NFL Draft Sleeper Picks - Danny Kelly Edition

Stanford CB Richard Sherman

Sherman is a 5th year senior that made the transition from wide receiver to corner in 2009 so he's very inexperienced at the position. Despite that, he's put up some very respectable numbers his last two seasons. He's got excellent size at 6'3, 195 and his speed is adequate (4.5 40). He had an 11 foot broadjump, a 4.33 short shuttle, 6.73 3-cone drill, and a 37 inch vert, all very impressive numbers for a DB his size. Before he made the switch to the defensive side of the ball, he registered 81 catches for 1340 yards and 7 TDs. As a corner in his senior year at Stanford, he had 49 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 6 pass breakups starting on the left side. His specialty is press man coverage so he could be on the Hawks' radar in the late rounds. He's very raw, but flashes the potential to help out in run support and has the ability to turn and run with receivers. Will be better in a man coverage scheme. Could be a very good flyer pick for the Hawks as he possesses ideal size and bulk and is a physical, hard working player out of Stanford.

Arizona State DT Lawrence Guy

Guy is a mid to late round prospect at DT that possesses a great motor and effort and is a team leader. He's got the ability to rush the passer and push the pocket. He's a versatile guy - can play at either the 3-tech or 5-tech and plays with a mean streak. He's got a rare combination of speed, size and athleticism at 6'5, 300 that some team will take a chance on him despite the knocks on him. These knocks include the fact he doesn't possess very eye-popping numbers because he faced a lot of double teams on a weak line at Arizona State and he had issues in the classroom that were part of the reason he left school early despite a low grade from the draft advisory committee. Because he projects as a 3-tech but also is versatile enough to play 5-tech he could very well be on the Seahawks' radar as well.

Louisville QB Adam Froman

Adam Froman is a guy that I'm becoming more and more enamored with as we approach the draft. He's a big QB prospect with all the measurables you'd ever want - he's 6'4, 220, ran the forty in 4.55 seconds, the short shuttle in 4.08, and the 3-cone in 6.6. Ridiculous numbers for a QB of a normal class, but one of the best in this year's class of very athletic QBs like Jake Locker, Cam Newton, and Colin Kaepernick. His tangibles are there - he possesses a solid throwing motion, is good in the pocket, has good vision, and is an accurate passer. He's a former JUCO transfer to Louisville that has flown under the radar due to injuries sustained in the last two seasons, which have limited his statistical numbers. More specifically to the Hawks, he's a mobile guy with football intelligence that could come in to be groomed as a future starter. He's got a legit NFL arm and is prototypical size, and could come at a steep discount in the later rounds.

Marshall LB Mario Harvey

Small school combine snub Mario Harvey could be a good later-round flyer pick. Nicknamed "Thumper" due to his big hits, he was a Butkus Award semi-finalist and the only non BCS linebacker to be represented there. He averaged 11.9 tackles per game and had 143 total tackles (65 solo), 17.5 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in his senior season. 

At his pro day, he ran a ridiculous 4.42 forty and had a 32" vert, a 9'5" broad jump and put up 27 reps on the bench. He doesn't really project as a 4-3 cover-2 type linebacker because his coverage skills are a bit lacking according to scouting reports, but I wanted to include him on here anyway because he's flown under the radar for the most part and I like small-school prospects. He's a probable UDFA and he's not likely on the Hawks radar but perhaps they see something in him they can work with.

Oregon WR Jeff Maehl 

I like Maehl a lot. He's got good hands, spacial awareness, and he was a very productive receiver for the Ducks. He's not a burner as his forty time was only 4.62, but he's got off the charts agility - something that could come in handy for a slot receiver. He set the combine record in his 3-cone drill at 6.42 seconds, finished first among WRs in the 60 yard shuttle (10.87) and was a top performer at the short shuttle (3.94). A shifty, sure handed receiver with good size and escapability is something the Hawks could use with the probable departure of Brandon Stokley. He sort of reminds me of an Austin Collie or Wes Welker type receiver in the fact he's a worker with sub-par speed but above average agility and ability to find the open spot in the zone. The Hawks' slot receiver position is currently unoccupied due to injuries or question marks for Deon Butler, Golden Tate, and Isaiah Stanback and none of these guys are a lock. It's questionable whether Butler and/or Tate's best position is in the slot or outside and Stanback is anything but a sure shot to make the 53-man roster coming off an achilles tear. 

Tune in to the 2011 NFL Draft on NFL Network