Lionbacker NFL Draft Blog

Lions Coaches in Mobile

2010-01-29T18:14:00.000-08:00

By the good graces of the NFL, the Lions' coaching staff had an inside pass and got to spend the better part of four days working with, and of course evaluating, some of the best senior college football players destined for the NFL this fall. Jim Schwartz, never one to tip his hand, always tended to be vague during his pressers. He complimented a host of players, never really singled anyone out as being better than another, and all in all kept his findings to himself. How Jim!

Based upon what has been written in various on-line articles by various analysts, reporters and amateur spectators, there are a few players who have stood out and possibly made themselves a great deal of money this week in Senior Bowl practices.

1. RB/WR Dexter McCluster
Likely the smallest player out there, but by all accounts the fastest and possibly the one with the greatest amount of heart. Used as a receiver and running back, McCluster used every opportunity to show off some considerable speed and overall skills. He never flinched from contact, even doing some hard running between the tackles. Though he's not likely to be used in a RB role, other than as a third down option, he has shown a competitive fire and the ability to break a play wide open. A likely second round pick now.

2. RB LeGarrette Blount
His widely publicized loss of emotional control will still cost him come draft day, but not nearly as much as it would have if he had not received an invitation to take part in this game. He ran hard all week, whether inside or outside, and displayed a humble demeanor to the press born of remorse for his actions. While some may have been looking at Jahvid Best or even Anthony Dixon as the possible third back off the board this April, I think Blount's name gets called early in the second round, possibly even by Detroit.

3. RB Jocquie Bell
The Wayne State Tartars sensation won the award as the top Division II player in the country, and certainly did not embarrass himself in Mobile. He displayed a good set of skills, whether running the ball, catching or blocking. While it is unlikely he is taken before the fourth round, it sure is better than a 7th round-UDFA grade like he had before. Some will still wonder if he has the speed to run away from NFL defenders, but that can be answered during the Combines and Pro Day workouts.

4. DE Alex Carrington
Arkansas State, who brought us the wonder known as Tarvaris Jackson, is now ready to introduce Alex Carrington to the NFL. Carrington was considered the best defensive linemen out there by some analysts, even better than more heralded DTs like Dan Williams and Jared Odrick. Carrington is an impressive 6'5" and 285 lbs, with a quick first step and the arms and hands to keep blockers off of him. He also displayed ample strength such that he was able to bull rush some pretty good offensive linemen and knock them on their butts. Carrington was carrying a grade of around a 5th rounder, but now may be looked at as high as the mid second round due to his ability to play defensive end in either a 43 or 34 defense.

5. OG John Jerry
Older brother Peria went to the Falcons in the first round last season, after he raised some eyebrows in last years Senior Bowl. The year brother John came to Mobile and has increased his draft stock, but likely not as much. Jerry didn't display flawless technique, but he was rarely off balance and was able to move his feet better than anticipated. He came to the practices in excellent shape, and by some accounts has lost some 20 pounds or more since the end of the college season. While he doesn't have the quick feet to be an elite NFL tackle, he does have the balance, hand quickness and technique to make for a damn fine NFL guard, or even right tackle. He will likely be taken in the second round, and could be the second interior offensive lineman off the board, after man-beast Mike Iupati goes in the first round.

Honorable Mention goes to West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown, who was the consensus best quarterback among both squads. While he doesn't possess the arm strength of Tony Pike, or the intermediate accuracy of Sean Canfield, Brown has enough arm strength and accuracy to do well enough to be considered a viable developmental prospect worthy of a mid to late second round selection. He could even be the fourth QB off the board, after Bradford, Clausen and McCoy, of course. How he manages the Senior Bowl South Offense while he's playing will be critical in his overall ranking.

All that said, this IS a Lions blog after all. It is obvious the Lions are going to be the proud parents of a defensive tackle in the first round. But the question is, what happens after that? The Lions have so many needs, what direction should they follow? Most have said that the Lions must go defense as often as possible when it makes sense. I agree. But those are not the only needs the Lions have. Left offensive guard has been an unsettled position for over a decade. In round two, there is likely to be a player or two who may be worthy of that #34 pick. Maurkice Pouncey, who was a center but has the size to play guard, could be considered. As well, the previously mentioned John Jerry is the kind of road grader guard the Lions would love to have between Backus and Raiola, but haven't been able to locate. "Address the lines, the rest will take care of itself" is a mantra many Lions fans have taken to heart, due to the ineptitude of the previous managerial regime to recognize that in the trenches is where the games are fought and won. Generals (QBs) may get the accolades, but it's the footsoldiers (linemen) who spill the blood and win the battles that decide the victories.

The Lions could also consider a running back, since the health of Kevin Smith is in question, as well as his overall capacity of being an effective full time running back. Smith displayed a tendency to hesitate at the line this past season, which may have cost him the respect of the coaching staff and other players. He criticized himself for it at times, but didn't seem to fix the problem. Overlooking the importance of having a dominant running back would be a mistake. Just ask Brett Favre, who continuously gave credit to Adrian Peterson for getting the Vikings to where they were at seasons end.

Other defensive positions to consider would be corner back and defensive end. In my eyes, cornerback is the single weakest position on the Lions roster. There was a complete turnover from 2008 to 2009, and it seemed like the secondary play got worse. It got so bad, that folks were wondering if Travis Fisher was looking for a job (he was in Seattle). It always made me wonder why the new coaching staff cut Keith Smith? He seemed like he was their best cover guy in pre-season, yet they parted ways with him. Obviously not the finest hour for Mayhew, Schwartz and Cunningham. But now they must look to fix that leaky secondary, and they can't wait until round five to pick someone off the scrap heap. Kyle Wilson seemed like he was velcroed to receivers he was covering in all the practices that took place in Mobile. He was smooth in his backpedal and was able to flip his hips without losing any speed or give up space to the man he was covering. He played zone well, reading receivers and quarterbacks and making play after play. While before this week he carried a third round grade, he could be late first round material now. If he's still on the board at #34, the Lions have to strongly consider him.

Lastly, there is the defensive end position to consider. I've already spoke of Alex Carrington, who could look very good in Honolulu Blue and Silver. He played the run and pass equally well, and would allow the Lions to cut Dewayne White, who obviously can't stay healthy and is running on fumes at this point. Others to consider would be Everson Griffen, Corey Wootton and possibly Ricky Sapp as a pure pass rusher. All three of those players, as with Carrington, likely won't be available in round three.

I understand and accept the idea of taking the best talent available. The Lions roster has been void of talent for quite some time. The more I look at the prospects available into the third round, the more I wonder if the Lions won't be considering a trade down in round two to pick up additional picks in hopes of adding more talent in more areas. But do you pass on a Kyle Wilson, or John Jerry, or Alex Carrington? Tough choices to make for the Lions front office and staff. I just hope they make the best choices for the team.

2010 NFL Draft Order (first round)

2010-01-04T13:14:00.000-08:00

Here is a look at the 2010 NFL Draft order:

ROUND ONE
1. St. Louis (1-15)
2. Detroit (2-14)
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)
4. Washington (4-12)
5. Kansas City (4-12)
6. Seattle (5-11)
7. Cleveland (5-11)
8. Oakland (5-11)
9. Buffalo (6-10)
10.(Tie) Jacksonville (7-9)
10.(Tie) Denver (from Chicago 7-9)
12. Miami (7-9)
13. San Francisco (8-8)
14. Seattle (from Denver 8-8)
15. New York Giants (8-8)
16.(Tie) Tennessee (8-8)
16.(Tie) San Francisco (from Carolina 8-8)
18. Pittsburgh (9-7)
19.(Tie) Atlanta (9-7)
19.(Tie) Houston (9-7)

The tied picks will be determined by a coin-flip.

The order of the following teams is subject to the results of the playoffs.

21. New York Jets (9-7)
22. Baltimore (9-7)
23. Arizona (10-6)
24. Cincinnati (10-6)
25. New England (10-6)
26. Green Bay (11-5)
27. Philadelphia (11-5)
28. Dallas (11-5)
29. Minnesota (12-4)
30. San Diego (13-3)
31. New Orleans (13-3)
32. Indianapolis (14-2)

Picks 21-24 will be made by the wild-card round losers. Picks 25-28 will be made the divisional round losers. Picks 29-30 will be made by the conference championship losers. Pick 31 will go to the Super Bowl loser and pick 32 will go to the Super Bowl champion.

Matt Stafford Looks to be The Choice

2009-04-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

With the draft only a few days away the Lions new GM, Martin Mayhew, has said the club plans to have the top pick in the draft signed by the time their pick is announced. That pick clearly appears to be Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford. The two sides are said to be close to finalizing a deal.

It is also rumored that the Lions might already have a deal in place with linebacker and fan favorite Aaron Curry out of Wake Forest. Curry has stated publically that he will take a smaller contract than last years top overall pick, Jake Long of the Miami Dolphins.

It should be noted that the agent for Stafford is Tom Condon, not the easiest agent n the world to deal with so until the contract is signed in ink nothing is for sure.

But for now Lions fans must begin to accept that Matthew Stafford will indeed be the pick as Detroit now has claims to its "quarterback of the future". The future, howver, will not start immediately as Stafford will most like sit behind veteran Dante Culpepper who was impressive in the teams latest minicamp.

The strong armed junior quarterback stands 6'2" and 225 pounds. He compiled a 27-7 college record and ranks among the schools all-time leaders in passing yards (7,731) and passing touchdowns (51). Stafford won all three bowl games he played in and has been on the national radar after being ranked the top prep passer in the country by rivals.com after a stellar career with Highland Park in the Dallas area. He lead his high school team to their first championship since 1957, the same year the Lions won their last championshiop and at the same high school Lions Hall-of-Fame quarterback Bobby Layne (and running back Doak Walker) played for.

Stafford has a quick release and will immediately have one of the strongest arms in the NFL. He is, however, questioned about his decision making and less than ideal accuracy.

Regardless, it is time for Lions fans to start accepting reality even if they are gun shy after Harrington, Ware, Long, etc...

NFL Scouting Combine to Kickoff Next Week

2009-02-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will be the home to the NFL Scouting Combine to kick off next week, February 18-24. More than 600 NFL personnel will be on hand to evaluate the prospect performing a number of test including the 40-yard dash, bench press, 3-cone drill, vertical jump, and various position specific drills.

Combine Schedule:
Saturday, Feb. 21
Group 1 (OL, SPECIALISTS), Group 2 (OL), Group 3 (TE)

Sunday, Feb. 22
Group 4 (QB, WR), Group 5 (QB, WR), Group 6 (RB)

Monday, Feb. 23
Group 7 (DL), Group 8 (DL), Group 9 (LB)

Tuesday, Feb. 24
Group 10 (DB), Group 11 (DB)

Lions have 1st and 20th picks in draft (for now)

2008-12-29T13:28:00.000-08:00

The Lions had already clinched the top spot in the 2009 draft, the real question is where their second pick would wind up. With the Cowboys loss to the Eagles, the pick sits at number 20 and works out like this:

You have San Diego 8-8 at #16 followed by the 9-7 Jets, Bears, Bucs, Cowboys and Cards for spots 17-21.

The Cards, being a playoff team, will go last out of this group so they get #21.

The winning % of opponents for the other teams shake out:

17. New York Jets (9-7) .471
18. Chicago Bears (9-7) .475
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) .480
20. Dallas Cowboys (9-7) .498

The pick can move up one (19th overall) if the Chargers make it to the Super Bowl.

So we are pretty much assured of pick #20, if the Cowboys would have won yesterday we would have been looking at pick #22 since they would have had the same record as the Vikings but Minn would have had the stronger SOS at .503

The full draft order as of today, pending playoff results, looks like this:

1. Detroit Lions (0-16) .559 strength of schedule
2. St. Louis Rams (2-14) .533
3. Kansas City Chiefs (2-14) .537
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-12) .498
5. Cleveland Browns (4-12) .572
6. Cincinnati Bengals (4-11-1) .533
7. Oakland Raiders (5-11) .520
8. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) .537
9. Green Bay Packers (6-10) .504
10. San Francisco 49ers (7-9) .447
11. Buffalo Bills (7-9) .453
12. Denver Broncos (8-8) .457
13. Washington Redskins (8-8) .479
14. New Orleans Saints (8-8) .496
15. Houston Texans (8-8) .518
16. San Diego Chargers (8-8) .516
17. New York Jets (9-7) .471
18. Chicago Bears (9-7) .475
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) .480
20. Dallas Cowboys (9-7) .498 - traded to Detroit
21. Arizona Cardinals (9-7) .486
22. Philadelphia Eagles (9-6-1) .514
23. Minnesota Vikings (10-6) .504
24. New England Patriots (11-5) .480
25. Atlanta Falcons (11-5) .459
26. Miami Dolphins (11-5) .461
27. Baltimore Ravens (11-5) .521
28. Carolina Panthers (12-4) .488 - traded to Philadelphia
29. Indianapolis Colts (12-4) .498
30. New York Giants (12-4) .502
31. Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) .525
32. Tennessee Titans (13-3) .459

M2K's "Last Minute Final Offering" 3 Rounder with Trades

2008-04-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

ROUND ONE

1 Dolphins OT Jake Long

2 Rams DE Chris Long

3 Falcons DT Glenn Dorsey

4 Raiders RB Darren McFadden

5 Chiefs DE Vernon Gholston

6 NY Jets QB Matt Ryan

******Projected Trade*******
Bengals trade 9 and 77 to Patriots for 7 and 129

7 Bengals(SF) DT Sedrick Ellis

8 Ravens OT Ryan Clady

9 Patriots (CIN) LB Keith Rivers

******Projected Trade*******
Panthers trade 13 and 74 to Saints for 10 and 146

10 Panthers (NO) DE Derrick Harvey

11 Bills CB Leodis McKelvin

12 Broncos OG Branden Albert

13 Saints (CAR) CB Dominique Rogers-Cromartie

14 Bears OT Chris Williams

******Projected Trade*******
Texans trade 18 and 79 to Lions for 15 and 144

15 Texans (DET) RB Rashard Mendenhall

16 Cardinals RB Jonathan Stewart

17 Chiefs OT Jeff Otah

18 Lions (HOU) LB Jerod Mayo

19 Eagles WR Devin Thomas

20 Buccaneers CB Michael Jenkins

21 Redskins DE Phillip Merling

22 Cowboys RB Felix Jones

23 Steelers DE Calais Campbell

24 Titans WR Limas Sweed

25 Seahawks DT Kentwan Balmer

******Projected Trade*******
Falcons trade 37, 68 and 103 to Jaguars for 26 and 89

26 Falcons (JAX) QB Brian Brohm

27 Chargers OT Gosder Cherilus

28 Cowboys WR James Hardy

29 49ers LB Quentin Groves

30 Packers CB Aqib Talib

NA Patriots Forfeited

******Projected Trade*******
Ravens trade 38 and 106 to Giants for 31

31 Ravens(NYG) QB Joe Flacco

ROUND TWO

32. Dolphins CB Brandon Flowers

33. Rams WR DeSean Jackson

34. Falcons OT Sam Baker

35. Chiefs CB Antoine Cason

36. Jets LB Dan Connor

37. Jaguars(ATL) DE Lawrence Jackson

38. Giants(BAL) FS Kenny Phillips

39. 49ers LB Curtis Lofton

40. Saints DT Trevor Laws

41. Bills WR Jordy Nelson

42. Broncos DB Reggie Smith

43. Panthers RB Jamaal Charles

45. Bears RB Chris Johnson

46. Lions OT Duane Brown

47. Bengals WR Earl Bennett

48. Vikings WR Early Doucet

49. Falcons CB Tracy Porter

50. Eagles LB Xavier Adibi

51. Cardinals FS Marcellous Johnson

52. Redskins WR Mario Manningham

53. Buccaneers DE Jason Jones

54. Steelers OG Chilo Rachal

55. Titans DT Pat Sims

55. Seahawks TE Dustin Keller

56. Packers TE Fred Davis

57. Dolphins QB Chad Henne

58. Jaguars OT Carl Nicks

59. Colts LB Erin Henderson

60. Packers RB Ray Rice

61. Cowboys CB Justin King

62. Patriots RB Matt Forte’

63. Giants OG Jeremy Zuttah

ROUND THREE

64. Dolphins LB Phillip Wheeler

65. Rams FS DaJuan Morgan

66. Chiefs QB Andre Woodson

67. Panthers OT Anthony Collins

68. Jaguars(ATL) WR Andre Caldwell

69. Patriots CB Antwaun Moulden

70. Bears DT Dre Moore

71. Jaguars LB Shawn Crable

72. Bills TE Martellus Bennett

73. Chiefs OG Oniel Cousins

74. Saints (CAR) LB Geno Hayes

75. 49ers OC Mike Pollack

76. Lions DE Jeremy Thompson

77. Patriots (CIN) OT Geoff Schwartz

78. Saints SS Josh Barrett

79. Lions (HOU) CB Tyvon Branch

80. Eagles OT John Greco

81. Cardinals LB Cliff Avril

82. Chiefs WR Will Franklin

83. Buccaneers WR Malcolm Kelly

84. Redskins CB Charles Godfrey

85. Titans LB Beau Bell

86. Seahawks FS Thomas DeCoud

87. Lions RB Kevin Smith

88. Steelers CB Patrick Lee

89. Falcons(JAX) WR Eddie Royal

90. Bears SS Tom Zbikowski

91. Packers OT Mike McGlynn

92. Cowboys OG Roy Schuenninng

93. Colts DT Red Bryant

94. Patriots CB Terrell Thomas

95. Giants LB Marcus Howard

96. Redskins FS Quentin Demps

97. Bengals DE Chris Ellis

98. Falcons TE Brad Cottam

99. Ravens CB Orlando Scandrick

M2K's "One Month to Draft" 2 Round Mock Draft

2008-03-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

2008 NFL Draft Mock
1 Dolphins DE Vernon Gholston Ohio State
Despite the fact that Miami desperately needs a quarterback, there is none available with the top overall pick. There are really only three players that should be strongly considered here, Gholston and the Longs. With their hybrid 3-4 system, I see Gholston getting the nod as the OLB opposite Jason Taylor, with the ability to drop into a DE role with a four man front. Though Chris Long has shown through workouts that he can perform well as an OLB in the 3-4, Gholston has the better overall athleticism.
Options: OT Jake Long, DE Chris Long

2 Rams DE Chris Long Virginia
The Rams won’t exactly consider Chris Long a consolation prize here. While Gholston may have put up astounding Combine and workout numbers, Long was a prolific pass rusher playing defensive end in the Cavaliers’ 3-4 defense. He has the quickness and frame to make the move to the same position in a 4-3, and the Rams really need a solid pass rusher.
Options: OT Jake Long, DT Sedrick Ellis, DT Glenn Dorsey

3 Falcons OT Jake Long Michigan
Like the Dolphins, the Falcons really need a QB. However, Matt Ryan doesn’t carry value here, and there will be good QB’s available in rounds two and three. The Falcons really need to better protect whoever is under center, and need someone to open holes for high-priced free agent running back Michael Turner. DT is a possibility, but Jake Long is a rare specimen and fills a huge need for the “Dirty Birds”.
Options: QB Matt Ryan, DT Sedrick Ellis, CB Leodis McKelvin

4 Raiders RB Darren McFadden Arkansas
Al Davis doesn’t follow any true rules when drafting players, other than one: go with the speed. McFadden can be this years version of Adrian Peterson. Though Justin Fargas was re-signed and did fairly well, everyone knows he’s not in the same league (technically he is) as McFadden. The Raiders could go with Ellis or Dorsey to replace Warren Sapp, but that would make too much sense for Davis.
Options: DT Glenn Dorsey, OT Ryan Clady

5 Chiefs DT Sedrick Ellis USC
Should the Chiefs gamble on Glenn Dorsey, or do they reach for a prospect? Their offensive line is in shambles, so moving down to get some value and taking Ryan Clady with a later pick makes sense. But all the trade bait players are off the board other than Ellis, and he does fill a need. Though just a small reach here, Sedrick could ultimately be a better NFL player than Dorsey.
Options: DT Glenn Dorsey, CB Leodis McKelvin, OT Ryan Clady

6 NY Jets CB Leodis McKelvin Troy
The Jets would be crying at this spot if they lost out on all the players taken before in this mock. McFadden, Gholston or Chris Long would be highly desirable. However the Jets also need to upgrade their secondary as well. McKelvin is a reach here, but he could start from day one on the Jets defense opposite Darrelle Revis. Andre Woolfolk was signed, but is not starting material in the NFL.
Options: DT Glenn Dorsey, CB Dominique Cromartie, LB Keith Rivers

7 Patroits (SF) CB Dominique Cromartie Tennessee State
It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Patriots find a way to move down and collect a few picks, but they may have very few takers. Rogers-Cromartie is perhaps the best pure talent at his position, but his small school roots could scare some. It won’t scare the Pats, who know talent when they see it, and typically draft it.
Options: CB Michael Jenkins, LB Keith Rivers, RB Reshard Mendenhall

8 Ravens QB Matt Ryan Boston College
The Ravens really need a quarterback, and though he may not be worth a top ten pick, Ryan is the best available by a long shot. The Ravens would be wise to try and trade down, as the next few teams have no needs at the position. However, should they be stuck with the pick, getting a new QB has to be the call.
Options: CB Michael Jenkins, OT Ryan Clady, DT Glenn Dorsey

9 Bengals DT Glenn Dorsey LSU
The Bengals landed free agent Darryl Blackstock, but that doesn’t mean they still don’t have linebacker needs. However, they still have to shore up their front four, and the will take what could end up being the best player in this draft. Recent medical issues aside, Dorsey is a disruptive force to contend with.
Options: LB Keith Rivers, DE Derrick Harvey, DE Phillip Merling

10 Saints CB Michael Jenkins South Florida
What does it say about college cornerbacks when the top three off the draft board this year are from “second tier” colleges? Jenkins is a big corner who has excellent speed and quickness. His zone skills need some work, as does his tackling. There are some character concerns as well, but that won’t prevent the Saints from taking him here.
Options: LB Keith Rivers, OT Ryan Clady

11 Bills LB Keith Rivers USC
The Bills could use a big wide out with possession skills or a cover corner. Since no receiver is worth this pick and the best corners are off the board, the Bills take the best defensive player available in Rivers. He can play any linebacking spot, and will become a starter before the ink dries on his contract.
Options: OT Ryan Clady, WR Devin Smith, DE Derrick Harvey

12 Broncos OT Ryan Clady Boise State
The Broncos would be thrilled if Clady fell to them here. Denver needs a replacement for Matt Lepsis, and Clady has the talent to start immediately. The Broncos need some help at safety, and they always seem to need defensive line help, but the offensive line is what needs to be addressed here.
Options: DE Derrick Harvey, DE Phillip Merling, WR Devin Smith

13 Panthers DE Phillip Merling Clemson
Carolina has stated that they would be willing to use their first round pick on a running back, and I for one don’t think they are kidding. If Mendenhall falls here, the Panthers may take him. But, I think the Panthers realize they need to get Julius Peppers some help, and will take Merling here to do just that.
Options: DE Derrick Harvey, RB Reshard Mendenhall, OT Chris Williams

14 Bears OT Chris Williams Vanderbilt
The Bears have to address some issues on offense; quarterback, running back and the offensive line have needs. Is Rex Grossman really their man behind center? Is Cedric Benson officially a bust? Who will replace Fred Miller? That last question is the one that will be answered with this pick.
Options: RB Reshard Mendenhall, WR Devin Smith, QB Brian Brohm

15 Lions DE Derrick Harvey Florida
The Lions have some desperate needs on their defense. A pass rusher, a middle linebacker and overall depth at just about every spot. Although he may not have put up great workout numbers, Harvey has proven his ability to get to the quarterback against top level college competition. The Lions need to get a replacement for the released bust known as Kalimba Edwards.
Options: RB Reshard Mendenhall, OT Jeff Otah

