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.

Quarterbacks for the 2008 NFL Draft

The top quarterback on everybody's draft board is Louisville's Brian Brohm, with both NFL caliber receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia returning, there is every reason to believe Brohm will be the first player selected in the 2008 NFL Draft. Brohm has good size at 6' 3" 223 pounds, stands tall in the pocket and delivers the ball with supreme accuracy. He has a strong arm but not a cannon, his accuracy is his forte. He has the blood line; he is the fourth Brohm to play quarterback for the Cardinals. Last season (2006) he was the Big East offensive Player of the Year and over his three year career he has thrown for 6,751 yards and 41 touchdowns with only 12 interceptions. Brohm is a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate. His only weakness has been his ability to stay healthy.

One of the top quarterbacks available for the 2009 NFL Draft is Brohm's back-up Hunter Cantwell. The 6' 4" 230 pound junior has a strong arm and very good mechanics. When Brohm has been injured Cantwell has came in and looked impressive, he started the last two games last year and threw for 640 yards and five touchdowns, Cantwell threw for a career high 340 yards verses Middle Tennessee.

Quarterback Matt Ryan from Boston College is my second ranked quarterback; Ryan has all the tools to succeed at the next level. Prototype size at 6' 4 222 pounds, strong arm, accuracy, production, Ryan last season threw for 2,942 and 15 touchdowns with an impressive 61.6 completion percentage. What really separates Ryan from the pack is his pocket presence and coolness under pressure. With another year of improvement and of course good health (Ryan has been injury prone) Ryan could emerge as a first round NFL Draft prospect in the 2008 NFL Draft. Ryan has been a little bit streaky however and he will have to eliminate the costly interception.

This is where it gets interesting, the next three signal caller are rated almost evenly and depending on how they play in 2007 they could either emerge as first round draft picks or slip into the second day of the 2008 NFL Draft. Colt Brennan from Hawaii, Chad Henne from Michigan and John David Booty from national contender USC, will all be in the mix for the Heisman Trophy and for a chance to be selected in the opening round of the 2008 NFL Draft.

Tennessee's Eric Ainge is another fine NFL prospect; he did suffer a knee injury during spring practice, but should be ready to go for the regular season. Ainge has played off and on since he was a freshman and has been a little inconsistent, as a sophomore he struggled a little throwing for a low 45.5 completion percentage, but as a junior the lights came on and he really excelled. He improved his completion percentage to 67%. If Ainge improves as much in his senior year as he did in his junior year we might even be watching him walk up to the podium in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Ainge definitely has the size for it at 6' 5" 224 pounds.

I would be shirking my duties if I didn't highlight the quarterback that was number one in the SEC in total offense last year (2006). Andre' Woodson from Kentucky is huge at 6' 5" 230 pounds and was number one in passing yards (3,315) and number two in passing efficiency (63%) in the SEC last season. His 31 touchdowns to only 7 interceptions are impressive indeed. Athlon Sport's first team All-SEC selection, Woodson, in 2005 set a school record completing 162 consecutive passes without an interception. Now the reality, for all his gaudy statistics Woodson doesn't have the mechanics or accuracy of the above mentioned signal callers. He will still get a chance to play in the NFL, it just won't be right away and he will more than likely be as a mid to late round NFL Draft pick.

The other quarterback that I want to mention is small school wonder Josh Johnson from Division 1AA San Diego. You will be hearing more about this kid as the 2008 NFL Draft nears, but now you can say you heard it here first. This small school prospect can really play quarterback and he should be selected in the 2008 NFL Draft. With a solid senior season he might even be a mid round draft pick. Johnson is a little thin, but he is tall enough at 6' 3" 202 pounds. He has excellent mechanics and outstanding accuracy and arm strength. Johnson put up some fantastic numbers last year and he is also dangerous when he takes off and runs the ball. Last season Johnson threw for over 3,300 yards and 34 touchdowns with a 66.3 completion percentage, he also rushed for 720 yards. The Pioneer Football League isn't the SEC so Johnson will have a tall hill to climb to make it at the next level, but he does have the raw skills to play quarterback as a professional.

Tight Ends for the 2008 NFL Draft

Image: NFL Draft Prospect Martellus Bennett

I think you would have to consider the 2007 NFL Draft a poor year for tight ends with Miami's Greg Olsen the only legitimate first rounder and even he, with his blazing speed, wasn't taken until the 31^st pick by the Chicago Bears, Olsen is just a bulked up receiver and won't be much help in the running game. Heck there were only two tight ends taken on day one with the other being Arizona State's Zach Miller, who was drafted by the Raiders with the sixth pick in the second round. That was about a full round ahead of where I though Miller would go after he ran so poorly at the NFL Scouting Combine.

That's all about to change for the 2008 NFL Draft, especially if three of the top juniors declare early. I will start off with the three talented juniors that I think have tons of NFL potential. Martellus Bennett from Texas A&M is my top ranked tight under-classmen, and if it wasn't for Notre Dames' Senior John Carlson he would probably be my top rated tight end over all. Bennett has proto-type size and speed for an NFL tight end. His size of 6' 6" 254 pounds is ideal and he has hands on par with some of the best receivers in the nation. Depending on who you talk to he is even listed as being 6' 7" tall. So I think it's safe to say he is a legitimate 6' 6". Bennett was rated by most publications as the top ranked prep tight end coming out of high school and he hasn't disappointed the Aggies. He was a key cog in the Aggie offense last year (2006) as only a sophomore finishing with 38 catches and a 13.1 yards per catch average. Bennett is also a supreme basket ball player; he played football and basketball for the Aggies in 2005-06.

Chase Coffman from Missouri is another talented junior and he comes from an NFL pedigree; his father was former NFL Pro Paul Coffman. Coffman is not quite as big as Bennett at 6' 5" 240 pounds, but he has great hands and really has a knack for finding the open spots in the zone. Coffman finished his 2006 season as the leader in receptions in the Big 12 for tight ends with 58 catches. He also hauled in a very impressive nine touchdowns, shattering the Missouri Tiger tight end touchdown record.

Last but not least is a relatively unknown NFL Draft Prospect that plays for the under rated Wisconsin Badgers. Travis Beckum doesn't have near the size as the other tight ends, he will probably be more of a pass catching tight end or H-back, but the 6' 4" 225 pounder is a talent worth watching. Beckum is still learning the position as he converted from defensive end prior to the 2006 season, but boy was he a fast learner. Towards the end of the season he hit his groove and dominated his opponents, finishing strong with 61 catches, five touchdowns and a 14.8 yards per carry average.

The other three tight ends worth mentioning are talented seniors. John Carlson from Notre Dame looks like a first round draft pick for the 2008 NFL Draft, he seems to have it all, well coached, experienced, nice size and speed and excellent production. The 6' 5" 255 pounder finished last year (2006) with 47 receptions for 634 yards and 4 TDs, he also led the team with a 13.5 yards per catch average.

Martin Rucker from Missouri will also be a forced to be reckoned with in the 2008 NFL Draft. I am not rating Rucker on the same level as the previously mentioned prospects, but the senior is talented none the less. His production has dropped off a little from 13.8 yards per catch as a freshman, to 12.1 as a sophomore, to just 9.6 as a junior in 2006. Part of the drop off might be due to the fact that he plays with his team mate Chase Coffman, who I previously mentioned as top NFL Draft Prospect. The Tigers have a pair of super talented tight ends and there are only so many balls to go around. The 6' 6" 255 pound senior still finished with 53 catches for 511 yards and 5 TDs.

The last senior tight end that I want to cover today is NC State's Anthony Hill. I am much higher on Hill than most NFL Draft analysts. I think Hill will be a sleeper this year and will make a fine professional football player. When you watch Hill on film he looks like a receiver with his speed, agility and hands, but he is 6' 5" tall and close to 280 pounds. Hill led his team in receptions last year as a junior with 45 catches and 478 yards. Unlike the other tight ends mentioned, Hill is a powerful and skillful in-line blocker and will be an every down type of tight end. Those types of tight ends are coveted in the NFL. Hill is a consensus first team All-ACC selection.

