NFL Draft: Who Will Be This Year’s Ty Hilton? Alfred Morris?

Alfred Morris was the biggest steal* of the 2012 NFL draft. The Redskins scooped up the unheralded running back out of Florida Atlantic in the 6th round (173rd overall) and all he did was rush for 1,613 yards, the 2nd most in the NFL.
Ty Hilton was probably the 2nd biggest offensive steal of the draft. The Colts grabbed him up in the 3rd round (92nd overall) and he caught 50 passes for 861 yards and seven touchdowns (and ran a punt back for a score). Unlike Morris, Hilton was actually something of a commodity in college, a burner from Florida International (nickname: “Goodbye“) who blew up against Louisville (201 yards, two scores) as a senior. Here’s video of that performance:
Mike Shanahan has a penchant for turning unknown backs into stars (see Terrell Davis, Mike Anderson, Olandis Gary, Reuben Droughns and Tatum Bell), and Morris looks like a keeper. Hilton, too (though it helps to have Andrew Luck as your QB).
[RELATED: 2013 NFL Mock Draft]
The NFL draft is two months away – and the combine is next weekend – and here’s a quick glance at a few unheralded players who might fall into the mid-later rounds and have an outside shot of turning into the next Morris or Hilton:
Running Backs:
Stefphon Jefferson, RB, Nevada – With the emergence of Colin Kaepernick in the pros, expect plenty of people to be aware of Jefferson come draft time. He exploded for 1,883 yards and 24 TDs last year. Drawback: Like Le’Veon Bell of Michigan State, Jefferson was a workhorse. Given his knowledge of the read-option and pistol, Washington, Seattle, Carolina and San Francisco all make sense.
Montel Harris, RB, Temple – Another Temple back, Bernard Pierce, had a nice season in Baltimore. Harris isn’t as acclaimed, but he had a very nice career with Boston College before getting kicked off the team. He resurfaced at Temple and had a good senior year. The off-the-field stuff probably will scare some teams off, but he’s got great balance and toughness.
Washaun Ealey, RB, Jacksonville State – SEC fans may remember Ealey – he spent two years at Georgia. He was suspended by Mark Richt twice. Ealey was a big-time recruit in high school, and remember, another former SEC player who transferred due to off-the-field issues had a pretty good rookie year in the NFL: Janoris Jenkins.
Wide Receivers:
Josh Boyce, WR, TCU - Speedy, record-setting Horned Frog appears to be a solid mid-round pick, but if he tears up the combine, could he go higher? Watch him run away from WVU defensive backs – yes, I know that secondary sucked – on this long TD.
Emory Blake, WR, Auburn – I attempted to target small-school players in this post, and Auburn, three years removed from a title, obviously doesn’t quality. However, the Tigers were so bad in 2012 and Blake was so infrequently thrown to, that I tossed Blake on the list. Here’s his tape against Georgia. A lot to like. Solid No. 3 receiver in the NFL?
Aaron Dobson, WR, Marshall – Big receiver who doesn’t have the stats, but looks great on tape. Todd McShay loves him! What hands! Impressed at the Senior Bowl. Might have a ceiling of the 2nd round.
* Before you say, “Russell Wilson was the steal of the draft!” remember that Wilson was a star at NC State, then a standout at Wisconsin, leading the Badgers to the Rose Bowl. Everyone knew who he was.

- Rich Rodriguez’s 50th Birthday Featured a Mariachi Band [Video]
- The Evolution of Chris ‘Birdman’ Andersen is the Craziest Set of Photos You’ll See This Week
- Champions League Final: Arjen Robben’s Late Goal Wins it for Bayern Munich [Video]
- Champions League Final: Neven Subotic Makes Terrific Sliding Stop to Thwart Sure Goal [Video]
- LeBron James and Michael Jordan Have Now Been Compared to God by NBA Players

- Roethlishotdog on The Evolution of Chris 'Birdman' Andersen is the Craziest Set of Photos You'll See This Week
- vermincain on LeBron James and Michael Jordan Have Now Been Compared to God by NBA Players
- A.P. on Rich Rodriguez's 50th Birthday Featured a Mariachi Band [Video]
- You People on Umpires Screw Up Another Call on This Texas Rangers 'Double Play' [GIF]
- VladimirCrouton on Rich Rodriguez's 50th Birthday Featured a Mariachi Band [Video]
47 Responses to “NFL Draft: Who Will Be This Year’s Ty Hilton? Alfred Morris?”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.






