2001 Minnesota Vikings Draft coverage and picks. A round by round list of the teams 2001 draft picks and a profile of each player.
Willie Howard | Eric Kelly | Shawn Worthen | Cedric James | Patrick Chukwurah | Carey Scott | Brian Crawford
Round 1, Pick 27
Michael Bennett, RB, Wisconsin
Inside running: Hits the hole hard, and rarely dances behind the line.
Still needs to show more patience and trust his eyes more as a runner; that
will come with time. Has great speed and burst, and is built well enough to
handle punishment between the tackles. Grade: 6.8.
Outside running: Has phenomenal speed, and should be a great outside runner
in the NFL. Has the burst to get to the corner and the acceleration to win a
race down the sidelines. Is a bit too much of a straight-line runner at this
point, but has the agility to improve lateral movement. Grade: 7.7
Blocking: Is willing to block -- a good start -- but has some trouble
picking up the blitz. Has good lower-body strength, and can hold his ground
against pass rushers, but needs to do a better job of recognizing the blitz.
That should improve with coaching and experience. Grade: 6.8.
Height: 5-9 ¼
Weight: 207
40-yard dash: 4.27
10-yard dash: 1.50
225 lb. bench: 13
Vertical jump: 39 ½
20-yard dash: 2.53
Hands/routes: Has good hands, but not great. Uses body too much to catch the
ball, but does have soft hands. Runs solid routes, and never seems lost in
the passing game. In the right NFL system, should be a huge threat in the
passing game because of open-field speed. Grade: 7.2.
Durability: Is a tough, compact runner with few carries under his belt after
sitting behind Ron Dayne for two years at Wisconsin. Durability might be
best quality -- a running back rarely enters the NFL with such few carries.
Grade: 7.4.
Bottom line: Bennett still is graded as a 7.2-point prospect (mid- to late
first round) because his skills remain. That said, his stock certainly will
drop because of his off-the-field judgment is now in question. Personnel
people will have him rated similarly going into the draft but now have an
excuse to pass on him on draft day. Bennett still is a mid first-round pick
in terms of skills but could drop to the second round and lose millions of
dollars because of his February off-the-field incident. His on-the-field
potential is limitless, but he needs more coaching to gain a better
understanding of the position. That said, you can't teach his size or speed;
some team will take a chance on him late in the first round.
Round 2, Pick 26, 57th Overall
Willie Howard, DT, Stanford
Fifth-year senior who has made 42 consecutive starts on the Cardinal
defensive line. Has 37 tackles, including a four sacks for a loss of 29
yards. Also blocked a kick and deflected a pass. Had 7 tackles and a sack in
Stanford's upset victory over third-ranked Texas on September 16 as the
Cardinal D held UT to 13 yards rushing. Has had a tackle for loss in four of
the first seven games in 2000.
Height: 6-3 ½
Weight: 290
40-yard dash: 4.86
20-yard shuttle: 4.56
Broad jump: 8-9
225 lb. bench: 27
3-cone drill: 7.54
Vertical jump: 28
Strengths: Has all the intangibles. Shows great leadership, and never stops
hustling. Has good, not great, size. Plays bigger than his size, and is
faster than his 40-yard-dash time would indicate. Is strong and active, and
does a nice job rushing the passer.
Weaknesses: Might be bypassed in the early rounds because he lacks bulk to
play in a two-gap scheme and isn't a great one-gap rusher.
Bottom line: Howard is moving up some boards because of great intangibles
and quickness. He can't play in every scheme, but overall he is an active
player who will contribute in some capacity right away -- at least as a
situational pass rusher.
Round 3, Pick 24, 69th Overall
Eric Kelly, CB, Kentucky
Notes: High school sprinter and weightlifter. Red shirted in 1996. Won a
starting job for four midseason games in '97 before straining his back.
Started the last seven games in '98 and when he was healthy enough to go the
past two years. Had a hamstring problem in '99 and played a good portion of
the 2000 season with a fractured thumb that had a pin in it and a soft cast
on his right hand. Had 26 tackles in '97; 23 tackles and six passes broken
up in '98; 25 stops, 13 passes broken up and his first three interceptions
in '99; and 32 tackles, six passes broken up and one interception in 2000.
Positives: Nice size. Big enough to be physical and to play bump-and-run.
Good straight-line quickness and speed. Has a burst to close and can stay
with fast receivers who are running down the field.
