"Amobi Okoye." That'll be a fun name for announcers to pronounce this year, as the defensive tackle from Louisville is bound to make an impact. Okoye is strong enough to play the position, often able to get a good push to...[More]
Chris Pokorny provides the most comprehensive, personable outlook regarding the 2007 draft.
QB | LSUJaMarcus Russell
Height: 6-5 | Weight: 265 | 40 Time: 4.85
Positives: Playing for LSU, JaMarcus Russell really established himself as a leader. His final bowl game performance made his stock rise tremendously, much like Vince Young's did last year after winning a championship. He has a similar build to that of Daunte Culpepper, and has no problem throwing the ball whatsoever due to an amazingly strong arm. He has shown the ability to move around the pocket and throw on the run. He almost has that same ability that Young does, in the sense that defenses look as if they are about to bring him down, but they can't.
Negatives: The major hype surrounding Russell involves his massive frame along with his tremendous arm. The problem is that he still has some issues in basic throwing mechanics, which could result in a lot of interceptions or miscommunications in his first year or two in the league. Although he can run, he's not as fast as Young or a Michael Vick. There may be some concern that he could be a bust in a similar way that Culpepper has not played too well in the past two years. Whichever team selects him will have to properly drill it into his head as to when he needs to throw and when he needs to take off and make something out of nothing.
Notes: Chances are that Russell will be taken with the first overall pick in the draft, which is currently being held by the Oakland Raiders. Russell seemed to surpass the thought of Brady Quinn being the first quarterback taken over the past several months, but Quinn is probably the better passing quarterback at this point. Russell's potential is far too high for him not to be taken first overall.
