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From our partner site, vt.fanfoc.us:

Link to Baltimore Sun article about Justin Harper.

I never noticed until this year how many articles are written about rookie WR’s in the NFL. It seems like every year I’m struggling to find news about VT alum in training camps – but this year I come across an article about Harper, Royal or Morgan every other day.

Anyways – I didn’t realize Harper was getting so many reps with the offense during OTA’s – according to this article he took Demetrius Williams’s spot while he was sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury. The ravens view Justin as an ideal red zone target but he’s hoping to show he can make a play anywhere on the field. Best of luck to you Justin making an impact in the NFL

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Five more Hokies got phone calls today letting them know they’d be drafted on the second and final day of the 2008 NFL Draft. Three others never got that call and will now sit back and wait for the phone to ring with an invite to a training camp on the other end.

On Day One, OT Duane Brown was selected by Houston with the No. 26 overall pick; CB Brandon Flowers went to Kansas City with the 4th pick in the 2nd round (36th overall); and WR Eddie Royal will be moving to Denver to play for the Broncos after they selected him with the 11th pick in the 2nd round (42nd overall).

On Day Two, Chris Ellis was the first Hokie to come off the draft boards when the Buffalo Bills used their third round pick (9th) to select the DE (72nd overall).

From ESPN: “Teams are going to have success running at Ellis — he’s undersized and doesn’t have great lower-body strength. In fact, he may never develop into an every-down player. But there’s a lot to like about his potential as a situational pass-rusher. He’s quick, relentless and has the foot speed to develop an arsenal of pass-rush moves.”

From Rivals: “There were times when folks thought Ellis could go as high as the first round. He fits well for the Bills, who like to shift around their pass rushers. Ellis can be used as a DE/OLB, but is best with his hand on the ground.”

Xavier Adibi was the next Hokie to get drafted. He will be joining former teammate Duane Brown in Houston next season after the Texans chose the standout LB with the 19th pick in the 4th round (118th overall).

From ESPN: “Adibi will struggle in run support, but he is a good value here. He has good sideline-to-sideline speed and can run with backs in coverage.”

From Rivals: “Adibi is a highly athletic linebacker that gives the Texans what they looked for in past years when they signed guys like Shawn Barber – a coverage linebacker that can also be used as a blitzer on nickel downs.”

DL Carlton Powell went in the 5th round to the Broncos with the 13th pick (148th overall). Powell will also join a former Hokie teammate, Eddie Royal, in training camp.

From ESPN: “Powell lacks the closing speed to develop into an effective pass-rusher. He misses the occasional open-field tackle, but plays with good leverage and has the upper-body strength to shed blocks. He is a better run-stopper than his size would suggest.”

From Rivals: “Powell is a solid fit for their one-gap scheme. He runs well for his size and can also bench press more than 450 pounds. He has a great motor and is known for being a hustle guy.”

Josh Morgan is heading to the San Francisco 49ers after they selected him with their 6th-round pick (8th, 175th overall). The question is, who will throw him the ball in San Fran?

From ESPN: “Morgan isn’t much of a threat after the catch and he takes far too many plays off. On the other hand, he has good quickness and changes directions well for his size, so he can get open underneath. He can also contribute on special teams.”

From Rivals: “Morgan is a well-built receiver with good poential on special teams. He runs well for his size and also had a 40.5-inch vertical leap.”

Last, but certainly not least, Justin Harper will be staying a little closer to home to play for the Baltimore Ravens, who selected the WR in the 7th round (8th, 215th overall). Just like with Morgan, the question is, who will throw Harper the ball in Baltimore?

From ESPN: “He doesn’t have the burst to consistently separate from man coverage and he drops some passes that should be routine catches. However, he has the wide frame to shield defenders from the ball. He also has excellent leaping ability, making him a candidate to develop into a productive red zone target.”

From Rivals: “Harper has excellent size and speed, but he was inconsistent during his college career. He was worth a gamble this late in the draft.”

Undrafted Free Agents

D.J. Parker, Vince Hall and Barry Booker are all waiting to get an invitation to an NFL camp as undrafted free agents. Hall was probably the most noticeable undrafted Hokies, though his relatively slow 40 time and his injury-plagued senior season did not help. If he gets an invite to a camp, I believe he can make an impact and get on a roster somewhere. His football IQ and his instincts are not easy to find.

