Rookie DE Corey Wootton fell to the fourth round of the draft because of an old neck injury, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Mancini’s Take: Despite Wootton’s considerable size and talent, he remains a boom-or-bust pick until he can truly bounce back from a devastating ACL tear he suffered in the Alamo Bowl two seasons ago. The New Jersey native has admitted numerous times that he was never close to full strength during his senior campaign. His burst, explosion and lateral movement were all very much compromised. Will he ever return to being the pass-rushing headhunter he was in 2008? When completely healthy, the 6’6″, 270-pound Wootton displayed amazing sideline-to-sideline quickness in pursuit of ballcarriers and elite change-of-direction ability, making him a versatile lineman who could line up in either a 3-4 or 4-3 alignment. What makes the success of this long-armed third-round pick so vital to the Jerry Angelo/Lovie Smith
Pros: A senior defensive end at Iowa, Adrian Clayborn is an incredibly talented and unique prospect. Anyone who watched the 2010 Orange Bowl will remember Clayborn’s MVP performance as he completely dominated the game and displayed massive amounts of NFL potential. Standing 6’3” and 280-plus pounds Clayborn has near prototypical size to go along with his elite foot work, burst, hip fluidity, explosiveness, leg drive and motor. After flashing potential as a sophomore, the St. Louis native busted loose in 2009 with one of the best defensive seasons in the nation: 70 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 20 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Not just an athletic talent, Clayborn is known for his
Pros: Anyone who watched Virginia Tech football last season can tell you one thing for sure: running back Ryan Williams can flat out play. Williams rumbled for 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns on his way to setting the Virginia Tech single-season rushing record. Words like durable, dependable, scoring machine, versatile and turnover-free all accurately describe the red-shirt freshman’s performance. You want consistency? The Hokie matched an ACC record with ten 100-yard rushing games. How about stamina and conditioning? The ACC Rookie of the Year started all 13 games, played in 559 snaps and carried the pigskin 292 times. Not just a workman-like runner,
Pros: The soon-to-be senior at Ohio State, Cameron Heyward, is a certified man-giant. However, the defensive end is not a lumbering behemoth; his foot-speed, lateral ability, fluid hips and short-area quickness are uncanny for a man that is 6’6” and around 290 pounds. What truly stands out about Heyward is his ability to defend the run (46 tackles total, 10 tackles for loss as a junior). He is almost impossible to run at if he isn’t double-teamed and even then it isn’t a good idea. Heyward’s long arms and strength make it difficult for offensive lineman to get into his pads and his incredibly quick feet make him very tough
Pros: The North Carolina defensive end is a relentless, athletic freak of a pass rusher that seems to enjoy smashing into ball carriers and quarterbacks. Quinn’s 11 sacks as a sophomore were second in the ACC, one fewer than 2010 first round pick Derrick Morgan’s dozen. Quinn also added 15 quarterback hurries to lead the Heels. The UNC product doesn’t just settle for the sack, he’s a turnover machine who recorded six forced fumbles and always plays until the whistle is blown. Standing at 6’5” and over 260 pounds Quinn is incredibly strong for his size to go along with his natural hip fluidity and explosion. His first step is