Where Will Steve Slaton End Up?

April 15, 2008 at 7:32 am | Article by Paul Hickey |

Stewart Bradley, Trent Edwards, Garrett Wolfe, Jacoby Jones and Laurent Robinson aren’t exactly household names yet, but most of them will be on the fantasy radar heading into their second NFL season. What do they REALLY have in common though? They were all taken smack dab in the middle of the third round of the NFL Draft last year - which happens to be exactly where we are in this year’s mock.

79. “The Houston Texans Select…” D.J. Hall, WR, Alabama -The Texans don’t have a second round pick, otherwise they would have taken a WR there to compete to start opposite Andre Johnson. In this case, the 6′2″ Hall is the best WR left on our board and we have to slot him here. He could fall further than this on draft day, but his ability to return kicks makes him a likely third rounder. Last year’s third rounder Jacoby Jones has battled legal issues, but has the talent to start opposite Johnson. Kevin Walter played well last year when Johnson and Jones where both hurt, but is more suited for a WR3 role.

80. “The Philadelphia Eagles Select…” Terrell Thomas, CB, USC -The Eagles are traditionally visionaries when it comes to building their defense and offensive line years in advance. At 6′0″ USC’s Terrell Thomas is a CB with size - and we all know those always have value in the NFL. This guy could be the next Ike Taylor, and develop under Asante Samuel, Lito Sheppard and Sheldon Brown, with no pressure. Oh yeah, if this sleeper pans out, it also gives them wiggle room when it comes to potentially trading Sheppard.

81. “The Arizona Cardinals Select…” Mike Hart, RB, Michigan - Like Houston, Arizona doesn’t have a second round pick this year, which makes their first and third round selections all the more crucial. The Cardinals could get the gem of the draft here, if an RB like U-M’s Mike Hart, or West Virginia’s Steve Slaton falls to them. Of course, they’re both available right now in our mock, but a better fit for Arizona is Hart, due to his powerful, between the tackles running style. Slaton resembles a bigger version of J.J. Arrington, who the Cardinals envision playing at least a small role this year on third downs. Hart is someone who can come in and compete for starters carries, however, as Edgerrin James continues to age and slow down. Hart is someone to watch on draft day, as his fantasy value, like that of many other RBs, could be directly attributed to what teams select them.

82. “The Minnesota Vikings Select…” Jack Ikegwuonu, CB, Wisconsin -Ikegwuonu shut down the likes of Michigan’s Mario Manningham and Indiana’s James Hardy, while covering Michigan State’s Devin Thomas in heated Big Ten competition this past collegiate season. The big, physical, speedy corner was the complete package and a sure fire first rounder, prior to blowing out his entire knee, ACL and knee-cap included, while training for the NFL Combine. Some team will take a risk on him in the third round, hoping for him to be a starter in 2009.

83. “The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Select…” Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia -Going into the 2007 collegiate football season, Slaton was one of the top rated pro prospects at running back. Since then, he’s been pegged as more of a shifty, third down, scat-back type at the pro level. That’s just fine with Tampa Bay, who would love to slide a guy like the explosive Slaton into their running back rotation. He can catch the ball out of the backfield and make things happen. He’s a very solid late round sleeper in dynasty rookie drafts and he’s certainly worth following.