AMI Rates the Draft


(Mistakatonic University Press) - The upcoming APFL draft promises some excellent prospects for teams in need. The Arkham Malevolent Intelligence (AMI) has broken the draft down by position, rating the rookies:


Quarterbacks

Ricky West and Scott Henning are rated as the number 1 and 2 picks in the IMPACT system. The AMI sees them as second or third round choices. Each is a solid prospect, but the APFL teams are already fairly sound at quarterback. West has questionable accuracy as a passer, and Henning tends to crack under pressure. Matt Wheeler is an amazing physical specimen, but lacks the poise and decision-making skills to be an immediate starter. Look for him in the Pro-Bowl in 2 or 3 years, provided he is able to improve his mental game. Ron Utterback is a perfect match for many systems, but his arm strength is a problem. He won't stretch defenses. Steve Heart is probably the sleeper of the draft. He is projected as a third or fourth round pick, but he could start immediately for a couple of APFL teams. The rest of the quarterback class may go undrafted.

Strength of the group: strong
Value in the draft: average



Halfbacks

Kenny Proctor and James Friedrich will be the first picks, but each player brings a significant downside. Proctor benches a pathetic 150 pounds, and failed to meet NCAA SAT and ACT requirements for incoming freshman. Friedrich is a monster in the weight room, but has difficulty running outside the tackles, and holding the ball. His future potential is good, but it will take 2-3 years of steady improvement for his reflexes and hands to catch up with his speed and strength. Homer Thomas is an intriuging prospect. His 40-yard dash time left many scouts shaking their heads. Beyond his lineman-like speed, there is no downside. He is sure to catch on as a second back, and could be a sleeper. Don Jackson is a nicely rounded player. He doesn't have sprinting speed, but he is as good as many APFL starters. Phil Underwood and John Calloway are both scatbacks. They bring average speed and poor strength with their good feet and mental games. They look to be middle-round picks. Eric Mitchell brings the downsides of Friedrich without the speed or strength. Brian Wright has a great mental game, but poor speed and feet. He could be a great prospect in 2-3 years, filling the role that Homer Thomas will take immediately. Dwight Larson has a long career ahead of him - in semi-pro ball.

Overall strength of the group:average
Value in the draft:above average



Fullbacks

Newton Noonan and Sam Buck will only drop to the second round if coaches are not using fullbacks in their primary sets. Noonan can topple most defensive lineman and brings great pass-blocking skills. Buck could be a featured runner and reciever in a control-oriented offense. The rest of the group has significant downsides. Daniel Brady is both weak and stupid, Randall Sutter is slightly smarter and weaker, and Ray Logan will go undrafted. Eli Williams has great speed but no mental game, and poor feet. Rick Hasty's bad feet will keep him waiting till the late rounds, but he could be a devastating blocker, in the Texas tradition, with 2-3 years of work.

Overall strength of the group:below average
Value in the draft:high



Receivers

Henry Bodine and Shannon Shepard will be gone in the second round. Neither is strong enough to work in traffic, but their speed will enable them to stretch defenses and get open. Miguel Evans is a superb possession receiver, and will only fall below Shepard and Bodine because of his average speed. He could be a sleeper. Beyond these players, the group is amazingly weak. Glen Heller, Tim Scott, and Don Hellestrae have amazing skills and great mental games, but are too slow. Gary Beauchamp and Charles Case are also gifted players, but lack pro speed. The could come up to the level of the middle group with some specialized training, but most teams are unlikely to pick them. The APFL has a lot of good receivers. After Bodine and Shepard, the rest of the group will fall to the middle rounds or lower.

Overall strength of the group:poor
Value in the draft:average



Tight Ends

Sean Kay and Jed Sinks are strong prospects, though both have trouble with footwork. Kay has trouble with cuts and pass blocking, and Sinks brings average speed as a reciever. They look to go in the second or third round. although a top team with a need at the position might gamble on one of them in the first round. Richmond Warrick is a solid starting prospect for many teams, he could be the third player chosen at the position. Garin Mersereau is a blocker. His poor speed is easily offset by his great technique, hands, and mental game. He could be a sleeper for teams that need a blocking tight end. Don Fluke and Spencer Wakeman are undersized and have poor hands, but their technique is flawless. They will fill niches as late picks. Vance Clark will go undrafted.

