Defensive Ends at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine

Pass rushers are always in high demand at the NFL Draft evidenced by the fact that 25 were selected in the 2007 NFL Draft with five being selected in the first round. This year should be no different and the top defensive ends were recently on display at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine. Here are some of my observations.

Vernon Gholston from Ohio State was a man among boys. Not only did he look the part weighing in at 6’ 3” 266 pounds, but he was solid muscle. Gholston is as strong as an ox lifting 225 pounds 37 times, which was the best performance at the combine, actually tying 313 pound offensive tackle Jake Long for first place. Gholston also displayed excellent speed, quickness and leaping ability. He ran his forty at 4.67 with a 35.5” vertical jump and a 10.05 broad jump.

Chris Long from Virginia also put on quite a show. Almost as muscle bound as Gholston, Long weighed in at 6’ 3” 272 pounds and ran a 4.75 forty. Long was very strong with 34 reps on the bench press, he also recorded a 10.4” broad jump and had the fastest (among defensive linemen) 20 yard shuttle run at 4.21 seconds.

Cliff Avril from Purdue made himself some money at the combine. Weighing in at 6’ 2” 253 pounds he displayed linebacker quickness. In fact with his performance he will probably be moved to linebacker in the NFL. Avril ran his forty at lightening quick 4.51 seconds and had one of the best 3-cone times of 6.90.

Quentin Groves from Auburn was a top performer as expected. While he didn’t run a 4.45 as earlier reported, his time of 4.57 was impressive considering he weighs 6’ 3” 251 pounds and benched 225 pounds for 30 repetitions.

There were early reports that Florida’s Derrick Harvey weighed in at 291 pounds, but it was a mistake, he was actually 6’ 4” 271 pounds. Harvey didn’t run a great forty at 4.80, but he looked quick and fluid in the drills and he is a playmaker, in 2007 he recorded 17 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

Jason Jones from Eastern Michigan has probably seen his draft stock rise as much as anyone after his Senior Bowl performance. He continued his post season excellence with an outstanding combine performance. At 6’ 5” 273 pounds he ran a 4.71 forty and had the second fastest run of the 20 yard shuttle at 4.23. Eastern Michigan is a division 1 school and Jones finished ranked 7th in tackles for loss with 19.5 in 2007.

Chris Ellis from Virginia Tech should hear his name called very early in the 2008 NFL Draft, probably in the second round. He didn’t dispel that opinion with his performance at the 2008 NFL Combine. He measured in at 6’ 4” 263 pounds and ran a 4.71 forty. Ellis had a great season in 2007 finishing with 8.5 sacks and an amazing 22 quarterback hurries.

I am surprised there isn’t more draft buzz generated about Michigan’s Shawn Crable. He has nice size at 6’ 4.5” 245 pounds and ran a very good 4.64 forty. Crable is not just a workout warrior however; he ranked #2 in the nation with 28.5 tackles for a loss in 2007. He could be a prime candidate to be moved to outside linebacker in the NFL.

Wake Forest’s Jeremy Thompson had an excellent combine performance, measuring in at 6’ 4” 264 pounds he ran a 4.75 forty, which in itself isn’t great, but he recorded the second fastest 3-cone (6.79) and 20 yard shuttle runs (4.23).

UCLA’s Bruce Davis had a decent forty yard dash time at the combine at 4.72. Measuring in at 6’ 3” 252 pounds he is another prospect that will probably be moved to outside linebacker. A consistent performer in college he recorded 15.5 tackles for loss and 12 sacks in 2007.

The not so good:

Miami’s jumbo defensive end Calais Campbell didn’t look good at the combine, he looked soft and slow at 6’ 7” 290 pounds and ran a mediocre 5.03 forty.

USC’s Lawrence Jackson didn’t look that impressive at the combine. Measuring in at 6’ 4” 271 pounds he ran a below average 4.81 forty and a very poor 20 yard shuttle run of 4.40.

Wide Receivers at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine

Image: Andre Caldwell

This is an interesting year for wideouts with no clear cut first round stars. Last year all the buzz was about Calvin Johnson, who tore it up at the combine and was drafted 2nd overall by the Detroit Lions. Some would argue that by the time the Super Bowl rolled around that New York Giant’s Steve Smith was the best rookie receiver, if you evaluated his playoff and Super Bowl performance it would be hard to argue against that opinion. Smith wasn’t drafted until the second round (51st overall). Well there isn’t a Calvin Johnson in this draft, but there might be plenty of Steve Smith’s. What I mean is that the first round talent is not impressive, but the players that get drafted in the 2nd and 3rd round might end up as the best NFL players, and they certainly hold the best value in this 2008 NFL Draft.

As the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine results come rolling in, one thing is clear, there were some blazing fast receivers running at Indianapolis. Seven receivers ran the 40 yard dash at 4.40 or better. Here are a few receivers that really helped themselves.

When DeSean Jackson (California) weighed in at 5’ 9.5” 168 pounds the red flags came out, most scouts didn’t think he was that tiny. But when he lined up and ran a combine best (for receivers) 4.35 forty, the red flags were put away. If he can’t be caught, who cares how big he is. This multi-dangerous receiver has to be watched at all times, not only a great receiver, but he also returns punts and kicks.

Andre Caldwell(Florida) came in with the second best 40 time of 4.37 seconds. Decent size at 6’ 0” 204 pounds, Caldwell can strike from anywhere on the field. Caldwell is quick as a cat and also scored in the top 5 of the 3 cone drill with a time of 6.75.

Small school standout Dexter Jackson (Appalachian State) was a key player in Appalachian State’s stunning upset of Michigan last year. Now we know why the Wolverine defense couldn’t catch him. His 40 time of 4.37 was the 3rd fastest time among receivers. Some NFL team that does their homework on this receiver could be making the others wish they had done more.

Missouri receiver Will Franklin had a great performance at the combine running a 4.37 forty. His speed is outstanding, but you would like to see better performance on the football field, he only recorded 709 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 2007.

Virginia Tech’s Eddie Royal was very impressive at the Combine. I give Kudos to Royal for doing a complete workout; his 40 time of 4.39 was outstanding. Royal has decent size at 5’ 10” 184 pounds and is very strong; he bench pressed 225 pounds 24 times and recorded a 36 inch vertical jump.

Everyone knew Houston’s Donnie Avery was going to be fast, he didn’t run quite as fast as he looks on the field, but his 4.40 forty yard dash is nothing to sneeze at.

Michigan State’s junior Devin Thomas is a prospect that continues to climb up the draft boards. Yes he might be a one year wonder, but that one year was spectacular. He finished 2007 ranked 15th in the nation in receiving yards with 1,260 and an additional 8 touchdowns. He has nice size at 6’ 1” 216 pounds and is blazing fast, running a 4.40 forty at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine.

Kentucky’s Keenan Burton is a vastly underrated receiver; he will be a steal anywhere after the second round. Tough as nails, good character and decent size (6’ 0” 201 lbs). Burton ran a 4.43 forty and recorded a quick 6.77 second 3-cone time. He also recorded the best vertical Jump at 38.5”. Burton became only the third player in school history to total over 2000 receiving yards in his career. On the down side he was out of the lineup with assorted injuries--- knee, foot and ankle.

You have to like the combine performance of small school (Richmond) standout Arman Shields. He measured in at 6’ 0” 194 pounds and ran a nice 4.43 forty. His 6.67 second time in the 3-cone was among the best and he finished in the top 5 in the Vertical Jump at 37.5”. Shields also recorded the best 60 yard shuttle run at 10.87 seconds. Whether Arman gets drafted could depend on his performance at the combine due to the fact that he missed all of the past season except for the first game due to a knee injury.

Wisconsin receiver Paul Hubbard is a size and speed marvel, measuring in at 6’ 3” 221 pounds and running a 4.46 forty.

Indiana’s jumbo receiver James Hardy (6’ 5” 217 lbs) was extremely productive on the football field in 2007, recording 1,125 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns. The scouts were saying he didn’t have break-away speed. Well he proved them all wrong by running an impressive 4.47 forty. That is quite a feat for a man that is almost 6 foot 6 inches tall.

Another small school star that has definitely gotten the attention of the NFL scouts is Coastal Carolina’s Jerome Simpson. He ran an impressive 4.47 forty, which is good for a prospect measuring in at 6’ 2” 190 pounds, but his broad jump was an all-time combine best of 11’ 4” and his vertical jump was 2nd best at 37.5”.

Jordy Nelson is a receiver that continues to climb up the draft boards, after an impressive senior Bowl performance, Nelson came into the combine and ran a 4.49 second forty. This is a big receiver at 6’ 2” 213 pounds and he was a monster on the football field. He finished 2007 ranked #2 in the nation in receiving yards with 1,606 yards and 11 touchdowns.

The small school players did very well this year at the combine, a player that is just flying up the draft boards is Pierre Garcon. This WR out of Mount Union (Div. 3 college in Ohio), ran a decent 4.48 forty and finished tied for third in the Bench Press with 20 reps. He also finished 3rd best in the vertical jump at 36.6” and in the top 10 in the Broad Jump with a jump of 10' 5 ". He also did well with a 6th place time of 4.19 in the 20 yard shuttle. Garcon was not even considered draftable a few months ago, but he could now hear his name called in the later rounds of the 2008 NFL Draft.

One of the top ranked receivers for te 2008 NFL Draft and almost sure to be selected in the first round is Texas receiver Limas Sweed. Sweed missed most of the season with a wrist injury, but came to the combine and ran an impressive 4.46 second forty yard dash. Impressive for a big (6' 3" 215 lbs) receiver.

Last but not least is receiver Harry Douglas from Louisville. Douglas had the best 3-cone time of 6.57 and the 3rd best 20 yard shuttle run of 4.12. Douglas is no stranger to success; he finished 2007 ranked 3rd in the nation in receiving yards with 1,159 and an additional 7 TDs. Douglas, even without the normal weight of a receiver makes defenders miss with his blazing speed which includes a second gear that seems to come out of nowhere. Douglas is yet another receiver that could be 3rd-4th round steal.

