Being drafted in the latter rounds of the NFL Draft, or not being drafted at all, wouldn’t mean the end of the world for Matt Scott, Brandon Magee, Josh Hubner and Keelan Johnson.
Ask Kurt Warner. He was undrafted, and he turned out pretty well didn’t he?
Right now, on most of the mock drafts you see, these four young men are projected to be selected from between the fifth and seventh rounds, and possibly some not even being called at all.
As with every NFL prospect participating here in Indianapolis this week, there’s strengths and weaknesses to each one of them (after all, we’re all human right?)
Scott’s upside is his tremendous arm strength, accuracy and his ability to be a dual-threat because of his athleticism. His downside is his lack of bulk, which would concern most teams, thinking he might be lacking in the durability department.
Scott is still an intriguing young man coming into the Combine, especially for those dual-threat capabilities, as the NFL is starting to migrate toward more mobility with their signal callers.
For Magee, having a solid senior season for the Sun Devils helps his cause, along with his insane love for the game (which directly translates to his play) and his infectious attitude both on and off the field.
What restricts him right now is his size (5’11”, 234 lbs), his health (he missed the entire 2011 season with an Achilles injury), and possibly where his loyalties would lie (either the NFL or baseball).
Johnson, like Magee, also had a solid senior season for Arizona State, but doesn’t come in highly rated among his fellow safeties. He’ll have to have a great showing when it’s his turn, in order to rise on team’s boards.
The same applies to Hubner, who’s currently rated No. 6 among prospective punters. He kicked the leather off the ball for the Sun Devils this past season. He’s gotta do it on an even bigger stage at Lucas Oil Stadium, because if he does, he’ll be kicking on Sundays real soon.
Scott, Magee, Johnson and Hubner are all great athletes, and they all have a great upside and they can offer NFL teams a lot. It’s just going to take a bit more work than usual to show it off this week.