The Freaks

There's a rule in drafting talent that goes like this, "If the guy does something athletically that causes you're jaw to drop, again, and again, and again, you draft him."  I like to call them the freaks of nature.  Randy Moss was the first guy I saw that made me respond like this.  Yeah, he was a knucklehead, but sometimes you just have to take a chance on a guy who can catch a 50 yard pass with his armpit and a defender draped all over him.

These are the guys this year that I've seen do that or heard someone trustworthy swear by them.  I know the Cardinals won't even sniff most of these guys picking at 13, but I'm holding out hope that one slips by.

Player (Expected draft #)

Andrew Luck (#1)  Best QB prospect since Peyton Manning.  Makes throws that only elite QBs get away with.  Great arm, great legs, great brain.  He makes me sorta wish the Cards sucked bad this year so they could get him.  Sorta.

Matt Kalil (#3)  I haven't seen enough of him to evaluate yet.  I'm going purely on what everyone is saying.  Cards need a LT so bad that need is going to overwhelm them this year at this position.  I'll get back to ya on Kalil.

Trent Richardson (#4) I absolutely abhor taking a RB in the first 2 rounds.  Reasons?  They're a dime a dozen.  They are 99% of the time a product of the O-line.  And they don't last very long.  Oh, and the Cards were dumb enough to invest in Beanie in the first and Ryan Williams in last years 2nd.  So what would I do with Richardson if I had the 2nd to 4th picks and he was there?  Fall over myself trying to rush to the podium to hand in his name as my draft pick.  He is an absolute freak of nature.  You ALWAYS draft the freaks (Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald...).  He's the best RB prospect since A.P. and you remember how well that went for the Cards after they passed him up.  (For the record, in the last 25 years I would have only drafted two RBs this early: Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson)

Morris Claiborne (#5)  Can you imagine the Cards pairing up the two former Tigers.  Peterson and Claiborne would be dynamic.  Some say Claiborne is better than Peterson.  He reminds me of Cortland Finnegan: he's tough and has a nasty streak.  Even though the Cards took Peterson last year they'd be nuts to pass on this guy.

Justin Blackmon (top ten)  One of the more frustrating stats when evaluating a player is production.  A guy can shell out a 99 and you still aren't sure what he'll do in the NFL.  (Kellen Moore is the poster child for this year and I wouldn't draft him until the 7th round).  Blackmon sort of has that problem.  His production is ridiculous, but he doesn't have that straight away burst that you want to see.  I can see the combine as a detriment to him.  And yet, I haven't seen a more productive WR in football since maybe the idiot Crabtree.  Just like our beloved Q, I think Justin will excel in spite of speed concerns.  He's tough, strong, competitive, and hungry.  He has the heart that you can't measure and, more importantly, the tools needed to be successful in the NFL

Jonathan Martin (top ten)  This is one of the guys I hope slips to the Cards.  While I think he's O.K. as a run blocker I also think he is the best pass blocking LT in the draft.  In fact, he seems to float, like a dancer and frustrates the crap out of the DEs he faces every week.  A guy that big shouldn't be that light on his feet.  And since the Cards don't really want to run and would rather throw all day long, this guy fits perfect into their scheme.

David DeCastro (top 15)  Mark my words: THIS GUY WILL GO INTO THE HALL OF FAME.  Wow, that was bold.  Maybe its because its my first time, you know... falling in love with a Guard.  But he's dreamy to me.  I can't help myself.  Everything I see out of this guy screams DRAFT ME!  I think he would be a knockout pick for the Cards.  I'm hoping that tradition holds out, because Guards don't get drafted top ten usually.  But I'm afraid everyone else sees what I see.  Hopefully, 12 other teams are just as dumb as they usually are and this time (cross fingers) the Cards aren't.

Luke Kuechly and Courtney Upshaw (top 15)  I haven't seen a single highlight of Luke yet, but I've heard enough guys talk about him to put him into the freak category.  As for Courtney, for some odd reason I can't seem to stay awake long enough during Alabama games to properly evaluate him.  Still, he looks to be a guy that will shoot up the charts after the "championship" game.  Let's hope I can stay awake long enough to watch him.