Special thanks to Clevaland Brown columnsit Paul Sink for assistance on this post.

Running Backs at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine

The 2008 NFL Scouting Combine is in full swing and up until today there weren't a lot of fireworks to report. A little disclaimer here, all 40 times are courtesy of the NFL Network and are unofficial, I counted maybe 15 people down on the field with stopwatches and another 40 or so in the stands, so you will see a lot of different quoted times come out. The official electronic times will be released next week.

The receivers ran this morning and California WR DeSean Jackson measured in at only 5' 9" 167 pounds, but he ran a 4.31 forty yard dash. One of my sleepers prospects from Appalachian State, WR Dexter Jackson was actually the fastest receiver running a 4.27 forty. The other prospect that I have to mention without delay is small school quarterback Josh Johnson from San Diego, during the passing drills today I thought his arm was as good as anybody's, I like his quick release and his balls get on the receiver very fast, but what really got my attention was his speed, he ran a 4.40 forty, yes that's not a typo, he is blazing fast. Remember Johnson, he was the star of the East-West Shrine game.

Enough about the receivers and quarterbacks, I will cover them in more detail tomorrow. Today I want to cover the running backs and all I can say is WOW. This class of running backs will probably go down in history as the all time best to ever enter the draft. After RB Darren McFadden ran two sizzling 40 yard dashes of 4.27 and 4.33, all the talk was the report by the NFL Networks' Adam Schefter that the Dallas Cowboys are trying to work out a trade to acquire McFadden, this an old rehashed story that I reported on almost three months ago on my Dallas Cowboys NFL Team Column. This time Schefter is saying the Cowboys will throw in RB Marion Barber in the deal. McFadden's size (6' 1" 211 lbs), speed and production makes him a prime target for someone to trade up and get, but Barber is a Pro Bowl running back. It would probably take Barber, both of the Cowboys first round picks and maybe a 3rd or 4th rounder thrown in to get into that top spot that is currently owned by the Miami Dolphins.

I am not going to cover all the running backs, but here is a snapshot of some of the top dogs. The fastest running back was East Carolina RB Chris Johnson who ran two very fast forties: 4.24 and 4.29. Johnson is not huge at 5' 11" 197 pounds, but he is also an excellent receiver. If Johnson lasts until round two, he will be steal. The other two running backs that absolutely solidified a selection in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft are Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall (5' 10" 225 lbs) and Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart (5' 10" 235 lbs). Both of these guys are big, muscular prospects with breathtaking speed. Mendenhall ran two 40s of 4.37 and 4.43 and Stewart ran twice at 4.44 and 4.49 seconds.

There are a few other prospects that in most years would easily by first round draft picks, however, in this deep running back class they emerge as late first/early second round prospects. I really like Texas RB Jamaal Charles and Central Florida RB Kevin Smith. Charles finished the season very strong and didn't disappoint at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, at 5' 10" 200 pounds, he has decent size and his two 40 times of 4.36 and 4.39 shows that he has home run speed. Smith is a long strider at 6' 1" 217 pounds, but he led the nation in rushing with 2,567 yards and 29 TDs. His speed was in question coming into the combine, but he ran his first 40 at a blistering 4.43 seconds. His second run was only 4.56, but he had a bad start. The other RB from Arkansas Felix Jones (5' 10" 207 lbs) had a very good NFL Combine, his two 40 times were 4.44 and 4.47 seconds. There is nothing wrong with that time, however being talked about as a "speed guy" I thought he would run under 4.40.

Rutgers RB Ray Rice is another interesting prospect, he might slip into the 3rd round due to his size (5' 8" 199 lbs), but his production in college can't be ignored, only a junior, he scored 44 touchdowns in his last two years at Rutgers. At the combine his first 40 yard dash was an impressive 4.44 seconds, but he injured his hamstring and only ran once. West Virginia RB Steve Slaton, this time last year I had him rated as a first round NFL Draft Pick. Slaton only a junior, is a little small at 5' 9" 197 pounds and he didn't have as good of a junior year as he did as a sophomore and subsequently has seen his draft stock plummet. Slaton, however, ran pretty good at the combine, running two 40s of 4.44 and 4.45 seconds. Little known RB Chad Simpson from Morgan State made some money at the combine. His is a tad small at 5' 9" 200 pounds, but his 4.38 second forty got the attention of NFL scouts.

Not all was positive at the combine for running backs, Michigan's RB Mike Hart was a bit of a disappointment running twice at 4.67 and 4.69 seconds. One of my favorite small school prospects from Northwest Missouri State, RB Xavier Omon, didn't run real well, he ran twice at 4.59 seconds. Here are some times for a few other running backs and fullbacks:

RB Anthony Alridge: 4.33
RB Matt Forte: 4.51
FB Jerome Felton: 4.75
RB Chad Simpson: 4.38
FB Jacob Hester: 4.60
RB Jalen Parmele: 4.54
RB Dantrell Savage: 4.50

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The Best NFL Draft Websites of 2007

It’s time for my annual review of the best NFL Draft Web Sites on the internet. Last year was my first year doing this when I rated the Best NFL Draft Web Sites for 2006. I had such tremendous feedback I thought I would make this an annual event. So now with another year under my belt I thought I would rate the top NFL Draft Web Sites for 2007. This year I decided to try to make it a little more scientific. I am letting the two main search engines on the internet, Google and Yahoo, help me with the rankings this year as I am using their search results as part of my evaluation criteria. I am ruling out sites that make you pay to read their content as well as sites that branch heavily into other areas besides the NFL Draft, like fantasy football or sports betting.

I am also using only full featured NFL Draft Sites, so all these mock Draft databases only, are out. I have nothing against them, I have a Mock Draft Database myself and I frequently visit Hailredskins.com, they are hugely popular, I am just not including them in this evaluation. Some of the other criteria I utilize is content, I want to see quality, original content. If the site doesn’t have updated, quality information, no matter how high it ranks in Google, it is worthless.

I also took into account ease of use, I like web sites that open up fast, are easy to navigate and don’t have a lot of fancy java script and flash on them, less flare and more substance, that’s what I like. Last but not least this year I tried to limit my selection to NFL Draft Sites that have been around a while, so if you are brand new and don’t have any page rank yet, keep working and I will take a look at your site next year. So if I missed anybody, don’t take it personnel, my staff and I worked long and hard at this, but decided to narrow it down to only the top ten NFL Draft Web Sites of 2007.

1. NFL Draft Countdown:
The NFL Draft champion for the second consecutive year. Scott Wright does a magnificent job in web design, content and marketing. He actually traveled to the Senior Bowl himself and provided his readers with live reports from Mobile, Alabama. He was also featured on CSTV at halftime of the Texas vs. Nation All Star game. He does put some annoying pop-ups on his site still, but outside of that, NFL Draft Countdown brings a lot of credibility to the table, and when it’s all said and done, that’s what really matters. Scott’s annual Mock Draft is widely considered the industry standard.

2. Walter Football:
Site owner Walter Cherepinsky has done a fantastic job with this site. Walter football has ranked very well in Google all year and is probably not far behind NFL Countdown as far as traffic goes. He and his staff have put together a ton of great content and Walt himself is quick to answer emails if you have any questions or comments about his site. Walt is nipping on the heels of NFL Draft Countdown and it’s amazing how far his site has progressed in such a short time. Walt is always putting together great content, like his recently released NFL Free Agency Rankings.

3. Draft Daddy:
An excellent NFL Draft Web site with a lot of great content. I especially like their NFL Draft Blog, while it isn’t totally originally, it brings you a ton of updated NFL Draft information from around the internet. Draft Daddy started in 2003 and the publisher, Matt Bitonti, has done a great job keeping Draft Daddy a free site with quality, updated draft news and information.

4. Great Blue North report (GBN Report)
Colin Lindsay is the editor and publisher and they are headquartered in Canada. I don’t think he does much as far as marketing because he doesn’t rank very well in the search engines, but GBN still gets a lot of traffic. He gets the nod here because of content; they always seem to get the breaking news, which I enjoy. He doesn’t have a ton of content, but it is quality and his home page is run kind of like a blog with new entries pushing down the older ones. He provided his readers live coverage at the 2008 Senior Bowl this year, which was an impressive feat.

5. The Football Expert:
As long as Michael Abromowitz is running “The Football Expert” they will remain as one of the elite NFL Draft Sites. He and his staff are at the top of their game and they come out with a vast amount of original content almost on a daily basis. Michael has put together an impressive three round 2008 NFL Mock Draft. He has a huge staff with 22 other writers helping him and they are all pretty talented, especially Brian Dietzler, who is one of the hardest working writers in this industry, Brian also writes my Chicago Bears NFL Team Column.

6. NFL Draft Dog:
I tried not to rank my own web site to high, but NFL Draft Dog has come along way in only one year. We have worked tirelessly building content, marketing and promoting, and are subsequently one of the top ranked NFL Draft Web sites on Google and Yahoo. We have the usual Top 100 list, player rankings and Mock Drafts, but we also have one of the most extensive Draft Boards on the internet, profiling the potential prospects’ draft value for all seven rounds, by position. The other area that has really exploded are the NFL Team Columns, we have beat writers for almost all 32 NFL teams now. I don’t mean to leave anybody out, but NFL Draft Dog now has two senior writers, Bryan Dietzler and Daryl Breault.  Draft Dog also ties nicely in with this NFL Draft Site-Blog.

7. Draft King:
Lou Pickney is still running Draft King as before and it hasn’t changed much from last year. It still has quality, updated material. I take my hat off to Lou; he is one of the few that has attempted a 2009 NFL Mock Draft this early. Draft King is a professional looking web site and his key feature has been fan interaction, where fans email him NFL Draft questions and he answers them on his web site.

8. New Era Scouting:
The design of the site has completely changed, with an orange Halloween looking theme, but it works, and it is well laid out and organized. It doesn’t rank very well at all in the search engines, but none the less, it has excellent content. I don’t think site owner Matt Miller puts much effort into marketing and promotion, but he is a football guy and has been a well known “draftnik” for quite a while. Matt has a lot of inside sources in the NFL Draft world and has a keen eye for talent. He also has a nice blog called: Mocking the Draft, which ties in nicely with New Era Scouting.

