Strengths of the 2008 NFL Draft

Most college football teams have played a little over half their games, but for NFL Draft purposes the "Draft" season is only one quarter complete. Let me explain, if you give two points to the season, one point to the bowl games and All-Star Games (i.e. Senior Bowl, Shrine Game) and another point to the NFL Scouting Combine and individual "Pro Day" workouts, then you could surmise that the season is only 1/4 over.

So at the one-quarter spot, how does this draft stack up against last years draft and more importantly past drafts? It's to early to draw a whole lot of conclusion from last years draft, but we can speculate a little. Why not, if you follow the NFL Draft as I do do, then speculation is the name of the game.

A few months ago I wrote a piece highlighting the talented juniors that are draft eligible for the 2008 NFL Draft. Why does it seem that there are so many talented juniors this year? Because so many underclassmen entered the draft last year it has diluted the seniors for this year. I expect even more juniors to declare early this year even further diluting the seniors for the 2009 NFL Draft. That is why it has become even more important to identify the top sophomores as early as possible in the evaluating process.

OK, so what are the strengths of this 2008 NFL Draft? I think it's at the running back and offensive tackle positions. When you throw in the top juniors that are likely to declare, then these two positions are incredible indeed. Here is a list (including the juniors) of the running backs that could be drafted in the first three rounds (day one), and all of these prospects could fight for considerable playing time on NFL rosters as rookies: Darren McFadden, Jonathan Stewart, Ray Rice, James Davis, Steve Slaton, Mike Hart, Felix Jones, Tashard Choice, Ryan Torain, Allen Patrick, Kevin Smith, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. As a comparison, last year, (2007 NFL Draft) there were nine running backs drafted in the first three rounds. Yes the quantity is just slightly better, but the quality is a significant upgrade over last year, with a lot of possible franchise type backs on that list.

This group of offensive tackles is also impressive, including the top juniors, we could even see as many as seven tackles selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft! Here are some possible first rounders: Jake Long, Sam Baker, Gosder Cherilus, Ryan Clady, Barry Richardson, Michael Oher and Chris Williams. I can't see all seven going in round one, but I would grade all seven as first round talent. Don't know Chris Williams? He is a very athletic lineman from Vanderbilt with excellent size (6' 6" 319 lbs).

The quarterback position needs to be mentioned as well. Quantity and quality, it will be a very strong position in this draft, especially at the very top with Brian Brohm, Matt Ryan and Andre' Woodson all having the potential to be top ten picks. Last year, JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn were the only two quarterbacks selected in the first round and neither has played in the regular season yet. Not everyone is sold on Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan, because he throws so may interceptions and plays against such inferior competition, but I love his potential. If I were an NFL team needing a quarterback and the top three guys were already gone, I would definitely take a chance on Brennan, yes he might burn out and fade away, but the chance that Brennan will be a super star is just to good to pass up. I really like Erik Ainge from Tennessee as a second or third round selection and even though I am not high on either Chad Henne or John David Booty, they will likely be drafted during the same time frame. As a comparison, there were six quarterbacks selected on the first day of the 2007 NFL Draft. It's way to early to draw any final conclusions, but the best quarterback from the 2007 NFL Draft looks like Trent Edwards, and he was the last quarterback selected on day one last year (92nd over-all), and so far, is the first rookie quarterback to secure a starting job, beating out Buffalo's J. P. Losman.

Colt Brennan and the Rainbows Stay Undefeated

The Hawaii Rainbows finally got some air time on national TV and the defense laid an egg. The Rainbows barely beat a mediocre San Jose State team 42-35 in overtime. Quarterback Colt Brennan and their trio of uber talented receivers had to bale out their porous defense, scoring two fourth quarter touchdowns. That is nothing new for the Hawaii defense, who gave up 44 points to Louisiana Tech and 37 points to Utah State. Friday night (Oct 12) the Rainbow defense gave up 35 points to San Jose State. Not to throw everything on the defense for the San Jose State fiasco, Colt Brennan's four interceptions put his defense in a bad spot a few times.

So Are the Hawaii Rainbows, at an undefeated 7-0, a legitimate legitimate BCS Championship team? Absolutely not, they just don't have the defense. Does anyone think if they played in the SEC they would even be a .500 team? Probably not.

Hold your horses all you Hawaii Rainbow fans before you click away in disgust. I am not here to bash the Hawaii Rainbows, I am just trying to be realistic. I actually love the Rainbows, I have given them significant coverage in the past, I wrote a glowing article last year about running back Nate Ilaoa and more recently, I wrote an interesting article on the King of Honolulu, June Jones.

I am rooting for the Rainbows, I love an under dog, the run and shoot offense is fun to watch and I am a huge fan of record setting Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan. Unlike a lot of draftniks, I think he has excellent NFL Potential. I am highly impressed with his quick release, accuracy and ability to move around in the pocket. He reminds me a lot of Tony Romo, with his gunslinger mentality. I would draft him in the later part of round one and be very patient with him, like Tony Romo, he (Brennan) will need a couple of years in the NFL to develop the mental part of his game, he throws way to many interceptions at this point, but make no mistake, Colt Brennan has all the physical skills to eventually develop into a pro bowl NFL quarterback.

During Friday nights game against San Jose State, Brennan, recovering from a sprained ankle, displayed some of that gunslinger mentality, making spectacular throw after throw at times and then throwing the ball up for grabs at other times, seemingly hot and cold. Bennan attempted a WAC record 75 passes, completing 44 for 545 yards 4 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. He came through when he had to however, throwing the winning touchdown pass in overtime to WR Ryan Grice-Mullen from 8 yards out in front of 20,473 frenzied San Jose State fans on a muddy, wet field to win the game in over time 42-35. This, after he rallied back from a 14-point deficit in the final 4 minutes of the fourth quarter. It was the first time this season the Rainbows failed to score at least 45 points.

"Coach (Jones) was telling me, 'If you can come back from this, it will define you as a quarterback.' " Brennan said afterward. I love the King of Honolulu, June Jones, but he is borderline arrogant, after the game he blamed his teams difficulties on the wet, sloppy conditions of the field, saying something to the affect that if the conditions wouldn't have been so bad they would have scored 60 more (points). C'mon June, do you really want to score 104 points against San Jose State? Is that what you think people want to see to select you for a BCS championship game? Nope, you need a better defense and a tougher schedule if you want real nationwide respect.

Hawaii is off to it's best start since 1981 and despite my earlier comments, they do have an outside shot at a BCS game. Mark your calender for November 16th, the Rainbows play at Nevada in another Friday night nationally televised game on ESPN and then on November 23 they have a huge game against last years Cinderella team Boise State, and then on December 1st they play a tough Washington team, both of the later games are at Hawaii and they will need to destroy all three of those teams by huge margins to have an outside chance.

College Football News and Notes

By guest Blogger: John April

College Football

OK, so we are roughly half way through the 2007 Season. We saw some big upsets this week, Stanford over # 2 USC 24-23, Illinois over # 5 Wisconsin 31-26, and S. Carolina beating # 8 Kentucky 38-23 all in the top 10. (AP Poll ranking)

We have also seen some up and coming teams thus far this year. And the one that strikes me boldly is # 5 South Florida (5-0). For once, I agree with the AP Poll on this one. Matt Grothe # 8, only a Sophomore, threw 17/27 for 122 yards, only to rush for an additional 120 yards. Yes, its early, but watch for this young man in the NFL Draft in a few years, I promise, he WILL be at the top.

Another team that has earned some respect is # 7 South Carolina. Spurrier’s win over a # 8 ranked Kentucky, puts the Gamecocks at (5-1), 3-1 in the SEC. That makes it, 15 consecutive wins over Kentucky. South Carolina just outplayed the Wildcats, although the stats say otherwise. South Carolina will be losing 23 seniors this year, but their present QB, # 7 Chris Smelley, is only a Freshman. I feel confident that within the next 3 years, Smelley will hone his skills and that should keep S. Carolina in the top ten for a few years to come.

Personally, I don’t believe that Notre Dame’s troubles are over. They meet # 4 Boston College, then # 10 (AP)USC, and Stanford. But, if you look at it rankings and schedule wise. Notre Dame beat UCLA, who in turn has beaten Stanford, who has beaten USC, who has beaten Nebraska. You get my drift. In other words, if anything has been proven to us this year, this year especially, is that ANY team, Appalachian State, South Florida, Colorado, etc. can beat any team. So, watch this week and see if # 81 Arizona can beat # 10 USC, or another great match-up this week is # 75 Notre Dame vs. # 4 Boston College.

Some games to watch this week are: # 6 Oklahoma at # 11 Missouri and # 1 LSU at # 17 Kentucky. Of these games, I feel that Missouri has a better passing game, Chase Daniel Missouri QB last week threw for 401 yards against a tough Nebraska, where Oklahoma’s total yards last week were only 414.

