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Draft-bound skill players from Ole Miss: The Ole Miss Admiral Ackbars have five skill players departing Oxford for greener NFL pastures. There are four seniors (Gerald Harris, Cordera Eason, Shay Hodge, and Dexter McCluster) and one junior (Jevan Snead) entering the draft, and at least three of them should be drafted among the seven rounds. I have for you an individual breakdown of the fab five from Lafayette County and show you what to expect from them in the League. Gerald Harris Tight End 6′5  280 Lbs. Harris is a big, strong Texas bred Tight end with a nose for hurting people. He explodes through the pads well on run plays and is exceptional on picking up blitzes by a linebacker. He could be optimal in running situations, especially around the goal line. Harris also possesses good hands and doesn’t drop many balls thrown his way. His downfall however, is his inability to get open on play action as well as poor route running abilities. Since he takes so much pride in his blocking, it is sometimes hard for him to break away and get open, especially with lackluster speed. He couldn’t seem to outrun linebackers or get to the spot on the field where Snead could hit him. Gerald Harris will be a project for any coach looking for a pass catching Tight End, but a jewel for any coach who likes to run the ball outside the tackles. Good fits: Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars Projection: Undrafted Cordera Eason Running Back 5′10  224 Lbs. Eason is a quick back who runs the 40 in the neighborhood of 4.5. With good size and good speed, he seems like he should be a good NFL prospect as a change of pace back. The problem with Cordera lies in consistency. He is able to break a few tackles or even get to the outside for a large gain, but often times he gets lost behind his lineman and goes nowhere. He does not have very good field vision and awareness which is why he was a third option for Houston Nutt. Vision is a natural skill that born runners like Chris Johnson and Maurice Jones-Drew possess, not something that can be developed. I don’t see Eason as an on-field threat or as a viable option for an NFL team, but I hope he proves me wrong. Good Fits: Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants Projection: Undrafted Shay Hodge Wide Reciever 6′2  207 Lbs. In my mind one of the most under appreciated players in the SEC last year was Shay Hodge. Shay runs very clean routes and has great instincts on how to get the ball. He led the SEC in catches and it was no coincidence that he was open so often. Nutt said Hodge is a very coachable player and that has shown in his progress. He has gotten better year to year in his route running as well as his run blocking. He possesses great hands and a good frame, and his athleticism is only mired by his speed. It is one thing to break away from Vanderbilt’s coverage and another thing to break away from an NFL corner’s coverage. Hodge will not be the next Brandon Marshall, but I do think he will be a good possession receiver in the NFL. Good Fits: New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears Projection: 5th Round Dexter McCluster Running Back/Wide Receiver 5′7  175 Lbs. McCluster was the most dangerous man in college football last year. You may think Best from Cal or Spiller from Clemson, but I’d like for you to ask Lane Kiffin how he enjoyed trying to stop #22. He has exceptional speed and elusiveness, and can find and fit through seems better than anyone I’ve seen play. Scouts and coaches worry about his size, but he turns that negative into a positive. He runs like he’s being chased and is the epitome of a home run threat. He was fumble-prone during his Junior season but improved upon that in his Senior campaign. He can be a great scat back as well as screen/slot reciever who in the open field is lethal. He is not known for his durability, but to injure Dexter McCluster, you’ll have to catch Dexter McCluster. Good Fits: Oakland Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles Projection: 3rd Round Jevan Snead Quarterback 6′3  215 Lbs. The signal-caller for Ole Miss is probably one of the most difficult players to assess if you’re an NFL GM. He has all of the physical tools: huge arm, tall frame, quick feet. But then again, he does not have the “entangibles” that make quarterbacks sexy to franchises. He does not have proven confidence which is evident by his decommitment from Florida because of Tim Tebow, and his transferring out of Texas due to Colt McCoy. Also, he has not shown that he can bounce back from poor decision making. On the other hand, he did show that he could win big games and also lead a team when they needed to be led (see Florida ‘08 and Texas Tech ‘09). Many of his interceptions can be attributed to atrocious blocking as well as miscommunication between his receivers and the coaches. In my mind, Snead is an NFL-quality quarterback who has all of the tools to make it in the pros, as long as he works on his head case. Good Fits: Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Cleveland Browns Projection: 3rd Round That wraps up my assessment of the skill position players from Ole Miss. They are a talented group who I feel have a risk worth taking (Snead), a consistent contributor (Hodge), and a future star in McCluster. Next, I’ll take a look at the big uglys up front from Ole Miss who are off to the draft. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts on the prospects or on my thoughts on the prospects. Also, take in a look at my blog at http://lanekiffinsskymiles.blogspot.com/. 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