Name: Michael Grant  College: Arkansas     Number: 8 Height: 5-10   Weight: 186 Position: CB  Pos2: FS Class/Draft Year: Sr/2008 40 Time: 4.37      40 Low: 4.32   40 High: 4.48   Projected Round: 6  Stock:   High: 4/Safety  Low: Early 7 Rated number 24 out of 241 CB's     213 / 2546 TOTAL

Combine Results		Pro Day Results
Combine Invite: Yes Height: 5102 Weight: 186 40 Yrd Dash: 4.37 20 Yrd Dash: 2.54 10 Yrd Dash: 1.50	225 Lb. Bench Reps: 14 Vertical Jump: 30 1/2 Broad Jump: 09'08" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.10 3-Cone Drill: 7.08	Dates: 03/25/08 Height: 5102 Weight: 186 40 Yrd Dash:  20 Yrd Dash:  10 Yrd Dash:	225 Lb. Bench Reps:  Vertical Jump: 36 Broad Jump: 09'10" 20 Yrd Shuttle:  3-Cone Drill:
Before Combine: Hgt: 5104, Wgt: 198, 40YD: 4.52-4.58-4.67

Draft Scout Snapshot: DS Rating on 08/12/07: #65 FS, Projected: FA 2008 Postseason update (04/04/08): Stock: Up. Grant showed during the season he could play a strong press corner, and his play at the East-West Shrine game confirmed his potential. His Combine performance proved he has the athleticism to compete on the outside, as well: 4.37 40 and 4.10 short shuttle. 2007: All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection…Tied Trey Brown of UCLA and Walter Thurmond III of Oregon for the national title with 23 passes defended…His 20 pass break-ups led college football…Started all but the Auburn contest, lining up at free safety during the team's first two games and at right cornerback vs. Chattanooga, as he also started the other nine games at left cornerback…Ranked sixth on the team with a career-high 75 tackles (61 solos), including a stop for a 3-yard loss…Intercepted three passes for 15 yards in returns and also caused one fumble...9 GP; 9 GS; 41 TT, 1 TFL, 3 INT, 3 PBU; Started at FS in 06. Tore ACL in Oct '06. Missed two court dates to deal with speeding/reckless driving charges, turned himself in for warrant in fall '06. 11 GP; 0 GS; 22 TT, 2 TFL, 1 SK, 3 INT, 7 PBU, 1 FF in '05. 11 GP; 1 GS; 29 TT, 2 TFL, 1 PBU in '04. Spent a year at Hargrave Academy in '03.

