MKJ's 2187 Draft Preview - Updated

It's All About the Lines!
By "Mel Kiper, Jr."

Pre-Season 2186 (The Great Beyond) - Howdy, folks! Mel Kiper, Jr. here once again to present to you my Big Board for the upcoming 2187 USAFL Draft! I have to tell you that my juices are flowing...well, metaphorically at least since I have no body. This year's crop is relatively strong with outstanding talent. They may not have the couple freaks-of-nature that the past few seasons have had, but I predict many people are going to be happy with their draft.

On to the Big Board!

#1 - DT Darrell Fairbanks, Pennsylvania State University. Having finally recovered from the sanctions of 2012, the Penn State program is starting to churn out some quality players. Fairbanks has got a motor on him. He is amazingly fast off the ball and has the strength to compete with all offensive linemen from the start. As sure-fire of a number one pick as there can be.

. Drafted #1 in the first round by Houston.

#2 - QB Steve Van Horn, University of Southern California. This is one cocky son-of-a-gun, and I love it! He has all the tools to back it up, too. Reminds me of a new-age Brett Favre with his strong arm, physicality, and ability to get the ball off from any position. The down side is that, even though he reads defenses very well, he makes many ill-advised throws. If some coach can instill some discipline in him from day one, he could easily start as a rookie. That's been his stated goal, as he plans on breaking numerous USAFL records. Good luck with that!

. Drafted #2 in the first round by New York.

#3 - G Billy Reynolds, University of Colorado. This is a strong, hulking player. He shows decent lateral movement in the line's interior to get in front of faster defensive linemen. Once he latches on to them though, it's over. He led the nation in pancakes, both on the field and in the commons. It's likely that he'll spend his career in the interior of the line, and could possibly play center. I'm all-in on this guy!

. Drafted #4 in the first round by New Orleans.

#4 - DE Cornell Kinser, Oregon State University. Born in Ithaca, New York, Cornell was the child of two college professors. What he didn't inherit in intelligence he made up for in raw power. He's a stronger, less football-savy version of Darrell Fairbanks. At Oregon, Kinser just plowed his way to the quarterback, running over and dominating the weaker blockers. He'll need to work on his conditioning at the next level, and it'd help if he hit the books a bit, but Kinser projects well. In a league that's currently short on top defensive linemen, Kinser will be a strong candidate from the start.

. Drafted #10 in the first round by Baltimore.

#5 T Chet Collins, Virginia Commonwealth. Here's an offensive tackle that has the skills to be very special. A very versatile player, Collins has a high football IQ and the body to play on the interior or exterior of the line. In addition, Collins is still young, having started college at 17 and finishing in three years. Given that, I expect he's still growing into his body, and we can expect some very nice development in the next few years. An excellent prospect!

. Drafted #5 in the first round by Pittsburgh.

#6 - TE Mark Walker, University of Mississippi. This is one studly young man. He would be a beast of an linebacker or on either line. That being said, his position of choice is tight end. He has the hands to bring the ball in and the size and power to shed defenders. Further, he will not be a liability during running plays as he has the strength to contend with defensive linemen. Hopefully he'll go to a team that can utilize his unique skill set.

. Drafted #18 in the first round by Tampa Bay.

#7 - DE Harvey Jenkins, Brigham Young University. Here is yet another defensive lineman who will make a team happy. Jenkins is a strong, smart player whose motor never turns off. He keeps bringing it, as evidenced by leading the country in fourth-quarter sacks, and remember, Brigham Young didn't have any cushy victories. All of those sacks mattered. A team drafting Jenkins will want to work on his speed and technique so that he gets off the ball quicker. Given where he'll be drafted, Jenkins is an incredible value.

. Drafted #6 in the first round by Kansas City.

#8 - C Gene Ingram, Florida State University. Six linemen in the top eight? You bet! And Ingram is no slouch. While his good hands, intelligence, and strength had him playing center in college, his straight line speed suggests that there's hope that he could someday move to the exterior of the line. He'll need to hit the weight room and work on his cardio, but there's no reason to think Ingram won't pan out in the USAFL.

. Drafted #3 in the first round by Washington.

#9 - QB Adrian Forrest, Notre Dame University. Foster is an interesting prospect. Surprisingly, he led the Fighting Irish to National championships, and did so by demonstrating an incredible knack for big, clutch plays. He reads defenses very well, which allows him to place the ball where only the receiver can get it. This makes up for his suspect arm strength. Still, he moves well in the pocket and never tires or loses focus. If he can improve his arm strength significantly, we're talking about the possibility of being an all-time great. Unlike Van Horn though, Forrest let's his play do the talking.

. Drafted #11 in the first round by Miami.

#10 - WR Allen Smith, Arkansas University. This kid is a classic burner. He gets off the ball fast and blazes by his defenders. In college, he demonstrated an impressive ability to read safeties at the snap and find the open areas for the quarterback to deliver the ball. He led the nation in scoring plays over 30 yards, and showed impressive hands that rarely dropped a ball. Barring Van Horn or Forrest starting as rookies, Smith is my early favorite for Rookie of the Year.

. Drafted #1 in the second round by Houston.

Well, I'm sorry to say that this wraps it up for this year. I look forward to seeing how this all plays out, and I'll be back again next year! Until then, good luck!

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