The Bad: A little bit tight in the hips and does not turn and change
directions that well. Lacks ball awareness. Very often he will be right with
his man and not see or react to the ball until it is too late to prevent the
catch.
Finally: Must learn to find the ball better if he is to play on the next
level.
Height: 5-10 ¼
Weight: 199
40-yard dash: 4.40
10-yard dash: 1.56
20-yard shuttle: 4.18
60-yard shuttle: 11.43
225 lb. bench: 15
Vertical jump: 36
3-cone drill: 7.24
20-yard dash: 2.54
The Good: Shows good athleticism and tremendous game speed. Is a good cover
corner. Opens his hips to turn and run extremely well. Displays tremendous
speed and quickness in breaking on the ball. Has the physical tools to be
productive in the NFL. Has limitless upside.
The Bad: Needs better coaching on unpolished techniques. Tends to bite on
fakes and double-moves. Doesn't show good stop-and-start ability. Isn't very
physical, and is not willing to take on run blockers. Must get tougher and
improve approach to the game.
Lastly: Kelly has good cover corner skills, including excellent closing
speed, but he needs to be more physical. With refined technique and field
awareness, he could be an impact player. Kelly, who needs time to get a
better understanding of the game, is a solid middle-round prospect.
Round 4, Pick 35, 130th Overall
Shawn Worthen, DT, TCU
Notes: Played in seven games and started once as a freshman in '97.
Started the past three years. Second-team All-Western Athletic Conference in
'99 and a first-team selection in 2000. Had 31 tackles, eight tackles for
loss and one sack in '98, 45-11-4 in '99 and 53-13-2½ in 2000.
The Good: Wide, thick and bulky. Strong. Can play with leverage. Pretty
instinctive and aware vs. the run. Plays hard and competes. Weight room
regular. Squats more than 600 pounds.
The Bad: Lacks height. Is not a very effective pass rusher. Not a great
athlete. More of an effort guy than a natural athlete.
Summary: Fine college player who will have trouble rushing the passer on the
next level.
Height: 6-1
40-yard dash: 5.16
10-yard dash: 1.64
20-yard shuttle: 4.61
Broad jump: 8-7
225 lb. bench: 23
3-cone drill: 7.50
Vertical jump: 30
20-yard dash: 2.92
Strengths: Is surprisingly athletic and very strong. Has great hand speed,
and sheds blockers well. Displays great instincts and know-how. Will use his
low center of gravity to uproot offensive linemen. Shows a lot of great
technique. Weaknesses: Is a bit short, and doesn't always get a great first
step. Takes up space, and will push the pocket. Doesn't overwhelm anyone
with size.
Bottom line: Worthen will turn heads at the combine because of impressive
strength. However, his lack of height has turned off some scouts and will
hurt him on draft weekend. He is worth a roster spot, so he will get some
good looks in the fifth round.
Round 4, Pick 36, 131st Overall
Cedric James, WR, TCU
Notes: Played in 10 games as a true freshman in 1997 and caught four
passes for 51 yards. Had 13-167 and one touchdown in '98. Dropped off to
4-52-0 in '99 and bounced back as a senior, starting all but one game and
catching a career-best 19-310-3.
The Good: Great workout guy who looks the part. Strongest wide receiver in
the program and looks like it. Can play like a really big man. Has a
vertical jump of 40-plus inches, really long arms and huge hands. Was timed
in the 4.4s on a very fast surface and can make the big play. Excellent
special-teams player. Does a very nice job covering kicks. Very aggressive
and physical. Plays wide receiver with the mentality of a linebacker. Likes
to hit. Good blocker who will hustle downfield to help his running back. Can
really jump. Flashes big-time receiving skills.
The Bad: Lacks consistency and savvy as a wide receiver. Drops too many. Has
not really learned how to maximize his size and speed and play under
control. Is not a really disciplined or instinctive route-runner. Gets too
macho and physical at times and will take some dumb penalties trying to show
how tough he is.
Summary: Should contribute on special teams and has an outside chance to
develop into a big-time receiver instead of just making a big-time play now
and then.
Height: 6-2
Weight: 200
Despite a rather unimpressive career as a Horned Frog, James has caught the
eyes of NFL scouts. After making just four receptions in 1999, James
returned in his senior season to post solid numbers, with 19 catches for 310
yards. Recently he drew some attention at the East-West Shrine game.
