FCS Players in the 2012 NFL Draft
Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck might have been the attention-getters at the recently concluded NFL Combine, but the 32 teams and scouts present in Indianapolis came to see a lot more than just those two standouts.
Not all of the 300-plus invitees hail from the Stanfords, Baylors, or Alabamas of the world. Twenty-two players came from Football Championship Subdivision schools and some of these athletes could find themselves being selected when the NFL Draft is held April 26-28.
Nowadays, small school players are being charted, too, as several NFL rosters are dotted with FCS alums. Most notable among the group are Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (Delaware) and New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (Massachusetts). Plus, the New England Patriots, who lost to the Giants in this year’s Super Bowl, had two members of its starting secondary Kyle Arrington (Hofstra) and James Ihedigbo (Massachusetts) from the FCS ranks.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at FCS players who might hear NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell call their name in April.
The FCS ranks were well represented at the Combine with defensive backs. One of those receiving attention was Josh Norman of Coastal Carolina. At 6 feet and 197 pounds, Norman’s good size is a plus. Although a 4.66 40 time wasn’t as fast as other DBs at the Combine, his strong showing at the East-West Shrine All-Star game helped his draft stock. Only two other Chanticleers, Tyler Thigpen and Jerome Simpson, have been drafted.
Asa Jackson of Cal Poly is another name to remember in April. He ran a 4.49 40 in Indianapolis and received the 18th best score out of the 38 defensive backs, according to NFL.com. Jackson also is an outstanding punt return man as he averaged 18.0 yards a return last season.
Other defensive backs to keep in mind are: Justin Bethel of Presbyterian, Trumaine Johnson of Montana, Micah Pellerin of Hampton, Ryan Steed of Furman, D’Andre Presley of Appalachian State, Christian Thompson of South Carolina State, Jerron McMillian of Maine, Janzen Jackson of McNeese State, and Corey White of Samford.
Bethel is the first player from Presbyterian, a school of just 1,200 students in South Carolina, to be invited to the Combine. The Big South Conference Defensive Player of the Year had an impressive outing in the East-West Shrine game.
Meanwhile, Thompson saw his stock rise at the Combine after he was pegged a “top performer” at his position. His average time of 4.50 in the 40 was the fastest among the 18 safeties who ran.
Other names on the defensive side of the ball to remember are Montana linebacker Caleb McSurley, Old Dominion defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron, Cal Poly defensive end Matt Singletary and Portland State’s Myles Wade.
While there are several FCS representatives in the secondary, the top FCS pick could be a wide receiver – Appalachian State’s Brian Quick. Many draftniks have mentioned Quick as a name to remember come draft time, including ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr.
Although he doesn’t have blazing speed (4.55 in the 40 at the Combine), Quick has the size (6-4, 220 pounds) and athleticism to catch a team’s attention early in the draft. He holds all-time career marks at Appalachian State for receptions (202), touchdowns (31) and receiving yards (3,418).
Pro Football Weekly described Quick this way: “Long, lean, athletic former hoopster loaded with upside and raw physical ability, including tremendous ball skills, elevation and ‘above-the-rim’ coordination.”
Other possible wideout selections include Liberty’s Chris Summers, Citadel’s Kevin Hardy, Dale Moss of South Dakota State (first athlete in school history to be invited to East-West game), Tennessee Tech’s Tim Benford, the Ohio Valley Conference offensive player of the year, and Southern’s Jared Green, son of NFL Hall of Fame cornerback Darrell Green.
Another athlete receiving notice is Massachusetts’ Emil Igwenagu, a tight end/fullback type. The 6-1, 245-pounder played in the East-West game and told Yahoo! Sports the recent success of other UMass players can only help him.
“I definitely think the success of Victor (Cruz) and the other guys ... those guys made a statement for UMass. It definitely helps with the perception with how the NFL looks at us,” Igwenagu said.
Another name to remember is Kavario Middleton, a tight end from Montana.
Other skill-position players that might be drafted: running back Jewel Hampton of Southern Illinois. A transfer from Iowa, Hampton has had injury woes but rushed for 1,121 yards and 17 TDs last season. He was invited to the Combine but didn’t participate because of an ankle injury. William & Mary’s Jonathan Grimes also has been mentioned as a possible late-round pick.
Although there doesn’t appear to be any Flaccos in this quarterback group, Tennessee-Chattanooga’s B.J. Coleman did get a Combine invite as did Richmond’s Aaron Corp and Yale’s Patrick Witt. A transfer from Tennessee, Coleman (6-3, 234 pounds) has the size to be noticed. Corp played at USC before transferring to Richmond.
That brings us to the offensive line where Columbia’s Jeff Adams, South Dakota’s Tom Compton (6-5, 314) and Dustin Waldron of Portland State are names to remember.
Compton is trying to become the first Coyote drafted in the current seven-round format. Waldron, meanwhile, had a strong Combine where he impressed scouts with his quickness.
