Up and Coming College Football Prospects

When a young man attends college to play football he has high hopes of fame and fortune, but very few attain either. While the fortune part might never, or take years to achieve, the fame part is starting to come to realization for a few of these young men. Here is a listing of some of the young stars of the 2008 college football season that have came out of nowhere to burst into national prominence.

(JR) RB Donald Brown, Connecticut (5’ 10” 208 lbs): Brown went from the second string running back in the preseason to leading the nation in rushing with an impressive 165 rushing yards per game average. In his college debut as a redshirt freshman he rushed for 118 yards. Fast forward to October 4th 2008 against North Carolina, he rushed for 161 yards and went over 1,000 yards for the season. As of 8 games he has rushed 235 times for 1,324 yards and 14 touchdowns. The future looks bright for Mr. Brown.

(JR) RB Shonn Greene, Iowa (5’ 11” 225 lbs): Greene has NFL size and ability and is being mentioned as the best running back in the nation and a front runner for the Heisman Trophy; pretty good for a kid that didn’t play last year due to academic issues. Greene has been utterly spectacular this year, he has rushed for at least 100 yards in all 8 games and seems to be getting stronger every game. Last week against Wisconsin he rushed for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns. He is currently ranked #3 in the nation with an 144 yards per game average. He currently has an impressive 6.52 yards per carry average and has accumulated 177 carries for 1,154 yards and 10 TD.

(FR) RB Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State (5’ 6” 180 lbs): I don’t normally write about freshman, especially running backs that are only 5’ 6” tall, by the time they are seniors they might fall off the radar. Many young players can’t build on their early success due to injuries or lack of discipline, but even if Rodgers doesn’t emerge into an NFL Draft Prospect in a couple years, he did have his day in the sun as a freshman. When Oregon State pulled off the miracle upset against undefeated USC this year, those watching were thinking, “Who is this little Jacquizz Rodgers kid?” Rodgers was phenomenal in this game rushing for 194 yards and 2 touchdowns. Rodgers is small, but has incredible power and leg drive and doesn’t go down upon initial contact. He has been a workhorse this year and has rushed for over 100 yards in 4 out of his 7 games that he has played in, for the season he has rushed for 829 yards and 9 touchdowns.

(SR) QB David Johnson, Tulsa (6’ 3” 217 lbs): He is not young, but he has emerged. Did you know he is the highest rated quarterback in college football? In a year with extremely poor play at the quarterback position, we won’t see a single senior get drafted in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft. A big guy with a big arm, Johnson is emerging as one of the better seniors, like I said, he is the highest rated QB in the nation with a 212.8 QB rating and has thrown for an amazing 2,397 yards and 31 touchdowns with an impressive 69% completion percentage.

(Soph) WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State (6’ 2” 210 lbs): Somebody forgot to tell Bryant he was just a sophomore, he plays fearless and wasn’t intimidated at all on national TV against Texas. Bryant is a fantastic prospect for the 2010 or 2011 NFL Draft. Bryant is a dual purpose threat and is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. He has scored 2 touchdowns returning punts this year, and receiving he has recorded 51 receptions for 883 yards and 11 TDs.
(JR) WR Eric Decker, Minnesota (6’ 3” 218 lbs): Decker is a good looking, young possession receiver. He might not have blazing speed, but will catch everything thrown his way. He is currently ranked #3 in the nation with 66 receptions for 883 yards and 5 TD. He has an impressive 104 receiving yards per game average.

(Soph) LB Quan Sturdivant, North Carolina (6’ 2” 230 lbs): Sturdivant is a talented young linebacker that is having a fantastic season and has been a tackling machine. After eight games he has recorded 49 solo tackles (69 total tackles) and 2 sacks. He has also recorded two interceptions, one which he returned for 57 yards and the other he returned 32 yards for a touchdown against Notre Dame.

(Soph) LB Rennie Curran, Georgia (5’ 11” 220 lbs): Yes Curran is small for a linebacker, but this guy is strong as an ox with huge arms and strong hands, he also has great instincts and can run. For the season Curran has recorded 42 solo tackles (69 total). He was the defensive player of the week after the LSU win when he recorded 11 total tackles, with 5 being solo.

(Soph) DE Aaron Maybin, Penn State (6’ 4” 240 lbs): Probably an outside linebacker at the next level, but he beat out Maurice Evans this year, that in itself is saying a lot as Evans was first team All-Big Ten last year and finished with 12.5 sacks. Maybin is having an equally impressive season, he is extremely quick around the outside, and good luck blocking this kid when he gets a good jump on the ball. Maybin is currently ranked 4th in the nation with 11 sacks and an additional 15tackles for loss (TFL). Maybin has recorded five sacks in his last four games.

(JR) DE Jerry Hughes, TCU (6’ 2” 248 lbs): Hughes is another End that will probably have to play linebacker to make it in the NFL, but he is having a superlative season, he is strong, very quick and seems to be getting better and better. Hughes is currently ranked #3 in the nation with 12 sacks and an additional 15 tackles for loss (TFL). He has recorded an amazing 9 sacks in his last 4 games.

(Soph) DE Paul Kruger, Utah (6’ 5” 255 lbs): Kruger has prototype size and if he keeps improving could emerge as an elite future NFL Draft Prospect. Kruger is a true End, but gets after the passer like the smaller hybrid types. So far this season he has recorded 5.5 sacks and 13.5 TFLs. He started out hot, but has tailed off a little as of late; let’s see if he can sustain his early success.

The Mid-Season Fantasy Football Awards

Hi, I’m Josh Galligan and I’ll be your host for the next… however long it takes you to read this. Never mind who I am, the important thing is WHY I’m here. In the interests of spoiling the surprise somewhat, I’m the new, resident fantasy guru around these parts. This, the mid-season fantasy football awards is my debut article. And you’re reading it! Seriously, WHAT are the odds!? Anyway…

True, half of seventeen – or even sixteen -- is definitely not seven. So why do a mid-season award write-up now? Ah, what you fail to realize my young book cover judger is that these are FANTASY football awards – not NFL season awards. A fantasy football season, in order to compensate for studs on playoff teams being benched and rested, usually has its playoffs from weeks 13-16. That is the time of the year that the magical fantasy football playoffs are held. Wait, what’s that? You’ve never been to a fantasy football playoff in any of your leagues? Well, the pathetic level of that aside, you’ve come to the right place.

How will mid-season awards help you in your league you ask? Well, why don’t you just read on and find out! With the obscure explanations and introductions out of the way, let’s just dive in and get started.

THE FANTASY SQUAD ASSASSIN AWARD

This award is given to the player that was drafted VERY highly in fantasy leagues, but failed to live up to even a portion of his (or uh… her – hey, I’m diplomatic, what can I say?) expectations. Think former Detroit Lions WR Charles Rogers, multiply it by twelve, and pretend you had $200 bucks riding on his performance. Scary, I know.

Runners up:

Tom Brady (QB), LaDainian Tomlinson (RB), Stephen Jackson (RB), and Joseph Addai (RB)

And the “winner” is:

Lawrence Maroney, running back for the New England Patriots!

He may not have gone as high as some of the runners-up, but I’m pretty sure that most people that drafted him envisioned he would score more than eight fantasy points by Week Seven. Yeah, that’s right; he hasn’t even cracked DOUBLE digits yet.

Prognosis:

Even if the Patriots didn’t have twelve other options at halfback, Maroney’s future would still look grim. He’s had some injury problems, yes, but even when he was healthy has failed to live up to his potential. If you haven’t gotten rid of him yet, you’re going to want cut the umbilical cord soon. And for those with the balls big enough to try and up talk him in a trade (I’m unfortunately speaking from firsthand experience here), just stop. Unless you play in a twenty team league with a big bench, or with owners who don’t have electricity, you’re not going to get anything for him. Just drop him, forget about it, and feel good about it. Unless you paid more than $30 for him in an auction league – in which case I suggest you just go and head to the liquor store.

THE THANK YOU FOR MAKING ME LOOK LIKE A GENIUS AWARD

This award is given to the player who caused you to be made fun of mercilessly on draft day, but turned around and had an unexpectedly great first half of the season – which effectively made you look like a genius.

Runners up:

Kurt Warner (QB), Antwaan Randle El (WR), Rashied David (WR), Deangelo Williams (RB)

And the winner is:

Kyle Orton, quarterback for the Chicago Bears!

Even the mere mention of the young Orton at draft parties provoked uncontainable laughter. Nearly the entire country (outside of Illinois) just flat out refused to believe in a universe in which Kyle Orton, the “victor” in the Bears quarterback “battle” (another topical party favorite), would actually produce like a solid NFL QB. Or even throw like one.

Prognosis:

Orton isn’t good enough yet to demand weekly starting status yet, but he’s definitely an option to play the matchup game with. If you have him on your team, pat yourself on the back, get over yourself, and sleep easy at night knowing that your backup QB could fill in just fine should the need arise. If you’re not in a deep league and Orton IS one of your starters, then take your pat on the back back, and promise yourself to never, ever, gamble for the rest of your life. This one may have worked out, but hoping something like this will fall through in order for you to succeed, well, yeah – just don’t gamble. At all. Ever.

THE I WISH I HAD A DELOREAN AWARD

This award is given to the player that often makes you wish you could take a page out of Michael J. Fox’s book, call up the Doc, gun the Delorean to 88, and draft a different player with your first overall selection instead of the scrub you actually took.

Runners up:

Clinton Portis (RB), Marion Barber (RB), Drew Brees (QB), Frank Gore (RB)

And the winner is:

Michael Turner, running back for the resurgent Atlanta Falcons!