Member: Starting Point Directory

Linebackers for the 2008 NFL Draft

Image: Rey Maualuga


When you talk about linebackers for the 2008 NFL Draft it all starts with the University of Southern California (USC). I don’t ever remember three linebackers from the same school drafted in the 1st round all in the same year. That is what might happen in the 2008 NFL Draft if juniors Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga decide to forgo their senior year and enter the NFL Draft early. Two out of their three starting linebackers are on the Lombardi Award watch list.

Keith Rivers is a senior so we know he will be in the 2008 NFL Draft and with his size, speed and athleticism he will likely be a top 20 pick. Rivers is a (pre-season) Playboy All-American and already on the Lombardi Award watch list. Rivers is blazing fast with nice size (6’ 3” 235 lbs), he finished 2006 with an impressive 162 tackles, 13.5 tackles for a loss and one interception. Rivers seems to be in the first round of everybody’s 2008 NFL Mock Drafts.

Brian Cushing is a little different player physically; he has the size and skills to play defensive end or linebacker and will probably be a target of an NFL team that uses the 34 defense. Cushing is 6’ 4” 247 pounds; he played last year at End but will be moved back to his more natural outside linebacker position this year.

Last but not least in Rey Maualuga, he is soft spoken off the field, but plays with a nasty attitude on the field. Rey had a difficult freshman year, he was arrested for punching another student and then he had to deal with the death of his father. But as a sophomore he seemed to put all his troubles behind him, he had an outstanding year on the field recording 115 tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss and two interceptions. He also was stellar in the class room earning a 3.2 grade point average. Rey is a pure inside linebacker and at a lean and mean 6’ 3” 250 pounds, he won’t have any problem holding his ground in the NFL. Rey was the John Mackey award winner as a freshman. Maualuga might even end up as the best pro out of all of them; the guy is just an animal. Maualuga is also on the Lombardi Award watch list.

Not far behind USC is Virginia Tech, with Vince Hall in the middle and Xavier Adibi on the outside, opposing offenses are going to have difficulty running the ball. Hall isn’t real tall at 6’ 0” 237 pounds but he is solid, strong and is adept at fighting through blockers and getting to the ball carrier. Adibi isn’t rated as high as he should be by NFL scouts because he is a tad small at 6’ 2” 225 pounds, but he is cat quick, good in pass coverage and comes off the corner in a hurry to get to the QB on blitzes. Virginia Tech’s defense last year allowed the least points (11) and total yards per game (219.5) in the nation and the scary thing is their defense might be even better this year as five of their front seven return and they have a shutdown corner in Brandon Flowers.

Penn State was called Linebacker U for years and it looks like that nick name will be back in 2007. Linebacker Dan Conner is the headliner, Conner will move from the weakside to the middle to replace Paul Posluszney who was selected in the 2007 NFL Draft. Everybody knows about Conner, but the linebacker that should emerge as an NFL Prospect this year is Junior Sean Lee. Lee has excellent sideline to sideline speed and is an excellent tackler. Lee came on strong towards the end of last year; he recorded 13 tackles against Wisconsin and 11 against Ohio State.

Ohio State seems to put together an excellent linebacker corps year after year and this year should be no different. The headliner is everybody’s All-American and last year’s Bronco Nagurski Trophy Award winner, middle linebacker James Laurinaitis. The Bronco Nagurski Award is given to the nation’s best defensive player and Laurinaitis won it as a sophomore. The other linebacker is a rising star, only a junior, but like Laurinaitis, started last year as a sophomore, Marcus Freeman (6’ 2” 238 lbs). Freeman received a redshirt in 2005 due to a knee injury, but fully healed he should be a force in 2007. He probably won’t leave for the NFL early but could be a name to watch for the 2009 NFL Draft.

LSU will also have a formidable group of linebackers, Ali Highsmith is the big name of the group, a little small at 6’ 0” 228 pounds, but he has safety speed and hits like, well, a linebacker. He didn’t play great in 2007 but I expect him to have a better year in 2007. Luke Sanders is the other senior, he has impressive size at 6’ 4” 235 pounds, but he is going to have to fight for a starting spot because junior Darry Beckwith is coming on strong. It is going to be hard to keep Beckwith off the field in 2007, he even outplayed Highsmith at times last year.

The sleeper linebacker corps hails from Louisville, everybody knows about super star Malik Jackson, with a solid senior season he could easily be a first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, Jackson is a sideline to sideline tackling machine with nice size (6’2” 235 lbs), last year (2006) he recorded an impressive 16 tackles for a loss, nine sacks and three fumble recoveries. The intriguing addition to this group is redshirt junior Linebacker Willie Williams. A transfer from West Los Angeles, but he originally signed with Miami (Fl) after being labeled as one of the top players in the nation coming out of high school. He has the size and athleticism (6’ 3” 240 lbs), we just have to see if he can put it together mentally. Williams, the new comer, will have to beat out junior Lamar Miles, who is himself a very talented linebacker, but Miles is only 6’ 1” 220 lbs. so I wouldn’t count Williams out just yet.

Here are a few other senior linebackers that should her there name called early in the 2008 NFL Draft:
1. Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt
2. Jasper Brinkley, South Carolina
3. Philip Wheeler, Georgia Tech
4. Shawn Crable, Michigan
5. Wesley Jefferson, Maryland
6. Alvin Bowen, Iowa State
7. Rory Johnson, Mississippi
8. Romeo Davis, Miami (FL)
9. Bo Ruud, Nebraska
10. J. Leman, Illinois
*Small School Stud: Bryan Smith, McNeese State

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Are you ready to start scouting for the NFL Draft yet? Or, are any of you like me, just ready to watch some football again? It's early June, and die-hard football fans are going through withdrawals. So what is really going on behind the scenes? The coaches, general managers and players never really get any time off, this is the time that the serious players are improving their strength, conditioning can come later, but the successful football players get stronger during the off season.

The Fans:

This is the time for us to do our research. When the whistle blows we want to know who and what we are looking at. If you like free stuff like me, get on the internet and visit the best free football and NFL Draft sources out there. Don't be shy about checking NCAA football statistics, they don't tell the whole story, but quite often you can identify that Super Sophomore, for example look at Kent State's Kevin Hogan, as a freshman he was ranked 22^nd in the NCAA with 7.5 sacks and ranked 58^th in tackles for a loss with 11. Is Hogan an NFL Draft Prospect? Maybe, but at 6' 3" 233 pounds he will have to make a living at linebacker, also Kent State doesn't exactly play against top notch opponents. Going back to that same statistics page and looking at tackles for a loss (TFL), the name that really jumps out at you is Calais Campbell. His sophomore numbers last year are far more impressive than Hogan's, not only did he (Campbell) finish ranked 9^th in the nation with 20.5 TFLs but he is 6' 7" 255 pounds and played for the Miami Hurricanes. So go ahead and use statistic, but use them with caution.

It is also nice to know who the Best College Football Teams are going to be heading into the season, and get familiar with the upcoming NCAA schedule and NFL schedule, your wife might not like it, but it's time to plan alternate dates to go to your mother in laws.

The other aspect of preparation is often under-rated, but hugely important. Guys, if you haven't already got a wide screen high definition TV is time to quit procrastinating and take the plunge. The prices have reached the point where they are really affordable. For 10 plus years of very enjoyable football watching I think the price is well worth it. The wide screen format is ideal for watching football; you can see so much more of the action. Do some shopping around and get a good value. If you are on a budget, but still want the best, I recommend a Vizio 50 inch plasma. My parents have one hanging on their wall and it is breath taking.

The other option is going to some live games, HDTVs are great, but there is nothing better than watching the action live. The cheapest place to buy football tickets is online and I use Ticket City.com. They have College Football Tickets, NFL Tickets and you will have a hard time beating their prices. If you are even thinking of going to the Super Bowl in Phoenix in 2008, you had better hurry and get your Super Bowl tickets before they are sold out.