# 1 LSU, playing a determined # 17 Kentucky will be another great game to view. Don’t shut Kentucky out of this one. The Wildcats can definitely move the ball, obvious from last weeks loss to # 7 S. Carolina, where Kentucky had more first downs, more totally yards, more rushing yards and more yards on punt returns. But LSU does claim to have the No. 1 defense in the nation, I question that after Tulane move the ball a total of 227 yards, and Florida had a total of 314 yards.

All in all, this should be an interesting week. And at the end of week 7, will there be another “Biggest Upset in College Football”.

John April's Top 20 College Football Rankings

It's always good to have a different set of opinions. Here is Guest Blogger, John April's version of the NCAA Football Top 20 Rankings.

Have a comment or question? Join the Discussion in our Forums

1. LSU (6-0)

Well, after the slight win 28-24, over a tough Florida team, as well as USC’s 24-23 loss to a non-ranked Stanford (1-3), I HAVE to give, and I do mean give, LSU the top spot this week. It was ONLY in the last 2 minutes of the game that they actually squeaked by.

2. California (5-0)

Ok, you can disagree with me on this one, yes they had a bye this week, but don’t hold it against them. With the USC loss, lets give them the benefit of the doubt and kick um up a notch.

3. Ohio State (6-0)

Ohio State again, with a dominant (23-7) win over a confidant (5-0) # 23 ranked Purdue, continues to climb that ladder to the top. Although Purdue out-threw Ohio State 268-200 yards, Ohio States running game more than made up for that rushing for 181 yards vs. Purdue’s four.

4. USC (4-1)

I am at a loss for words here. USC has disappointed its fans and alumni with its last 2 games, the close win over the Washington Huskies, and this weeks loss to Stanford. Special teams, the missed PAT by Buehler, as well as the 4 interceptions by Booty, is what cost USC the win this week. Still, I believe that USC can make it to the Rose Bowl.

5. South Florida ( 5-0)

No hate mail on this, please. S. Fla., not as well known as LSU, USC, Ohio State, etc., has become the ONLY undefeated team in Florida. Williams, rushing for 186 yards, was followed close behind by fellow teammate Grothe, who ran for 120 yards and passed for another 122 yards, making this 35-23 win over Fla. Atlantic, fantastic.

6. Boston College (6-0)

Boston College, a mainstay in the top 20 for the last 3 years, dominated Bowling Green (3-1) this week in a stunning 55-24 victory. 6 thrown Bowling Green interceptions, 5 by QB Sheehan, and 1 by Glaud, aided in this loss. Boston College QB Ryan had a noteworthy week, passing for 24/32, 312 yds., and 4 TD’s.

7. Wisconsin (5-1)

Wisconsin’s 14-game winning streak was stopped by a 5-1 Illinois team. Beating Wisconsin in a 31-26 battle, and yes this one was a battle. Wisconsin TE Beckum, had 160 receiving yards on 11 carries. QB Donovan threw for 392 yards, and Wisconsin had 28 first downs compared to Illinois 18. None the less, Wisconsin did suffer defeat against this better than expected Illinois team.

8. Oklahoma ( 5-1)

One of the more enjoyable games available this week. Nothing really outstanding about either team for this game. It could have gone either way, but it seems that Oklahoma just wanted it more.

9. South Carolina ( 5-1)

Turnovers, turnovers. Kentucky surpassed S.C. in just about every category. first downs, total yards, time of possession and rushing. They also were ahead on turnovers 4-1, and that cost them the game.

10. Florida (4-2)

Yes, I believe that Florida should be in the top 10. After witnessing a game that I felt should have gone to Florida, with the poor officiating, there is no way that I feel comfortable putting them at less than 10th in the rankings. Florida played in what I consider the toughest stadium in the country, and actually won the game until the last 1:02 minutes.

11. Kentucky (5-1)

Now this is funny, AP has Kentucky ranked 17th in the nation. What are they thinking about. 4 turnovers are all that cost Kentucky the loss against S. Carolina. 384 total yards, 227 in the air and 157 rushing. But drop down to 17, I don’t buy it. Watch for Kentucky in the future.

12. West Virginia (5-1)

W.V. had 486 total yards this week against Syracuse. Some tough games ahead for the Mountaineers. Rutgers, Louisiville and Cincinnati, will all give W.V. a great game.

13. Oregon ( 4-1)

Oregon had a bye this week, and I hope that did some serious practicing. Arizona State 6-0, USC 4-1 and UCLA 4-2 are some tough competitors for this Oregon defense.

14. Virginia Tech (5-1)

I originally wanted to put V. Tech higher in the rankings this week, but considering the win over Clemson 41-23, did not properly disclose the true game itself, I am not truly sure V. Tech at this time, is a team to be reckoned with. Clemson totally outplayed V. Tech, in total yards, first downs and time of possession.

15. Hawaii (6-0)

At 6-0, Hawaii may look impressive, but take a look what class of teams they are beating. Utah St. 0-6, Northern Colorado 0-6, La. Tech 1-4 and Idaho 1-5. Come on give me a break. I only put them here because I do have respect for any team that goes 6-0, but I believe that Boise St. and Washington will give them a game.


16. Missouri (5-0)

Yes, they beat Illinois 5-1, and they also beat Nebraska 4-2, BUT they still have to get by Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas Tech, Texas A & M and Kansas, all tough teams. But 606 total yards against Nebraska 4-2 is very impressive. Junior QB Chase Daniel, threw for 401 yards and ran for 72. Missouri WR’s and TE’s all were instrumental in this weeks win.

17. Illinois (5-1)

# 5 RB Rashad Mendenhall, a Junior, rushed for 160 yards in this weeks exciting upset over Wisconsin 5-1. Watch for this player in the NFL Draft a couple of years from now. Despite the 519 total yards orchestrated by Wisconsin QB Donovan, Illinois was able to break Wisconsin’s winning streak of 14 games.

18. Kansas (5-0)

Lets keep our eyes on this team. I am not sure that they can hold onto a position in the top 20. The have some tough teams ahead on their schedule, a 5-1 Texas A & M and a 5-0 Missouri.

19. Arizona State ( 6-0)

Atop the PAC-10 standings sits Arizona State (3-0) along with UCLA, also 3-0.

20. Cincinnati (6-0)

The 20th spot in the ranking is very difficult to pick. There were a number of other teams I could have put here, but at 6-0 I believe they have earned it.

New NFL Draft Forum Launched

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Fantasy Football Update

Image: Brandon Marshall

The NFL Football season is one quarter over and it's time to start adjusting your fantasy football rosters. By now we can start identifying trends in performance and injuries and we need to do some tweaking to our rosters to stay competitive.

I have done some research and have identified a few players that would be worth picking up if they are still available in your league. We will start with the quarterbacks, there a ton of back-ups starting now, some are pretenders and some contenders. The quarterback that looks the most appealing is the Raiders' Daunte Culpepper, he scored 2 TDs last week against Miami and is poised for a break out season, his knee finally looks 100%. Should you pick up Trent Dilfer now that Alex Smith is out for the year? I wouldn't unless you didn't have any other viable starters, Dilfer is ancient, immobile and the 49ers offensive line is struggling.

I like the Cleveland Browns Derek Anderson, he looks like he has the starting quarterback spot nailed down and has got some legitimate weapons around him with WR Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow JR. The 6' 6" 225 pound Anderson has recorded 9 touchdowns this year.

There a few interesting running backs starting to emerge. Cadillac Williams is injured and out for year for the Bucs, so the opportunity is there for someone else to emerge to fill that void, that someone is running back Earnest Graham (5' 9" 225 lbs), he is short and squat and has excellent balance and power, the Bucs like to use him near the goal line as his 3 TDs would indicate. He will share time with Michael Pittman, who is also used as a receiver. Either one of those guys could be a viable backup on your fantasy football rosters.

Denver running back Travis Henry is facing a year long suspension, so it might be a good time to reach a little and pick up Selvin Young. The rookie, Young, was an un-drafted free agent out of Texas, but he led the team in rushing in the pre-season and coach Shanahan has proven year in and year out he will put almost anyone in his backfield. Young has already played well in the regular season and has a 9.2 yards per carry average. Look for Young to get more carries as the season unfolds.

If you drafted the Dolphins' running back Ronnie Brown, grew impatient with his slow start, and were thinking about trading him, well don't. Brown is just to big, strong and fast to let go. He will get on track and have some big games for you before the season is over, he is also an excellent receiver out of the backfield. He looked good last week against Oakland, rushing for 134 yards and 1 TD. Speaking of receiving, for the season Brown has 20 catches for 248 yards and 1 TD. So Brown's versatility can get you a lot of fantasy points.

Another running back that looks like he is finally coming into his own is the Raiders' Justin Fargas. What makes Vargas an intriguing fantasy prospect is his home run speed. He has the speed to score a touchdown from anywhere on the field. Fargas had a breakout game last week against the Dolphins, he rushed 22 times for 179 yards.

