin Norwood, Alabama (6-2, 198)
4. Jared Abbrederis, Wisconsin (6-1, 195)
5. Shaq Evans, UCLA (6-1, 213)
TIGHT END
1. Arthur Lynch, Georgia (6-5, 258)
2. Larry Webster, Bloomsburg (6-6, 252)
3. Rob Blanchflower, Massachusetts (6-4, 256)
4. Jake Murphy, Utah (6-4, 249)
5. Blake Annen, Cincinnati (6-4, 247)
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
1. Antonio Richardson, Tennessee (6-6, 336)
2. Cameron Fleming, Stanford (6-5, 323)
3. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, McGill (6-5, 298)
4. Seantrel Henderson, Miami (6-7, 331)
5. Matt Patchan, Boston College (6-6, 302)
[to top of second column] |
OFFENSIVE GUARD
1. Dakota Dozier, Furman (6-4, 313)
2. Cyril Richardson, Baylor (6-5, 329)
3. David Yankey, Stanford (6-6, 315)
4. Charles Leno, Boise State (6-4, 303)
5. Russell Bodine, North Carolina (6-3, 310
CENTER
1. Gabe Ikard, Oklahoma (6-4, 304)
2. Wesley Johnson, Vanderbilt (6-5, 297)
3. Corey Linsley, Ohio State (6-3, 296)
4. Bryan Stork, Florida State (6-4, 315)
5. Tyler Larsen, Utah State (6-4, 313)
DEFENSIVE END
1. Jackson Jeffcoat, Texas (6-3, 247)
2. Taylor Hart, Oregon (6-6, 281)
3. James Gayle, Virginia Tech (6-4, 259)
4. Ethan Westbrooks, West Texas A&M (6-4, 267)
5. Ed Stinson, Alabama (6-3, 287)
DEFENSIVE TACKLE
1. Da'Quan Jones, Penn State (6-4, 322)
2. Caraun Reid, Princeton (6-2, 302)
3. Justin Ellis, Louisiana Tech (6-2, 334)
4. Kelcy Quarles, South Carolina (6-4, 297)
5. Daniel McCullers, Tennessee (6-7, 252)
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
1. Carl Bradford, Arizona State (6-1, 250)
2. Telvin Smith, Florida State (6-3, 218)
3. Chris Smith, Arkansas (6-1, 266)
4. Christian Jones, Florida State (6-3, 240)
5. Jordan Tripp, Montana (6-3, 234)
INSIDE LINEBACKER
1. Shayne Skov, Stanford (6-2, 245)
2. Brock Coyle, Montana (6-1, 235)
3. Lamin Barrow, LSU (6-1, 237)
4. Max Bullough, Michigan State (6-4, 249)
5. Avery Williamson, Kentucky (6-1, 246)
CORNERBACK
1. Keith McGill, Utah (6-3, 211)
2. Jaylen Watkins, Florida (6-0, 194)
3. Pierre Desir, Lindenwood (6-1, 198)
4. Marcus Roberson, Florida (6-0, 191)
5. Walt Aikens, Liberty (6-1, 203)
FREE SAFETY
1. Marqueston Huff, Wyoming (5-11, 196)
2. Dion Bailey, USC (6-0, 201)
3. Ed Reynolds, Stanford (6-1, 207)
4. Kenny Ladler, Vanderbilt (6-0, 207)
5. Jonathan Dowling, Western Kentucky (6-3, 190)
STRONG SAFETY
1. Brock Vereen, Minnesota (6-0, 199)
2. Craig Loston, LSU (6-1, 217)
3. Vinnie Sunseri, Alabama (5-11, 210)
4. Ahmad Dixon, Baylor (6-0, 212)
5. Tre Boston, North Carolina (6-0, 204)
Dane Brugler is an analyst for www.NFLDraftScout.com, a property of
The Sports Xchange distributed in partnership with CBSSports.com.
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