Impact Offensive Players in the NFL Draft
by Trevor Whenham - 3/18/2010


The NFL Draft is the single most over-hyped, over-analyzed, borderline obnoxious event there is. It's now a constant three-month process where players can go from off the radar to the top of the heap and back without ever playing a game. It's unquestionably important as a way for teams to reload and rebuild, but the impact isn't nearly as significant as the media makes it seem.
If you believed what you read then every first rounder is going to be a hall of famer, and is going to lift their team to the Super Bowl in his first year. There are some aspects of the Draft that we just can't ignore as bettors. The most significant, and the one we will focus on here, is the renewed faith in youngsters on the offensive side of the ball.
It used to be that an offensive player was eased into things slowly. Recently, though, we've seen more and more guys being relied upon significantly from the start. Mark Sanchez this past year joins guys like Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan and players who have led their team early and enjoyed success doing it.
It's not just quarterbacks, either - Michael  Crabtree changed his team for the better as soon as he finally joined the team,  and running backs often make a difference right away. Bettors need to be aware  of the guys who could have an immediate impact so that they can have an  accurate sense of what a team is and what it has to offer. Here's a look at  five potential impact offensive  players in this year's strong draft that could make waves right away:
  
  Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma - It goes without saying that the impact  Bradford can have will depend significantly on where he winds up. We know that  he's likely to go early, though, and that he is sure to land on a team that has  QB issues, so he's likely to get his shot. I'm confident that Bradford can be  effective in a high-pressure situation with little preparation because we have  already seen him do it once. In his first season of play at Oklahoma he wasn't  supposed to start, but injuries forced him to and he never looked back. It's a  shame that last year was lost, but what did we learn from him before then? He  has a solid arm, he can move when he needs to, he's smart, and he knows how to  win. Bradford is just a player, and it's hard not to be impressed by him. He's  going to be a keeper (and 10 times the player that Jimmy Clausen will ever be).
  
  C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson - I have watched Clemson play a handful of  times over the last two years. Each time it's like I am watching a different  player in the Spiller uniform. That's not because he isn't consistent, but  because he is so versatile and dangerous that he can do whatever needs to be  done. He can run it right up the middle if he needs to. He can deke and dive  and make guys miss. He's a very dangerous receiving threat. He can return  threatens. The guy can do anything, and that makes it easier for a coaching  staff to find some way for him to be useful right away. What stands out most  when you watch the guy is that he's a smart football player who can adjust on  the fly when the situation calls for it. Smart and running back are not often  found in the same sentence.
  
  Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State - Like Bradford, Bryant is coming off of  a lost season. Despite that, what I like most about Bryant is his proven  performance in high-pressure situations. He's no Darrius Heyward-Bey. He was  absolutely monstrous - almost unstoppable - in Oklahoma State's big 2008  season, and is the single biggest reason why they accomplished all they did. He's  good sized, physical, fast, and has hands made of glue. He gets better and  better the further he gets away from the quarterback. If he lands in a good  spot with a QB who can get him the ball then he has a real shot to make an  impact right away, and to really accomplish something by the time his career is  done. He is dramatically better than any other receiver available.
  
  Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech - A good receiver is an explosive  receiver, and Thomas has the ability to go from idle to full speed in a step to  lose a DB. He's a big boy, and he isn't afraid to use his size to his advantage  - even if he has to get into the gutter to do so. What's most impressive about  his game, though, is that's he's a home run threat. He can look absolutely  invisible for long stretches and then suddenly get wide open for a long bomb.  It's not a rare occurrence, either - he had receptions of 50 yards or more in  nine of his 13 games. If Thomas lands in a system with a coordinator who likes  to gamble and go vertical then he could really make some noise.
  
  Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State - Mathews isn't one of those guys that  leaps off the film - he runs higher than he should, and he's not super fast.  The more you watch him, though, the more you have to like him. He doesn't do  anything fancy - he just runs. He has one of the most devastating stiff arms I  have seen, and he is big enough to use it to brush defenders aside surprisingly  often. He's very difficult to get down as well - he blows through weak tackles,  and when most guys would be down he is able to through down a hand to catch his  balance and ready another charge. He'll be an easy guy to plug into a running  game because all he needs is a line that will give him some room.
  
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