West Virginia Mountaineers Top NFL Draft Prospects for 2013 and Beyond Pt.1

12 Geno Smith, Quarterback, Senior  6’3″ 214 pounds

Smith is one of the top senior quarterbacks in his class. He doesn’t lack any particular trait you look for in a quarterback prospect, except for the fact that his offense is almost overly pass oriented and he doesn’t have a ton of experience from under center. He has the ability to make plays with his legs and can hit all the throws. In Dana Holgorson’s offense, he really thrived as a junior throwing for 4,385 yards, 31 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He had a pass efficiency rating of 152.6 this past season, so he is very careful with the ball. He has had a couple of elite receivers to throw to over the last two seasons, and that should help him be even more productive as a senior. He has really good footwork, and a quick, low release which can at times get knocked down at the line of scrimmage because he appears to release the ball right around his ear or slightly below. Sometimes he doesn’t go through all of his progressions and will settle for his first read, which is normally okay but he will need to work through some things as he progresses as a player. Smith has the ability to fit the body into tight windows, and when he hits his groove he can get really hot. Leads an explosive aerial attack, which will translate well to the NFL. Really productive player who I think has a chance to be a Pro Bowl caliber player at the NFL level.

3 Stedman Bailey, Wide Receiver, Junior  5’10” 190 pounds

Really intriguing wide receiver prospect. Does a good job of using his hands and playing physical. He has the ability to make plays after the catch with his elusiveness and athletic ability. Sure-handed receiver who has built a great chemistry with quarterback Geno Smith, and a guy who runs really good routes overall. Started all of last season for the first time in his career, and finished the year with 72 receptions for 1,279 yards and 12 touchdowns, averaging over 17 yards per reception. He is easily the team’s best deep threat and he led WVU in receiving despite catching 29 fewer passes than returning senior Tavon Austin. He has great quickness with the ball in his hand, and is always keeping his eyes upfield. He has great potential after the catch and could be one of the best combination receivers in his class. He looks like he could be similar to a Reggie Wayne type of receiver.

1 Tavon Austin, Wide Receiver, Senior  5’9″ 176 pounds

Quick, shifty, jack-of-all-trades wide receiver prospect who can do so many things to help your football team. Really, he reminds me a lot of a DeSean Jackson type of receiver. He is so fast and so elusive in the open field, but he isn’t very big so he likely won’t be a first round pick. At the next level, that really won’t matter. He is going to make an impact at the next level if he can stay healthy. When you watch him play, he reaches second and third gear at an incredible rate. When this guy hits the open field, he is nearly impossible to track down. He looks like a pinball moving around on the football field. As a junior, he had a team-leading 101 receptions for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns, but he also added over 100 yards rushing with a touchdown on the ground, and 938 kick return yards with two more touchdowns there. He averaged an astounding 26 yards per kick return. For as compact as he is, he is actually really strong and has great balance near the sidelines. Strangely, he has had some problems fielding punts, but if he ever figures that out, he could be extremely dangerous there as well. Basically, this is a player you want to get the ball in open space as much as possible. He has so many skills in the open field, and he has great breakaway speed.