The Cowboys running back Marion Barber is probably not available, but if he is you should try to get him, Dallas is primarily a passing team this season, but Barber is used around the goal line and he has emerged as the top dog over Julius Jones. Expect Barber to get more and more caries as the season goes along, especially in the second half. Barber already has scored 4 TDs.

There are a few talented receivers emerging as stars. My favorite is the Broncos' Brandon Marshall. I was infatuated with this kid coming out of college. He was selected by the Broncos in the fourth round (119th overall) of the 2006 NFL Draft, from tiny Central Florida. Through four games he has 20 catches for a team-leading 290 yards (14.5 avg.) and two touchdowns. Marshal is very similar to Terrell Owens in size (6' 4" 230 lbs), speed and ability.

See if you can get Steeler wide receiver Santonio Holmes on your roster. He was the Steelers 2006 1st round (25th over-all) draft pick for a reason, he is very athletic and fast and has emerged as Ben Roethlisberger's favorite target. Last week against Arizona he caught 6 balls for 128 yards and 2 TDs. He is young, so he will get better and better and could be a pro bowler by the end of the season.

If your Fantasy Football league gives you points for individual defensive players, you need to try to get your hands on 49er rookie inside linebacker Patrick Willis, already, as a rookie he has emerged as one of the best linebackers in the NFL. He is a tackling machine, after four games he is tied for 3rd in the NFL in tackles with 38.

Here Come the Oklahoma Sooners

College Football

Before the 2007 college football season started, not many gave Oklahoma a chance to win the national title. Talk about a team that seemingly rose from the ashes, this time last year the Sooners were seemingly on the downturn. Their blue chip quarterback Rhett Bomar was shockingly dismissed from the team, who, by the way has himself risen from the ashes, surfacing this year at Sam Houston State. The Sooners fought hard all year without a quality quarterback, they lost a game due to poor officiating against Oregon, but still managed to land a New Years Day bowl game (Fiesta Bowl), only to lose that game in a heartbreaking overtime defeat to Boise State (on a trick play). They then lost their star running back, Adrian Peterson to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFL Draft. So the Sooners entered the 2007 season with a possible New Years hangover, still no proven quarterback and a junior college transfer starting at left tackle.

We have to give credit to Coach Bob Stoops, in his eighth year as head coach he has a combined record of 87-19, which is the second most wins by any Division 1-A school and the best record of any BCS school during that period. He led the Sooners to the 2000 BCS National Championship and finished the season undefeated. That year (2000) Stoop's Sooners weren't even ranked in the Top 20 in the pre-season. He has led his team to eight straight bowl games, with five being BCS Bowls.

Bob Stoops masterfully put together the 2007 team with brilliant recruiting, throw in a few key junior college transfers and a tough as nails spring training and this Sooner team looks to compete for a National Title and is already one of the Top Ranked Teams in College Football. The Sooners are 4-0 and have scored 50 or more points against every opponent.

So let's look at some of the key players. It has to start with redshirt freshman quarterback Sam Bradford, his early rise to national stardom has given the Sooner nation hope for this year and the future. Bradford is not a one game wonder, he has size (6'4" 205 lbs) and talent, after four games he is the highest rated QB in the Big 12 with a rating of 215.45, and has thrown 14 touchdown passes. Folks Bradford has completed 79.13 percentage of his passes. He is incredibly accurate and throws a nice deep pass with a flick of his wrist. NFL Scouts will keep an eye on this young signal caller in the next few years.

We all knew about running back Allen Patrick, but he has been injured early. In comes redshirt freshman DeMarco Murray (6' 0" 191 lbs), who has 4.43 speed. After four games Murray leads the Big 12 with 8 touchdowns and has accumulated 297 yards. By the way, Patrick is healthy once again, so that is quite the one-two punch at running back.

The running game is so strong because opposing defenses can't stack the line due to Oklahoma possessing two NFL caliber receivers on the outside. Both talented juniors, Malcolm Kelly (6' 3' 217 lbs) and Juaquin Iglesias (6' 1" 204 lbs) can get open early and often and are great with the ball in their hands. They also can field one of the Top Tight Ends in the nation in Joe John Finley, (6' 6" 260 lbs). Finley, amazingly enough, is one of the only seniors starters on the team.

The real strength of this team however is their massive offensive line. This line is brutal and has been pushing people around all year. A lot of credit needs to be given to Coach Stoops for landing two time junior college All American, junior, left tackle Phil Loadholt. This man mountain blocks out the sun at 6' 8" 350 pounds and has surprisingly nimble feet. They have a super talented left guard in George (Duke) Robinson, who projects as an 2009 Top Ten NFL Draft Pick. Robinson is also huge at 6' 5" 330 pounds, he has started since he was a true freshman and has lost 46 pounds since arriving at Oklahoma. They also have a very talented sophomore right tackle in Trent Williams (6' 5" 321 lbs), who will be sharing time with junior 6' 6" 312 pound Branndon Braxton.

The defense isn't as strong as the offense, but they are still solid with yet another super talented redshirt freshman in 6' 4 290 pound defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The defensive backfield is chalked full of NFL talent with three solid seniors in cornerback Marcus Walker and safeties Darien Williams and DJ Wolfe. The real strength of this defense however is a pair of juniors and future NFL safeties in Reggie Smith (6' 1" 199 lbs) and giant hard hitting Nic Harris (6' 3" 225 lbs). Do you see a trend here? The Sooners have almost no senior starters on their roster and depending on how many jump early to the NFL, the Sooners could easily be the top ranked team heading into the 2008 College Football Season.

Spotlight on George Selvie, Future NFL Draft Prospect

NFL Draft

The 2007 College Football Season is already two games old and do you know who the current sack master is? It is South Florida's Sophomore Defensive End George Selvie. South Florida is a team on the rise, after beating Auburn in week two they just missed being ranked in the top 25. They received the 26th-highest number of points (220) in this week's Associated Press Poll.

George Selvie has been instrumental in the Bulls success, after week two he leads the nation in sacks (5.5) and tackles for loss (9.5). Selvie stands 6' 4" and weighs 255 pounds of solid muscle, he is cat quick, strong and plays with a reckless abandon. Only a sophomore, but due to his breathtaking success last year as a freshman, he is already a team leader. Watch Selvie on the field (#95), he is almost unblock-able.

Last year (2006) Selvie put the football world on notice when he had a breakout game against the 7th ranked West Virginia Mountaineers. South Florida pulled off the spectacular upset and Selvie recorded eight tackles, including 3.5 for a loss, forced a fumble and scored a touchdown on a 9-yard fumble recovery. For that performance, Selvie was named National Defensive and the Big East Player of the Week.

Selvie was originally signed by South Florida to play center, but his size and quickness quickly facilitated the switch to the defensive side of the ball. I think he has found his niche, after winning the teams' Overachiever Award for outstanding work in the team's strength and conditioning program, Selvie was inserted into the starting lineup at right defensive end. He finished the season with 84 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss and 5.5 sacks.

Selvie went on to be named a Football Writers Association of America/Scripps Freshman All-American, the first in the South Florida Bulls history. Selvie will probably be converted to outside linebacker in the NFL, but he is a prospect that is definitely rising up the future draft boards. Yes we will have to wait until the 2009 or the 2010 NFL Draft to see him sack quarterbacks in the NFL, but it will be worth the wait.

Early Winners for the 2008 NFL Draft

I know it's way early, and we can put to much into the first game, but my goal is to identify a few of the college football NFL prospects that are improving their draft stock each week leading up to the 2008 NFL Draft.

Image: DeJuan Tribble, Boston College

1. QB Matt Ryan and CB Dejuan Tribble from Boston College:
I have talked about Ryan since last year and even had him in the first round of my 2008 NFL Mock Draft for quite some time. After week-one he is now finally getting some national notoriety. Ryan threw for 408 yards and 5 touchdowns in a big win against Wake Forest, he is cool as a cucumber and has a cannon for an arm. I can see the future debate for the number one selection in the 2008 NFL Draft already between Ryan and Louisville's QB Brian Brohm. Tribble is a small cover corner that is capable of making game changing plays. I don't care that he is only 5' 9" tall, if I were a NFL General Manager I would definitely want him on my team. He had 2 interceptions against Wake Forest, but his seven solo tackles were even more impressive. Tribble, originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, snatched seven interceptions last season (2006), returning three for touchdowns. Heading into his senior season he has totaled 135 tackles, 11 interceptions, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and eight tackles for loss.

QB Matt Flynn and Safety Craig Steltz from LSU:
Matt Flyn hasn't been talked about much as an NFL Prospect because he hasn't really had any extended playing time. Against Mississippi State in the 2007 season opener he looked like a capable signal caller. He has decent size at 6' 2" 224 pounds and his arm strength, while not as powerful as Matt Ryan's, looks good enough to make all the throws. His accuracy is excellent, he finished his first game with a 63.16 completion percentage and a 154 QB rating. Craig Steltz is quite the play-maker in the LSU defensive secondary. He tied a school record last week with three interceptions as LSU destroyed Mississippi State 45-0. The LSU Tigers face a tough task this Saturday night against Virginia Tech.

