How OU’s draft picks fit in
Four Sooners were drafted last weekend. Dallas took running back DeMarco Murray in the third round, the Broncos also selected OU safety Quinton Carter in the fourth, and safety Jonathan Nelson (Rams) and end Jeremy Beal (Broncos) both went in the seventh.
Here’s how these four players fit with their respective new teams:
DeMarco Murray
Dallas Morning News columnist Jean-Jacques Taylor wrote this week he thinks Murray will challenge Felix Jones for the starting running back position, and that “there’s no reason why he shouldn’t expect to win the job.”
I think that’s a bit of a stretch. While Jones had a disappointing season in 2010, he’s still the primary guy for now.
But the Cowboys have shown the propensity for giving carries to their No. 2 and 3 running backs in recent years. And with Marion Barber on his way out, Murray is almost assured of snagging one of the top three spots.
Look for Dallas to utilize Murray’s receiving skills on third-and-long passing situations. But on top of that, Murray could get a couple of series a game in the backfield, as well.
If he produces — and, he can stay healthy — Murray could get even more opportunities with the ball in his hands. Without a breakout year, it’s not, as Taylor writes, inconceivable Murray ultimately wins the starting job.
Quinton Carter
Carter was one of the top safeties in the draft. But anymore, unless it’s an Eric Berry, safeties don’t get picked in the first round, which is about quarterbacks, defensive lineman and offensive tackles.
Carter, taken by the Broncos in the fourth round, is walking into a franchise attempting to retool its secondary. Carter is part of the plan.
With CB Champ Bailey resigned, and SS Brian Dawkins still a feared hitter, Denver could have one of the league’s better secondaries, especially if its rookie safeties — Carter and second rounder Rahim Moore (UCLA) — show up.
Executive John Elway said that the Broncos had Moore and Carter rated as two of the three best safeties in the draft.
“We are adding competition at those spots,” said Broncos general manager Brian Xanders.
Because he’s more of a natural free safety, Moore has the better shot of starting this season. But considering Dawkins is 37 years old, Carter could emerge into the heir apparent to take over at strong safety in the next couple of years.
“I don’t like really defining the players before they get here,” said Denver coach John Fox. “If you were looking at it, generally speaking, you would probably say that Moore is probably more the free and Carter is more the strong. I hate to pigeonhole them at this point; they will kind of define what they can do. They have some veteran guys to learn from and that will speed the process. We needed some youth there and we think we picked two very good ones.”
Jonathan Nelson
Odds are usually against any seventh-round pick making a teams. But Nelson’s odds of making the Rams may be higher than usual.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Rams are in need of a solid cover free safety. As a former cornerback, that’s Nelson’s forte.
Nelson is also a hard-worker, a good kid and one of the smartest players on last year’s Sooner team. All of that should augment his chances.
“It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, it’s about the size of the fight in the dog,” Nelson said, “and I just feel like I have a whole bunch of fight.”
Jeremy Beal
It’s hard to believe Beal won’t make an NFL squad. Then again, it was hard to believe Beal wouldn’t get drafted until the compensatory stage of the seventh round.
But listening to Bronco executives, Beal could be given the chance to show the teams that passed on him made a mistake.
“We were definitely excited to see him there at the bottom of the seventh,” said Broncos GM Brian Xanders. “He was very productive in college, 57 tackles for loss and 29 sacks. He was really the highest remaining guy on our board in the seventh round.
“He’s a productive guy that makes a lot of plays, we’re surprised he fell down that far — that’s probably because of the Combine or Senior Bowl stuff — but we really evaluate off the football tape and we’re really excited to have him. He’s going to compete at the defensive end position and hopefully he comes in and contributes for us.”
At the moment, Beal is one of four defensive ends, along with Elvis Dumervil, Robert Ayers, Jason Hunter.
Remember this tidbit: Twenty-three players at this year’s Pro Bowl went undrafted. Beal, one of the most productive ends in OU history, has the potential to become a similar success story.
-JT
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
If memory serves me correctly I also remember a former Sooner drafted late not sure exactly of what round he was taken in but a lot was said about his combine and senior day stuff of being slow and didn’t impress the “right” people and I also remember a time for a few week period of time that the “slow” player lead the “League” in tackles his name Curtis Lofton. Man go to work Beal show the League you can play!!! Booomer Soooner!!!!
About Beal, wouldn’t it had been better for him to go undrafted rather than be chosen in the 7th round? That way, he would have been more likely to go to team that needed a player like him. It seems undrafted free agents normally have a better shot than 6th and 7th rounders.
“But anymore, unless it’s an Eric Berry, safeties don’t get picked in the first round, which is about quarterbacks, defensive lineman and offensive tackles.”
Uhhhh Ed Reed, Roy Williams, Sean Taylor, Troy Polamalu, Antrel Rolle, Brandon Meriweather…………….yeah safeties are totally unimportant man. Yup!
And you wonder why no one with a brain pays money for your rag of a newspaper anymore……………..
ND52, all of those players you named were drafted before Eric Berry. While I don’t necessarily agree with Trotter’s statement, your criticism lacks a foundation.
@ Josh–what does that have to do with anything? Berry was just a rookie last year but this article makes it sound like he’s been in the league for a decade!
All of the players I mentioned were drafted this decade and are still going strong save for Taylor. 2011 is universally considered around the league as the worst year for safeties in over a decade by scouts.
But then again, the Oklahoman is written for the lowest common denominator of our society and they’re counting on you not actually researching the stories they post and forming your own opinion.
There’s a reason people who enjoy reading call this rag the “Jokelahoman”.
@ND52, just because you named some safeties that went in the first round in the last decade doesn’t change the fact that safeties are not generally taken in the first round.
“[U]nless it’s an Eric Berry, safeties don’t get picked in the first round, which is about quarterbacks, defensive lineman and offensive tackles.”
Basically, Trotter’s statement is that unless the safety is considered a transcendent talent, that safety doesn’t go in the first round. What about this statement is wrong? Almost all of the safeties you named were considered high level talents, except for Antrel Rolle – who was drafted as a CORNERBACK – and Brandon Meriweather.
Trotter was saying there were no Eric Berry type safeties in this draft, and when that is the case safeties don’t go in the first round. Then again, I’m sure I just haven’t researched this story and formed my own opinion…
Great blog here! Also your web site loads up fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol.
beal is going to suprise denver.