It's Take Two Tuesday, when we give our takes on a burning question in the league.
Today's Take Two topic: Which potential Big 12 draftee will be the biggest steal for a team during the NFL draft? (Note: Day 2 or Day 3 prospects only)
Take 1: Max Olson
If West Virginia running back Charles Sims lands with the right team, he’ll have a chance to make a lot of other organizations look stupid for passing on him.
In today’s NFL, where you better have two good backs even if you have Adrian Peterson, Sims has the potential to be a special commodity. He probably would’ve been drafted off his resume at Houston, but what Sims achieved in his lone season at West Virginia opened a lot of eyes and should’ve significantly boosted his stock.
What he’ll bring to the table for whomever drafts him is all-purpose playmaking. You will not find another back in this draft who has 2,000 receiving yards on their resume. Big 12 defenses knew they had to stop Sims and he still went for a combined 1,496 yards rushing and receiving in 2013.
Last week, Todd McShay had Sims going to the Baltimore Ravens at the end of the third round, with the 99th pick, in a three-round mock with Mel Kiper Jr. That would be one heck of a fit, with Sims as the explosive counterpart to an aging Ray Rice. But with his acceleration and instincts, Sims makes for an ideal fit for any number of NFL schemes.
There are no first-round caliber rushers in this draft. It’s likely whoever drafts Sims will do so with the intention of making him a complementary piece, someone who can spell the feature back and give a jolt to the offense.
And that’s a good plan, but don’t be shocked if Sims ends up outperforming expectations. This is the guy who, by the end of October, you’ll wish you had on your fantasy team.
Take 2: Brandon Chatmon
Oklahoma cornerback Aaron Colvin was making waves and rising up draft board before tearing his ACL during Senior Bowl practices in January. His injury could make him a bargain-basement steal for any NFL team.
Whoever selects Colvin shouldn’t count on him this fall but they would earn the dividends in the long term by getting first- or second-round production from a player who fell down draft boards and out of the minds of some NFL scouts and GMs in January.
Colvin's incredible competitiveness and a hunger to succeed which will help him be an impact player in the NFL despite lacking the ideal bulk at the cornerback position. He’s very good in coverage, a willing tackler and has the versatility to play safety if needed. With the NFL moving to a more pass happy league with an aim on spreading teams out and forcing mismatches with receivers, Colvin would be a terrific addition to any defense.
When we look back at the 2014 NFL draft five years from now, Colvin will be the Big 12’s best steal because, most likely, he will exceed expectations for the pick used to select him. Most teams aren’t in a position to wait for Colvin to return to his pre-injury form, but one of the teams that are afforded that luxury will land a gem in the OU cornerback this weekend.