16 Cardinals RB Reshard Mendenhall Illinois
Edgerrin James may have seen his last game in a Cards uniform. Mendenhall represents a great value here, as many see him as a top ten player. He put up impressive numbers at his workouts, and game tapes show that he can translate that onto the football field.
Options: DE Quentin Groves, CB Aqib Talib

17 Vikings WR Devin Smith Michigan State
The Vikings would have loved an opportunity to land one of the top defensive ends, but miss out. They have a desperate need at wide receiver as well, and Smith has all the tools to be the answer to their desires.
Options: QB Brian Brohm, WR Devin Smith, WR DeSean Jackson

18 Texans CB Aqib Talib Kansas
Talib isn’t a value here by any stretch, but he fills a tremendous need. Houston can get a quality runner in round three, but likely not a corner of Talib’s caliber. Talib can also serve as a return specialist and has shown himself to be a smart and versatile player. He could start immediately.
Options: OT Jeff Otah, DE Quentin Groves

19 Eagles WR DeSean Jackson California
Andy Reid loves to take linemen on the first day, but he needs to address his skill positions now. Jackson is a flyer who can make great catches and has NFL skills now. It is likely that Jackson won’t start immediately, but that could change by mid-season.
Options: OT Jeff Otah, FS Kenny Phillips

20 Buccaneers QB Brian Brohm Louisville
The Bucs need to take care of their QB position before Gruden loses this team. Chris Simms is unlikely to start for them again, and Brian Griese is a stop gap. They need to get a future signal caller and leader out of this draft, and Brohm may turn out better than more highly touted Matt Ryan as an NFL starter.
Options: WR James Hardy, RB Jonathan Stewart

21 Redskins FS Kenny Phillips Miami, FL
Washington could use some help along their offensive and defensive fronts, but they also need to get someone to replace Sean Taylor. Phillips has good range and ball skills, and is the best player to try and fill the shoes of a player lost well before his time.
Options: WR James Hardy, DE Quentin Groves

22 Cowboys WR James Hardy Indiana
Jerry Jones knows that Terry Glenn should not be a starter now, and he needs someone to start opposite TO. Hardy is a big target with surprising speed and would take some heat off Owens in the Cowboys downfield offense.
Options: RB Felix Jones, OG Branden Albert

23 Steelers OT Jeff Otah Pittsburgh
The Steelers have been able to retain Max Starks, and even picked up an interior lineman to boot. With their offensive line set, the Steelers can look to other areas for fixing. Or will they? Starks will still be a free agent next year, and it is likely that Pittsburgh will look at Otah as an eventual replacement.
Options: CB Antoine Cason, OG Branden Albert

24 Titans WR Malcolm Kelly Oklahoma
The Titans need to land a wide receiver to help out their franchise quarterback. Kelly has slipped due to some questionable workouts, but scouts are wowed by his college performances and will judge him on that more than anything else.
Options: LB Jerod Mayo, OG Branden Albert

25 Seahawks OG Branden Albert Virginia
The Seahawks have had a solid free agency period. They’ve locked up Marcus Trufant long-term, and have strong depth at running back now, allowing themselves to shed Shaun Alexander soon. What is left? Finding a replacement for the hole left by Steve Hutchinson two seasons ago.
Options: DE Quentin Groves, DT Pat Sims

26 Jaguars DE Quentin Groves Auburn
The Jaguars are said to be interested in moving up to possibly land Phillip Merling or Derrick Harvey. If they fail in their attempt, they could go with Groves, who is faster than those two but lacks their strength. Since they need linebackers as well, it wouldn’t surprise to see Groves line up their for Del Rio either.
Options: DT Pat Sims, OT Sam Baker

27 Chargers OT Gosder Cherilus Boston College
San Diego recently released Shane Olivea, and they need to replace him. Sam Baker is a thought, but Cherilus seems to be a better overall athlete and was impressive at the Senior Bowl, as well as at his workouts. Minor character issues aside, Cherilus is the safer pick.
Options: WR Limas Sweed, CB Antoine Cason

28 Cowboys RB Felix Jones Arkansas
The Cowboys let Julius Jones walk, so they replace him with another Jones, who happens to be from the same school that owner Jerry Jones is an alumni of. Keeping up with the Joneses? Felix is an underappreciated talent who would have been a starter anywhere else in the country except Arkansas.
Options: CB Antoine Cason, OT Sam Baker

29 49ers (IND) LB Jerod Mayo Tennessee
The ‘niners got Mike Martz to design their offense, and then went out and signed Isaac Bruce and Bryant Johnson has their targets for the passing game. So, they can elect to use this pick on the other side of the ball, and use it to take someone to line up next to defensive ROY Patrick Willis, now that Derek Smith is done.
Options: OT Sam Baker, WR Limas Sweed

30 Packers RB Jonathan Stewart
Is anybody really buying the fact that the Packers think Ryan Grant, DeShawn Wynn or Brandon Jackson are the answer for this team out of the backfield? Stewart is a strong all-purpose back that the team will now have to rely upon with Brett Favre retiring.
Options: OT Sam Baker, CB Antoine Cason

31 Patriots Forfeited

32 Giants LB Dan Connor Penn State
The Super Bowl champs have some holes to fill on their roster after losing two starters at linebacker and another at free safety. The Giants have a decision to make and elect to go with a player who is versatile enough to play inside or outside for them.
Options: DB Reggie Smith, OT Sam Baker

Round 2
33. Dolphins QB Chad Henne Michigan
Parcells needs to get the future offensive leader for this team out of this pick.

34. Rams OT Sam Baker USC
Orlando Pace can’t play forever, last season proved that fact. Time for his replacement to be taken.

35. Falcons CB Antoine Cason Arizona
With DeAngelo Hall shipped to RaiderNation, the Falcons have to get a top notch cover man here.

36. Chiefs CB Tracy Porter Indiana
The Chiefs have no starting quality corner on their roster as of now. This pick helps take care of that.

37. Jets DE Calais Campbell Miami, Fla
Campbell falls after sub-par workouts, but he’s perfect as a DE in the 3-4 defense and Mangini knows it.

38. Falcons QB Joe Flacco Delaware
Finally, the Falcons make their pick to replace Mike Vick behind center, and Flacco could be very good.

39. Ravens OT Carl Nicks Nebraska
The Ravens know they have to replace Odgen, and Nicks is too good a talent to pass on here.

40. 49ers WR Earl Doucet LSU
While they may have signed some veterans, the 49ers still lack quality at the receiver spot.

41. Saints DT Pat Sims Auburn
He was more productive than Glenn Dorsey the second half of the season. Enough said.

42. Bills DB Reggie Smith Oklahoma
Some teams see him as a safety, others as a corner in the NFL. Buffalo wants him as a corner.

43. Broncos WR Earl Bennett Vanderbilt
A familiar face for Jay Cutler to throw to, and he fills a big need for Denver as well.

44. Panthers RB Jamaal Charles Texas
With DeShaun Foster gone, the Panthers want a partner for DeAngelo Williams.

45. Bears QB Andre Woodson Kentucky
Honestly, how much longer before the Bears figure this one out?

46. Lions ILB Curtis Lofton Oklahoma
Though he won’t start the season in the middle, he’ll end up there by season’s end.

47. Bengals OLB Erin Henderson Maryland
The Bengals are ALWAYS looking for linebacking help. When healthy, he’s a beast.

48. Vikings DE Lawrence Jackson USC
The Vikings still need to get someone who can effectively rush the passer.

49. Falcons OT Anthony Collins Kansas
New RB, new QB, now the Falcons need someone to protect them.

50. Eagles DE Chris Ellis Virginia
Jevon Kearse was released so the team needs quality and depth at the ends.

51. Cardinals CB Terrell Thomas USC
With Antrel Rolle moved to safety, the Cards need to find another starter at the corner.

52. Redskins DT Trevor Laws Notre Dame
The Redskins need someone who can get to the quarterback. Laws is quick and strong inside.

53. Buccaneers WR Mario Manningham Michigan
Just how much longer can the Bucs rely on Joey Galloway as a starter?

54. Steelers CB Justin King Penn State
The Steelers need to get some secondary help and do that with the speedy Justin King here.

55. Titans RB Chris Johnson East Carolina
Johnson will pair with Lendale White to form another “Thunder and Lightning” duo.

56. Seahawks TE Fred Davis USC
The Seahawks have to get a good tight end for their offensive, and Davis is it.

57. Packers DT Kentwan Balmer UNC
After trading away Corey Williams, the Packers will need someone to fill his spot.

58. Dolphins WR Andre Caldwell Florida
He could pair with Ted Ginn to form one of the fastest starting set of wideouts ever.

59. Jaguars OT Duane Brown Virginia Tech
Jacksonville needs to add some depth and quality to their starting offensive line.

60. Colts OLB Xavier Adibi Virginia Tech
Indianapolis likes speed on defense, and Adibi could start immediately on the strong side.

61. Packers TE Martin Rucker Missouri
With Bubba Franks gone, the Packers need to get a reliable big target for Aaron Rogers.

62. Cowboys OG Chilo Rachal USC
They’ve never really adequately replaced All-World guard Larry Allen.

63. Patriots ILB Philip Wheeler Georgia Tech
Youth infusion at inside linebacker is the Pats primary need and area of focus here.

64. Giants FS DaJuan Morgan North Carolina State
Gibril Wilson left for Oakland, so the G-men need to get themselves a starter here.

All-Michigan Colleges 2008 NFL Draft Team

2008-03-19T06:30:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to put together a team made up of only Michigan college 2008 NFL draft prospects. As you can probably guess our team is dominated by Michigan (7 starters, 3 reserves) and Michigan State (6 starters, 4 reserves). Also represented are Western Michigan (2 starters, 1 reserve), Eastern Michigan (1 starter, 1 reserve), Central Michigan (1 starter), Ferris State (1 starter), and Wayne State (1 starter). Lacking are solid prospects at the defensive tackle position and at one of the cornerback spots, both of which I didn't include any prospects.

The top five state of Michigan college NFL draft prospects would be:

1) OT - Jake Long, Michigan
2) WR - Devin Thomas, Michigan State
3) WR - Mario Manningham, Michigan
4) QB - Chad Henne, Michigan
5) DE - Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan

Jake Long looks to be a top five player taken and is the clear cut top prospect in the state of Michigan. The wide receiver spot is lead by the only two Juniors, Devin Thomas and Mario Manningham, and their rankings are interchangeable. Quarterback Chad Henne and little known Jason Jones out of Eastern are both likely first day picks.

Below is the All-Michigan Colleges 2008 NFL draft team. Each players name links to his official college bio and I have included my projected round for each player I expect to be drafted after his height and weight statistics.

OFFENSE:

QB – Chad Henne, Michigan (6’2”, 224) RD 2
RB – Mike Hart, Michigan (5’9”, 196) RD 4
FB – Jehuu Caulcrick, Michigan State (6’0”, 260) RD 4
WR – Devin Thomas, JR. Michigan State (6’2”, 214) RD 2
WR – Mario Manningham, JR. Michigan (6’0”, 186) RD 2
TE – Kellen Davis, Michigan State (6’6”, 254) RD 5
OT – Jake Long, Michigan (6’7”, 313) RD 1
G – James Blair, Western Michigan (6’4”, 334) RD 7
C – Robbie Krutilla, Western Michigan (6’3”, 314) RD 6
G – Adam Kraus, Michigan (6’6”, 296) RD 3
OT – Mike Gyetvai, Michigan State (6’7”, 307) UFA

DEFENSE:

DE – Jason Jones, Eastern Michigan (6’5”, 247) RD 3
DE – Kurt Hout, Ferris State (6’2”, 276) RD 7
OLB – Shawn Crable, Michigan (6’5”, 241) RD 4
MLB – Red Keith, Central Michigan (5’11”, 242) RD 7
OLB – SirDarean Adams, Michigan State (6’0”, 230) RD 6
S – Jamar Adams, Michigan (6’2”, 210) RD 4
S – Nehemiah Warrick, Michigan State (6’1”, 208) UFA
CB – Nile Legania, Wayne State (5’10”, 185) RD 6

RESERVES:

RB – Mark Bonds, Western Michigan (5’10”, 219) UFA
WR – Adrian Arrington, Michigan (6’3”, 195) RD 5
G – Khalid Walton, Eastern Michigan (6’3”, 310) UFA
C – John Masters, Michigan State (6’4”, 288) RD 7
DE – Jonal Saint-Dic, Michigan State (6’1”, 255) UFA
DE – Ervin Baldwin, Michigan State (6’2”, 270) UFA
OLB – Chris Graham, Michigan (5’11”, 225) RD 7
ILB – Kaleb Thornhill, Michigan State (6’1”, 240) UFA
S – Brandent Englemon, Michigan (5’11”, 200) UFA

NFL Scouting Combine Invitees

2008-02-07T11:56:00.000-08:00

The NFL Scouting Combine will be held February 20 - 26, 2008 in Indianapolis at the RCA Dome. Participants are determined annually by a Selection Committee. The Directors of both National and BLESTO scouting services, which combined represent twenty-six NFL teams, are joined by members of various NFL player personnel departments to form the committee.

Below is a list of all the invites listed alphabetically by name, school, and position (Michigan college players are in bold):

Abdullah, Husain - Washington St FS
Adams, Jamar - Michigan SS
Adibi, Xavier - Virginia Tech OLB
Ainge, Erik - Tennessee QB
Albert, Branden - Virginia OG
Allen, Steve - West Texas A&M ILB
Alridge, Anthony - Houston RB
Amendola, Daniel - Texas Tech WR
Arrington, Adrian - Michigan WR
Avery, Donnie - Houston WR
Avril, Clifford - Purdue DE
Baker, Samuel - Southern Cal OT
Balmer, Kentwan - North Carolina DT
Barber, Dominique - Minnesota FS
Barnidge, Gary - Louisville TE
Barrett, Joshua - Arizona St SS
Barton, Kirk - Ohio St OT
Bell, Demetrius - Northwestern St OT
Bell, James - UNLB ILB
Benedict, Heath - Newberry OT
Bennett, Earl - Vanderbilt WR
Bennett, Martellus - Texas A&M TE
Bernard, Yvenson - Oregon St RB
Bess, Davone - Hawaii WR
Biermann, Kroy - Montana DE
Bishop, Adam - Nevada TE
Blair, James - Western Michigan OT
Blake, Tommy - Texas Christian DE
Blythe, Todd - Iowa St WR
Bonner, Brian - Texas Christian SS
Booker, Barry - Virginia Tech DT
Booty, John David - Southern Cal QB
Bowen, Alvin - Iowa St OLB
Bowman, Adarius - Oklahoma St WR
Bowman, Zackary - Nebraska CB
Boyd, Cory - South Carolina RB
Bradford, Mark - Stanford RB
Branch, Tyvon - Connecticut CB
Breazell, Brandon - UCLA WR
Brennan, Colt - Hawaii QB
Brink, David - Washington St QB
Brohm, Brian - Louisville QB
Brooks, Durant - Georgia Tech PK
Brown, Duane - Virginia Tech OT
Brown, Thomas - Georgia RB
Brown, Titus - Mississippi St DE
Brown, Travis - New Mexico WR
Bryant, Dorien - Purdue WR
Bryant, Joseph - Texas A&M DT
Bugg, Timothy - Indiana LS
Burton, Keenan - Kentucky WR
Butler, Ezra - Nevada-Reno OLB
Caldwell, Andre - Florida WR
Campbell, Calais - Miami, FL DE
Campbell, Caleb - Army SS
Carlson, John - Notre Dame TE
Carmody Iv, Arthur - Louisville PK
Cason, Antoine - Arizona CB
Castille, Simeon - Alabama CB
Caulcrick, Jehuu - Michigan St RB
Charles, Jamaal - Texas RB
Cherilus, Gosder - Boston Col OT
Choice, Tashard - Georgia Tech RB
Clady, Ryan - Boise State OT
Clark, Corey - Texas A&M OT
Clark, Devin - New Mexico OT
Clermond, Jocelin - Pittsburgh DE
Collins, Anthony - Kansas OT
Connor, Dan - Penn St ILB
Cottam, Brad - Tennessee TE
Cousins, Oniel - UTEP OT
Crable, Shawn - Michigan DE
Craig, Angelo - Cincinnati DE
Crummey, Andrew - Maryland OG
Davis, Bruce - UCLA DE
Davis, Frederick - Southern Cal TE
Davis, Kellen - Michigan St TE
Dawson, Calvin - Louisiana-Monroe RB
Decoud, Thomas - Cal-Berkeley FS
Demps, Quintin - UTEP FS
Dingle, Johnny - West Virginia DE
Dixon, Dennis - Oregon QB
Dixon, Marcus - Hampton DE
Dizon, Jordon - Colorado OLB
Dorsey, Glenn - Louisiana St DT
Dotson, Lionel - Arizona DT
Doucet Iii, Early - Louisiana St WR
Douglas Iv, Harry - Louisville WR
Dragosavich, Mike - North Dakota St PK
Dunbar, Franklin - Middle Tennessee OT
Dunbar, Jo-Lonn - Boston Col ILB
Dunlap, King - Auburn OT
Ellis, Christopher - Virginia Tech DE
Ellis, Sedrick - Southern Cal NT
Fagg, De’cody - Florida St WR
Felton, Jerome - Furman FB
Felton, Robert - Arkansas OG
Fine, Derek - Kansas TE
Finley, Jermichael - Texas TE
Finley, Joe Jon - Oklahoma TE
Flacco, Joseph - Delaware QB
Flowers, Brandon - Virginia Tech CB
Fluellen, Andre - Florida St DT
Flynn, Matthew - Louisiana St QB
Fontenot, Wilrey - Arizona CB
Forsett, Justin - Cal-Berkeley RB
Forte, Matthew - Tulane RB
Franklin, William - Missouri WR
Garcon, Pierre - Mt Union WR
Gatewood, Curtis - Vanderbilt DE
Geathers, Jeremy - UNLV DE
Gholston, Vernon - Ohio State DE
Giacomini, Breno - Louisville OT
Gibson, Michael - Cal-Berkeley OT
Gilberry, Wallace - Alabama DE
Godfrey, Charles - Iowa CB
Goff, Jonathan - Vanderbilt ILB
Gooden, Tavares - Miami-FL ILB
Grant, Larry - Ohio St OLB
Grant, Michael - Arkansas FS
Greco, John - Toledo OT
Green-Ellis, - Benjarvus Mississippi RB
Grice-Mullen, Ryan - Hawaii WR
Griffin, Marcus - Texas FS
Groves, Quentin - Auburn DE
Guion, Letroy - Florida State DT
Guyton, Gary - Georgia Tech OLB
Hale, David - Weber St OT
Hall, Martinez - Alabama WR
Hall, Vincent - Virginia Tech ILB
Hardy, James - Indiana WR
Harper, Justin - Virginia Tech WR
Harrington, Christopher - Texas A&M DE
Harrison, Marcus - Arkansas DT
Hart, Leon - Michigan RB
Harvey, Derrick - Florida DE
Hawkins, Lavelle - Cal-Berkeley WR
Hayden, Nicholas - Wisconsin DT
Hayes, Geno - Florida State OLB
Haynos, Joseph - Maryland TE
Hefney, Jonathan - Tennessee FS
Henderson, Erin - Maryland OLB
Henderson, Michael - Georgia WR
Henne, Chad - Michigan QB
Henry, Marcus - Kansas WR
Hester, Jacob - Louisiana St FB
Highsmith, Arlington - Louisiana St OLB
Hilliard, Lex - Montana RB
Hillis, Peyton - Arkansas HB
Hills, Tony - Texas OT
Holmes, Louis - Arizona DE
Horton, Christopher - UCLA SS
Howard, Marcus - Georgia DE
Hubbard, Paul - Wisconsin WR
Humpal, Mike - Iowa OLB
Ikegwuonu, Jack - Wisconsin CB
Iwebema, Kenny - Iowa DE
Jackson, Chevis - Louisiana St CB
Jackson, Desean - California WR
Jackson, Dexter - Appalachian St WR
Jackson, Lawrence - Southern Cal DE
James, Robert - Arizona St OLB
Jenkins, Darnell - Miami-Fl WR
Jenkins, Mike - South Florida CB
Johnson, Chris - East Carolina RB
Johnson, Curtis Clark - Atlanta DE
Johnson, Jaymar - Jackson St WR
Johnson, Joshua - San Diego QB
Johnson, Marcellous - Arkansas St SS
Johnson, Steve - Kentucky WR
Jones, Felix - Arkansas RB
Jones, Jason - Eastern Michigan DT
Justice, Steven - Wake Forest C
Kapanui, Kolomona - West Texas A&M TE
Keglar, Stanford - Purdue OLB
Kehl, Bryan - Brigham Young OLB
Keith, Brandon - Northern Iowa OT
Keller, Dustin - Purdue TE
Keller, Sam - Nebraska QB
Kelly, Malcolm - Oklahoma WR
Keyes Ii, Dennis - UCLA FS
King, Justin - Penn State CB
Langford, Kendall - Hampton DE
Larsen, Spencer - Arizona ILB
Larson, Andrew - Cal-Berkeley PK
Laws, Trevor - Notre Dame DE
Lee, Patrick - Auburn CB
Leman, Jeremy - Illinois ILB
Lichtensteiger, Kory - Bowling Green C
Little, Rafael - Kentucky RB
Lofton, Curtis - Oklahoma ILB
Long, Christopher - Virginia DE
Long, Jake - Michigan OT
Longest, Richard - St Xavier PK
Lowery, Dwight - San Jose St CB
Lumpkin, Kregg - Georgia RB
Manningham, Mario - Michigan WR
Mapp, Durell - North Carolina OLB
Mattison, Bryan - Iowa DE
Mayo, Jerod - Tennessee ILB
Mcbride, Shaheer - Delaware St WR
Mcclain, Jameel - Syracuse ILB
Mcclinton, James - Kansas DT
Mcduffie, Christopher - Clemson OG
Mcfadden, Darren - Arkansas RB
Mcglynn, Michael - Pittsburgh OT
Mckelvin, Leodi s - Troy CB
Mckinney, Justin - Kansas St CB
Mcrae, Kalvin - Ohio RB
Mehlhaff, Taylor - Wisconsin PK
Mendenhall, Rashard - Illinois RB
Merling, Phillip - Clemson DE
Moffitt, Ben - South Florida ILB
Molden, Antwaun - Eastern Kentucky CB
Monk, Marcus - Arkansas WR
Moore, Evan - Stanford WR
Moore, Kenneth - Wake Forest WR
Moore, Marchondray - Maryland DT
Morelli, Anthony - Penn St QB
Morgan, Dajuan - North Carolina State FS
Morgan, Josh - Virginia Polytech Inst, WR
Morris, Bernard - Marshall QB
Murphy, Shawn - Utah St OG
Nelson, Jordy - Kansas St WR
Nicks, Carl - Nebraska OT
O’connell, Kevin - San Diego St QB
Octavien, Steve - Nebraska OLB
Okam, Frank - Texas DT
Oliver, Adamm - Georgia Tech DE
Omon, Archibong - Northwest Missouri St RB
Ortiz, Chase - Texas Christian DE
Ostrander, Thomas - Stanford QB
Otah, Jeffrey - Pittsburgh OT
Parker, Dorian - Virginia Tech FS
Parmele, Jalen - Toledo RB
Patrick, Allen - Oklahoma RB
Paysinger, Brian - Oregon WR
Phillips, Kenny - Miami, FL FS
Pittman, Billy - Texas WR
Pittman, Kirston - Louisiana St DE
Pollak, Mike - Arizona St C
Polumbus, Tyler - Colorado OT
Porter, Tracy - Indiana CB
Powell Jr, Carlton - Virginia Tech DT
Pressley, De Mario - North Carolina St DT
Purify, Maurice - Nebraska WR
Rachal, Chilo - Southern California OG
Radovich, Andrew - Southern Cal OT
Reyer, Tim - Kansas St PT
Reynaud, Darius - West Virginia WR
Rice, Ray - Rutgers RB
Richard, Jameson - Buffalo C
Richardson, Barry - Clemson OT
Richardson, Matterral - Arkansas CB
Rinehart, Chad - Northern Iowa OT
Rivers, Jason - Hawaii WR
Rivers, Keith - Southern Cal OLB
Roach, David - Texas Christian FS
Robertson, Darrell - Georgia Tech DE
Robinson, Kevin - Utah St WR
Robinson, William - San Diego St OT
Rodgers-Cromartie, Dominique - Tennessee State CB
Royal, William - Virginia Tech WR
Rubin, Ahtyba - Iowa St NT
Rucker, Martin - Missouri TE
Ryan, Matthew - Boston Col QB
Sam, Lorne - UTEP WR
Santi, Michael - Virginia TE
Savage, Dantrell - Oklahoma St RB
Scandrick, Orlando - Boise State CB
Schmitt, Owen - West Virginia FB
Schmitt, Tyler - San Diego St LS
Schuening, Roy - Oregon St OG
Schwartz, Geoffrey - Oregon OT
Serna, Alexis - Oregon St PK
Sharpe, Glenn - Miami- FL CB
Shields, Arman - Richmond WR
Silva, James - Boston Col FS
Simpson, Chad - Morgan St RB
Simpson, Jerome - Coastal Carolina WR
Sims, Patrick - Auburn DT
Slaton, Steve - West Virginia RB
Smith, Bryan - McNeese St DE
Smith, Dorian - Oregon St DE
Smith, Kevin - Central Florida RB
Smith, Marcus - New Mexico WR
Smith, Paul - Tulsa QB
Smith, Reggie - Oklahoma CB
Smith, Taj - Syracuse WR
Sosa, Pedro - Rutgers OT
Spanos, Matt - Southern Cal C
Steltz, Craig - Louisiana St SS
Stevens, Craig - Cal-Berkeley TE
Stewart, Carl - Auburn FB
Stewart, Jonathan - Oregon RB
Strong, Darrell - Pittsburgh TE
Sullivan, John - Notre Dame C
Sumrall, Brandon - Southern Mississippi CB
Sweed, Limas - Texas WR
Tafralis, Adam - San Jose St QB
Talib, Aqib - Kansas CB
Tamme, Jacob - Kentucky TE
Terrell, Darnell - Missouri CB
Thomas, Devin - Michigan State WR
Thomas, Donald - Connecticut OG
Thomas, Marcus - UTEP RB
Thomas, Terrell - Southern Cal CB
Thompson, Jeremy - Wake Forest DE
Tolson Iv, Owen - Army PT
Torain, Ryan - Arizona St RB
Tribble, Dejuan - Boston Col CB
Tryon, Justin - Arizona St CB
Urrutia, Mario - Louisville WR
Vobora, David - Idaho OLB
Walker, Marcus - Oklahoma CB
Wallace, Cody - Texas A&M C
Warrick, Nehemiah - Michigan St FS
Washington, Chauncey - Southern Cal RB
Watkins, Nick - Clemson OLB
West, Joe - UTEP WR
Wheatley, Terrence - Colorado CB
Wheeler, Philip - Georgia Tech ILB
Wilhite, Jonathan - Auburn CB
Williams, Christopher - Vanderbilt OT
Williams, Jack - Kent St CB
Williams, Thomas - Southern Cal ILB
Williams, Trae - South Florida CB
Wolfe, Dj - Oklahoma SS
Woodson Jr, Andre - Kentucky QB
Woodyard Jr, Wesley - Kentucky OLB
Wright, Kyle - Miami-FL QB
Young, Eric - Tennessee OT
Zbikowski, Thomas - Notre Dame FS
Zenon, Jonathan - Louisiana St CB
Zuttah, Jeremy - Rutgers OT