Overview    Grant's career came full circle during his senior year. It has been a long road back for the Razorback since suffering a devastating anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee in 2006. A former cornerback, he had made the transition to free safety and started the first nine games of his junior campaign at his new position before injuring his knee at South Carolina. If tying for the national title in passes defended is any indication, the former track-and-field star certainly was on the right path in his successful return to the gridiron last fall. He didn't show many ill effects from his injury, combining his sprinter's speed with good ball skills to give the Hogs a defender who more than capably filled pressing needs in the Arkansas secondary in 2007. Grant began his final campaign at his 2006 position, free safety, starting the first two games of the season there. He then shifted to left cornerback vs. Kentucky, taking over for the departed Chris Houston for nine contests, including the Cotton Bowl. When injuries further depleted the depth in the defensive backfield, he started vs. Chattanooga at right cornerback. He would go on to tie Trey Brown of UCLA and Walter Thurmond III of Oregon for the NCAA title with 23 passes defended. During his first three seasons with the Razorbacks, he had managed 20 defended passes. In addition to sharing that title, his total of 20 pass deflections were the most in college football for the 2007 season. Grant was a two-sport standout at Stephenson High School. Super Prep selected him to both its All-America and All-Dixie teams. He added Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Super 11 team, Super Southern 100 squad and Class 5A All-State team honors. He also earned All-State accolades from the Georgia Sports Writers Association. Rivals.com included him in its Southeast Elite and Georgia Top 50 squads and ranked him as the 10th-best athlete in the nation. Fox Sports Net and The Insiders.com named him to their All-South first teams. Grant competed at cornerback as a freshman and sophomore, but moved to safety as a junior and senior. As a senior, he scored two rushing touchdowns, had one punt return for a touchdown of 78 yards, one kickoff return for a score of 97 yards and one interception return for a touchdown. He was selected to play in Georgia's North-South All-Star game. As a senior, Grant was also named to the USA Today All-USA Boys Track and Field team. He won the Class 5A 100-meter (10.57) and 200-meter dash (21.23) state titles as a junior. He was a member of a state championship 400-meter relay. He defended his 100-meter crown (10.71) as a senior while finishing second (21.44) in the 200-meter dash. Grant originally signed to attend Georgia, but then enrolled at Arkansas in 2004. He appeared in 11 games, starting vs. Georgia at field cornerback. He produced 29 tackles (24 solos) and two stops for losses while also deflecting one pass. He played behind Houston at right cornerback in 2005, coming up with 22 tackles (13 solos), a sack and a forced fumble. Playing mostly in the sub package, he broke up 10 passes and intercepted three others. Grant also competed on the 2005 Arkansas track team, earning an SEC and NCAA event title and an All-American honor. At the SEC Indoor Championships he ran the second leg of the winning distance medley relay team (9:46.91). During the outdoor campaign he posted a single-season best and regional qualifying 100-meter time of 10.41 seconds and his best 200-meter performance was 21.30. He handled the opening leg of the 4x100-meter relay team that broke a 20-year school record to win the NCAA Mideast Region with a time of 38.75. Trying to keep his speed on the field, the coaches felt that the veteran-laden cornerback corps was preventing Grant from getting the playing time he deserved. He shifted to free safety as a junior, starting the first nine games before blowing out his left knee in the South Carolina clash. He went on to record 41 tackles (29 solos). In the Louisiana-Monroe game, he chased down and tackled a ULM punt team member at the Warhawks' 10-yard line after an errant snap on a punt attempt in the first quarter. The play went for a loss of 50 yards and set up a UA touchdown. He also picked off three passes in that game, the most by a Razorback in a contest since 1971. In 2007, Grant earned second-team All-Southeastern Conference honors. The only game he did not start while playing three different positions was vs. Auburn. He posted a career-high 75 tackles (61 solos) with a stop for a loss and a forced fumble. In addition to his 20 pass deflections, he also had three interceptions.

Analysis    Positives: Has an athletic frame with adequate muscle definition, but will need to bulk up more if he is to compete as a safety at the next level (frame might not be able to carry more weight without it impacting his timed speed, though)...Breaks on the ball quickly and flashes good closing quickness...Shows good long speed and acceleration on deep routes, but is still learning how to anticipate and mirror the receiver's moves...Shows good agility, quick feet, good balance and sharp acceleration...Generally stays in control in his backpedal, operating at the proper pad level, but needs to do a better job with his plant and drive out of his pedal (must do it with no wasted motion, but he will revert to false stepping)...Can reach and pluck the ball away from the body's framework...Stays low in his pads and has good explosion closing on the ball in the open...Keeps his leg base wide when tackling in space...Showed improvement late in 2007 when trying to read and react to threats when operating in zone coverage...Makes plays on the ball in the air and has good timing in his leaps and when keeping track of the ball in flight...Has an above average short-area burst, but needs to take better angles in pursuit...Can mirror the receiver on underneath routes, but must play tighter on deep routes, as he does allow a big cushion...Gets a good jump on the ball and makes plays in deep zone coverage...Uses his second gear well to recover when a receiver gets behind him...Has good body control elevating for the ball and was quite effective at riding up the receiver or reaching around to break up the pass while playing cornerback in 2007...Not really physical in press coverage, but has good hand placement to knock the receiver off stride when playing the trail...Has the hip snap to change direction and gears to flow back to the ball when he over-pursues. Negatives: Has good timed speed, but he tends to play lot of bracket coverage, struggling to maintain focus on the ball as the receivers keep him turned around...Gets too upright and narrow in his stance working in space, lacking that sudden burst in his transition...Does not shy away from contact, but lacks explosion in his initial burst...Tends to be a quarterback watcher and will bite on fakes and play-action...Despite his sprinter's speed, he does not have the extra gear needed to recover when beaten...Takes poor angles when working in space and can be a little slow to break down plays, causing him to miss his assignments...Misses too many tackles working in the open (will take a side rather than square up, as bigger runners can bounce off those tackles)...Lacks proper footwork and technique to be consistent in man coverage and allows too much cushion, which results in a lot of passes caught in front of him...Must be more active and aggressive using his hands in press coverage, as he fails to impede the receiver's route progression...Bit of a waist bender and needs to improve his footwork in transition (false steps), as he gives up too much separation on breaks...Seems to lose focus and intensity when not involved in the play and will throttle down at times...Lacks the upper body strength to be an impact tackler, especially when asked to step into the box, where blockers have had good success in washing him out on running plays, as he tends to shy away from contact in tight areas...Has some minor character issues teams will need to look into...Made a rapid recovery from a serious left knee injury in 2006, but further medical evaluation might be warranted. Compares To: CORTLAND FINNEGAN-Tennessee...Grant appears to be capable of handling the speed game as a cornerback, but needs to play the press with more aggression. He gets fooled out of his pants on pump fakes and play-action and still has that safety's mentality where he puts more emphasis in attacking the ball in flight rather than playing the receiver man-up. He is too light in the pants and lacks impact behind his hits to be an effective free safety at the next level, but his experience there could earn him playing time in nickel and dime packages. The complete package he certainly is not, but with his speed and leaping ability, he could fill depth in the secondary.

