Players to Watch in 2010
With this year’s installment of the NFL Draft in the books it is time to start looking toward the 2010 college football season for 2011’s top prospects. Following is a list of some of the top players in college football that may just be tops on NFL draft boards come next April.
It appears that wide receiver, defensive end, and defensive tackle will be three positions loaded with quality prospects. The quarterback position also should be much better as Washington’s Jake Locker, who could have been tops in 2010, may not be the best passer available in 2011.
It is all debatable though and of course there are some players who have slipped through the cracks and did not make this list. On the other hand, there may be a few players on this list that come as a surprise to some folks. Either way it should be as fun as usual.
(* Denotes player as a first round-caliber talent)
Quarterbacks:
1. Jake Locker, 6’3” 222 lbs. Washington*
2. Andrew Luck, 6’4” 230 lbs. Stanford (Jr)*
3. Ryan Mallett, 6’7” 248 lbs. Arkansas (Jr)*
4. Colin Kaepernick, 6’6” 215 lbs. Nevada,
5. Andy Dalton, 6’3” 215 lbs. TCU
6. Case Keenum, 6’2” 212 lbs. Houston
7. Adam Weber, 6’3” 217 lbs. Minnesota
8. Taylor Potts, Texas Tech, 6’5” 215 lbs.
9. Jerrod Johnson, Texas A&M, 6’5” 229 lbs.
Running Backs:
1. Mark Ingram, 5’10” 215 lbs.Alabama(Jr)*
2. John Clay, 6’2” 247 lbs. Wisconsin (Jr)*
3. Noel Devine, 5’8” 180 lbs. West Virginia*
4. Ryan Williams, 5’10” 211 lbs. Virginia Tech (Jr)*
5. Darren Evans, 6’0” 213 lbs. Virginia Tech
6. Evan Royster, 6’1” 209 lbs. Penn State
7. Graig Cooper, 6’0” 202 lbs. Miami
8. Jeremy Avery, 5’9” 171 lbs. Boise State
9. Donald Buckram, 5’10” 190 lbs. UTEP
10. DeMarco Murray, 6’0” 205 lbs. Oklahoma
11. Emanuel Moody, 6’0” 210 lbs. Florida
12. Kendall Hunter, 5’8” 190 lbs. Oklahoma State
13. Bryce Beall, 5’11” 205 lbs. Houston (Jr)
Wide Receivers:
1. Julio Jones, 6’4” 211 lbs. Alabama (Jr)*
2. Michael Floyd, 6’3” 215 lbs. Notre Dame (Jr)*
3. AJ Green, 6’4” 200 lbs. Georgia (Jr)*
4. Jonathan Baldwin, 6’5” 220 lbs. Pitt (Jr)*
5. Greg Little, 6’3” 220 lbs. UNC*
6. Terrence Tolliver, 6’4” 195 lbs. LSU
7. Chris Owusu, 6’2” 199 lbs. Stanford (Jr)
8. Deonte Thompson, 6’0” 195 lbs. Florida (Jr)
9. Mark Dell, 6’2” 196 lbs. Michigan State
10. Ryan Broyles, 5’11” 175 lbs. Oklahoma (Jr)
11. Bert Reed, 5’11” 170 lbs. Florida State
12. LJ Castile, 6’3” 210 lbs. Houston
13. Jeff Maehl, 6’1” 175 lbs. Oregon
14. Damaris Johnson, 5’8” 180 lbs. Tulsa
15. James Rodgers (KR/RB), 5’7” 185 lbs. Oregon State
16. James Cleveland, 6’1” 205 lbs. Houston
17. Scotty McKnight, 5’11” 185 lbs. Colorado
18. Titus Young, 5’11” 167 lbs. Boise State
Tight Ends:
1. DJ Williams, 6’2” 250 lbs. Arkansas*
2. Luke Stocker, 6’6” 240 lbs. Tennessee*
