The greatest thing about the NFL Draft is that no matter the endless hours and hours of planning and scouting and interviews, everyone will get the picks wrong or miss a player.
Look at last year for instance.
The Houston Texans drafted Bowling Green defensive tackle Chris Jones in Round 6, only to cut him after training camp. Jones, wound up being signed by an injury depleted New England Patriots team and went on to start 11 games with a very respectable 52 tackles and six sacks.
Then there is Marcus Cooper, a seventh-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers. He was cut in training camp, signed on with the Kansas City Chiefs. He started six games down the stretch (appeared in all 16) and had 44 tackles, 18 pass breakups, and three picks.
Anything is possible when it comes to the NFL Draft. Last season first-round studs were plenty abound: Kyle Long, Cordarrelle Patterson, and Eric Reid all made the Pro Bowl in their first season.
But what about the guys who slipped through the cracks? The players who didn’t make an impact in year one, but in year two they are looking to make a name for themselves?
Here at ProPlayerInsiders, we have devised the NFL All-Sophomore team made up from players selected from Round 2 and down that didn’t make a big impact in their rookie seasons but are primed for their second season.
QB – Mike Glennon
The Tampa Bay Buccanneers drafted in the third-round. While he did start 13 games and oust veteran Josh Freeman, there is still questions remaining about the young play-caller. Yes, he only managed four wins but he also managed 19 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. He posted an 83.9 passer rating.
RB – Zac Stacy
There are surely some people asking, “Zac who?” This fifth-round stud took over with style for the St. Louis Rams. The Vanderbilt alum, had just one carry the first four games of the season. He ended with 973 yards and seven touchdowns. An upgraded interior line and soon enough everyone will know Zac Stacy’s name.
WR – Justin Hunter, Markus Wheaton, Stedman Bailey
These three players ranged far and wide from one-another in 2013. Hunter had only 18 receptions and four touchdowns in 14 games but also displayed huge playmaking ability for the Tennessee Titans. Wheaton, on the other hand, failed to make a big impression despite a thin receiving corps in Pittsburgh. Only six receptions for 64 yards, Wheaton figures to be big part of 2014. Bailey proved to be steady for the Rams as a rookie. Bailey had 17 receptions for 226 yards and will only get better, now with some seasoning to him.
TE – Jordan Reed
The third-round pick appeared in only nine games, started four, and tallied 45 receptions for 499 yards and three touchdowns for the Redskins. Reed’s season was shortened due to injury. Think the Hogs are excited for RGIII? Try Reed’s return.
OT – David Bakhitiari, Terron Armstead
Wait a year it was for these blindside blockers. Bakhitiari, a fourth-round selection by Green Bay, was thought of by many scouts to be too small, but when forced into the starting lineup after Bryan Bulaga went down with an injury Bakhitiari solidified the position impressing many. Armstead, third-round, on the other hand started slowly for the Saints, expected from someone making the jump from Arkansas-Pine Bluff to the NFL. He turned it around and lockeddown the position. His main competition, Charles Brown, was allowed to walk via free agency because of his progress.
OG – Earl Warford, Hugh Thornton
Warford, third-round, was a Pro Bowl snub as he dominated early and often in his rookie season. The former-Kentucky Wildcat was voted best right guard in the NFC North. He will dominate for the next ten years for the Lions. Thornton, was a different story. A fellow third-rounder by the Colts, Thornton was pressed into starting duty after an injury to Donald Thomas. His play grew better as the season went on. Twelve starts as a rookie is a good learning point.
C – Brian Schwenke
Another fourth-round gem, Schwenke was put into the starting lineup after seven games and stabilized the line once he was given the nod. The last draft by head coach Mike Munchak, a hall-of-fame guard, left new coach Ken Whisenhunt with an anchor in the middle of the line.
DE – Margus Hunt, William Gholston
Neither player made a big impact in 2013. Hunt, who grew up in Estonia, joined the Cincinnati Bengals after being selected in the second-round. Twenty-five years old at the time of his selection, Hunt will be counted on more this season with the departure of Michael Johnson via free agency. Gholston, like Hunt, has immense athletic upside and was took his rookie year to learn the nuances of the game. He started two games and notched 30 tackles and two sacks over the season. With new coach Lovie Smith implementing a new system, it is intriguing to how the fourth-rounder’s role will improve.
DT – Bennie Logan, Kawann Short
Both helped their respective defensive lines immensely. After years of running a 4-3, the Philadelphia Eagles switched to a 3-4 under new coach Chip Kelly. Needing a nose tackle to anchor the line, Kelly selected Logan in third-round. A bit undersized, Logan took over starting duties midseason and showed strong promise with 27 tackles and two sacks. As for Short, he was drafted in the second-round by Carolina and was used as a pass rusher. While he didn’t log any starts, Short did manage 21 QB-pressures (second best on the team) and should start in 2014.
OLB – A.J. Klein, Alec Ogletree
The last time the Rams drafted a linebacker that fell out of the first-round, they landed James Laurinaitis. Since then, he has led the Rams in tackles each season since. Then last year Ogletree fell out of the first-round and was scooped up by the Rams in the second-round, just like Laurinaitis. Ogletree dethroned Laurinaitis for the team lead in tackles with 155. Klein’s story is much different however. After three straight seasons of 100+ tackles at Iowa State, Klein fell to the fifth-round where he was selected by the Panthers. While he only notched 21 tackles and two sacks, he showed enough in two spot-starts to be the favorite to start at outside linebacker heading into training camp.
MLB – Jamie Collins
In typical New England Patriots fashion, the traded out of the first-round. With their first selection in the second-round, they selected relatively unknown Collins out of Southern Mississippi. He cut his teeth on special teams and took over starting duties once the injury bug hit the linebacking corps. Collins showed huge potential with his sideline-to-sideline play.
CB – Robert Alford, Logan Ryan
Alford, a second-round selection by the Atlanta Falcons, made only four starts as a rookie but his play has the team excited for his sophomore season. He had showed good awareness displayed by his two interceptions and eight passes-defensed. As for Ryan, a third-rounder by the Patriots, he tallied six starts after starting the season as the nickle back. Injuries struck and Ryan was bumped up to start. He wound up leading the Pats with five interceptions.
S – Tyrann Mathieu, Jonathan Cyprien
One of the most scrutinized prospects of last year, Mathieu dropped to the third-round and the Cardinals were happy to pick him up. After starting as the nickle back, injuries struck the safety position and Mathieu was moved to free safety where he excelled and made plenty of plays. However, a knee injury shortened his season. Cyprien, the first selection of the second-round, gave the Jacksonville Jaguars a thumper in the secondary and someone to count on. He grew better with each game and ended the season with 104 tackles, a sack and interception, and two forced fumbles.
K – Caleb Sturgis
The lone bright spot on a so far dismal Miami Dolphins rookie class, the fifth-round pick hit 76.5% of his field goals and hit a long of 54-yards. Still needs to be more consistent though.
P – Sam Martin
The Lions used a fifth-rounder on their punter. While it’s not the Jags using a third-round pick on one in 2012 (Bryan Anger), a fifth-round pick is still high for a punter by conventional wisdom. Martin, proved his worth by averaging the sixth best kick in the league at 47.2 yards.