Career Notes    Grant started 22 of 44 games during his Razorback career, recording 167 tackles (127 solos) with a 13-yard sack and six stops for losses of 75 yards...Caused two fumbles and gained 11 yards on a kickoff return...Deflected 34 passes and intercepted nine others for 15 yards in returns...His 20 pass deflections in 2007 tied the school single-season record that was set by Lawrence Richardson in 2001...His nine career interceptions tied Ken Hamlin (2000-02), Richard Brothers (1985-87), Greg Lasker (1982-85) and David Hogue (1969-71) for eleventh in school history...At the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Grant was a member of the 4X100 relay team went on to capture Arkansas' first title in the event with a UA record time of 38.49, becoming the first two-sport athlete since Clyde Scott in 1948 to win a national event title.

2007 Season    All-Southeastern Conference second-team selection...Tied Trey Brown of UCLA and Walter Thurmond III of Oregon for the national title with 23 passes defended...His 20 pass break-ups led college football...Started all but the Auburn contest, lining up at free safety during the team's first two games and at right cornerback vs. Chattanooga, as he also started the other nine games at left cornerback...Ranked sixth on the team with a career-high 75 tackles (61 solos), including a stop for a 3-yard loss...Intercepted three passes for 15 yards in returns and also caused one fumble.

2007 Game Analysis

2006 Season    Started the team's first nine games at free safety before suffering a left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear vs. South Carolina that required surgery, sidelining him for the team's final five contests...Finished with 41 tackles (29 solos), including one for a 50-yard loss...Deflected three passes and intercepted three others.

2006 Game Analysis

2005 Season    Played in eleven games behind Chris Houston at right cornerback, seeing most of his action in the UA secondary in nickel and dime packages and as a member of the Hogs' kickoff coverage unit...Racked up 22 tackles (13 solos), two stops for losses of 15 yards, including a 13-yard sack, and also forced a fumble...Tied for second on the squad with three interceptions and seven pass break-ups...His 0.27 interceptions-per-game average ranked tied for sixth in the SEC and tied for 68th in the nation in that category...Made three tackles on special teams.

2005 Game Analysis

2004 Season    Played in all eleven games as a true freshman, earning his only start for the season at field cornerback vs. Georgia...Recorded 29 tackles (24 solos) with two stops for losses of 7 yards, a pass deflection and an 11-yard kickoff return...Ranked second on the team with nine tackles on special teams.

2004 Game Analysis

Track    2005 Track and Field Season...Was a key contributor in the sprinting events, earning an SEC and NCAA event title and an All-American honor...At the SEC Indoor Championships he ran the second leg of the winning distance medley relay team (9:46.91)...During the outdoor campaign he posted a single-season best and regional qualifying 100-meter time of 10.41 and his best 200-meter performance was 21.30...Handled the opening leg of the 4x100-meter relay team that broke a 20-year school record to win the NCAA Mideast Region with a time of 38.75...At the NCAA Outdoor Championships that same team went on to capture Arkansas' first title in the event with a UA record time of 38.49 and Grant became the first two-sport athlete since Clyde Scott in 1948 to win a national event title.

