As Michael Abromowitz at the Football Expert pointed out, one of the best tests of draft scouts is judging late round talent, the “sleepers” of the draft. The War Room Report Scouts have compiled their list of late round talent that could excel in the NFL.

QB Jeff Rowe, Nevada - Great size, good accuracy and decent athlete. Should excel in a West Coast type offense.

RB Ahmad Bradshaw, Marshall - Very agile player with decent long speed. Productive in college and left after his junior season. Can make defenders miss at the line of scrimmage.

RB Justin Vincent, LSU - Lacks ideal long speed but a tougher runner. Great intangibles and works hard. Tore his ACL at LSU but came back to be productive.

FB Jesse Allen, Virginia Tech - Prototypical “old school” fullback who will punish defenders. He is a willing lead blocker who does not need the ball to contribute.

WR Legedu Naanee, Boise State - Physical receiver with great ball skills. Originally a quarterback, he improved each year. Uses his body to shield defenders well.

WR Ryne Robinson, Miami (Oh) - Excellent return man that is also a standout baseball player. Can contribute immediately on special teams and in the slot.

WR/TE Matt Trannon, Michigan State - A huge target who will transition to TE at the pro level. Developmental prospect who will take some time but has the skills to become a top flight TE

TE Kevin Boss, Western Oregon - Big target with good hands. Missed much of 06 after an injury and is probably a little under the radar.

OT Andrew Carnahan, Arizona State - Smart and physical blocker who has the frame to add considerable bulk. He has all of the intangibles and should benefit greatly from a NFL conditioning program. Best as a run blocker.

OT Stephen Heyer, Maryland - Very strong player who has some injuries at Maryland. Fits in well as a physical right tackle who has the strength to handle most defensive ends.

OG Mike Jones, Iowa - Top prep OL who was very well coached at Iowa and can be a leader on the line. He holds up well at the point of attack. He needs to add a little more bulk.

OG Stephen Berg, Arizona State - Ideal size and power for the position. Another player coming off of an ACL injury. He has the work ethic necessary to succeed in the NFL.

C Kyle Young, Fresno State - Huge player with a big motor. Young is very techincally sound and can play center or guard.

DE Jacob Ford, Central Arkansas - Well traveled player who is an explosive pass rusher. He has rare timed speed for a player of his size. He may be only a situational pass rusher or a 3-4 OLB, but he should be able to reach the passer.

DE Antwan Applewhite, San Diego State - He has speed but is even more one dimensional than Ford. He will come in on passing downs as part of a rotation and should be able to reach the QB.

DT Antonio Johnson, Mississippi State - A really underrated player by many, Johnson is still developing. He was a Juco transfer who occupied a lot of space for Mississippi State. He showcased his explosion at the Senior Bowl. His size/speed combination is hard to find and with more refinement he can become a full time NFL starter.

DT Larry Brown, Oklahoma State - Strong player who plays with a big motor. He lacks ideal size but makes up for it with his effort. Great rotational defensive tackle.

OLB Dallas Sartz, USC - A top prep player, he was a productive member of the standout defense at USC. Ideal intangibles, as he is a hard worker who is aggressive in tackling. He may never be a standout at the next level but a solid backup and could potentially be a starter.

OLB Antwan Barnes, Florida International - One of the most underrated players in the draft, Barnes was a herald recruit going to Florida International. He played an undersized DE at Florida International and is an ideal 3-4 OLB in the NFL. He is best if allowed to rush the passer and will be a playmaker at the NFL level.

ILB Marvin Mitchell, Tennessee - Strong player who can work through trash to make the play. He fits best in a 3-4 scheme that would hide his limited long speed. He had over 100 tackles for Tennessee. There are character concerns here though.

ILB Zach Latimer, Oklahoma - The son of a NFL player, Latimer was the leader of the Sooners defense. Latimer needs to get a little stronger, but he is playmaker who can contribute on special teams due to good tackling ability and be a quality NFL reserve.

CB Trumaine McBride, Ole Miss - A really good technician at the corner spot, McBride works hard. His ceiling may be as a nickelback, but for a late pick he has the potential to be a solid NFL player for a long time.

CB Bo Smith, Weber State - Good agility and he works very hard to keep receivers off the ball. There are some character concerns relating to his time at Kentucky, but his size/agility combination is intriguing.

S Leonard Peters, Hawaii - Lacks ideal speed but is a really good football player. More of an “in the box” safety, he was First Team All-WAC and scored a pair of TDs in 2006. Definitely a guy who can contribute for a long time.

S Brandon Sharp, Louisville - Understands the game very well and is quick to react to plays. He is strong for his size and a willing supporter in the running game.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 17th, 2007 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Sleepers, 2007 NFL Draft. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.