Parker should also get a call or two and I think if he can find the right team (more like can they find him), he’ll have a shot at being a solid pro in this league for years to come.

Booker should get an invite as well, but according to the scouting reports, he needs to put on about 15 pounds and add strength to his upper body. He has upside, but will be a project.

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Last year, the Houston Texans went out and brought in highly touted, albeit unproven, quarterback Matt Schaub to lead the offense. He played well last season, but got dinged up because of a shaky offensive line. Houston took steps to correct that problem today when they surprised everyone and selected former Virginia Tech OL Duane Brown with the No. 26 overall pick in the first round. The 6-4, 315-pound converted TE has the ability to play either tackle position, which will provide OL depth for the Texans. The pick came as a surprise because Brown was graded by many mock drafts as a third-round selection.

From ESPN: “Houston clearly placed an emphasis on need over value. Brown is a reach because he’s not a great drive-blocker and he can get pushed into the backfield by bull rushes. On the flip side, he’s a former tight end who has the quick feet, athletic ability and initial burst to develop into an outstanding pass-blocker and an effective starter on the left side. It’s also worth pointing out that he was the best tackle left on the board (seventh rated overall).”

From Rivals: “The Texans made a good trade back at first, but the worst case scenarios occurred over the last eight picks. Many of the guys they would have wanted came off the board. Brown is an athletic left tackle, but a guy most graded as a third-round pick.”

Second Round

The Kansas City Chiefs may have found an heir apparent for Ty Law in former Hokie Brandon Flowers. The Chiefs selected the hard-hitting All-American corner with the 4th pick in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

From ESPN: “Flowers doesn’t have elite size or top-end speed. Occasionally, he gets caught out of position trying to make a big play. However, he plays far bigger than his size indicates and faster than his 40 time suggest. He opens his hips very well and has the upper-body strength to deliver a violent punch. There’s also a lot to like about his willingness to play the run.”

From Rivals: “Flowers was the most physical corner available in this draft. He has the inside track to replace Ty Law in the starting lineup as a rookie. He has a high level of development as a cover man, which indicates he can play the nickel corner role almost immediately. He could develop into an early starting NFL corner with shutdown talent.”

Seven picks later, the Denver Broncos got some receiver help for QB Jay Cutler in Eddie Royal, who went a little earlier in the draft than I thought he’d go. He’s undersized, even for a college WR, but his prowess as a return man is probably what appealed to the Broncos.

From ESPN: “Royal has had some problems staying healthy, and the fact that he doesn’t have great size only accentuates concerns about his durability. He has to improve his route-running, but he has the quickness and athletic ability to separate from coverage once that happens. He’s fast enough to stretch the field and make an impact as a punt returner.”

From Rivals: “Royal was pound-for-pound one of the fastest and strongest receivers available in the draft. He also gives the Broncos the added option of using him as their primary return man.”

Hokies hoping to be selected on Day Two of the 2008 NFL Draft:

Xavier Adibi
Barry Booker
Chris Ellis
Vince Hall
Justin Harper
Josh Morgan
D.J. Parker
Carlton Powell

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From our friend Shane at vt.fanfoc.us:

As the NFL combine swings into full gear this weekend – something that I think deserves a lot more attention is just how many hokies are participating in the combine this year – here are the top ncaa schools (ranked by # of participants):

• USC 12
• Virginia Tech 11
• Arkansas 8
• LSU 8
• Cal 7
• Oklahoma 7
• Texas 7
• Michigan 7

So you ask – exactly who are those 11 fine hokies heading to the nfl combine?

• Adibi, Xavier – LB 6’2″ 220lbs
• Booker, Barry – DT 6’4″ 284lbs
• Brown, Duane – OL 6’5″ 300lbs
• Ellis, Chris – DE 6’4″ 260lbs
• Flowers, Brandon – CB 5’10″ 190lbs
• Hall, Vince – ILB 6’0″ 238lbs
• Harper, Justin – WR 6’4″ 198lbs
• Morgan, Josh – WR 6’1″ 215lbs
• Parker, D.J. – CB 6’0″ 195lbs
• Powell, Carlton – DT 6’3″ 300lbs
• Royal, Eddie – WR 5’10″ 182lbs

I’m actually surprised to see 11 hokies on the list and it’s a testament to the quality of players VT has been bringing in lately and good job beamer and his staff do developing those players. So who isn’t on this list?

