2015 NFL Draft: Can't Miss Players?

Our friends over on Finheaven have a post up about five players that this particular poster believes are “can’t miss players”. That got me to thinking, is there such a thing?

Over the years the NFL Draft has been a boom or bust situation for teams. Executives have relied heavily on scouting and interviews after interviews with friends, coaches, previous teammates, and of course the player themselves. The hours spent researching a player is simply too many to define with a simple number. I remember a few years ago former Miami Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland talking about this very subject.

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Ireland ventured into the team meeting room to talk to a host of us representing Dolphins fan sites and his first comment was an apology for not making the year before. As he explained it, during the season he spent a lot of time doing scouting work. Typically teams spend countless hours researching players not just ahead of the next draft but the drafts beyond that. The time is so crucial that many scouts are kept during management and coaching changes until after the draft is over.

So is there such a thing a “sure thing”? A “can’t miss player”. The answer is no. If there were, teams would be clamoring to get into the top of the draft to take them, thus avoiding any and all risk associated with their picks. In fact if there was such a thing, teams would trade all of their picks to draft that one guy who would make a difference.

This year there are several “can’t miss” labeled players. The Finheaven poster named Leonard Williams, Amari Cooper, Kevin White, Dante’ Fowler, and Shane Ray. Solid players in college for sure but “can’t miss”? Opinion.

I would say that of all the players entering this years draft, Leonard Williams has the best shot at not becoming a bust. He has all the talent in the world and loves the game of football. He is young and already plays with an NFL level of play. Yet for all his accolades there are still teams that view his efforts at less than 100%. Regardless he is close but not quite a “can’t miss”.

For the Dolphins it’s a matter of finding the right player that fits your system, has the strengths to be an NFL player, and a ceiling that allows for growth. Over the years we have seen many miss becoming a “can’t miss” player. Dion Jordan only three years ago was considered by far the best defensive player in the draft. The Dolphins thought so too. They believed that Jordan was as close to can’t miss as anyone else. So far he is a bust. Played at the wrong position in the wrong scheme. In other words, they missed.

Ryan Leaf was a can’t miss player. The list can go on and and.

This year the Dolphins are rumored to have high interest in moving up for one of the two “can’t miss” wide-receivers. Both listed above, Cooper and White. Reality says they are the top of the food chain at their position, at least a reality based on opinion. White has all world athleticism but his stock rose out of his Combine performance. Cooper has been listed as the top WR in this year class since before the Combine yet his game isn’t as well rounded as some believe. For example, he doesn’t fight for the ball near as much as he should.

Playing the can’t miss game is a tough project and we all know that can’t miss players can miss. The players that the Finheaven poster made are very solid entries into the nearly perfect player pool but each have downsides to their game. Like every other player that is out there.

I remember citing my own can’t miss players over the years. Amobi Okoye was a player that I thought would make pro-bowl after pro-bowl. Now he is out of the league. Miami took Ted Ginn that year. I remember thinking that Dion Jordan was exactly what he was being billed as and I also believed that Brady Quinn was a can’t miss quarterback prospect as well. In my years following the draft closely I have only nailed two picks as “can’t miss” prospects, Jason Taylor and Drew Brees.

I like the fact that people have opinions on players that they believe are as close to perfect as you can get, that’s why I don’t ridicule the forum member for expressing his opinion. So with that I will give my own .02 cents worth of opinion. Here are four players that I think are as close to can’t miss as there is in this class, but again, it’s only my opinion and “I know nothing”.

1: Leonard Williams

2: Dorial Green-Beckham – he is the only one that will get in his way of being great

3: Danny Shelton – I love this kids physicality and speed for his side. I believe he can be the next Haloti Ngata.

4: Eric Kendricks – Not even graded out as a first round prospect. A steal if Miami gets him in round two.

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2015 NFL Draft: Can’t Miss Players?

By Brian Miller | Apr 27, 2015