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The 1971 draft class isn't the strongest your gonna see, which will make GM's earn their money this season for sure. Coupled with a weak FA class do to the leagues infancy, there will have to be deeper mining to find those diamonds in the rough and game planning will have to be at a premium to get the most out of what you have.
The Generals Robert Young out of Notre Dame and Russell Cable from Boston College lead a pretty weak QB class. Cable has the better arm while Young the better accuracy and vision potential. They both have excellent ball release and decent scramble abilities. Although they are fairly slow and those scramble skills may help around the pocket.
Backfield Mark Glick from Bowling Green is the only RB worth looking at with speed. But to be honest he looks like a much better WR than he does a RB. Most draft classes he's a late second to early 3rd rounder. But this year who knows. Now if your looking for a short yardage power back 5'10" 208 lb John Durden might fill your need. He has average speed but is strong as a moose. He has good ball carrying skills but his accelaeration might turn you off.
Receivers Now this is where things get interesting. The WR class is pretty decent. Francisco Edwards leads the class with the speed - acceleration - strength of an elite receiver. If his skills hold up he could be one of the top WR's in the league. Wiles, Lewis, Gipe, David and Bishop could all go in the 1st round if their skills are to be trusted.
The O Trenches Larry Oconnell from Notre Dame, Ken Brown from Michigan and Henry Watts out of Eastern Illinois are all 1st round candidates. But Larry Oconnell looks to be a stud. If your needing a bulldozer up front he's your guy.
The D Trenches DE Justin Morgan from Kent State is the big dog in the D Trenches. I wish he had better speed but he has decent acceleration and is strong. At 6'4" 276 lb he could be a good penetrator and disrupt things. DT Michael McClendon out of McNeese State would be the option up the middle at 6'1" 305 lbs. He is lacking strength but has pretty good speed and quickness for his size. If his skills hold up he could be a sleeper.
The Monsters LB Terry Cady from the small college of Texas A&M Commerce leads the Monster group. He's prolly going to go very early in the draft. His speed, quickness and strength puts him in an elite group of linebackers. This kid has a chance to hit it big in the Paydirt Football League. His skills look to be off the charts. Love the way he punishes receivers coming across the middle along with his strip skills. He will be a menace. Albert Wolfe form Washington and Michael Capuano out of Oklahoma State should not be overlooked. Lurking in the shadows of Cady they will have something to prove and they have the tools to do it.
The Cover Guys Both CB-Mark Young from Wisconsin and CB-William Ferrante from Alabama mirror each other. I like Ferrante because of his speed and quickness but lacks strength and I like Young because of his strength but his speed and quickness are average at best. They both are expected to have good skills and I like both their size. They should have good careers out on the corners. CB-Robert Fitzgerald out of Michigan is a different story. Although they have him listed as a CB he is more suited at the SS position. At 6'2" 213 lbs and with good but not spectacular speed-quickness-strength and a punish skill that is off the hook, he could make WR's hear footsteps all game long. He's an excellent tackler and excels in a zone passing scheme. He could be a nice steal for some team.
By my reckoning, there are only 12-15 players who grade out as 1st rd draft picks. Perhaps training camp will reveal more.
San Diego's first pick is at no. 60, and will be lucky to get a player with a future default rating in the 70's. Time to focus on role players and 2nd and 3rd stringers.
