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Running back Cedric Benson doesn't explode through the hole and doesn't have love of football, NBCSports.com contributor Michael Ventre fears.

Aaron Rodgers, QB, California
This one is iffy, because there are things about this kid that I love, especially his smarts and his competitiveness. He has Hall of Fame intangibles. But Rodgers, picked 24th by the Packers, doesn’t throw downfield nearly as well as he throws short. In a ball-control offense, where he is asked to peck his way downfield with quick throws to sure-handed receivers, he’ll do very well. But when he has to take a deep drop, look downfield and deliver while a pass rush looms, he’s only average. He’s also 6-2 and 195 pounds. That doesn’t make him a munchkin, but giant prototypes such as Ben Roethlisberger (6-4, 240) and Carson Palmer (6-5, 230) have an advantage he won’t have in being able to see over defenses and endure poundings. There’s also the Jeff Tedford jinx to consider.

Marcus Spears, DE, LSU
Inconsistency seems to be the problem here. Spears, taken by the Cowboys, is the kind of big man who will cause you to stand and take notice. But he also will cause you to stand and say, “Where is he?” He has been criticized for being blubbery, which suggests his conditioning isn’t what it should be. Others have overcome that issue, including Warren Sapp. But it’s an obstacle. Projected by many to go in the middle of the first round, he is tempting to a lot of player personnel directors because of his potential, but his college career was a mixture of wonder and frustration, and that could be the case in the NFL as well. If he adopts an underdog mentality and plays like a demon to show up his critics, he’ll have a stellar career. If he continues the pattern he displayed in college, he won’t.

Braylon Edwards, WR, Michigan
The received, picked No. 3 overall by the Browns, was a big-play man for the Wolverines. Indeed, he has all the skills that pro scouts look for in a receiver. But he has been knocked in the past for a lack of discipline, for taking plays off and for running ragged routes. He might be the next Keyshawn Johnson: a guy so convinced of his star quality that he doesn’t work hard enough to develop his game in order to excel at the next level. Some of his attitude problems early in his career can be chalked up to immaturity, but coaches in the NFL are only so tolerant. It’s OK to have a little bit of a chip on your shoulder at the pro level. In fact, it’s preferred, given the viciousness of combat between defensive backs and wideouts. But he’d better be careful and not confuse that kind of confidence with an impertinence that prevents him from making the transition to the next level.

Jammal Brown, T, Oklahoma
He has the size – 6-5, 315 – to be an NFL tackle. And he has good foot speed and athletic ability. But despite his press clippings, the Saints' tackle isn’t as physically dominating as he should be. He’s a fine pass protector but not very effective as a run blocker, even though he played on an offensive line that sprang Adrian Peterson last year. He doesn’t have that nasty disposition you like to see in NFL offensive linemen. That lack of aggressiveness could hurt him in the pros. He had a weak showing in his final game in college – the Orange Bowl against USC – giving up a big sack to Shaun Cody and doing little to jump-start the Sooners’ running game. Alex Barron of Florida State, who did not get nearly as much acclaim as Brown but who has tremendous upside, will probably have a better career than Brown.

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