The Players:

If they are not getting arrested, renegotiating their contract or doing a United Way commercial, they are probably in the gym. Most work out at their teams training facility, but some go back to their home town and workout, but almost all the successful NFL players try to get stronger in the off season. Strength work comes in all flavors these days, from computerized machines to carrying heavy objects up a hill. The best and fastest way to improve strength is with time honored compound exercises using free weights. Squats, deadlifts, clean and jerks, power cleans, bench press and the shoulder press are the core staples. Strength is important, but agility and flexibility can't be forgotten during the off season. You should also include unilateral lifts in your program like lunges, step ups, hamstring swiss ball work, sleds, and wind sprints. Swimming is also an excellent exercise that can be used to improve performance in all sports. The great thing about swimming is it tends to elongate your muscles and increase your flexibility.

The Saga of Quarterback Mitch Mustain

Quarterback Mitch Mustain, the 2005 Parade magazine prep player of the year, will sit on the sidelines and learn the USC offense this season (2007). The bad news is, in accordance with NCAA rules, after transferring to USC from Arkansas, he is required to sit out a year. The good news is he will still have three years of NCAA College Football eligibility left. If he would have transferred to a non-division I school he could have played immediately.

Mustain has been through a lot in his short college football career. He started for Arkansas as a freshman and went undefeated, winning his first 8 games, but was then benched in favor of Casey Dick, even after a November win against South Carolina. Mustain completed 69 of his 132 passes for 894 yards. He also had 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions during his short tenure at Arkansas.

The benching probably didn’t sit well with Mitch, and then, on top of that, his former high school coach at Springdale, Arkansas, Gus Malzahn, who was hired by the Razorbacks to run the Razorback offense, really didn’t get an opportunity to install his own offense, so (Malzahn) ran off and took a job coaching at Tulsa.

Another factor in Mustain’s departure might have been his embattled coach Houston Nutt, there was evidence that Nutt was having an affair on his wife Diana. Cell phone records surfaced showing Nutt, using a University of Arkansas issued phone, exchanging more than 1,000 text messages with a female television news anchor.

Regardless of the reason, Mitch Mustain has been taking a lot of criticism for his transfer, but he might have the last laugh. He won’t have it easy however, not only will he have to sit out a year, but in 2008, he will have to compete with a talented, firmly emplaced quarterback at USC, named Mark Sanchez. But even if he doesn’t beat out Sanchez, by the time he is a senior, he will almost certainly be the starting quarterback at USC. Playing under Coach Pete Caroll bodes well for Mustain's future. But then again, a lot can happen in three years.

Mustain definitely has the tools to be a successful college football quarterback with a little patience. The 6’ 3” 205 pound future NFL Prospect was the top rated signal caller coming out of high school where he completed 70 % of his passes as he led his team to an undefeated record and a state championship. It will be interesting to see what happens to Mitch Mustain, but if he can overcome all the adversity, he could emerge as an elite future NFL Draft Prospect, and despite everything else, that’s what really counts.

The Curse of the Heisman Trophy

John Heisman

What weighs 25 pounds is made of bronze and is bad luck for quarterbacks in the NFL. Fourteen quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy since 1971 and very few have had any success in the NFL. The strange thing is everybody knows this, but they still get selected in the NFL Draft way higher than they should, year after year. Yes people, the 2006 winner Troy Smith was selected in the fifth round and he probably shouldn’t have even been picked in the NFL Draft at all. There were five players selected ahead of Smith in the 2007 NFL Draft from his own team! He was supposed to be the best player in college football last year, but he wasn’t even in the top 5 of his own team.

Here is an example of how distorted the Heisman Trophy has become, did you know that Troy Smith’s 2,540 votes were the 3rd most votes since 1968, only behind OJ Simpson in 1968 (2,853 votes) and Reggie Bush in 2005 (2541 votes). OJ’s 2,853 votes back in 1968 were pretty amazing. I am 43 years old so I remember watching OJ play when I was a kid, and he was the best running back that I have ever seen in college and the NFL. We all know what happened to OJ, so maybe the Heisman curse had befallen him also.

Since 1971 fourteen quarterbacks have won the Heisman Trophy, look at all the NFL busts:

1971: Pat Sullivan, Auburn
1989: Andre Ware, Houston
1992: Gino Torretta, Miami (Fl)
1993: Charlie Ward, Florida State
1996: Danny Wuerffle, Florida
200: Chris Weinke, Florida State
2001: Eric Crouch, Nebraska
2003: Jason White, Oklahoma

Yes I understand the Heisman Trophy is not based on NFL potential, but shouldn’t the best player in College Football have success in the NFL? The trophy was named after Coach John Heisman when he died in 1936 from pneumonia. I am sure he is looking down at us from heaven and shaking his head on what has become of his trophy. The award has become politicized and deflated, nothing more than the winner of a popularity contest. Players now talk about their Heisman campaign as if they are running for office. The Downtown Athletic Club needs to overhaul the voting system to allow the best player in college football to win the trophy. It should be based on merit, not politics and his amount of press coverage.

2007 NFL Draft Report: NFC Losers

Three Biggest Draft Losers in the NFC

2007-nfl-draft

By James Polifroni

3. Seahawks
The Seahawks did not select until the second round, 55th overall. With that, they took speedy cornerback Josh Wilson out of Maryland. Wilson did run a great 40 at the combine, but besides being a potential help to their return game, the former Terp will not give enough help in the defensive backfield to warrant a team’s first overall selection.
For personal reasons, I followed Maryland football for the past two seasons. Besides one impressive kick return this past year against Clemson, Wilson rarely demonstrated the speed that his sub 4.4 40-time would suggest. Seattle is in need of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, and with only two interceptions his senior year and four in total, I don’t know if Wilson will provide them with the big plays they need. I think Marcus McCauley, who is a local kid from Fresno State, would have been a more logical selection at this point.
Another possible disappointing pick for the Seahawks was Baraka Atkins in the fourth round. He was simply a potential pick. Seems to have the size and athleticism to be a solid defensive tackle but lacked in overall productivity. The lone good pick made by Seattle is Courtney Taylor. The wide receiver from Auburn was a steal that late in the 6th round, and could be a huge help with his size and speed later on in the season.


2. Falcons/Packers
These two are grouped together because I feel they both made the same mistakes. Each team has a franchise quarterback in need of offensive support, and I do not feel that these needs were met. The Falcons want consistency from Michael Vick. Bobby Petrino showed his confidence in his QB by trading away his main competition, but Vick will not be successful or consistent unless his receivers are, in turn, consistent as well. An underlying story last season was the poor play of Falcons wide-outs, so it would only make sense that they draft help for Vick. Their first pick went to D-End Jamaal Anderson, which admittedly was a sensible pick that will help, so there are no complaints here about that. However, they needed to pick up a receiver with one of their second round picks. Those available when Atlanta picked: Sidney Rice, Dwayne Jarrett, and Steve Smith. Instead, they waited until the third round to select Laurent Robinson from Illinois State. Robinson is a good player, and could develop well, but I would have liked to see a proven winner against solid competition to provide immediate help to the Falcons passing game.
Brett Favre decided to come back for yet another year under center in Green Bay. However, after last years departure of Javon Walker, and Ahman Green leaving this off-season, Favre needs all of the help he can get. The packers first round pick surprisingly focused on the defensive line, taking Justin Harrell out of Tennessee. Harrell will be a very solid player in the league, and although their D-Line isn’t the strongest, I think there were bigger needs for Green Bay to fill. LaMarr Woodley was the Packers second round choice, and even though many consider him a reach he could turn out to be a nice player. The problem, their offense was still not addressed. They finally went with a running back late in the second round by taking Brandon Jackson out of Nebraska. Jackson probably was the best back available; however this need could have been filled earlier.
In the third round, wide receiver James Jones out of San Jose State was a very confusing pick. Jones is in no way a speedster, running a 4.54, and lacks deep threat ability. He had a great senior year with 70 receptions, but relatively no production beforehand. With the Patriots trading for Randy Moss, who was rumored to possibly end up in Green Bay, Favre NEEDS a deep threat in order to compete next season. This need was not addressed in the 2007 draft.