9. The War Room Report:
Rob Tribbett is the president; I always find that title amusing. How do they get to be president? Are there elections or can you just assign that title to yourself willey nilley? Just joking Rob. Anyway, President Tribbett runs an excellent web site. Like Draft Dog, it is fairly new, but he has been steadily improving all year. He doesn’t have a huge staff, it looks like just four, but they are talented. Impressively, they have ranked the top 300 prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft. The site is kind of run in a blog format, but it looks good and is well executed.

10. Footballs Future:
A commercial type web site, I can’t find an owner’s name on it anywhere, so the content doesn’t seem real authentic, but they don’t charge a fee, they cover primarily the NFL Draft, they have a huge forum with over 31,000 registered posters and they rank very well in both Google and Yahoo. They get a lot of forum members to post their mock drafts and they subsequently have a nice mock draft database.

Small School NFL Scouting Combine Invitees

Image: WR Pierre Garcon, Mount Union

Every year around this time of year thousands of college football players from around the country are waiting anxiously for the NFL Scouting Combine list to be published. For most of the top division 1 players, the list is uneventful, already assured of selection in the early rounds, some won’t even bother to attend the NFL Scouting Combine. The elite players are worried that an mediocre performance might hurt their already lofty draft status and maybe they are worried about an injury. But for the lesser known prospects and especially the small school prospects (non division 1), the Combine is a huge deal that might make or break their chance of being drafted. The NFL Draft Scouting Combine is scheduled for February 20-26 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The players are selected by a committee made up of directors of both the National and BLESTO scouting services, along with members of various NFL Scouting departments. There were approximately 333 college prospects selected to attend the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine this year which include 46 juniors, out of that 333 players, only about 30 were from small school (non division 1). I always find it interesting to identify the small school college football stars every year and I have been tracking most of these small school prospects for a few years like: DE Kendal Langford from Hampton, OT Heath Benedict from Newberry or CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from Tennessee State. By the way, a player that wasn’t invited that should have been was DE Brian Johnston from Gardner-Webb. You can see my Top 50 Small School Prospects here. But here are nine relatively unknown prospects that were invited to the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine that slipped through the cracks, players that I was previously unfamiliar with:

TE Kolomona Kapanui, 6’ 4” 270 lbs. West Texas A&M
Played very well at the Hula Bowl and Mel Kiper has Kapanui rated very high, just under Louisville’s Gary Barnidge in his tight end rankings. Kapanui was originally recruited to play at USC in 2002, but decided to transfer due to a hip injury. Born in Hawaii, he transferred to West Texas and was very productive. He finished 2007 with 39 receptions for 481 yards and 7 touchdowns which earned him AP and d2football.com All-America honors. Similar to last year’s small school tight end Kevin Boss, who was a late season star for the New York Giants during their super bowl run. He is not as fast as Boss, but has good hands and a with a good combine performance, he could be a late round draft pick.

WR Pierre Garcon, 6’ 0” 205 lbs. Mount Union
The only Division III guy invited to the combine I believe. Garcon really caught my eye at the Texas vs. Nation All Star game, he returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown in the game. In 2006 Garcon caught 59 passes for 1,096 yards and 15 for touchdowns for Mount Union. Garcon averaged nearly 20 yards and was voted the “receiver of the year” in the Ohio Athletic Conference. He drew constant double teams this year (2007), but still managed 40 catches for 564 yards and 8 touchdowns. Very strong, stocky, shifty and quick, Garcon has great hands and is adept at fielding punts and kicks. He reminds me of Dallas Cowboys WR Patrick Crayton, who was a small school (NAIA) star in his own right. Garcon is Mount Union's all-time leader in receptions with 202 and the Ohio Athletic Conference career leader in touchdown catches with 47.

DE Marcus Dixon, 6’ 4” 296 lbs. Hampton
Dixon is starting to emerge as a better NFL Draft Prospect that team-mate Kendall Langford. Hampton must have had quite a defensive line last year as both of their defensive ends were invited to the combine, which is no small feat for division 1AA Hampton. Arguably Dixon even had better stats than Langford in 2007 and is more versatile because he has played defensive tackle and End. In 2007 Dixon finished ranked 3rd on his team in tackles with 58, he also recorded an impressive 16 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 8 QB hurries. His size, quickness and versatility will make him an interesting prospect for an NFL team that plays the 3-4 defense.

DE Curtis Johnson, 6’ 3” 242 lbs. Clark Atlanta
2007 D2Football.com All-American Curtis Johnson is a little undersized for a defensive end. He will be converted to outside linebacker in the NFL and if he can successfully make that transition he has a chance. Johnson was voted SIAC Defensive Player of the Year two years in a row (2006-2007). Johnson led the SIAC in two defensive categories this past season. He was first in sacks with a total of 13.5, and he was the conference leader in tackles for loss with a total of 27. The Daktronics All-America Candidate also finished second in the conference in tackles with a total of 112. Johnson has decent speed and is a good special teams player, which will give him a good chance to “stick” on an NFL roster.

OT David Hale, 6’ 5” 313 lbs. Weber State
Hale has nice size and quick feet. He was named First Team All-American Division 1AA (FCS) by the American Football Coaches Association, and was selected as a second Team All-American by The Associated Press. He earned four varsity letters playing in 42 career games and was a starter in 36 straight games dating back to his first season (2004). Hale signed with Weber State in 2001 and sat out the year as a red-shirt. He then left to serve a two-year LDS Church mission to the Dominican Republic returning in the spring of 2004 to resume his career. He earned Honorable Mention All-Big Sky honors both his freshman and sophomore seasons, and was named First Team All-Big Sky his junior and senior seasons.

WR Shaheer McBride, 6’ 2” 200 lbs. Delaware State
McBride has very nice size, speed and production. He is the first Delaware State Hornet (DSU) since 1992 and the fifth in DSU football history to be invited to the Combine. McBride was instrumental in the Hornets school best record 10-2 season, the MEAC championship and their first post season in the FCS national playoffs. He finished the 2007 season with 50 receptions for 586 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 17 punt returns for 122 yards and one kickoff return for 17 yards, giving him 725 all-purpose yards. The Chester, PA native broke or tied three DSU records finishing with 201 career receptions, for 3,007 yards and 33 touchdowns. In 2006 he was an All-MEAC First Team selection and ranked second in the MEAC, with 852 receiving yards, which ranked him 22nd among all Division I-AA players in receiving yards.

WR Jaymar Johnson, 6’ 0” 185 lbs. Jackson State
Johnson played very well at the Texas vs. Nation All Star game. He looked quick and shifty catching 2 passes for 46 yards during the game. A little small, but Johnson has great speed and balance; you can see some of his game film here. In 2007 Johnson recorded 36 passes for 613 yards and 7 touchdowns. He can also return punts and kicks, in 2006 he accumulated 527 receiving yards, 241 punt return yards and 55 kickoff return yards for 886 total yards.

WR Arman Shields, 6’ 2” 186 lbs. Richmond
The speed daemon Shields becomes the first Richmond Spider to earn a spot in the NFL Combine since current Houston Texans linebacker Shawn Barber in 1998. In the 2007 season opener against Vanderbilt Shields amassed 107 yards, but then went down with a knee injury in the next game, which caused him to miss the rest of the season. Shields finished his career second all-time in catches (160), sixth in yards (1,930) and tied for eighth in touchdowns (13). He surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark seven times in his 37-game career. Shields however, will have to prove he is healthy and showcase some impressive speed at the combine if he wants to get selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.

CB Antwaun Molden, 6’ 1” 192 lbs. Eastern Kentucky
Molden is another prospect that played very well in the Texas vs. Nation All Star game. He finished the game with three solo tackles, including one tackle for a loss of three yards. Molden led Eastern Kentucky with nine pass break-ups in 2007 while finishing fifth on the team with 70 total tackles. Against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 6, Molden held Micah Rucker, a 2006 third team All-American and 2007 first team All-OVC pick, to just two catches for 13 yards. Molden started every game as a senior while recording interceptions in wins over Southeast Missouri (Oct. 13) and Tennessee State (Oct. 20). Molden has very nice size and speed, he is a track star finishing second in the 60-meter dash at the 2007 OVC Indoor Championships. Molden is a very solid developmental NFL prospect.

Get more NFL Draft information on my Squidoo NFL Draft page.

Texas vs. Nation College Football All-Star Game

A little known college All Star Game, Texas verses Nation was played on 2 February 2008. The game was broadcast nationally on CSTV, and I have provided a detailed game report. The best college football players from the other 49 states besides Texas played against the best players from Texas. It doesn't sound like a fair fight but you can tell by the score the selection committee tries to keep the rosters competitive. Texas can also use players that played high school football in Texas. The Texas All Stars destroyed the Nation's 41-14 in front of 26,821 fans at the Sun Bowl in El Paso Texas. The Texas All Stars forced six turnovers and limited the Nation team to a paltry 189 yards in total offense.

Running Back Xavier Omon from Northwest Missouri State (Maryville Missouri) was selected as the game's MVP and he was clearly the best player on the field. By the way, how did a prospect that played college football in Missouri and high school football in Beatrice, Nebraska end up on the Texas' Team? Oh well, it doesn't really matter, this was nothing new for Omon, who has dominated at every level of play. Omon was the leading rusher and second-leading scorer in Division II this past season, rushing for 2,337 yards and scoring 38 touchdowns. A five-time All-American, Omon is the first player in NCAA history to rush for 1,500 yards in four seasons. In the game, the 5' 11" 220 pound Oman rushed 9 times for 95 yards with 1 TD and an impressive 10.1 yards per carry average. Omon reminds me of the Cowboy's RB Marion Barber, he (Omon) runs low to the ground, displays excellent balance and strength and breaks a ton of tackles. Similar to Barber, Omon could be a 4^th round steal in the 2008 NFL Draft.