If you’re like me, then you stubbornly talked yourself out of drafting Turner for a safer pick like… Isaac Bruce. Yeah, it was safe pick all right – safe from winning a title (ZING!). The majority of people though, shared a similar opinion on Turner: that he was a great sloppy seconds (or thirds for third down if you want to get technical – gross, but technical) running back and looked great against defenses who were croaking for Gatorade after chasing LaDainian Tomlinson around all day. Or maybe that was just my opinion, but my conscience likes to pretend otherwise to save some face.

Prognosis:

Despite see-sawing every other game and having one monster game, followed by one mediocre one, followed by another monster game, I have to bite my tongue and admit that Michael Turner is not going to slow down. If anything, with the schedule he has left he could very well end up winning the rushing title. Don’t worry about the inconsistency too much, he’s going to string together a couple great games and likely won’t look back. Now please excuse me while I go and throw my television off out my third story window…

THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD AWARD

This award goes to… well, you! The reader! Why are you so lucky? Because you found this weekly write up! Despite this debut article being pretty hodgepodge and all over the place, I promise I will break into a nice weekly format for the rest of the season.

Except some start and sit suggestions, a little bit of waiver wire players to look out for, and the advice that would normally come with a paid subscription to the best of the best fantasy websites. What’s the difference with me? Well, for one, I haven’t gotten famous enough to ignore personal requests – so if you have suggestions for what should be in each weekly article, or if you just have a start em/sit em question that you would like me to answer in the column, feel free to send me an e-mail at Galligan@NFLDraftDog.com.

Barring this column blowing up and my inbox overflowing with requests, I should be just fine replying to each and every e-mail sent.

Cowboys Coach Wade Phillips in the Hot Seat

With the latest stunning loss to the Cardinals and coaching failures, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might be considering firing lame duck Coach Wade Phillips. If the Cowboys don't make the playoffs and at least win a game there, then current offensive coordinator Jason Garrett will almsot certainly be the coach for the Dallas Cowboys in 2009.

read more digg story

Where Have All the Quarterbacks Gone?

A lot of NFL teams are desperate for a quarterback right about now, the Vikings, Bears, Lions, Chiefs, and Buccaneers. Then you have a few more teams that have an ancient and/or declining quarterback situation like the Dolphins, Cardinals, Jets, and you could even make a case for the Rams, 49ers and Seahawks needing help at quarterback. So with an obvious shortage of quality quarterbacks in the NFL, the help at quarterback will have to come from the NFL Draft. Here’s where the problem lies, this looks like one of the worst years for quarterback in college football in a number of years and I don’t see a lot of sure fire talent at the QB position in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Matt Stafford from Georgia looks like the best hope, he definitely has the size and arm strength, but he is only a junior and might not even be in the 2009 NFL Draft. Even if he does enter the draft, he is young, fairly inexperienced and will likely need at least one year to develop in the NFL. Outside of Stafford, I am just not seeing a lot of college quarterbacks that can step in and make a difference early.

The other junior that is being talked about is two time Heisman winner Tim Tebow. Have you noticed the lack of conversation from the so-called draftniks about Tebow? It reminds me of last year when I was the first draftnik to bring up Kentucky QB Andre Woodson. Mel Kiper had him on his big board and everyone else jumped on his band wagon. Not me, I brought up the point about his long, slow delivery and evidently the NFL scouts agreed as he wasn’t selected until late in the 6th round (198 overall). He (Woodson) was baffled by the drop in the draft. Woodson was subsequently cut by the Giants prior to the 2008 NFL Football season. So what has Woodson got to do with Tim Tebow? Not much really, except that I don’t think Tebow is quite the NFL prospect that some think he is and most draftniks are hesitant to talk about it, for fear of being proven wrong later. I like Tebow, don’t get me wrong, he is a class act and we need more quality kids like him for our youth to look up to. He will go down in history as one of the best college quarterbacks to ever play the game, but unless he improves his throwing mechanics and accuracy he will have difficulty in the NFL. His run first mentality won’t cut it in the NFL and his arm isn’t good enough to win the day. I don’t even see him declaring for the NFL as a junior, that’s why he isn’t listed in my 2009 NFL Mock Draft.

The other junior worth mentioning is Colt McCoy (6’ 2” 209 lbs) from Texas. McCoy has been around awhile; he started and looked good as a freshman, looked mediocre last year as a sophomore, but has came out this year as a junior and just been on fire. McCoy has his Longhorns undefeated and has completed an amazing 80% of his passes for 1,018 yards and thrown 14 touchdowns. He also has an eye popping 209.71 quarterback rating. Texas players have a history of staying until their senior year, but due to the pending rookie salary cap in 2010, we might have record number of underclassmen declaring early this year.

Actually Sam Bradford (6’ 4” 220 lbs) from Oklahoma has looked the best so far, but he is only a sophomore, he was redshirted his first year at Oklahoma, so yes technically he is eligible for the 2009 NFL Draft, but I just don’t see him jumping to the NFL as a sophomore. This kid is really talented though, he has a very powerful, accurate arm. Last year as a red-shirt freshman he (Bradford) broke the NCAA freshman record of 29 TDs and led the NCAA in pass efficiency. This year he is playing even better, he has more confidence and has completed 72% of his passes for 1,293 yards and thrown for 16 touchdowns. Did I mention that he has his Sooners ranked number one in the nation in the College Football Polls.

One promising senior is Curtis Painter from Purdue, he is a big kid (6’ 3” 225 lbs), with a lightening quick release and strong arm, but he isn’t playing as well this year as he did last. His accuracy and decision making looks a little suspect. He has tons of potential, but so far this year he hasn’t wowed anybody. I know he is in the first round of my 2009 NFL Mock Draft right now, but when I do my next update he will be moved probably to the 2nd round.

There are only three other senior quarterbacks worth mentioning, and no, one of them is not Clemson’s Cullen Harper, who has not looked good this year. I really like Hunter Cantwell from Louisville; he has been stuck behind Brian Brohm on the depth chart until now. Cantwell is a big kid (6’ 4” 231 lbs), has a very powerful arm and is fairly accurate, he is just playing on a crappy team and is trying to force too many balls. I like his long term potential in the NFL though.

The other senior QB is Rhett Bomar (6’ 2” 212 lbs), he probably would be starting ahead of Sam Bradford right now, but he was booted off the team (Oklahoma) a couple years ago. He transferred to tiny Sam Houston State and has played very well. He is currently ranked 4th in division 1AA averaging 314 yards per game. Bomar has thrown 10 touchdowns and has completed 63.92% of his passes. He has all the physical tools to play QB in the NFL.

What about Graham Harrell from Texas Tech? Yea I can’t forget about Harrell, playing in the spread offense his numbers are off the charts. Honestly Harrell is tough to evaluate because he never plays under center. He has the size (6’ 2” 202 lbs), arm strength and accuracy, so there isn’t any reason why he can’t be successful at the next level. But similar to Washington Redskins and former Hawaii QB Colt Brennan last year, he will have to fight the “system quarterback” label. Brennan slipped in the draft last year (6th round), but actually looked very good in the pre-season for the Redskins. Like Brennan, Harrell will have to relearn the quarterback position playing under center. He will have to change his footwork, timing and delivery in the NFL, but with patience and a year or two to develop he has nice upside at the next level. So as we can see there are some talented quarterbacks out there, but likely not much that can come in and make a difference right away.

An Ode To Upshaw: Good for the NFL

Although I might be too young to remember his playing days, as a football fan and a football writer, I have seen the affect that Gene Upshaw has had on the NFL. I know that Upshaw has had a lot to do with the way things are going in the NFL today, particularly with how much players are paid and how revenue generated by the NFL is divided. I remember him discussing labor negotiations just a few short years ago, making regular appearances on the NFL Network to talk about the situation. While I may not have understood what he was trying to do at the time, it has much clearer for me now.

I now realize that Upshaw has had a lot to do with what has happened to the NFL since he took over as the head of the Players Union. Having the insight that a former NFL player should have, he knew what was best for the players and used his experience and forethought to help those that played the game get their fair share of the huge profits that the league was bringing in. He also had the insight to undertake many different initiatives while he was in charge.

Today’s NFL players should thank Upshaw for all that he has done for them. He not only helped increase the pay that players are getting but he also helped increase the amount of revenue that teams and players get through the marketing of licensed NFL products. Knowing that selling licensed products would be a way to generate a lot of revenue, Upshaw saw this as way to earn more money across the board. Upshaw also saw free agency as a way for players to not only earn more money but to also change teams and quite possibly win a championship (with the right team of course). This was revolutionary.

His leadership and caring for the league’s players should be well noticed and he should be remembered for what he accomplished for NFL players.

Upshaw should also be recognized for his on the field accomplishments as well. He was the only player to have played in a Super Bowl in three decades. Upshaw had many other on the field accomplishments as well and was one of the best players of his time.

Upshaw’s impact on the league will surely be felt for several decades but now, in his absence, a big hole has opened up for both the NFL and it’s players and things aren’t going to be getting any easier. With a huge labor disagreement looming, whoever steps in for Upshaw has their work cut out for them. It’s going to be a long and messy road.

The man known as Eugene Upshaw has left his mark on an institution that has grown to become the biggest and most popular organized sporting league in the world. No other sport garners as much attention, press and fan support as the NFL does. And if you think about the people that brought the NFL to the current stage of popularity that they are at (i.e. Pete Rozelle, Paul Tagliabue, George Halas etc) you now have to include Upshaw as one of those people. He contributed a lot to the NFL and to so many others. He will be missed.

By Brian Dietzler

Early Sack Leader Diyral Briggs, Bowling Green

Last year South Florida’s DE George Selvie burst onto the national scene after just two games into the 2007 College Football season when he led the country in sacks and tackles for loss (TFL). Now it’s safe to say that if Selvie enters the 2009 NFL Draft as a junior he will certainly be a first round pick.

