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The 'sleeper' hold for NFL draft '10A 10-pack of draftable sleepers, from Dez Briscoe to Marshall NewhouseEmailPrintComments
4Share retweet2By Aaron Schatz
Football Outsiders
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Another Big 12 "Dez" -- Bryant -- gets all the hype, but Briscoe could be a pretty good pro.

A slow 40-yard dash time for a running back. A defensive end without the size and speed required by most NFL teams. A quarterback with a big brain but a small arm. Trouble off the field. No matter the reason, every draft brings its share of sleeper picks. Here, we'll define "sleepers" as players with third-round or lower projections who have skills that transfer well to the right NFL schemes. Here are 10 potential draft-day bargains who could make their future GMs look like geniuses.



Donald Butler, LB, Washington Huskies:
A great defender on a series of subpar teams, Butler finally got noticed in his senior season and crashed his way onto the combine invite list with a great Senior Bowl week. At 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds, Butler is a versatile linebacker who projects best outside in a 4-3 scheme. He can hit the run downhill and drop into coverage -- and his best football might be ahead of him.



Dezmon Briscoe, WR, Kansas Jayhawks:
Briscoe isn't a downfield speedster, but he has a nose for the end zone (31 touchdowns in 37 games), and he gets clean from coverage with good route running. There have been questions about his consistency and ability to run a full route tree out of Kansas' spread offense, but he looked much better than expected at the combine. In a group of receivers who didn't impress with their route correctness, Briscoe looked better than most.




Brandon Lang, DE, Troy Trojans:
There's a legacy connected to Troy "endbackers" based on Osi Umenyiora and DeMarcus Ware, and Lang fits the mold. He blew up for 18 sacks and 29 tackles for loss in his last two seasons. But while Ware and Umenyiora were known to run 40s in the 4.6- to 4.8-second range, Lang was closer to 5.0 at the combine. He showed more quickness at his pro day, especially in the agility drills that could be just as important an indicator of his ability to crash into the backfield after the snap.



Zac Robinson, QB, Oklahoma State Cowboys:
Of all the quarterbacks who actually threw at the combine, Robinson might have been the most surprising. He played in a spread offense with the Cowboys but has a pro-style overhand delivery, solid seven-step drops and the arm strength to make the 35-yard post-corner throw. The spread stigma will limit his draft prospects, but Robinson has the mechanics to transcend the issues common to most who fail in that transition.



Linval Joseph, DT, East Carolina Pirates:
A surprisingly disruptive interior presence for his size (6-5, 330), Joseph is a wide body with 5-flat speed. Where he breaks down is in overall stamina and ability to redirect in a hurry -- he can be taken out by better blockers because of this. Joseph is projected as a mid-round pick because of these issues, but any team looking for a nose tackle/3-tech hybrid in a rotation, who can stand at the point and wreak havoc in the backfield if he's fresh, should pay attention.



LeGarrette Blount, RB, Oregon Ducks:
There were red flags on Blount before he sucker-punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout and lost 10 games of the 2009 season to a suspension. Blount now is trying to be upright about his past issues; whether this is just a case of a guy who knows the money is near remains to be seen. After two years in junior college, he had only one full season at the Football Bowl Subdivision level, but Blount has the inside power to make a difference as a two-down basher in a running back committee.



Myron Lewis, CB/S, Vanderbilt Commodores:
Lewis' primary problem right now might be that NFL teams don't know his best position. Like Antrel Rolle, he might be best served by switching from cornerback to free safety when he hits the NFL. That might have been a demotion of sorts in past seasons, but safeties are becoming more important in the grand scheme of things as defenses are dealing with more dynamic passing games. Lewis is a physical player with limited short-area quickness and transition speed, making him a quality candidate for a position switch.



Seyi Ajirotutu, WR, Fresno State Bulldogs:
Perennially underrated as defenses focused on ace running back Ryan Mathews, Ajirotutu caught 47 and 49 passes in his last two seasons -- and touchdown passes in five of his last six games. Not a speed receiver or a notable route runner, he has good hands and no quarrel with catching the ball over the middle. Ajirotutu also is a willing blocker who could make the climb from reserve to starter in time.



Eric Olsen, C, Notre Dame Fighting Irish:
The center position requires an intellectual stronghold on the game that often transcends measurables, which is why undrafted "nobodies" make the Pro Bowl as often as first-round picks do. As the point man in Charlie Weis' pro-style offense (Weis called him the offense's "heart and soul"), Olsen has the smarts and mean streak to jump from third-day projection to offensive line cornerstone despite sub-elite athletic ability.



Marshall Newhouse, G, TCU Horned Frogs:
Newhouse might project as a tackle in the NFL with his impressive athleticism. At 6-4, 320, and capable of running a sub-5 40, Newhouse is a smart player with an excellent football background -- his uncle Robert Newhouse played fullback for the Cowboys for 12 seasons. An excellent drive blocker inside, he might not have the quickness to go with that track speed, but he'll be a good fit where versatility is valued.