By Adam Abramson
It's time for me to start combing through the 2008 NFL Draft Class to find value where other Web sites haven't...to this point. Now would be a good time for GMs to bookmark Campus Confidential.
I'm starting with Marcus Monk.
I said last week that I see a lot of value in the wide receiver crop, but that's not an opinion shared by all. It's because they're overlooking guys like Monk.
That might not be the case after the combine, because Marcus Monk turned in a solid Combine performance. He measured in at 6'4, 222 pounds (a little different from the 6'6" he was listed in college). He didn't dust anyone with a 4.59 40-time, but he was on par for receivers his height.
Monk is recovering from a knee injury that made him miss much of his senior year. He did return to play in team's final six games, but did little.
Where he didn't do little was his junior year. 50 catches, 962 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 19.2 yards per catch obviously makes him a home run hitter. He has big hands and posted an impressive vertical. What I'm saying is this: The guy's measurables are playmaker-like. Watch some of his runs after the catch in the video (set to a great song).
Remember this: Monk's career was heavily overshadowed because of Darren McFadden and Feilx Jones. The two will are first-round running backs and dominated the offense for three years in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks were among the lowest-ranked passing teams in the country the last three years (their best ranking was 108/119). Put it this way: Monk's 50 catches in 2006 were 1/3 of the team's completions. So you can imagine the kind of attention he received from opposing SEC secondaries.
Is Monk first-round talent? Well, he could be. But there are obvious risks. If you're looking for a tall receiver, guys like Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) and James Hardy (Indiana) will look like wiser picks early on. But before this weekend, Monk was buried on most mock drafts.
This is a guy that has first-day value.
Also, draft these guys:
Joe Flacco
Dustin Keller
Jeremy Zuttah
Ryan Mundy
Chevis Jackson