Grambling defensive tackle Melvin Matthews has earned inclusion in the 2009 Draft Report of respected Louisiana-based player analyst Mike Detillier.
The 6-3, 310-pound, Clinton, La.-born Matthews, ranked No. 44 among available prospects at the position by Detillier, is projected as a late-second day pick in the report. Matthews (pictured at right) finished his career at Grambling 94 tackles and 12.5 sacks — eight of them in a just-completed standout senior season.
Jackson State, Grambling’s opponent in each of the last two Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship Games, had four top draftables mentioned in Detillier’s annual report.
Marcellus Speaks, who led the SWAC with 122 tackles last year, is rated No. 30 among draftable inside linebackers. JSU’s Marcel Frost is Detillier’s No. 45-ranked of 60 tight ends ranked by the Raceland-based Detillier.
Defensive end Marcus Benard, who had 85 tackles and a staggering 16 sacks for JSU in 2008, is No. 44 of 63 rated defensive end prospects. Domonique Johnson, who led Jackson with five picks last season, is ranked No. 30 of 51 cornerbacks.
Alcorn State has the SWAC’s highest-rated positional prospect in Detillier’s report: Lee Robinson is No. 16 of 57 rated outside linebackers. Southern’s Vincent Lands follows at No. 26.
Detillier projects the 6-2, 249-pound Robinson as a second- or third-rounder. Robinson, clocked at 4.75, was a four-year starter at Alcorn — making 334 total tackles, including 111 in his most recent All-SWAC senior campaign. Lands projects as a late fourth- or fifth-rounder, according to Detillier.
Detillier has Dallas-born Matthew Stafford, a Georgia product, as the No. 1 quarterback prospect, followed by USC’s Mark Sanchez. Texas Southern quarterback Bobby Reid — the SWAC’s No. 5 passer with nearly 1,800 yards and 12 TDs, despite going down to injury late in the year — is at No. 44.
The SWAC, however, didn’t have any receiver, running back, free or strong safety, fullback, kicker, center, guard, offensive tackle, punter or deep snapper included in Detillier’s 2009 Draft Report.
LeSean McCoy of Pittsburgh, who rushed for 107 yards and 3 TDs on just 19 carries against Grambling in 2007, is Detillier’s No. 4-ranked running back.
Detillier’s top-rated overall prospect for the 2009 NFL Draft is Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Currey. Baylor tackle Jason Smith, Stafford, Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree and then Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe round out his Top. 5.
The NFL Draft will be held April 25-26.
Big Melvin was outstanding this year. I think his numbers rival some of the best interior numbers of all time. His outstanding play overshadowed the fine season Big Otis Young had for us on the nose. I wish both of those guys the best and both could catch on somewhere. Keefe Hall and Jeff Jack are both good hitters who are smart and play with passion. Good numbers and Hall blossomed on the outside after playing in the middle last season. Nick Lewis was mentioned (on here) as maybe having another season…that would help him and our receiving corp.