2005 Draft Eligible Underclassmen

2005 Draft Eligible Top Underclassmen

With the 2005 NFL Draft about a month away, the cream of the crop is starting to rise to the top. We here at TCFS want you to be extremely knowledgeable about as many prospects as possible to help out your fantasy team come draft day. These are the top fantasy performers for underclassmen in the draft. But be wary, while running backs are usually safer picks, you should steer clear of most wide receivers and quarterbacks as they are rarely productive in their first season.

1. Mike Williams, wr, USC – Rarely would I put a wide receiver this high on a draft list, but he is the top underclassman. Obviously, Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers will be drafted ahead of him, and there is no doubt that Braylon Edwards, Ronnie Brown, Cedric Benson, and Cadillac Williams will be gone before Williams, he should be the top wide receiver in the junior class. At 6’5” and 225 lbs., he can overpower most defenders. He is a fantastic redzone threat. Williams has good strong hands and is a very physical player. Although not as fast as Randy Moss, one cannot help but think of Moss when looking at Williams perform. Runs a very pedestrian 4.59 (40). As great as Williams will be, he must be careful not to drop the easy passes. A Top 15 pick for sure.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Cleveland, San Diego, Washington

2. Troy Williamson, wr, South Carolina – Williamson had a tremendous combine, and his stock rose dramatically. He is extremely fast, and has the ability to make big plays. Has separation speed to go the distance. He has good hands and excellent body control in the air. He has some injury problems, and needs to get stronger to sustain the rigors of the NFL. Williamson stands 6’1” and he weighs 200 pounds. He has been clocked at a blazing 4.36 (40). Should be a late 1st round or early 2nd round selection.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Baltimore, San Diego.

3. Heath Miller, te, Virginia – Miller is a prototypical pass catching tight end: smart, athletic and great hands. He is 6’5” and weighs 255 pounds, making it hard for defensive backs to cover him. He runs a 4.65 (40), which makes it practically impossible for linebackers to cover him. Miller should have a great professional career. He should be a quick producer in the NFL. He is an average blocker, and needs to get stronger, but he looks like a can’t miss prospect. Should be a sure fire 1st round selection.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Arizona, Pittsburgh.

4. Alex Smith, qb, Utah – At 6’4” and 215 pounds, Smith is the perfect size for an NFL quarterback. He runs a respectable 4.70 (40), so he somewhat mobile. He is smart, and he possesses a deadly accurate arm. Smith has good field vision and he should only get better with age. He works well out of the shotgun. He really needs to put on some weight and gain some experience. His 27 TDs versus 2 Ints is a gaudy statistic that is hard to overlook. He should be a good player for a patient team. A no question Top 10 pick.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Cleveland, San Francisco, Dallas.

5. Ciatrick Fason, rb, Florida – A 6’0” 205 pound running back who runs a 4.45 (40) is a sought after commodity in the NFL. He has the size and speed to be a productive NFL running back. He is durable, and he has the ability to blossom into a premier pro. Fason is mature, athletic, and a good outside runner. He possesses good hands. Fason must get stronger and learn to block better. Fason should be a 2nd round pick, but a team grabbing him in the 3rd round will have a steal.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Chicago, Carolina, Philadelphia, Seattle.

6. Aaron Rodgers, qb, California – Rodgers has all the makings of an NFL star – except ideal height for an NFL quarterback. Rodgers is only 6’2”, but he weighs 220 pounds and runs a 4.73 (40). He has good arm strength and great accuracy. He is also a smart player. Rodgers is a good prospect for a West Coast offense. He is a JUCO transfer, which scares many NFL teams, but Rodgers should be a good NFL quarterback. He will probably be a Top 5 pick in the draft.
EXPECTED SUITORS: San Francisco, Cleveland, Oakland.

7. Chris Henry, wr, West Virginia – Team starving for wide receiver help will stop at no cost to upgrade this corps. Henry serves that purpose. At 6’4” and 195 pounds, NFL scouts would normally be salivating over this guy. He has speed and is a threat to go the distance every time the ball is in his hands. However, the kid is immature, and a disciplinary problem, which makes him an extremely high risk pick. But, if a team can corral Henry’s emotional side, they might reap a great reward. He will probably be between the 4th and 7th wide receiver selected in the draft, which puts him in the low 1st or second round status.
EXPECTED SUITORS: San Diego, Philadelphia, Oakland.

