MOCK DRAFT – Rod Babers predicts how the Longhorns will fare in the NFL Draft

AS A FORMER NFL athlete who has experienced the draft process in its entirety, Rod Babers knows plenty about how the league evaluates talent and chooses which players to draft. In this edition of Media Voices, the host of AM 1300 The Zone’s Sports Buffet gives his take on how this year’s group of Longhorns might fare in the draft.

Jackson Jeffcoat

Jackson Jeffcoat is the highlight of this class. He ran a fast enough 40 time (4.63) that he solidified himself as a player who could play outside linebacker. He doesn’t have enough bulk to play 4-3 defensive end in the league, but people look at him as a 3-4 outside linebacker. The same thing happened with Sam Acho and he ended up as an outside linebacker with the Cardinals. Honestly, former defensive coordinator Greg Robinson made Jeffcoat a lot of money. Before Robinson, many saw Jeffcoat as underachieving. Then Robinson arrived and put Jeffcoat in that “joker” position where he moved around — that showed his versatility. He’s a natural pass rusher. The stats show that Jeffcoat and Cedric Reed came together as the most dynamic and productive defensive end combo in the country. His pedigree helps, as his dad had a great NFL career and now coaches at Colorado. NFL coaches like that fact because he’s already had coaching and that’s less work for them.

DRAFT PREDICTION: THIRD ROUND

Mike Davis

At the combine, Mike Davis did fine. He ran [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)] a 40 time (4.42-4.46) at his pro day complimentary of his skills, but that time doesn’t show that he has the breakaway speed. He’s known as a deep threat and a guy who can blow the top off a defense. With his 40 time, he showed just that, but the NFL is a different game. Davis needs to prove that he could run intermediate to short routes and that he can get yards after the catch. This draft class has so much depth at wide receiver — the talent has been touted as the best in 10 years — so he could easily end up dropping.

DRAFT PREDICTION: FOURTH OR FIFTH ROUND

Anthony Fera

Anthony Fera may get drafted in the sixth or seventh round — he may not get drafted, period —but he may end up having the longest career of any of the Longhorns in this draft class. He has the ability to both punt and kick. Anytime a player can show that they have multiplicity in their skill set, it makes them a commodity for a team. Fera will give a team the luxury of having more players on the roster. He may not get picked, but there’s no question he’ll be on a roster when the season starts and he may be someone’s starting kicker.

DRAFT PREDICTION: SIXTH OR SEVENTH ROUND

Carrington Byndom

In his sophomore year, Carrington Byndom was one of the best cornerbacks in country. His stats for yards per pass given up ranked with Dre Kirkpatrick and Morris Claiborne. He looked unbelievable. However, injuries played a role in his development and he underachieved his last two years, dropping his draft stock precipitously. He has the size and he ran a high-4.3 or low-4.4 40 at the pro day — numbers I think solidified him as an early fifth-round or late fourth-round pick. He compares well to Chykie Brown. Brown had the body of Cedric Griffin and the athleticism of Michael Huff but it never came together for him at Texas. He ended up getting drafted in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens and he’s still on the roster. If a player can show that he has raw potential, every NFL coach figures they can turn his body and raw athleticism into NFL talent. Byndom played safety and corner, plus he has the coach Duane Akina stamp of approval. That’s important because Akina remains the most respected defensive backs coach in all of football.

DRAFT PREDICTION: FOURTH OR FIFTH ROUND

The Rest of the Class

Adrian Phillips may have a chance to go to a camp and make a roster but his route to the NFL will likely go through the Canadian Football League. Chris Whaley’s situation looks very similar to Fozzy Whittaker’s and a team before the start of the season will likely pick him up. He’ll end up on a practice squad to give him time to fully recover from his injuries and have the opportunity to earn a job next year. The last time Texas had an offensive lineman drafted was in 2008. This year, the Longhorns have three who are eligible: Donald Hawkins, Trey Hopkins and Mason Walters. Out of those three, Hopkins has the most potential to get drafted. Hawkins has better NFL size than the other two, but he doesn’t have any film. Hopkins has played every position on the offensive line and that’s an asset that manufactures depth for a team. Walters has the size and a great football character but the question remains whether he has the athleticism to go against the freak defensive fronts in the NFL.

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This Article also appears in the May 2014 Issue of Horns Illustrated Magazine