A few of the other players that impressed at the game for the Texas team were wide receiver Danny Amendola from Texas Tech. He was the game's leading receiver catching 3 passes for 77 yards including a beautiful over the shoulder TD pass. He caught a ton of passes for Texas Tech last season: 103 receptions for 1,177 and 5 touchdowns. He is a small (5' 11" 180 lbs), shifty, quick, underneath slot receiver. Amendola reminds me a little of the Patriots' Wes Welker.

A couple of other talented receivers were Joe West from right there at UTEP and Jaymar Johnson from Jackson State. West has nice size (6' 2" 210 lbs) and consistently got open catching 3 passes for 54 yards and Johnson, a little smaller ( 6" 0" 180 lbs) looked explosive catching 2 passes for 46 yards. He didn't do much in this game, but RB Alley Broussard is an interesting NFL Draft Prospect. Nice size and speed at 6' 0" 230 pounds. Broussard was once a highly prized recruit who signed and played with LSU. He got caught behind Joseph Addai and transferred to Missouri Southern. Offensive tackle Brandon Keith blotted out the sun for team Texas. Keith is a massive tackle with great feet from Northern Iowa. At 6' 5" 337 pounds NFL scouts will be taking a hard look at him for the 2008 NFL Draft.

On defense the best player from team Texas was Oklahoma State's Roderick Johnson. He has very nice size for the NFL at 6' 3" 250 pounds and comes up in a hurry to lay the lumber. He was team Texas's leading tackler with 5 tackles.

Even though Texas pulverized the Nation on the score board it looked like Nation had the most NFL Draft Prospect. If you are looking for a return man in the latter part of the NFL Draft look no further than Darnell Blackman from NC State. Blackman is an electrifying returner, he accumulated 232 total kick-off return yards including a spectacular 97 yarder for a touchdown. Wide receiver/punt returner Pierre Garcon from small school Mount Union opened up some eyes at the game. He totaled 62 yards on punt return including an exciting 47 yard punt return for a touchdown in the game. Garcon was also the leading receiver for the team Nation with 3 catches for 23 yards. Stocky, (6' 1" 205 lbs) quick and good hands, he really improved his chances of being drafted in this game.

Speaking of small school receivers, Bruce Hocker from Duquense University made a nice 13 yard reception. NFL Scouts like his potential due to his size (6' 4" 205 lbs) and athletic ability. On the offensive line, offensive tackle Demetrius Bell (6' 6" 295 lbs) from tiny Northwestern State LA performed very well in pass protection for the most part. Punter Michael Dragosavich from North Dakota State will likely be one of the only punters in the nation to be selected in the 2008 NFL Draft. Yep he is that good; at 6' 4" 215 pounds he has a huge leg and can consistently boom the ball 50 yards. In this game he had 4 punts with a 50 yard average.

The Nation team had a lot of talented defenders on the roster. I liked Tulane's defensive tackle Frank Morton. He disrupted a lot of plays with his penetration. He recorded 4 tackles, 2 sacks and 2 tackles for loss in this game. He is huge at 6' 2" 316 pounds and made some plays for Tulane this past season, recording 16 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Inside linebacker Danny Lansanah from Connecticut was the leading tackler in the game with 6 tackles and 2 tackles for loss. A little short at 6' 0" 240 pounds and not real fast, but he could be one of those undrafted free agents that makes an NFL roster by excelling on special teams. Rutgers Eric Foster hasn't received much interest from NFL Scouts because of his size, too small at 6' 2" 270 pounds to play defensive tackle, but he made some nice plays in this game, he uses his hands very well and recorded 3 tackles and 1 sack. He might have a chance at defensive end in the NFL.

Another interesting NFL Prospect that played for team nation was defensive end Marcus Dixon from Hampton, NFL scouts like his size (6' 4" 288 lbs) and speed around the edge. Dixon had a fantastic season in 2007 recording 58 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 6 sacks and 8 QB hurries.

Three defensive backs for Team Nation really stood out in this game. The Buck Buchanan Award Finalist Corey Lynch from Appalachian State made a fabulous interception where he ran half way across the field to get his hands on the ball. Coach Buddy Ryan singled Lynch out during the practices leading up to this game. Kareem Moore (6' 0" 210 lbs) from Nicholls State and Antwaun Molden (6' 1" 190 lbs) from Eastern Kentucky made some very nice plays on the ball and improved their chances of being drafted.

Spotlight on Phillip Merling for the 2008 NFL Draft

It seems like myself and Mel Kiper are about the only Draftniks that have Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling ranked as a first round NFL Draft Prospect. As of 31 January 2008 Kiper has him ranked 11th on his big board and I have him rated as a first round NFL Draft prospect on my Draft Value Board. Since he is a recently declared junior maybe the scouts haven’t had a chance to go back and look at his game film yet.

Regardless of the reason, I predict by the end of the NFL Scouting Combine Merling will be widely regarded as a first round talent. Merling was forecast as a second-round pick by the NFL underclassmen advisory committee. But he (Merling) believes he could move into the first round with a good showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. I agree, Merling has all the tangibles you look for in an NFL prospect, nice size at 6.4 ½ and 276 pounds and very nice athletic ability. Reportedly, he decided to turn pro partly because he has a child, and also because his mother is struggling financially.

Merling was a two way player and a tight end at Fork Union Military Academy (2004) before joining the Clemson Tigers, he had 38 catches for 647 yards and five touchdowns; he added five sacks, 51 tackles, and eight pass breakups as a defensive end. He was the 18th ranked tight end in the nation according to SuperPrep, the 20th ranked tight end by Scout.com and was rated as the 25th best prep player in the nation by Rivals.com.

Merling has been extremely productive on the football field and has the entire repertoire of pass rushing moves. At close to 280 pounds he also has the girth to hold up against the run. The other thing that makes him attractive to the NFL is his size and strength will allow him to play end in either a 34 or a 43 defense. It’s not even out of the question to convert him to outside linebacker. Greg Ellis made the transition for the Dallas Cowboys and both players have almost identical size and abilities, Merling might even be a little quicker than Ellis.

Once he got to Clemson (2005) he quickly adapted to playing defensive end exclusively; he was awarded the 12th Man Award for the defense as a rookie and received second-team freshman All-America honors as a defensive end by Rivals.com. He played 271 snaps, fifth among Clemson freshmen and second among first-year freshmen.

As a sophomore (2006) he played behind eventual first round pick (#4 Tampa Bay Bucs) Gaines Adams, but played in all 13 games. He totaled 46 tackles, third-most among defensive linemen and was ninth on the team in tackles. Clemson's defense was rated in the top-16 nationally among division 1 defenses. Merling had 10 tackles for loss, second-most on the team behind Gaines Adams and finished the season strong with at least four tackles in each of the last six contests. He had 30 of his 46 tackles during the last six games and finished the season with five tackles along with a tackle for loss against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

This season (2007) as a junior he elevated his play even further. He led Clemson in tackles for loss with 17 and quarterback sacks with seven. He was instrumental to the Tigers’ top 10 national ranking in scoring and total defense. Merling recorded 78 tackles to rank fourth on the team, first among defensive linemen. He was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times, more than any other ACC player. It marked the first time since 2001 that a Clemson player was named ACC Player of the Week three times. On 17 November 2007 in a game against Boston College (BC), Merling registered six tackles, including two sacks for 22 yards. He also was credited with three quarterback pressures on the night, and drew two holding calls against the BC offensive line. In 67 defensive snaps, Merling graded at 88 percent as the Clemson defense held the Eagles to just 60 yards rushing. He dominated a quality BC offensive line and is expected to do the same in the NFL.

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Frank's 2008 Senior Bowl Report

Frank Misaege gives us a 49er twist to the game as he is a San Francisco 49er NFL Team Columnist and senior writer at NFL Draft Dog.com. The 49er Coaching staff coached the South team, who won the game 17-16 in dramatic fashion after a late fourth quarter drive.

Well, it turned out to be a very interesting game in the 2nd half...gotta love Coach Mike Martz' call to end the game. I thought it was pretty cool of Ainge to Praise Martz over and over after the game...which made me think, if he can do that much in five days with these college players, just think what he can do with Shaun Hill and Alex Smith between now and Sept. Anyway, it gave me a good feeling just seeing him on the sidelines calling plays.

As for the guys who got my attention during the game, here they are and my observations:

- QB John David Booty. I still don't understand why he's not ranked higher among the QB's...all the guy's done is win. I thought he was the North squad's best QB...he makes plays, is smart, and to me is simply a winner. I think he improved his overall stock in this game.

- LB Dan Connor. Pretty easy to see why he's so highly regarded...should be the first ILB drafted, hands down. Has a nose for the ball and can hit...sure wouldn't mind seeing him lineup beside Patrick Willis. But, I don't see Nolan drafting a LB with his first pick, and he'll be gone by the time their 2nd round pick comes up.

- DT Sedrick Ellis. Woah...what a load this guy is. I could see him on our DL...he'd instantly upgrade it. But, he'll be long gone before the Niners pick. Whoever gets him, they've got a S-T-U-D. Seems to have the stamina, too...he was still really bringing it at the end of the game, a fact I'm sure not lost on scouts.

- WR Lavelle Hawkins. Just as he did in practice, this guy's a player, and he showed it. Great athleticism and leaping ability...he'd be a nice playmaker in Martz' offense. Being a local guy, I'm sure Niner scouts have tons of film and live game analysis of his abilities.

- DE Lawrence Jackson. Terrific compliment to Ellis on the USC defense...he'd translate to an OLB in a 3-4 defense. Nice burst...I can see him playing a long time in the NFL.

- DT Trevor Laws. Outstanding motor...another guy Nolan had to be impressed with. Niner DL Coach Tomsula would have a ball coaching this guy. Like Ellis, didn't seem to wear down at the end of the game.

- CB DeJuan Tribble. Seemingly a bit "undersized" for an NFL CB, but the guy just makes plays. Has excellent closing speed and a nose for the ball.

- RB Chauncey Washington. Some project him to be an undrafted player, but I don't think so. He could help a lot of teams...nice size, decent speed, fine receiver.

