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NFL teams missed out on a high-caliber wide receiver when Jordan Matthews decided to come back to Vanderbilt for his senior season. Fortunately for the league’s general managers, there are several other Commodores who might hear their names called when the NFL Draft rolls around.
James Franklin will watch a talented crop of seniors depart Nashville this spring, but many players will have the opportunity to extend their football careers. Standouts like Zac Stacy and Trey Wilson should be expecting invitations to the Draft Combine, and other players like Ryan Seymour, Jordan Rodgers, and Rob Lohr could end up heading to Indianapolis as well. They’ll all be on NFL radars as April’s draft rolls closer.
Vanderbilt will lose 16 seniors in 2013. Twelve of those athletes have the chance to be playing in training camps this summer, and six more have a legitimate chance to make the cut when it comes to suiting up on Sundays this fall. We’ll know much more about these former Commodores chances when the Combine rolls around, but 13 games in 2012 and a pair of senior showcase games has helped gain a few Vandy players some buzz already. Here’s how the Class of ’13 may fare when the NFL Draft gets underway in three months:
Draft Candidates: Zac Stacy, Trey Wilson, Jordan Rodgers
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Zac Stacy, RB - Zac Stacy will leave Vanderbilt as the best tailback of the modern era. The stocky speedster set both single-season and career rushing records after emerging as the full-time starter midway through his junior year. He became the only Vandy running back to post back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons on the ground and earned All-SEC honors twice. He’s a bit short at 5’9″, but he’s built like a truck at 215 pounds and his frame failed slowed him down against some of the best defenses in the college game.
Stacy didn’t stand out in the Shrine Game, dropping a catchable pass in the second half, but his last two years of success at Vanderbilt speak for themselves. The senior set school rushing records behind a rebuilding offensive line and helped turn the Commodores into a nine-win team. That alone should earn him a selection late in the draft. When you factor in his big-play ability (12 runs of 30 yards or more in 581 rushing attempts) and ability to pick up blitzes, you can see plenty of potential for him to make an impact at the next level.
Teams like the Broncos, Redskins, and Patriots have proven that hard working but less-heralded players like Stacy can be effective in the NFL. Stacy has the work ethic and the athleticism to work his way onto the field on Sundays. He’ll just have to find the right fit first.
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Trey Wilson, CB - Wilson was a preseason All-SEC player this year and returned two of his three interceptions for touchdowns in 2012. He was the leader of a secondary that allowed only 192 yards per game through the air against quarterbacks like Mike Glennon, and Tyler Bray. He’s shown good instincts in coverage and has been one of the NCAA’s deadliest returners after a turnover, scoring four touchdowns via interception in his Vandy career.
Wilson will benefit from the recent success of Vanderbilt’s defensive backs in the NFL. D.J. Moore, Myron Lewis, and Casey Hayward have all earned accolades for their play at the next level, and Wilson appears to be the next link in that chain. He has good size and athleticism, but he also never stood out like Moore and Hayward did before him. Even so, he’s has always been a steady contributor for the Commodores, and that should lead to some interest from scouts. If he can put together a strong showing at the Draft Combine, he’ll be in play to be the first ‘Dore selected in April.
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Jordan Rodgers, QB - Rodgers wasn’t a likely draft candidate after the Music City Bowl, but a strong performance in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl has his stock on the rise. Rodgers outplayed Dayne Crist and a few small school standouts to earn accolades in the senior showcase, and his NFL lineage could earn him a late-round selection. He showed definite improvement as his Vandy career progressed, and scouts and coaches may see an even deeper reserve of potential in the redshirt senior.
Rodgers is a mobile quarterback whose passing accuracy increased significantly between his junior and senior years. Some team will take a flyer on JR, if not towards the end of the draft then in free agency. The NFL is a league where Tyler Palko started a game, so Rodgers will be able to find an opportunity to suit up on Sundays if he continues to dedicate himself to becoming a stronger QB.