Off-field Issues    Charged with reckless driving and charging in 2006, missed two court dates before turning himself in.

Injury Report    2006: Suffered a left knee anterior cruciate ligament tear in the third quarter vs. South Carolina (11/04), undergoing surgery and missing the team's final five contests vs. Tennessee, Mississippi State, Louisiana State, Florida and Wisconsin.

Agility Tests    Campus: 4.48 in the 40-yard dash...36-inch vertical jump...9'10" broad jump...31 1/2-inch arm length...9 1/8-inch hands. Combine: 4.37 in the 40-yard dash...1.5 10-yard dash...2.54 20-yard dash...4.12 20-yard shuttle...7.08 three-cone drill...30.5-inch vertical jump...9'8" broad jump...Bench pressed 225 pounds 14 times.

High School    Attended Stephenson (Stone Mountain, Ga.) High School, playing football for Ron Gartrell...Two-sport standout...Super Prep selected him to both its All-America and All-Dixie teams...Added Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Super 11 team, Super Southern 100 squad and Class 5A All-State team honors...Earned All-State accolades from the Georgia Sports Writers Association. Rivals.com included him in its Southeast Elite and Georgia Top 50 squads and ranked him as the 10th-best athlete in the nation...Fox Sports Net and The Insiders.com named him to their All-South first teams...Competed at cornerback as a freshman and sophomore, but moved to safety as a junior and senior...As a senior, he scored two rushing touchdowns, had one punt return for a touchdown of 78 yards, one kickoff return for a score of 97 yards and one interception return for a touchdown...Was selected to play in Georgia's North-South All-Star game...As a senior, Grant was also named to the USA Today All-USA Boys Track and Field team...Won the Class 5A 100-meter (10.57) and 200-meter dash (21.23) state titles as a junior...Member of a state championship 400-meter relay...Defended his 100-meter crown (10.71) as a senior while finishing second (21.44) in the 200-meter dash.

Personal    Sociology major, enrolled in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences...Son of Victoria Grant...Born 3/30/86...Resides in Stone Mountain, Georgia.

Player Statistics

 

Draft Scout Player News

02/27/08 - Former Arkansas defensive back Michael Grant is one underrated player NFL teams enjoyed watching at East-West Shrine Game practices in Houston a few weeks ago. He plays with toughness, is versatile enough to play either free safety or corner and catches everything with his hands. The 4.37 40 and 4.10 20-yard shuttle he ran at the Combine answer the questions about his speed and quickness.

02/17/08 - PRO POTENTIAL: DB Michael Grant helped his cause this season by proving he can play more than one spot in the secondary. Grant returned from a major knee injury and started out the season at free safety but moved to corner to bolster a struggling secondary. He's still a bit raw and undeveloped as a corner and tends to look tight in the hips in single coverage but he has straight-on makeup speed. At safety, he's smaller than most at 5-10, 185 pounds, but he isn't afraid to get physical, support the run and make the stop. Grant also continued to help himself with his special teams play. The overall combination could put him in middle rounds.

01/20/08 - East-West Shrine Week in Review: (Round 5, Early 6): CB Michael Grant (Arkansas): Press corner with size to handle larger receivers and hands to take advantage of QB's mistakes. Could go higher if he proves he has better-than-average speed.

01/15/08 - East-West Shrine Monday Practice: Has shown potential all year as a press corner. He played physical today and broke on the ball well, impressively breaking up a pass in 11-on-11's. His backpedal and transition, however, need work before he can stick with pro wideouts.

12/31/07 - Michael Grant is having an outstanding senior season at cornerback for the Razorbacks. He is fourth in the NCAA with 1.67 passes defended per game. The mark also leads the SEC. UA coaches’ film has Grant credited with 16 PBU this season, which is the second-most in school history to go along with three interceptions. - Arkansas Football

Full Michael Grant News Wire

Name: Isaiah Gardner (Transfer from Notre Dame) College: Maryland     Number: 5 Height: 5-11   Weight: 197 Position: CB  Pos2: S Class/Draft Year: rSr/2008 40 Time: 4.43      40 Low: 4.37   40 High: 4.52   Projected Round: 7-FA  Stock:   High: Mid 6  Low: PFA Sunday Rated number 29 out of 241 CB's     286 / 2546 TOTAL