Overall strength of the group:average
Value in the draft:below average



Offensive Lineman

Clarke Bennett, Oscar Townsend and Dennis Williams could all go in the first round. Their superb skills are even more valuable with so many teams seeking help in the trenches. Bob Washington has the speed to be a pulling guard, but lacks the good mental game to be an effective blocker in the open field. Ethan Gillette, Vic Salisbury and Erwin Lewis each have the physical skills to start, and average technique. Monte Nebs is slightly small for his position, but will find a starting spot. Igor Spitulski and Guy Widell bring their small frames and good technique to the draft. Look for them to go in the middle or later rounds. The rest are too poor to even consider as development projects.

Overall strength of the group:high
Value in the draft:high



Defensive Lineman

Allan Covington is a sure first-rounder, probably as high as the third or fourth pick. He is an instant candidate for the Pro Bowl. Nevin Carlson and Darin Hall are also top choices. They only lack Covington's speed-rushing ability. Tyrone Haselrig has superb strength and good speed, but his footwork and mental game are weak at best. Look for him to go in the third round, and to improve steadily for the next 3 years. Cary Carlson, Mark McGuire and Leonard Matthews are undersized speed-rushers. They will be picked in the middle rounds by teams that emphasize mobility over strength. Each has good footwork and concentration. The rest of the group needs too much work in the weight room to play at the pro level.

Overall strength of the group:average
Value in the draft:high



Linebackers

David Saaverda is a sure first-rounder. Tim Greenleaf brings a high-speed, balanced game, a top prospect. Kenny Arnold and Bryan Faine are both powerful physical specimens with bad feet. They should be very easy to train, though. Tad Ramsey and Andy Crowe are slightly slower but bring strength and decent skills. Daryl Gardner and Clayton Orlando are both skilled players with pencil-like limbs. They will fall to the middle rounds. Marcus Bull has a little more strength and much worse technique. Greg Clark will fill a niche as a goal-line defender, while Mike Kaufman and Lorne Donaldson simply don't have pro-cailber skills.

Overall strength of the group:high
Value in the draft:average



Safeties

Darryl Miller and Nicholas Collard are both top picks. They bring all the skills and hitting power of Pro-Bowl players. Alex Chamblee has tremendous speed and strength, but his technique is questionable. He has a great upside though, and should be easily improved with experience. Donnell Sims could be a perfect cover man with his speed and feet, but his concetration is poor. He will go in the third or fourth round. Adrian Elway has average speed and strength, and his technique needs work. Curtis O'Connor and Jeff Walker bring tremendous sets of skills and poor speed. They will fill niches as a run-stoppers. Wyatt Cushman has similar strengths but very poor feet. He has a decent upside as a project.

Overall strength of the group:average
Value in the draft:below average



Cornerbacks

Ned Jarvis stands alone here, far above the other prospects. He'll go in the first round, or high in the second at the latest. His poor strength against sweeps and screens is his only downside. Paul Fullington has top speed and a little bit more strength, but lacks the skill set of Jarvis. Look for him to go late in the second or third round. Tad Millnichik and Keith Sims bring similar ability, but Sims has superb concetration. They are good players, but the APFL has a slew of players with similar skills. Patrick Price and Frankie Cato have average speed and very poor skills. Price brings some strength against the run, which might make him a very late pick as a project. Chris Montoya has poor speed, greath strength, bad hands and bad feet. He has a small chance to catch on a role-player or project. Webster Cassell and Jim Brook would be a nice picks as a cover corners if they had decent speed. They don't.

Overall strength of the group:below average
Value in the draft:below average



Kickers

Sidney Evans isn't accurate, but he brings a huge upside. Look for him to improve into an All-World scoring machine in a few years. Brett Ross is a chip-shot machine, who will have some difficulty extending his range. He will be drafted middle to late. The rest are projects, at best.

Overall strength of the group:poor
Value in the draft:below average

Back Main Old News