Now I am not saying senior defensive end Diyral Briggs has the same draft potential as Selvie, Briggs is only about 6’ 4” 230 pounds, so he will probably be converted to outside linebacker, but Briggs is in the same elite company this season after the first two games. He currently leads the nation with 5 sacks and is ranked 2nd in the nation with 5.5 TFLs with an additional 3 quarterback hurries after only two games. He did this against some solid teams, he recorded 2 sacks in Bowling Green’s stunning upset over Pitt in week one and last weekend against Minnesota he recorded 3 more sacks. So his stats are not inflated by playing against some non division-one powder puffs. Briggs is very strong and explosive and is definitely a sleeper pick and someone to keep an eye on for the 2009 NFL Draft.

Last season (2007), Briggs was a first-team All-MAC selection, played in 12 games and led Bowling Green with five sacks. His seven tackles for loss ranked him second on the team.

In 2006 as a sophomore he played in all 12 games and started the final six, he totaled 69 total tackles, including 10.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. He was named MAC Player of the Year following the game at Ohio and tallied double digit tackles in back-to-back games against Eastern Michigan (10) and at Central Michigan (11).

As a freshman in 2005 he played in all 11 games and had five TFLs, recorded 4.5 sacks for a loss, recovered three fumbles and had 11 QB hurries.

High School: Chose Bowling Green but was heavily recruited by Miami, Maryland, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Pitt, South Carolina and Illinois. He went to the Virginia Tech Nike Camp after high school and this is what his high school Coach (Commins) said. “I took him there and he did extremely well there. It was about 45 degrees outside and raining and he ran on the grass and he ran a 4.68 on the grass, so he’s probably a solid 4.6 right now. So he’s looking really good.”

Ben Owens Added to the 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List

Arkansas State linebacker Ben Owens jumps into the national spotlight and emerges as a legitimate 2009 NFL Draft Prospect. All-Sun Belt Conference Arkansas State linebacker Ben Owens has been named the FWAA/Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week for games of the weekend of Aug. 30. Owens, a 6-2, 230-pound senior from Bearden, Ark., registered seven tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, an interception and a fumble recovery.

He helped the Arkansas State defense pitch a second-half shutout in an 18-14 upset of Texas A&M in College Station. Owens was responsible for stopping the Aggies' last two drives of the game after the Red Wolves went ahead, 15-14. He recovered a fumble on the Texas A&M 39-yard line, setting up a field goal that gave Arkansas State a four-point lead with 1:12 left to play. His interception ended Texas A&M's final drive with 10 seconds remaining. Ben Owens’ NFL Draft Stock Is Rising and he has been added to the prestigious 2008 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List.

A speedy linebacker (4.55) with outstanding character and smart, he carries a 4.0 GPA. In 2007 as a junior he recorded 96 tackles, 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack. In 2006 as a sophomore he played in all 12 games and recorded 34 tackles, 2 sacks and 1 interception and in 2005 as a true freshman Owens Played in 10 games, mostly on special teams and recorded five solo tackles.

Fantasy Football Busts for 2008

We have recently given you some excellent fantasy football sleeper picks and now we want to highlight a few players that you should probably stay away from.

Quarterbacks:

1. Derek Anderson-Sure he threw 29 touchdown passes last season and over 3700 yards but that was one year. In the 2nd half of last season Anderson threw more interceptions then TD passes. I would stay away from this one year wonder. I think 21 TD passes this season is more realistic.

2. Vince Young- All they hype about this guy and he is an absolute joke. It makes me laugh when they try to compare him to Donovan McNabb. Let's keep this real simple boys and girls. Mr.Young couldn't throw a football to save his life. Only 9 TD passes to go with 17 picks last season. Are you kidding me? When I read those stats I thought it was a misprint. Stay away form this guy and all the hype, cause they hype aint worth
the pick and neither is he.

Running backs:

1. Frank Gore- I know what you thinking. This guy has all the tools to become a great back and you would be right. There is one problem here...Mike Martz is the offensive coordinator of the 49ers now. Last year when Martz was the offensive coordinator, the Lions ran for only 1288 yards. Last season their were four players on there respective teams that ran for more yards then that total. You see what I'm getting at. This guy hates to run the ball. I seriously doubt Gore will gets 20 plus carriers on a regular basis.

2. Edgerrin James- Who knows how much James has left in him. Word around Arizona is they might take some carries from him to keep him fresh at the season goes on. James used to be one of the best running backs in the league. Now is just a mediocre back. Stay away from him at all costs.

3. Stephen Jackson-As talented as Jackson I still think he will be a bust this year. Certain questions remain about the Rams offensive line and the health of Marc Bulger. Jackson missed four games last season and held out until mid August trying to get a new contract. He now has his new contract, I'm just not sure about the rest of the supporting cast.

4. Larry Johnson-Here is another great player, but talk about bad pieces around you. There is no hope with either Huard or Croyle at QB. The offensive line is a joke. The only thing positive here is that Johnson should be fresh to start the year. He missed the last 8 games of the season with a foot injury.

Wide Receivers:

1. Chad Johnson....I mean Ocho Cinco- You know I love this guy. I really do but I would love him even more if he kept his mouth shut. Please just play football and do what you do best, catch footballs. Ugh, this guy is a nightmare. Every year there is some clown in your fantasy league taking him way to early in the draft. Sometimes he goes before the likes of Reggie Wayne or Steve Smith. His stats look great, but with the torn labrum and who knows what type of distraction he will be this season I would just pass on him. Let him be someone else's headache.

2. Anquan Boldin-All off season Boldin has complained about wanting a new contract. Larry Fitzgerlad got paid and now he wants his. Well guess what, your not getting it so move on and play. Boldin has the talent to be a number one on any team. The problem I see with him that scares me is his attitude. After having a career games against the Ravens last season Boldin sat out three games with a hip pointer. At the time it didn't seem like it would hold him out longer then one game, but every week came and gone and Boldin declared himself unfit to play. In week 16 versus the Falcons, Boldin has a superb game, but for most of the 2nd half his stats were just decent. I wouldn't mind having Boldin on my team, but I'm not going to waste an early pick on him. Wait until the 5th rounder or later to get him.

By David Gorman

Fantasy Football Sleepers Part Two

Image: Jason Hill

Last week I touched on a few potential Fantasy Football Sleepers and this week I want to continue that theme with a few more young players that have enormous Fantasy Football Potential. These players probably won’t finish on top statistics wise, but could provide you with some good depth if you have some of your top players get injured, or if you need to start different players due to a bye week.

Disclaimer: Last week I mentioned the Dallas Cowboys receiver Isiah Stanback, scratch that. Just days after that article he injured his shoulder on a kick return, it was the same shoulder he had surgery on last year that caused him to miss his rookie year. Not a good omen for a 2nd year player trying to learn a new position.

RB DeAngelo Williams, Carolina Panthers:
I really liked Williams in college and I thought the Panthers made an excellent pick when they drafted him in the first round (27th overall) in the 2006 NFL Draft. Williams struggled a little bit as a rookie, but last year, even though Carolina struggled, Williams rushed for 717 yards and 4 touchdowns with an impressive 5 yards per carry average.

This year the Panthers drafted yet another running back in the first round when they selected Jonathan Stewart 13th over-all. Selecting Stewart that high might have signaled the demise of Williams, but instead it looks to have motivated him. Williams has had an excellent pre-season and looks to have a breakout season with Stewart breathing down his neck. DeAngelo has been the leading running back in the pre-season rushing for 188 yards and 3 TDs with a monster 7.2 yards per carry average. Against the Redskins Williams ran for 101 yards, including a dazzling 60-yard TD run.

TE Gijon Robinson/ TE Mike Hart, Indianapolis Colts
Obviously Dallas Clark is the top tight end on the team and for that matter one of the top tight ends in the NFL, but Clark has struggled to stay healthy in his career, he hasn’t missed many games, but he (Clark) has suffered from four concussions throughout his career and a broken leg in 2003. Enter small school stud Gijon Robinson, we always knew he was a heck of a blocker, but I have been highly impressed on how well he has fit into the Colts powerful offense. Robinson has been the Colts leading receiver for the Colts this pre-season catching 10 passes for 133 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Also keep in mind the Colts drafted RB Mike Hart from Michigan this year. Hart has looked very impressive for the Colts in the pre-season, out of all the running backs on the Colts roster, Hart has looked the best with a team leading 7.7 yards per carry average. He is not going to beat out Joseph Addai, but if Addai gets injured look for Hart to get plenty of carries. Hart has football speed but doesn’t clock very well on the track (4.69), but don’t tell me he can’t play in the NFL. For his (Hart) career against the Big 10 at Michigan he ran for over 5,000 yards and 41 touchdowns with a 5 yards per carry average.

RB Andre Hall, Denver Broncos:
He didn’t get many carries last year, only 44, but he made the most out of them with 216 yards, 2 touchdowns and a nice 4.9 yards per carry average. I have a feeling Hall is going to be “The Man” this year for the Broncos. Hall (5’ 10” 210 lbs) has been the leading running back for the Broncos this preseason carrying the ball 24 times for 113 yards and a touchdown.

WR DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles:
Jackson is only a rookie, but he is a speedy threat to take the football into the end zone every time he touches the ball. Desean Jackson was the fastest receiver last year at the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine running a 4.35 forty yard dash. If your Fantasy Football League allows points for return yards and touchdowns, then Jackson could give you some nice fantasy points. Jackson was thought to be a little raw as a receiver, but he is developing rapidly with the Eagles. In the pre-season he has caught 16 passes for 189 yards including a scintillating 76 yard punt return for a touchdown against the Patriots.