Combine Results		Pro Day Results
Combine Invite:  Height: 5111 Weight: 197 40 Yrd Dash:  20 Yrd Dash:  10 Yrd Dash:	225 Lb. Bench Reps:  Vertical Jump:  Broad Jump:  20 Yrd Shuttle:  3-Cone Drill:	Dates: 03/12/08 03/13/08 Height: 5111 Weight: 197 40 Yrd Dash: 4.40 20 Yrd Dash: 2.53 10 Yrd Dash: 1.48	225 Lb. Bench Reps: 16 Vertical Jump: 42 1/2 Broad Jump: 11'00" 20 Yrd Shuttle: 4.12 3-Cone Drill: 6.99

Draft Scout Snapshot: DS Rating on 08/12/07: #57 CB, #621/750 Overall, Projected: FA 2008 Postseason update (04/04/08): Stock: Up. Not invited to an all-star game or the Combine, Gardner had to do it all at his pro day. He did not disappoint: 4.4 40 (quicker than expected), 16 reps, 42.5" vertical, 11' broad, 6.99 three-cone. He solidified his late-round prospect status. 13 GP; 13 GS; 63 TT, 1 INT, 4 PBU, 1 FF; PR: 1-8-8-0 in '06; Missed spring '07 w/shoulder surgery. 10 GP; 1 GS; 15 TT, 2 PBU in '05. Sat out the season in compliance of NCAA transfer rules in '04. Redshirt season at Notre Dame in '03.

Overview    Gardner transferred from Notre Dame to Maryland before the 2004 season because he missed living on the east coast. He then became a fixture in the secondary over the past three years, starting his last 27 games and making 130 tackles with three interceptions and 14 passes defensed during that time.

Analysis    Positives: Provides a nice combination of size and speed on the outside. ... Plays with attitude and has a short memory. ... Very willing and strong in run support. ... Would seem a perfect fit for Tampa-2 defense zone corner because he's better playing the ball and his man in front of him. ... Excellent special teams gunner with his speed and physical style. Negatives: Does not wrap up in space, preferring to cut tackle. ... Gets a bit too aggressive at times, falling for double-moves and drawing costly pass interference calls. ... Needs to play with better discipline.

2007 Season   Started all 13 games at cornerback ... ranked fifth on the team with a career-high 69 tackles ... led the team with 10 pass breakups ... tied for seventh in the ACC and 72nd in the nation in passes defended (0.92 pg) ... tied for second on the team with two interceptions ... matched his career-high in tackles (eight) four times ... (vs. OSU in the Emerald Bowl) ... equaled his career high with eight tackles ... also broke up one pass ... (vs. NCSU) ... recorded four tackles and broke up a pair of passes ... (vs. FSU) ... had four tackles ... (vs. BC) ... recorded six tackles, including five solo ... also had two pass breakups ... (vs. UNC) ... had four tackles ... also picked off a deep T.J. Yates pass in the second half ... (vs. Clemson) ... tied a career-high with eight tackles ... broke up a pass in the end zone to force a Tiger field goal. (vs. UVA) ... made three tackles and broke up one pass ... (vs. GT) ... forced a fumble and broke up one pass to go along with seven total tackles ... five of his tackles were solo stops, which matched a career high ... (vs. RU) ... notched three tackles and broke up a pass ... (vs. WFU) ... tied a career high with eight tackles, while adding four solo stops ... assisted on a tackle for loss ... grabbed his first interception of the year and returned it three yards ... (vs. WVU) ... posted six tackles, including four solo ... (vs. FIU) ... played and recorded three tackles ... part of a defensive effort that limited FIU to 81 yards passing and 82 yards rushing ... (vs. Villanova) ... recorded three tackles and broke up one pass as defense limited Wildcats to just 28 yards in the second half ... missed all of the spring while rehabbing from shoulder surgery.