Invitees will be evaluated in the following:

- 40 yard dash
- Bench press (225lb repetitions)
- Vertical jump
- Broad jump
- 20 yard shuttle
- 3 cone drill
- 60-yard shuttle
- Position-specific drills
- Interviews
- Physical measurements
- Injury evaluation
- Drug screen
- The Cybex test
- The Wonderlic Test

M2K's Post-Declaration Mock

2008-01-18T13:25:00.000-08:00

Here you are Draftniks. My second mock of the early season. Please leave comments, and do try to make them nice.

1 Dolphins DT Glenn Dorsey LSU
The Dolphins took John Beck, so QB shouldn’t be a need here despite his questionable showings as a starter. Jake Long could be considered, as he would be an upgrade at left tackle. No other players would really be considered here or are of value. I would suspect Miami would strongly consider a trade down, since they have tremendous needs at many spots. However, if they do pick here, having a disruptive force like Dorsey is something they really can’t pass on.

2 Rams DE Chris Long Virginia
Jake Long will get strong consideration, but in the end the Rams won’t be able to pass on a talent like the “Son of Howie”. Though he played in a 3-4 scheme in college, Long showed remarkable ability to get to the quarterback despite being constantly double teamed. He will make a clean transition to a 4-3 DE in the pros, and be a force to reckon with.

3 Falcons QB Matt Ryan Boston College
The Mike Vick era, and saga, are over. Time to move on and getting a franchise QB under center is what the Falcons need to do. Matt Ryan is a natural leader with charisma who has all the physical skills to back it up . Though he may not be as naturally athletic as Woodson or have the career Brohm has had, Ryan is definitely at the top of this years QB class in the draft. But is he worth the pick here?

4 Raiders RB Darren McFadden USC
The Raiders should really take Sedrick Ellis here, but Al Davis can’t pass up a big name. McFadden would give the team a marquee player for the fans to fill the stands for, as well as give them a very deep running back corps.

5 Chiefs OT Jake Long Michigan
The Chiefs have major needs along the offensive line, and getting a player like Jake Long would go a long way in filling those needs. Long has the arm span and feet to be a successful pass blocker, but has the power and demeanor to but a road grader for the Chiefs running game as well.

6 NY Jets DT Sedrick Ellis USC
The Jets would love to get Chris Long, but they would happily settle for Sedrick Ellis here. Ellis has the tools to play defensive end in a 3-4 alignment, and could end up being a dominating force from that spot for the Jets. Some may think quarterback here, but I don’t think the Jets have given up on Kellen Clemens.

7 Patroits (SF) LB Vernon Gholston Ohio State
What the Patriots really want is an inside linebacker or cornerback, but they usually always take the best talent available that fills something of a need. Gholston would excel as an outside linebacker in the Patriots 3-4 scheme, and would be the eventual replacement for one of their aging players.

8 Ravens QB Brian Brohm Louisville
Steve McNair is done, and Kyle Boller is too inconsistent to be successful in the long run. Between Brohm and Woodson, Brohm is closer to the finished product so the new coach in town will likely go with this pick. With Jon Ogden retiring, the Ravens would strongly consider Ryan Clady, but getting a franchise QB needs to be the focus here.

9 Bengals LB Keith Rivers USC
It seems like Marvin Lewis has drafted thirty linebackers the past three years. Now that they are beginning to take character into account, the Bengals should be pretty comfortable with this pick. Rivers has the speed to play outside, and the size to play inside. In all likelihood he’ll patrol the weakside for the Bengals.

10 Saints CB Michael Jenkins South Florida
With Rivers off the board, the Saints reach somewhat to get a shutdown corner with Michael Jenkins. Jason David was a big flop, and Mike McKenzie can’t play forever. Michael Jenkins has prototype size and speed and would instantly upgrade the secondary for what amounts to a pretty mediocre unit.

11 Bills DE Calais Campbell Miami, FLA
With no one on the board that fills an outstanding need, the Bills take a quality pass rusher to put into their defensive end rotation. Campbell is huge and would be a force in both the pass rush and run stopping areas of the Bills defense. They could even move him inside on passing downs with his strength.

12 Broncos OT Ryan Clady Boise State
The Broncos would be thrilled if Clady fell to them here. Denver needs a replacement for the retired Matt Lepsis, and Clady has the talent to start immediately. Though Kenny Phillips would be a big temptation, Mike Shanahan knows that keeping Jay Cutler upright and on the field is the key to this teams future.

13 Panthers FS Kenny Phillips Miami, FLA
Carolina rejoices in being able to make this pick. Phillips is far and away the cream of the crop amongst safeties, and that spot is the Panthers biggest hole to fill. Phillips has the speed to cover slot receivers, and is a natural tackling machine in support of the run defense.

14 Bears QB Andre Woodson Kentucky
The Bears need to make a hard decision; is Grossman the guy? The answer is no, and they understand that. Brian Griese didn’t get the job done, and few feel Kyle Orton has the tools to be a starter in the NFL. Woodson has a rocket arm and will benefit from a year of learning while Rex leads the Bears in 2008.

15 Lions LB Dan Connor Penn State
Dan Connor is considered to be a better prospect than Paul Posluzny was last season, and “Puzz” was playing at a high level when he was injured and had to be put on the IR list in Buffalo. The Lions have a big need at the Mike spot, and Connor would be a good fit for this Tampa Two defense.

16 Cardinals RB Rashard Mendenhall Illinois
Word out of the desert is that Edge is likely to be released. Mendenhall is a special talent that this offense would love to have as a part of it. Upgrades along the offensive line and in the secondary are tempting, but Mendenhall is a do-it-all back that will be a day one starter in Arizona.

17 Vikings WR Limas Sweed Texas
The quarterback position is what needs to be upgraded, but the Vikings miss out on the Big Three of this draft. That said, wide out is still a unit needing a top talent. Enter Limas Sweed, despite his wrist injury. Sweed has excellent size and speed and was probably ready to turn pro in 2006.

18 Texans OT Chris Williams Vanderbilt
The Texans have been searching for that special left tackle forever, it seems. Williams has great feet and a long wing span which will help keep the defense at bay. Now that Houston has their franchise quarterback, they need to protect him in earnest. Williams is a step in that direction.

19 Eagles DE Derrick Harvey Florida
The Eagles could go a number of ways here, but they need to upgrade their defensive line. Harvey needs to add some bulk to take his A-game to the NFL, but the natural talent is without question. Derrick will help solidify the pass rush in Philly for years to come, and allow the Eagles to platoon Jevon Kearse more.

20 Buccaneers WR DeSean Jackson California
The Bucs can’t continue with the receiving personnel they have. Galloway is a remarkable receiver for his age, but that won’t last. Jackson has decent size, but has shown great quickness and the speed to beat the defense deep. He would be a great addition to this offense.

21 Redskins OT Jeff Otah Pittsburgh
Jeff Otah is a raw talent, but he has the most upside of any offensive tackle in this draft. He will be groomed at right tackle, but could eventually move over to the left side if Chris Samuels leaves the ‘skins. Otah needs to control his weight, but despite his bulk he moves extremely well.

22 Cowboys (Cle)CB Antoine Cason Arizona
The Dallas Cowboys have few weak spots, but cornerback is one of them. Terrance Newman is 30 years old, and Anthony Henry is a marginal starter. It’s high time for them to use a pick on a player who can step in and produce right away. Cason has questionable straight line speed, but makes up for it with his instincts and athletic skills.

23 Steelers OT Sam Baker USC
The Steelers will probably lose Max Starks in free agency. Should they not fill that void via free agency, they will likely use this pick to fill that spot. Sam Baker has some issues, which leads to his slide down the first round, but his talent is unquestionable.

24 Titans CB Aqib Talib Kansas
Though the Titans really need a wide receiver to stretch the field, this draft has plenty of depth at that position. The Titans also need to shed themselves of Adam “Pac-man” Jones, who apparently has not learned his lesson about staying away from trouble. Talib is a playmaker who would give them good depth and possibly an immediate starter to replace Jones.

25 Seahawks TE Martellus Bennett Texas A&M
If the Seahawks lose Marcus Trufant to free agency, they could go with a cornerback here to try and replace him. However, the Seahawks are lacking a tight end who can split the safeties deep and open up the field underneath. Bennett has an excellent size/speed combo that the Seattle fans would love to see.

26 NY Giants CB Terrell Thomas USC
The Giants got a boost from their first round pick last year, cornerback Aaron Ross, for their defense. Sam Madison is aging, and RW McQuarters is better as a nickel or dime coverage back. Thomas has great skills and could be a solid contributor immediately. There is some character concerns to look at, but if he interviews and performs well at the Combines, he could rise even higher in the draft.

27 Jaguars DE Quentin Groves Auburn
The Jaguars have few holes to fill, but getting another good pass rusher is definitely on their list. Paul Spicer came up big this past season, but the Jags still need to have another dedicated pass rusher in their arsenal. A defensive tackle would be a strong consideration, but none are available that are of value here.

28 Chargers RB Felix Jones Arkansas
The Chargers have needs at inside linebacker, but no prospect of value is on the board at this point. Without a second, third or fourth round pick, San Diego has to make the right choice. I suspect they will try to trade down, but if not they would take the best player available and LT’s eventual heir.

29 Cowboys WR Malcolm Kelly Oklahoma
Terry Glenn and Terrell Owens are not getting any younger, and their bodies have shown signs of wear and tear. Malcolm Kelly is a big, fast receiver in the mold of a TO, and the Cowboys would love to have him on their roster. If Kelly falls this far, the pick is a no-brainer.

30 49ers (IND) WR Adarius Bowman Oklahoma State
The 49ers have brought in Mike Martz to lead their offense, and that means passing the ball. The current group of receivers in the Bay are average at best. Bowman would give Alex Smith a big receiver with speed and a legitimate number one wideout to throw to.

31 Packers RB Jonathan Stewart Oregon
The Packers may feel that Ryan Grant and Brandon Jackson are just fine for their offense, but they need to face reality. They got by this season, but if Brett Favre leaves their rushing game becomes priority one to stop for any defense. Getting a franchise back like Jonathan Stewart is the way to build up this team in the coming years of Brett AD.

Early Entrants for the 2008 NFL Draft

2008-01-16T09:20:00.000-08:00

Tuesday was the last day underclassmen could declare for the NFL Draft, and more than 40 early entrants have declared. Players have 72 hours to withdraw their names. The list of early entrants into the 2008 NFL draft in alphabetical order are:

Branden Albert Virginia OG Junior
Adrian Arrington Michigan WR Junior
Earl Bennett Vanderbilt WR Junior
Martellus Bennett Texas A&M TE Junior
Davone Bess Hawaii WR Junior
Calais Campbell Miami DE Junior
Jamaal Charles Texas RB Junior
Ryan Clady Boise State OL Junior
Anthony Collins Kansas OT Junior
James Davis Clemson RB Junior
Jermichael Finley Texas TE Sophomore
Brandon Flowers Virginia Tech CB Junior
Vernon Gholston Ohio State DE Junior
Letroy Guion Florida State DL Junior
Ryan Grice-Mullen Hawaii WR Junior
James Hardy Indiana WR Junior
Derrick Harvey Florida DE Junior
Geno Hayes Florida State LB Junior
Erin Henderson Maryland LB Junior
Jack Ikegwuonu Wisconsin CB Junior
DeSean Jackson California WR Junior
Felix Jones Arkansas RB Junior
Malcolm Kelly Oklahoma WR Junior
Justin King Penn State CB Junior
Xavier Lee Florida State QB Junior
Curtis Lofton Oklahoma LB Junior
Mario Manningham Michigan WR Junior
Rashard Mendenhall Illinois RB Junior
Phillip Merling Clemson DE Junior
Darren McFadden Arkansas RB Junior
Lamar Myles Louisville LB Junior
Michael Oher Mississippi OT Junior
Kenny Phillips Miami S Junior
Darius Reynaud West Virginia WR Junior
Ray Rice Rutgers RB Junior
Pat Sims Auburn DT Junior
Steve Slaton West Virginia RB Junior
Kevin Smith UCF RB Junior
Reggie Smith Oklahoma CB Junior
Taj Smith Syracuse WR Junior
Jonathan Stewart Oregon RB Junior
Aqib Talib Kansas CB Junior

Defensive talent on display in LSU/OSU Championship Game

2008-01-07T07:20:00.000-08:00

There will be a lot of defensive talent on display tonight for the BCS Nationa Championship Game between LSU and Ohio State. So much talent in fact, that four players on the field tonight have a chance to be selected before the Lions pick at number 15. Let's take a look at the players to keep an eye on this evening an make some notes before the 2008 NFL draft.

The four players to keep an eye on are LSU Senior defensive tackle Glen Dorsey, and three Ohio State Juniors who could declare, defensive end Vernon Gholston, linebacker James Laruinaitis, and cornerback Malcom Jenkins.

DT - Glen Dorsey (LSU) #72
Senior, 6'2", 299-pounds
64 tackles (11.5 TFL), 6.5 sacks

Projected by many to be the first player taken in the 2008 NFL draft. Dorsey has the speed and power to be a disruptive force in both the passing and running games. He projects to a DT in the 4-3 or a DE in a 3-4 at the NFL level. Dorsey decided to return the LSU last season even though he appeared to be a top ten pick in the draft. He will be the first defensive lineman taken this year, the first defensive player taken, and potentially the first player taken period.

DE - Vernon Gholston (OSU) #50
Junior, 6'4", 264-pounds
34 tackles (14.5 TFL), 13 sacks

Projected by most to be the second defensive end taken after Chris Long of Virginia. A good athelete who has the speed to get to the quarterback. He projects to a DE in the 4-3, too undersized to play DE in a 3-4 scheme at the NFL level. I expect Gholston to be one of those types of players who really impresses scouts with his workouts.

LB - James Laruinaitis (OSU) #33
Junior, 6'3", 244-pounds
103 tackles (8.5 TFL), 5 sacks, 2 interceptions

Projected to go as early as the seventh pick to New England, Laruinaitis could join an interesting mix at linebacker should he declare that might include Keith Rivers (USC) and Dan Connor (Penn State). Laurinitis learned behind A.J. Hawks early in his career at Ohio State. He has excellent instincts and the ability to drop into coverage, impressive for a MLB of his size.

CB - Malcom Jenkins (OSU) #2
Junior, 6'1", 208-pounds
44 tackles (5 TFL), 3 interceptions

Projected to be one of the first cornerbacks take along with Antoine Cason. Jenkins is still a bit raw but a physical corner who can jam receivers at the line and help against the run. He would make a good fit in the Cover-2 defense the Lions employ and may still be available at pick 15 at a position the Lions have a huge need at. He

The game also features LSU linebacker Ali Highsmith #7 (6'1", 233-pounds) who could be drafted late in the first round as well. But Highsmith projects to a weakside linebacker in the NFL, one of the few spots the Lions actually don't have a need given they have Ernie Sims.

m2karateman's first 2008 mock draft

2007-11-09T06:04:00.000-08:00

Now that the NFL season is half way through, many people begin to postulate regarding the 2008 NFL Draft. I am no exception. As a result, I have put together a first round mock for your review. Feel free to comment. Be nice.......after all, it's just a mock.

2008 NFL Mock Draft v1.0

1 Dolphins DT Glenn Dorsey LSU
The Dolphins took John Beck, so QB shouldn’t be a need here. Jake Long could be the pick, as Vernon Carey is hardly the answer at left tackle, and Long is considered to be as good or better prospect than Cleveland’s Joe Thomas. No other players would really be considered here. I would suspect Miami would strongly consider a trade down, since they have tremendous needs at many spots.

2 Rams OT Jake Long Michigan
Orlando Pace is starting to show the wear and tear that comes from facing stud defensive ends for years. Long could be groomed at right tackle and eventually move over when Pace finally retires or the Rams trade or release him.

3 NY Jets RB Darren McFadden Arkansas
Thomas Jones hasn’t shown the pizzazz he did his last two seasons in Chicago, and Leon Washington is certainly not the answer. While the Jets could use help in different areas, watching the impact Adrian Peterson had in Minnesota will sway Mangini to get the long term answer at running back and help take heat off second year QB Kellen Clemens in 2008.

4 Patriots (SF) DE Chris Long Virginia
Long has a great pedigree and is a perfect fit for the 3-4 DE spot. Richard Seymour is still a great player, but age is starting to take its toll. Long would be a great fit in the locker room, and could be brought along slowly. I would expect that in reality, the Pats trade out of this spot.

5 Bengals DE Calais Campbell Miami, FL
The Bengals have a need for an accomplished pass rusher. Though they would love to land a top linebacker here, pass rusher is a need as well and Campbell is a force to be reckoned with. Despite his attendance at The U, he is not a character problem, something Marvin Lewis needs to avoid.

6 Falcons QB Andre Woodson Kentucky
The Mike Vick era, and saga, are over. Time to move on, and Bobby Petrino needs to get a franchise QB under center quickly. Many would feel Brian Brohm would be the pick, but Woodson is the better athlete and has a phenomenal arm. How many thought Leinart would go to Tennessee instead of Vince Young because of Norm Chow being a Titans coach?

7 Raiders LB Keith Rivers USC
Kirk Morrison and Thomas Howard are solid linebackers, but Sam Williams is mediocre at best. Rivers is a top notch prospect that will pay immediate dividends for the Silver and Black Attack. Rivers can play the strong side, but likely the Raiders will move Howard to the SAM spot and let Rivers roam at the WILL.

8 Cardinals FS Kenny Phillips Miami, FLA
Terrence Holt was never going to be the answer at free safety in Phoenix. Adrian Wilson is an elite strong safety, but the Cardinals would love to put someone next to him that is equally as dangerous. Phillips is the real deal, and is drawing comparisons to LaRon Landry.

9 Vikings QB Matt Ryan Boston College
Adrian Peterson can’t do it alone. The sub-standard receiving corps in Minnesota is only worsened by the quarterbacks they have on the roster. Ryan is a natural leader who is highly competitive and makes the people around play better. That’s exactly the type of quarterback the Vikings need to have now.

10 Broncos OT Michael Oher Mississippi
While it’s been the defense that has hurt the team in 2007, the offensive line needs some revamping to protect Jay Cutler. Oher, should he decide to declare, could be the second tackle taken after Jake Long. He is big but has great balance and quickness, and would be able to move into the right tackle spot immediately before moving over when Matt Lepsis is ready to move on.
11 Bears QB Brian Brohm Louisville
Rex Grossman is done in Chicago, I believe. But Brian Griese is certainly not the answer, and Kyle Orton is a career backup. I am of the opinion that Brohm is another Grossman, but others have a far different outlook for him. I suspect that Jerry Angelo will feel the need to make this pick, as no other positions are really as in poor a shape as the signal caller spot.

12 Eagles LB James Laurinaitis Ohio State
Widely considered to be one of the top linebacking prospects to come out in the past few years, Laurinaitis is considered by some to be a better prospect than Patrick Willis was last year. The Eagles need a top flight middle linebacker, something Omar Gainther is not.

13 Texans RB Steve Slaton West Virginia
It will be interesting to see if Slaton even comes out after the Mountaineers have had a down season. Still, it would be a smart move if he did, because the injury risk is just too great and it would be hard to get better value than he carries right now. The Texans need someone in the backfield, because Ahman Green is pretty much used up and Ron Dayne certainly isn’t the right player for this offense.

14 Seahawks DT Sedrick Ellis USC
The Seahawks could consider a wide out prospect here, but they really do need to upgrade along the defensive front. Ellis is a four down player, capable of stopping the run and rushing the passer very well. He lacks ideal height, but makes up for it in quickness, leverage and sheer determination.

15 Saints LB Dan Connor Penn State
Dan Connor is considered to be a better prospect than Paul Posluzny was last season, and “Puzz” was playing at a high level when he was injured and had to be put on the IR list in Buffalo. The Saints would have loved to get Sedrick Ellis, but since he’s off the board they will go with the next best defensive prospect available to them.