WR Jason Hill, San Francisco 49ers:
I just loved this kid coming out of college (Washington State), he was a touchdown machine and hugely productive on the football field recording 32 career touchdowns. Then he ran a blazing 4.32 second 40 yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and the San Francisco 49ers selected Hill in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft. The 49ers, on their official website, gushed about Hill: "Even though Southern California’s heralded duo of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith receive most of the press, if you ask any Pac-10 Conference defensive coordinator or defensive back which receiver they fear the most, they all say in unison one name – Jason Hill," the Niners wrote. So fast forward to 2008 and Hill is finally coming into his own, he has looked very good this pre-season, it looks like Mike Martz is working his offensive magic on Hill. He has caught 7 passes for 147 yards and 1 TD so far.

WR Jerome Simpson, Cincinnati Bengals:
Disgruntled receiver Chad Johnson has a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, he will attempt to play through the injury, but he needs surgery and it’s questionable how effective he will be. Remember Johnson missed all of the mini camps and came to camp late, I think the Bengals are getting tired of his antics. Enter Jerome Simpson, this receiver has immense talent, physical talent right up there with the elite receivers in the league. Simpson just came from a small school (Coastal Carolina) and is extremely raw. I had Simpson rated as a pre-draft third rounder in my 2008 NFL Draft Big Board and the Bengals picked him with the 46th pick in the second round. Simpson has looked very good early and will get every chance to show what he can do and has been the leading receiver in the pre-season catching 9 passes for 144 yards. The Bengals worked out Simpson and fell in love with his ability. Check out this video of the selection.

Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers

When preparing for your fantasy football draft it’s easy to just look at last year’s leaders and make your draft boards up. But the problem with that is not all of last year’s winners will be winners this year and more importantly when all of the top players are gone a lot of amateur Fantasy Football Coaches/GMs are left scratching their heads in the later rounds. It’s time to finalize your fantasy football rosters and here are a few sleepers that could pay huge dividends in the mid to later rounds. Draft these guys and you will not regret it down the road.

WR Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions:
This second year player might slip through the radar because even though he was the second player drafted over all in the 2007 NFL Draft, he injured his back and basically had a “wash-out” rookie year. Forget about him at your peril because physically, Johnson is the most dominate receiver in the entire NFL, yes even more dominant than Randy Moss and Terrell Owens. Johnson stands 6’ 5” 220 pounds and runs a 4.34 forty yard dash. I'm healthy," Johnson said. "Our chemistry's real good right now. We're clicking." In a preseason game against the Bengals in only two series, he caught three passes for 76 yards and a touchdown and then in the next pre-season game against New York he played in two series and caught four passes for 78 yards. "Being 100% is totally different for that guy," quarterback Jon Kitna said. "He's a freak of nature." Yes he is back, and poised for a break-out year. If his health holds up this year he should finish among the elite receivers in fantasy numbers.

WR Robert Meachem, New Orleans Saints:
Meachem is another player that was drafted very high in the 2007 NFL Draft (first round). He incurred a devastating pre-season knee injury and missed his entire rookie year with the Saints, so the Fantasy GMs that just look at last year’s numbers won’t even have Meachem on their draft boards, but make no mistake Meachem is talented, and this year he is healthy. In the pre-season game against the Cardinals the 6’ 2” 210 pound talent caught 4 passes for 129 yards and a TD. Meachem entered the draft as a junior in 2007 so he is still young and learning, but under offensive guru Sean Payton and with Drew Brees throwing him the ball look for him to have a break out year in 2008. Current starting receivers Marques Colston and Devery Henderson are battling knee and hamstring injuries respectively, so the door is open for Meachem. He will have to beat out David Patten and Terrance Copper, but that looks very doable to me. Look for him to be a starter by mid season.

TE Kevin Boss, New York Giants:
The replacement for Jeremy Shockey, who coincidently left to play for the Saints. Boss was one of the top Small School NFL Draft Prospects in the 2007 NFL Draft and ended up being drafted in the 5th round. Boss is big (6’ 5” 265 lbs) and fast and has immense talent. He took the NFL world by storm last year in Super Bowl XLII when his 45-yard catch and run early in the 4th quarter set up David Tyree’s 5-yard touchdown catch, which gave the Giants a 10-3 lead and an eventual Super Bowl Championship. Boss will be the starter now and has the ability to put up huge fantasy numbers.

WR Isaiah Stanback, Dallas Cowboys:
Terry Glenn is off the team and the Cowboys need a deep threat opposite Terrell Owens (TO). Enter Isaiah Stanback, the former quarterback from Washington who was drafted in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He is a serious deep threat, Stanback ranks among Washington's all-time top-10 in the 100-meter dash (10.48, 8th) and 4x100-meter relay (40.07, 7th) outdoors, and the 60-meter dash (6.80, 8th) indoors. The 6’ 2” 210 pound former quarterback mainly returned kicks and fought injuries his rookie year, but he learned the nuances of the wide receiver position and appears poised to put up some good fantasy numbers for the Cowboys this season. WR Miles Austin suffered a knee injury in the pre-season and will be out at least 6 weeks, so Stanback will be given an opportunity. WR Patrick Crayton is penciled in as the starter opposite TO and Sam Hurd look like the 3rd receiver, but neither of those guys are a deep threat, so look for Stanback to come in on 3rd and long and make some plays. Stanback is still raw, but he could be a late round steal, especially if you play in a keeper league because he has long term potential to be able to even win a starting spot in the future.

TE Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys:
I know what you are thinking, Jason Witten is hardly a sleeper, even a Fantasy Football novice knows about him, heck he made the Pro Bowl last year. You are right, but I still wanted to highlight Witten because he is good, no I mean really good, I mean top 5 selection good. If you can’t get one of the top 2-3 receivers, running backs or quarterbacks, then get Witten because he will give you a ton of fantasy points. Find a way to get Witten on your fantasy football team folks, I can’t stress enough how good of a fantasy player he is. Since 2003 Witten has accumulated 348 receptions for 3,983 yards and 21 TDs, but remember, except for last year the Cowboys had serious QB problems during those years. Speaking of last year, Witten is getting better and better and now after a full year with QB Tony Romo should do even better this year, last year he was almost unstoppable catching 96 passes for 1,145 yards and 7 TDs. The 6’ 5” 262 pound tight end, even though he has been around a while, is just now coming into his own, remember he came into the NFL as a junior, so he should be able to put up huge fantasy numbers for years to come.

Early 2008 NFL Draft News

The big news out today is Scott Wright has changed his website domain from NFL Draft Countdown, to just Draft Countdown: www.draftcountdown.com. Historically, Draft Countdown has been probably the best web site for free NFL Draft information on the Internet. Amazingly he has resisted the temptation over the years to add fees to his site and I have recently been assured his web site will remain free. He already has his 2009 NFL Mock Draft and Prospect Rankings updated and he is planning on keeping his Wright Stuff Blog updated throughout the season. Don't forget to change your bookmarks and links.

In other NFL Draft News, Florida senior tight end Cornelius Ingram will miss the 2008 college football season with a torn ACL in his left knee. It is unclear whether Ingram will attempt a red-shirt or enter the 2009 NFL Draft. Last season (2007) the 6' 4" 230 pound tight end recorded 508 receiving yards and tied for a team-high seven touchdowns. Ingram came to Florida as a star quarterback and is very athletic, even playing on the Florida basketball team. Not a strong blocker and this injury will cause him to slip if he does enter the 2009 NFL Draft, but he has NFL potential and reminds me of the Denver Bronco's Brandon Marshal.

Look for the Florida offense to possibly struggle early with timing issues, they have been hit with an injury bug. Wide Receiver (WR) Louis Murphy has been walking around with a boot on his right leg to protect a sprained ankle, and WR Percy Harvin is still recovering from a heel injury. Don't feel too sorry for Heisman Hopeful QB Tim Tebow however, both receivers are very talented and should be on the field by opening day.

Young Guns for the 2009 NFL Draft

I have just updated my 2009 NFL Draft Positional Rankings and for the first time I have included sophomores. Unlike most NFL Draft Sites, I do try to predict (or speculate) on who might enter the draft as an under-classmen. Isn’t that what being a Draftnik is all about, speculating about the NFL Draft? So if you are a purist and you think it’s unethical to talk about under-classmen until they actually declare, then you’ve come to the wrong place. So when I am wrong on some of my predictions and some of these prospects decide to go back to college for another year, then I will just update my rankings, just as we all have to update when we finally know exactly which under-classmen has declared.

This is the first time I have ever included sophomores in my rankings or Mock Drafts, heck (currently 7 August), I even have a sophomore as my number one over-all draft pick in my recently updated 2009 NFL Mock Draft. As a disclaimer, I am not recommending that any of these prospects enter the draft early, especially as a sophomore and unless they are a running back, I don’t think they should even enter early as a junior. The running back position is the exception, they only have so much tread on their tires, durability is a concern, you hate to see a college prospect beat themselves down in college and get injured, plus the running back position, except for blocking, is not that hard. Give a running back the ball and he knows exactly which way to run.

So back to the original purpose of this article, since this is the first time I have ever included sophomores in my rankings I wanted to highlight the three prospects that I have chosen to include. All three of the following sophomore prospects are eligible for the draft. The NFL says that a player must simply be three years removed from high school and all three are red-shirt freshman, meaning they sat out and didn’t play their true freshman college football season.

I will start out with maybe the top player in college football at this point, Wide receiver Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech. As a freshman last year he really caught my eye, yes he played for pass happy Texas Tech and the system did pad his stats a little, but C’mon, 22 touchdowns (TDs) and the winner of the Biletnikoff Award as a freshman, that is just unheard of. I watched him play quite a bit last year and he destroyed some talented senior defensive backs that are playing in the NFL right now. Playing against Texas and Oklahoma alone last year he accumulated 22 receptions for 349 yards and 3 touchdowns (TDs). He started out the season on fire last year by scoring 17 touchdowns by October 6th. His total receptions were 134 for 1,962 yards and 22 TDs. Crabtree was the Big 12 Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led the nation and the Big 12 in receptions (134), receiving yards (1,962) and touchdowns (22) - all NCAA freshman records. Plus he didn’t do this against Hawaii; most of his games were in the brutal Big 12. So how did he do this? Well he has all the tools, he looks like he was born to play receiver, he has nice size (6’ 3” 208 pounds), speed, quickness and hands. He looks like a young Michael Irvin to me. It would definitely benefit him to stay in school at least one more year, you could say that about all three of these prospects, but if he does enter the draft, he will be hot property.

