Who Is Houston’s Donnie Avery?

April 16, 2008 at 7:35 am | Article by Paul Hickey |

We’ve already had nearly 15 wide receivers get snatched up in the first two and a half rounds, so what makes today’s WR - Donnie Avery - so special? The University of Houston product is someone that could get seriously overlooked due to the fact that he played at a smaller school. He has great speed and has been compared to Torry Holt by some scouts. See who gets him.

84. “The Washington Redskins Select…” Jack Williams, CB, Kent -The ‘Skins went with big Texas WR Limas Sweed in round one, solid OLB prospect Erin Henderson in round two (to likely replace the injured Rocky McIntosh), and now they need to do something to address the need in the secondary. In addition to the tragic death of Sean Taylor, 2005 first round pick CB Carlos Rogers has yet to fully recover from several knee injuries over the past two seasons. The bottom line is that with the growing number of spread offenses in the NFL these days, all teams need depth and cornerback, and the ‘Skins don’t even have two clear cut starters at this point. Williams is one of this year’s smaller corners at 5′9″, but has great upper body strength and reads the eyes of opposing QBs. He has great speed, impeccable timing, and is a freaking play-maker. Whoever lands him will get a great value.

85. “The Tennessee Titans Select…” Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona -In rounds one and two of our mock, the Titans drafted a WR and a DT, addressing definite need areas. The third major area of need is cornerback, as it is for just about every team in the league this year. With Pacman Jones out the door, Cortland Finnegan and Nick Harper are left to fend for themselves. While both are doing a great job, and getting solid help from last year’s number one pick Michael Griffin, it’s no secret Jeff Fisher wouldn’t mind playing Griff more at free safety. In order to do that, he’ll need a trusted third corner, which is where Cason comes in. At 6′0″, he’s built like a WR, and has huge hands as well. He also has great footwork and has great burst. Cason also played in a scheme that blitzed him a lot at Arizona, which is what the Titans like to do with Finnegan - talk about a perfect fit.

86. “The Seattle Seahawks Select…” Donnie Avery, WR, Houston - Avery is a projected second rounder by some scouts, who has conveniently slipped into the third round of our mock draft. The fact that we almost overlooked him, then realized he’s someone who’s stock is quietly rising, set off our prospect alert alarm. If he ends up with a team like Seattle, who really needs some more help at wide receiver after the severe ACL injury suffered by Deion Branch and the loss of D.J. Hackett to free agency, he could be a serious fantasy sleeper. His 4.34 forty yard dash and his 3.91 short shuttle mean he can absolutely create separation from defenders. At 5′11″, 192, he’s average size for an NFL vertical threat.

87. “The Detroit Lions Select…” Chevis Jackson, CB, LSU -The Lions acquired one of the game’s best and most underrated corners - Leigh Bodden - this off-season, but still need another starter, and some depth at that position. And, if history repeats itself, they’ll suffer at least one or two injuries in their defensive backfield early on in 2008. In other words, Detroit can’t draft enough CBs. Jackson also brings something new to the table for the Lions - he’s a winner. Coming off a National Championship season, Jackson will bring some much-needed confidence to Motown. Oh yeah, he’s one of several 6′0″ corners in this year’s draft, and with great anticipation and instincts, he’ll be a heck of a value in the third round.

88. “The Pittsburgh Steelers Select…” Jordon Dizon, LB, Colorado -From what we hear about Dizon, he’s a flat out over-achiever. He’s under 6′0″ tall and his speed is average, but he plays with great quickness and instincts. He reads plays extremely well and has the ability to be a leader at the pro level. Dizon plays with heart and would fit in nicely with the Steelers. Last year, they choose Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley, but this year they lost Clark Haggans to free agency, and need another versatile LB to rotate in and compliment James Farrior, Larry Foote and James Harrison.