16 Ravens OT Ryan Clady Boise State
The Ravens need to find their next Jon Ogden in a hurry, and Clady may just be the person they are looking for. A huge man with great technique and a mean streak. The Ravens could elect to pick a cornerback since that is a need as well, but a quality left tackle doesn’t come along as often as a quality corner.

17 Chiefs OT Sam Baker USC
Sam Baker could turn out to be the best tackle in this draft, but he does have some issues to deal with. Despite that, the Chiefs will take a chance on him, because in reality they have no other choice. Baker is polished and has what it takes to be a great tackle on either side of the center, but he needs to make sure his off-field life doesn’t hurt his chances to have a stellar NFL career.

18 Bills CB Malcolm Jenkins Ohio State
If the Buckeyes win the National Championship, I have little doubt Jenkins will declare. The Bills have had good luck with Ohio State defensive backs in the past, and they will smile at their fortune here if Jenkins falls to them.

19 Panthers WR DeSean Jackson California
The Panthers could really use a quarterback to groom, since David Carr is not the answer and Jake Delhomme is not getting any younger. But with no real prospects available, getting another solid wide receiver isn’t such a bad idea. Jackson is a great athlete who could pair quite nicely with Steve Smith or be used in the slot to allow Dwayne Jarrett some starting time and move Keary Colbert into the fourth receiver role.

20 Cowboys (CLE) WR Early Doucet LSU
Terry Glenn is probably done for, and Terrell Owens is getting along. Patrick Crayton is a solid talent, but would be better left as the slot receiver. Doucet is a talented receiver who could step in as a starter immediately and give Tony Romo another quality target.

21 Buccaneers DE Derrick Harvey Florida
Even with last years first round selection Gaines Adams, the Bucs need to continue adding rushers for this defense. Defensive tackle or offensive tackle could be considered, but Harvey is too good a prospect to pass up, as he has been a terror for two years for the Gators defense.

22 Chargers WR Adarius Bowman Oklahoma State
Despite trading their second round pick for Chris Chambers, the Chargers are still in need of receiving help. Bowman is just too good to pass up at this spot, and his size and speed combination are not something that come along everyday.

23 Jaguars DE Quentin Groves Auburn
Despite the coaching staff at Auburn moving him to OLB, Groves can add muscle and bulk for the NFL and play defensive end in a 4-3 alignment. Groves is a solid pass rusher and has shown he is willing to do what it takes to win for his team. Exactly the type of player Jack Del Rio wants on his squad.

24 Redskins DT Frank Okam Texas
While the Redskins have shown improvement in their pass rush from 2006, they still are in need of a talented interior defensive lineman. Okam is a big strong player capable of stuffing the run and collapsing the pocket alike. Offensive tackle could be a consideration as well, but Okam fills a greater need and has the talent to be a value here.

25 Lions CB Michael Jenkins South Florida
The Lions starting pair of cornerbacks aren't as solid as their numbers would indicate, and Fernando Bryant has an injury history. Jenkins has prototypical size and tackling ability for the corner in a Tampa Two defensive scheme. His speed may be a question mark, but his work ethic and natural abilities are something Rod Marinelli will covet.

26 Titans CB Justin King Penn State
It is highly doubtful that Jeff Fisher will want "Pac-man" back on his roster, despite what his team mates may say to the media. Jones has proven to be a distraction to this team and has tarnished a fine season by the Titans thus far. While getting a receiver may be what some people think they should do, the Titans want to strengthen their secondary and add depth with King.

27 NY Giants OT Gosder Cherilus Boston College
Dave Diehl has done an admirable job stepping in at the left tackle spot, but with Cherilus still on the board the Giants envision moving Diehl back to the left guard spot and securing the LT position for years to come. The Giants could consider a DT here, but none are worthy of this high a pick and keeping Eli Manning healthy is the point of focus.

28 Steelers CB Reggie Smith Oklahoma
Reggie Smith could come in and play cornerback, or the Steelers could elect to move him to safety, where Reggie played earlier in his collegiate career. Smith's versatility makes him a bargain here and will help the Steelers solidify a secondary that can be disappointing at times.

29 Packers RB Felix Jones Arkansas
Many may feel this is a reach, but one must understand that Jones is putting up great numbers while sharing time with Darren McFadden. Much like Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams, these two are pro quality players, and Jones is definitely first round talent. Mike Hart is small and doesn't have break away speed. Jonathan Stewart is a consideration, but I feel he's already peeked and Jones has less wear and tear on him.

30 49ers (IND) WR Mario Manningham Michigan
Limas Sweed is still on the board, but his injury history is too much of a concern. Though he's had nagging injuries in his career, Manningham hasn't suffered any season ending types. Though not the preferred size of a top wideout, Manningham has great speed and leaping ability, along with great body control to adjust to the pass. If he declares, this would be a solid pick for the 'niners.

31 Cowboys CB Antoine Cason Arizona
The Cowboys aren't real happy with their cornerback situation. Anthony Henry is inconsistent and Terrence Newman is injury prone. Cason doesn’t have great top end speed, but he is a playmaker and has great feel for the position. With the ‘boys getting a wide receiver with an earlier pick, this position is the next in line for getting some help.

32 Patriots Forfeited pick due to “Video-Gate”

A better NFL draft?

2007-10-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

The NFL today announced some changes to the 2008 draft. They are:

1) Ten minutes per selection in the first round, down from 15 minutes
2) Seven minutes per selection in the second round, down from 10 minutes
3) Draft starts at 3 p.m. EST on day one, back from noon
4) Second day will start at 10 a.m. instead of 11 a.m.
5) Only two drafts on the first day instead of three, meaning 5 rounds on day two

"We believe this will make for a more streamlined and efficient draft," said commissioner Roger Goodell from the league owners meetings in Philadelphia.

The first round of the draft this past year lasted a record of 6+ hours. Most teams now use the entire 15 minutes alloted for their pick trying to accomodate or make trades with other teams. If all teams still use their full 10 minutes, the first round would still last over five hours.

In rounds 3-7, teams will get five minutes per selection as they have in the past. The 2008 NFL draft will be held April 26-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Your mamma has such a big mouth...

2007-08-14T10:10:00.000-07:00

There are just some things you shouldn't tell you mother, or your father, or your siblings. Let's say you are a Heisman Trophy favorite and potential top overall pick in the draft, but also an underclassman, would you want your parents to announce you are going pro or perhaps your agent (or even yourself)?

According to his mother Mini Muhammed, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden will forgo his senior season and turn pro after his junior season and enter the 2008 draft. She told sources at ESPN that her son said,“‘ Mom, I’ll be through in December” which means that this is his final year with the Razorbacks (not including a Bowl game in January). She also said that her son will "be making big bucks.” Every mothers dream come true.

McFadden (6'2", 210-pounds) finished second to quarterback Troy Smith of Ohio State in the Heisman ballot last year despite being just a true sophomore. He finished his second campaign at Arkansas with 1,647 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.

McFadden and his coach, Houston Nutt, both backtracked on the comments and said their focus was on the 2007 season. The native of Little Rock stated after a recent practice, “I don’t know what was said in the conversation, but I know my mom told me there were some things that were misunderstood. It’s not something I’m thinking about. I’m moving forward right now.”

Hey Darren no "your mamma" jokes here but a bit of advice instead, no more words to your mother about turning pro please...

With the Xth pick in the 2008 draft, the Detroit Lions select...

2007-05-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

For draft nerds it is never to early to start thinking of the draft and since two days have already passed since Mr. Irrelevant was picked it is time to handicap the Lions top selection for the 2008 draft. My top ten choices for the Lions draft pick, which based on history we assume will be high, in 2008:

1. Jake Long, OT, Michigan
At 6'7" and 313-pounds the Lions finally get their franchise LT from Michigan - sorry Backus!

2. James Laurinaitis, ILB, Ohio State
The Buckeye declares early and the Lions find their MLB missing since another Buckeye - Spielman.

3. Lawrence Jackson, DE, USC
Rogers and Redding give the DL a Longhorn flair, Jackson teams with Cody for the Trojans.

4. Antoine Cason, CB, Arizona
The Lions rank 32nd in pass defense in 07' and Aveion surely can't play cornerback can he?

5. Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida
The Lions passed on Adams and Harvey's 11 sacks in 06' beat teammate's Jarvis Moss's 7.5.

6. Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Can the Lions pass on Leinart in 06', then Quinn in 07', then Brohm in 08'?

7. Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas
How well does KJ recover from his lisfranc injury? TJ only signed for 1-year.

8. Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
The Lions haven't had a great safety since that Blades kid from Miami.

9. Chad Henne, QB, Michigan
A Wolverine and a Spartan battle it out for the starting QB spot in 2009.

10. Marrio Manningham, WR, Michigan
Matt Millen takes his 5th WR in the top ten in the past six years!

Lions 2007 Draft Picks Combine & Pro Day Results

2007-04-29T15:39:00.000-07:00

Rnd 1 (2) Calvin Johnson
WR Georgia Tech (6'4" 237)

Pro Day (Brandt): Johnson, whom some people think is the most talented player in the draft, had a broad jump of 11 feet 7 inches. That's the best broad jump I can ever remember an NFL prospect having. And his vertical jump was outstanding, too (42½ inches). He looked very good catching the ball while running routes and his arm was measured at 34 5/8 inches.

Campus: 4.47 in the 40-yard dash … 45-inch vertical jump … 335-pound bench press … 33 3/8-inch arm length … 9 7/8-inch hands.

Combine: 4.4 in the 40-yard dash … 1.55 10-yard dash … 2.58 20-yard dash.

Rnd 2 (43) Drew Stanton
QB Michigan State (6'3" 235)

Pro Day (Brandt): Drew Stanton (6-3, 230) did not participate in MSU's pro day but particpate at Miami's.

Campus: 4.79 in the 40-yard dash … 350-pound bench press … 470-pound squat … 315-pound hang clean … 29½-inch vertical jump … 30 7/8-inch arm length … 9 5/8-inch hands … Right-handed.

Combine: 4.79 in the 40-yard dash … 1.67 10-yard dash … 2.75 20-yard dash … 4.41 20-yard shuttle … 6.77 three-cone drill … 30½-inch vertical jump … 9-foot broad jump.

Rnd 2 (58) Ikaika Alama-Francis
DE Hawaii (6'5" 280)

Pro Day (Brandt): Alama-Francis (6-5 1/8, 276) ran his 40s in 4.85 and 4.88 seconds. He also had a 35-inch vertical jump and a 9-foot-6 broad jump. He also ran 7.31 in the cone drill and 4.62 in the short shuttle, but slipped and didn't want to run again after he stretched his groin. Alama-Francis looked outstanding in positional workout drills. And as part of Francis' workout, he did tight end drills as well and really looked good.

Campus: 4.78 in the 40-yard dash … 425-pound bench press … 535-pound squat … 340-pound power clean … 30-inch vertical jump … 33 1/8-inch arm length … 9 7/8-inch hands.

Combine: no Combine results.

Rnd 2 (61) Gerald Alexander
DB Boise State (6'0" 210)

Pro Day (Brandt): Alexander (6-0, 203) ran 4.12 in the short shuttle and 6.97 in the three-cone drill. He stood on the rest of the numbers from the Combine.

Campus: 4.55 in the 40-yard dash … 265-pound bench press … 485-pound squat … 376-pound hang clean … 358-pound power clean … 41½-inch vertical jump … 4.12 20-yard shuttle … 6.97 three-cone drill … 30 7/8-inch arm length … 9-inch hands … Right-handed … 20/38 Wonderlic score.

Combine: 4.58 in the 40-yard dash … 1.61 10-yard dash … 2.65 20-yard dash … 4.21 20-yard shuttle … 11.94 60-yard shuttle … 7.24 three-cone drill … 41-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-4 broad jump … Bench pressed 225 pounds 15 times.

Rnd 4 (105) A.J. Davis
CB NC State (5'10" 192)

Pro Day (Brandt): Davis (5-10, 190), who was invited to the Combine, ran his 40s in 4.56 and 4.61 seconds, and the three-cone drill in 7.10. Due to a groin injury, he did not do the short shuttle. He stood on his Combine performances in the vertical jump, broad jump and bench presses.

Campus: 4.28 in the 40-yard dash … 39-inch vertical jump … 10'6" broad jump … 24'10" long jump … 330-pound bench press … 365-pound power clean … 10.56 100-meter dash … 30-inch arm length … 8 1/8-inch hands … Left-handed … 18/23 Wonderlic score.

Rnd 4 (117) Manuel Ramirez
G Texas Tech (6'3" 335)

Pro Day (Brandt): Ramirez (6-3¼, 330) was not cleared to work out. At the Combine, he bench-pressed 225 pounds 40 times.

Campus: 5.14 in the 40-yard dash … 550-pound bench press … 785-pound squat … 24-inch vertical jump … 7-foot-10 broad jump … 33 1/8-inch arm length … 10 5/8-inch hands … Right-handed … Wears contacts.

Rnd 5 (158) Johnny Baldwin
OLB Alabama A&M (6'2" 232)

Pro Day (Brandt): Baldwin (6-1 3/8, 232 pounds) ran his 40s in 4.60 and 4.59. He also had a 38-inch vertical jump, 10-foot-4 long jump, 4.32 short shuttle, 6.91 three-cone drill and 27 bench presses.

Campus: 4.59 in the 40-yard dash...Bench pressed 225 pounds 27 times … 38-inch vertical jump … 10-foot-4 broad jump … 4.32 20-yard shuttle … 6.91 three-cone drill.

Rnd 7 (255) Ramzee Robinson
CB Alabama (5'9" 182)

Robinson (Mr. Irrelevant) did not work out at Alabama's pro day nor was he invited to the Combine.

Brandt's Analysis: Robinson (5-9 1/8, 184; 4.50) plays much bigger than his height. He was a great role model and leader at Alabama.

Pablo's Massive (XXXXXXL) Sleeper (5th-round pick Millen?)

2007-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

There is a kid down in Texas around the Houston (went to Ball High School in Galveston) area I've heard about on the Sports radio a few times that I considered wrapping into an April Fools article this year but it fell on a Saturday and I was a little more focused on the birth of my son than getting out an article that week, anyways...

OK, before I get into some of the crazy measureables let me get some of the issues out of the way first. This guy has some serious character flaws, he was arrested for conspiracy to commit robbery, which ended his college football career - as brief as it was.

Now lets get to the crazy measureables for this very unique defensive tackle (yes, imagine this guy in the rotation with Big Baby, Redding, and Cody)....

This 21-year old kid is 6'5", 374-pounds (not a typo) and has been clocked at a sub-5.0 (actually a 4.9 in the 40). He benches 475-pounds and squats 800-pounds.

And it is not just his blend of size and speed that makes him almost a myth down here in the Lone Star state - the dude can move like a cheerleader on the sideline. Seriously, this guy does handstands with ease, cartwheels, and even backfilips. He has unheard of flexibility and agility for a man of his stature.

Now I know y'all (a common phrase we use down here in Tejas) are thinking this is still some kind of April Fool's Day joke, but all kidding aside I'm telling the absolute truth.

His name is Walter Thomas. He was on the State Top 100 list for high schools down (ranked the 18th best prospect in Texas in 2004 and a top 20 DT prospect nationally by Rivals.com) here and I still remember just being shocked by his mammoth size (6'6" and 330-pounds coming out of HS) but figured he couldn't move until I started hearing the whispers of his agility and ability.

He caused some stir in the Big 12 by committing to Oklahoma State, then saying he was going to Texas A&M instead, before finally landing back with the Cowboys. He went to Oklahoma State as a Freshman, but flunked out. He then went to tiny Northwest Mississippi where he only played in two games piling up 16 tackles, 5 of them for loses, with 4 sacks.

I'm surprised there has been little to no mention of him. He was allowed to work out at Mississippi's State's Pro Day and it was recorded by Gil Brant on NFL.com

Mississippi State Pro Day Results

DT Walter Thomas of Northwest Mississippi Community College participate in Mississippi State's Pro Day, working out indoors on FieldTurf in ideal conditions. Thomas originally entered school at Oklahoma State.

Walter Thomas DT Thomas (6-4 3/8, 374 pounds) ran his 40s in 5.11 and 5.27. He also had a 1.73 10-yard dash, 24½-inch vertical jump, 8-foot-4 long jump, 4.84 short shuttle, 7.76 three-cone drill, 27 bench presses and 11½-inch hands 27 bench.

Here is his scouting report for NFL Draft Countdown

Walter Thomas Scouting Report

Strengths:
Outstanding size and a huge frame...Very athletic...Fast and quick off the snap for a man of his dimensions...Strong and extremely powerful...Fantastic feet...Upside is basically limitless...Was really impressive at the Texas vs. Nation All-Star game.

Weaknesses:
Extremely raw and he will need a lot of attention and coaching...Conditioning is a concern and he'll need to lose a ton of weight...Has very little experience at any level...Work ethic is very questionable...Has character issues...Workout warrior?

Notes:
Began his career at Oklahoma State where he played as a true freshman in 2004 before getting kicked off the team...Did not play football in 2005 and played saw little action in 2006 before opting to enter the draft as a junior...The definition of a long-term project but he'll get a few looks due to his rare size and measurables.

Now a team like the Lions has to take some risks to turn things around and with four fifth-round picks (139, 145, 154, and 158), why not take a chance on Big Walt?

With the second pick in the 2007 NFL draft the Detroit Lions select???

2007-04-24T06:47:00.000-07:00

In reviewing the Lions draft situation with the second overall pick in the draft I see only one perfect strategy for Detroit. This is done assuming the Raiders select quarterback JaMarcus Russell and fully knowing Detroit covets defensive end Gaines Adams out of Clemson to be that pass rushing threat the Tampa-2 relies upon heavily to be successful.

Before I lay out the Lions strategy, let me tell you who I personally would like to see in a Lions uniform in order of preference:

1) JaMarcus Russell - the Lions haven't had a QB in how long? JR has the biggest arm in history.
2) Patrick Willis - MLB has been the weak spot of the D for a few years now and Willis has all the tools.
3) Adrian Peterson - KJ is a ? mark and a one-two punch at RB seems a requirement in the NFL today.
4) Calvin Johnson - Roy and Mike made up one of the best WR duos in the NFL last year but CJ is a freak.
5) LaRon Landry - Detroit's pass D is terrrible, Landry and Bullocks set the safety position for years.

As you probably can guess by now, I'm not a big fan of either Gaines Adams or Joe Thomas, but that really doesn't matter as far as the strategy is concerned.

So what do the Lions need to do?

They do like the Chargers did with Eli Manning - take the player that allows them to force a trade with the best possible return. And that player, as you might have guessed, is Calvin Johnson.

In fact, this gives the Lions much more leverage than they have right now or even once they are on the clock. Consider the King's ransom the Chargers got after taking Eli...

Rights to 2004 4th Overall Pick - Used to sign Quarterback Philip Rivers.
2005 1st Round Draft Pick - Used to draft and sign Linebacker Shawne Merriman.
2004 3rd Round Draft Pick - Used to draft and sign Kicker Nate Kaeding.
2005 5th Round Draft Pick - Traded to Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Left Tackle Roman Oben.

Not bad when you consider that Rivers, Merriman, and Kaeding are all pro bowl players while Eli watches his brother play in Hawaii every year!

IMO this is the best course of action the Lions can take and the worse case scenario (which many of you would consider the best case scenario) is that Detroit gets stuck with the best WR prospect to enter the NFL in years.

If I'm the Lions GM I break off all talks with the Bucs and others about two days before the draft, let them know I'm taking Calvin and I'm very happy about it, and make them all sweat it out. That is how you either 1) get the most talented player in the draft, or 2) get the most value out of the #2 pick.

"With the second pick in the 2007 draft the Lions select Calvin Johnson" - if anything else happens this Saturday (assuming the Raiders take JR) then Detroit blew it... It is the only acceptable strategy to maximize a critical pick for this sorry franchise that can't afford to blow it - again!

Lions add draft flexibility via FA

2007-03-05T06:35:00.000-08:00

With the second pick in the 2007 NFL draft the Detroit Lions select...

Well that question just got a lot more difficult after the start of free agency. A few days ago it seemed like everyone had the Lions taking offensive tackle Joe Thomas out of Wisconsin. Detroit certainly needed offensive line help and Thomas was "sure fire" guy after cementing himself as the top OL in the draft at the combine. The 6-6, 311-pound Outland Trophy winner clocked in a 4.82 in the 40.

Most experts had the Lions taking Thomas, those who didn't seemed to go into two different directions. With Kevin Jones questionable to start the 2007 season with a severe foot injury, some thought the wise thing to do would be to get insurance at the position in the form of star Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson. Peterson burst onto the college scene in his very first game and looked like a Heisman trophy winner in the making. But Adrian suffered a number of setbacks including a broken collar bone last season raising red flags. There is no doubt of the talent there, the big question is health especially given Peterson's straight up running style. But could the Lions pass on his talent with a need at RB?

The other major school of thought revolved around a pass rushing defensive end, a key element in head coach Rod Marinelli's Tampa 2 defensive scheme. Gaines Adams out of Clemson secured his spot as the top rated defensive end with a couple of 40 runs in the 4.6 range and racking up 12.5 sacks in his 2006 All-American season. Not bad for a nearly 6-5, 260-pound player who draws comparisons to Javon Kearse. If not Adams, Jamaal Anderson out of Arkansas was another candidate to meet this critical need for the Lions, made even more critical with the trade of James Hall.

But then the trade with the Denver Broncos happened. The Lions traded cornerback Dre' Bly and a 6th round draft pick to Denver, in return they received offensive tackle George Foster, running back Tatum Bell, and a 5th round draft pick. Foster played right tackle in Denver and started 45 out of the team's 48 games there the past three seasons helping pave the way for a number of 1,000-yard rushers. One of those 1,000-yard rushers was Tatum Bell, who started for the first time last season and amassed 1,025 rushing yards while splitting carries with another Bell, Mike. In his three seasons in Denver, Bell has 2,342 yards and 13 touchdowns. The speedster has an impressive 4.9 yards-per-carry average.

Cross offensive tackle off the list with Jeff Backus on the right side, and Foster now on the left. Also cross running back off the list with Bell headed to camp.

Cross defensive end off the priority list as well after the Lions went out and signed Tampa Bay defensive end DeWayne White to a five-year deal worth an estimated $29 million. The 27-year old White has primarily been a backup in Tampa, sitting behind Simeon Rice. While he has never had more than six sacks in a season, Rod Marinelli is very familiar with him having coached the line in Tampa and likes his upside.

So where does that leave the Lions on draft day with the second overall pick? With a lot of options, that is for sure. The only position that seems out of the question would be running back with the addition of Bell assuming Jones will at some point return. but even that is in doubt given the Lions are potentially looking to take a run at former Spartan TJ Duckett. Obviously they feel they still have some needs at running back. Opposite White at DE will be Kalimba Edwards, who has never lived up to his potential, meaning Detroit could well try to upgrade that position in the draft. Foster brings some quesion marks from Denver at tackle while Thomas seems to have few questions surrounding him.

The moves also open up the possibility to look at other options with the second pick in the draft. Calvin Johnson is considered the best prospect in the draft. Would Matt Millen really consider taking a wide receiver in the top ten of the draft for the fourth time in five years? How about Brady Quinn? Quarterback Jon Kitna is no youngster at 35, leaving Detroit with plenty of long-term question marks at the most critical position on the team.

The Lions have huge needs at cornerback with the subtraction at Bly, and at middle linebacker after the failure of the Boss Bailey experiment in 2006. But neither position has a player close to be of value to the second pick in the draft. A trade down scenario appears to be the Lions best bet. Then again, free agency has just begun, who knows what the next few months hold for Detroit. One thing is for sure, the draft just got a lot more interesting this past weekend.

Declared Underclassmen

2007-01-16T06:29:00.000-08:00

The draft looks weak each year until the underclassmen declare, instantly adding depth at the very top of the draft and through the second and third rounds. This year a total of 41 college players have thrown their names into the mix, declaring for the draft and waiving their final year(s) of eligibility to play in college.