2006 Season   Started all 13 games at cornerback ... finished the season fifth on the team in tackles with 63 stops ... ranked second on the team in passes defended with five (four breakups and one pick) ... (vs. PU in the Champs Sports Bowl) ... posted a team-high six tackles, including a five solo stops, which tied a career high ... (vs. WF) ... posted his first career interception while matching his career-high with eight tackles (four solo) ... (vs. BC) ... recorded two solo tackles ... (vs. Miami) ... forced a fumble on a late fourth-quarter punt (recovered by J.J. Justice) which sealed the 14-13 win ... also recorded seven tackles (five solo) ... (vs. Clemson) ... notched seven tackles, including a career-best five solo stops ... (vs. FSU) ... recorded five tackles (four solo) and a pass breakup ... (vs. NC St.) ... notched five tackles (three solo) ... (vs. UVA) ... sparked the team's turnaround with his fumble recovery at the 1-yard line on the muffed punt in the third quarter ... also notched three tackles ... (vs. GT) ... notched five tackles (four solo) ... (vs. FIU) ... posted two solo tackles and a pass breakup ... (vs. WVU) ... notched two tackles, one solo ... (vs. MT) ... led the team with a career-best eight tackles, including four unassisted ... also broke up two passes, one in the back of the end zone in the third quarter.

2005 Season   Saw action in 10 games, starting one … finished the season with 15 tackles (nine solo) and two pass breakups … (vs. Uva) … recorded a career-high four tackles, including three solos … (at WFU) … broke up passes on consecutive plays in the fourth quarter to impede the Deacons' comeback attempt … (vs. Navy) … made first career start as a Terp, playing cornerback.

2004 Season   Sat out the season in compliance of NCAA transfer rules … worked with the Terrapins' defensive scout team.

2003 Season   Redshirt season at Notre Dame.

High School   A three-year letterwinner at Salem High School in Virginia Beach, Va. ... rushed for 1,068 and 18 touchdowns in seven games, while also playing cornerback his senior year ... an all-state pick as junior when he rushed for 1,118 yards and 25 touchdowns and caught 25 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns ... finished his career with 2,415 yards rushing and 47 touchdowns ... named a SuperPrep and theislands.com All-American ... was an ESPN.com top 30 running back and theislands.com top 25 back ... was listed as Virginia's top running back by Rivals.com ... ranked 11th on The Sporting News/Student Sports High School Football magazine of the East's best running backs ... an all-city and all-conference selection his junior and senior years ... team MVP and captain as a senior ... also ran track, competing in the sprints.

Personal   Set the school record for defensive backs with a 42-inch vertical jump in the spring of 2006 ... his 390-pound bench is third all-time among Terp DBs. Born Jan. 16, 1985 ... parents are Frances Knight and Ronald Gardner ... was a competitive gymnast from the ages of 8-12 ... majoring in criminology and criminal justice.

 

Draft Scout Player News

04/06/08 - Squeezing into the draft: CB Isaiah Gardner (Maryland): Known for his physical play but not necessarily for quickness or speed, he put himself into a late-round position with these numbers: 4.4 40, 16 reps, 42.5" vertical, 11' broad, 6.99 three-cone. - Chad Reuter, NFLDraftScout.com

12/28/07 - A veteran defensive back who has started the last 26 games at cornerback, third most on the defense (Varner, 35; Navarre 34) ... in his third season in the program after transferring from Notre Dame ... one of two returning starters in the secondary (also Christian Varner) ... missed all of the spring while rehabbing from shoulder surgery ... as a Senior (2007): Started all 12 games at cornerback ... ranks sixth on the team with 61 tackles ... tied for the team lead with nine pass breakups ... tied for eighth in the ACC and 79th in the nation in pases defended (0.92 pg). - Maryland Football

10/04/07 - The defensive line was magnificent against Rutgers, as was most of the secondary. But Isaiah Gardner got picked on all game at corner and he will need to step it up this week because the Yellow Jackets are sure to do the same.

10/01/07 - STILL NEEDS WORK: Cornerback Isaiah Gardner got picked on for most of the games. Part of that is because Kevin Barnes is a shutdown corner on the other side of the field, but Gardner also makes things tough for himself by picking up pass interference penalties.

09/14/06 - PLAYERS TO WATCH: CB Isaiah Gardner had a team-leading eight tackles and broke up two passes against Middle Tennessee

Full Isaiah Gardner News Wire

Name: Theo Horrocks  College: Vanderbilt     Number: 54 Height: 6-3   Weight: 295 Position: DT