RB Marlon Lucky from Nebraska:
The number one running back back after the first week of college football is Marlon Lucky. Talk about some talented junior running backs, I m not even mentioning junior running back James Davis from Clemson who absolutely terrorized Florida State. Marlon Lucky is way underrated. His 30 carries for 233 yards and 3 Touchdowns leads the nation. The Cornhuskers better hope he stays lucky when they face top ranked USC on September 15 (7:00 PM Central) on ABC. This is a must see game.

RB Felix Jones from Arkansas:
Yes there are two talented running backs from Arkansas this year, Jones would be the featured back for almost any other team in the nation. Jones is currently ranked #2 in the nation in all purpose yards with 129 rushing yards, 14 receiving yards and 144 yards on kick returns. He is averaging almost 18 yards every time he touches the ball. This junior will probably be the featured running back for Arkansas next year after Darren McFadden leaves for the NFL as expected.

LB Jordan Dizon from Colorado:
Dizon is a little small at 6' 0" 227 pounds, but he is a tackling machine. After week one he is ranked #1 in the nation in solo tackles with 15. This is nothing new for the 1st Team All Big 12 linebacker, Dizon last year (2006) recorded an amazing 137 tackles in which 80 were solo.

DE/DT Mitch King from Iowa:
King, only a junior, will eventually have to convert to defensive end or outside linebacker to make it in the NFL as he is only 6' 3" 265 pounds, but he is a force playing inside for the Iowa Hawkeyes. King is very quick, strong and he really knows how to use his hands. His forte is slicing in and making big plays behind the line of scrimmage. Against Northern Illinois in week-one he was a terror recording three tackles for a loss and two sacks.

Spotlight on Appalachian State

First of all, Michigan did not lose to Appalachian State. The Mountaineers beat Michigan, let's get that straight. Was it a huge upset? Sure it was. It was the first time a non Division 1 team has ever beaten one of the Top 20 ranked NCAA Football Teams. People that claim that it was the biggest upset in sports history just don't understand how good the Appalachian State football program has become. It seemed to all start in 2005, playing against a highly ranked LSU squad in Baton Rouge, the Mountaineers gave them quite a game and played them tough. They (Mountaineers) only trailed 14-0 at halftime, eventually losing 24-0, but they actually outrushed the LSU Tigers 176 yards to 163, and showed everyone that they can play with the big boys. Since that game they have won two consecutive Division 1AA championships and are heavily favored to win a third this year (2007).

Playing at home in Ann Arbor Michigan the Wolverines were clearly not prepared for a fast, spread offense and it's clear that the Wolverines defense was built to stop a power running game, which is typical Big Ten style. The Wolverines don't have much speed in the defensive secondary. But this article is about Appalachian State, not Michigan.

Coach Jerry Moore deserves a lot of credit for building this franchise into a perennial powerhouse. Since his arrival to Boone North Carolina in 1989 the Mountaineers have a record of 154 wins with only 68 losses. Coach Moore has the credentials; he was a former coach of Texas Tech and North Texas and was developed under the tutelage of two hall of fame coaches, Nebraska's Tom Osborne and Iowa's Hayden Frye.

Appalachian State is clearly the class of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) or better known as 1AA. By the way, I wish they wouldn't have changed it to FCS, Division 1AA was so much simpler to understand. The Mountaineers have some serious talent, a few of their player could start for almost any division one team and some even have legitimate potential for the NFL Draft.

The best NFL Prospect on the team might be offensive lineman Kerry Brown (6' 6" 312 lbs). Brown is the defending Southern Conference Jacobs Blocking Trophy recipient and first-team All-American. He has started 31 consecutive games at left guard and has great strength, and athletic ability. NFL Draft Dog has Brown ranked among the nation's top guards for the 2008 NFL Draft.

Sophomore quarterback Armanti Edwards (6' 0 " 182 lbs.) might be a little short to play QB in the NFL, but this kid showed everyone that he could play the position at the collegiate level. Against Michigan he looked faster than any player on the Michigan defense. He finished the game passing for 227 yards and 3 touchdowns, he also ran for 78 yards and another touchdown. Last year (2006) as a freshman, he didn't start until the third game of the season, but once he got rolling he turned in one of the best seasons in college football history at any level. He became just the fifth player in NCAA Division I history (and only the second freshman) to pass for 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. Those statistics rank him right up there with Tennessee Titans' quarterback Vince Young.

Michigan must have been worried about All-American running back Kevin Richardson, because they let loose Wide Receiver Dexter Jackson. He (Jackson) was about the only player on the football field that looked faster than the Appalachian quarterback (Edwards). I watched the game film again and number 2 jumped out with his breath taking speed. The 5' 10" 185 pound receiver and return specialist caught 3 passes for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jackson will be the go-to receiver this year and he is rated as one of the better receiver prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft.

I have been touting Safety Corey Lynch, (6' 0" 205 lbs.) for a while now. He made his debut on the Sports Center highlight reel by blocking Michigan's potential game winning field goal in the waning minutes to seal the win for the Mountaineers. Lynch is another Mountaineer player with legitimate potential for the NFL Draft.

So in closing, don't despair Michigan fans, you got beat by a darn good football team. In fact, I will give the Michigan athletic department credit for scheduling them for their first game of the year. Most Division 1 schools don't want anything to do with playing the two time Division 1AA champion Appalachian Mountaineers.

Must See College Football Games (Part Two)

Get your calender back out because the second half of the College Football season should prove to be even more exciting than the first half.

Thursday October 25th on prime time TV we will get to see maybe the best college quarterback for the 2008 NFL Draft. QB Matt Ryan from Boston College plays against a very tough Virginia Tech team. Virginia Tech is 13-2 in nationally televised games and guess who they lost to? Yep, Boston College, including a 22-3 defeat last year. Virginia Tech clearly has the better team and junior cornerback Brandon Flowers will be ale to shut down half the field. Another player that NFL Scouts will be salivating over is Boston College left tackle Gosder Cherilus (6' 6" 320 lbs), with a strong senior campaign Cherilus could sneak into the later part of the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

At least one game on October 27th figures to be an offensive shootout for the ages. West Virginia at Rutgers will highlight three of the best running backs in college football if you include speedy West Virginia quarterback Pat White. Rutgers will hand the ball off to future NFL Draft pick Ray Rice who scored 20 touchdowns last year. West Virginia not only has speedy quarterback Pat White, who will probably be the fastest player on the field with sub 4.40 speed, but they also have multi-faceted running back Steve Slaton, who finished the 2006 season with 245 carries for 1,733 yards and 16 TDs. Watch Slaton line up all over the field Ala Reggie Bush.

The November 3rd match-up between LSU and Alabama should be one of the most hyped games of the year because Nick Saban will be coaching against his former LSU team. This game is at Alabama and Saban will have the Tide up for this game. LSU will face one of their biggest road tests of the season. On paper LSU is clearly the better team, but Alabama will have home field advantage and a fired up Saban, this could be an upset. Two of the best senior receivers in the nation will be on the field in this one, LSU has Early Doucet and Alabama has D.J. Hall, both of these prospects have early round NFL Draft Potential, especially Doucet.

West Virginia has to come right back on November 8th and play another big game against Louisville. If Matt Ryan isn't the top quarterback for the 2008 NFL Draft then it will probably be Louisville's Brian Brohm. The Cardinals have maybe the best pair of wide receivers in the nation in Harry Douglas and 6'5" 225 pound junior Mario Urrutia. On defense Louisville has one of the top senior linebackers in the nation in Malik Jackson. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jackson selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Louisville has a very interesting linebacker on the squad this year named Willie Williams, his story is to lengthy to go into here, but NFL Draft Dog has an interesting Scouting Report on him.

November 10th might be the date that the Big Ten conference is decided when the two heavyweights collide. Michigan plays at Wisconsin and the Badgers are a dangerous team. Even though he will only be a sophomore this season, Wisconsin running back P.J. Hill is one of the best running backs in the nation. Junior Tight End Travis Beckum presents matchup problems for defenses because he has wide receiver speed, but he stays in and blocks quite a bit and you never know when he is going to burst into the open field and catch a deep pass. On the defensive side of the ball I have already heard NFL Scouts talk about junior cornerback Jack Ikegwuonu. The other game that I like on November 10th is Florida at South Carolina. The Gamecocks have a dangerous team and Steve Spurrier would love to upset his former team.