Quarterbacks:
Colt Brennan (Hawaii) - Still has 48 hours to make a final decision
JaMarcus Russell (LSU)

Running Backs:
Ahmad Bradshaw (Marshall)
Michael Bush (Louisville)
Chris Henry (Arizona)
Brandon Jackson (Nebraska)
Marshawn Lynch (California)
Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma)
Antonio Pittman (Ohio State)
Gary Russell (Minnesota) - Dismissed from team
Ramonce Taylor (Texas) - Dismissed from team
Darius Walker (Notre Dame)
Danny Ware (Georgia)
Dwayne Wright (Fresno State)

Wide Receivers:
Ted Ginn Jr. (Ohio State)
Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio State)
Dwayne Jarrett (Southern Cal)
Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech)
Robert Meachem (Tennessee)
Maurice Price (Charleston Southern)
Sidney Rice (South Carolina)

Tight Ends:
Zach Miller (Arizona State)
Greg Olsen (Miami)
Luke Smith-Anderson (Idaho)

Offensive Lineman:
None

Defensive Lineman:
Jamaal Anderson (Arkansas)
Antwan Applewhite (San Diego State)
Alan Branch (Michigan)
Stanley Doughty (South Carolina) - Dismissed from team
Charles Johnson (Georgia)
Jarvis Moss (Florida)

Linebackers:
Jon Abatte (Wake Forest)
Jon Beason (Miami)
Rory Johnson (Ole Miss)
Brandon Siler (Florida)
Lawrence Timmons (Florida State)

Defensive Backs:
C.J. Gaddis (Clemson)
Chris Houston (Arkansas)
Reggie Nelson (Florida)
Darrelle Revis (Pittsburgh)
Ryan Smith (Florida)
Eric Wright (UNLV)

Traded 2007 Draft Picks

2006-12-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of all the 2007 draft picks that have been traded thus far (including two Detroit Lions trades):

1st Round:

New England from Seattle - New England acquired for Deion Branch
Denver swaps first round picks with Washington - resulting from three-team trade which included T.J. Duckett and Ashley Lelie. Occurs only if Denver finishes the 2006 season with a better record then Washington and both teams make the playoffs, thereby resulting in no better then a 12 spot increase. If not, Denver will get Washington's third round pick (as well as possibly a 2008 4th round pick.)

2nd Round:
NY Jets from Washington - NY Jets acquired as part of trade for the 35th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, used to select Rocky McIntosh
Tampa Bay Buccaneers from Indianapolis Colts - Tampa Bay acquired for Anthony McFarland

3rd Round:
Cincinnati Bengals - used for selection of Ahmad Brooks in Supplemental Draft)
Denver from Washington via Atlanta - Atlanta acquired the pick for T.J. Duckett and subsequently traded the pick to Denver for Ashley Lelie.
New Orleans from Philadelphia - New Orleans acquired for Donte Stallworth (conditional - 3rd if resigned, 4th if released after 2006.)

4th Round:
Atlanta from Denver (Atlanta acquired as part of trade for 15th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, which was traded to St. Louis for the 11th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, used to select Jay Cutler
New Orleans from Kansas City - New Orleans acquired for Michael Bennett
New Orleans from Philadelphia - New Orleans acquired for Donte Stallworth (conditional - 3rd if resigned, 4th if released after 2006.)
San Francisco from NY Jets - San Francisco acquired for Kevan Barlow (conditional)
San Francisco from Washington - San Francisco acquired for Brandon Lloyd
Tennessee from Baltimore - Tennessee acquired for Steve McNair

5th Round:
St. Louis from Buffalo - St. Louis acquired for Anthony Hargrove
Oakland from New England - Oakland acquired for Doug Gabriel

6th Round:
Detroit from Miami - Detroit acquired for Joey Harrington (conditional)
Kansas City from Dallas - Kansas City acquired for Scott Fujita
Tennessee from Indianapolis - Tennessee acquired for the 238th pick of the 2006 NFL Draft, used to select T.J. Rushing.
Tennessee from San Diego - Tennessee acquired for Billy Volek (conditional)

7th Round:
Green Bay from NY Jets - Green Bay for Steve Morley
Cleveland from San Francisco - Cleveland acquired this pick and Ken Dorsey in exchange for Trent Dilfer
Dallas from NY Jets - Dallas acquired for Sean Ryan
NY Jets from Detroit - NY Jets acquired for Jon McGraw
Dallas from New Orleans - Dallas acquired for Scott Shanle
New England from Arizona - New England acquired for Brandon Gorin (conditional)
Chicago from Cleveland - Chicago acquired for Lenny Friedman

Undisclosed:
Indianapolis from Baltimore - Indianapolis acquired for Gerome Sapp (conditional)
Baltimore from Indianapolis - Baltimore acquired for Ryan LaCasse
Cincinnati from St. Louis - Cincinnati acquired for Dave Ragone (conditional)
Denver from Dallas - Denver acquired for Charlie Adams (conditional)
Oakland from NY Jets - Oakland acquired for Bobby Hamilton
NY Jets from Tampa Bay - NY Jets acquired for Doug Jolley
NY Jets from Minnesota Vikings - NY Jets acquired for Brooks Bollinger
San Francisco from Houston - San Francisco acquired for Cody Pickett (conditional)
New Orleans from Atlanta - New Orleans acquired for Wayne Gandy

Project Mock Draft Picks for Lions in '07 All Wrong

2006-10-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

As some of you may have seen, there are already many Mock Drafts for the 2007 NFL lottery in existence. Our friends at Lionbacker have posted a number of them, and have been kind enough to include the projected selections for the Detroit Lions. However, in review of them, it would seem that none of the prognosicators has accurately touched on getting the position that the Lions need the most.
Many have the Lions taking a quarterback in round one (with a top ten pick as well). Why, oh why, I ask, is this selection they think will be made? Jon Kitna may not be the second coming of Bobby Layne, or even Greg Landry, but he's no Scott Mitchell either. Kitna is having a very good year so far, and this coming with a patchwork offensive line, a new scheme to just about everybody else on the offense, and the absence of a reliable running game. Roy Williams and Mike Furrey have proven themselves as reliable targets, but little depth has been evident. Why would the Lions waste a first round pick on a position where there starter is signed for another three seasons and is having a good year statistically? There are other fish to fry during the draft. I feel if the Lions think that quarterback is a position of need, they will handle it like they did this past off-season, through free agency. However, I am not convinced the Lions have, or feel they have, a need for any change at the quarterback position.
Those sites that feel the Lions will select a different offensive skill position, such as a runningback or wide receiver are also looking at the Detroit franchise through foggy glasses. Kevin Jones, Brian Calhoun, Roy Williams, Mike Furrey, Mike Williams.............any of those names ring a bell? Jones and Roy Williams have shown the potential to be impact players in the NFL, if not potential Pro Bowl candidates. Calhoun was just selected this past draft as the backup to Jones, so taking another running back is highly unlikely. Furrey has proven to be a solid second receiver and the Lions may still be able to get production from Mike Williams yet. Taking another wide receiver on day one is a longshot, particularly with so many other needs to fill.
The idea of selecting a defensive end is intriguing. With the Lions using the Cover 2 defense now, it is imperative that the front four get pressure and allow the linebacker to drop into coverage without the defensive coordinator having to blitz to force quarterbacks into making mistakes. While James Hall is proving that he is the real deal as a pass rusher/run stopper in one package, Kalimba Edwards has not really panned out to be the pure pass rushing threat the Lions had hoped he'd become. Cory Redding is a very good run stopper who does have some pass rush ability, but is more valuable rushing from the inside than the outside on passing downs. Therefore, the idea of getting another defensive end who has speed could be a good idea.
However, there is still more critical needs on this team that can be addressed in the draft. Those positions are along the offensive line and at cornerback. The remaining games of the 2006 season will determine where the priority must lie, but I have a strong feeling it will be at cornerback. Dre' Bly is getting into the part of his contract where his salary becomes more of a burden than the Lions can afford to bear. He has not been very fluid in his adjustment to playing in the Cover 2 defensive scheme, and it seems to highlight his shortcomings as a defender. His run support play is mediocre at best and his zone coverage ability has been lacking. But most importantly, a Cover 2 cornerback needs to be able to jam receivers effectively and be a physical presence. Bly has not shown the knack to alter a receivers timing or path, and he doesn't instill fear in wideouts catching the ball in his zone. He often gives more cushion than is advisable and he doesn't seem to read quarterbacks very well. While getting rid of Bly may not be advisable, selecting a corner in round one will at least give the Lions that option after June 1st of 2007. At the very worst, taking a first round cornerback will add quality depth to a unit that lacks quality at all. Fernando Bryant, whose career in Detroit has been marred by injury and ineffective play, seems to have taken to the Cover 2 defense much better than most would have hoped for. He has been physical and a sure tackler in the open field. His run support has been more than a pleasant surprise.
As for the offensive line, Jeff Backus was just signed to a long term extension, so it is unlikely the team will look to get a starter at left tackle. Dominic Raiola was given an extension in 2005 and his play so far this season has been the best of his career. Jonathon Scott has shown potential to be a solid starter at right tackle for the future. However, Damien Woody has been a disappointment since he was signed to a lucrative free agent contract, and his release may be imminent. Ross Verba has been injured since training camp, so his play in the second half of the season will determine whether the Lions need to address both guard positions this off-season. However, round one is not when you pick a guard, particularly in the top half of the order.
Based on all of the above, I feel that the Lions will take a close look at a big, physical cornerback to either replace Bly or serve as his student for a season. Marcus MacCauley of Fresno State is the likely candidate to fill that position. Therefore, he is my mock pick for the Lions in the first round of 2007.

2007 Mock Drafts Already Starting

2006-09-22T08:41:00.000-07:00

The 2006 NFL and NCAA seasons have just begun but some sites have already started working on their 2007 mock drafts. One of the most interesting parts of these early mock drafts is seeing where the writers think NFL will draft - the higer the pick, the worse the 2006 season went. Here are a couple of 2007 mocks with their top 10 picks:

NFL Draft Countdown

1. OAKLAND RAIDERS - BRADY QUINN - QB | Notre Dame
Despite not having a top signal caller on their roster the Raiders opted to pass on Matt Leinart in the '06 Draft, a move that could come back and haunt them. With that in mind the team is still in need of an upgrade over Aaron Brooks so they use this opportunity to select a potential franchise quarterback. Many Raider fans would point out that Andrew Walter is their quarterback of the future but he has yet to earn that title. Brady Quinn has everything you look for in a quarterback physically and then when you factor in the pedigree of having been tutored by Charlie Weis it's no wonder why this Carson Palmer clone is projected to be the #1 overall pick.

2. SAN FRANCISCO 49'ERS - CALVIN JOHNSON - WR | Georgia Tech
Slowly but surely the Niners are upgrading their overall talent level but they still lack a true #1 wide receiver. Antonio Bryant was brought in and he's a solid starter but there is very little to get excited about beyond him so this pick would make a ton of sense. A physical marvel with a rare blend of size, speed and athleticism, Johnson is one of the best wideout prospects to come along in years and could be a better version of Andre Johnson. Due to the program he plays for and average quarterback play Johnson doesn't get a lot of attention but make no mistake about it he is an elite pro prospect that will go very high, whether it is in 2007 or 2008.

3. GREEN BAY PACKERS - ADRIAN PETERSON - RB | Oklahoma
With so many needs it's hard to figure out where to begin so with that being the case Green Bay simply takes the best player on the board. After a phenomenal freshman campaign Peterson battled injuries as a sophomore but still came through with a solid campaign. Durability is the only big question mark with Peterson but if he can stay healthy he'll be an elite prospect and potentially one of the best running backs the draft has produced in a very long time. With a tremendous blend of size, speed and power Peterson has evoked comparisons to Eric Dickerson so if he has the junior season he's capable of you can pencil him into the Top 3 overall.

4. HOUSTON TEXANS - JOE THOMAS - OT | Wisconsin
Since their inception the Texans have been in search of a premier left tackle but after failed experiments with the likes of Tony Boselli, Chester Pitts and Seth Wand they've come up empty to this point and Charles Spencer really isn't the answer either. That would all change with Thomas though, who had it not been for a knee injury in the Badgers bowl game while playing defensive end would likely have come out early and been a top 10-15 overall pick in 2006. A great athlete for the position with ideal size and nimble feet, Thomas is an excellent all-around blocker who would finally solidify the Houston offensive line if he were somehow still available here.

5. TENNESSEE TITANS - QUENTIN MOSES - DE | Georgia
Last year Kyle Vanden Bosch seemingly came out of nowhere to notch 12 sacks but throughout his career he has been prone to injury and there is very little else beyond him at defensive end for the Titans. Even though he lacks elite timed speed Quentin Moses is an outstanding athlete who early in his career even saw some action on the Bulldogs basketball team. One of the top sack artists in the country, Moses tallied 11.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss as a junior in 2005 and set himself up to be a very high pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Moses will help carry on the strong recent tradition that Georgia has of sending top defensive linemen on to the pros.

6. BUFFALO BILLS - BRIAN BROHM - QB | Louisville
After jettisoning a number of veterans it would appear that the Bills are now in rebuilding mold but they still lack a top signal caller. Former first round pick J.P. Losman won the starting job but the team doesn't seem to have much confidence in him while nobody in their right mind would mistake Kelly Holcomb or Craig Nall for long-term options. Brohm is at the helm of one of the most explosive offenses in the entire nation and with Michael Bush out of the picture he should really be able to put on a show for pro scouts this season. After having already suffered a serious knee injury in '05 Brohm may be ready to go pro rather than risk getting hurt again.

7. CLEVELAND BROWNS - TED GINN JR. - WR | Ohio St.
This franchise has been trying to find offensive playmakers for years now and while they do have a couple of youngsters who could potentially break out in Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards it sure wouldn't hurt to add some more firepower. Ted Ginn, Jr. is a local Ohio product with world-class speed who is a threat to take it the distance anytime he gets his hands on the ball, whether it be as a receiver, a return man or on trick plays. Adding a talent like Ginn, who some feel compares favorably to Joey Galloway, would do wonders for the Browns offense and bringing in a local legend certainly wouldn't hurt from a public relations standpoint either.

8. NEW YORK JETS - MARSHAWN LYNCH - RB | California
Father time has finally caught up with Curtis Martin and it looks like the future Hall of Famers career is over so with that in mind New York opts to bring in a stud runner with this premium pick. Despite a trade for Kevan Barlow the Jets situation at the running back position is pretty dire so the opportunity to add a top talent like Marshawn Lynch to the mix is simply too good to pass up. Lynch has been very productive throughout his career and is a dynamic big play threat who can take it the distance at any time. In some ways Lynch is similar to Laurence Maroney and if he opts to come out after his junior season he could be chosen early in round one.

9. DETROIT LIONS - DREW STANTON - QB | Michigan St.
After four tumultuous seasons the Joey Harrington error, I mean era, is officially over in Motown. Jon Kitna is the starter for now but he is nothing more than a stop-gap solution which means they are going to have to bring in a top young signal caller sooner rather than later. Drew Stanton is a local guy who shows flashes of brilliance and really brings a gunslinger's mentality to the quarterback position so even though he isn't yet a finished product Mike Martz should be able to coach him up. Matt Millen might be gun-shy about using another high pick on a quarterback but unless the team makes major strides this season he won't be around anyway.

10. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS - PAUL POSLUSZNY - OLB | Penn St.
It's not an exaggeration to say that the Saints have been in search of a stud linebacker for a good decade and despite using first day picks on the likes of Sedrick Hodge, James Allen, Courtney Watson and Alfred Fincher the position is still without question the weakest on the team. New Orleans was all set to take A.J. Hawk at #2 overall this year until Reggie Bush fell into their laps but they could get another shot at an impact 'backer from the Big Ten in Paul Posluszny. Many have called "Puz" one of the best, if not the best, linebacker the Nittany Lions have produced and that is saying something when you consider the school has been tabbed "Linebacker U".

Consensus Draft Services

1. The Bills Pick : Brady Quinn (QB, Notre Dame)
After a successful junior season under Charlie Weis, Brady Quinn is the early front-runner for the first overall pick in the 2007 draft. The expectations for Quinn and Notre Dame are high, and many expect him to be in New York for the Heisman ceremony next year. Blessed with ideal size, Quinn has improved throughout his career at Notre Dame and could have came out after a 32 TD, 7 INT performance last year as a junior. With Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and Jay Cutler all ending up as top-11 picks, it is tough to predict where Quinn would have gone had he come out early. If he can continue to improve with experience, the Tom Brady comparisons will begin to arise and Quinn will be considered by all teams who will need a QB come the 2007 NFL Draft.

2. The 49ers Pick: Calvin Johnson (WR, Georgia Tech)
Even with an inconsistent QB in Reggie Ball, Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson has wowed college football fans as much as any player in the NCAA during his first two years. With Terrell Owens-like athleticism and even better speed, Johnson has everything you look for in a franchise WR. During his first two seasons, Johnson has been one of the most electrifying playmakers in college football not named Reggie Bush, making a few insane highlight catches, showing off his incredible hands. His rare speed-size combination makes him a threat in the red-zone as well as on deep routes. If he chooses to come out early, Johnson could see himself as a legitimate candidate for the top overall pick.

3. The Jets Pick: Adrian Peterson (HB, Oklahoma)
Adrian Peterson was slowed by injuries during his sophomore season at Oklahoma, and the team did not play as well without Jason White at QB. Peterson struggled a bit, but still showed why he finished second in Heisman voting as a freshman. His weaknesses include receiving out of the backfield and a tendency to run too up-right. Beyond that, however, Peterson is as gifted as any football player in the world right now, and is another candidate to be the first overall pick in 2007, assuming he comes out early.

4. The Titans Pick: Joe Thomas (OT, Wisconsin)
Joe Thomas will enter his senior season at Wisconsin as the consensus number one offensive lineman prospect in the nation. Thomas, who has enjoyed a nice career as a Badger, toyed with the idea of coming out early as a junior, but injuries made his decision to stay an easy one. A great athlete, Thomas was even asked to play a little defensive line last season. In the NFL, however, he could end up being a franchise left tackle, one of the most coveted positions in the draft.

5. The Packers Pick: Marshawn Lynch (HB, California)
After sharing time with J.J. Arrington, Marshawn Lynch continued to develop as the number one HB on a very good Cal run offense. Sharing carries with Justin Forsett, Lynch rushed for over 1’000 yards as a sophomore, and has the kind of talent that has some Cal fans thinking Heisman. What might not be so happy for those fans is the thought of Lynch leaving school early for the NFL. In terms of upside, Lynch has as much as any HB in the nation not named Adrian Peterson, with the explosiveness only some runners possess.

6. The Texans Pick: LaRon Landry (S, Louisiana State)
LSU Safety LaRon Landry thought about coming out early after last season, but opted to stay his senior season despite being projected by some as a possible top ten pick. A ball-hawking free safety, Landry has no weaknesses as a college stud, but could use to add some bulk to his 6’2”, 187-lb. frame. Landry has started the last 35 games of his college career, and has accumulated nine interceptions in his career so far for the Tigers.

7. The Raiders Pick: Paul Posluszny (LB, Penn State)
The leader of an extremely tough Penn State defense, Paul Posluszny had an amazing junior season, capturing both the Chuck Bednarik and Dick Butkus awards. After injuring himself in an Orange Bowl win against Florida State, Posluszny decided not to enter the 2006 NFL Draft. With LB A.J. Hawk going fifth overall to Green Bay, Posluszny, a comparable prospect, may have been in that range as well had he come out. Instead, Posluszny will lead the Nittany Lions as a senior and if he puts up another great year after the injury with similar production, it is hard to envision a scenario where he isn’t a top ten pick.

8. The Lions Pick: Gaines Adams (DE, Clemson)
As a junior, Gaines Adams made a splash as one of the top DE’s in college football, racking up 9.5 sacks and 15 tackles for loss for Clemson. Although he was a possible first rounder, Adams opted not to enter the 2006 NFL Draft, and might be able to propel himself into top ten or maybe even top five status with a solid senior year. Adams is an instinctive pass-rusher with a good burst, but at just 260-ish pounds, the question of size may come into play for some teams.

9. The Browns Pick: Dwayne Jarrett (WR, USC)
Easily one of the most exciting young WR’s in college football, Dwayne Jarrett wasted no time making a name for himself and seizing the opportunity of having Matt Leinart as his QB. Statistically, Jarrett has been one of the most impressive WR’s ever at this stage in his young career, and with two national championship appearances and one national title to go along with his 26 career touchdowns, it would not be a surprise to see Jarrett leave USC a year early. Still young, the athletic Jarrett could still add some more muscle and improve his route running, which makes his upside flat-out scary. Scouts will tolerate the occasional drop because of how dominant Jarrett can be most of the time.

10. The Ravens Pick: Quentin Moses (DE, Georgia)
Senior DE Quentin Moses will look to lead the Georgia defense in the 2006-2007 college football season. A possible candidate for an OLB in a 3-4 defense, the 250-lb. Moses had 11.5 sacks as a junior and is one of the most feared pass-rushers in college football. Quickness and upside are two positives for Moses, who has improved throughout his career in Athens.

NFL Draft Blitz

1) San Francisco 49ers - *Adrian Peterson (RB) Oklahoma
Analysis: Frank Gore may be the running back of the moment for the 49ers, but barring a 1,500+ yard season from him, picking Peterson is a no-brainer. Peterson should be an impact player from the first day he suits up.

2) New York Jets - *Sam Baker (OT) USC
Analysis: The casual draft fan may not yet be aware of just how good Sam Baker is. Make no mistake, he's a special prospect who has the chance to anchor an offensive line for 10 years.

3) Houston Texans - *Dwayne Jarrett (WR) USC
Analysis: Eric Moulds was a nice addition for the team, but he's not getting any younger. Jarrett is a big, strong and fast wide receiver who has shown the ability to make tough catches look routine.

4) Tennessee Titans - Gaines Adams (DE) Clemson
Analysis: One season of Kyle Vanden Bosch not withstanding, the Titans have been lacking an impact player on the outside of the defensive line since Jevon Kearse left town for Philadelphia. Adams is a disruptive pass rusher who can change opponents offensive gameplans.

5) Buffalo Bills - Brady Quinn (QB) Notre Dame
Analysis: J.P. Losman could surprise us all and have a breakout season as a starter for the Bills this season, but we're not counting on it. Quinn is as NFL-ready a quarterback as you could hope for and could start as a rookie.

6) New Orleans Saints - *Antoine Cason (CB) Arizona
Analysis: Cason has the potential to become an elite level player at the cornerback position. He combines good size with very good speed, ball skills and closing ability.

7) Green Bay Packers - **Sidney Rice (WR) South Carolina
Analysis: The Packers appear to be in for a rough season this year and could go a lot of different ways with this pick. However, the chance to pick up a game-changing wide receiver is too much to pass up.

8) Oakland Raiders - *Brian Brohm (QB) Louisville
Analysis: Aaron Brooks is an inconsistent a quarterback as is in the NFL today. Andrew Walter is being groomed as the QB of the future, but he's struggled this season to the point where the team has recently signed Jeff George.

9) Detroit Lions - *Lawrence Jackson (DE) USC
Analysis: Players with the size and speed of Lawrence Jackson don't come along very often. He's may not be in a Julius Peppers / Mario Williams class, but Jackson is only a half-step down from them as a prospect.

10) Cleveland Browns - Joe Thomas (OT) Wisconsin
Analysis: Thomas is an obvious pick here as the Browns are surprised to see him still on the board. Thomas has added some muscle to his frame and should be able to come in and start right away for the Browns.

Footballs Future

1. 49ers - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Frank Gore has some talent, but Peterson is special.

2. Jets - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
The Jets probably will not pick this high, and could be tempted for Quinn despite taking Clemens in the second last year.