Likely Camp Invitees: Rob Lohr, Ryan Seymour, Archibald Barnes
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Ryan Seymour, OL - Like Rodgers, Seymour is also riding a wave of positive press after the Collegiate Bowl. ESPN analysts like his aggression and quick feet, but his status as an average athlete will ultimately hurt his draft stock. Seymour is a smart player who can play up an down the offensive line – Herb Hand threw the senior wherever he was needed in the trenches and the lineman responded well – but he may ultimately lack the physical gifts to earn a late round selection or stick with a NFL team.
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Rob Lohr, DT - Lohr was a preseason All-SEC honoree, but his production sagged in 2012 thanks in part to a deep and developing defensive line that emerged around him, taking some of the defensive burden from his shoulders. He’s a wide-bodied run stopper who is strong enough to eat up space on the line and athletic enough to get upfield and make stops. He had 11 tackles for loss in his senior season at Vanderbilt.
Lohr’s strong finish to 2012 put a nice cap on the three-year starter’s career. However, Tim Fugger’s tough NFL road may spell disaster for Lohr. Fugger, Vandy’s standout defensive end from 2011, was drafted in the seventh round by the Colts but was cut this fall. He’s currently a practice squad member for the Arizona Cardinals. If Fugger can slide that far in the Draft, then the odds for Lohr’s selection are likely to take a similar hit.
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Archibald Barnes, LB - Barnes emerged as a junior for the ‘Dores, and helped fill Chris Marve’s absence this season by providing a steady presence at outside linebacker. The Tampa native with one of the best Vanderbilt football names of all time developed quickly for a team in need of linebackers and finished his 2012 season with 60 tackles. However, he’s a step slow when it comes to playing LB at the NFL level, and while he was solid for Vandy, he was never a standout. He has the size and smarts to earn a shot in the NFL, but he may need to find the right situation if he’s going to stick with a professional team.
Possible Camp Invitees: Richard Kent, Josh Jelesky, Austin Monahan, Colt Nichter, Eric Samuels, Johnell Thomas
Richard Kent was one of the SEC’s best punters, but there’s just not a lot of room in the NFL for players like him. He was a top-10 punter in the NCAA, but there are only 32 open positions for a guy with his skill set.
Josh Jelesky improved throughout his time at Vanderbilt, but he was still an inconsistent performer on an offensive line that had plenty of problems in 2011 and 2012. However, he’s a big guard who is still learning the position after switching over from the defensive side of the ball. That potential could earn him a shot in the big leagues.
Defensive end Johnell Thomas only weighs 250 pounds, and while his athleticism helps make up for his lack of size, he’ll have to have a huge training camp to make it to a NFL roster. Thomas’s story was one of Vanderbilt’s more inspiring rallying points in 2012, and he’ll carry that track record of hard work and his ability to overcome long odds on the road to playing football on Sundays in 2013.
Colt Nichter, at 6’1″ and 300 pounds, played a key role in Vanderbilt’s deep defensive line rotation, but wasn’t a standout for the ‘Dores. He’s a solid run stuffer who has the girth to earn a shot at the next level. After only 16 tackles last season, it’s difficult to see him making an impact at the next level.
Eric Samuels has played all over the field for Vandy, attesting to his athletic ability. He finally settled at safety, where he split time with Javon Marshall. He’s a strong player who added key depth to the Commodore secondary, but his chances of making a NFL roster are slim.
Austin Monahan is one of the grittiest Commodores to ever play in Nashville. He worked through multiple knee injuries to serve the ‘Dores at tight end. While it’s unlikely that he’ll latch on with any professional team, his size (6’6″, 255 lbs) could earn him a camp invite by a team that’s both looking for a project and confident that his knee injuries are firmly in his past.
Likely to Move On to Professional Careers in Other Fields: John Cole, Ryan Fowler, John Townsley, Manny Amingwa
These players helped provide veteran leadership for the Commodores, but their football careers are likely over.
What do y’all think? Will Zac Stacy be the first Commodore selected in April? Will Jordan Rodgers sneak into the draft? Is there room in the NFL for Richard Kent? Feedback is important to us – even if you’re just dropping in to point out how wrong I am – so please leave it in the comments section below.
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