Jeremy Maclin is another super talented receiver; Maclin does double duty as a punt and kick returner and put up some pretty gaudy numbers, again in the Big 12. Maclin’s 2,776 all-purpose yards were the most by a freshman in NCAA history and the fifth most by any player ever. Maclin was the only player in the nation to record touchdowns via receiving (9), rushing (4), punt return (2) and kickoff return (1). His kickoff return of 99 yards against Kansas State was one for the record books; it was Missouri's first kickoff return for a TD since 1982. He also set a school record with 360 all-purpose yards against rival Kansas State. As a slot receiver he exploded for a team high 1,055 yards last year and this spring he blazed a 4.32 forty yard dash. At 6’ 1” 200 pounds he is not some small guy either. If he continues to refine his technique, stays healthy and puts up the kind of numbers he put up last year, it might be hard to stop him from jumping to the NFL early. He should be the focal point of Missouri’s offense this year and he will have a Heisman Trophy Candidate throwing him the ball in QB Chase Daniel.

Running Back Knowshon Moreno is getting a ton of hype right now. Georgia is ranked number one in most pre-season College Football Top 25 Polls and Moreno is part of the reason why. This pre-season the accolades are already flying in. Moreno has been named as an All-America and All-SEC first team by Lindy’s, Phil Steele, Athlon, Sporting News, Blue Ribbon; and All-SEC first team by SEC Coaches and Birmingham News. The reason, simply put, Moreno is very good. Last year (2007), he appeared in 13 games making six starts with 248 carries for 1,334 yards (5.3 average) and 14 TDs. He is also excellent catching the ball out of the backfield; he made 20 receptions for 253 yards with a 12.6 yards per catch average. Moreno ended the season with the second-most yards per game (102.6 average) in the SEC and finished No. 2 on the school’s all-time list and No. 4 on the SEC’s all-time list for most yards rushing by a freshman (1,334 yards). He was named to the Freshman All-America First Team by Rivals.com and Scout.com and All-SEC First-Team by Associated Press, SEC Coaches and Rivals.com; named SEC All-Freshman and SEC Freshman Offensive Player of the Year by Sporting News and named to the SEC Coaches All-Freshman team. He is a workhorse, has decent size (5” 11” 207 lbs) and is very durable, he carried the ball 33 times against Florida last season. Quick, strong, shifty, fast and he breaks tackles, the young Knowshon Moreno has all the attributes of an NFL running back.

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Bryan's 2008 Pre-Season College Football Top 25

It might only be July, but it’s not too early to predict which teams will be represented as the top teams in college football this season. The following is this writer’s prediction on which teams will be in the top 25 during the 2008 college football season.

1. USC- The Trojans manage to keep themselves high up in the rankings each and every year and in 2008, they should be able get to the top and stay there. They continue to boast some of the best talent in college football and with Pete Carroll at the helm, the Trojans should be able to dominate.

2. Ohio State- The Buckeyes will be returning most of the players they had last season and with changes taking place in the Big Ten they should be able to win the Big Ten title and contend for the National Championship. The do have some questions on defense but if they can overcome those they could be a solid number two in 2008.

3. Georgia- The Bulldogs have both the offense and the defense to go far this season and they have a chance to contend for the number one spot. They have a star in Knowshon Moreno at the running back position and a good quarterback so their offense is set. Watch out for these guys!

4. Missouri- The Tigers were very impressive last season and with little change this season they could be headed towards the top of rankings if they can keep up their solid play from 2008. It’s hard to find a weakness on this team and they should do very well in 2008.

5. LSU- The Tigers are bound to take a fall this season thanks to the departure of several key players from last season’s national championship anything is possible for a team that has played consistently well the past few seasons. Quarterback will be a position of serious concern as will the secondary but if head coach Les Miles can pull things together they could do well.

6. Florida- The Gators should still manage to stay somewhere in the top ten in 2008 thanks to some solid play by Heisman winner Tim Tebow and a defense that should still be good enough to help them win games. Head coach Urban Meyer can work miracles and he just might have to do that again in 2008.

7. Oklahoma Sooners- The Sooners are poised to be much better than they have been these past few seasons thanks to a solid defense and an up and coming offense. Sophomore Sam Bradford is back at QB, last season he led the nation in pass efficiency and set a freshman record by throwing 38 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions. If the cornerbacks and linebackers hold up they could be in for a great season.

8. Texas- Quarterback Colt McCoy has had got some more seasoning and he is ready to lead what could be a solid team in 2008. The defense is pretty much set and a new and exciting running back in Vondrell McGee is coming on board things are really looking up for the Longhorns.

9. West Virginia- The loss of Steve Slayton is going to matter little to the Mountaineers who will be returning a vast amount of their players from 2007. Watch sophomre RB Noel Devine, he might be the most explosive back in the nation. However, they will be coming into the season with a new head coach which could spell problems for the Mountaineers but still, they have enough talent to contend for a top ten spot.

10. Clemson- Clemson was relatively strong in 2007 and they could come back in 2008 and raise a lot of eyebrows and play pretty well. They have a strong quarterback in Cullen Harper and they are returning their star starting running back James Davis as well. They also have a big time receiver in Aaron Kelley and they aren’t too bad on defense either.

11. BYU- The Cougars will boast one of the hottest passing offenses in the NCAA in 2008 and this will gain them some wins and get them into the top 25 in 2008. They have some stars on defense as well so this should be a good season for BYU.

12. Wisconsin- The Badgers are bringing back a majority of the same players that they had in 2007 which means they will continue to play well in 2008. The only weaknesses on the team appear to be at the quarterback position where the Badgers are still trying to decide who the starter will be. At any rate, the Badgers do look to have a good season.

13. Auburn- The Tigers had a solid offense in 2007 and it will come back once again in 2008. However, like the Badgers, they are still trying to figure out who their quarterback so until that get decided they will still have some issues. However, they should be able to have a strong season and contend for a spot in the top 15 in 2008.

14. Kansas State- Kansas had a great run in 2007 and they are poised to have another good run in 2008 but they probably won’t do as well as they did last year. They will return a ton of starters on defense leaving that until almost virtually intact but they do have some issues on the offensive line that will need some attention if they wish to play as well as they did in 2008.

15. Arizona State- With a rock solid star quarterback, the Sun Devils are poised to have a good season on offense if they can plug some holes. Their defense is stout and with a head coach like Dennis Erickson at the helm, Arizona State could do anything and they could surprise a lot of people.

16. Wake Forest- The Demon Deacons will be bringing back several of the players that they have helped them make their way into bowl games during the past two seasons and they stand the chance of cracking the top 25 this season. Wake Forest does need some firepower on offense and hope to get someone to step up and become a big tie playmaker. Who will that be?

17. Texas Tech- The Red Raiders have one of the best quarterbacks in the NCAA in Graham Harrell and after such a strong season in 2007 Harrell, along with the rest of the team, is poised to have a good year in 2008. The weaknesses on this team lies with the offensive line and if they can’t get it together then Harrell won ‘t have as good year as expected and Texas Tech may not have a great year as a result.

18. Illinois- The Illini had a great run last season and could have another one in 2008 but their running game will see a change thanks to the departure of Rashard Mendenhall. This team still has a strong offense but the running game is going to be a question. Can they crack the top 25 this season or was last year’s team just a fluke?

19. South Florida- The Bulls were hot to start last season but fell down a bit and stumbled through the rest of the season. In 2008 they will be returning ten starters from last season’s power offense which should help them get into top 25 in 2008. There is no telling what is possible for the Bulls.

20. Oregon- The Ducks played some good football in 2007 but some losses on offense will have them concerned. They do have a strong defense (returning many starters from last year’s squad) but their offense will remain a question mark with Jonathan Stewart gone. If they can put together a good offense and their defense remains solid they could crack the top 25 in 2008.

21. Tennessee- The Volunteers have to replace their star quarterback Erik Ainge this season and that will be difficult but they are certainly good enough to have a shot at cracking the top 25 in 2008. What they bring back this year is their starting running back Adrian Foster and he should be able to give the Volunteers enough offense to be somewhat successful in 2008.

22. Florida State- The Seminoles showed some promise last season and with a ton of talent on this team, and a year to mature so they should be able to crack the top 25 this season. Their defense looks to be pretty strong and with quarterback Drew Weatherford in the mix, there are a lot of possibilities for the Seminoles.

23. Pittsburgh- Yes, the Panthers are a team that has a ton of potential and have quietly been getting better. With LeSean McCoy at running back and a good defense, the Panthers could be going places next season. They need to get some stability at the quarterback position however and if they can’t, the might not be able to crack the top 25.

24. Alabama- The Crimson Tide have pieces in some of the right places, now all they need to do is put those pieces together. With strengths on offense for the most part, the need to shore things up a bit on defense to get to where they want to go. If that can do that they should be able to crack the top 25.

25. Fresno State- The Bulldogs are a team on the rise and they have a pretty good chance of cracking the top 25 this coming season. They will be bringing back all but one starter on offense and their defense isn’t bad but they face some tough teams in 2008 and with a few wins against these teams, they could get into the top 25.