The November 17th rivalry game between Ohio State and Michigan is always exciting. This year Ohio State is not the favorite, but don't count the Buckeyes out just yet. Yes they lost Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith and they will be starting unproven, inexperienced QB Todd Boeckman, but Boeckman is no freshman, he is a senior that has been quietly waiting for his chance to start for three years. Boeckman might be one of the sleeper picks for the 2008 NFL Draft as he has a strong arm and nice size (6' 4" 235 lbs). Most college football fans will be talking about Ohio State sophomore running back Chris Wells by this time of the year. Big and very fast, Wells looks to be one of the top running backs for the 2009/2010 NFL Draft.

November 23rd might be one of the best games of the entire season pitting Boise State at Hawaii. The Boise State Broncos shocked Oklahoma last year and they are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. The name to watch in this game however is Hawaii's record setting quarterback Colt Brennan. This is the Rainbows and Brennan's make or break game. On the line for Brennan is a possible Heisman Trophy and a chance to be a first round draft pick. If Brennan lays an egg, he could really slip in the 2008 NFL Draft. Not everyone is sold on Brennan as an NFL Prospect so this game will be huge. All that aside, this should be a fun to watch high scoring shoot out.

The classic in-state rivalry between Florida and Florida State (FSU) will be played on November 24th. Florida might be undefeated and looking ahead to next weeks conference championship game. This would be a bad idea as FSU will once again field a solid team with a fearsome defense. Florida sophomore all-purpose threat Percy Harvin can score with the football any time he gets his hands on it and outside linebacker/pass rusher extraordinaire Derrick Harvey will make things miserable for the Florida State quarterback. The Seminoles won't be a push over however, with defensive tackle Andre Fluellen clogging up the running lanes and getting after the QB, he might make a rude introduction to Florida QB Tim Tebow.

Big Games for the 2007 College Football Season

College Football season is almost upon us so it's time to mark your calenders and cancel any plans that will take you away from your wide screen TV, unless of course you're going to the game and then your calender should already be marked.

It all starts off with a bang on September 1st with a big time grudge match. Tennessee plays at California. Quarterback Erik Ainge might emerge as a legitimate NFL Prospect if he can look good and win this game. But it won't be easy, Tennessee crushed California last year 35-18 in Knoxville and this year it is at California, plus the Bears have had a full year to plot their revenge. Did I also mention California is a solid football team with a Heisman Trophy Candidate named wide receiver DeSean Jackson that can score from any point on the field. Also that weekend Oklahoma State plays at Georgia. Watch wide receiver Adarius Bowman launch himself on the national stage, but also keep an eye on the young, talented sophomore Georgia quarterback Mathew Stafford. He has serious NFL potential for the future.

September 15th might be USC's toughest game of the season. USC is the top ranked college football team in the nation and their opponents won't have any problem getting up for them. They play at Nebraska and this should be Coach Bill Callahan's best team since arriving in corn country. USC has a phenomenal defense with 9 out of 11 starters eventually very early NFL Draft picks. Nebraska has a secret weapon this year named Sam Keller, but don't call Vegas with an upset pick, the last time Keller faced USC he was the QB of Arizona State and he threw five interceptions.

September 22nd looks like a wild weekend for the Big Ten, a solid Penn State team travels to Ann Arbor and plays a dominate Michigan squad. The Wolverines are loaded on offense, so I don't see an upset in this one, however it should be a good, physical game. I like the Iowa Hawkeyes in a surprise upset over highly ranked Wisconsin. The Hawkeys will go only as far as young untested sophomore Quarterback Jake Christensen will take them. Christensen has patiently been waiting in the wings to take over at quarterback ever since he signed with the Hawkeyes in 2005. He (Christensen) is the son of former NFL quarterback Jeff Christensen. Jake was one of the nation's most highly rated and recruited quarterbacks coming out of Lockport Illinois High School.

September 29th highlights Nick Sabans return to NCAA football after failing with the NFL's Miami Dolphins. Trust me, by all reports Nick Saban is a man possessed, he wants to win again badly. Saban is the Coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide now and the Tide travel to the state of Florida and take on Bobby Bowden and the Florida State Seminoles. In this game I want you to watch mammoth offensive lineman Andre Smith (6' 4" 345 lbs) from the Alabama side. He is rated as a top ten NFL Draft pick for the 2009 or 2010 NFL Draft.

October 6th might be the biggest weekend of the season for college football (so far). Florida travels to LSU, the defending national champion Gators and Sophomore Quarterback Tim Tebow get their first real road test down in Bayou country. NFL Draft prospects will be all over the field in this game and if LSU wins they look like USC's opponent in the national championship game. Also don't miss Texas against Oklahoma played in Dallas. The winner of that game will also have something to say about who the eventual national champion is. The winner of the Texas/Oklahoma game has played for the BCS title three times in four years.

October 13th should remind everybody who the best player in college football is when we get to see Arkansas' Running back Darren McFadden play at home against arch rival Auburn. The Tigers will be stacking eight defenders in the box to stop McFadden, who gouged them for a whopping 145 yards last year (2006).

If you are an NFL Scout you will love October 18th. South Florida plays at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are loaded with NFL talent, everybody knows about all world running back Ray Rice, but watch offensive linemen Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah dominate their opponents. Junior safety Courtney Green is a player that we will be hearing about in the future for Rutgers. But South Florida is where the real story is, under the radar they have emerged as the other Florida powerhouse and they will be sending a few talented prospects to the NFL in the future themselves. CB Mike Jenkins is one of the top rated corners in the nation and wide receiver Amarri Jackson (6' 4" 195 lbs) is a lanky talent. This game might be fun to watch as an offensive shoot out.

October 20th pits an always interesting instate rivalry between Miami and Florida State. Beleaguered Hurricane quarterback Kyle Wright might get to redeem himself, but I doubt Wright can do much against that tough FSU defense. The Hurricaine defense should be Stout in it's own right with supreme NFL Draft prospect defensive end Calais Campbell. If you like defense you will enjoy this game. Keep an eye on FSU sophomore Safety Myron Rolle (6' 2" 218 lbs). He looks like a very high future NFL Draft pick. USC also plays at Notre Dame, which on paper looks like a blow-out for USC, but in that annual rivalry game you never no what will happen.

Well that breaks down the first half of the season, check back in a couple days and I will highlight some of the best college football games for the second half of the 2007 NCAA Football season.

10 Things You Need to Know About Fantasy Football

If all the knowledge of the 2007 Fantasy Football Season could be condensed to 10 statements, it would look something like this:

By Guest Columnist Tom Van Wyhe

1. Carson Palmer has the potential to outperform Peyton Manning. This is certainly not meant to imply Palmer is better than Manning, but the former USC Heisman Trophy winner has more than enough talent around him – and a similar offense – to statistically catch Manning.

2. Peyton Manning is the only quarterback, however, worth drafting in the first round. While Palmer has the potential to pass him, Manning is still the most consistent fantasy star in the business. He's worth being drafted after the top-tier running backs come off the board: around 6-8 overall. Leave Palmer until the early-mid second round (if your scoring permits it).

3. Reggie Bush is a first round draft choice. Of course, your league will need at least 12 teams to justify it, but Bush is very much a first round candidate. He thrived in an offense built to cater his skills last season and this season should be no different; probably better if the team can get him more red zone touches.

4. Steve Smith is not the number one receiver this year. That spot belongs to Marvin Harrison, these days. The most consistent wide receiver in the business is still side-by-side with his partner in crime, Peyton Manning, while Steve Smith's quarterback situation grows shakier each week.

5. If you're picking number two, there should be one name on your list:
Steven Jackson. He's one of the most talented young backs in the league today and he's in an offense where he can break out and do something special this year. It wouldn't surprise me if he broke 2300 yards (from scrimmage) and 24 touchdowns this season, and earning a fantasy player of the year trophy along the way.

6. Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler are better picks than Vince Young. Young has the uncanny ability to win games using whatever skills he has (and they are aplenty). But his inconsistency will certainly annoy fantasy owners throughout the season. Cutler and Leinart, on the other hand, are both surrounded by more talented – and experienced – teammates. They'll consistently put up solid numbers week in and out.

7. If you're looking for a great late-second round running back, look no further than Cedric Benson. No one has more potential in that Bears' offense than Benson. While Grossman struggles, Chicago will undoubtedly look to build a strong foundation with the run game. And Benson has all the potential in the world to break 1300 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

8. If you can't decide what to do with your last draft pick, spend it on Ron Dayne. Or Devin Hester. These two guys have potential if the right situations can present themselves. While neither will be on your roster for anything more than a 4^th running back or 5^th wide receiver, they have potential to move up much higher if injury strikes (Ron Dayne will be the team's starter if Ahman Green is injured) or the Bears use Hester like Reggie Bush, circa-2006.

9. James Jones (Green Bay) looks better every week, and you should find him very late in your draft. I'm beginning to get the impression no one outside of Green Bay knows about this young wide receiver who is quickly catching the attention (and adoration) of fans. He has exceptional hands and is reminiscent of a young, physical Sterling Sharpe. And with questions surrounding Donald Driver's health, Jones' potential grows by the day.

