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READY FOR KICKOFF

By Jason Langendorf, Scouts Inc.

Enough about phenoms like Jake Long and Darren McFadden. Here are the odds on five under-the-radar rooks breaking big this fall.

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EARLY DOUCET — 15–1
WR, CARDINALS

DRAFT: Round 3, Pick 81
HE IS ... A tough-blocking receiver and trick-play artist who'll get clean releases out of the slot.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Durability could be a problem, because of recurring hammy issues and a groin injury that shortened his season at LSU.
NFL COMP: T. J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals
CALLING CARD: Quickness
BIG CHANCE: Tailor-made for Arizona's three-receiver sets, Doucet should overtake wideout Steve Breaston before the Week 7 bye.

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JAMES HARDY — 12–1
WR, BILLS

DRAFT: Round 2, Pick 41
HE IS ... A 6'5", 212-pound complement to pint-size Lee Evans and a legit red zone threat.
STUMBLING BLOCK: The Indiana U product needs to get stronger to break free against press coverage.
NFL COMP: Justin Gage, Titans
CALLING CARD: Excellent in traffic
BIG CHANCE: Bills receivers face brutal early matchups, but a diminutive Rams secondary will give Hardy a shot in Week 4.

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KEVIN SMITH — 8–1
RB, LIONS

DRAFT: Round 3, Pick 64
HE IS ... A workhorse who staged a 450-carry assault last year at Central Florida.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Detroit's O-line is suspect, and he'll face draconian defenses in the NFC North.
NFL COMP: Ryan Grant, Packers
CALLING CARD: Extraordinary stamina
BIG CHANCE: If Smith isn't ready to go full-time by Week 1, he'll be thrown to the wolves—er, Bears and Vikings—after a Week 4 bye.

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AQIB TALIB — 5–1
CB, BUCCANEERS

DRAFT: Round 1, Pick 20
HE IS ... A classic Cover 2 corner nifty enough to moonlight as a receiver at Kansas.
STUMBLING BLOCK: His tendency to jump routes and bait the QB means dicey job security with Jon Gruden.
NFL COMP: Al Harris, Packers
CALLING CARD: Versatility
BIG CHANCE: When 33-year-old Ronde Barber breaks down or Phillip Buchanon powder-puffs one too many tackles.

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CURTIS LOFTON — 2–1
LB, FALCONS

DRAFT: Round 2, Pick 37
HE IS ... A possible two-down guy with killer instincts who makes plays on the ball—even in coverage.
STUMBLING BLOCK: Atlanta's soft D-line means he'll get fewer opportunities to roam and make tackles.
NFL COMP: Derek Smith, Chargers
CALLING CARD: Big hitter
BIG CHANCE: He should anchor the middle of the Falcons defense beginning Week 1 against the Lions.

BIG LEAGUE CREW

By Matt Meyers

As Joba Chamberlain proved last year, the best second-half boosts don't have to come in trades. Southpaw David Price could get his feet wet as a reliever for the Rays. The No. 1 overall pick in the '07 draft, Price (currently in Double-A) has a high-90s heater, a filthy slider and a 2.08 ERA. The A's recently called up lefty Gio Gonzalez, whose knee-buckling curveball will have fans reminiscing about Barry Zito's glory days. Another lefty to watch is Mets Triple-A prospect Jon Niese, whose newfound cut fastball has helped him strike out 7.9 batters per nine innings. Two more Triple-A threats: Salt Lake third baseman Brandon Wood recently hit 10 homers in 15 games, showing the power he'd bring to the Angels; and Andrew McCutchen, currently with Indianapolis, could be a bright light for a Pirates outfield that lost Jason Bay and Xavier Nady via trades. McCutchen has Gold Glove potential.

FINE CHINA

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By Lindsay Berra

When Zheng Jie took on Serena Williams at Wimbledon on July 3, 100 million viewers in China tuned in. Guess they knew something the rest of us didn't. Ranked No. 133 in the world, the 25-year-old Zheng entered as a qualifier, then beat top seed Ana Ivanovic, 15th seed Agnes Szavay and 18th seed Nicole Vaidisova before losing to Williams in the semifinals—the best Grand Slam result ever for a Chinese singles player. (Zheng and Yan Zi won the Australian and Wimbledon doubles titles in 2006.) "No one should be surprised," says tennis analyst Mary Carillo. "The Chinese play like Rafael Nadal, as if every point is their last."

Zheng, now ranked 38th, is the best of five Chinese women in the Top 100—an impressive total considering tennis took hold in China only after the sport returned to the Olympics, in 1988. (Girls from all over the country train with the Chinese Tennis Association.) At 5'4", Zheng wasn't expected to lead the charge; the 5'7" Li Na (No. 43) and 5'8" Peng Shuai (No. 50) seem more suited to battle the Tour's big hitters. But Zheng uses her compact frame to counter opponents' power, as her tight swing allows her to take the ball early from the baseline. "It's a gutsy way to play, because you rob yourself of time," Carillo says. "It puts a premium on agility and fitness."

And as 100 million of her closest friends can attest, that's a premium Zheng can afford.

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