Three Vanderbilt Commodores Hope to Hear Name Called at NFL Draft
When Maryland offensive coordinator James Franklin took the head coaching job for the Vanderbilt Commodores, he was faced with the unenviable task of changing the culture of the program. The ‘Dores are notorious doormats in the SEC, and Franklin knew he’d have his work cut out for him.
Few could have expected the mentality to change in Nashville as quickly as it did. Vanderbilt finished the year at 6-6, but more importantly they were competitive and feisty. The talent level still isn’t where it needs to be for Vanderbilt to compete at the upper-echelons of the conference, but the Commodores did have a little bit of talent on the roster in 2011. Vandy could have three players selected in April’s NFL Draft.
Here is an early look at draft projections and scouting reports for draft-eligible Vanderbilt Commodores.
(Rankings courtesy of CBS Sports)
Casey Hayward- #153 Overall, #21 CB
Casey Hayward was a three-year starter at Vanderbilt with ball-hawking tendencies to go along with phenomenal footwork and quick hips. Hayward’s biggest knock is that he isn’t very physical and he struggles in press coverage, but he will still have tremendous value in a zone scheme because of his ability to make a big play.
Grade: Fourth Round
Sean Richardson- #297 Overall, #13 SS
Richardson is a BIG safety who almost looks more like an under-sized linebacker at nearly 6-3 and 220 lbs. With that sort of size, teams will like him as a physical safety who can slide down into the box but still have enough athleticism to run the seam with a releasing tight end. However, he is limited athletically and he is extremely stiff.
Grade: Seventh Round-UFA
Chris Marve- #318 Overall, #15 ILB
In the SEC, Chris Marve was a tackling machine who simply had a knack for getting to the ball carrier and bringing him to the ground. Unfortunately, his potential at the next level is dramatically limited by his lack of athleticism. Marve has nice size to play on the inside at 6-0 and 240 lbs, but he’ll be lucky to break 5.0 in the 40-yard dash. His football intelligence gives him a shot of being drafted, but he will probably be a priority free agent.
Grade: Seventh Round-UFA
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