February 14th, 2013 at 3:01 PM
Jake Stoneburner.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:06 PM
Nice catch here, TBL. Dude is a great route runner and has football magnets for hands. Plus he has a pedigree. His dad is Jeff Blake.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:07 PM
Washaun Ealey, wow I’d forgotten that guy. Brandon McGee isn’t on offense so he might not count but I expect him to be a pretty good corner in the NFL
February 14th, 2013 at 3:07 PM
EAT IT RITTY
February 14th, 2013 at 3:08 PM
Small school Ohio State.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:08 PM
I’ll eat nothing.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:09 PM
Mathieu will be Defensive ROY.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:10 PM
I didn’t read the post.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:12 PM
Hey I didn’t read the Auburn part.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:12 PM
COMMENTER MOCK DRAFT!!!!1!!1!
February 14th, 2013 at 3:14 PM
There is a difference between a “steal” and an “unknown”.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:15 PM
My sleeper? Nathan Campbell, WR from University of Buffalo, SUNY. Great hands, long, lean, and a jaw line that would make Shane Battier jealous.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:16 PM
I’d like to thank Ealey for being a moron. Without him on the roster UGA was able to land Gurley and Marshall.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:16 PM
i choo-choo choose kate uptons bewbs.
for serious, terrance williams is going to be a beast, and a steal at the back of the first/early second.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:18 PM
I always thought Emory Blake was pretty good. I mean, he stood out the past two years as the only thing even remotely good about Auburn offensively, but he was good nonetheless. How big is he?
February 14th, 2013 at 3:19 PM
Mathieu will be Defensive ROY.
I didn’t know they awarded that in the CFL.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:19 PM
No. He’ll be out of the league within three years. Dude isn’t a good corner, and in the NFL the 5-7 blitzer off of the edge scares no one.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:19 PM
Emory is 6’2″ 190 lbs. Which means he’ll probably be 6’0″ 185 lbs in the combine.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:20 PM
I’ll be curious how Tavarres King and Marlon Brown do in the NFL. Brown will be coming off of ACL surgery, so he might not be drafted. I think King could be a really reliable 3rd WR in the league, though.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:21 PM
Hmm…can he play slot? He always seemed to make plays at Auburn.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:26 PM
There’s an RB coming out of Western Kentucky next season, Antonio Andrews, whom I’d keep an eye on. Came close to breaking Barry Sanders’ single-season all-purpose yardage record last season.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:28 PM
If Jeff Blake doesn’t break his foot, Aaron Brooks doesn’t become the starter, and yadda yadda maybe I’m still a Saints fan today.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:32 PM
WAIT! STOP, EVERYONE!
Back in that Kate Upton SI interview video….whats up with the black fella on the news show?
Whay are his hands so white???
February 14th, 2013 at 3:34 PM
I mean, is that fox news blackface???
February 14th, 2013 at 3:34 PM
just pause it at 43 seconds
February 14th, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Zach Line could be the next Mike Alstott. That’s about all I got though.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:35 PM
Pristine logic.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:35 PM
If Auburn counts, I’m throwing Marquise Goodwin in there
February 14th, 2013 at 3:36 PM
You guys are crazy thinking Mathieu won’t be about shit in the league. Last summer, Evan Silva wrote a sold breakdown of his skills in 5 games from 2011 (WVU, FLA, GA, ARK, TENN). Here are a few key points:
http://www.rotoworld.com/articles/cfb/40968/321/a-violent-collision-seeker
February 14th, 2013 at 3:38 PM
Evan Silva is a news aggregator, not an NFL scout (no matter how hard he pretends to be one).
February 14th, 2013 at 3:40 PM
Evan Silva
I would never trust anything sports related coming from a guy named Evan.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:40 PM
He says he ran a 4.28 recently in his first timed 40 “in a while”. Some people are speculating about how low he can go at the combine. I’ll believe it when I see it. Horns never really took advantage of his speed (part of which may have been his fault due to track).
February 14th, 2013 at 3:40 PM
I see no reason Mathieu can’t return punts and kicks, as well as play nickel. Not saying he’ll be a standout, but should have a career at least
February 14th, 2013 at 3:43 PM
He’s made good calls and bad ones. (Ryan Mathews was horrible this year). Those numbers for Mathieu show he won’t just be a “flame out” type of player IMO.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:44 PM
What about his love of the weed?
February 14th, 2013 at 3:45 PM
I know I would trust Matthieu, a maker of good decisions the likes of which we’ve never seen, with a stacked bank account.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:46 PM
I notice he left out the National Championship Game. Wonder why.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:47 PM
Wow even in black and white that Silva guy has rosy cheeks.
I don’t trust him one bit.
February 14th, 2013 at 3:47 PM
That’s why he wont’t be a “flame out”. Duh
February 14th, 2013 at 3:53 PM
As far as I am concerned, the WR sleeper list ought to begin and end with the Patton kid from Louisiana Tech.
February 14th, 2013 at 4:04 PM
Who the hell is Ty Hilton? Do you even like sports anymore, Jason? What has this terrible business done to you?
February 14th, 2013 at 4:04 PM
Also funny, but at least just a typo.
February 14th, 2013 at 4:05 PM
Who gives a shit about the CFL?
February 14th, 2013 at 4:07 PM
im sure someone else has mentioned this, but cmon…yea, people knew who he was, but he still went way later than he should’ve.
February 14th, 2013 at 4:20 PM
This post should be in reverse. Which skill position spots on which teams can make a late round pick into a steal? What are the best opportunities out there? Conversely, if Ty Hilton goes to Miami, is he worth half a shit? If Alfred Morris ends up on Chicago with that crap o-line, what kind of year does he have?
February 14th, 2013 at 4:27 PM
Because it is a glorified exhibition game played over a month after the rest of the season.
February 14th, 2013 at 6:23 PM
Exactly. When I think steal, I think of players like Russell Wilson: highly talented but fall to the later rounds for any number of reasons.
I don’t think “steal” is the right word for players like Morris or Hilton, those are more “diamonds in the rough.”