- QB Erik Ainge. I liked what he did in the 2nd half...not that highly rated, but he's got that ability to make plays. Played in the rugged SEC, so I think he just might be more NFL-ready than some think.

- WR Donnie Avery. Made some nice catches...showed excellent speed and ability to go get the ball. Another guy you could see thriving in a Mike Martz offense...could be a heckuva slot player.

- DT Red Bryant. Big, bad dude...with proper coaching, this guy could be a force in the NFL. Moves pretty well for such a big guy. Wouldn't mind seeing him in crimson and gold with the "SF" logo next fall.

- WR Andre Caldwell. Made some nice plays, including the game winner. Kind of similar to Early Doucet, he'd be a good slot player in the NFL.

- RB Tashard Choice. Has nice combination of being a tough runner, very capable of running inside, and a good receiver. I've always liked his game.

- TE Brad Cottam. Huge TE...injury history, but if he could stay healthy. he could really create some nice mismatches in the NFL.

- WR Harry Douglas. Not hard to see why he caught Nolan's eye...very quick, good hands...a playmaker. Nice run to get South deep into red zone at the end of the game.

- RB Matt Forte. Also not hard to understand why Nolan really likes this guy. He's looking for a bigger back to give Gore some relief...catches very well out of the backfield and really finishes off his runs.

- DT Marcus Harrison. Another big, tough guy from the SEC...could be a good DE in a 3-4 defense.

- FB Jacob Hester. This guy is just one tough football player...any coach would love to have him on his team. Can do anytthing you ask him to...great character guy, too.

- Peyton Hillis. Big RB...very good power...decent moves for a big guy and can catch the ball. Could be devastating on screen passes...

- DE Kendall Langford. Made the key 4th down stop to give the South the ball for their game-winning drive. Has room to fill out some more...could become a very good DE in the NFL.

- CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. One fo the stars of the game...terrific ball hawking skills...tremendous closing speed. Kid's a player...and helped his draft stock tremendously.

- DE Jeremy Thompson. More than likely an OLB on 3-4 defense teams...showed good speed and quickness.

- LB Wesley Woodyard. He'll be a S in the NFL...excellent hitter and always seemed to be around the ball.

Frank

Daryl's 2008 NFL Mock Draft

Here is a nice looking mock draft from Daryl Breault. Daryl is a Columnist for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a senior writer for NFL Draft Dog.com

1. Miami Dolphins- Matt Ryan QB

Dolphins need a franchise QB and everything about the team is in a state of flux so why not start over with a fresh QB and put some weapons around him.

2. St. Louis Rams- Glenn Dorsey DT

This will be the Rams only chance to get a game changing DT, they can pick up def. ends and lineman in later rounds. Dorsey is the player who can finally take the pressure off of Leonard Little.

3. Oakland Raiders- Darren McFadden RB

I think this is a case of Al Davis trying to hit the home run. While he would be great in the Silver and Black, the Raiders have so many needs that they might be better served taking Jake Long, Chris Long or a wideout like DeSean Jackson.

4. Atlanta Falcons- Jake Long OT

The Falcons lack talent at multiple positions. They missed out on Ryan, who they desperately need while McFadden would have been another excellent selection for them. New Coach Mike Smith seems like a tough-minded guy, so getting tougher in the trenches may be the way they go.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Ryan Clady OT

The Chiefs need a major overhaul along the o-line and most likely will target Jake Long hoping he slips to them. If not, they might have to reach for someone like Clady who is currently the second highest rated lineman.

6. New York Jets- Chris Long DE

This scenario couldn’t have gone better for Jets fans. Long is a prototype 3-4 def. end and a playmaker that the Jets lacked last season. Mangini needs to start finding pieces for that defense and Long would be one heck of a way to start.

7. New England Patriots- Dan Connor LB

Connor can play inside and outside and is the versatile, sound linebacker that they prefer. They need an infusion of youth at the position and while it’s said they will go linebacker every year, they could add an impact linebacker this time and I think that pushes them towards taking a LB.

8. Baltimore Ravens- Antoine Cason CB

Due to suspect speed, Cason’s stock is low right now. When he works out and proves everyone wrong, I see him shooting back up draft boards as he is the most experienced corner available this year. QB is the flashy pick for Baltimore, but the Ravens have to look at replacing both Chris McAllister and Samari Rolle.

9. Cincinnati Bengals- Sedrick Ellis DT

Defense is the name of the game for Cincy this spring. They have a long ways to go as a team still and getting a playmaker is of utmost importance for them. Ellis is an immediate starter and a candidate for DROY.

10. New Orleans Saints- Kenny Phillips S

New Orleans nearly jumps for joy at getting a chance to take Phillips. Their pass defense was horrible, but then, so was the rest of their defense. Keith Rivers could be the pick too.

11. Buffalo Bills- Fred Davis TE

Davis is smooth and Buffalo is seriously lacking at this position. This is high for Davis but he fills a need for the Bills. They can pick up a receiver later and use multiple picks on defense where they can unearth gems in later rounds.

12. Denver Broncos- Vernon Gholston DE

After trying for years to solve their d.line issues, they nab a solid Buckeye who could be a real star. Gholston would get every opportunity to dominate and is a real steal at this point.

13. Carolina Panthers- Keith Rivers LB

By passing on him, the Broncos did the Panthers a huge favor in gift-wrapping Rivers for them. Rivers would team with Jon Beason to make a formidable duo at linebacker while the Panthers can fill holes in alter rounds. They don’t really lack at any one position except safety.

14. Chicago Bears- Brian Brohm QB

If the Bears have their choice of QB at this position they should thank the football Gods. They may decide to go with a veteran option but there isn’t much available in that area. Brohm may be able to start rather quickly for them. Don’t be surprise if they get back to their roots and draft defense in an effort to recapture the glory.

15. Detroit Lions- Mike Jenkins CB

The secondary in Detroit is porous at best. Jenkins would have to be the number 1 corner because the Lions don’t have much else. Look for a run on defense now that Mike Martz is gone.

16. Arizona Cardinals- Quentin Groves DE/OLB

The pieces are coming together for the Cardinals but they have a long way to go still. This is a team that always seems so close but just can’t get over the hump. They need a pass rusher and Groves is the best available.

17. Minnesota Vikings- Limas Sweed WR

If Tarvaris Jackson is the man, then he needs more weapons. Sweed could be a number 1 receiver for them right away as he is a chain mover they desperately lack. They can fill out their pass rush needs in later rounds.

18. Houston Texans- Jeff Otah OT

Still trying to fill out their off. Line after all these years is pathetic, its high time they start to add some talent up front. Matt Schaub looks like he might be injury prone so protecting him will be very important going into next season. Adding an explosive playmaker is an option as well.

19. Philadelphia Eagles- DeSean Jackson WR

For a team that missed the play-offs they don’t have many needs. They would be making a huge mistake in going away from McNabb, they need to keep him happy and add some more explosiveness to the offense. Jackson would be perfect in their scheme, he is dangerous after the catch.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Sam Baker OT

Baker would help along an o-line that had its up and downs last year. They need another wideout but that position is deep this class. Adding Baker would move Petitgout over to his more natural right side.

21. Washington Redskins- Derrick Harvey DE/OLB

Washington is really shaking things up what with the retirement of Joe Gibbs. They should have promoted one of their coordinators to keep some stability, but that would make sense and they just wouldn’t be the Redskins if they didn’t try to get it ‘just right’ every spring. Harvey is an overrated pass rusher who could step up next to Andre Carter.

22. Dallas Cowboys- Ray Rice RB

The kid may be small but he is a home run hitter who would be the flash to Marion Barber’s bang. Rice isn’t rated this high but he should be. Dallas can afford to swing for the fences since the have another 1st round pick.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers- Kentwan Balmer DT

It is still unclear if the Steelers will switch to a 4-3 or stay with the 3-4 so picking up Balmer would be a smart pick as he is versatile enough to hold up in both positions. Continuing to draft players like Balmer will give the Steelers the ability to play multiple schemes, a chameleon defense much like New Englands.

24. Tennessee Titans- Malcolm Kelly WR

They need playmakers, steady guys who can catch the ball. Badly.

25. Seattle Seahawks- Jonathon Stewart RB

Stewart isn’t perfect for their scheme, but he would be a nice tandem with Maurice Morris. Shaun Alexander is done and with the way he mailed it in last year, I’d be surprised to see him come back. The Seahawks are few pieces from returning to the big stage.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars- Mario Manningham WR

Stretching the field will be paramount for the Jags to continue their dominance on the ground. Teams have the Jags passing game figured out and David Gerrard can carry them only so far, eventually, he will need someone who can consistently help him out (i.e. catch the damn ball!). Another team that’s very close to playing in a Super Bowl.

27. San Diego Chargers- Aqib Talib CB

San Diego will need playmakers in the secondary to continue to keep pace with the Colts and New England. Cromartie and Jammer are a great pair, but you need three corners and two top safeties to properly attack the Colts and Pats.

28. Dallas Cowboys- Reggie Smith CB/S

A versatile piece for their secondary. Ken Hamlin is not a great fit at free safety and Smith could replace him or move outside and replace Anthony Henry. Hitting on their two picks could put the Boys over the top.

29. San Francisco 49ers- Early Doucet WR

The 49ers shot their wad last year to no avail and they’re paying for it this year with picking at the bottom of the round despite finishing 5-11. They spent a boatload of money and have major holes left to fill. Doucet is only a start.

30. Green Bay Packers- Carl Nicks OT

Green Bay could use some size and power along their o-line. Nicks could be afford time to get comfortable before taking over at either left or right tackle. He is a prospect on the rise and a team picking late, a la Packers, could be greatly rewarded.

31. New York Giants- Leodis McKelvin CB

The NFL has turned into a passing league and the market for corners will be bullish. McKelvin could be a solid nickel corner to start while providing an upgrade at returner.