1. Eagles
The main point of the NFL draft is to help yourself become the elite team in your division and conference. Giving your first round pick to a DIVISION RIVAL goes completely against that method. After the Cowboys traded their first round pick of the ’07 draft, the Eagles let them right back in. The Cowboys would go on to use this pick to improve their pass rush, which is bad news for starting quarterback, the injury prone Donovan McNabb.
Philadelphia may have had McNabb’s injury woe’s in mind when making their first overall selection. The 36th overall pick was Kevin Kolb, quarterback out of Houston. This was one of the more outrageous picks of the entire draft. What does taking a quarterback this early say to Donovan McNabb. And, if they really are concerned about McNabb’s future in Philly (which I can’t blame them for as I agree McNabb has peaked long ago), is Kolb really the direction they wanted to go in? He did have great numbers throughout his career in Houston, but he was playing in one of the best systems for a college quarterback to compete in. His accuracy is yet to be proven, and had far too many balls knocked down at the line of scrimmage. As a matter of fact, I really think that he has the most question marks of all of the second wave of QB’s in the draft (this group would include Drew Stanton, Trent Edwards, and John Beck). Many think that John Beck would have been the best fit here having the intangibles and toughness to play in Philadelphia. Furthermore, given Andy Reid’s connections with BYU, it just seems to make more sense.
Victor Abaimiri of Notre Dame was their next pick. This seemed to be a reach as well. With better defensive ends on the board, this under achieving talent is not what they need in terms of immediate help. The only hope is that the veterans in Philly’s front seven will help Abaimiri to realize his potential. The Eagles best pick overall came in the third round with Tony Hunt. His power and tough running style is just what they are missing, and is a perfect complement to Brian Westbrook. Hunt’s Pennsylvania connections after playing at Penn State will also go a long way in winning over those tough Philadelphia fans. Overall, the Eagles had the least impressive draft of everyone in the NFC. In my eyes, they sadly went from contender to pretender in one crucial weekend. Then again, isn’t that the beauty of the NFL Draft?

The King of Honolulu

June Jones has to have the best job in the world, coaching football in Hawaii. He has quite the gig going; he hired his former NFL buddies Jerry Glanville (defensive coordinator) and Mouse Davis (Special Teams). Jones’ record at Hawaii is 64-40 and his 64 wins have established him as the winningest coach in Hawaii football history. His success and his NFL pedigree have given him free reign to run the football program as he wants. Yes June Jones seems blessed, his gamble on bringing a convicted criminal in to play quarterback worked, Colt Brennan has been on good behavior and he (Jones) now has a legitimate Heisman candidate behind center. June Jones is The king of Honolulu and his infamous “run and shoot” offense is still alive and well. I still think his offense would have been a perfect fit for Michael Vick down in Atlanta, but that topic is for a different day.

The only complaint I have against Jones is the strength of schedule that he signs up for year after year. For whatever reason, he never seems to play anyone tough. Maybe the big boys don’t want to play them, or maybe traveling to the mainland is too much of a challenge, but their patsy schedule kills any hopes of a lofty ranking and quite frankly all but assures Quarterback Colt Brennan of not winning the Heisman Trophy. They can’t do anything about their WAC schedule, but their non conference schedule is a joke, they play UNLV, Charleston Southern and Washington at home. Where is the Big 10, Big 12, ACC or SEC?

The Rainbows faired very well in the 2007 NFL Draft, they had five players drafted and five signed as free agents. I wonder if the Miami Dolphins have a former rainbow as a scout, because of those ten prospects that have a chance in the NFL; the Dolphins grabbed three of them. The Fins drafted massive fullback Mauia Reagan, and I do mean massive at 6’ 0” 296 pounds, they also drafted center Samson Satele, who actually has a good chance of starting for the Dolphins. They (Dolphins) also picked up/signed guard Tala Esra as a free agent. RB Nate Ilaoa was drafted by the Eagles and OG Dane Uperesa was signed as a free agent by the Bengals. On defense, defensive ends Alama-Francis and Melila Purcell were drafted by the Lions and Browns respectively. Other free agents that made it to an NFL camp were safety Leonard Peters (Jets), CB Kenny Patton (Raiders) and DT Lawrence Wilson (Raiders). In eight seasons at Hawaii June Jones has had 16 players drafted by NFL teams, and in the 2007 NFL Draft, only six NCAA schools had more players selected than Hawaii: Texas, Ohio State, Michigan, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Florida.

Yes they lost a lot of players last year, but the cupboard is not bare. They have record setting quarterback Colt Brennan, and a very talented trio of wide receivers to throw the ball to. Junior Davone Bess (5’ 10 189 lbs) is the headliner, he finished the 2006 season with 96 receptions for 1,220 yards and 15 touchdowns. Senior Jason Rivers is a big target at 6’ 2” 187 pounds and he finished 2006 with 72 catches for 1,178 yards and 10 touchdowns. Last but not least in this talented receiver trio is junior Ryan Grice-Mullen (5’ 10” 174 lbs), he caught 46 balls for 770 yards and 11 touchdowns. That’s 36 touchdowns folks. On a negative note, Colt Brennan will really miss the losses at running back, full back and along the offensive line. The loss of running back Nate Ilaoa will be devastating, he was a do everything, run and catch type of player.
Due to a weak schedule the Rainbows will have a very good over-all record, and with Brennan and those talented receivers should put up some great passing statistics, but they will have trouble running the ball and might not be that great of a team overall. Probably not a top 20 team in the NCAA Rankings at this point.

But June Jones knows what he is doing, he declines NFL offers every year, most teams want him as an offensive coordinator and he says no. Do you blame him? With the way he is recruiting, coaching and scheduling at Hawaii, he is assured of a bowl game every year, a fat salary, complete control of the program, and his toes in the sand six months out of the year. What more could a coach ask for?

Updated 2008 NFL Mock Draft

The 2007 NFL Draft is over and NFL Draft Dog has completed their Post Draft Reports and have given each NFL Team a grade. More post draft information is coming soon, but in the meantime I have updated my 2008 Mock Draft and my list of the top NFL Draft Web Sites.

Steals of the 2007 NFL Draft

Top 10 Countdown

By James Polifroni

10. Michael Johnson- SS/Arizona 7th Rd. 224 Overall- Giants
6’3-211 40 yd. Dash- 4.63

Major knock is that he lacks the physicality to play strong safety in the NFL. Seems faster on the field than the 4.63 40 listed. Good size for the position, with a solid frame and the potential to gain weight. Possesses solid ball skills, something the Giants have been in desperate need for in their defensive backfield. Had 107 tackles and 5 picks in his two years at Arizona (JUCO transfer junior year). Quite possibly holds the most potential of all 7th round selections.

9. H.B Blades- MLB/Pitt 6th Rd. 179 Overall- Redskins
5’11-237 40 yd. Dash- 4.75

Four year contributor, three year full-time starter for the Pittsburgh Panthers. I’ve heard his durability questioned, which is confusing due to the fact that he started all 36 games from his sophomore year on. 40-speed not great, but also much faster on the field, and covers a tremendous amount of territory from his middle linebacker position. His cover skills, however, need improvement. Overall, Blades is a true old school inside backer; hard-hitting and sure tackling. Compiled 147 tackles senior year, with 10 for a loss, one sack and two interceptions. H.B tallied 433 tackles on his 4 year career.


8. Trent Edwards- QB/Stanford 3rd Rd. 92 Overall- Bills
6’4-231 40 yd. Dash- 4.73

The Bills seem to be confident with JP Losman at the helm, but Edwards, at the least, will serve as a great insurance policy. The highly regarded Pac-10 quarterback only competed in 7 games his senior season due to an ankle injury, but had a fantastic junior campaign, throwing for nearly 2,000 yards (1,934), 17 TD’s and only 7 picks. All of that was done with a completion percentage of 62.7, and a sub-par supporting cast. If Losman works out, Edwards will serve as great trade value in the future, and has the potential to be a quality starter.


