On the board: Ten prospects for Pack to ponder

A thumbnail look at the top 10 prospects in this draft, based on interviews with NFL scouts and coaches at the scouting combine this week:

1. Reggie Bush, RB, USC (6-0, 205): A junior who’s a true game-breaker. That, plus his accomplished receiving talents, have convinced some scouts he’s a slightly smaller version of Marshall Faulk. Last season, he averaged 8.7 yards a carry, scored 16 touchdowns and averaged more than 222 all-purpose yards a game. Almost surely will be the first pick. “That’s a slam dunk based on what I’ve seen,” said Baltimore coach Brian Billick. “He’s much bigger than I thought. He’d be hard to pass up.” The offensive coordinator for an NFC team likened him to Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, and a high-ranking scout for another team said the only thing the team drafting him has to do is not overuse him because of the punishment he might take in the NFL. “You have to be careful, but he can change a game any time he touches it,” the scout said.

2. Matt Leinart, QB, USC (6-4¼, 224): A proven winner with poise, talent, intelligence and great game-management skills. Not as good a prospect as former teammate Carson Palmer but probably will be the first quarterback off the board unless some team can’t resist Vince Young’s upside. Three-year starter who went 37-2, completed 64.8 percent of his passes and threw 99 touchdowns to only 23 interceptions. Biggest question is arm strength. “Is he the best at this or this or this? Who’s to say?” said one quarterbacks coach. “But there’s not a lot of holes in him, so you’re going to be very comfortable taking him. Whether he hits or not, it’s a crapshoot at quarterback, but you’re not going to lose a lot of sleep at night because he doesn’t have this or that. He seems pretty good in everything. Maybe not the best, but he doesn’t have a lot of holes.”

3. Vince Young, QB, Texas (6-43/8, 233): Had scouts whispering late in the season that he could rocket up draft boards if he entered as a junior, then became a sensation with his outstanding performance in carrying Texas over USC in the national championship game. A huge man with outstanding speed who completed 65.2 percent of his passes and threw 26 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. Also rushed for 1,050 yards. Some scouts are concerned about his low throwing delivery and that his propensity to break the pocket and run will lead to injuries. Others consider him an untapped talent who in a few years could be one of the game’s elite players if an offense is adjusted for his athletic talent and ability to make throws and run on the edge. Has leadership skills, and many scouts consider him a better prospect than Michael Vick. “He’s further along right now just in that he understands touch and finesse in the passing game,” one scout said. “Vick has no clue, Vick’s just a thrower. This guy is a more of a quarterback that understands taking something off the ball. Vick is quicker, Vick is going to be faster, but this is a much bigger human being.”

4. D’Brickashaw Ferguson, T, Virginia (6-6, 297): The best offensive lineman in the draft, a four-year starter who has the long arms and athletic ability of a prototypical left tackle. Dominated in the Senior Bowl and has graduated from college. “He’s not a power tackle. He’s a left tackle through and through,” one scout said. “He’s got some length to him, he’s got really good feet, he can bend. He’s very athletic. But he’s 300 pounds, and he’s never going to be a 330-pound tough guy. He might be a 315-, (3)20-pound finesse tackle.”

5. Mario Williams, DE, North Carolina State (6-7, 295): A junior who might be one of the two or three most-gifted players in this draft, and some scouts think he’s more talented coming out of college than Carolina’s Julius Peppers, the No. 2 pick in 2002 who’s become one of the dominant defensive linemen in the game. Didn’t play well early in the season but came on the second half and finished with 14½ sacks. Has a rare combination of size and speed, and could move into the top three or four picks with a jaw-dropping workout. Only thing that will bring him down is if background checks reveal red flags. Scouts and coaches marvel at his talent — “I think he’s going to be more instinctive than (Peppers),” one scout said — but some wonder if he’s too immature to live up to his ability. “Small-town guy, everything’s always been handed to him,” another said. “They took care of him in college, he’s never really had to overcome anything. Sounds a lot like (former North Carolina State receiver) Koren Robinson.”

6. Jay Cutler, QB, Vanderbilt (6-27/8, 223 pounds): Has moved up draft boards because of his play in practice at the Senior Bowl, probably will be a top-10 pick. Some teams think he’s a better prospect than Leinart and Young, though most appear to consider him just behind those two. Has the gunslinger’s swagger and strong arm, as well as almost identical size, that draw some comparisons to Brett Favre. Four-year starter who didn’t have much talent around him but made his undermanned team competitive in the tough Southeastern Conference. As a senior, he completed 59.1 percent of his passes and threw 21 touchdown passes and nine interceptions. “His athleticism, he seems to have that kind of quality about him where he can throw a team on his back and do some things,” Billick said. “He clearly has the physical abilities.” Said a scout: “He’s raw as anything from the standpoint of understanding how to play the position. He’s always gotten by on just being a competitive guy that has a strong arm. I’m not saying he can’t be a good NFL quarterback, but there’s too many question marks to take him high, high. People can compare him to Favre all they want. It’s not fair. Brett overcame so much stuff, and he’s such a leader. People say that because (Cutler) is a gunslinger right now. But his mechanics are way behind.”

7. A.J. Hawk, LB, Ohio State (6-1 1/8, 243): Not an overwhelming talent, but a top player with size and speed. Has all the qualities — intelligence, instincts, strength, range — a team could look for in a middle linebacker short of Ray Lewis or Brian Urlacher. Led Ohio State in tackles (121), tackles for a loss (16½) and sacks (9½). “I like him a lot. It’s just where do you take a linebacker?” said one top personnel executive. “He’s not special but he’s a good football player. He’s a safe pick, because whoever takes him, he’s going to come in and start Year One.”

8. Jimmy Williams, CB, Virginia Tech (6-21/8, 216): A physical cornerback with prototypical size, plus 40-yard dash speed in the low 4.4s or even high 4.3s. Is the best player at a premium position. Has some ball-hawking skills, and intercepted eight passes in his career. Scouts will check his background closely, though, because of temperamental concerns. Was ejected from the Gator Bowl this year for bumping an official, and has been known to bark at coaches. “He’s really talented,” one scout said. “The whole key is to get inside his head and see what he’s wired like. There’s so many question marks about his football intelligence, why he got kicked out of a game, why did he argue with coaches, a bunch of things.” Said another scout: “In my opinion, he’s the third-most talented football player in the draft behind Bush and Mario Williams, just God-given talent. You can throw Vince Young in there.”

9. Haloti Ngata, DT, Oregon (6-4, 338): Junior who’s the top defensive tackle in the draft, a dominant run defender with great size as an anchor and good quickness. Had nine tackles for a loss and three sacks last season, and in his career blocked seven kicks. Blew out his knee in 2003 but came back strong the last two years. “You wonder how instinctive a football player he is,” one scout said. “Big, powerful, strong. You just don’t know if he understands football.”
10. Vernon Davis, TE, Maryland (6-3, 252): Texas safety Michael Huff and Iowa linebacker Chad Greenway are among the other prospects who could end up top-10 picks, as well. Davis, though, is a junior whose combination of size, running ability and hands makes him a rarity — a potential impact tight end. He’ll probably run the 40 in less than 4.5 seconds and averaged 17.1 yards on 51 receptions last season. Only thing he lacks is prototypical height. “I think he’s better than Kellen Winslow (Jr.),” one scout said, referring to the tight end Cleveland selected with the No. 6 pick overall in 2004. “This guy can block, too.”