10. If Antonio Gates is drafted don't waste one of your mid-round picks on another tight end. Perhaps more than any other year, tight end has a lot of depth. And considering you start only one per week, it's safe to say you'll find someone you like in the 10-12^th rounds of your draft.

Notes about the author: Tom Van Wyhe is the lead writer of The NFL Minute, a blog devoted to fantasy football. He has also contributed to other websites, such as SteelersFever.com and TheFootballExpert.com.

Notes from the NFL Preseason

As I reported a few weeks back, you can't take too much away from the NFL's preseason, especially the won-loss record. I haven't watched all the games, but here are a few very early random observations from the 2007 NFL preseason.

The Good:

There has been so much good news coming out of the Cowboys camp it almost makes you worried. Let's hope they get beaten badly in at least one of their preseason games so they don't get too over confident. I think the way last year ended the Cowboys needed to get their mojo back, and by every early indication, they have. The only bad news is star linebacker Greg Ellis's slow recovery from last year's Achilles injury, but 2007 first round NFL Draft pick Anthony Spencer is playing so well I don't think anyone even cares. Hats off to Bill Parcells and Jerry Jones for compiling all that talent, now let's see if Wade Phillips can do something with it. If Wade Phillips does win a super bowl in the next couple of years, there should be an asterisk by his name that says, "With help from Bill Parcells."

Minnesota Linebacker Chad Greenway is looking very good and looks fully healed from last year's season ending injury. With outstanding defensive tackles in front of him, look for Greenway to make the pro bowl this year, if he stays healthy that is.

After almost crying during the 2007 NFL Draft, Cleveland Brown Quarterback Brady Quinn looks like he might have been unfairly evaluated. Early indications are that the NFL is not going to overwhelm this kid. My only concern coming out of college was his accuracy, and that is something that can be improved upon over time.

The Baltimore Raven rookie defensive end Edgar Jones looked spectacular against the Giants. I was really high on this Small School Super Star coming out of college and it looks like he has a real chance in the NFL.

I bet the Falcons wish they would have kept Matt Schaub, he has looked good so far for the Texans. Schaub was nine of 12 for 108 yards and ran 5 yards for a score against the Cardinals.

As if they didn't have enough weapons, the Chargers have a dynamic little bottle rocket in Darren Sproles. Against the Rams the
Former K-State star returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half.

The Bad:

Miami Quarterback Trent Green has looked absolutely horrendous. There seem to be no zip on his balls. It is still very early, I wouldn't write him off yet, but I wonder if he hasn't lost his mojo. Maybe the Chiefs saw something that I didn't. The Dolphins certainly hope Green can find his confidence again as they have almost bet their season on him.

Staying on the Quarterback theme, Dallas Cowboy QB Brad Johnson has also looked like crap. Experience is one thing, but the 39 year old quarterback is playing like he is 49. The Cowboys don't have a proven back up after Johnson and that might prove to haunt them if Tony Romo ever gets injured.

I am surprised Tom Coughlin hasn't been fired yet. He just hasn't been able to bring a fairly talented Giant team together. He is supposed to be a disciplinarian, but the Giants have never been a disciplined team. In the August 19^th preseason game against the Raven they were penalized 12 times for 111 yards. Coughlin is coaching on borrowed time, a one year contract extension for the 2007 season that is.

I can't believe I saw Darrell Hackney surface in the preseason playing quarterback for the Broncos. Passed up in the 2006 NFL Draft, the Browns signed him as a free agent, but cut him before the start of the season, The Falcons worked him out but passed on him, and now the Broncos have given him a shot this year (2007). Hopefully we have seen the last of this guy, yea he throws the ball very hard but, he couldn't hit the broad side of the barn with a football. Short (5' 11") and slow (4.82) his accuracy is horrendous. Not a good combination.

The Redskins offensive line, they are one of the worst units in the NFL and almost got their young franchise quarterback Jason Campbell killed against the Steelers. He only suffered a bruised knee, but by the looks of the hit, it could have easily been a season ending injury.

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson looked fantastic running the football. I love his aggressive style of running and his spin move was world class. So why is he in the bad category? I am deeply concerned about his running style. He refuses to run out of bounds and he won't be able to stay healthy with that overly aggressive style.

College Football Touchdown Machines

The number one touchdown machine during the 2006 college football season was Boise State junior running back Ian Johnson. Johnson finished the season (2006) ranked first in the nation in scoring with 25 touchdowns. He also finished eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting and was named a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award. The 5' 11" 185 pound speedster ranked second in the country in rushing averaging142.83 yards per game, and an impressive 6.2 yards per carry average. Ian Johnson and Boise State are very underrated and whenever Johnson enters the NFL Draft, either this year or next, he will be a highly sought after NFL Prospect.

Wide receiver Jarrett Dillard (junior) from unheralded Rice University is the Rodney Dangerfield of college football, he scored 21 touchdowns last year, but you rarely he his named mentioned as an elite NFL Draft Prospect. His TD total ranked him 3^rd in the nation in scoring. He is a little small at 5' 11" 184 pounds, but he is lightening fast and has a knack for getting open. Dillard runs crisp routes and rarely drops a pass, especially in the end zone. Look how impressive his 21 touchdowns were, he was the only receiver to finish ranked in the top 20 in scoring last year (2006). Dillard is on the 2007 NFL Draft Dog College Football Preseason All-American Team.

Running Back Ray Rice (junior)
has been written about a lot this year already. Rice rose along with Rutgers into national prominence last year (2006) and along the way he plunged into the end zone 20 times. At 5' 9" 202 pounds he runs low to the ground (literally) and has great strength and balance. Some running backs seem to get some extra strength and adrenaline when they get close to the end zone. Emmett Smith had a nose for the end zone when he was in his prime, the Dallas Cowboys' Marion Barber seems to have it now, and Ray Rice also seems to be in that same category.

Junior Quarterback Pat White from West Virginia is a serious touchdown machine, last year (2006) he scored 18 touchdowns, mostly with his legs running the ball. White is a supreme athlete; he turned down a major league baseball contract with the California Angels and has been timed with low 4.4 speed. White's yards per carry average was an amazing 7.3. You have to wonder about his future in the NFL though, with a mediocre arm and a 57% completion percentage, we might see a switch to receiver in his future.

Pat White's team mate running back Steve Slaton scored 18 touchdowns as a sophomore last year (2006). His 18 TDs were impressive indeed, but he was also arguable the best pass catching running back in the nation. Slaton was the 2^nd ranked all purpose back in the nation. He finished with 360 receiving yards to go along with his 1,744 rushing. Slaton line up all over the field similar to how USC utilized Reggie Bush when he was in college.

Running Back/Full Back Jorvorskie Lane (junior) is an interesting touchdown machine. With his amazing size (6' 0" 275 pounds) he is almost automatic inside the five yard line. Lane powered the ball in the end zone 19 times last year. Texas A&M has a heck of a thunder and lightning combination at running back with power back Lane and super speed demon sophomore Mike Goodson. Lane finished ranked 8^th in the nation over-all and 4^th among running backs in scoring with 8.77 points per game.

Virginia Tech running back Brandon Ore is yet another ultra talented underclassman. Ore scored 17 touchdowns last year (2006). The 5' 11" 202 pound first team All-ACC running back also recorded an impressive 5.9 yards per carry average. Ore finished 25^th in the nation in rushing with 1,137 rushing yards. Ore blends a delightful combination of speed, strength and balance and has already developed into an elite NFL Draft Prospect.

Junior running back James Davis from Clemson is a legitimate touchdown machine with excellent NFL potential. He has decent size at 5' 11" 205 pounds and his production last year as a sophomore was outstanding. He finished ranked 17^th in the nation in scoring with 17 touchdowns. He accumulated 1,187 rushing yards and his 5.8 yards per carry average was among the best in college football.

Running back P.J. Hill is the only super sophomore on this list, but he is indeed worthy. The 5' 11" 222 pound, Wisconsin super star was the Big Ten Freshman of the year in 2006 and he scored 16 touchdowns with a 5 yards per carry average. Hill ranked 8^th in the nation in rushing with 1,569 yards. Hill is very shifty and powerful and also seems to have a nose for the end zone. The NFL will have to wait one or two years for this guy, but eventually he will be toting the pig skin on Sundays.

Not many football fans have ever heard of Tulsa running back Courtney Tennial, but his opponents are sure to remember his 16 touchdowns that he scored last year (2006). His 16 touchdowns ranked him 25th nationally in scoring, but his 16 TDs ranked him 11^th among running backs. Not real big at 5' 9" 215 pounds, but the transfer from Oklahoma has power in his legs and the speed to get outside. His 4.9 yards per carry average were nothing to sneeze at.

Preseason NFL Football

In case you just woke up from a coma or something, NFL Football is back, thank goodness, after an off season that seems to last longer and longer each year, we can now get our fix of bone crushing hits and scintillating one-handed touchdown catches. But hold your horses it's not real NFL Football, it's preseason football, the games don't count, the stars rarely play and you will see nothing but a generic game plan, in other words, no exciting plays from the play book.