By Bryan Deitzler

Centers for the 2009 NFL Draft

It’s not easy to get excited about centers, it’s definitely not a glamorous position, but if you want to win in football you have to run the ball and in order to run the ball you have to have good play at center. After all, the center touches the ball on every play, he must make the critical snap and in modern football he must also be able to hike the ball in a shotgun formation. On top of all that he will likely face either the biggest, baddest defensive tackle or a nimble, fast inside linebacker on every play, or even likely be double teamed. It’s rough and tough on the inside, a lot of stuff goes on in there that we will never see or hear about, a lot of biting, scratching, punching and kicking, just ask the Dallas Cowboys’ Andre Gurode, who received 30 stitches when his head (unhelmeted) was stomped on by Albert Haynesworth last season.

So I think I’ve made my point, centers have to be big, strong and tough, but you’re still not impressed are you? After all, if they are so important why aren’t they drafted higher? That is true, in the 2008 NFL Draft, the first center wasn’t drafted until the second round, Mike Pollack was drafted by the Colts (59th over-all), and most think he was a reach. Cody Wallace was drafted in the 4th round (107th over-all) by the 49ers and Kory Lichtensteiger was drafted right after Wallace at #108 by the Broncos. The 2007 NFL Draft was a little better, Ryan Kalil was drafted in the 2nd round (59th) by the Panthers and the Dolphins drafted a pair of centers Samson Satele in the 2nd round (60th) and Drew Mormino in the 6th round (199th). In that same draft (2007) the Rams drafted Dustin Fry in the 5th round (139th) and the Falcons drafted Doug Datish in the 6th round (198th over-all).

Why is that? Well most of your most talented offensive lineman swing out to play tackle and most guards have also played some center, so quite often, like my example above (Andre Gurode), guards are drafted and converted to centers in the NFL.

So what’s the point of this article? That trend might just end for the 2009 NFL Draft. This year we can finally get excited about the centers, heading into the 2008 college football season, there are three centers that carry a first round NFL Draft grade. All three won’t be drafted in the 1st round obviously, but all three of my highlighted players below are extremely talented and if they continue to improve on strength and technique, are all capable of becoming top flight, even pro bowl NFL centers very early in their NFL careers. All three are either 1st or 2nd team NFL Draft Dog All Americans.

1. Max Unger, Oregon, 6’ 4.5” 308 lbs:
I really like this prospect and out of all three he is the most likely to be a first rounder. His versatility will significantly raise his draft stock in the eyes of the NFL. As a prep Unger attended Hawaii Preparatory Academy, played right tackle and was one of the nation’s top 50 offensive guards by Rivals.com despite not playing organized football until the ninth grade. After receiving an initial red-shirt due to hamstring issues, Unger was a top left tackle for Oregon his first two seasons.

His red-shirt freshman year he protected the blind side of Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens for 12 consecutive starts. He was one of only two starters from his freshman class, along with right tackle Geoff Schwartz. Unger was a major reason why Oregon rose from last in the Pac-10 in QB sacks allowed in 2004 (41) to third in 2005 (20).

As a sophomore in 2006 he started 13 games at left tackle and earned second-team all conference accolades in addition to receiving Oregon’s Ed Moshofsky Award as its top offensive lineman. He played a major role in Oregon finishing second in the Pac-10 in fewest quarterback sacks allowed (16) as well as leading the league in rushing offense (14th nationally) for the first time since 1955.

Last season as a junior he moved inside to center and really shined, he blocked for RB Jonathan Stewart to a career season and school record 1,792 rushing yards and a first round selection in the 2008 NFL Draft where he (Stewart) was selected 13th over-all by the Carolina Panthers. Oregon finished 6th in the nation in rushing offense and Unger was either first or second team All American by most major media outlets.

Heading into the 2008 season, the coaching staff considered moving him back to tackle, but unless there is an emergency, he will remain at center. Unger is a 25-game starter and was named to the 2008 Rimington Trophy spring watch list and has been named to the All-Pac-10 team by several media outlets. Being able to play any position along the offensive line will make Unger hot property for the 2009 NFL Draft. "He's got an attitude I like about football on the offensive line," UO coach Mike Bellotti said of Unger. "He's going to hit somebody. He's going to be physical every play, and I like that."

2. Alex Mack, California, 6’ 4” 302 lbs:
Mack is another great Pac 10 center, about the same size as Unger but just a tad shorter. Mack didn’t start until his sophomore year (2006), but that year he really blossomed as a starter, he earned first-team All-Pac-10 honors after starting all 13 games at the center position and was a second team Pac-10 All-Academic selection and voted the team's Most Improved Offensive Lineman. He finished the regular season with team-highs of 25.5 pancakes and 57.5 knockdowns.

Last year (2007) as a junior Mack was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy as the top center in the nation and earned the Morris Trophy as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-10. The Morris Trophy is special because it is voted on by the league's defensive linemen. Mack was also one of just three players to be a unanimous first-team All-Pac-10 selection. He was a first-team All-American center by The Sporting News and an honorable mention All-American by SI.com. He was honored as a midseason first-team All-American center by Phil Steele's Magazine as well as a midseason first-team All-American by SI.com and Rivals.com.

Before Max Unger emerged, Mack was rated as the No. 1 junior center in the nation by Mel Kiper and he an Unger are neck and neck for that honor heading into the 2008 college football season. Mack was the most talented offensive lineman on an offensive line which allowed just 11 sacks (best in the Pac-10, third in the nation).

3. Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas, 6’ 4” 314 lbs:
Phil Steele actually has Luigs ranked ahead of Unger and Mack heading into the 2008 season. Steele might have a point, after all Luigs was the winner of the Rimington Award last year as the top center in the nation. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones didn’t both become first round draft picks and run for a combined 2,842 yards and 26 touchdowns by accident, and they surely didn’t do it alone. A lot of their success was due to Luigs blocking and many of their runs were right up the gut behind Luigs. Last season Arkansas averaged an amazing 296.8 rushing yards per game. Luigs led the Razorbacks with a 90.4 percent grade average last season (2007), and blocked his way for 36 100-yard rushing games in 35 career games, including a school-record 16 100-yard performances in 12 games last season.

Luigs is not only big and strong, but he plays with great leverage and has excellent feet, he is also experienced and durable, he started 10 games as a red shirt freshman and got 14 starts as a sophomore where he received 3rd team All-American honors. Last season, besides winning the Rimington Award, he was a unanimous first team All American and recorded another 13 starts.

So there you have it, three of the best center prospects for the NFL Draft in recent memory. Will the 2009 NFL Draft be remembered as the year of the center? Only time will tell, but if your NFL team needs a center next year you are in luck.

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2009 NFL Draft Value Board

NFL Draft Dog has completed our pre-season 2009 NFL Draft Value Board. There is no off-season at NFL Draft Dog, the draftniks have been hard at work studying game film from the 2007 season and checking reports of the spring games and practices. This value board, or better none as a "Big Board" will be fine tuned and improved upon right up until the 2009 NFL Draft. The value board is a reflection of where these prospects have value for the NFL Draft, not necessarily where they will be drafted. Any suggestions? Digg or Bark it up below:

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Defensive Ends for the 2009 NFL Draft

Just looking at the seniors there is not a lot to get excited about at the defensive end position this year, but throw in the top three or four juniors and this class of pass rushers could be special indeed. Here is a quick look at some of the top pass rushing talent this year in college football.

Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech:
Many thought Johnson would declare for the 2008 NFL Draft, where the NFL Advisory panel gave him a third round grade. Johnson (6’ 6” 255 lbs.) is a freak of nature, in the Jevon Kearse mold. He hasn’t been as productive as what you would like to see from a size and speed stand point, recording only 5 sacks as a sophomore and 4 as a junior, but he is poised for a breakout season in 2008. Potential can get you only so far, now it's time to produce.

Tyson Jackson, 6' 4" 290 lbs. LSU:
I am not as high on Jackson as most. I lower a player’s draft grade when their production goes down for no good reason. Jackson is a fantastic talent though, he will be drafted high because of his size and athletic ability and he will be able to play End in either a 34 or a 43 defense. But like I said, he was much better as a sophomore than he was last year as a junior. As a sophomore he played all 13 games at left end and led the team in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (10). His 8.5 sacks ranked as the fifth most in the SEC that year. Last season (2007) he recorded only 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. He looked uninterested at times last year. Jackson needs to get in better shape and get motivated to have a bounce back senior season.

Now the real talent comes into play:

(JR) George Selvie, South Florida:
The 6’ 4” 250 pound Selvie was almost unblockable last year in 2007, especially early. By the time the season was complete Selvie had recorded 14.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss, which the latter was one shy of a division 1 record. Quick, strong and relentless, if he can duplicate his effort as a junior he is almost certain to enter the 2009 NFL Draft where he could easily be a top ten selection. Football Draft Dog currently has him being selected 13th overall in their 2009 NFL Mock Draft.

(JR) Greg Hardy, Mississippi
Hardy reminds me of Michael Johnson and at 6’ 5” 255 pounds he has a similar frame. Hardy however is built more like the Cowboys DeMarcus Ware. The other difference between the two is unlike Johnson, Hardy was extremely productive last season. Hardy finished his sophomore season ranked #6 in the NCAA in sacks with 10 and #4 in tackles for loss with 18.5. A basketball player and a budding football star, he should dominate this season.

(JR) Maurice Evans, 6’ 2” 269 lbs. Penn State
Evans is not quite as long and lean as the prospects mentioned above, but he is cat quick and strong enough to bull rush even the most powerful offensive linemen. Last season he finished ranked 8th in the NCAA with 12.5 sacks and 6th (average per game) in tackles for loss with an amazing 21.5.

(JR) Greg Middleton, 6’ 3” 275 lbs. Indiana
Middleton is not as well known as some of the above mentioned prospects being from Indiana, but did you know he led the nation in sacks last year with 16? Middleton has an explosive first step and if he does enter the draft early he will make an NFL team very happy with his character, work ethic and non stop motor. He will see a lot of double teams this year, so hopefully the Hoosiers will move him around to keep offenses honest or his production will likely go down.

