Chad Henne, Michigan: Based on his junior film, I rated Henne as the top quarterback prospect entering this year. The early loss to Appalachian State and struggles with injury dropped Henne down my board a bit, but I've always been a huge fan of his ability. Trailing perhaps only Joe Flacco in terms of pure arm strength, Henne is among the most accurate deep ball passers in this draft and has uncanny touch.
There remain concerns by some over Henne's decision making and poise. However, in leading an unranked Michigan squad to an upset #12 Florida in the Capitol One Bowl and posting a dominant performance during the Senior Bowl week, Henne confirmed his mental toughness and leadership. In terms of physical ability, there simply isn't a better thrower in this draft than Henne.
Ray Rice, Rutgers: With so much attention being heaped upon the other talented underclassmen running backs of this class, Rice doesn't get the attention he deserves. While obviously shorter than most scouts would prefer, I've always felt that shorter backs -- if they have agility, long speed, and explosiveness -- have an advantage in that they can hide behind their offensive linemen for an extra split second and give defenders limited space in which to target.
The 5-08, 199 pound Rice surprised many when he ran for over 2,000 yards last season -- the first back in Big East history to do so. He'll surprise many more over the course of his NFL career. Two years ago some thought I was crazy for touting a 5-07, 207 pound Maurice Jones-Drew as one of the more underrated prospects for the 2006 draft. Rice lacks MJD's breakaway speed, but he has plenty of speed and might just be the most powerful back -- pound for pound -- in this draft.
Jacob Hester, LSU: If looking for a more traditional lead blocking fullback, West Virginia's Owen Schmitt would be my choice here. In today's NFL, however, fullback has become a position of versatility. With the undersized Ray Rice at running back, I want a reliable short yardage runner lining up at fullback.
There isn't a back in the country more reliable in this area than Hester. In fact, one could argue that Hester -- based on his multiple key 4th down conversions for the Tigers -- was just as vital to their National Championship run as any other LSU player, including the great Glenn Dorsey.
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