Most casual football fans don't care much for preseason NFL Football, but if your reading this NFL Draft blog, you are not a casual fan. Preseason football is just an extension of training camp, starters rarely play more than a quarter until the last couple preseason games, which they normally play a full half as a final tune up to the regular season.

Preseason NFL Football is where the draft picks and free agents showcase their skills for a chance to become professional football players, and the stakes are high, a chance to get paid millions of dollars to play a game, or if things don't work out, they will have to get a real job like you and me. So many of those young men out there in the second half of those games are playing for their livelihood.

Not only is it a time for us draftnics to watch our favorite 6th round draft pick, but NFL Scouts from all 32 teams will be drooling over the game film of each game trying to see who they can pick up off the waiver wire when some of these kids get released or placed on the practice squad.

Every year during the preseason I get a laugh out of all the die hard NFL fans that get giddy or sad when their team has a good or bad record in the preseason. Let me make my point here, it doesn't matter who wins or loses these games, the NFL coaching staffs are trying to evaluate talent and many of these players won't even be on the roster after the final cuts. So enjoy the preseason, have fun evaluating talent, but take it with a grain of salt. I have provided a schedule so you won't miss any games:

2007 preseason NFL schedule
All times are US/Eastern

HALL OF FAME GAME
Sunday, Aug. 5
Pittsburgh 20, New Orleans 7

WEEK 1
Thursday, Aug. 9
Detroit 27, Cincinnati 26
Dallas 23, Indianapolis 10
Friday, Aug. 10
N.Y. Jets 31, Atlanta 16
Tampa Bay 13, New England 10
Buffalo 13, New Orleans 10
St. Louis 13, Minnesota 10

Saturday, Aug. 11

Green Bay at Pittsburgh 7:30 p.m.
Jacksonville at Miami 7:30 p.m.
Kansas City at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
Carolina at N.Y. Giants 8:00 p.m.
Chicago at Houston 8:00 p.m.
Washington at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
Arizona at Oakland 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 12
Seattle at San Diego 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 13
Philadelphia at Baltimore 7:00 p.m.
Denver at San Francisco 8:00 p.m.

WEEK 2
Thursday, Aug. 16
Miami at Kansas City 8:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 17
Atlanta at Buffalo 7:00 p.m.
Carolina at Philadelphia 7:00 p.m.
Minnesota at N.Y. Jets 8:00 p.m.
Tennessee at New England 8:00 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 18
Houston at Arizona 4:00 p.m.
Detroit at Cleveland 7:00 p.m.
New Orleans at Cincinnati 7:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Jacksonville 7:30 p.m.
Denver at Dallas 8:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Washington 8:00 p.m.
San Diego at St. Louis 8:00 p.m.
Seattle at Green Bay 8:00 p.m.
Oakland at San Francisco 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 19
N.Y. Giants at Baltimore 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 20
Chicago at Indianapolis 8:00 p.m.

WEEK 3
Thursday, Aug. 23
Jacksonville at Green Bay 8:00 p.m.
New Orleans at Kansas City 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 24
Tennessee at Buffalo 7:00 p.m.
New England at Carolina 8:00 p.m.
St. Louis at Oakland 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 25
Detroit at Indianapolis 7:00 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Miami 7:30 p.m.
Baltimore at Washington 8:00 p.m.
Dallas at Houston 8:00 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at N.Y. Giants 8:00 p.m.
San Francisco at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Cleveland at Denver 9:00 p.m.
Minnesota at Seattle 9:00 p.m.
San Diego at Arizona 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 26
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh 8:00 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 27
Cincinnati at Atlanta 8:00 p.m.

WEEK 4
Thursday, Aug. 30
Buffalo at Detroit 7:00 p.m.
N.Y. Giants at New England 7:30 p.m.
N.Y. Jets at Philadelphia 7:30 p.m.
Washington at Jacksonville 7:30 p.m.
Cleveland at Chicago 8:00 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota 8:00 p.m.
Green Bay at Tennessee 8:00 p.m.
Houston at Tampa Bay 8:00 p.m.
Kansas City at St. Louis 8:00 p.m.
Miami at New Orleans 8:00 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Carolina 8:00 p.m.
Arizona at Denver 9:00 p.m.
Oakland at Seattle 10:00 p.m.
San Francisco at San Diego 10:00 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 31
Baltimore at Atlanta 7:30 p.m.
Indianapolis at Cincinnati 7:30 p.m.

Pass Rushers for the 2008 NFL Draft

Any successful defense must have a strong pass rush and the most versatile and arguably the most important member of that defense is the pass rushing outside linebacker. An elite pass rushing outside linebacker has the speed to cover backs and tight ends out of the back field, the size to come up fight through blocks and stuff the run and of course the quickness to flash past huge offensive tackles and sack the quarterback.

But it even goes deeper than that, an elite pass rush can compensate for a mediocre secondary, not only does the quarterback have less time to look for the open receiver, but the offense will often leave extra blockers in to help out with the pass rush, enabling more double and zone coverage in the secondary.

How important is the pass rushing outside linebacker? As an example the Dallas Cowboys, desperate for a pass rush, have used their first round draft pick on one of these guys in each of the last three years: DeMarcus Ware (2005), Bobby Carpenter (2006) and Anthony Spencer (2007). The need arises even further for teams using the 34 defense because all of their four linebackers have to be able to rush the passer on any given play.

So as the 34 defense becomes more utilized, so does the need for the pass rushing linebacker. Those guys rarely become available during free agency, therefore the best place to get them is via the NFL Draft. The 2008 NFL Draft isn't loaded at that position, but there are a few elite players that NFL Scouts are targeting for the 2008 NFL Draft. Most of these prospects played end in college but will almost certainly be converted to outside linebacker in the NFL.

Even though he will only be a junior this year, the top prospect in this category is Florida's Derrick Harvey, he is 6' 3" 250 pounds and when he gets in his zone, he can take over games. During the 2006 National Championship game against Ohio State, Harvey had three sacks and one fumble recovery, his performance was instrumental in Florida's 41-14 dominating win and he was named the defensive MVP. He finished the season with 35 tackles and 11 sacks, but he seemed to really peak towards the end of the year. Harvey is a consensus first team All-SEC defensive end heading into the 2007 football season.

Bruce Davis from UCLA is another prospect that will be converted to outside linebacker. At 6' 3" 247 pounds he is not huge, but he has a knack for getting to the quarterback and has excellent foot speed. The consensus first team All-PAC Ten Star finished last season with an impressive 12.5 sacks. Davis also had three pass break ups in 2006, so he is accustomed to falling back into pass coverage. Davis is much to quick for offensive tackles to block at the college level, this sack master is even going to give NFL tackles fits.

Tommy Blake from TCU is a NFL Draft prospect that just doesn't get enough respect. He is this year's Anthony Spencer. Blake has been very productive on the football field. Blake is 6' 3" 255 pounds, already has 26 starts, 134 tackles and 19 sacks. Blake is a unanimous first team MWC conference selection. Last year (2006) in the 37-7 Poinsettia Bowl win over Northern Illinois, Blake was named the game's Defensive Most Valuable player. He ranked #1 in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) with 16.5 tackles for a loss. He just knows how to get to the quarterback.

Auburns Quentin Groves at 6' 2" 251 is another prospect that might be too small to play defensive end in the NFL, but that shouldn't stop him from hearing his named called early in the 2008 NFL Draft. Groves almost entered the 2007 NFL Draft, but now that he is returning to Auburn, only needs four sacks to become Auburns all time leader with 23 sacks. The first team All-SEC sack master recorded 9.5 sacks last year (2006). Groves is also on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.

Jameel McCLain plays for Syracuse, who hasn't been very successful as of late, and therefore has kind of fallen under the radar, but he is a talented pass rusher with the size and athletic ability to possible play outside linebacker in a 34 defense. He was moved to defensive end from linebacker in the spring of 2006 and he has been nothing short of sensational at that position ever since. He finished last season with 14.5 tackles for a loss and 9.5 sacks. McClain is a tad short at 6' 1" but at almost 260 pounds he has the beef.

Wallace Gilberry from Alabama is another under rated football player, but he was very successful on the football field in 2006 finishing with 10 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. He recorded 39 total tackles (21 solo) which lead the Alabama defensive line. Nick Saban is the new head coach and Saban is a master of the 34 defense, Alabama will eventually play the 34 defense and I would expect Gilberry to move around a lot this year, rush from different spots and plays on his feet more. At 6' 2" 256 pounds he has the size to play outside linebacker and with Saban's tutelage he should be a name that we keep an eye on in the 2008 NFL Draft.