7. Quinn Pitcock- DT/Ohio State 3rd Rd. 98 Overall- Colts
6’2- 211 40 yd. Dash- 4.9

Pitcock almost slipped out of the first day before being grabbed by the Colts, joining fellow Buckeyes Anthony Gonzalez and Roy Hall (5th round pick, also potential steal) as Indianapolis selections. He possesses pure strength to go along with solid size, athleticism, and a good work ethic. Senior year, Pitcock racked up 39 tackles, with 12 for a loss and eight sacks. For those keeping tabs, that’s 14 more tackles, six more for a loss, and six more sacks than Michigan’s Alan Branch, who was selected 33rd overall. Pitcock will probably never be a standout, but I expect him to be a solid contributor for years to come.


6. Eric Wright- CB/UNLV 2nd Rd. 53 Overall- Browns
5’11-190 40 yd. Dash- 4.36

This is one of the biggest question marks of the 2007 NFL Draft. Wright has outstanding physical talent, potentially a top 15 pick. Major red flags are raised concerning his character, however. He was a top flight red-shirt freshman at USC before transferring to UNLV after serious encounters with the law. I still think it was an incredible pick by Cleveland, and they get great value in Wright here in the 2nd round. He could help fill their desperate need for a shutdown corner. Further, Wright may have turned his own corner. After all, he spent the second half of his college career at UNLV, maintaining a spotless record; and as you probably know, even the best of characters can find trouble in Vegas.


5. Kevin Boss-TE/ Western Oregon 5th Rd. 153 Overall- Giants
6’6-257 40 yd. Dash- 4.78


Great pick with great value here for the Giants. After the departure of Vishante Shianco, the G-Men needed a second tight-end to compliment Jeremy Shockey. They may have very well found their man in Boss. As a converted wide-out, Boss has tremendous receiving ability. His past experience in collegiate basketball also goes a long way in proving his potential to excel at the next level (a la Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates). Boss’ major weakness, blocking, is the easier skill to improve on at the next level. With his great size and solid athleticism, watch for Boss to have a quick impact for the Giants in ’07.


4. Brady Quinn-QB/Notre Dame 1st Rd. 22 Overall- Browns
6’3-226 40 yd. Dash- 4.62


Cleary, Quinn was the story of the draft. You all know the basics about Brady Quinn; prototypical size, strong arm, struggles with accuracy at times, and produces questionable performances in big games. At the 22nd pick, however, to a team in need of a franchise QB, and a city looking to continue their trend of featuring young stars (such as LeBron James of the Cavs and Grady Sizemore of the Indians), it is a no-brainer. The Browns did give up their first rounder in ’08, but if they truly believe Quinn is better than next year’s prospects, they simply get him a year early AND save a boatload of money in doing it. Let’s just hope the Browns learned their lesson with Couch and this time give Quinn to adjust to the NFL game. I love the pick. The only question remaining is; what fan club will be bigger in Cleveland, Grady’s Ladies or Brady’s Ladies?


3. Michael Bush- RB/Louisville 4th Rd. 100 Overall- Raiders
6’1-243 40 yd. Dash- 4.5


Bush is what many people would call THE steal of the draft. Although I’m not going quite that far, clearly this was a tremendous value pick for the Oakland Raiders. Many believe, if healthy, Bush is a top 15 pick. While I’m not quite ready to admit that, his potential is certainly high. His size and build would remind you of a somewhat more athletic version of LenDale White, the type of player who Lane Kiffin is clearly comfortable in coaching. Still recovering from a broken leg, Bush fell to the second day of the weekend. The Raiders taking a risk here is commendable. If Bush’s leg never quite heals and he’s not the player he is expected to be, than they have a 4th round pick who didn’t quite pan out (believe me it’s happened before). If he recovers and realizes his potential, the Raiders just got a pro-bowl quality back in the 4th round. Oakland is also a perfect situation for Bush because they already have two solid backs in Lamont Jordan and Damian Rhodes, so hopefully he is not rushed into playing time.


2. Steve Breaston- WR/Michigan 5th Rd. 144 Overall- Cardinals
6’- 193 40 yd. Dash-4.4


Many teams looked to find this year’s Devin Hester. Breaston may not quite be at that level, but a great pick in round five by the Cardinals. After red-shirting his first year at Michigan, he went on to earn co-Big 10 freshman of the year. His receiving production was never outstanding, due to playing alongside Braylon Edwards and then Mario Manningham, but he managed to make his presence felt elsewhere. Breaston is the all time leader in punt return yards in the Big 10, and holds the Rose Bowl record for total yards vs. Texas in 2005 (racked up 315 yards on the loss), proving he can get it done in big moments. That being said, he still caught 58 balls for 670 yards his senior season. Breaston should play an immediate role in the special teams department for the Cards, and could even find his way into the offense at the slot.


1. Dwayne Jarrett- WR/USC 2nd Rd. 45 Overall- Panthers
6’5- 213 40yd. Dash- 4.62


I know many of you may think the biggest steal can’t be a second rounder. Please just hear me out. I began to get sick to my stomach with the more talk I heard about Jarrett’s stock dropping. I agree that combine times are important, to a point. On the other hand, here we are talking about a guy who simply got it done, year in and year out, on some of the biggest possible stages to boot. He does need to put on some weight, and an extra year may have helped him do that, but 2nd round? Give me a break! His straight speed may not be tremendous, but is very long and agile.

This situation reminds me of another wide out who slipped in the draft. A big, strong receiver out of Florida State was a potential first-rounder, until word of a poor 40-time slipped out (reportedly as slow as a 4.8). He was drafted in the second round, 54th overall to the Cardinals, behind track-star converted wide out Bethel Johnson, Taylor Jacobs, and Bryant Johnson, to name a few. His name is Anquan Boldin. You may have heard of him. On the other side of the spectrum, Troy Williamson was taken 7th overall in the 2005 draft by the Minnesota Vikings, mostly because of his fast 40-time. Admittedly, the receiver class was not too strong in ’05, but Troy Williamson is not a 7th overall draft pick, regardless of the year.

But I digress. In just three years of football, our “steal of the draft” caught 216 balls for 3,138 yards, and a Pac-10 record 41 touchdowns. In his last collegiate game, the Rose Bowl against Michigan and 1st round cornerback Leon Hall, Jarrett won co-MVP (along with teammate and fellow New Jersey native Brian Cushing). The panthers obviously have big plans for Dwayne in the future, having already cut veteran starting receiver Keyshawn Johnson (coincidentally Keyshawn also Fight’s On as a fellow USC Trojan alum). Playing alongside Steve Smith, look for Jarrett to put up MONSTER numbers this fall, potentially even gaining rookie of the year honors.


James Polifroni
Senior Writer

NFL Draft Dog

Member of Link Juice Football Directory

Breaking Down the 2007 NFL Draft (defense)

Breaking Down the (defense)

Safety:
I will start with the safety position, because that is the deepest position in the 2007 NFL Draft, outside of receiver. If you are an NFL team in need of a safety you are in luck. It all starts with LaRon Landry, one of the best players in this draft, Landry can do it all. He is better against the run than the pass, but with 4.39 speed, I wouldn’t test him to often if I was an opposing quarterback. Reggie Nelson, is the next best safety, Nelson has supreme pass coverage ability and is the best free safety in this draft. Michael Griffin was the top safety entering the 2006 season, it’s not that he played bad, he is still a great NFL prospect, it’s just with Landry running a 4.39, and Nelson declaring as a junior, he has been slightly over shadowed. Brandon Meriweather is an intriguing prospect for the early part of round two; he is a cover safety similar to Reggie Nelson, but can also play corner. The next best safety is Eric Weddle, he carries a second round grade, but has first round talent. Sabby Piscitelli from Oregon State and John Wendling from Wyoming are a couple of good sized work out warriors that had great combines. My sleeper pick is Darren Stone from Small School Maine.

