A few names in the draft you won't recognize but should know on the offensive side of the ball.

Here are a few of the offensive players I found that have NFL potential but are not highly regarded by most scouting sites or draft experts. I will post some D players tomorrow.

QB

Stephen McGee Texas A&M—McGee has a stronger arm than most think and got a lot of experience throwing on the move. He is accurate in the short and medium pasterns but is inconsistent on the long ball. He has the size you would like but needs to bulk up a bit in the lower body. He is a late round pick but has the tools to start with the proper development in 3 to 4 years.

RB

Gartrell Johnson Colorado State—A big back in a short body. He doesn’t take many big hits because he is so short (5-11). But he packs a lot of power and reasonable speed in a 230 lb body. He is a 4th or 5th round pick with the potential to be a 3 down back who can pass block and catch passes. He should last until the middle of the 6th round but is not a FB as some think.

Ian Johnson Boise State—Johnson is a nice combination back that can be a 3rd down back and a solid backup. Under 200 lbs. he is not a candidate to be a starter but has skills. He has above average vision and can break a long run but does not have super speed. He is a late choice or URFA (undrafted rookie free agent).

FB

Jorvorskie Lane Texas A&M—Lane has been voted the player most likely to eat himself out of the league. However, if he can get back to 260-265 from his current 285, he is an excellent short yardage runner and powerful lead blocker. Watch him in 06 and 07 to see what he could be again. He will likely be an URFA.

WR

Mike Thomas Arizona—Thomas is only 5’8 but has speed and can get open using both his speed and excellent patterns. He can catch a bad ball, get his feet down going out of bounds, and makes tacklers miss. He is a slot receiver/flanker that can start in time. He should be a middle round choice.

Jarett Dillard Rice—Rice runs patterns that do not translate to the NFL. However, Dillard is an NFL type receiver. He runs ragged patterns and has to improve in that area but has above average hands, can get the bad throw and gets open. He should be a 3rd to 4th round pick.

TE

Bear Pascoe Fresno State—Most prospects this year are receivers. Pascoe can catch some and block some. He should be 4th round pick.

OL

Seth Olsen Iowa—Olsen is another gem lineman from Iowa. While he is OK at pass blocking, his real value is in run blocking. He drives his opponent into another area code consistently. He is a G that can start on a run first team day 1. He is a late 4th or early 5th round choice and a great value there.

Sebastion Vollmer Houston—Vollmer has worked in a super spread offense so he needs to perfect his footwork. But he can pull and block, and has more pass blocking experience than many OT candidates in the draft. H e should be a 5th round pick.

That’s what I think. Tell me what you think.

Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams, has officiated both football and basketball, done color on radio for college football and basketball and has scouted talent. He is a senior writer for and edits https://fryingpansports.com. He has also published several novels on and edits .

My email is [email protected].

Technorati Tags: NFL Draft,Texas A&M,Rice,Arizona,Fresno St.,Iowa,Houston,Colorado State,Boise State
No votes yet.
Please wait...

2 thoughts on “A few names in the draft you won't recognize but should know on the offensive side of the ball.”

  1. That are some fairly rare names. Kiper Jr showed a list of QBs and there was a 100 position drop between the third and the fourth. I could see McGee getting picked earlier than 117th.

    No votes yet.
    Please wait...
  2. i can’t believe arizona got mike thomas

    No votes yet.
    Please wait...

Comments are closed.