3. Bills - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
The Bills will be in the hunt for the #1 overall pick, and a QB will be high on their board.

4. Saints - Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn St.
Their never ending search for a stud linebacker has ended.

5. Packers - Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
With the trade of Javon Walker, the Pack lack a playmaker at WR.

6. Browns - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
A LT is needed, and found.

7. Titans - Jared Gaither, OT, Maryland
Just a sophomore, but has amazing potential.

8. Raiders - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
More bodies are needed on defense, and Adams is the best defender on the board.

9. Texans - Laron Landry, S, LSU
A playmaker at safety like Landry is a big need for the Texans.

10. Lions - Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville
Still in search of a QB to lead the team, the Lions again use a high pick on a QB.

Draft King

1. Oakland Raiders - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
2. Detroit Lions - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
3. Houston Texans - Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
4. Green Bay Packers - Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
5. Cleveland Browns - Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn St.
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Levi Brown, OT, Penn St.
7. Tennessee Titans - Jeff Samardzija, WR, Notre Dame
8. Miami Dolphins - Quentin Moses, DE/OLB, Georgia
9. San Francisco 49ers - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
10. Buffalo Bills - LaMarr Woodley, DE/OLB, Michigan

About.com

1. Buffalo Bills - Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame
2. New York Jets - Michael Bush, RB Louisville
3. Tennessee Titans - Joe Thomas, OT Wisconsin
4. San Francisco 49ers - Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State
5. Houston Texans - Levi Brown, OT Penn State
6. Oakland Raiders - Quentin Moses, DE Georgia
7. Detroit Lions - Drew Stanton, QB Michigan State
8. Baltimore Ravens - LaRon Landry, FS LSU
9. St. Louis Rams - Gaines Adams, DE Clemson
10. Cleveland Browns - Quinn Pitcock, DT Ohio State

Huddle Geeks

1.) New York Jets Brady Quinn - QB - Notre Dame
2.) New Orleans Gaines Adams - DE - Clemson
3.) Green Bay *Adrian Peterson - RB Oklahoma
4.) San Francisco *Calvin Johnson - WR - Georgia Tech
5.) Oakland Frank Okam - DT - Texas
6.) St. Louis *Antoine Cason - CB - Arizona
7.) Buffalo Joe Thomas - OT - Wisconsin
8.) Houston Justin Blalock - OT - Texas
9.) Tennessee Brandon Meriweather - S - Miami
10.) Baltimore *Brian Brohm - QB - Louisville
11.) Detroit *Ted Ginn Jr. - WR - Ohio State

Rookie Cap Allocations

2006-05-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

The NFL announced their rookie salary cap allocations, with the Detroit Lions allocated $4,121,438 as the maximum amount given to sign all their rookies, including undrafted free agents. This rookie pool of money is a cap within the salary cap, it is part of the overall salary cap a team must stay within, not an additional amount. The total salary cap for each team in 2006 is $102 million, so the Lions rookie cap represents 4% of their total cap space. While the typical overall rookie pool has grown at about 2%, this years increase represents a 5% increase over last year.

ROOKIE SALARY CAP ALLOCATIONS

Team (# of Picks) Rookie pool

1) Green Bay (12) $6,647,633
2) N.Y. Jets (10) $6,631,295
3) Tennessee (10) $5,844,517
4) San Francisco (9) $5,646,962
5) Houston (7) $5,390,902
6) Buffalo (9) $5,366,937
7) New Orleans (8) $5,220,174
8) St. Louis (10) $4,880,531
9) Cleveland (10) $4,876,144
10) Baltimore (10) $4,762,876
11) New England (10) $4,617,429
12) Oakland (7) $4,504,263
13) Philadelphia (8) $4,256,970
14) Tampa Bay (10) $4,213,367
15) Detroit (7) $4,121,438
16) Arizona (7) $4,100,955
17) Denver (7) $3,853,423
18) Pittsburgh (9) $3,852,681
19) Dallas (8) $3,786,517
20) San Diego (8) $3,724,681
21) Minnesota (6) $3,708,617
22) Cincinnati (8) $3,688,985
23) Carolina (8) $3,673,327
24) N.Y. Giants (7) $3,523,882
25) Kansas City (7) $3,394,243
26) Indianapolis (7) $3,157,508
27) Miami (6) $3,023,638
28) Chicago (7) $2,899,270
29) Jacksonville (6) $2,871,527
30) Seattle (6) $2,830,866
31) Washington (6) $2,241,339
32) Atlanta (5) $2,069,514

Total (255) $133,382,411

Lions Draft Picks and thier Combine/Pro Day Results

2006-05-01T07:33:00.000-07:00

The draft picks are in for the Detroit Lions. Here are the picks and their results from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis and their individual workouts at their respective schools pro days.

ERNIE SIMS - OLB - Florida State
Round One (9th overall)

Combine Results Sims ran the 40 in 4.50, had a 10'5" broad jump, and had a 41" vertical leap.

Pro Day Results Sims (5-11 1⁄4, 234 pounds) ran the 40s in 4.55 and 4.48 seconds.

DANIEL BULLOCKS - S - Nebraska
Round Two (40th overall)

Combine Results Bullocks ran the 40 in 4.38, had a time of 6.91 in the three cone drill, and had a 11.22 time in the 60-yard shuttle.

Pro Day Results Bullocks stood on everything he did at the Combine and only did position drills.

BRIAN CALHOUN - RB - Wisconsin
Round Two (74th overall)

Combine Results Calhoun ran the 40 in 4.60, had a 10'4" broad jump, was timed at 7.05 in the three cone drill, and had a 4.2 time in the 20-yard shuttle.

Pro Day Results Calhoun (5-9, 204 pounds) ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38. He also had a 38-inch vertical jump, 4.04 short shuttle, 11.03 long shuttle and 6.83 three-cone drill.

JONATHAN SCOTT - OT - Texas
Round Five (141st overall)

Combine Results Scott ran the 40 in 5.31 and 8'5" broad jump.

Pro Day Results Scott (6-6, 322 pounds) has an arm length of 33 7/8 inches and a hand size of 10 inches. Did 17 bench presses. Stood on his numbers from the Combine in the other categories.

ALTON 'DEE' MCCANN - CB - West Virginia
Round Six (179th overall)

Combine Results McCann had a 40.5-inch vertical leap.

Pro Day Results McCann (5-10 7/8, 195 pounds) was timed at 4.52 and 4.54 in the 40. He had a 421⁄2-inch vertical jump, a 10-foot-7 broad jump, a 4.10 short shuttle, a 7.05 three-cone drill and 12 lifts.

FRED MATUA - G - Southern Cal
Round Seven (217th overall)

Combine Results Matua was not invited to the scouting combine.

Pro Day Results Matua (6-2 3/8, 301 pounds) ran his 40s in 5.06 and 5.19. He also had a 30-inch vertical, 4.86 short shuttle, 78.08 three-cone drill, and 26 bench presses of 225-pounds.

ANTHONY CANNON - OLB - Tulane
Round Seven (217th overall)

Combine Results Cannon was not invited to the scouting combine.

Pro Day Results Tulane had no pro day.

Huff, Puff, and blow Ford Field Down

2006-04-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

With less than two weeks to go all Lions fans eyes are on University of Texas defensive back Michael Huff. With conventional wisdom thinking Detroit will go defense with their first pick, Huff is the likely candidate. Not that conventional wisdom and the Lions' draft should be used in the same sentance. Defensive end stud Mario Williams will be long gone by the time the Lions pick at nine. Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk is likely off the board as well by the time the Lions select. This leaves Oregon defensive tackle Haloit Ngata and Huff as the top prospects that may still be there when the Lions select, although neither is a sure thing to last until nine.

Huff would fill a huge need for the Lions. Under Marinelli's new Cover 2, Huff has the size, speed, and ball skills to play either corner or safety. It is this versatility that has helped propel Huff into a potential top ten pick. He is widely considered the top defensive back prospect in the country heading into the draft. Few safeties are selected in the top ten with only two going in the top ten since 1991 (Roy Williams, Sean Taylor), yet shut down corners are a hot commodity in the NFL and worthy of that high of a selection. But even if Huff were to play safety, you just have to look at the Super Bowls of this decade to see what sort of impact a top flight safety (Rod Woodson, Ed Reed, Lawyer Milloy, John Lynch, Rodyney Harrison, Troy Polumalu.) can have on a defense. Huff, a concensus All-American and the winner of the Jim Thorpe Award (nations top defensive back), can make a huge impact at either position.

Texas plays in the run-oriented Big 12, making an evaluation of Huff tougher than most. Teams simply don't throw that much in the conference. But when they did, they found out just what an athelete Huff is. At 6'0" Huff has the size to cover today's bigger receivers. At the combine, he showed he also has the speed to stay with smaller receivers with an impressive 40 time (4.34) backed up by another sub 4.4 40 at his pro day in Austin. In fact, it was his 40 times that had scouts thinking he does project well at cornerback at the next level. He also showed good strength by bench 225-pounds 21 times and good explosion with a 40-inch vertical leap.

Besides the measurables, Huff is a smart and aggresive defensive back. He is a big hitter, despite entering Texas as a speed/finesse guy. Over his years with the Longhorns, Huff worked hard on his tackling. He is, at times, almost too aggressive and can be seen on tape launching himself into the tackle. This results in poor technique and missed tackles. His aggressiveness also make him to bite on fakes, something he needs to work on.

Huff has the tools to exceed in both man-to-man and zone coverages. In college he lined up both at corner and safety. He showed the ability to hand both receivers and tight ends in either coverage. He has good instincts paired with a strong ability to read the quarterback and react to the the play. He is a playmaker to boot, setting a Texas record with four interception returns for touchdowns.

Lions' head coach Rod Marinelli has taken notice. “He’s an incredible player,” Lions coach Rod Marinelli said. “He’s one of the best defensive players in the draft, a guy who is capable of being a Pro Bowl-caliber player for many, many years.”

Huff is also a big game player. In a critical early season matchup against Ohio State, it was Huff making a switch to the defensive play call that resulted in the play being stuffed on fourth down helping to preserve a 25-22 win. In the biggest stage of the all, it was Huff who stepped up to stuff USC's LenDale White on a fourth-and-two run with 2:09 left that gave the Longhorns the ball back in what would result in the game winning drive and a National Championship for Texas.

Detroit likes to draft players out of Texas, with defensive line starters Shaun Rogers and Cory Redding ready to pressure the quarterback into making a mistake with Huff roaming the field. He also is familiar with Lions' standout receiver Roy Williams having had to go against him in practice back in 2003. “Going against probably one of the best receivers in the nation, and seeing the success he’s having in the NFL, kind of makes me feel better about myself,” Huff said. “Every practice was intense. He (Williams) brought his best and I brought my best. I know it made me a much better player.”

So if you want to help solidify the new Cover 2 defense what a better place to start than with a guy with the speed of a shut down corner, yet the size and hitting ability of a strong safety? Then again, thinking back just a year ago all eyes were on another Longhorn, outside linebacker Derrick Johnson of Texas, who happened to still be on the board when Matt Millen and the Lions were on the clock with their first round selection. Better not get your hopes up about Huff and start thinking about Chad Jackson and Santonio Holmes instead!

You may be reading them, but they're pointless

2006-03-16T22:11:00.000-08:00

It's what everyone loves doing.

Checking the web daily for the mock drafts everyone has. The casual fans wondering "Who do they have my team picking". And then the one who believes they are smarter than the "draft gurus", stating "There's no way we would take him, this guy is a moron" (Note: More often than not, they're right).

But here's a newsflash: Until mid-April, it's a waste of time.

Why? You have free agency. You have trades. You have cuts. You had coaches signing elsewhere. And player workouts aren't even complete. Teams haven't formulated strategies. Newspapers haven't come out with their rumors.

Earlier this week, New Orleans signed Drew Brees. Talk all you want about how they can still go with Leinart because of how his contract is done, how his shoulder isn't 100%. Blah, blah, blah. They brought in a Pro Bowl quarterback in his prime. They're not looking for a quarterback.

Detroit brought in both Josh McCown and Jon Kitna. Jamal Lewis went back to Baltimore. Some miracle happened that allowed Edgerrin James to land in Arizona. Kerry Collins was released.

Now, your Mock Draft that you looked at that had Matt Leinart going #2 isn't right anymore, and you can't assume anything.

Free agency is much more important to teams than drafts. These players are proven, they will have more of an impact on a team, and they typically have much higher salaries than draft picks. Good teams fill holes in free agency, and draft for future impact.

So, next time you're looking at a Mock Draft, check the day. Then check yourself. Click on that little X on the top right of your screen. It's what's best for you.

Oh yeah, and Lionbacker Mock Draft update soon!

The Shape of Things to Come

2006-03-11T09:03:00.000-08:00

And so begins the nations largest shopping spree in professional sports. The NFL Free Agency period has begun (finally) after seeing a number of delays. And already there has been some signings that will impact the top ten in the draft.

1. Houston has openly stated that their pick could be traded if the right offer comes along. For a team in need of a quarterback or running back, the offer may seem intriguing. However there are few teams within earshot of the top pick that have the tools to make that type of trade offer. And with three quarterbacks and three running backs believed by some to be worthy of top ten picks, it makes all the sense in the world for a team to stand pat with their lower pick, or even look to trade down themselves. I fully expect that Houston won't get the right offer to make them trade down. The Texans haven't shown interest in any of the playmaking style free agent running backs that are available. And with their need of a dynamic running back, Reggie Bush is their pick.

2. New Orleans still has Aaron Brooks on their roster, but we can pretty much all agree that he will be released in the coming weeks. The Saints have already set up meetings with Drew Brees, and will make every effort to offer him a contract. The idea of the team offering Brees a contract upset Nick Saban so much that he and some of his coaching staff arranged to meet with Brees in Louisiana to make sure Drew keeps his options open. Should Brees sign with New Orleans, there could be a shake up at the top of the draft board. The Saints are believed to be targeting Matt Leinart with the second pick, but won't be any longer if Drew signs on the dotted line with them. The Saints will try to trade down, and have stated they will accept the best offer to come their way. Like the Houston situation, there are few teams at the top of the draft board with a real need for a quarterback. Oakland is the only team that comes to mind, and their situation could change as well. The Jets may be interested, but won't trade up to get anyone that could fall to them. Should the Saints not find a trade partner after signing Brees, they will likely choose to keep the pick and select offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson.

3. It was well believed that the Titans had their eyes set firmly on Vince Young prior to the Combines. Vince's election to not take place in the workouts was a colossal mistake. Given that he was only weighed, measured and took the Wonderlic test, it should come to no surprise that his test score was big news. But the fact is there are other concerns about Vince that he could have cleared up with a solid workout. Now teams have to wait until he works out for them at the Texas Pro Day. NFL teams really don't like to wait. They will make other plans. It would seem that Jay Cutler electing to workout at the Combines may have paid off for him. The Titans have now given comments that Jay is their preferred pick over Vince. Steve McNair is said to have made a push to management to select Vince Young. But does the Titans brass want to listen to a player who may only be with them another year? Probably not. Head coach Jeff Fischer and offensive coordinator Norm Chow will be the ones with the most input. And I feel they will push hard for Cutler. But if by some chance Leinart falls to them, he would likely be the pick.

4. The Jets and Chad Pennington were able to settle their differences on his exhorbitant contract. But the New York franchise must still get a quarterback to compete with Pennington, or at least be ready if he gets hurt again. While veteran free agents such as Brian Griese, Kerry Collins and Jon Kitna would be attractive additions, there is word that many of the NFL vets don't like the situation in New York and don't want to be part of a new rebuilding process. As a result, the Jets will likely opt to use their pick on a quarterback who will have a chance to soak up the system at the beginning of the season, and may see a chance to play if Chad's shoulder fails to cooperate for a third season. Should the team not elect to pick a quarterback, wisdom tells they will either pick Mario Williams to replace disgruntled John Abraham, or will select D'Brickashaw Ferguson should he still be on the board.

5. The Packers recently re-signed defensive end Aaron Kampman to a healthy, long contract. They have no need for a defensive end. The Packers still have Brett Favre, but who knows if he'll retire or not. Aaron Rogers was taken twenty fourth overall last year and may be ready to take over as starter this season. The Pack really has no need for a quarterback or a defensive end. What they likely will do is try to shore up their sagging linebacking corps by selecting A.J. Hawk with their pick. Regardless of what players fall to them, this is the wise pick. A running back, you say? They resigned Ahman Green for another year of service, and Samkon Gado will be back.

6. The San Francisco 49ers have options. The reason they have options is because they have need for talent at just about every position except quarterback. It has been hard to judge what player they covet in the draft, or what position they want to fill the most. They release Ahmad Plummer, so they may elect to take Jimmy Williams or Michael Huff to replace him. They won't get Julian Peterson back, so they may want to get A.J. Hawk to replace him. Frank Gore and Kevan Barlow are able running backs, but DeAngelo Williams and Lendale White are probably better suited to be feature backs than them. Mario Williams would be a perfect replacement for Andre Carter in the 3-4 defense they run. But I think the 49ers may elect to go with physical wonderkin tight end Vernon Davis. With his remarkable skill set of speed, strength, hands and blocking he would add a target for their young gun slinger Alex Smith. Should Mario Williams fall, the pick would be him. But if Super Mario is off the board, Davis is the likely choice.

7. The Oakland Raiders released Kerry Collings. Actually they released him twice. I guess they really don't want him around any longer. The Raiders now have a need at quarterback. Marquis Tuiasasopo is a career backup who will never be an acceptable starter. Andrew Walter was taken just last year and may have the ability to start this year, but it is doubtful he is the long term answer at the position. It is said that Al Davis is enamored with Vince Young and would love to add him to the Raider Nation. Al is the type of guy who sets his sights on something and does what it takes to get him. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Oakland tries to move up the boards to land Young. If they can't land Vince, the Raiders could go with Jimmy Williams to replace Charles Woodson, or pick Michael Huff to be their new starting strong safety. Then again, some youth along their defensive line would be nice. Haloti Ngata, perhaps?

8. Buffalo would absolutely be tickled if D'Brickashaw Ferguson fell to them. I don't think it will happen, but the Bills would love to have him as the new starter to protect the blindside of J.P. Losman. However, the Bills have a fallback plan. With the release of strong safety Lawyer Milloy the Bills could use their pick on Michael Huff. But in all likelihood the boys in Buffalo would make Haloti Ngata their pick. They need a big body along their defensive line now that they've released Sam Adams and never really replaced Pat Williams after his departure in 2005. Ngata could go earlier, but I think he will still be around for new coach Dick Jauron.

9. The Detroit Lions are in good shape to land a player of need. They could get a quarterback to compete with Joey Harrington, but that's not a likely scenario. They could have a defensive back fall to them, which is likely. Their preference would be to get Michael Huff and make him their new starter at free safety, where his speed and coverage skills would be paramount to the success of the Cover 2 defense the team will install. But there may be some teams farther down in the first round that will become anxious and want to trade up at this point to either get a quarterback or a running back ahead of the Arizona Cardinals. Baltimore, Atlanta and Minnesota all have needs at running back and may try to move up to get their preference. Should the Lions elect to trade down, expect them to focus on defense rather than offense with their pick. They have needs at defensive end, safety and middle linebacker. Any of those three can be had later in round one.

There are still many days left to go in free agency, and the atmosphere of the draft will be effected heavily by what teams do during this time. Should the Lions sign a free agent to play free safety (Chris Hope, Idrees Bashir) they may be more willing to trade away the ninth pick since Michael Huff won't represent a huge need filler. But as we all know, Matt Millen loves to take the best player available. Should he not get an offer he likes to trade the pick, I suspect that Huff may still be the Lions choice.

In“Vince”able? Maybe not…

2006-02-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if things can get any worse for Vince Young. A guy who’s stock has gone sky-high after an electrifying and heroic performance in the Rose Bowl, now sits full of questions.

Young’s off-season has been treacherous. He signed on with “Team Young”, consisting of people with ties to his family (led by his family’s attorney), rather than an established agent. But this is expected of someone of his intelligence (Warning: Horn Tooting ahead). How bad has this decision been? Chip Brown of KHOU.com lets us know here. This decision has led to a series of bad decisions by “Team Young”, at nearly every event he’s been at.

Young went to throw in a Skills Competition by Capitol One, where he embarrassed himself with his accuracy, missing a downfield target, twice. He was outshined by mediocre prospects Drew Olson, Charlie Whitehurst, and Brodie Croyle, none who will be picked in the first round. At TNT’s halftime show for a basketball game, Young was asked who he wanted to be picked by. Rather than give the generic and correct answer, he answered Houston and Tennessee, yes, he didn’t mention New Orleans, not the first time he’s left a potential suitor out of his list.

Then came the combine, and well, this was the icing on the cake. Young decided not to throw at the combine, something that was criticized by many, considering Vince to be hiding his arm. Young didn’t run at the combine, rather just deciding to do everything at his individual workout. He just took psychological tests, where he scored a 6 on the Wonderlic, an exam given to players. The exam is out of 50 points, and yes, that is a 12%. How tough is the exam? Here is an example of a question that was on ESPN today:

What is the 9th month of the year?
A) January
B) May
C) October
D) September
E) November

This isn’t the SAT folks. The average score for the stereotypical “dumb jock” is a 19. That’s more than 3 times what Young scored.

The combine pushed the concerns over the bubble for Young. This is a guy who took less than a dozen snaps not from the shotgun formation this season. A guy who’s running game sets up his throwing, rather than vise-versa. Now you add on concerns about him and his ability to grasp a playbook, and you‘ve got a concoction for a free fall.

How low can he go? He could legitimately fall out of the first round. You think Norm Chow believes he can understand his offense? You think Al Davis, a man who values veteran quarterbacks and their ability to throw the ball, wants anywhere near him? Some say that Young isn’t even a top 10 quarterback, rather a top 10 athlete at the quarterback position.

Finally, things are getting interesting.

The Combine Starts Today

2006-02-23T06:21:00.000-08:00

Today more than 330 draft prospects decend upon the RCA Dome in Indianapolis for a series of mental and physical tests to help determine where they should be taken in the draft this April. While most fans will focus on the results from the on-field drills, the interviews and medical tests will be highly scrutinized by NFL clubs. Virtually all prospects go through the interview process, even if they don't plan to take part in many of the physical drills. This is a chance for teams to determine the mental makeup of each player. The medical tests are critical to prospects carrying injury concerns and can have a major impact on where they get selected.

NFL teams have a pretty good idea of how the seniors measure up, the combine is often the first real chance to get measurables for the underclassmen. That is unless you consider their measureables from their respective schools to be accurate, which most scouts do not.

Don't think the combine really matters? Think again. Since the turn of the century just 12 players have been taken on the first day of the draft that didn't attend the combine, and there hasn't been a single first-round pick selected who didn't attend the combine.

NFL Network's day-by-day TV coverage:

Thursday, Feb. 23
2 p.m. ET -- NFL Scouting Combine press conferences (LIVE)
7 p.m. ET/PT -- NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine

Friday, Feb. 24
2 p.m. ET -- NFL Scouting Combine press conferences (LIVE)
7 p.m. ET/PT -- NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine

Saturday, Feb. 25
11 a.m. ET -- Workouts: Offensive linemen and running backs (LIVE) (re-airs 8 PM ET/PT)
2 p.m. ET -- NFL Scouting Combine press conferences (LIVE)
7 p.m. ET/PT -- NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine

Sunday, Feb. 26
11 a.m. -- Workouts: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs (LIVE) (re-airs 8 PM ET/PT)
2 p.m. ET -- NFL Scouting Combine press conferences (LIVE)
7 p.m. ET/PT -- NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine

Monday, Feb. 27
11 a.m. ET -- Workouts: Tight ends, defensive lineman (LIVE) (re-airs 8 PM ET/PT)
7 p.m. ET/PT -- NFL Total Access from the Scouting Combine

Tuesday, Feb. 28
11 a.m. ET -- Workouts: Linebackers, defensive backs (LIVE) (re-airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT)

Wednesday, Mar. 1
8 p.m. ET/PT -- 2006 NFL Scouting Combine wrapup show

College Football All-Star Challenge Results

2006-02-04T14:30:00.000-08:00

The Capital One College Football All-Star Challenge aired on ESPN with some of the biggest names in the 2006 draft competing head-to-head from Dolphins' Stadium in Miami. Six different events took place, with four contestants each, and the the winner of each event took home a big screen TV.