(JR) Antonio Coleman, 6’ 2” 243 lbs. Auburn
Coleman will probably be converted to outside linebacker and drafted by an NFL team that plays in a 34 defense. He is the master at the "tackles for loss" recording 18.5 last season, with an additional 8.5 sacks. Coleman is all over the field, very active and an excellent tackler. He sees the plays develop and explodes into the hole. I like his chances, but since he ultimately will be an outside linebacker he will need to have a good workout at the NFL Scouting Combine.

CJ's 2009 NFL Mock Draft

CJ’s Final Mock draft for 2009 (Mock Draft 6.0)

Updated 12 April 2009

Hey there sports fans it’s CJ coming to you live with the last Mock Draft 

before the 2009 NFL draft.  A lot has happened as such I needed to revise 

this mock which was going to be released right as the Jay Cutler trade 

occurred.  It has been a long off-season with a lot of twists and for all of 

us football fanatics we will soon have an exciting sport to watch again.  

Enjoy this mock draft, watch the draft and yell at the TV when you hear a 

player you didn’t want.  Let’s get started:

1)     Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, QB/Georgia (Jr) – Stafford impressed 

at his pro-day which basically solidified his status of #1 overall pick.  

Detroit is in love with this kid and rightfully so, an organization needs to 

build inside out after the QB position is addressed.  This strong armed kid 

will be praying for an OT with the 20th pick.

2)     St Louis Rams: Jason Smith, OT/Baylor (Sr) -  With Orlando Pace 

signing with the Chicago Bears the Rams are going to need someone to protect 

the blindside of Marc Bulger while he tries to prove he is an elite NFL QB.  

NFL teams are hesitant to give big contracts because of instances like 

Bulger’s.  He played exceptional for 3-4 years then struggled after getting 

the big pay day, either way the Rams need to fix the O-line now. 

3)     Kansas City Chiefs: Aaron Curry, OLB/Wake Forest (Sr) – Curry is 

probably the best player in this years draft but because of his position he 

slides to #3 overall.  The Chiefs pick him up because of his ability to play 

in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.  Not sure what new coach Todd Haley is going to run 

but Curry fits in both schemes quite well.  Look for the Chiefs to add 

offensive power the rest of the draft after trading for Cassel.

4)     Seattle Seahawks: Eugene Monroe, OT/Virginia (Sr) – To put this 

simply Walter Jones is 35 years old and will not be around too much longer 

especially with his high cap number.  The Seahawks are going to have to 

build the O-line to keep aging QB Matt Hasselbeck healthy.  When Hasselbeck 

produces the Seahawks click, when he doesn’t like many other teams they end 

up picking top 10.

5)     Cleveland Browns: Michael Crabtree, WR/Texas Tech (So) – This is a 

curve ball for many because of the noticeable lack of talent at CB and 

limited production rushing the passer but when I take into account Donte 

Stallworth’s legal troubles, the release of Jurevicius and horrible 

production from the remaining WR corp I think Crabtree not only fits here 

but this will allow Crabtree to grow into the number one WR as well as give 

the Browns trade bait with Edwards, or they could build a WR corp like 

Arizona and have (2) WR that could fill the #1 WR spot.

6)     Cincinnati Bengals: Andre Smith, OT/Alabama (Jr) – Smith is my choice 

here mainly because the Bengals need help along the O-line.  They have Levi 

Jones and Anthony Collins but no depth and horrible showings last year.  The 

Bengals are here because Palmer got hurt and if they wish to pick outside 

the top 10 they need to protect their franchise QB.  I know Smith has had 

some character issues but his recent interviews and attitude move him back 

into the top 10 in my opinion.

7)     Oakland Raiders: Jeremy Maclin, WR/Missouri (So) – I was really torn 

on this pick, I was debating Darrius Heyward-Bey here because of his size 

speed combination.  The reason Maclin gets my nod here is because of his 

return ability, he is lightning in a bottle and can score from anywhere on 

the field.  Don’t be surprised if DHB comes off the board here the Raiders 

need a WR one way or another.

8)     Jacksonville Jaguars: B.J. Raji, DT/Boston College (Sr) -  Raji comes 

off the board here because Jacksonville has not been the same since they 

traded Stroud.  Imagine Raji and Henderson at the DT position plugging up 

the middle of the field.  If DHB would have had a more productive college 

career he would be off the board here due to the glaring need at the WR 

position for Jax.  Raji fills both a need and best player available scenario 

for the Jaguars so he comes off the board instead.

9)     Green Bay Packers: Brian Orakpo, DE|OLB/Texas (Sr) – Orakpo is a need 

player for the Packers simply because they are switching to a 3-4 defense 

and Orakpo can fill the rush LB position very easily.  Orakpo can play in a 

4-3 setting but with his athleticism a 3-4 transition should not be too 

hard.  Look for O-line youth and depth during the draft.

10) San Francisco 49ers: Mark Sanchez, QB/USC (Jr) – The USC alum has been a 

hot topic with much speculation of him going to Denver, the reality is S.F. 

is in real need of a franchise QB.  Coach Singletary will have the team 

ready to hit and play hard but they do not have talent at the QB position.  

I am a firm believer that a team picking in the top 10 should take a QB if 

they need one and they need one.  Sanchez will show early whether he is a 

bust or not because he came from a pro style offense and not a smoke and 

mirror show like Alex Smith.

11) Buffalo Bills: Aaron Maybin, DE/Penn St (So) – I have not waivered off 

this pick for some time mainly because I think Buffalo’s defense is very 

good they major flaw is a limited pass rush.  Maybin may not be the ideal 

size and weight but when I look at the trouble teams have with Freeney and 

Mathis I tend to give 4-3 ends a little bit of slack on size.

12) Denver Broncos: Rey Maualuga, ILB/USC (Sr) – I have heard rumors Denver 

likes Tyson Jackson and will select him here, I think that is a mistake.  In 

my mind Denver has always had the soul of its defense in the LB corp and 

since this is a unit that makes the plays in a 3-4 I want my team to pick 

him.  The idea of selecting Ron Brace to fill the NT makes more sense than 

pick a DE who can only play the 5 tech and will struggle with rushing the 

passer in the NFL.  Not only will Maualuga be a key part of revamping the 

Denver defense but they keep him away from San Diego as well.

13) Washington Redskins: Everette Brown, DE/Florida St (Jr) – Brown is my 

choice here because the Skins need DE help.  Every year you see them pick up 

a veteran player and skip this need in the draft and I think if they do this 

again it will be a huge mistake.  Brown added to the line of Haynesworth and 

Golston/Griffin and a veteran DE looks to be a talented and imposing 

defensive front.

14) New Orleans Saints: Chris Wells, RB/Ohio St (Jr) – A 230+lbs running 

back who can run a 4.4 forty deserves to go high and would have gone a lot 

higher had it not been for injuries.  Look for Beanie to come off the board 

here for the Saints so he can take those carries Deuce used to get away from 

Bush.  Bush is a bust basically and the Saints need rushing yardage between 

the tackles, this sounds like a great match to me.

15)  Houston Texans: Malcolm Jenkins, DB/Ohio St (Sr) – Whether Jenkins 

plays Safety or Cornerback the Texans need help in the secondary.  The 

Texans have a solid front seven and a talented CB in Dunta Robinson but now 

it’s time to get Robinson help.  If the Texans can sure up the secondary 

look for them to be picking in the 20’s next year.  I think the Texans add 

WR help in the 2nd round.

16) San Diego Chargers:  Tyson Jackson, DE/LSU (Sr) – Jackson does fit a 

need area for the Chargers with the loss of Igor Olshansky to the Dallas 

Cowboys.  The Chargers will have to make sure they are deep at the DL 

position with the aging of Jamal Williams and injury history of Luis 

Castillo.

17)  New York Jets: Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR/Maryland (Jr) – DHB has the 

size/speed combo to become a great NFL WR, now all the Jets need is a 

productive QB whether it be a veteran or one of the youngsters currently on 

the Jets roster.  With the off-season additions of Lito Sheppard, Leonhard 

and Bart Scott the Jets as a team is looking very tough from a paper stand 

point.

18) Denver Broncos (from Chicago Bears): Ron Brace, NT/Boston College (Sr) – 

Brace is a big body NT who will fit in and play immediately.  This is a 

stretch of a pick here but with Denver not picking again for 30+ picks Brace 

could be gone and Denver would lose a potentially big piece in revamping the 

defense and conversion from a 4-3 to a 3-4.  This needs to be a defensive 

draft is Denver plans on not turning into the bottom feeders of the AFC 

west.  With McDaniels running Cutler out of town Denver better make smart 

and productive picks or a lot of Bronco fans including myself will be 

calling for his job.

19) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Josh Freeman, QB/Kansas St (Jr) – I brought 

Freeman up in previous drafts and from the feedback I have heard from some 

league friends and sources Freeman is intriguing and talented enough to go 

in the first round.  He has a huge arm and big frame kind of like a Joe 

Flacco and with the Bucs losing out on the Jay Cutler trade look for Tampa 

Bay to get a potential franchise QB in this draft or the next.  If Tampa 

does not pick Freeman look for Oher to come off the board here.

20) Detroit Lions (from Dallas Cowboys): Michael Oher, OT/Mississippi (Sr) – 

With the Lions taking a franchise QB they will need a franchise LT to 

protect his blindside and as athletic as Oher is he fits the bill.  Oher’s 

main hinder is his consistency, with coaching he should be able to be a 

perennial pro bowler in a couple of years.  One thing is for sure the Lions 

need protection for a QB and someone to get the ball to Calvin Johnson.

