SEC sends 35 to NFL During the 2008 Draft

By Ralph Garcia for Football Reporters Online At the 2008 NFL Draft the SEC sent 35 players to the next level. For the first time in forever no player from Alabama was chosen. Let's take a look at some of the possible impact players for the future and what they may bring to their team. Storylines 1. Early Doucet WR (Arizona) - During his career at LSU Doucet had problems with the injury bug. He will never run past you in a flash but has deceptive and elusive speed. He is the type of receiver that can get underneath on you and has the ability to turn a quick out or a short curl into a big play. In Arizona he hopes to team up with Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald and give them a formidable receiver trio for years to come. 2. Eric Ainge QB (New York Jets) – AT Tennessee Ainge had his ups and downs. He had to learn about the lack of his arm strength and mobility and how to adjust. As time went on he learned to manage the game pretty well. He has been through the trials and tribulations in the SEC and has overcome adversity. He has shown that he has the skills and the potential to be an NFL quarterback. Now he lands with the Jets and finds himself in a situation. The Jets do not have a franchise quarterback for now or the future. Sure they have options but with the right attitude and the proper coaching he could find himself in the starter role. 3. Jacob Hester FB (San Diego) – Now here is an intriguing story. Hester does not have the size, speed, agility or mobility yet the Chargers gave up a fifth rounder this year and a second rounder next year to get him. Still one cannot question the recent success the Chargers have had in the draft. Maybe they see the football smarts Hester has. May be they like how he runs hard through the holes and he is also known to be an effective receiver out of the backfield. One thing is for sure he will block the stuffing out of anyone that gets close to LT. Top Picks 1.Darren McFadden RB (Oakland) – What can you say about the talent this kid has? He has shined at the SEC level and on the national level. He comes to the NFL with much fanfare because of his speed and the athleticism. The power he possesses is unquestionable. He comes with "so called" baggage but that would not deter Al Davis anyway. The Raiders had to take him with this pick as he was the best player available here. Also they hope to team him with a young JaMarcus Russell to form a nucleus for the future on offense. If these two can get on the same page and the Raiders can surround them with other weapons look for the Silver and Black to get back on track. 2. Glenn Dorsey DT (Kansas City) – He proved himself at the college level with his stellar play at LSU. This guy dominated the line of scrimmage in college and was projected by some to be the first pick in the draft. Now there was no way that the Chiefs were going to pass up on him even though they had other priorities. Dorsey will team with fellow first rounder Branden Albert to give the team its anchors on the defense and offensive lines. Dorsey may be short for his size but has the ability to get under the opposing lineman and power his way to the backfield. Look for him to be a future star in this league. 3. Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves DE's (Florida and Auburn) – Talk about possible matching bookends with these guys. They do not possess the size for their position but in the case of Harvey his power, athleticism, arms and leaping ability make him an all around asset to an NFL team. Groves will need to bulk up and can be third down player right now. He will have to learn to be a more physical player at the line of scrimmage. They may also be looked at as linebackers in the future where they may really excel. 4. Felix Jones RB (Dallas) – Had to play in the shadow of Mc Fadden at Arkansas. Still he averaged 100 yards rushing every 12 times he touched the ball. He is fast and elusive and has the heart to run through the tackles. He will need to bulk up to last in the NFL but if he does he will provide the Cowboys with an explosive complement to Marion Barber. He also has the ability to catch passes out of the backfield to pose yet another threat. 5. Chris Williams OT (Chicago) – At Vanderbilt Williams was all world considering that he played in the SEC. He was a tremendous pass blocker but lacked the killer instinct in the run block scheme. He looks to be the starting left tackle where he can use his speed and first burst in the passing game and work on his run block game. He has got to get a better backbone and become tougher to pay the line in this league. That was a hard knock on him throughout his college career. Possible Sleepers 1.Earl Bennett WR (Chicago) – Bennett does not possess the raw speed needed here nor will he leave you in the dust after the catch. What makes this guy a sleeper is his ability to read routes and catch the ball with the best of his class. In the SEC he would be double teamed and the opposition knew he about to get the ball and he still caught it. Then there were the times that the pass was looked to be incomplete until he pulled it in. Now he goes to the Bears and if they can find them a solid QB for the future he will find a favorite target in "Sure Hands Bennett". 2. Thomas Brown RB (Atlanta) – This kid when healthy is an exciting back to watch. He stands low in the mold of a Warrick Dunn and has this good sense of where to go when running between the tackles. Also like Dunn he has good hands out of the backfield. If he and new QB Matt Ryan get on the same page look for Thomas to have a productive career for a so called little guy. 3. Craig Steltz S (Chicago) – For a guy lacking speed he sure held his own in the SEC. He faced some of the best receivers in the country week in and week out and was very consistent. He is known to have a high football IQ and runs hard from sideline to sideline. He tackles well and has great work ethic. He also excels at the run and the blitz. Look for him to shine on special teams right away before holding his own in the defensive backfield in the future. Big Pick Special Jerrod Mayo LB (New England) – Now how the Patriots got this guy is just unfair. Here he is thinking that he may fall to a team with a losing record and he may even get to start. At UT he was an absolute monster. He always made the big plays and now he gets to go to a team that will benefit from his ability. He does not possess the size but has so much power when he hits. He can run from sideline to sideline and can play the run very well. It will take some time for him to crack the starting lineup but Mayo has a bright future ahead of him in New England. Look for Mayo to be the one of the brightest of the starts to come out of the 2008 draft.