Quarterback Toss: Hitting a moving target at 20, 40, and 60-yard intervals.

1) Drew Olson (QB) UCLA - 140
2) Vince Young (QB) Texas - 130
3) Brodie Croyle (QB) Alabama - 110
4) Charlie Whitehurst (QB) Clemson - 50

Obstacle Course: Timed event with a number of different obstacles.

1) Chad Jackson (WR) Florida - 30.26
2) Sinorice Moss (WR) Miami - 31.77
3) DeAngelo Williams (RB) Memphis - 33.01
4) Vernon Davis (TE) Maryland - 33.88

Long Distance Throw: Throw football as far as possible to land in given space.

1) Brodie Croyle (QB) Alabama - 68 yards
2) Vince Young (QB) Texas - 64 yards
3) Drew Olson (QB) UCLA - 62 yards
4) Charlie Whitehurst (QB) Clemson - 62 yards

Field Goal Distance: Hitting the uprights at increasing differences.

1) Stephen Gostkowski (K) Memphis - 51 yards
2) Josh Huston (K) Ohio State - 49 yards
3) Connor Hughes (K) Virginia - 47 yards
4) David Pino (K) Texas - 47 yards

Hands Challenge: Catch as many passes as possible from machines in 30 seconds.

1) Chad Jackson (WR) Florida - 27
2) Sinorice Moss (WR) Miami - 19
3) Vernon Davis (TE) Virginia - 16
4) DeAngelo Williams (RB) Memphis - 15

Quarterback Scramble: Run through obstacles with time deductions for hitting targets.

1) Vince Young (QB) Texas - 15.65
2) Charlie Whitehurst (QB) Clemson - 18.05
3) Drew Olson (QB) Ohio State - 20.32
4) Brodie Croyle (QB) Alabama - 21.81

Senior Bowl Notes

2006-01-28T16:07:00.000-08:00

The NFL Network did a great job with the Senior Bowl coverage which was wrapped up by ESPN in a 31-14 victory by the North (coached by the Titan's Jeff Fisher). Here are some quick thoughts after watching the practices and the game.

D'Brickshawn Ferguson (Virginia Tech) has looked like the top prospect all week. He got beat inside easy, something he has done in the past, by taking a bad first step (to the outside) in the game. Outside of that, he displayed great footwork and technique. There are a lot of interesting OT prospects this year (Jonathan Scott, Marcus McNeill, Eric Winston - in the Senior Bowl alone.

Offensive Guard Max Jean Gilles (Georgia) has stood out to me in both practice and in the game. He handled Michigan's Gabe Watson with no problem in the battle of the titans. Gabe has looked decent, especially when not going against MJG. Both are just huge. Nick Mangold (Ohio State) is a very solid center, best of the group. The Lions have a great chance to upgrade the offensive line this year as their is a lot of depth in the draft.

I've been disappointed with Jay Cutler (Vanderbilt) at QB. He does have a big arm and quick release, I can see why scouts like him, but his accuracy and decision making didn't impress me. None of the QBs have been lights out, Charlie Whitehurst (Clemson) and Brodie Croyle (Alabama) play didn't hurt them.

DeAngelo Williams (Memphis) stood out among the RBs to no surprise. He showed good vision and football quickness.

Sinorice Moss (Miami) looked the best of an unimpressive WR group. Jason Avant (Michigan) had too many drops, didn't help himself. Demetrius Williams (Oregon) had a solid week of practice but didn't stand out in the game.

TE Dominique Byrd (USC) really helped himself by running great routes and catching everything. The TE group in general looked stronger than I expected, Joe Klopfenstein (Colorado) caught a nice touchdown in the game.

Defensively, Tye Hill (Clemson) was the best corner all week. He can press at the line, has good speed and coverage skills, and showed flashes of being a playmaker.

Mathias Kiwanuka (Boston College) was the defensive player I was most excited to see. As it turned out, he didn't play up to the level I was hoping to see. Kiwi was dominated by Ferguson all week, he looked overpowered in most of the matchups in the 1 on 1 drills. DE Tamba Hali (Penn State) looks undersized but he goes after the QB with a great motor.

Nothing jumped out at me at the LB position, Chad Greenway (Iowa) does look like a mid first rounder (or a reach at #9). His college teamate, Abdul Hodge, is likely to be selected high as well. DeMeco Ryans (Alabama) will get some attention at the combine.

Senior Bowl Rosters, TV/Radio, & Fan Guide

2006-01-27T13:50:00.000-08:00

The 57th Senior Bowl takes place in Mobile, Alabama and is the last chance to see highly rated seniors in game action against their peers. It is considered one of the most important scouting events of the year were players, like quarterback turned wide receiver Matt Jones in 2005, can begin to make huge leaps up NFL draft boards. These are the future stars of pro football as evidenced by 26 former Senior Bowl players headed to the NFL Pro Bowl.

Kickoff is set for 3:06 p.m. and the contest will be nationally-televised by ESPN live from Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium.

You can also listen to the streamed version of the game on the official radio station of the Senior Bowl WNSP.

Senior Bowl Fan Guide (PDF)

South Team Roster
Coaching Staff: 49ers

10 Joseph Addai RB LSU
75 Will Allen OL Texas
47 Mark Anderson DE Alabama
1 D. Aromashodu WR Auburn
18 Hank Baskett WR New Mex.
17 Greg Blue SA Georgia
52 Brodrick Bunkley DL FSU
63 Ryan Cook OL New Mexico
12 Brodie Croyle QB Alabama
68 Mike Degory OL Florida
70 Cody Douglas OL Tenn
98 Elvis Dumervil DE Louisville
32 S. Gostkowski K Memphis
5 Skyler Green WR LSU
6 Cedric Griffin CB Texas
4 Darrell Hackney QB UAB
38 Andre Hall RB South Florida
99 Parys Haralson DE Tenn
41 Roman Harper SA Alabama
92 Orien Harris DL Miami
42 Spencer Havner LB UCLA
40 Thomas Howard LB UTEP
7 Marcus Hudson DB N.C. State
77 Max Jean-Gilles OL Georgia
22 Kelly Jennings CB Miami
23 Tim Jennings CB Georgia
91 Manny Lawson DE NC State
19 Marcedes Lewis TE UCLA
55 Jesse Mahelona DL Tenn
73 Marcus McNeill OL Auburn
35 Garrett Mills FB Tulsa
2 DeMario Minter CB Georgia
9 Anthony Mix WR Auburn
83 Sinorice Moss WR Miami
21 Jerious Norwood RB Miss St
2 Ben Obomanu WR Auburn
81 Thomas Olmsted P Troy
8 Freddie Roach LB Alabama
35 DeMeco Ryans LB Alabama
71 Jonathan Scott OL Texas
3 D.J. Shockley QB Georgia
72 Albert Toeaina OL Tenn
24 Pat Watkins SA FSU
44 G. Wilkinson LB GA Tech
20 D. Williams RB Memphis
95 Kyle Williams DL LSU
82 T.J. Williams TE N.C. State
51 Travis Williams LB Auburn
94 Kamerion Wimbley DE FSU
74 Eric Winston OL Miami

North Team Roster
Coaching Staff: Titans

4 Jahmile Addae SA West Virginia
95 Victor Adeyanju DE Indiana
42 Jon Alston LB Stanford
8 Jason Avant WR Michigan
11 Mike Bell RB Arizona
1 Will Blackmon CB Boston College
14 Daniel Bullocks SA Nebraska
86 Dominique Byrd USC
73 Daryn Colledge OL Boise State
6 Jay Cutler QB Vanderbilt
99 Dusty Dvoracek DL Oklahoma
66 DB Ferguson OL Virginia
18 Chad Greenway LB Iowa
80 Derek Hagan WR Arizona State
91 Tamba Hali DE Penn State
9 Jerome Harrison RB Wash St
8 Tye Hill CB Clemson
51 Abdul Hodge LB Iowa
32 Cedric Humes RB Virginia Tech
28 Darrell Hunter CB Miami, OH
44 Clint Ingram LB Oklahoma
27 Brian Iwuh LB Colorado
52 D’Qwell Jackson LB Maryland
77 Davin Joseph OL Oklahoma
94 Mathias Kiwanuka DE BC
89 Joe Klopfenstein TE Colorado
56 Jonathan Lewis DL Virginia Tech
76 Deuce Lutui OL USC
55 Nick Mangold OL Ohio State
15 Martin Nance WR Miami, OH
61 Ryan O’Callaghan OL California
96 Babatunde Oshinowo Stanford
54 Marvin Philip OL California
1 Anwar Phillips CB Penn State
26 David Pittman DB Nrthwstrn St
12 Michael Robinson QB Penn St
68 Mark Setterstrom OL Minnesota
20 Anthony Smith SA Syracuse
56 Charles Spencer OL Pittsburgh
21 Maurice Stovall WR Notre Dame
55 Darryl Tapp DE Virginia Tech
29 John Torp P Colorado
72 Jeremy Trueblood OL Boston Col.
17 Lawrence Vickers FB Colorado
78 Gabe Watson DL Michigan
38 Terrence Whitehead RB Oregon
6 Charlie Whitehurst QB Clemson
2 Demetrius Williams WR Oregon
4 Travis Wilson WR Oklahoma
40 Deric Yaussi K Wyoming

One Way to Rule Them All

2006-01-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

In the coming months the Detroit Lions Braintrust will be pouring over stat sheets, reviewing videotape and speaking to college coaches about players that they may be interested in. But before that is done, it is imperative that Matt Millen and new head coach Rod Marinelli establish an identity for this team. Will they be aggressive? Will they use a Cover 2 defense? Will they retain the West Coast Offense and add a vertical dimension that has lacked in the past or will they do away with the WCO playbook entirely? In order to attract free agents and to properly identify which college players will fit this team properly, this 'infrastructure' must be firmly established. No players want to sign with a team caught in a maelstrom of uncertainty. What has lacked on this team is a 'One True Direction'. Matt Millen wanted a tough, aggressive approach to the game. That means the attitude has to be established in practice. Steve Mariucci was notorious for running 'soft' practices with little to no contact. Millen wanted a more vertical offensive attack, Mariucci was conservative to a fault and barely ever allowed a deep pass to be thrown when it wasn't warranted. In the past Matt Millen has signed and drafted talent, but has failed to identify them as good fits for the team. This is an art that teams like Pittsburgh, Denver and New England have been able to draw from to create winning franchises. While the approach that Rod Marinelli announced in his introduction press conference seemed like a good first step, it simply won't be enough. The Lions have to get all the coaching pieces of the puzzle in place and become a unidirectional organization, at least for appearances sake to prospect players interested in joining this team.

Rod Marinelli has stated that he feels building the lines is what must come first, and I can't say I disagree. We all know how disappointing the offensive line was this past season. Whether it was from poor coaching, poor scheming or poor play we can't say for sure. Suffice to say there was some of all three involved in the debacle. I am not sure that spending draft picks on linemen will help this team in 2006, but one can argue that the right picks can step in and have immediate impact. Khalif Barnes, Rob Pettiti and Anthony Alabi are all players who gained significant playing time as rookies in 2005, and certainly improved the performance of their respective teams offensive lines. None were first round picks in a draft that wasn't believed to have great talent at the offensive tackle position. So do the Lions really have to spend a first round pick to upgrade the offensive tackle position? I guess by this example the answer is no. And in a draft rich with offensive tackle talent, the right thing to do may be to wait until after round one.

But before it all happens, the Lions new head coach must create the identity of this team. And the current players need to do more than just accept it. They need to embrace the change and focus their attentions to what must be done rather than making points in the media.

"It starts on both sides of the ball” – Rod Marinelli

2006-01-20T07:24:00.000-08:00

With the naming of Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive line/assistant head coach Rod Marinelli as the new Detroit Lions head coach, clues have already started to surface as to what the Lions might be thinking of doing with the ninth overall pick in the draft.

In his first press conference as head coach Marinelli laid out what he thinks is critical for success. “I want to have a great offensive line, physical. I want to have a great defensive line because that will last for 16 consecutive weeks when your start building up front. Obviously every position is important, but that’s where I’ll focus,” Marinelli stated.

His statements clearly indicate that the Lions will evaluate their personnel on both the offensive and defensive lines, free agency and the draft will both be focused on upgrading the trenches.

What mental aspects are most important to the Lions new head coach? “I want football character too. The measurable things, everybody understands that. But I understand football character.” Marinelli stated.

So expect Marinelli and the Lions to invest in physical linemen with football character. By football character, Marinelli is looking for prospects with a great passion for playing the game of football and with a strong desire to be a champion.

Potential Marinelli 2006 First Round Picks

TOP FIVE OFFENSIVE LINEMEN:

D'Brickshaw Ferguson (OT) 6'5" 295 lbs - Virginia
Winston Justice (OT) 6'6" 300 lbs - USC
Marcus McNeill (OT) 6'9" 388 lbs - Auburn
Jonathon Scott (OT) 6'7" 310 lbs - Texas
Eric Winston (OT) 6'7" 312 lbs - Miami (FL)

TOP FIVE DEFENSIVE LINEMEN:

Mario Williams (DE) 6'7" 290 lbs - North Carolina State
Haloti Ngata (DT) 6'5" 338 lbs - Oregon
Mathias Kiwanuka (DE) 6'7" 261 lbs - Boston College
Tamba Hall (DE) 6'3" 268 lbs - Penn State
Brodrick Bunkley (DT) 6'3" 284 lbs - Florida State

The three names on these lists who are likely gone by the ninth pick are Ferguson, Williams, and Ngata. Mathias Kiwanuka looks to be valued right around the ninth pick in the draft and could be the Lions choice if they decide to add a pass rushing specialist to the defensive line. If offensive tackle is the target, look for the Lions to make a decision between the talented but raw underclassman Winston Justice from USC or the mamoth Marcus McNeill of Auburn.

Senior Bowls

2006-01-17T12:43:00.000-08:00

Your last chance to see the NFL draft prospects is in the Senior bowl games. Two of the lessor games have already been held but two of the biggest are both this Saturday with the Senior Bowl following one week later. These games include:

Cactus Bowl

When: 01/06/2006 (6:35pm)
Where: Kingsville, TX
Website: http://www.cactusbowl.org/
What: The top NCAA Division II players in the nation.

Las Vegas All-American Classic

When: 01/14/2006 (4:30pm)
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Website: http://www.lvaac.com/
What: Graduating seniors playing in a NFL Pro Bowl like event

East-West Shrine

When: 01/21/2006 (4:00pm)
Where: San Antonio, TX
Website: http://www.shrinegame.com/
What: The premeir All-Star game for college football

Hula Bowl

When: 01/21/2006 (7:30pm)
Where: Maui, HI
Website: http://www.hulabowlhawaii.com/
What: This All-Star game in Hawaii is billed as the most "exciting" of them all

Senior Bowl

When: 01/28/2006 (3:00pm)
Where: Mobile, AL
Website: http://www.seniorbowl.com/
What: North and South teams featuring the top NFL draft prospects

List of underclassmen who have declared eligibility for the 2006 NFL Draft

2006-01-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

WR Troy Bergeron, Georgia (AFL)
DS Darnell Bing, USC (Jr)
WR Jeremy Bloom, Colorado (So)
RB Cornell Brockington UConn (Jr)
RB Reggie Bush, USC (Jr)
RB Brian Calhoun, Wisconsin (Jr)
CB Antonio Cromartie, Florida State (Jr)
TE Vernon Davis, Maryland (Jr)
RB Maurice Drew, UCLA (Jr)
DE Ray Edwards, Purdue (Jr)
TE Anthony Fasano, Notre Dame (Jr)
CB Charles Gordon, Kansas (Jr)
OT Willie Hall, Middle Tennessee State (Jr)
CB Devin Hester, Miami (Jr)
WR Santonio Holmes, Ohio State (Jr)
WR Chad Jackson, Florida (Jr)
QB Omar Jacobs, Bowling Green (Jr)
CB Johnathan Joseph, South Carolina (Jr)
OT Winston Justice, USC (Jr)
WR Greg Lee, Pittsburgh (Jr)
QB Brandon Kirsch, Purdue (Jr)
CB Danieal Manning, Abilene Christian (Jr)
RB Laurence Maroney, Minnesota (Jr)
CB Richard Marshall, Fresno State (Jr)
CB Derrick Martin, Wyoming (Jr)
OG Fred Matua, USC (Jr)
DT John McCargo, North Carolina State (Jr)
DE Stanley McClover, Auburn (Jr)
DT Tony McDaniel, Tennessee (Jr)
OT Derek Morris, North Carolina State (Jr)
DT Haloti Ngata, Oregon (Jr)
LB Kai Parham, Virginia (Jr)
DS Bernard Pollard, Purdue (Jr)
TE Leonard Pope, Georgia (Jr)
WR Drouzen Quillen, Louisiana-Monroe (Jr)
WR Cory Rogers, TCU (Jr)
LB Ernie Sims, Florida State (Jr)
FS Ko Simpson, South Carolina (So)
WR Daniel Smith, Idahoe (Jr)
OG Rob Smith, Tennessee (Jr)
RB Demetris Summers, South Carolina (So)
LB Paul Szczesny, Arizona State (Jr)
LB Stephen Tulloch, North Carolina State (Jr)
QB Marcus Vick, Virginia Tech (Jr)
CB Dee Webb, Florida (Jr)
RB LenDale White, USC (Jr)
DS Donte Whitner, Ohio State (Jr)
DE Mario Williams, North Carolina State (Jr)
DE Michael Williams, DE Texas College (Jr)
DE Roderkus Wright, Grossman (Junior College)
CB Ashton Youboty, Ohio State (Jr)
QB Vince Young, Texas (Jr)

Purdue QB Kirsch to enter draft

2006-01-14T07:23:00.000-08:00

While we have waited and watched for the big name underclassmen like Reggie Bush, Vince Young, and LenDale White declare themselves eligible for the 2006 NFL draft, others like Purdue quarterback Brandon Kirsch also declare themselves eligible, but for very different reasons. Bush and Young will be among the first three players choosen and White is a projected solid first-round selection, all three will be sitting on huge piles of cash soon.

With much less fanfare and a much smaller payday ahead of him, Brandon Kirsch announced Friday that he will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. Does he think he is ready for the NFL when his coaches didn't think he was even the best option for a starting quarterback at his collage?

Kirsch started the first six games of the 2005 season before being benched in favor of sophomore quarterback Curtis Painter. Kirsch made eight appearances in total for the Boilermakers last year, throwing for 1,727 yards with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. In addition, he rushed for 198 yards with a touchdown on 48 carries.

"I think it was like going to a theme park and riding a roller coaster all day long," Kirsch said reflecting on his Purdue career. "It was fun, but it didn't take me anywhere. I learned a lot at Purdue, but I had a lot of ups and a lot of downs."

His career at Purdue once looked very promising. As a freshman in 2002, Kirsch put former Purdue quarterback and Chicago Bear rookie quarterback Kyle Orton on the bench for four games. In doing so, he looked amazing at times but was still a freshman prone to make mistakes. In 2003, however, Kirsch was redshirted as Orton took full control of the position. In Orton's 2004 senior season, Kirsch was able to start in two games when Orton went down with an injury. After Orton graduated to the NFL, Kirsch was given the starting position and ready to show what he could do.

But Purdue head coach Joe Tiller had some issues with the junior starting quarterback and not happy with his production, they promoted sophomore Curtis Painter to starting quarterback for the October 22nd matchup against Wisconsin. Tillner wasn't upset to see his backup leave for greener pastures. "I think the NFL is in Brandon's heart, and he should follow his heart," Tiller said.

In total Kirsch started in 12 games at Purdue passing for over 3,500 yards while completing just under 60% of his passes. He finished with 23 passing touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 757 yards and five scores.

Like former Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick, Kirsch let his collge situation determine his draft status rather than his projected position. Still he remains optimistic stating, "If there was any time for me to move onto the next level, the best time was going to be now. I'm definitely more marketable than if I had not taken a snap this (next) season." Kirsch also stated, "I went through the evaluation process, talked to a lot of people, and got some good reviews. That made the decision a little easier. I'm excited about the opportunity."

Good luck with your future career Brandon, looks like you will need it. His college coach added, "We wish him the best of luck."

Kirsch joins two other Purdue players who have declared for the 2006 NFL draft, defensive end Ray Edwards and strong safety Bernard Pollard will also be making the leap. He is the fourth underclassmen quarterback to enter the draft along with the previously mentioned Vince Young and Marcus Vick, along with Omar Jacobs of Bowling Green.

Note: Underclassmen have until Sunday (1/15) to delare themselves eligible for the draft. Those who do have until Thursday (1/19) to change their minds.

All Hail Lendale

2006-01-10T18:49:00.000-08:00

The man who helped his draft stock the most this Bowl season wasn't Vince Young, it wasn't DeAngelo Williams, or Marcus Vick (I'm just kidding). It was that overlooked runningback from the Trojans who quietly led the NCAA's in rushing touchdowns.

An interesting tidbit about White appeared in SI.com's Scoreboard daily yesterday. The article stated "A Packers source told The Post that the club is already enamored with USC running back LenDale White and that he would certainly not make it past Green Bay, which has the fifth pick in the upcoming draft."

Now, I know what you all are thinking. They're just blowing smoke. I mean, who would be stupid enough to declare their draft intentions this early (besides the Texans, of course, who have their eyes set on Bush)? But White is a drastically underrated back who was overshadowed by two other heismans in his own backfield.

Power backs are the new "it" thing in the NFL. Everyone wants a Jerome Bettis, or Brandon Jacobs type back, who they can just go to in the goalline situations to punch it in for 6. When there is a 230+ pound back, who can run a 4.5, scouts watch and listen. It's a luxury to have a back of that physicality who can do so much for your team. These are the workhorses, the guys who teams can depend on.

White does have his problems. He doesn't have pure breakaway speed, and he isn't the brightest kid in the world. But there just aren't that many productive big backs out there. Backs like White are a rarity, and can really jump up draft boards. Look for him to do just that on draft day, and potentially become a top 10 pick.

First Eight Picks A Lock

2006-01-10T05:38:00.000-08:00

Now that the bulk of draft eligible players from the NCAA ranks have declared, things are falling into place as to which teams at the top of the draft will take what players. The 2006 NFL Draft promises to be a good one, with depth at the linebacker and offensive tackle positions being excellent. In any given draft, there are usually very few "Blue Chip" prospects. This year, I feel there are more than usual. There are six players that I feel are absolute 'must have' players for just about any team. These players are:

Reggie Bush, Matt Leinhart, Vince Young, D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Mario Williams and A.J. Hawk

Keep in mind that things could change based on the possibility of injuries, poor decisions (ie. Marcus Vick) and the emergence of other players in the Combines and/or Pro Day workouts. Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler has been rising up many draft boards, and a good showing at the Senior Bowl could move him into the ranks of the Blue Chippers. Likewise, if Omar Jacobs shows no ill effects of his shoulder injury and throws the ball well at the Bowling Green workouts, he could move up the Wanted lists quite quickly.

However, with all things being what they are right now, I feel that the first six picks will involve the six players I have listed.

