State of the Nation

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By Michael Stewart

Rated as the 8^th best Quarterback and projected to be selected in the 4^th round. Lindley is a big, strong armed QB that can put too much faith in that arm at times. He has very good size, the toughness and willingness to stay in the pocket at the very last second. Lindley can be very erratic at times, but his upside outweighs his downside. With the right coaching, perhaps Lindley can develop at the next level to be a more consistent Quarterback. Rated as the 26^th best Running Back and projected to be selected in the 7^th round or perhaps unsigned. Talent is not an issue for Scott; he has great size at 6'1 230lbs, runs hard on every carry. Scott has surprising speed once he gets going, but needs to work on his mental toughness. If everything checks out and he shows some added maturity, Scott has the skills to develop into a contributor at the NFL level.
Rated as the 13^th best Defensive End and projected to be selected in the 4^th round. Jackson transferred out of USC after the school was hit with countless violations from the NCAA; which restricted USC to participate in bowl games. Jackson transferred to Tennessee and spent most of his time playing DT for the Vols. This limited his ability to make a name for himself as a DE prospect; which is why he is projected a 4^th round draft pick. Jackson will never be a big play threat, but he is a better pass rusher than he's given credit for and his all around skills give him the ability to play at the NFL level.

Rated as the 15^th best Defensive Tackle and projected to be selected in either the 4^th or 5^th round.  Hick’s has also shown scouts that he could play the outside edge (DE) as well. At 6’5 and weighing 318 pounds, Hicks best time in the 40 yard dash was an astounding 4.98 seconds. With a wing span of 84 inches, scouts feel that Hicks has only begun to show his potential and have labeled him a project. Given the right situation and coaching, Hicks could emerge as a dominant Defensive Linemen in the next 2-3 years. Rated as the 19^th best Cornerback, and projected to be selected in the 4^th round. Steed is another small school guy that could surprise some people. He has the natural athleticism, quick feet, and hips to turn and run with receivers. Steed has shown the ability to be a big play machine with 14 career picks and has displayed some toughness and physicality. All the tools are there for Steed to make a name for himself in the NFL. He probably will not hear his name called until the fourth round, but he will be a player that outperforms some of the guys drafted ahead of him.

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