NFL Draft Day 2006- Part 4

The NFL Draft is April 29-30 and there are a number of Seminoles that will go high in the NFL draft. In looking at a number of mock drafts by NFL analysts, there could be as many as four Seminoles who go in the first round.

Antonio Cromartie:(Scout analysis) Cromartie is a junior who came out early for the draft, but who definitely would have helped himself by staying for another season -- he could have proven himself as a starter, and would have been able to challenge for one of the top cornerback spots in the 2007 NFL Draft. He has exceptional size for a cornerback, and uses his strength and long arms very well to physically push around receiver -- he can re-route receivers surprisingly well. When he stays over his feet and keeps his knees bent in his backpedal, he can transition out of the pedal very quickly, can close on the receiver or pass in a flash, and uses his front arm well to break up passes. He is going to need a lot of work on fundamentals (footwork and backpedal) in order to take advantage of his size and natural athleticism in the NFL. Cromartie is going to be drafted higher than he's rated because of his height/weight/speed combination -- rather than being drafted based on his on-field performance from 2004. He will become a good starting cornerback in the NFL, but is going to need a season or two as a backup to improve his fundamentals and backpedal, and to become more consistent reading and reacting to the pass.

Projected consensus mock draft pick: #22 First Round

Pat Watkins:(Scout analysis) Watkins was a very tough player to make a thorough evaluation of because of his height and long legs, which make him somewhat of a "tweener" between safety and linebacker. He is a good-enough athlete to play safety well in the NFL when he plays aggressively, but stays under control and over his feet. He has the acceleration and playing speed to make chase-down plays in pursuit from sideline to sideline, but he does not get outside from deep coverage in time to make a play on the ball and often ends up trying to chase down receivers a few yards after the catch. With his height and playing speed, he would be an ideal candidate to make the switch to outside linebacker in the NFL, but he will need to add approximately 25 pounds to his frame and will need to greatly improve his play vs. blockers and movement through traffic to make the switch effectively. Overall, Watkins is a good-enough athlete to be given the chance to play safety first in the NFL and he could be a good box safety who usually lines up closer to the line of scrimmage and does not have as many coverage responsibilities. One added bonus is that while Watkins is adjusting to the NFL and trying to become a starting safety, he will be able to impact games from day one with his play on special teams as a gunner.