The 2013 NFL Draft is looming on the horizon -- well, officially, it starts Thursday night -- and rumors about who likes whom and how much continue to whip around the league as the time draws near when front offices, coaches and scouts need to make some big decisions.
2013 NFL Draft buzz: Marcus Lattimore reports teams’ interest; Tyler Eifert a ‘secretive prospect’
Eifert had a rather quiet few months after the combine, Marcus Lattimore was a little more outgoing, and other news and notes on the eve of the NFL Draft.
Kevin C. Cox
As of Tuesday night, we’ve got another helping of the latest visits, interested parties and other commentary surrounding the draft. Let’s take a gander.
Marcus Lattimore: 49ers, Eagles, Patriots, Rams showing lots of interest
The rehabbing South Carolina running back, who says he’ll be ready for the start of the NFL regular season following that devastating knee injury last season, said on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday morning that San Francisco, Philadelphia, New England and St. Louis are showing plenty of interest in him (via Charlie Bernstein).
Lattimore is the draft’s third-rated running back in Dan Kadar’s rankings for SB Nation and, with the exception of St. Louis, would join either a high-level running back or a solid rotation of rushers if he were to go to any of the aforementioned teams. Though he says he’ll be good to go come Week 1, it might not be the worst thing for him to start out surrounded by other experienced NFL backs.
Tyler Eifert had zero pre-draft visits
The Notre Dame tight end, the top prospect at the position in Kadar’s rankings, is seeing his stock rise, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, despite the fact that he did not participate in any pre-draft visits at all. Eifert is apparently so obviously impressive and without question marks that teams opted to not even waste their time. In a good way.
In Kadar's latest mock draft, Eifert is slated to be going to the Miami Dolphins with the 12th overall pick. The Phinsider's Kevin Nogle says that while tight end may not be Miami's biggest need, Eifert would be a good selection at their spot, regardless.
News from the offensive line
And now, a couple of items concerning NFL Draft offensive lineman prospects. Alabama's D.J. Fluker continues to rise up draft boards around the league, with NFL Draft Insider's Tony Pauline reporting that the Tennessee Titans and San Diego Chargers, owners of the 10th and 11th overall pick, respectively, are both considering selecting the guard. Pauline also notes that Tennessee regards him as a "day one" starter.
The Chicago Bears worked out Syracuse offensive lineman Justin Pugh over the weekend, according to a report from Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times. The versatile Pugh has been working out for teams at every position along the line.
CBSSports.com's Jason La Canfora reports that several teams -- the Arizona Cardinals, Buffalo Bills and 49ers -- set-up late workouts with Kent State offensive tackle Brian Winters, and that he could potentially wind up in the first round. La Canfora notes, however, that the second round is likely a better possible landing spot for Winters.
Kurt Warner: Not Ryan Nassib's biggest fan
Warner was breaking down first-round caliber quarterbacks on the NFL Network and couldn’t see a reason why a team would take the former Syracuse signal caller in the first round. Here’s some of what he had to say (via ProFootballTalk):
“Watching film of this guy - not overly impressive on film. If you’re drafting a quarterback in the first round, you’re drafting a franchise quarterback, a guy who you believe can win Super Bowls for you. Otherwise, why draft a guy that high? You need a guy that can do everything, and I didn’t see on film this guy having the ability to do everything. He didn’t wow me when I saw him on film.”
Kadar has Nassib, the sixth-rated quarterback in the draft, going eighth overall to the Bills in his latest mock draft.
Cornellius Carradine moving into the mid-first-round?
Florida State's defensive end, the second-rated player at the position by Matthew Fairburn, is drawing interest anywhere from the Dolphins at No. 12 to the New York Giants at No. 19 to the Minnesota Vikings, owners of the 23rd and 25th picks, according NFLDraftInsider.com on Tuesday.
Carradine, who held a private workout for NFL teams on Saturday after previously being sidelined from workouts while rehabbing from a torn ACL, is projected to go 19th to the Giants in Kadar's mock draft from Monday. NFLDraftInsider.com notes that the Atlanta Falcons, who hold the 30th overall pick, are also interested in Carradine's services.
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