How are They Doing?

The NFL Draft has evolved into a mega-process. The draft now covers three days including primetime coverage of the first round. Prospects are followed for years and every minute of gameplay is broken down and analyzed. Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have become famous simply because of their draft analysis, and as fans information about prospects is readily available. However, after the Draft, information on the success of prospects seems to become scarce. How are the top prospects performing this year in the NFL? To help remedy this situation I am going to breakdown how the Top 5 picks in the draft have faired this year.

1. Sam Bradford, QB, St. Louis- Sam Bradford has been a pleasant surprise for St. Louis fans this year. Coming out of college Bradford was pegged as a guy who would need at least a year to adjust to an NFL offense, after playing in the spread at Oklahoma. Despite the critics, Bradford earned the job with some impressive performances in the pre-season. He was put into a tough situation to start the regular season. Donnie Avery, St. Louis's best receiver, went down for the season with a knee injury. However, Bradford has led the Rams to a 1-2 start to the season, with two narrow losses by a combined 6 points. Granted the competition has not been the best, (Arizona, Oakland, and Washington) but Bradford has put up decent numbers for a rookie (69/117, 59%, 218 YPG, 4 TD's, 5 INT) and kept the team in games. Obviously Bradford is no Peyton Manning yet or even a Matt Ryan, but the quick adjustment he has made to the NFL along with the Rams success despite their below average roster is impressive. 

2. Ndamukong Suh, DT, Detroit- Ndamukong Suh was the most hyped player in the draft. Despite not being selected number one overall due to position, Suh was the consensus number one rated prospect. Suh was an absolutely dominating player in college posting 158 tackles, 19 sacks, 3 INT, and 2 TD's in his junior and senior seasons. These numbers are incredible and the Detroit Lions, in desperate need of help on the defensive line, quickly snatched up this physical freak. They also added Corey Williams and Kyle Vanden Bosch on the defensive line to hopefully form an effective unit. The Lions are off to an 0-3 start, but Suh is not at fault for any of these losses. He has been an effective force, facing constant double teams and still racking up 12 tackles and 2 sacks through three games. More than his stats, his effects have been seen through the stats of his fellow D-lineman. The Lions are tied for the league lead in sacks with 11 sacks through three games. Suh has made a large impact so far as a rookie, and is living up to his hype at this point. 

3. Gerald McCoy, DT, Tampa Bay- Gerald McCoy was the best prospect in the draft to receive no hype.  Hidden behind all the hype of Suh was another very good defensive tackle in Gerald McCoy. Known more for his quickness and agility than pure strength McCoy had an excellent college career at Oklahoma. In his last two years at OU, McCoy posted 58 tackles and 12 sacks. These numbers may look small compared to Suh but they are still extremely impressive for a DT. McCoy was drafted by Tampa Bay and was thought to be a perfect fit for their Cover 2 defensive scheme. McCoy has been unimpressive so far. He did record a forced fumble in the first game, but he has a mere 5 tackles and no sacks. However, Tampa Bay is off to a 2-1 start and McCoy is still a key cog in the buccaneers future plans.

4. Trent Williams, OT, Washington-Trent Williams, the third player from Oklahoma drafted in the top 5, was a physical specimen coming out of Oklahoma. Most believed he could be plugged in as an instant starter on the Redskins offensive line, and he did just that taking the left tackle job during camp. He started the first game of the season against Dallas and played well in a Redskin's win, but he was hurt in the second game against Houston, loss. He then missed the third game against the Rams, another Redskin's loss. Williams has proved he has the ability to be an effective player in the NFL, and now it is a matter of staying healthy and anchoring the Redskin's line for years to come.

5. Eric Berry, SS, Kansas City- Eric Berry the last pick of the top five, was often thought of as the second or third most talented player in the draft. When selected with the 5th pick he became the highest drafted safety since Sean Taylor was drafted in 2004, also with the 5th pick. Berry had an outstanding three year career at Tennessee posting 241 tackles, 14 interceptions, and scoring 3 touchdowns. He was then drafted by Kansas City, who is off to a surprising 3-0 start to the year. Berry has contributed to this start with 17 tackles, but he has yet to show off the playmaking ability that had everyone drooling coming out of college. Berry should continue to learn the defense and develop into an exceptional safety. He size and athletics ability alone should allow Berry to become a top 5 safety in the league.