Click here to read the rest of the combine preview.

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The scoreboard lies. Sure, 44-3 looks great, and I am not about to poo poo a win, even against a I-AA team. However, if you saw the game – watch the game here – you are probably a little concerned about the offense, which appeared to take a step back from the previous game against Ohio University.

The first two offensive drives stalled inside the Tribe’s red zone and Tech had to settle for field goals. The first drive saw the Hokies at the 12 yard line. The first play was a rush that resulted in a 3-yard loss. The next two plays were incomplete passes. With all due respect to William & Mary’s defensive line (which was giving up nearly 20-50 pounds to Tech’s o-line), there is no excuse for not being able to run the ball against a small, I-AA team.

Tech’s running game showed signs of life with a few big runs, but for the most part, the offensive line was unable to open many holes for the tailbacks. On the very next Tech possession, the Hokies got down to the Tribe 9 yard line. First and goal from the nine and Tech managed only four yards. Branden Ore ran up the middle for three yards on first down and then ran for a yard over the left guard on second down. On third down, Tech offensive coordinator Bryan Stinespring called a pass play, but quarterback Tyrod Taylor had to hurry the play because of poor blocking up front.

This wasn’t East Carolina (1-3), and this wasn’t Ohio (2-2). This was William & Mary, a I-AA team that our offense should have run over. Instead, it struggled to find its rhythm. Taylor managed just 72 yards passing. He put up 287 against Ohio. Taylor also led the team in rushing with 52 yards … 52 yards … and he picked up 45 of those on one play. Our top two tailbacks managed a combined 68 yards on 20 carries.

Here are some more numbers that will make you think: the leading receiver in this game – take a guess, go ahead! Was it Eddie Royal? Nope! He didn’t even have a catch. In fact, I’m not sure they ever threw to him. Was it Josh Morgan? Nope. He has zero catches. Justin Harper? Wrong, again. No catches for him either. How about Josh Hyman? Nope, but he did have catch … for eight yards. Four outstanding wide receivers and between them, they had only one catch for eight yards. Those same four receivers combined for 13 catches for 196 yards against Ohio.

The leading receiver for the game was Andre Smith who had two receptions for 39 yards. Of course, those came in the second half. The first half leading receiver was tight end Sam Wheeler who had two catches for 15 yards.

The numbers don’t lie. Tech fans would be justified in showing concern about the team’s offense, even with a more dynamic quarterback like Taylor in the game. Sure, he gives you more options, but he is only as good as the plays he’s given to run. And based on what I saw in the William & Mary game, I don’t think Taylor is getting much to work with.

Now, my old man taught me that if you are going to complain about something, you better bring a solution to fix the problem. So, here is my solution: in lieu of hiring a more dynamic offensive coordinator, which isn’t likely to happen as long as Beamer is still the coach, I think Tech needs to shift to a spread offense. You have the speedy wideouts. You have the big, but fast tight ends. And you have Tyrod Taylor, who can do amazing things with an open field. Tech has the speed to wear other teams down. Turn that speed loose and quit trying to play old school, smash mouth, run it up the gut football. The o-line isn’t opening up the holes and the defense you have played so far have manhandled Tech’s running game. Imagine what Miami, Boston College, Clemson, Virginia and Florida State are going to do unless the blocking game improves.

I believe these kids will improve. Rather, I hope they do. I hope that at some point, the lightbulb will come on and things will start clicking. And when things start clicking, confidence grows. And when confidence grows, it becomes contagious. That is what this team needs right now; some confidence to get everyone back on track.

Oh, I almost forgot. The first-team defense was stifling. It played like you would have expected against a I-AA opponent. The second and third teamers gave up big plays and a field goal, but they held the entire second half and didn’t give up any more points. As I mentioned in my earlier blog, “What to Expect Against William & Mary,” Tech got some quality playing time for some of the younger guys and the first-teamers picked up another touchdown while the special teams did the same.

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