Cornerbacks:
Not a great year for corners, some real speed daemons, but a few underclassmen and under-achievers. The pick of the litter is Leon Hall from Michigan. Hall is an experienced senior that excelled in the Big 10, he runs a 4.39 forty. Darrelle Revis has to be ranked number two behind Hall. Revis is a supreme athlete, only a junior, but opposing defenses rarely tested his side of the field last year. After the top two it gets interesting. The most physically blessed corner in the 2007 NFL Draft is Eric Wright, he is extremely explosive and can close on the ball faster than any corner in this draft. Chris Houston is right there with Wright, both are young and raw, but very fast and athletic. After those guys it gets a little dicey, Marcus McCauley is another speed daemon that carries a late first/early second round grade, but he struggled a little as a senior. I like Maryland’s Josh Wilson in the 3rd round, small but fast and very talented. Daymeion Hughes you ask? Nope, he is just to slow, a fifth rounder at best. College success doesn’t always translate to the NFL, and with a corner, speed is king. He ran a 4.67 second 40 at the combine…..ouch.

Linebackers:
I am just going to lump them all together. With the exception of Patrick Willis, it’s not a great year for linebackers. Willis is far and away the best linebacker in this 2007 NFL Draft, and the only one ranked as a top ten talent. Take a look at all the Top NFL Draft Web Sites and they all have Willis as the top linebacker. After Willis there is a huge drop off, but junior Lawrence Timmons and senior Paul Posluszny both carry a late first round grade. Posluszny played injured most of the year, but if he would have stayed healthy and had a better senior year, we might be talking about he and Willis in the same breath. Jon Beason from Miami seems to be everybody’s golden boy. I think some one rated him as a first rounder shortly after he declared early for the draft and then every one else just started copying that ranking. There is just no way he carries a first round grade folks. Short, slow and weak are a poor combination for success in the NFL. He will probably be drafted in the 2nd or 3rd round, but he has 4th or 5th round talent in my opinion. Quincy Black from New Mexico has cornerback speed (4.42) but linebacker size (6’ 1” 237). My match made in heaven is inside linebacker David Harris from Michigan to the New England Patriots. The Pats like big, talented linebackers and that is what Harris is at 6’ 3” 242 lbs. My sleeper pick is Justin Durant from small school Hampton, Durant might need a year to adjust to the Pro game, but he has decent size at 6’ 1” 230 lbs. and runs a 4.51 forty. My all over rated player is Brandon Siler from Florida; he is a bust waiting to happen.

Defensive Tackles:
A real poor year for tackles, the only guy that makes you say “WOW” is Amobi Okoye from Louisville. With a little more upper body strength he will remind me of the Bears Tommy Harris. Justin Harrell might have been a top ten pick but he missed the 2006 season with a torn bicep. He has now worked his way back into the first round and presents good value late in round one. Alan Branch from Michigan is huge at 6’ 5” 325 pounds; he is very athletic but didn’t make as many plays this year as his size would dictate. He is a boom or bust prospect in my opinion. I also like Tank Tyler from NC State, he is very disruptive, but at 6’ 2” 310 plus pounds he has got to keep himself in shape. If you run the 3-4 defense and need a nose tackle, are you listening Jerry Jones? You have to consider a nose tackle like Utah’s Paul Solaia, he is a mammoth of a man at 6’ 4 335 pounds. Paul ran a 5.10 forty at the combine, that’s good for a 335 pounder. An interesting monster for the late rounds is from a tiny community college, his name is Walter Thomas and he is 6' 7" 355 lbs.


Defensive Ends:
This is a strong position with some real playmakers. The top dog being Gaines Adams from Clemson, a much decorated ACC playmaker, he should hear his name called in the 2007 NFL Draft within the first 5 picks. Next up is junior Jamaal Anderson from Arkansas, he (Anderson) came out of no where to have a spectacular season rushing the QB. Nebraska’s Adam Carriker is a 6’ 6” 292 pound monster that can really run. He will make a nice addition to any type of defense with that size and speed. Jarvis Moss from Florida is another guy right there with Carriker, both very talented mid-first round guys that have the attributes to line up in either a 3-4 or a 4-3 defense. Anthony Spencer was almost un-blockable in college, a little smaller at 6-2 261 pounds; he might be moved to outside linebacker ala DeMarcus Ware and Shawn Merriman. LaMarr Woodley from Michigan is my pick to be a bust, but Turk McBride from Tennessee is my pick to be a good value. Jacob Ford from tiny Central Arkansas is my small school sleeper pick.

Best NFL Draft Web Sites

We are hot and heavy into the NFL Draft season, so I thought this would be a good time to mention some of the very Best NFL Draft Web Sites available. In order not to offend anyone, these sites will be listed randomly.

WWW Virtual Library-American College Football
Not an NFL Draft site, but the first stop when looking for original football related content. All the links are hand picked and offer real value to football fans looking for reliable information.


NFL Draft Countdown:
No matter what you think about Draft Countdown or owner Scott Wright, his web site is the hands down number one NFL Draft site in the world. He is known as a leading authority on the NFL Draft, and that is half the battle right there. His web site has a few annoying pop ups, but generally it is beautifully crafted and well laid out. It is a full featured NFL Draft Source.

Great Blue North Report:
I love this site for its simplicity; everything is easily navigatable from the tiny menus along the left, but in the center it is laid out like a blog, with daily NFL Draft News. The daily news is very impressive, Colin Lindsay is the editor and publisher, and he is a real nice guy, who seems to be able to get a lot of inside information. GBN Report gets a lot of traffic, and it is an impressive web site, for an outfit out of Canada, not exactly a NFL hub.

War Room Report:
A fairly new site, about a year old, but very impressive. Rob Tribbett is the owner and Web Master, he built his site using a wide screen format, so there is a lot to see if you have a wide monitor. Rob has an impressive staff working for him: Matt Maccoy, Chris Otwell and Justin Davis. They have a seven round NFL Mock Draft, and a very detailed Draft Value Board and much more. They also plan on covering Fantasy Football in the near future.

The Football Expert:
Michael Abromowitz is the president, and he is considered one of the leading authorities on the NFL Draft. It is an excellent site, kind of a busy lay out, but it has a lot of great NFL Draft information. Michael has over 20 people listed as his staff! He has a lot of cool interviews, and too many other features to mention here. Mr. Abromowitz is a very under-rated talent evaluator, and he has a nack for uncovering the hidden gems.

Draft Daddy:
Another impressive web site. At first it look simplistic until you scroll down a little and see all kinds of stuff: An NFL Draft Blog, Prospect Rankings, NCAA information, Small School Sleepers, NFL Combine information, NFL Salary cap numbers and more. Matt Bitonti, and his staff claim to devote thousands of hours of time to breaking down game film and traveling to postseason all-star games.

Draft Ace:
It has been around for quite a while. A basic site, but it has a nice lay-out. They have been around since 2003 and owner Ryan McCrystal is very knowledgeable for only being 22 years old. They have the usual NFL Mock Drafts, player rankings, and quite a few, small scouting reports.

Draft King:
Owned and maintained by Lou Pickney. Readers e-mail him questions about the NFL Draft and he answers them on his web site. The e-mails listed in the mailbags are from real readers, and he does an excellent job providing them with accurate NFL Draft information.

New Era Scouting:
This is a fairly new NFL Draft web site ran by a friend of mine, Matt Miller. Matt is one of the countries leading authorities on the NFL Draft and has been covering the Draft for many years. He has always been on the cutting edge, and always comes up with something new. New Era Scouting is very impressive, Matt has a very capable staff working for him, and they have an active message board. Like GBN Report, Matt always seems to uncover “insider” information. This site will be a power broker in the future if Matt doesn't lose interest.

On the Clock Draft:
Another beautiful web lay-out with a ton of features. Interviews, Mock Drafts, positional rankings, message boards and much more. I am not sure who owns OTC, but they have been around for a while and should be considered a top notch NFL Draft site.

The Huddle Report:
This is one of the big dogs. Folks, this site generates a lot of traffic. They charge $9.95 a year for a premium subscription, but they still have a lot of free stuff. The site is ran by Drew Boylhart, who is widely considered one of the leading NFL Draft experts. They have nifty feature where they evaluate all the "other" web sites mocks after the draft.