James showed explosiveness as a kick returner, demonstrating that he could
maneuver his strong frame with good speed. While he may not have been the
center of attention at TCU, interest in James has piqued, which may
translate into a mid-round selection come draft day.
Round 5, Pick 27, 157th Overall
Patrick Chukwurah, LB, Wyoming
Notes: Has run in the low 4.6s on a very, very fast timing surface. Was
born in Nigeria. Four-year letterman who has started since the third game of
the 1998 season. Was a combination DE-OLB pass-rusher for most of his
college career. Team's best pass-rusher for the past three years. Had 18
tackles and four sacks as a freshman; 37 stops and seven sacks in19'98; 90
tackles, nine sacks and his first interception in 1999; and 100 tackles and
seven sacks and 19 tackles for loss in 2000.
The Good: Quick, powerful and athletic for his size. Pretty good
pass-rusher. Plays very hard. Motor is always going 100 mph. Has a special-teamer's
mentality.
The Bad: Does too much gambling and gap-shooting, which creates holes in the
defense when he guesses wrong. DE-OLB tweener. Too small as a down lineman,
where he gets engulfed and buried by the big offensive linemen, unless he
beats them cleanly. May not have the instincts or hips to be a top
linebacker. Takes too many false steps, getting him out of position as a
linebacker, and he really struggles to flip his hips when dropping into
coverage.
Summary: Is a warrior and pass-rusher, but I don't know if he can be a
defensive end or linebacker in the NFL. May be best-suited to be a CFL
defensive end.
Height: 6-1¾
Weight: 238
40-yard dash: 4.71
10-yard dash: 1.60
20-yard shuttle: 4.21
60-yard shuttle: 11.78
Broad jump: 9-11
225 lb. bench: 24
3-cone drill: 7.34
Vertical jump: 40
20-yard dash: 2.68
Strengths: Is a very gifted athlete who can cover a lot of ground. Has the
speed and ability to get up field and create havoc in the backfield. Has
developed into a good outside pass rusher. Holds his ground at the point of
attack.
Weakness: Sometimes has trouble diagnosing plays. Has a tendency to
freelance and get caught out of position. Doesn't possess good instincts,
and lacks the quickness to gamble and recover to make the play.
Bottom Line: Chukwurah is a situational outside pass rusher. He doesn't have
the size to be an every-down player. His best attribute is his ability to
get up field. Scouts say Chukwurah, projected to go in the early sixth
round, might land a roster spot as a third-down specialist.
He is an excellent athlete with good size/speed combination. He is a good
pass rusher who can get up field and create problems. He does not have good
instincts and is more athlete than football player. He sometimes overruns
plays. He looks to be only a pass rusher on third downs unless he magically
gets better at reading plays.
Round 6, Pick 26, 189th Overall
Carey Scott, CB, Kentucky State
Notes: Has run in the 4.4s in the past. Had 36 tackles, six passes broken
up and three interceptions as a freshman in 1997. Led the team with four
picks in 1998.
The Good: Looks the part. Great body. Has good movement skills. Pretty fluid
and looks pretty running. Shows a burst.
The Bad: Very raw around the edges. Much better athlete than player. Lacks a
feel for the position. Has not learned to translate his physical skills into
football skills. Is slow to support against the run and is not very physical
vs. the run. Late reacting to the ball at times. Has not faced much strong
competition. Did not run well at the Combine.
Finally: May look and work out like a top pick, but he will need a lot of
development and refinement and may never develop a really good feel for the
skills of the game.
Height: 5-11 ¼
Weight: 208
40-yard dash: 4.40
10-yard dash: 1.65
20-yard shuttle: 4.18
60-yard shuttle: 11.71
Broad jump: 9-5
3-cone drill: 7.52
Vertical jump: 30
20-yard dash: 2.62
All Scott is missing from his resume is experience covering big-time wide
receivers. He has good height and awesome speed. Scott still needs a lot of
work on his technique and coverage skills, but he has all of the physical
skills to be a top-notch corner. If he can go to a team that will put some
time into his development and not expect results immediately, he could turn
out to be a diamond in the rough.
Round 7, Pick 25, 225th Overall
Brian Crawford, OT, Western Oregon
Not much information on this guy taken at # 25 (225 overall) in the
seventh round. OT from Western Oregon
Height: 6'6'' Weight: 301 40yd: 5.24