Top 3-4 Prospects for the 2008 NFL Draft

Image: DE Jeremy Thompson, Wake Forest

Outside Linebackers:

Quentin Groves- 6’ 3” 255 lbs. Auburn
Not a lot of experience dropping back into coverage or playing off the line of scrimmage but he has the highest potential to be a prototype 3-4 rush linebacker. Groves is quite powerful though he gets caught using his speed and strength to often when attacking the pocket. He does possess an all-around game (pass rush and run stopping) though he is still rough around the edges. He’s commonly thought to be a mid to late 1st round pick though he could go much higher after workouts.

Bruce Davis- 6’ 3” 235 lbs. UCLA
Davis is one of the few guys on this list with experience dropping back, which will greatly help his cause come draft day. He is too small even by college standards to play defensive end and UCLA took advantage of his athleticism and speed by moving him around to confuse the offense. Davis looked natural moving backwards when asked too and he just needs more experience in this area. His forte is rushing the passer and backing off the line will enhance his abilities.

Darrell Robertson-6' 4" 247 lbs. Georgia Tech
Very athletic playmaker that should be able to make the transition to outside linebacker. Fast twitch speed rusher that can turn the corner in a hurry. Recorded 36tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks in 2007. Robertson looked dominate at times during practices leading up to the 2008 Senior Bowl.

Angelo Craig- 6’ 4” 235 lbs. Cincinnati
A sleeper pick. Much like Davis, Craig is far too small to play defensive end and played at linebacker for most of the Hula Bowl. Craig knows he must show the ability to switch positions in the pros and he has a background at linebacker to help his cause. Like most guys who have to switch, he is not strong enough to lock horns with lineman but his speed is extraordinary for someone his size. With good showings during workouts he could move up draft boards and hear his name being called in Round 3. He could be a real find for some team.

Derrick Harvey- 6’ 4” 260 lbs. Florida
Harvey put up solid numbers at Florida but he should have stayed in school another year. He is far too raw to play immediately and is not perfect for either end or linebacker. That being said, with some work, Harvey could be quite dangerous. His physical tools are spectacular and he has the instincts to hold up in coverage. He would need to go to a team that asks its linebackers to play zone but he has an impressive burst and first step that will translate well to linebacker.

Vernon Gholston- 6’ 3” 265 lbs. Ohio State
While Gholston is probably the 2nd highest rated end in the draft, he falls a little bit behind the others on this list. Gholston has the best chance to become a true end with his size and strength as he possesses decent speed and athleticism but not at the same level as the others. Gholston is vicious and aggressive and can be an absolute terror off the edge. He has no experience at dropping back and probably doesn’t change directions well enough to play linebacker but is such a solid prospect that he could play, and succeed, in that role.

Other Potential Recruits: Hilee Taylor, North Carolina; Jonal Saint-Dic, Michigan State; Cliff Avril, Purdue; Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech; Shawn Crable, Michigan; Ezra Butler, Nevada;

Defensive Ends:

Chris Long- 6’ 4” 280 lbs. Virginia
Long has played in a 3-4 system his entire college career and was still an excellent pass rusher. He has all the tools needed to play end in a 3-4 front as well as the size and strength. His greatest attribute may be his ability to defeat double-teams, a must in this system. Long is incredibly versatile with the ability to shift inside or play end in a 4-3 as well as the 3-4. No matter the system, Long has the ability to be a difference maker.

Jeremy Thompson- 6’ 5” 270 lbs. Wake Forest
A “sleeper” type, Thompson had some excellent performances during practice leading up to the 2008 Senior Bowl. Strong against the run and has a quick first step. Thompson was very productive in 2007 recording 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.

Kentwan Balmer- 6’ 5” 290 lbs. North Carolina
A classic underachiever, Balmer did not have a breakout season till his senior year, which leads some to believe that he will not show the drive and desire needed to succeed at the next level. Based on athletic ability, Balmer projects as a Richard Seymour type who can play the same kind of game. He will need extensive work on handling double teams and adding strength but few defensive tackles in this draft have his athleticism. Another plus for Balmer is some very long arms.

Kendall Langford- 6’6” 280 lbs. Hampton
Langford dropped weight before the Shrine Game to try to up his speed and quickness with poor results. He got manhandled and was a major disappointment all week long. He slimmed down to the 275 range after playing at or around 295 for his college career. Hopefully the lesson in humility will show Langford that he needs to bulk back up and regain the strength he lost. Langford showed great strength and power at 295 and can hold his own when run at.

Other Potential Ends: Brian Johnston, Gardner-Webb; Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan; Trevor Scott, Buffalo , Eric Foster, Rutgers; Vernon Bryant, Hampton

Nose Guards:

Glen Dorsey from LSU and Sedrick Ellis from USC both have the talent to play nose guard and at around 6’ 2” 305 pounds they both have the size, however, they are a better fit in a 43 type of defense due to their ability to penetrate the gap and disrupt the opposing teams offense. Here are few excellent prospects that look like pure nose guards.

Marcus Harrison- 6’ 3” 310 lbs. Arkansas
Very powerful prospect with a huge lower body. Very good at using leverage and holding his ground at the point of attack. Suffered a knee injury in 2006 and was suspended for three games in 2007 after a drug arrest, but still recorded 72 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 1.5 sacks. Harrison must fight the character issues, but talent wise he is special.

Trevor Laws- 6' 1" 302 lbs. Notre Dame
Laws is one of the best Sleeper prospects out there. From his defensive tackle position he led the Fighting Irish with an amazing 112 tackles! He also recorded 8 tackles for loss and 4 sacks. He was unblockable during the practices leading up to the 2008 Senior Bowl.

Red Bryant- 6’ 4” 325 lbs. Texas A&M
Definitely has the size for it. Looked like a world beater as a sophomore. As a junior (2006) he blew out his knee in game 9, and missed the final four games of the season. Bounced back nicely from the injury and his senior year he recorded 46 tackles, 6 tackles for loss and 1 sack.

Dre Moore- 6’ 3” 310 lbs. Maryland
Moore wasn’t surrounded by great talent at Maryland and that led him to be double teamed often. He has the quickness to put pressure on the pocket and the strength to tie up blockers. While not a special talent like Harrison, Moore may be able to slide out and play a 3-4 end.

Ahtyba Rubin- 6' 3" 321 lbs. Iowa State
Who? This is not a typo. Rubin is one of the fastest risers up the draft boards after back to back dominating performances at the East West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl practices. Rubin has a low powerful anchor and consistently drives the center back into the quarterback. He converted from offensive line to nose guard in 2006 and was the strongest player on the Cyclone roster. He really emerged as a nose guard in 2007 recording 42 tackles, 4 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Other Potential Recruits: Frank Okam, Texas; Jason Shirley, Fresno State; Chris Norwell, Illinois; Derek Lokey, Texas

By Guest Blogger: Daryl Breault

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Declared Juniors for the 2008 NFL Draft

Updated 14 January 2008


The underclassmen that have declared for the 2008 NFL Draft.



RB Darren McFadden, 6' 1" 218, Arkansas
OT Ryan Clady, 6-5, 320, Boise State
DE Vernon Gholston, 6' 3" 268, Ohio State
WR Mario Manningham, 6' 0" 189, Michigan
WR DeSean Jackson, 5' 11" 170, California
TE Martellus Bennett, 6-6, 255, Texas A&M
RB Jonathan Stewart, 5' 10" 220, Oregon
CB Reggie Smith 6' 1" 202, Oklahoma
CB Aqib Talib, 6-1, 205, Kansas
RB Jamaal Charles, 6-0, 200, Texas
RB Kevin Smith, 6-1, 212, Central Florida
OLB Derrick Harvey, 6-5, 250, Florida
S Kenny Phillips , 6-1, 205, Miami
LB Curtis Lofton, 6' 0" 238, Oklahoma
LB Erin Henderson, 6-3, 238, Maryland
RB Felix Jones, 5' 11" 202, Arkansas
RB Rashard Mendenhal, 5' 11" 224, Illinois
WR Malcolm Kelly, 6' 4" 218, Oklahoma
RB Steve Slaton, 5' 9" 202, West Virginia
DE Calais Campbell, 6-6, 280, Miami
WR James Hardy, 6-6, 220, Indiana
LB Geno Hayes, 6' 1" 218, Florida State
CB Brandon Flowers, 5-9, 180, Virginia Tech
RB Ray Rice, 5' 8" 200, Rutgers
DT Pat Sims, 6' 3" 305, Auburn
DE Phillip Merling, 6' 4" 272, Clemson
WR Devin Thomas, 6-1, 215, Michigan State
OG Chilo Rachal, 6' 4" 308, USC
WR Earl Bennett,6' 0" 208, Vanderbilt
CB Justin King, 5' 10" 188, Penn State
WR Adrian Arrington, 6' 2" 190, Michigan
CB Jake Ikegwuono, 6-0, 200, Wisconsin
OT Anthony Collins, 6-5, 310, Kansas
WR Davonne Bess, 5-10, 195, Hawaii
WR Darius Reynaud, West Virginia
OG Branden Albert, 6-6, 336, Virginia
WR Mario Urruttia, 6-6, 220, Louisville
TE Jermichael Finley, 6-5, 240, Texas
TE Cornelius Ingram , 6-4, 235, Florida
DE Jonathan Dingle, 6-3, 275, West Virginia
WR Ryan Grice-Mullins, 5' 10" 178, Hawaii
OT Franklin Dunbar, 6-5, 345, Middle Tennessee State
S DaJuan Morgan,6' 0" 202, North Carolina State
QB/WR Xavier Lee, 6' 4" 238, Florida State
WR Taj Smith, 6-0, 190, Syracuse
WR James Banks, 6-2, 205, Carson-Newman
CB Orlando Scandrick, 5' 10" 192, Boise State
DT Letroy Guion, 6' 4" 296, FSU
LB Lamar Myles, 6' 0" 220, Louisville

2008 Mock NFL Draft Updated

Bill Parcells shakes up the 2008 NFL Draft in a trade with his old friend Jerry Jones. Of course this trade is only a fantasy that I have laid out in the 2 January 2008 update to my 2008 NFL Mock Draft.