21) Philadelphia Eagles: Knowshown Moreno, RB/Georgia (So) – Moreno is a RB 

who can take some of the load off of Westbrook’s shoulders.  With the 

departure of Buckhalter the Eagles are in real need of depth and youth at a 

key position for the Andy Reid offense.  As usual the Eagles don’t look to 

have too many holes on paper so enjoy when they pull a usual trick and draft 

a LB or DL here.

22) Minnesota Vikings: Percy Harvin, WR/Florida (Jr) – Harvin will not be 

required to be the prototypical WR if selected here because the Vikings have 

Berrian and other talented young WR’s.   This pick make sense because Harvin 

will be allowed to use his skills in more of an athlete position (for a 

couple of years at least) before they require him to be the next Steve Smith 

or Santana Moss.

23) New England Patriots: Brian Cushing, LB/USC (Sr) – Cushing is a beast of 

a player the Patriots are glad fell to them.  He can play the ILB or OLB for 

the Patriots 3-4 defense which is exactly what Belichick looks for in a 

player.  Even though the Patriots drafted youth for their defense last year 

they still need more youth in order to groom these talented athletes before 

the aging playmakers leave, retire or get cut.

24) Atlanta Falcons: Brandon Pettigrew, TE/Oklahoma St (Sr) – Pettigrew is 

the hands down choice if he falls here.  He is a massive TE who can block 

for the dangerous tandem of Michael Turner and Norwood as well as become a 

dangerous receiving option for Matt Ryan, especially in the red zone.  

Atlanta will need to address the departure of Michael Boley and Keith 

Brooking but that can be done in later rounds.

25) Miami Dolphins: Vonte Davis, CB/Illinois (Jr) – Davis may not as fast as 

his brother but he is still plenty fast to be a CB and he has the attitude 

and character to back it up.  Davis not afraid to come up in run support 

which is something the Tuna looks for in any player.  This looks like a 

logical pick when reviewing the Miami Dolphins current secondary roster.

26) Baltimore Ravens: James Laurinaitis, LB/Ohio St (Sr) – Laurinaitis is a 

former Butkus award winner who I’m sure the Ravens didn’t think would fall 

this far.  I know some think with the release of McAlister the Ravens would 

go CB here in the first, I think they can wait because of Fabian Washington 

and the resigning of Rolle.  Either way the Ravens can address the CB spot 

on day 1 of the draft.

27) Indianapolis Colts: Peria Jerry, DT/Mississippi (Sr) – Jerry is a need 

for the Colts who showed their desperation for a DT earlier this season in 

attempting to trade for McCargo.  After the release of Ed Johnson and the 

departure of Darrel Reid the Colts really need some depth along the 

defensive line, without more depth Freeney and Mathis are going to struggle.

28) Philadelphia Eagles (from Carolina Panthers): Eben Britton, OT/Arizona 

(Jr) – Britton is a talented young tackle who can vie for playing time 

immediately with the departure of Tra Thomas to Jacksonville.  Andy Reed 

makes it no secret he likes to build inside out in the draft and I do not 

think it will be any different here.  Britton has nice size and solid 

footwork, plus he is athletic enough for the screens and offensive system 

Reed employs.

29) New York Giants: Donald Brown, RB/Uconn (Jr) – Brown is the selection I 

think they are going to make.  Jacobs cannot be the every down back because 

of the pounding his body takes, throw Donald Brown in with a young and 

talented Giants offense and you have an excellent one two punch with 

Bradshaw occupying the 3rd down scat back position.

30) Tennessee Titans: Fili Moala, DT/USC (Sr) – Mr. Moala is a talented DT 

and with the loss of Haynesworth the Titans are looking to add depth for the 

vacated pro bowler.  Moala is more of a 3 technique but he will be able to 

rotate in and eventually start for the Titan front.

31) Arizona Cardinals: Clay Matthews, OLB/USC (Sr) – Okeafor is a 33 year 

old LB which Matthews can add depth and an eventual successor for, 

especially when the Cardinals play a 3-4 look.  Matthews is a solid player 

the Cards will be excited to have in training camp and on the team.

32) Pittsburgh Steelers: Alex Mack, OL/California (Sr) – Mack is an interior 

lineman who can play all three interior positions which is exactly what the 

Steelers need.  I am truly surprised the Steelers have been so successful on 

offense with the amount of sacks the offensive line gives up.  I expected 

them to address this position last year before they selected the Illinois 

RB.  Hopefully the Steelers address the O-line problems before Big Ben 

becomes seriously injured.

Round 2

33) Detroit Lions: Robert Ayers, DE/Tennessee (Sr) – Had a great senior 

season should add skill to the defense.

34)  New England Patriots (from Kansas City Chiefs): Larry English, 

DE|OLB/Northern Illinois (Sr) – This talented player will definitely be an 

addition on rush downs not to mention if Cushing moves inside.

35) St Louis Rams: Darius Butler, CB/Uconn (Sr) – The Rams need better cover 

corners and Butler fits exactly the bill Delmas could also come off the 

board here.

36) Cleveland Browns: Michael Johnson, DE|OLB/Georgia Tech (Sr) – The Browns 

need a pass rush and when Johnson is on he is dangerous.

37) Seattle Seahawks: Marcus Freeman, OLB/Ohio St (Sr) – Freeman is a 

talented OLB who can replace Peterson quite nicely.

38) Cincinnati Bengals: Louis Delmas, S/Western Michigan (Sr) – The Bengals 

need more talent in the secondary and Delmas is a talented youngster who can 

hit.

39)  Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Robiskie, WR/Ohio St (Sr) – Robiskie is 

polished enough and has all the tools the Jaguars need to help the WR corp.

40) Oakland Raiders: Paul Kruger, DE/Utah (Sr) – The Raiders need DE help 

and Kruger can handle himself against the Run and in pass rush.

41) Green Bay Packers: William Beatty, OT/Uconn (Sr) – Beatty is an athletic 

tackle who can sit on the bench while being groomed.

42)  Buffalo Bills: Shawn Nelson, TE/Southern Mississippi (Jr) – This 

athletic TE will be a great addition to the Bills offense.

43) San Francisco 49ers: Connor Barwin, DE|OLB/Cincinnati (Sr) – This 

athletic hybrid is exactly what a 3-4 defense looks for and with Niners 

current injury history at the position look for depth to be added.

44) Miami Dolphins (from Washington Redskins): Kenny Britt, WR/Rutgers (Jr) 

– Britt jumps Nicks here because of the speed factor, either way the 

Dolphins need WR help.

45) New York Giants (from New Orleans Saints): Jared Cook, TE/South Carolina 

(Sr) – Cook is a speedy TE who can stretch the field as a #2 TE.

46) Houston Texans: Hakim Nicks, WR/North Carolina (Jr) – Nicks will help 

add depth to a WR corp that is thin after FA.

47) New England Patriots (from San Diego Chargers): Alphonso Smith, CB/Wake 

Forest (Sr) – Smith is a playmaker but falls to here because of his height.

48) Denver Broncos: Clint Sintim, OLB/Virginia (Sr) – Denver keeps adding to 

the front seven and if they can get Maualuga, Brace and Sintim it’s a great 

day 1.

49) Chicago Bears: Ziggy Hood, DT/Missouri (Sr) – Hood is a three technique 

who can help rotate with Tommie Harris.

50)  Cleveland Browns (from Tampa Bay Buccaneers): LeSean McCoy, 

RB/Pittsburgh (So) – McCoy is a great athlete who can add another dangerous 

offensive weapon to a young offense.

51) Dallas Cowboys: William Moore, S/Missouri (Sr) – Moore is a hard hitting 

S who (if he can revert to his Junior form) can be a pro bowler at either S 

position.

52) New York Jets: Eric Wood, OL/Louisville (Sr) – Wood is a mauler who can 

play all three positions.

53) Philadelphia Eagles: Juaquin Iglesias, WR/Oklahoma (Sr) – Iglesias is a 

possession WR who could fit in well with the Eagles.

54) Minnesota Vikings: Max Unger, OL/Oregon (Sr) – Three position OL who can 

fit in with a running offense real well.

55) Atlanta Falcons: D.J. Moore, CB/Vanderbilt (Jr) – Moore will fit in well 

with a defense that desperately needs another CB.

56) Miami Dolphins: Andy Levitre, OL/Oregon St (Sr) – Levitre is a tough 

interior lineman who fits well with a run oriented offense.

57) Baltimore Ravens: Sean Smith, CB/Utah (Jr) – Smith is a big CB who fits 

with the physical style of defense the Ravens have been known for.

58) New England Patriots: Shonn Greene, RB/Iowa (Jr): Greene is a large RB 

who can split carries with Maroney and run in between the tackles with much 

more authority.

59) Carolina Panthers: Patrick Chung, S/Oregon (Sr) – Panthers need a Safety 

in a bad way and Chung is athletic enough to be a playmaker for some time.

60) New York Giants: Rashad Johnson, S/Alabama (Sr) – Johnson is a talented 

S from the SEC who can makes plays when it counts.

61) Indianapolis Colts: Mohamed Massaquoi, WR/Georgia (Sr) – The Colts need 

some depth after releasing the all time leading franchise WR in Harrison.

62) Tennessee Titans: Brandon Tate, WR/North Carolina (Sr) – Titans need 

more depth at WR because even though they are a run heavy team they need to 

pass against a tough defense keying on the run.

63) Arizona Cardinals: Andre Brown, RB/North Carolina St (Sr) – Brown is a 

hard nosed runner who can help share the load with Hightower and maybe even 

James if he stays in a Cardinal uniform.

64) Pittsburgh Steelers: Jairus Byrd, CB/Oregon (Jr) – Byrd is exactly the 

hard nose CB the Steelers draft.

See more quality mock drafts in our Mock Draft Database

By CJ