15. Christian Ponder, QB - MIN: Even though Leslie Frazier brought in Donovan McNabb to be the starter, Ponder is waiting in the wings and has a proven history of working his way into a starting role.
14. Aldon Smith, LB - SF: The 49ers grabbed a pass-rushing specialist who will pair quite nicely with Patrick Willis. Smith should be with the first team right away and looks to stock-pile stats all year.
13. Mikel Leshoure, RB - DET: A solid draft this year for the Lions, this pick upgrades their running back depth. Leshoure has great pass catching abilities and should be a factor in Detroit's screen game.
12. Cam Newton, QB - CAR: Drafting a quarterback at #1 is always a gamble. More often than not they haven't lived up to expectations. Newton will get thrown into the fire early, we'll see if his college game can transfer to the pros.
11. Jimmy Smith, CB - BAL: Smith is a true shutdown corner and will fit nicely into John Harbaugh's scheme. Interceptions and tackles are commonplace for Smith, who will start from day one.
 |
| Jimmy Smith will be in the hunt for defensive rookie of the year. |
10. Leonard Hankerson, WR - WAS: By default, Hankerson will be the 'Skins #1 or #2 receiver heading into the season. A good combination of speed and good hands will make it easy for him to fit right in.
9. Greg Little, WR - CLE: Colt McCoy now has a great all-around weapon in Little. Expected to start right away, he has great hands and his run-after-catch abilities are the best of this year's WR draft bunch.
8. Ryan Williams, RB - AZ: Williams could be the best back of the draft class. Huge upside and figures to challenge for the starting role from day one. He will get a ton of carries for Ken Whisenhunt this season.
7. Patrick Peterson, CB - AZ: Another Cardinal who will be having an impact off the bat. Peterson has excellent size and speed and figures to be a major threat on kick returns as well.
6. A.J. Green, WR - CIN: Out with the old, in with the new in Cincinnati. Green will give the Bengals a top-notch redzone target and field stretcher all in one. The best WR in the draft, look for him to put up big numbers.
 |
| A.J. Green will be scaring defenses all season long for Cincinnati. |
5. Daniel Thomas, RB - MIA: Had this come out last week, Thomas would have been higher on this list. The addition of Reggie Bush will take down some of his carries, but Thomas is a workhorse back and will share the load for Miami this year.
4. Von Miller, LB - DEN: A speedy pass-rusher who will be terrorizing QB's all year in the AFC West. He will have no problem fitting into the Broncos 4-3. Miller is a tackling machine and will be counted on to jumpstart Denver's defense.
3. Julio Jones, WR - ATL: Jones already has all the pro tools. He will be reaping the benefits of Roddy White's double-teams and Matt Ryan's accurate arm all season long. A perfect fit for Atlanta, Jones will have no problems adjusting to the pro game.
2. Nick Fairley, DT - DET: Pairing him up with Suh is almost unfair to opposing offenses. Fariley will step in right away for Jim Schwartz and will be a premier pass-rusher from day one. Look for him to rack up tackles and sacks all season long.
1. Mark Ingram, RB - NO: The Saints have a thing for drafting Heisman running backs. Ingram, who runs a lot like Emmitt Smith, will now be the feature back in New Orleans and has the size and durability to put up numbers all year. With the addition of Ingram, the Saints may have the piece they need to get back to the Super Bowl.
 |
| Mark Ingram plans to run amuck on the NFC South this year. |
Next week, Feerock's Preseason Power Rankings will be unveiled...
Follow Steve Ferris on twitter @s_ferris
No comments:
Post a Comment