The trade does make a lot of sense to both teams though and Jerry Jones is known as a wheeler and dealer in the NFL Draft. The Dolphins desperately need more quality players and the Cowboys will be thin at running back after Julius Jones leaves via free agency. Jones has not been impressive and Marion Barber is more of a power back with marginal speed. So the question is what will it take to get the first overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft? Probably both first rounders and a 3rd either this year or next and maybe even a 4th or 5th draft pick thrown in somewhere to boot. I doubt Jerry Jones will want to give up any players, but if he did, a player like Special teams standout Keith Davis might be good trade bait.

So back to the updated Mock Draft. This NFL Draft order is getting close to being set so it's getting easier and easier to come up with an accurate mock draft, if there was such a thing. I took the liberty to include some of the top juniors that might enter the draft early. I included Darren McFadden, Malcolm Jenkins, Derrick Harvey, Vernon Gholston, Mario Manningham, James Laurinaitis, Ryan Clady, Kenny Phillips, Rey Maualuga and Reggie Smith. I left off Calais Campbell from Miami, I think he had a down year and might be well advised to return for his senior year.

Illiniois RB Rashard Mendenhall is another talented junior that I left off. He had an excellent performance in the Rose Bowl in a losing cause. The Illini got crushed by USC 49-17, but Mendenhall rushed 17 times for 155 yards and 1 touchdown. He had a 9.1 yards per carry average in the game. I think Mendenhall would be advised to stay in school for his senior year, he has nice size at 5' 11" 224 pounds, but if he comes out this year he will be competing against a deep group of running backs. If he waits until next year he could be the second running back selected behind Central Florida's 2008 Heisman Trophy Candidate Kevin Smith.

I also left off two top quarterbacks in Andre Woodson and Colt Brennan. I think the Bears might draft Woodson, if not he could slip into round two. I like Hawaii QB Colt Brennan, but he needed a big game against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and Georgia destroyed the Rainbows 41-10. I am not blaming the loss entirely on Brennan, because his offensive line was thoroughly manhandled, but he will definitely need to adjust to a much faster game in the NFL than what he is used to playing. Given time to develop though Brennan could be a 2nd or 3rd round steal.

A few players that are working their way into the early rounds due to great post season performances are Purdue tight end Dustin Keller, Houston wide receiver Donnie Avery, Michigan QB Chad Henne, Oregon running back James Stewart, USC tight end Fred Davis, East Carolina RB Chris Johnson, and West Virgina safety and defensive end Eric Wicks and Johnny Dingle, respectively.

2007 College Football All-American Team

Introducing NFL Draft Dog's 2007 All-American Team. Before the season we did a pre-season team and it was interesting to see some of the same prospects remain on the post season list like: RB Darren McFadden, DTs Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis, linebackers James Laurinaitis, Dan Connor and Keith Rivers, offensive lineman Jake Long, Andre Smith and Michael Oher, and cornerback Antoine Cason. But what was interesting, was to watch the young prospects rise up and dominate the college football landscape. It seems our All American team has a load of talented sophomores on it. Look closely and you can see why we have started including some of these talented sophomores in our 2009 NFL Mock Draft.

Some of my selections were quite simple, the players simply dominated their respective position, but some were very difficult as a couple players were neck and neck. One of the most difficult selections was at quarterback, Tim Tebow was every body's darling, but I gave the nod to Colt Brennan. Brennan had a better completion percentage than Tebow, 71.40 compared to 68.45 for Tebow. Brennan didn't lose a single football game and threw for an amazing 4,174 yards and 38 touchdowns. Besides, Tebow won the Heisman Trophy, so it wouldn't be fair to let him win everything. NFL Draft Dog's All American Team isn't quite on par with the Heisman, but we try.

The other difficult selection was at second team running back. Tulane RB Matt Forte almost got the award, he (Forte) rushed for 2,127 yards and 23 touchdowns, but the player that got my attention this year was Jamaal Charles, he (Charles) had a higher yards per carry average that Forte, 5.89 for Forte and 6.31 for Charles, but what really swayed my decision was the way Charles finished out the season, especially in the fourth quarter of games down the stretch. In his last four games of the season, Charles recorded 736 yards and 8 touchdowns, including a 290 yard performance against Nebraska.

Most of our other selections weren't that difficult. RB Kevin Smith from Central Florida was a no brainer, he was the nation's leading rusher and he ran for 2,448 yards and 29 touchdowns with a 188.31 yards per game average. He passed Marcus Allen in the record books and was only 180 yards behind Barry Sanders in rushing yards for a single season.

Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree was another lock. He led the nation in every receiving category by a large margin with 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns. His closest receiving competitor was Kansas State's Jordy nelson, who had 11 touchdowns. Speaking of Nelson, he was one of my second team All-Americans. He was #2 in the nation in receiving finishing 2007 with 1,606 yards and 11 TDs. He managed a 133.83 yards per game average. Jordy Nelson abused NFL Prospect Kansas cornerback Aquib Talib when the Wildcats played Kansas. See the Video here.

Wide receiver Davone Bess from Hawaii was another wide out that caught my eye. Bess was instrumental in Hawaii's undefeated season and came up with big play after big play all season. Not real big, but Bess is blazing fast, runs precise routes and will catch anything thrown his way. He finished 2007 with 101 catches for 1,213 yards and 12 TDs. Yes he was in the run and shoot, but he has the skills to produce in any offensive system.

On defense, a few sophomores dominated their positions, the player that really stood out was South Florida's George Selvie. He led the nation almost the entire year in sacks, only to lose the sack title at the very end of the season to Indiana's Greg Middleton. Don't feel sorry for Selvie though, he led the nation in tackles for loss with an amazing 31.5 and finished second in sacks with 14.5.

Indiana's defensive end Greg Middleton had an incredible season, especially the second half, the super sophomore finished #1 in the nation with 16 sacks and he also recorded 17 tackles for loss. Defensive end Maurice Evans from Penn State was another sophomore that ended up on our All American team. Evans ranked 5^th in the nation with 12.5 sacks and an impressive 21.5 tackles for a loss.

In the defensive secondary a player that I am surprised doesn't get more press is junior cornerback Joe Burnett from Central Florida. Opposing offenses knew Burnett was lurking back there and they tried to avoid him, but he still managed 6 interceptions and 12 passes defended. Also good against the run, Burnett recorded 54 solo tackles this season.

Safety Quintin Demps was a player that just couldn't be ignored. The senior Demps is a Sleeper for the 2008 NFL Draft. He finished 2007 with 5 interceptions, 72 tackles and 9 passes defended. But what was amazing is he returned two of those interceptions, 100 yards each, for touchdowns. Most players maybe have one 100 yard return in an entire career, but Demps had two in the same season.

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Small School Studs for the 2008 NFL Draft

Image: Bruce Hocker, WR, Duquesne

Every year a few small school prospects emerge into the national spotlight leading up to the Draft and this year is no different, in fact there will be some great small school prospects in the 2008 NFL Draft. By now everyone has heard the story about Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo coming from the small school ranks of Eastern Illinois.

With so many NFL teams in desperate need of a quarterback there will be three small school quarterbacks that garner a lot of attention from NFL Scouts: Joe Flacco from Delaware, Ricky Santos from New Hampshire, and last but not least, Josh Johnson from San Diego. Those three prospects are legitimate NFL prospects and with patience and good coaching, could emerge into quality NFL starters.

Of course everyone wants to focus on quarterbacks and with those three talented quarterbacks, there is a lot to talk about, but for this post I want to write about three other small school prospects that look to have bright future in the NFL.

Wide Receiver Bruce Hocker from Duquesne has a lot of NFL Scouts' attention. He is the complete package with butter soft hands, nice size at 6' 3" 206 pounds and decent speed, he has been clocked as fast as 4.44 in the forty. After breaking his collar bone as a sophomore he came back strong last season as a junior (2006) and accumulated 1,070 receiving yards with 16 touchdowns. This year as a senior (2007) he has seen almost constant double teams, but after playing nine games, with one left to play, he has made 48 receptions for 625 yards and 8 touchdowns.

Defensive End Rudolph (Rudie) Hardie from Howard University is a little known defender with a vast amount of talent. He often gets over looked by NFL scouts because he is a little short at 6' 1" tall, but at close to 280 pounds he is rock solid and strong as an ox. Hardie is also very quick off the ball and has been hugely productive on the football field. Hardie is currently ranked 2nd in the FCS (1AA) with 22.5 tackles for a loss and ranked 5th in sacks with 10. Hardie might be a late round steal in the 2008 NFL Draft. He has been clocked as fast as 4.67 seconds in he forty. That's pretty quick for a man of his size.

Cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie from Tennessee State has already received a lot of national press and it looks like it has been for good reason. Quite often these uber talented defensive backs get over looked because they don't put up very lofty statistics. Defensive coordinators find out about these guys and they formulate their game plans to avoid them. To make a long story short, they just don't get many balls thrown their way because they have their man covered so well. Cromartie has been able to make the most out of his touches however, especially recently. He has two interceptions in his last three games and amazingly he returned both back for touchdowns, one for 69 yards and one for 71 yards. He has also returned 28 kick-offs for 635 yards, blocked four kicks and defended 11 passes. Cromartie has the potential to even be drafted on the first day of the 2008 NFL Draft, and that is saying a lot with the new changes to the draft, as the first day will only include the first two rounds.

Mid-season 2007 NFL Draft Rookie Report

The Season is half over and it’s time to take a look at how the rookies are doing. Some of these players were training camp holdouts and some have been fighting injuries, but it’s still interesting to see the progress of these guys. However, I will tell you, the second half of their rookie season is more important than the first half, so don’t count any of these young prospects as “busts” just yet. I think it takes about three years to label a prospect with that tag.

1. Oakland Raiders: QB JaMarcus Russell, LSU
Russell was a huge disappointment for a team still trying to find its identity with a young new coach. His lengthy holdout caused him missed all of training camp and he got way behind on learning the offense and subsequently hasn’t stepped onto the field yet. The Raiders quarterback situation got so bad they were forced to sign Dante Culpepper. Russell still might be a great quarterback in the future, but he definitely didn’t get off to a good start.