8. Vernand Morency, rb, Oklahoma State – At 5’10” and 214 pounds, Morency is the perfect size for an NFL running back. He also runs a 4.52 (40), which shows that he has breakaway speed. He is strong and explosive. He crushes holes. He is athletic, shifty and a good cutback runner. He is a good receiver and holds onto the ball. About the only knock on this guy is that he will be 25 on Draft Day, so he might only have 5 decent years in the NFL, but he has all the makings of an NFL star. He should be gone by the end of the 2nd round.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Miami, Oakland, Chicago, Carolina, Dallas.

9. Eric Shelton, rb, Lousiville – Built a lot like TJ Duckett, 6’1”, 245 pounds, but runs a 4.6 (40). He has never been a full time starter, and might not be sound enough to do so. He has tremendous upside though. He is an average blocker and below average hands, which would limit Shelton to 1st and 2nd round duty.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Tampa Bay, Carolina, Seattle.

10. Marion Barber III, rb, Minnesota – Runs a 4.50 (40), so he’s fast and runs hard. He is an explosive player, and breaks some big runs. He is also valuable to teams as a returner. But at 5’11” and 220 pounds, you would like to see a more durable back.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Minnesota, Dallas, New York Jets.

11. Adrian McPherson, qb, Florida State – The perfect size to be an NFL quarterback (6’4” 220). He runs a 4.70 (40). Excellent prospect. He is a physical specimen, and he’s very athletic. He lit up the Arena League, and is ready to make the jump to the NFL. He’s not a great passer, but is learning under fire. McPherson comes with gambling baggage, which will make a lot of NFL teams shy away from him, but he is saying and doing all the right things, and it appears as though McPherson is coming along with age. He should be between the 5th and 8th quarterback taken, probably in the 3rd or 4th round.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Washington, Oakland, Miami, Cleveland.

12. Maurice Clarett, rb, Ohio State – Who knows? Talk about a risk/reward pick. At 5’11” and 235 pounds, he has the size of a perfect NFL back. Runs a 4.75 (40), which makes him slow for an NFL back. But he is strong and powerfull, and is great near the goalline. He is very talented, but he has character flaws, and injury prone. Will he be the next Emmitt Smith or the next Ron Dayne? Interested teams will have to decide between Clarett and McLendon, two similar backs. Should be a 5th round selection.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Jacksonville, New York Giants, Oakland, Minnesota.

13. T.A. McLendon, rb, North Carolina State – At 5’10” and 235, McLendon is built like Clarett. He runs a 4.70 (40), so he’s slightly faster, but he’s still on the slow side. He is ptrong and productive, and can make tacklers miss. He is not durable and prone to injuries. Will probably wind up being a goalline back. Expect him to go just before or just after Clarett in the 5th round.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Carolina, Washington, Tampa Bay.

14. Roscoe Parrish, wr, Miami, FL – Super fast with good hands. He plays much larger than his 5’10” 165 pound frame. Parrish is a good leaper. With 4.45 (40) speed, Parrish should be a productive slot receiver and special teams player in the NFL. The only drawback with Parrish is that he is small and will probably be relegated to 3rd down duty. Parrish will probably go somewhere in the 3rd round.
EXPECTED SUITORS: San Francisco, Miami, New Orleans, Carolina.

15. Frank Gore, rb, Miami FL – At 5’9” and 217 pounds, you would like to have a more durable back in your stable than Gore. He is a bit small and not overly fast (4.65 – 40), but he is instinctive, athletic, and he has great cut back ability. His injury status is a major concern, but he once was ahead of Willis McGahee on Miami’s depth chart. He has average hands. Gore is a great locker room presence and a team player. He could he a high risk/high reward player. Teams will have to decide between him and Ryan Moats. Gore will probably be drafted in the late 4th or early 5th round.
EXPECTED SUITORS: Miami, Carolina, New England.

16. Ryan Moats, rb, Louisiana Tech – at 5’8” and 210 pounds, Moats is small, but he runs an explosive 4.50 (40). He is a threat to take the ball to the end zone every time he touches the ball. He is a team player and an asset in the locker room, but like Gore, he is injury prone. He will probably be restricted to 3rd down and special teams duty in the pros. Teams thinking about choosing Moats over Gore will probably have to grab Moats in the 4th round.
EXPECTED SUITORS: New Orleans, Dallas, Houston, Seattle.

Well, there you have it, the top 16 underclassmen in regard to fantasy football. Teams must remember that these guys will have a hard time producing big numbers in the NFL. Fantasy owners should concentrate their drafting on Williams, Williamson, Miller, Fason, Morency, and possibly Smith or Rodgers if they grab a starting role. Otherwise, stick with the blue chip rookies Benson, The Cadillac, Brown, and Braylon Edwards.

The Iceman

Posted by joe at March 10, 2005 5:02 PM