Walters Football:
Owned and ran by….…hmm Walter Cherepinsky…… how about that. But seriously, Walters Football is the real deal, Walter really knows his stuff and you can tell by his analysis that he is true follower of the game of football. The layout looks a little rough, kind of like a blog, but he has a lot of giant button along the left that point to some useful features.

NFL Draft Dog:
Of course I can't leave off my own NFL Draft Site, owned and web mastered by me, Robert Bryant. I have been closely following the Draft for the last 15 years and have been writing and scouting NFL prospects for various web sites for the last three years. NFL Draft Dog has only been around for a couple months, so I wouldn't put "The Dog" in the category of some of the elite sites mentioned above. But we are working hard every day to build unique content, and have made excellent progress in a short amount of time. I have a strong staff of writers already: Gregg Quinn, John Clarke, Paul Sujecki, and Frank Miseage.

These are just a few of my favorite NFL Draft sites, I have a lot more, and I don’t mean to offend by leaving anyone off. What are some of your favorite NFL Draft Sites?

Breaking Down the 2007 NFL Draft (Offense)

Today I will focus on the offensive players in the 2007 NFL Draft. Check back in a few days and I will break down the defensive players.

Wide Receiver:
I will start with the wide receiver position, which is probably the strongest position in the 2007 NFL Draft. With Jeff Samardzija deciding to play baseball, Dwayne Jarrett’s poor 40 time and Ted Ginns injury, it is not quite as strong as once thought, but it is still potent, probably six, but as many as seven getting drafted in the first round! Calvin Johnson, Robert Meachem, Dwayne Bowe, Ted Ginn, Dwayne Jarrett, Anthony Gonzalez and maybe even Sidney Rice. There is also nice talent peppered all the way through the draft, with some talented second tier prospects like: Aundrae Allison, Craig Davis, Jason Hill, Paul Williams, Dominique Zeigler, small school talent Jacoby Jones and speed burner Yamon Figurs.

Running Backs:
This is a poor position. The only sure things are Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch, and Peterson has been extremely injury prone throughout his career. The wild card is Louisville RB Michael Bush. He would have been a first round pick, but broke his leg early in 2006. He has had a difficult recovery from that, he hasn’t even been close to being able to run yet, and just recently had a second rod put in his leg. I still think he is a talent, but I wouldn’t expect to get much help from him in his rookie year. None of the other backs really get your attention, Kenny Irons is a shifty workhorse with talent, and Tony Hunt is a thick legged bruiser. I have seen a lot of 2007 Mock Drafts with JR Antonio Pittman from Ohio State being drafted in the second round, but I don’t see that kind of talent. He is fast but not very elusive. Garrett Wolfe will slip into the later rounds because he is only 5’ 7”, but height aside, he gets the job done with real speed and Barry Sanders moves. Another back that will slip into the later rounds is Ramonce Taylor, he is very talented, but has serious character issues.

Quarterbacks:
A very weak position this year. We all know about JaMarcus Russell and Brady Quinn, but Drew Stanton and Trent Edwards could be second round gems. Kevin Kolb from Houston is an interesting second tier prospect, and I like Jeff Rowe from Nevada, and Matt Moore from Oregon State in the later rounds. The NFL Team that drafts Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith will be hugely disappointed. The 2008 NFL Draft, next year should be quarterback heavy with Brian Brohm, Chad Henne, Matt Ryan and Colt Brennan in the mix.

Tight Ends:
This is a deep class, but doesn’t have any off the charts talent, yes Greg Olsen has off the charts 4.49 speed, but he won’t provide much run blocking. At one point Zach Miller from Arizona State looked like a first round talent, but he proved to be very slow of foot by running a 4.86 and a 4.91 second forty at the NFL Scouting Combine. There are three small school prospects that will provide great value anywhere after round two: Ben Patrick, Kevin Boss and Michael Allan. Anyone one of those kids has the potential to develop into an NFL Star.

Offensive Guards:
This guard class is deep and talented. Ben Grubbs from Auburn and Justin Blalock present first round caliber talent, but at least one or both will likely slip into round two. There is also a great group of second tier guards like: Josh Beekman, Aaron Sears, Andy Alleman, Dan Santucci and Manny Ramirez, who should all be off the boards by the end of day one. The small school star here is Allen Barbre from tiny Missouri Southern State, he is listed as a tackle and was the fastest offensive lineman at the combine, but at 6’ 4” 300 pounds he might be moved inside to guard. The other player that I like is Mansfield Wrotto from Georgia Tech. This kid is raw, a converted defensive lineman, and then an offensive tackle. I think at 6’ 3” 310, he will settle in at guard. He plays with a mean streak and has a neck the size of a tree trunk.

Offensive Tackle:
This group is a little weak except at the top. There is nothing weak about Joe Thomas and he will be selected within the first five picks. Levi Brown is clearly the next best, he will be gone by the end of the first round, but after him it gets a little fuzzy. I know Joe Staley has been getting a ton of press for his size and speed, but I don’t think the converted tight end will end up in the first round, probably early second. Tony Ugoh is an athletic prospect, but I still see him moving inside to guard, he should be a second rounder, and Boston College's James Martin is not far behind Ugoh. Marshal Yanda from Iowa deserves mentioning, but like Ugoh, looks like a future NFL guard. Adam Koets from Oregon State will be an excellent second tier tackle, he has great feet and decent size at 6’ 5” 300 lbs.

The 2007 NFL Draft Poker Game

The Cleveland Browns hold the key to the 2007 NFL Draft in my opinion. The draft is like a poker game where the teams are like players, unwilling to show their hand. The first four teams already have a player targeted and the ideal draft move would be to trade down and still get their man. Everyone knows the Raiders need a quarterback, so no team (except the Vikings) will be willing to trade up to that spot. The Lions have a lot of team needs, a quarterback and a tackle would be nice, so Brady Quinn or Joe Thomas are the likely candidates, after drafting receivers three years in a row in the first round: Charles Rogers, Roy Williams and Mike Williams. There would be a mutiny within the Millen-Marinelli run organization if they drafted yet another receiver in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft.

So that leaves the Browns, the consensus seams to be RB Adrian Peterson, but they picked up RB Jamal Lewis and guard Eric Steinbach in free agency, so that is not a certainty, but Jamaal Lewis was only signed to a one year contract, so a running back is still a strong possibility. We can’t forget the best player in the draft, WR Calvin Johnson, who everyone knows the Buccaneers covet. So even if the Browns do want RB Adrian Peterson, they will pretend to like Johnson with the hope that the Bucs will try to trade up one spot and land the talented receiver from Georgia Tech, Calvin Johnson. So I think the Bucs will try and trade up one or two spots and land Calvin Johnson.

The Browns will probably be able to sit tight or trade down and still land their man Adrian Peterson, and pick up extra picks to boot. That leaves the Cardinals with the choice of OT Joe Thomas, DE Gaines Adams or DT Amobi Okoye; probably Joe Thomas since Matt Leinart needs some protection and they just lost OT Leonard Davis to Dallas in free agency. So the Redskins will be sitting in an enviable position with the choice between two fine players in DE Gaines Adams or DT Amobi Okoye, I think the Skins have really targeted Okoye, but they won’t make that obvious, because the Vikings really want Gaines Adams. Now to make things really confusing the Vikings have to be desperate for a quarterback with the loss of old timer Brad Johnson. The Vikings only list two quarterbacks, Brooks Bollinger and Tarvaris Jackson on their roster, Bollinger is a mildly talented journeyman and Jackson is an unproven, 2nd year quarterback from a small college with poor accuracy. That’s not going to cut it, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vikings put together a Hershel Walker like trade package and make a move up to land JaMarcus Russell or Brady Quinn. So there you have it, one of the many draft scenarios that might play out in the ever intriguing NFL Draft poker game.