I really like Cliff Avril from Purdue, he reminds me so much of Dallas Cowboy's Pro Bowl linebacker DeMarcus Ware. He has almost the same body style as Ware at 6' 3" 247 pounds. With Anthony Spencer on all the scouts' radar last year, Avril kind of went unnoticed. But he will be noticed this year if he builds upon his stellar season last year (2006): He started all 14 games, the first four at linebacker and last 10 at defensive end. He ranked only behind Spencer with 15.0 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 6 pass breakups and 84 tackles (51 solo, 33 assists). Avril is very light on his feet and looks fluid in pass coverage.

Juniors for the 2008 NFL Draft: part 2

This is the second part of my series covering under-classmen for the 2008 NFL Draft. Coincidently, Scout.com came out with their pre-season junior All-Americans about a week after I came out with my original article. One prospect that they had listed as a first team Junior All-American was defensive tackle Callahan Bright. A five star recruit coming out of high school, Bright originally signed with Florida State after playing a year at Hargrave Military Academy. The 6' 2" 315 pounder was timed at 4.92 in the 40 yard dash. Bright has also played linebacker, defensive end and right guard. He has bench pressed 400 pounds and squatted 700 pounds, he played Lacrosse, threw the shot put and was an excellent wrestler. Bright had difficulty with his academics and Florida State didn't sign him, he sat out of football in 2006, but Scout.com is reporting that he has signed with Division 2 Shaw University. As of this writing I haven't been able confirm this. If he does play football again this year he might add some talent and beef to the 2008 NFL Draft class. He might be this year's version of Walter Thomas, if he declares early.

The underclassmen running backs have been written about numerous times this pre-season already, and for good reason, this could be the best group of running backs in years. Running backs tend to enter the NFL Draft early more than other positions it seems, the theory is that a running back only has a finite number of carries in his career, so why waste them all in college for beans, when they can make millions of dollars doing in the NFL. That being said, I predict a large number of talented (junior) running backs will enter the 2008 NFL Draft. Besides Darren McFadden, Steve Slaton and Ray Rice, the other juniors that might possible enter the NFL Draft early are Virginia Techs Brandon Ore, Oregon's Jonathan Stewart, NC State's Andre Brown, Boise State's Ian Johnson and Clemson's James Davis. If even half of those prospects declare early, which is a strong possibility; this could be one of the strongest running back classes ever.

The junior receivers, while not nearly as solid as the running backs, offer up some interesting prospects. DeSean Jackson leads the pack with his blinding speed and scoring ability from anywhere on the field. Jackson is a better prospect at this point than Tedd Ginn JR, who was selected in the 2007 NFL Draft ninth overall by the Miami Dolphins. Michigan's Mario Manningham is another touchdown machine. Despite missing three games with a knee injury, Manningham was the leading receiver for the Wolverines last year (2006) with 703 yards. Manningham is not big at 6' 0" 184 pounds, but has been clocked at 4.39 seconds in the 40 yard dash. WR Mario Urrutia from Louisville is huge at 6' 6" 227 pounds and he will have the top quarterback in the nation throwing him the ball in Brian Brohm. Oklahoma's Malcom Kelly is a slightly unheralded prospect, but he is a supreme talent with nice size at 6' 4" 205 pounds, Kelly reached 1000 receiving yards in only 19 games which was faster than any receiver in Oklahoma history. Kelly set a record for receiving yards in a quarter with 134 against Middle Tennessee. Keep an eye on Patrick Turner from USC, he looks like he is next in line to take the mantel of USC receiving greatness. He is fast and big at 6' 4" 225 pounds and will be featured in an explosive USC offense. The last junior receiver that I want to highlight is Jaison Williams from Oregon, he is beyond big, at 6' 5" 242 pounds he might be moved to tight end in the NFL. Williams will be difficult to handle in the NFL, not only is he huge, but he is fast, he has been timed in the 100 meters at 10.5 seconds. Despite fighting injuries last year (2006) he was still the leading receiver on the team finishing with 68 receptions for 984 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Underclassmen for the 2008 NFL Draft

Image: Jeremy Perry, Guard, Oregon State

When I started evaluating the prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft one thing that I realized was that many of the best players seem to be juniors. That makes it tough, on one hand you don't want to focus on players that might not even be in the 2008 NFL Draft, but on the other hand, if they really are so good, why wait until they declare for the Draft before you talk about them, by then it's almost too late. Mel Kiper, for example, won't include underclassmen on his Big Board until after they declare. A lot of other NFL Draft Sites follow suit and seem very shy about focusing on juniors.

I do things different; I will not hesitate to highlight any player that has potential for the NFL Draft, either this year (2008) or a future draft, I even made a list of who I feel are the Sophomore NFL Prospects. So the juniors end up not declaring for the draft, no big deal, just move them to the next year's NFL Draft coverage, update your rankings, your mock drafts and keep on rolling.

So today I want to highlight a few of the very best juniors that would be top NFL Prospects if they would declare. Of course Arkansas running back Darren McFadden should be the first under-classmen to come off the boards, but there are many more that aren't as well publicized. Miami's defensive end Calais Campbell looks like the next Too Tall Jones. Campbell has been a man among boys while playing college football, standing at 6' 7" 280 pounds; he is huge, but well proportioned and highly athletic. Campbell got 12 starts last year as a sophomore and recorded 84 tackles, 10.5 sacks and his amazing 20.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage ranked him 9^th in the entire nation. Also a potential top ten pick and a team mate of Campbell at Miami is prep-star safety Kenny Phillips, who is the top rated safety on almost every rankings list that I have seen this year. Phillips is the complete package, normally at safety you have either a cover guy or a big hitter and you have to make a compromise between the two, not so with Phillips, he can back pedal into coverage at an elite level or turn on the jets and come up and lay on the devastating hit as good as any safety that has entered the draft in recent memory. Phillips has experience at the in-demand free safety spot where he already has 21 starts under his belt; last year as a sophomore he recorded 71 tackles, 4 interception and 6 pass break ups.

Junior offensive tackle Ryan Clady from Boise State, if he declares early, will be one of the best underclassmen offensive tackles to ever enter the NFL Draft. He might not be drafted ahead of Michigan's Jake Long or USC's Sam Baker, but he might end up as the best pro down the road. Clady is 6' 6" 320 pounds and has the perfect NFL frame and feet; once he gets a little stronger he is going to be a dominating force in the NFL. Clady started 11 games at right tackle as a red shirt freshman and last year as a sophomore received All-American honors while starting every game at left tackle. Sticking with the offensive line theme, offensive tackle Michael Oher from Ole Miss and offensive Guard Jermey Perry from Oregon State are a couple more offensive line prospects that carry very high early round NFL Draft potential, in fact Perry is my top rated guard prospect, at 6' 2" 320 pounds he is not huge, but his technique is flawless and his tenacity is unprecedented, he sustains his blocks until his opponent is on the ground, in fact he might even have to tone his aggressiveness down a little in the NFL or he might pick up an unnecessary roughness penalty. Perry was a 2006 PAC-10 Conference First Teamer and the 2005 PAC-10 co-Freshman of the Year. Born in Hau'ula, Hawaii', Perry has been on the Outland Trophy Watch list two years in a row including this year.

Running back Ray Rice from Rutgers is a player, that if he does declare early for the 2008 NFL Draft, might slip a little due to the fact that he is only 5' 9" tall, but don't count Rice out, he might be short in stature but he is not short on talent, he is 200 pounds of solid muscle, very explosive and even in the NFL he is going to break a lot of tackles. Going into his junior season Rice has already played in 25 games and scored 25 touchdowns. Rice is on many Heisman Trophy Watch Lists. Last year he supplanted All-American running back/fullback Brian Leonard who was selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, that in itself should tell you something.

I covered the linebackers a few weeks ago so I am not going to talk about them today, but the position of cornerback looks particularly weak this year unless we get some help from some juniors. Malcom Jenkins from Ohio State might be the first corner off the board if he declares; he has prototype NFL size and speed and is a first team Athlon Sports All-American along with another talented junior, Brandon Flowers from Virginia Tech. Not to be over shadowed in the least at cornerback is Kansas Star Aqib Talib, he has a weird name, but has the talent, that if he should declare early, could easily fit in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. In Phil Steele's College Football Preview for 2007, Talib was rated as the top cornerback in the entire nation. Talib is a first Team All Big 12 selection with 19 starts under his belt, last year (2006) he finished with 6 interceptions and an amazing 22 pass break ups. The junior class looks impressive indeed at corner when you also factor in Penn State's talented corner Justin King, who himself is even listed in the first round of many of the mock drafts these days. King is a little inexperienced, he played wide receiver as a true freshman, but was moved to corner last year and he recorded 30 tackles, 1 interception and 6 pass break ups. King reportedly has sub 4.3 speed; if that speed holds true he will be a hot commodity in the NFL Draft. There are so many talented juniors that I am going to have to finish this article in another installment, so check back in a few days and I will cover even more of the talented underclassmen that might shake up the 2008 NFL Draft.