2. Detroit Lions: WR Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
Johnson started out hot catching 2 touchdowns in his first two games, but since then hasn’t been back in the end zone. He has been a little bit of a disappointment. He missed the Chicago game with an injury and over all he has only caught 15 passes for 273 yards and two TDs.

3. Cleveland Browns: OT Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
Thomas has been fantastic, starting every game at left tackle. With Derek Anderson’s excellent play at quarterback it’s hard to fault Cleveland for selecting Thomas. Young, franchise left tackles are hard to find and the Browns have one in Thomas.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs: DE Gaines Adams, Clemson
Adams definitely hasn’t played up to his potential yet. He has played some in every game in the defensive line rotation, but hasn’t been able to beat out Greg Spires or Kevin Carter in the starting lineup. He has only recorded 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks to date.

5. Arizona Cardinals: OT Levi Brown, Penn State
Brown was drafted a little earlier than anticipated and unfortunately was one of the last five rookies signed. This is what Arizona general manager Rod Graves said about his holdout, "We were a bit frustrated by the amount of time it took and didn't think it had to take this long." Brown then missed a few games with an ankle injury, but he has started the last four games at right tackle and looked solid in those games.

6. Washington Redskins: SS LaRon Landry, LSU
Landry has been very solid; Sean Taylor was moved to free safety to allow Landry to play strong safety. He has started every game and recorded 50 total tackles so far. He had his best game last week against New England where he recorded 11 solo tackles.

7. Minnesota Vikings: RB Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
All I can say is wow! Every time he gets the ball everybody holds their breath, he has the speed to take every carry to the end zone. His combination of power and speed hasn’t been seen since Bo Jackson. If he stays healthy, which is a big “if”, with his aggressive running style, he should easily win offensive rookie of the year honors this year. In week 6 against Chicago he ran for an amazing 224 yards and 3 TDs, (breaking a rookie record) and on the season he has 128 carries for 740 yards and 5 TDs.

8. Atlanta Falcons: DE Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas
Right after the college season in which Anderson came to the NFL as only a junior, Anderson tore his hamstring, but he was a quick healer, went to the Falcons camp and has played in every game this season. Anderson had the unenviable task of trying to replace Patrick Kerney, who left as a free agent for Seattle in March. Through seven games the rookie has 19 tackles and one forced fumble, but has yet to record a sack. So far he has been only average, he should have stayed in school for his senior year.

9. Miami Dolphins: WR Ted Ginn Jr. Ohio State
Ginn was drafted way early and has battled numerous nagging injuries. Thought of as a project at receiver because he was mostly a returner in college. Ginn hasn’t done much for the Dolphins this year catching only 7 passes for 141 yards and 1 TD, but he seems to be coming on as of late, he caught his first TD pass last week against the Giants and the week before against New England he had his best game of the season catching 3 passes for 37 yards.

10. Houston Texans: DT Omobi Okoye, Louisville
This kid is special, and I mean kid, at 20 years old he is the youngest player in the NFL. He has played every game on the inside and has recorded four sacks already, that’s impressive for a defensive tackle, especially for a 20 year old rookie.

11. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Willis, Mississippi
Willis has been spectacular. In the preseason I predicted he would win the defensive rookie of the year honors and it looks like I will be correct. He is all over the field and has already recorded 73 total tackles, that puts him on pace to accumulate 173 tackles by the end of the year! He might even make the Pro Bowl.

12. Buffalo Bills: Marshawn Lynch, California
Drafted to be the franchise back for the Bills, he has started every game and been solid, but nothing special. He has carried the load with 138 carries for 547 yards and 4 TDs. However his 3.6 yards per carry average is mediocre.

13. St. Louis Rams: DE Adam Carriker, Nebraska
The Rams moved Adam to defensive tackle, which I think is a huge mistake. Yes he has the size for it at 296 pounds, but his 6’ 6” tall frame and outstanding quickness enables him to play defensive end more effectively, which by the way, was his natural position in college. He hasn’t done much statistics wise on the inside with only 14 tackles and 1 sack, but stats don’t tell the entire story for defensive tackles that often times occupy dual blockers to enable linebackers to make the tackle.

14. Jets (from Panthers): CB Darrelle Revis, Pittsburgh
Beat out Andre Dyson and has started every game at corner. Revis has struggled at times, as most rookie corners do, but overall he shows good promise for the future. He has recorded 54 tackles and one interception.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers: LB Lawrence Timmons, Florida State
Not good, hasn’t seen the field much and has only recorded 6 total tackles all year. He missed most of training camp with a groin injury. The Steelers second round pick LaMarr Woodley has been much more impressive.

16. Green Bay Packers: DT Justin Harrell, Tennessee
What a huge disappointment, Harrell has been inactive 5 out of 7 games. His rookie year is looking like a lost cause, but remember, he missed all of his senior year at Tennessee with a serious leg injury, so it might take him a couple years to get his act together.

17. Broncos (from Jags): DE Jarvis Moss, Florida
Not what the Broncos had hoped for. Moss suffered an ankle injury in camp which slowed his development, and then he came back and was working his way back in the lineup recording 12 tackles and 1 sack. But then, bam, on November 1st Moss suffered a season-ending injury in practice. He broke his right fibula and suffered torn ligaments in his right ankle and was subsequently placed on season ending IR.

18. Cincinnati Bengals: CB Leon Hall, Michigan
Hall has been one of the better rookies of this draft class so far. He has been fighting for playing time behind Jonathan Joseph and Deltha O’Neil, but he has played in every game recording 19 tackles and 2 interceptions.

19. Tennessee Titans: S Michael Griffin, Texas
Griffin was moved to cornerback, which I don’t think is his best position. He was behind Cortland Finnegan on the depth chart until recently. He seems to be coming on as of late, in his last two games he recorded nine tackle, but in his first six games he only recorded two tackles combined. The Titans should draft a cornerback in the 2008 NFL Draft and move Griffin back to his more natural safety spot.

20. New York Giants: CB Aaron Ross, Texas
Ross has been phenomenal; he and Patrick Willis will battle it out for defensive rookie of the year honors. Ross has had impressive production for a rookie corner with 23 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3 interceptions. He looks like the steal of this draft so far.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars: FS Reggie Nelson, Florida
Nelson is a very impressive rookie. He has started every game at free safety and has played very well recording 28 tackles, 1 sack and 2 interceptions. In my opinion, If Nelson wouldn’t have been selected here, Dallas would have taken him and not traded their pick to the Browns.

22. Browns (from Cowboys): QB Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Looked good in the pre-season, but that doesn’t mean a darn thing. The people clamoring to insert Quinn over Derek Anderson are crazy. Anderson is playing very well, leave him in, there is no guarantee Quinn will even be a good quarterback in the NFL. There is no sense in rushing Quinn into the starting lineup.

23. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Dwayne Bowe, LSU
Started off very slow due to a lengthy holdout, but has had solid rookie numbers with 29 receptions for 499 yards and 3 TDs. Against San Diego in week 4 he had a break out performance with an impressive 8 catches for 164 yards and 1 TD. He looks like the real deal.

24. New England: S Brandon Meriweather, Miami (Fl)
Moved to cornerback and stuck behind Ellis Hobbs, Meriweather was obviously drafted for the future. He hasn’t played much except in the nickel, recording 15 total tackles to date.

25. Carolina Panthers: LB Jon Beason, Miami (Fl)
I missed on this one, at 6’ 0” 237 pounds and running poor at the combine, he looked to small and slow to me, but he is obviously a football player. Beason is having a decent rookie season at middle linebacker. I am not trying to put him in the hall of fame or anything, but he has recorded 50 solo tackles this year.

26. Dallas (from the Eagles): DE Anthony Spencer, Purdue
Spencer was thrust into the starting lineup due to Greg Ellis’s slow recovery from his Achilles injury. He has flashed some big time skills rushing the passer. He has had to learn a new position going from defensive end to outside linebacker, but he is the real deal. His stats aren’t very impressive with only 20 tackles and 1 sack, but he has pressured the quarterback numerous times and played solid run defense. The Dallas Cowboys have really invested in their linebackers, Greg Ellis, Bobby Carpenter, DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are all first round NFL Draft picks.

27. New Orleans Saints: WR Robert Meachem, Tennessee
Meachem was one of my favorite offensive prospects in this draft and he has really disappointed me so far. He showed up over weight and out of shape and missed time in the off season program and mini camps with a sprained ankle. Then in late June he had an arthroscopic procedure to clean out loose cartilage and repair his medial meniscus on his right knee. Remember, Meachem had surgery on the same knee in 2003, when he sat out a season as a medical redshirt for Tennessee. He has yet to play this season.

28. 49ers (from Pats): OT Joe Staley, Central Michigan
Staley has started every game at right tackle and has struggled at times. He looks a little stiff and has had trouble with speed rushers; however I think he has played better than left tackle Jonas Jennings, but that’s not saying much.

29. Baltimore Ravens: OG Ben Grubbs, Auburn
Grubbs has been solid, he beat out Chris Chester at right guard. Grubbs is a promising young talent and a good selection for the Ravens.

30. San Diego Chargers: WR Craig Davis, LSU
This was a horrible pick in my opinion. Davis has been battling a sprained ankle and has only caught 9 passes for 84 yards and 1 TD for the entire season.

31. Chicago Bears: TE Greg Olsen, Miami
Olsen missed the first two games of the season with a sprained knee and since his return has been sharing time with Desmond Clark, but recently he has flashed some excellent skills, in his last four games he has caught 15 passes for 4 TDs. For the season he has 21 receptions for 255 yards and 2 TDs. Greg Olsen is one of the fastest tight ends in the NFL, he ran his 40 yard dash at the 2007 NFL Scouting Combine at 4.45 seconds.

32. Indianapolis Colts: WR Anthony Gonzalez, Ohio State
Gonzo is in the perfect position, he can learn behind Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison. I look for Gonzo to be a future star for the Colts. He might get his first start this weekend in the huge undefeated showdown with the Patriots as Marvin Harrison is injured and might not play. Gonzo has 14 catches for 194 yards and zero TDs to date.

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