Pro Day Workout Warriors

Here is a more indepth look at a few of the prospects for the 2007 NFL Draft that have really helped themselves during Pro Day workouts.

1. Safety Reggie Nelson didn’t have a great combine run where he ran a 4.56 second forty yard dash. At Florida’s Pro Day Nelson ran the 40 once in a time of 4.35 seconds. He had a 35-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-6 broad jump, ran 4.15 in the short shuttle and 6.70 in the three-cone drill. Nelson looked very quick and fluid in the drills and has secured himself a first round pick in the 2007 NFL draft.

2. CB Darelle Revis didn’t run at the 2007 NFL Combine and with the blazing speed of quite a few of the other corners, his draft stock was starting to slide. Well at Pittsburgh’s Pro Day Revis put a halt to all the talk of a slide when he ran the 40 yard dash in 4.38 seconds.

3. OT Joe Staley had an excellent Pro Day at Central Michigan where he measured in at 6' 5.7” and 304 pounds, he ran a 4.79 40, 7.17 3-cone, 4.30 short shuttle, 9.04 broad jump, and recorded a 32" vertical jump. All 32 NFL teams were in attendance along with 11 offensive Line coaches.

4. TE Zach Miller does not have great straight line speed; at the 2007 NFL Combine he ran a poor 4.86 second forty yard dash. He did stop the bleeding slightly when he improved his numbers at Arizona State’s Pro Day, he measured in at 6’ 4.3” and 256 pounds, he ran 40's in the 4.74 range, 10 yard dash was 1.64, and 20 yard dash was 2.68. His short shuttle was 4.49 and did 16 reps on the bench.

5. SS Sabby Piscitelli’s draft stock has been rising and rising, and now it is rising even further. He has done everything possible in the post season to prove he is an elite athlete. During the 2007 NFL Combine he ran a 4.52 second 40 yard dash, which is good in itself, but his 10 yard split time of 1.50 seconds was tops for all the defensive backs, corners and safeties alike. Impressive to say the least for a 6’ 2” 224 pound prospect. He continued to marvel scouts at Oregon State’s Pro Day where he ran 40's ranging from 4.37 to 4.44. He also did 21 bench reps and also did position drills.

6. WR Brad Ekwerekwu looks like a possible late round 2007 NFL Draft sleeper prospect, at Missouri’s pro day he measured in at 6’ 3.5” 209 pounds and ran a 4.40 second forty yard dash, also recorded a 37 1/2 vertical, 3.88 short shuttle, 60 yard shuttle 10.85, 10'6" broad jump. His 6.62 second 3-cone time was spectacular. Ekwerekwu didn’t have great numbers, but he is a silky-smooth, long-striding wideout with excellent size, speed and good hands. He is a 3-year starter and a steady performer. The senior wideout was the team captain and the most experienced WR on the squad with 34 career starts. He needed just 5 catches and 44 yards to reach 100 catches and 1,000 yards for his career.

7. CB C.J. Wilson was a highly rated cornerback that didn’t run very well at the 2007 NFL Combine, his official time of 4.64 seconds was devastating to his draft stock. However, he greatly improved his 40 time at Baylor’s Pro day, he measured in at 6' 1” 195 pounds and ran a 4.48 second forty.

8. CB Courtney Brown (6’ 1” 200 lbs) from small school Cal-Poly put up some very respectable numbers at the San Jose’s Pro Day. He ran the 40 in 4.32, had a vertical of 41.5, broad jump--10' 11", short shuttle--4.06, 3 cone--7.12 and did 15 reps on the bench.

9. TE Kevin Boss, Western Oregon
He was impressive at the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine, where he looked outstanding catching the ball and running routes. At the combine he had the quickest 3-cone time from all the tight ends in attendance. He was the only tight end to run his 3-cone drill in under 7.00 seconds, when he recorded two times of 6.99 and 6.96 seconds. Keep in mind he is not a “smallish” tight end, he measures in at 6’ 6” 253 pounds. Boss also wowed scouts from 12 NFL Teams at Western Oregon’s Pro day on March 16th 2007. He measured in at 6’ 6” 253 pounds and ran two 40 yard dashes of 4.71 and 4.72 seconds. He also had a 35.5” vertical jump and a 10 foot long broad jump.

All Over-Rated Team for the 2007 NFL Draft

2007-nfl-draft

LB Jon Beason, Miami

After careful evaluation of on-the-field performance, NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day performance I have came up with my first annual All-Over rated team for the NFL Draft.

1. LB Jon Beason from Miami has been talked about as a high draft pick since he decided to turn pro. I have even seen him in the first round of some 2007 NFL Mock Draft’s. It’s not going to happen, he is a player that looks slow on film and at the 2007 NFL Combine he confirmed that. He measured in at 6’ 2” 237 pounds and ran two poor 40s of 4.74 and 4.81 seconds. And then at Miami’s Pro day he cited a injured hamstring and refused to try and improve his time. Also I think he is over-rated partly due to the recent success of Jonathan Vilma, some people think if they are a linebacker from Miami they have to be good.

2. LB Earl Everett from Florida is another player that looks slow on film. He is an excellent tackler, but his pursuit speed is very poor. At the 2007 NFL Combine he ran a very slow 4.88 second 40 yard dash and then at Florida’s Pro Day he did improve his 40 a little by running twice, one at 4.82 seconds, and the other at 4.73 seconds, but his three-cone time of 7.39 seconds was extremely slow for a 238 pound linebacker.

3. RB Tyrone Moss from Miami never lived up to the hype on the field, went to the NFL Scouting Combine, weighed in at a plump 5’ 9” 231 pounds and ran a slow 4.81 second 40. At Miami’s Pro Day he got his weight down to 227 pounds and did improve his 40 yard dash time to 4.65 seconds , but he isn’t big or fast enough to draw much interest in the 2007 NFL Draft.

4. LB Brandon Siler from Florida is another junior that came out early and probably shouldn’t have. Siler is strong at the point of attack, but his quickness and speed will be an extreme liability in the NFL. At the 2007 NFL Combine he measured in at 6’ 1” 241 pounds and ran two mediocre 40s of 4.69 and 4.74 seconds. At Florida’s Pro day he ran one of the slowest 3-cone times I have ever seen for a linebacker, an agonizingly slow 7.70 seconds.

5. LB Lamaar Woodley form Michigan has seen his draft stock plummet almost as much as California’s Daymeion Hughes. After a very poor showing at the Senior Bowl, he decided to skip the NFL Scouting Combine altogether.

6. Speaking of CB Daymeion Hughes, his foot speed was seriously brought into question at the NFL Combine, he couldn’t keep up in the positional drills, and then ran a painfully slow 4.74 second 40 yard dash. He also had a very poor 3-cone time of 7.28 seconds. He did improve his time a little at his Pro Day with a pair of 4.56 and a 4.58 second 40s, but the damage has already been done. He went from a possible 1st round draft pick in the 2007 NFL Draft to possibly a 4th or 5th rounder.

7. WR Reggie Ball from Georgia Tech was trying to do a position switch from quarterback to receiver. It’s not likely to happen after he ran a very slow 4.85 second 40 yard dash at the 2007 NFL Combine.

8. RB Gary Russell was out of football this year after playing for Minnesota in 2005. He must know someone, because he somehow still got a combine invite; he definitely shouldn’t have though. He showed up over weight at 5’ 10” 229 pounds and ran one terrible 4.87 second 40 yard dash, and then he refused to run any more drills stating “leg fatigue”.

9. TE Joe Newton from Oregon State did not look fast and quick at all. At the 2007 NFL Combine he ran a poor 4.97 second 40 yard dash, and his 3-cone time of 7.35 seconds was the 2nd slowest time of all the tight ends.

10. DE Victor Abiamiri from Notre Dame doesn’t look like NFL material to me. I watched him struggle at the Senior Bowl and then at the 2007 NFL Combine his times were among the slowest of all the defensive ends. He measured in at 6’ 4” 267 pounds, then ran two mediocre 40 yard dashes at 4.85 and 4.89 seconds, and then claimed an injury and refused to work out any more.