Houston takes Reggie Bush
New Orleans takes Matt Leinhart
Tennessee takes Vince Young
New York Jets take D' Brickashaw Ferguson
Green Bay Packers take Mario Williams
San Francisco or Oakland will take A.J. Hawk

After those picks, things get just a bit more murky. Why? If Oakland wins the coin flip and picks Hawk, who will San Francisco chase after? They have a supreme need in their secondary for playmakers. But they also lack a solid pass rush. Do they take Jimmy Williams, Michael Huff or Matthias Kiwanuka? Both Williams and Huff can play either cornerback or safety in the NFL. Both have college experience at the positions. Kiwanuka is still raw, but his talent and upside can't be ignored. However, San Francisco is running a 3-4 now and Kiwi doesn't really fit the profile of a 3-4 DE. Also, the 49ers already have Julian Peterson as their rush linebacker.
However, if San Francisco wins the coin toss and takes Hawk, the Oakland Raiders could take Kiwanuka and replace Bobby Hamilton as one of their defensive ends. But Oakland is expected to let Charles Woodson walk in free agency and that would leave them pretty bare in their secondary. While Fabian Washington played fairly well, he is more of a second corner or nickel player. Nnamdi Asomugha has not developed as the Raiders would have hoped. They are in need of some cover players. The issue is that Kiwanuka is has greater potential to become an elite level player more so than Jimmy Williams or Michael Huff. Also, there is better depth this year at the cornerback position than at the defensive end position. What shall Al Davis do?

After the Bay Area selections are made, Buffalo has to make their decision. They are in the market currently for starting offensive tackles and starting defensive tackles. However, they too could be very interested in Kiwanuka. Buffalo hasn't had an impact defensive end since the hey days of Bruce Smith. Chris Kelsay and Aaron Schobel aren't exactly pass rushing demons. But Buffalo also had trouble stopping the run, especially in the middle of the line. The departure of Pat Williams last year hurt this team more than they anticipated. They need to replace his run stopping power. Haloti Ngata could be the player to fill that capacity for them. But do they take him or select one of the talented offensive tackles to rebuild their offensive line and protect their young gun slinger J.P. Losman?

There is also the issue of draft trades to be considered. I don't foresee any of the teams in the top seven drafting out of their spots. The Jets are the most likely to move down, but with a new head coach coming in I don't think they will. Since they have picked up an extra fourth round pick from Kansas City, they have no need to try and stockpile even more picks. Besides, Ferguson is not really the type of player you pass on the opportunity to take. Buffalo could be interested in moving down, since in all likelihood there will be teams interested in moving up to have a shot at getting Ngata ahead of Arizona.

The real big question is what will the Lions do? The Lions have needs on both sides of the ball, even if they re-sign Jeff Backus. There is still the issue of the left guard spot. But there is no all dominating Steve Hutchinson style guards available. On defense, the team needs a speed pass rusher (Kiwanuka?), a middle linebacker who can cover, a starter opposite Dre' Bly at cornerback and a free safety with greater range than Terrence Holt. Jimmy Williams or Michael Huff can fill the cornerback or free safety spots.

Most people have lobbied to trade down. I like the idea of this just because the Lions also need depth along the offensive line, linebacker and in the secondary. The Lions are also without their fourth and I anticipate their seventh round picks this year. The fourth was traded in 2005 to New England (which netted us Dan Orlovsky) and our seventh will likely go to the Jets for the Jon McGraw trade prior to the start of the 2005 regular season.

Quantity or quality?

Con"VINCE"d he is ready

2006-01-09T20:12:00.000-08:00

Vince Young declared himself eligible for the 2006 draft Sunday, at the top of his game and near the top of most NFL draft boards. His decision shed a small cloud of doubt in his hometown Texans pending decision with the top overall pick in the draft, but Houston will still likely take Reggie Bush. Without Young behind center, Texas is no longer a clear favorite next season and the race for the college football championship is wide open. "I thank God for the opportunity to be in this position," the Heisman runner up and Rose Bowl Offensive-Player-of-the-Game stated. "Hard work has paid off a whole lot."

Young broke an impressive streak of University of Texas players who have bypassed the instant riches of the NFL to remain a Longhorn for their senior seasons. Young was a freshman during Ricky Williams run to the Heisman his senior season. Last year, running back Cedric Benson finished his senior season as Young's backfield mate. Offensive tackles Leonard Davis and Mike Williams stayed. So did cornerback Quentin Jammer and linebacker Derrick Johnson, whom many suspected might be selected by the Lions last year. And one of Young's favorite targets from early in his career, Detroit Lions' wide receiver Roy Williams, also stayed in Austin top play out his final season of eligibility.

The Lions, with a number of other UT players besides Williams including All Pro defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and defensive end Cory Redding, would have been fortunate to add another Longhorn to their roster. After nearly single-handedly leading UT to the National Championship, racking up more than 6,000 passing yards, and more than 3,100 rushing yards during his brief career, Young has cemented his name as the greated quarterback in the history of the school. The man's who legend he surpasses was a gritty quarterback who three for a then school record 3,145 career yards from 1944-47. He was also the Lions last great quarterback - Bobby Layne. For a franchise that has seemed cursed since the hard partying but talented Layne left, perhaps Young would have been the cure.

Players declaring for the NFL Draft on 01/09/06:
Anthony Fasano (TE) Notre Dame
Kai Parham (LB)Virginia
Ernie Sims (LB) Florida State
Ashton Youboly (CB) Ohio State

It has also been reported that South Carolina defensive backs Ko Simpson and Jonathan Joseph will enter the draft.

Vick adds name to early entrant list

2006-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

Marcus Vick decided to turn pro on Saturday, or perhaps the decision was made for him by Virginia Tech. After stomping on the left calf of Louisville All-America DE Elvis Dumervil in the Gator Bowl, the Hokies kicked Vick off the team on Friday. It only took Marcus one day to decide to make the jump. "I am very excited about this opportunity and look forward to proving my athletic ability at the professional level," Vick said in a statement released by his lawyers.

The younger brother of former #1 overall pick Ron Mexico, err Michael, won't go nearly as high as his big brother due to his on and off-the-field antics. Within the last month, his troubles include recently being stopped for driving 38 mph in a 25 mph zone and driving wtih a revoked (or suspended) license. Vick was also kicked out of the program last year after a drug arrest and a conviction for serving alcohol to underage girls.

NFL teams will be intrigued by his skills, bloodline, and college-level results. Vick lead Virginia Tech to and 11-2 record this season and was the first team All-ACC quarterback. A very "high risk high reward" pick in the 2006 draft.

USC running back Reggie Bush hasn't officially declared yet, but that appears a mere formality. All eyes are still on Texas quarterback Vince Young, who should be drafted in the top five should he declare. Also declaring early was UCLA tailback Maurice Drew, an All-America first teamer as an all-purpose player. Drew, who ran for 914 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, has lead the Bruins in rushing the past three seasons.

2006 NFL Draft Early Entrants:

Antonio Cromartie (DB) Florida State
Vernon Davis (TE) Maryland
Maurice Drew (RB/KR) UCLA
Ray Edwards (DE) Purdue
Devin Hester (WR/KR) Miami
Santonio Holmes (WR) Ohio State
Omar Jacobs (QB) Bowling Green
Laurence Maroney (RB) Minnesota
Richard Marshall (CB) Fresno State
Stanley McClover (DE) Auburn
Haloti Ngata (DT) Oregon
Rob Smith (OL) Tennessee
Marcus Vick (QB) Virginia Tech
Mario Williams (DE) NC State

Note: The deadline for underclassmen to delare for the NFL draft is January 15.

List of Scouting Combine Invitees

2006-01-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Quarterbacks

Brett Basanez, Northwestern
Kellen Clemens, Oregon
Brodie Croyle, Alabama
Jay Cutler, Vanderbilt
Bruce Eugene, Grambling
Bruce Gradkowski, Toledo
Darrell Hackney, U.A.B.
Tavaris Jackson, Alabama St.
Matt Leinart, USC
Travis Lulay, Montana St.
Ingle Martin, Furman
Reggie McNeal, Texas A&M
Erik Meyer, Eastern Washington
Drew Olson, U.C.L.A.
Paul Pinegar, Fresno St.
Michael Robinson, Penn St.
D.J. Shockley, Georgia
Brad Smith, Missouri
Charlie Whitehurst

Running Backs

Joseph Addai, L.S.U.
Mike Bell, Arizona
P.J. Daniels, Georgia Tech
Quinton Ganther, Utah
Ryan Gilbert, Houston
Andre Hall, South Florida
Jerome Harrison, Washington St.
Taurean Henderson, Texas Tech
Cedric Humes, Virginia Tech
Wali Lundy, Virginia
Wendell Mathis, Fresno St.
DonTrell Moore, New Mexico
Jerious Norwood, Mississippi St.
Gerald Riggs Jr., Tennessee
Cory Ross, Nebraska
Derrick Ross, Tarleton St.
Leon Washington, Florida St.
Terrence Whitehead, Oregon
DeAngelo Williams, Memphis

Fullbacks

Matt Bernstein, Wisconsin
David Kirtman, USC
Naufahu Tahi, B.Y.U.
Lawrence Vickers

Wide Receivers

David Anderson, Colorado St.
Devin Aromashodu, Auburn
Miles Austin, Monmouth
Jason Avant, Michigan
Hank Baskett, New Mexico
Damarius Bilbo, Georgia Tech
Jovon Bouknight, Wyoming
Jason Carter, Texas A&M
Marques Colston, Hofstra
Skyler Green, L.S.U.
Derek Hagan, Arizona St.
Chris Hannon, Tennessee
Mike Hass, Oregon St.
Ed Hinkel, Iowa
Greg Jennings, Western Michigan
Adam Jennings, Fresno St.
Sinorice Moss, Miami (FL)
Martin Nance, Miami (OH)
Ben Obomanu, Auburn
Jonathan Orr, Wisconsin
Willie Reid, Florida St.
Richie Ross, Nebraska-Kearney
Clinton Solomon, Iowa
Maurice Stovall, Notre Dame
Hubert Walker, Central Missouri St.
Todd Watkins, B.Y.U.
Jeff Webb, San Diego St.
Demetrius Williams, Oregon
Brandon Williams, Wisconsin
Travis Wilson, Oklahoma

Tight Ends

Troy Bienemann, Washington St.
Dominique Byrd, USC
Owen Daniels, Wisconsin
Charles Davis, Purdue
Tim Day, Oregon
Daniel Fells, Cal-Davis
Jeff King, Virginia Tech
Joe Klopfenstein, Colorado
Marcedes Lewis, U.C.L.A.
Tim Massaquoi, Michigan
Garrett Mills, Tulsa
Anthony Mix, Auburn
Jeff Mullins, Marshall
Jason Pociask, Wisconsin
Tony Scheffler, Western Michigan
Boone Stutz, Texas A&M
Quinn Sypniewski, Colorado
Gavin Tarquinio, Georgia Tech
David Thomas, Texas
Cooper Wallace, Auburn
T.J. Williams, North Carolina St.

Offensive Tackles

Brad Butler, Virginia
Rashad Butler, Miami (FL)
Jeromey Clary, Kansas St.
Daryn Colledge, Boise St.
Jahri Evans, Bloomsburg St.
D'Brickashaw Ferguson, Virginia
Taitusi Lutui, USC
Jimmy Martin, Virginia Tech
Marcus McNeill, Auburn
Paul McQuistan, Weber St.
Ryan O'Callaghan, California
Quinn Ojinnaka, Syracuse
Donald Penn, Utah St.
Terrence Pennington, New Mexico
Troy Reddick, Auburn
Dennis Roland, Georgia
Jonathan Scott, Texas
Isaac Sowells, Indiana
Adam Stenavich, Michigan
Zach Strief, Northwestern
Joe Toledo, Washington
Michael Toudouze, T.C.U.
Jeremy Trueblood, Boston College
Stefon Wheeler, Michigan St.
Guy Whimper, East Carolina
E.J. Whitley, Texas Tech
Andrew Whitworth, L.S.U.
Eric Winston, Miami (FL)

Offensive Guards

Kevin Boothe, Cornell
Chris Chester, Oklahoma
Max-Jean Gilles, Georgia
Davin Joseph, Oklahoma
Chris Kuper, North Dakota
Robin Meadow, Washington
Mark Setterstrom, Minnesota
Rob Sims, Ohio St.
Charles Spencer, Pittsburgh
Jason Spitz, Louisville
Dan Stevenson, Notre Dame
Tony Tella, Miami (FL)

Centers

Ryan Cook, New Mexico
Mike Degory, Florida
Greg Eslinger, Minnesota
Nick Mangold, Ohio St.
Will Montgomery, Virginia Tech
Marvin Philip, California
Donovan Raiola, Wisconsin
Pat Ross, Boston College

Defensive Ends

Darrell Adams, Villanova
Victor Adeyanju, Indiana
Mark Anderson, Alabama
Charles Bennett, Clemson
Copeland Bryan, Arizona
Chris Gocong, Cal-Poly
Tamba Hali, Penn St.
Parys Haralson, Tennessee
Jason Hatcher, Grambling
Eric Henderson, Georgia Tech
Julian Jenkins, Stanford
Charlton Keith, Kansas
Mathias Kiwanuka, Boston College
Mike Kudla, Ohio St.
Ryan LaCasse, Syracuse
Manny Lawson, North Carolina St.
Jeremy Mincey, Florida
Javon Nanton, Miami (FL)
Rob Ninkovich, Purdue
Matthew Rice, Penn St.
Frostee Rucker, USC
Darryl Tapp, Virginia Tech
Kamerion Wimbley, Florida St.
James Wyche, Syracuse

Defensive Tackles

Titus Adams, Nebraska
Sir Henry Anderson, Oregon St.
McKinley Boykin, Ole Miss
Manaia Brown, B.Y.U.
Brodrick Bunkley, Florida St.
Barry Cofield, Northwestern
Kader Drame, Syracuse
Dusty Dvoracek, Oklahoma
Kedric Golston, Georgia
Marcus Green, Ohio St.
Orien Harris, Miami (FL)
Tommy Jackson, Auburn
Johnny Jolly, Texas A&M
Jonathan Lewis, Virginia Tech
Jesse Mahelona, Tennessee
Melvin Oliver, L.S.U.
Babatunde Oshinowo, Stanford
Domata Peko, Michigan St.
Le Kevin Smith, Nebraska
Montavious Stanley, Louisville
Gabe Watson, Michigan
Kyle Williams, L.S.U.
Rodrique Wright, Texas
Claude Wroten, L.S.U.

Outside Linebackers

Jon Alston, Stanford
James Anderson, Virginia Tech
Bobby Carpenter, Ohio St.
Will Derting, Washington St.
Elvis Dumervil, Louisville
Keith Ellison, Oregon St.
Omar Gaither, Tennessee
Chad Greenway, Iowa
Spencer Havner, U.C.L.A.
A.J. Hawk, Ohio St.
Thomas Howard, U.T.E.P.
Clint Ingram, Oklahoma
Brandon Johnson, Louisville
Freddie Keiaho, San Diego St.
William Kershaw, Maryland
Roger McIntosh, Miami (FL)
Terna Nande, Miami (OH)
A.J. Nicholson, Florida St.
DeMeco Ryans, Alabama
Cameron Vaughn, L.S.U.
Gerris Wilkinson, Georgia Tech
Jamar Williams, Arizona St.
Antarrious Williams, Auburn

Inside Linebackers

Trent Bray, Oregon St.
Tim Dobbins, Iowa St.
Abdul Hodge, Iowa
Oliver Hoyte, North Carolina St.
D'Qwell Jackson, Maryland
Tim McGarigle, Northwestern
Freddie Roach, Alabama
Dale Robinson, Arizona St.
Anthony Schlegel, Ohio St.
Kevin Simon, Tennessee
Leon Williams, Miami (FL)

Cornerbacks

Will Blackmon, Boston College
Cedric Griffin, Texas
Tye Hill, Clemson
Reuben Houston, Georgia Tech
Darrell Hunter, Miami (OH)
David Irons, Auburn
Kelly Jennings, Miami (FL)
Tim Jennings, Georgia
Josh Lay, Pittsburgh
Antonio Malone, Toledo
Marcus Maxey, Miami (FL)
Alton McCann, West Virginia
Gerrick McPhearson, Maryland
DeMario Minter, Georgia
Khalid Naziruddin, Texas Tech
Chikioke Onyengecha, Oklahoma
Anwar Phillips, Penn St.
David Pittman, Northwestern St.
Willie Smith, Marshall
John Walker, USC
Justin Wyatt, USC
Alan Zemaitis, Penn St.

Safeties

Jason Allen, Tennessee
Willie Andrews, Baylor
Antoine Bethea, Howard
Greg Blue, Georgia
Darrell Brooks, Arizona
Daniel Bullocks, Nebraska
Marcus Demps, San Diego St.
Reed Doughty, Northern Colorado
Roman Harper, Alabama
Chris Harrell, Penn St.
Jarvis Herring, Florida
Marcus Hudson, North Carolina St.
Michael Huff, Texas
Brian Iwuh, Colorado
Dawan Landry, Georgia Tech
Calvin Lowry, Penn St.
Vincent Meeks, Texas Tech
Charlie Peprah, Alabama
Nate Salley, Ohio St.
Dwayne Slay, Texas Tech
Anthony Smith, Syracuse
Eric Smith, Michigan St.
Scott Ware, USC
Pat Watkins, Florida St.
Jimmy Williams, Virginia Tech

Kickers/Punters

Danny Baugher, Arizona
Josh Huston, Ohio St.
David Lonie, California
Tom Malone, USC
Thomas Olmstead, Troy St.
Sam Paulescu, Oregon St.
Ryan Plackemeier, Wake Forest
Jon Scifres, Missouri St.
Joel Steely, Louisiana-Monroe
John Torp, Colorado
Steve Weatherford, Illinois

Who is the #1 QB in the Draft Now?

2006-01-05T06:26:00.001-08:00

After his incredible Rose Bowl record 467 total yards (267 passing, 200 rushing) and three touchdown performance, including the game winner, in the Rose Bowl Vince Young has made a case for himself being the first quarterback taken in the 2006 draft. In what was labeled as the biggest college football game ever, it was Young outshining the flash of two USC Heisman trophy winners and putting his team on his back in one of the most memorable performances in NCAA football history.

The biggest play on the biggest stage came with 19 seconds left. Facing a 4th-and-5 from the 8, Young dropped back to pass and saw all his receivers covered. Young then scrambled untouched into the corner of the end zone and the Longhorns were #2 no more. For good measure, Young then ran up the middle for a two-point conversion putting Texas up by three with little time left. Texas shocked the #1 Trojans 41-38. “Do whatever it takes,” Young said. That is exactly what he did and then some ending USC’s 34-game winning streak and ending their dreams of an unprecedented third-straight National Championship.

Now the question is - will Vince Young return to Texas or enter the NFL draft? All Young needed to do was look across the sideline at USC quarterback Matt Leinart. Leinart, the sure fire #1 overall pick had he come out last year, returned for his senior senior to win another National Championship and possibly another Heisman. Neither happened. Teammate Reggie Bush walked away with the Heisman, jumped Leinart on most draft boards, and appears to be heading to the Texans with the top overall pick. Now Leinart might not even be the first quarterback taken.

Staying at Texas another year doesn't assure Young will win a Heisman or another National Championship. It also doesn't make Young a lock to be the top quarterback taken in the 2007 draft. Notre Dame's Brady Quinn is well liked by many NFL general managers and looks to go high as well. Staying in school means more scouts will dig even further for Young's flaws, much like they now are saying that Leinart doesn't have a "big" arm. The risk of injury alone should be enough to send Young into this years’ draft, where he is a likely top five pick.

Young put himself on the map with his MVP performance against Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl. He cemented himself as one of the greatest college quarterbacks ever with his repeat performance against the two time defending national champions. Young appeared a man among boys going against the Trojan defense and his star shined brighter than that of Leinart or Bush.

So which quarterback will go number one now? Not even the New Orleans Saints have figured that one out. Talking about that Saints, once again if Hanson misses that last second field goal in San Antonio it would be the Lions pondering that question – how fun would that have made the draft?

Justice prevails

2006-01-03T14:01:00.000-08:00

So there's finally a reason to watch the USC vs. Texas game (8:00pm EST ABC).

Adam Schefter of NFL.com reports that USC offensive tackle Winston Justice will declare himself eligible for the 2006 NFL Draft.

Now, what was really interesting is how highly people are speaking of Justice. In this article, Schefter states that "he is expected to be a high first-round pick, quite possibly the top offensive lineman selected."In his top 10 prospects, Peter King had Winston Justice listed at #7. And in his latest chat, Len Pasquarelli noted that he had spoken to NFL scouts, and that they felt Justice was a better prospect than D'Brickashaw Ferguson, because he has the complete package, something Schefter stated as well in his article.

It's unlikely that the Lions will be able to get their hands on Ferguson being at #9, with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers ahead of them. But a "consolation prize" could be Justice, as he has a chance to fall to the Lions pick and would be a perfect fit for a team that could use two new offensive tackles.

Stay tuned.

If only...

2006-01-03T12:55:00.000-08:00

Jason Hanson had missed that last second field goal against the Saints the Lions would have finished with a 4-12 record, as would have New Orleans with the win, giving Detroit the #2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. Detroit would have had the lowest opponents win/loss percentage, moving them to the top of all the four win teams in terms of draft position.

With Houston a sure bet to take Reggie Bush with the top overall pick, Detroit would have had their pick of potential franchise quarterbacks including USC's Matt Leinart. For an organization that has searched for nearly 50 years to find a quarterback and be a serious contender, it is rare that a quarterback comes into the league with Leinart's credentials. A Heisman trophy and potential back-to-back undefeated seasons and National Championships (3 straight National Championships if you include USC's AP National Championship in 2004).

Given the success of the Cincinnati Bengals under former USC quarterback Carson Palmer, it is clear how a true franchise player in the most critical position on the field can turn around the fortunes of a struggling organization.

With a number of teams ahead of them (New Orleans, Tennessee, New York Jet, and Oakland) potentially looking to draft a quarterback, sitting at #9 does not bode well for the Lions in terms of grabbing a "high profile" quarterback to replace the inconsitant Joey Harrington.

Why Jason, why?

2006 NFL Draft Order

2006-01-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

# Team W-L (Opponents W-L %)
1 Houston 2-14 (.535)
2 New Orleans 3-13 (.523)
3 Tennessee 4-12 (.512)
4 New York Jets 4-12 (.527)
5 Green Bay 4-12 (.531)
6 Oakland 4-12 (.539)
7 San Francisco 4-12 (.539)
8 Buffalo 5-11 (.500)
9 Detroit 5-11 (.504)
10 Arizona 5-11 (.508)
11 St. Louis 6-10 (.484)
12 Cleveland 6-10 (.508)
13 Baltimore 6-10 (.523)
14 Philadelphia 6-10 (.531)
15 Atlanta 8-8 (.492)
16 Miami 9-7 (.457)
17 Minnesota 9-7 (.484)
18 Dallas 9-7 (.523)
19 San Diego 9-7 (.559)
20 Kansas City 10-6 (.504)

NOTE: positions 21-32 will be determined by playoff results. The teams in question are (in order of record and strength of schedule):

21 New England 10-6 (.508)
22 Denver (f/WAS) 10-6 (.539)
23 Tampa Bay 11-5 (.449)
24 Carolina 11-5 (.449)
25 Chicago 11-5 (.457)
26 Cincinnati 11-5 (.477)
27 Pittsburgh 11-5 (.492)
27 New York Giants 11-5 (.492)
29 Jacksonville 12-4 (.465)
30 Denver 13-3 (.500)
31 Seattle 13-3 (.430)
32 Indianapolis 14-2 (.457)

Welcome to the Lionbacker NFL Draft Blog

2005-12-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

Thank you for visiting the Lionbacker NFL Draft Blog. The writers from Lionbacker will be posting numerous tidbits regarding the NFL draft here. Check in often for the latest draft news and how it impacts the Detroit Lions.