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Teams that enjoy success in the NFL draft are able to delve beyond obvious first-round selections to find overlooked talents in the middle rounds and later who can be developed into impact players. USA TODAY's Tom Pedulla joins them in a weekly search for Draft Gems leading to the April 28-30 selection process at New York's Radio City Music Hall:
By Marcio Jose Sanchez, APNevada's Colin Kaepernick could be a sleeper in this year's NFL draft.
By Marcio Jose Sanchez, APNevada's Colin Kaepernick could be a sleeper in this year's NFL draft.
QB Colin Kaepernick• Ht.: 6-6 Wt.: 225 • School: Nevada • Hometown: Turlock, Calif.• Key statistic: First QB in history to throw for at least 10,000 yards and run for at least 4,000.• College highlights: Joined Tim Tebow and Cam Newton as only QBs to throw for 20 TDs and run for that many in same season. Gave Nevada first Top 10 finish in Heisman Trophy balloting, placing eighth. Set career high for completion percentage as a senior, clicking on 65.3% of his throws (213 of 326). • Upside: Size and athletic ability huge plusses.• Downside: May take extended period of time to groom with no guarantees.• Projected round: Third.• Coach's quote: "He will watch and learn, watch and learn and when his time comes, watch out." —Chris Ault, head coach, Nevada• Draft expert: "The more I studied, the more I liked him. He's a naturally strong-armed guy. I think he's got upside. You can see the talent is there. He's just not consistent." —Ron Jaworski, ESPN analystLB Casey Matthews• Ht.: 6-1 Wt.: 231 • School: Oregon • Hometown: Agoura Hills, Calif. • Key statistic: Paced Ducks with 79 tackles as a senior.• College highlights: Named first team All-Pac 10 last season and shared honors as team's Outstanding Player. Tied for third in the league with three fumble recoveries. Ranked third on club with three interceptions. Placed second on team with 81 tackles as a junior. • Upside: Far outplays his measurables. Comes from legendary football family — brother is Green Bay Packers star LB Clay Matthews— and has outstanding feel for game.• Downside: Hurt shoulder while bench-pressing at combine, a setback that will concern some teams. Also hurt his shoulder as a freshman.• Projected round: Fourth• Coach's quote: "He is the most instinctual player I have ever coached." —Oregon coach Chip Kelly• Draft expert: "The wow factor that you see in his brother, Clay, he's not that guy. Casey is a very smart, instinctive football player who doesn't have the same gifts his brother has. He's going to make your football team and eventually be a starter, but I don't know how many Pro Bowls he's going to make." —Charles Davis, NFL Network analyst For more information about reprints & permissions, visit our FAQ's. To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.We've updated the Conversation Guidelines. Changes include a brief review of the moderation process and an explanation on how to use the "Report Abuse" button. Read more.
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