3. Charlie Gantt, 6’4” 245 lbs. Michigan State
4. George Bryan, 6’5” 270 lbs. NC State
5. Wesley Saunders, 6’5” 280 lbs. South Carolina
Offensive Linemen:
1. T Gabe Carimi, 6’8” 313 lbs. Wisconsin*
2. C Kristofer O’Dowd, 6’5” 300 lbs. USC*
3. T Marcus Cannon, 6’5” 350 lbs. TCU*
4. C/G Mike Pouncey, 6’5” 320 lbs. Florida*
5. T Anthony Castonzo, 6’7” 287 lbs. Boston College*
6. G Justin Boren, 6’3” 315 lbs. Ohio State*
7. T Josh Oglesby, 6’7” 329 lbs. Wisconsin (Jr)*
8. T Trinton Sturdivant, 6’5” 293 lbs. Georgia
9. T Joseph Barksdale, 6’5” 315 lbs. LSU
10. G Rodney Hudson, 6’2” 285 lbs. Florida State
11. G Stephen Schilling, 6’5” 304lbs. Michigan
12. T Lee Ziemba, 6’8” 304 lbs. Auburn
13. C Stefen Wisniewski, 6’3” 302 lbs. Penn State
14. T Carl Johnson, 6’5” 342 lbs. Florida
15. T Clint Boling, 6’5” 290 lbs. Georgia
16. G/C Chris Davis, 6’4” 296lbs. Georgia
Defensive Ends:
1. Adrian Clayborn, 6’3” 282 lbs. Iowa*
2. Cameron Heyward, 6’6” 287 lbs. Ohio State*
3. Robert Quinn, 6’5” 260 lbs. UNC (Jr)*
4. Jeremy Beal, 6’3” 255 lbs. Oklahoma*
5. Greg Romeus, 6’5” 265 lbs. Pitt*
6. Christian Anthony, 6’4” 246 lbs. Grambling*
7. Matt Conrath, 6’7” 270 lbs. Virginia (Jr)
8. Da’Quan Bowers, 6’4” 275 lbs. Clemson (Jr)
9. Jason Peters, 6’4” 272 lbs. Georgia Tech (Jr)
10. Eddie Jones, 6’3” 260 lbs. Texas
11. Alex Albright, 6’5” 245 lbs. Boston College
12. Ben Martin, 6’3” 239 lbs. Tennessee
13. Ryan Winterswyk, 6’4” 260 lbs. Boise State
Defensive Tackles:
1. Marcell Dareus, 6’3” 306 lbs. Alabama*
2. Marvin Austin, 6’3” 305 lbs. UNC*
3. Allen Bailey, 6’4” 290 lbs. Miami*
4. Phil Taylor, 6’4” 355 lbs. Baylor*
5. Lawrence Marsh, 6’4” 304 lbs. Florida
6. Jarvis Jenkins, 6’4” 305 lbs. Clemson
7. Tydreke Powell, 6’3” 300 lbs. UNC (Jr)
8. Ian Williams, 6’2” 310 lbs. Notre Dame
9. Akiem Hicks, 6’6” 300 lbs. LSU
10. Dexter Larimore, 6’2” 300 lbs. Ohio State
11. Colby Whitlock, 6’2” 281 lbs. Texas Tech
12. Ollie Ogbu, 6’1” 292 lbs. Penn State
13. Terrell McClain, 6’3” 306 lbs. South Florida
14. Josh Brent, 6’2” 315 lbs. Illinois
Outside Linebackers:
1. Bruce Carter, 6’3” 230 lbs. UNC*
2. Von Miller, 6’3” 240 lbs. Texas A & M*
3. Akeem Ayers, 6’4” 255 lbs. UCLA (Jr)*
4. Nate Irving, 6’1” 235 lbs. NC State
5. Travis Lewis, 6’2” 232 lbs. Oklahoma (Jr)
6. Ross Homan, 6’0” 229 lbs. Ohio State
7. Manny Abreu, 6’3” 245 lbs. Rutgers (Jr)
8. Eric Gordon, 6’0” 223 lbs. Michigan State
9. Adrian Moten, 6’2” 230 lbs. Maryland
10. Tyler Nielsen, 6’4” 232 lbs. Iowa (Jr)
11. Jonas Mouton, 6’2” 220 lbs. Michigan
Inside Linebackers:
1. Quan Sturdivant, 6’2” 235 lbs. UNC*
2. Greg Jones, 6’1” 225 lbs. Michigan State*
3. Chris Galippo, 6’2” 255 lbs. USC (Jr)*
4. Martez Wilson, 6’4” 240 lbs. Illinois
5. Alex Wujciak, 6’3” 255 lbs. Maryland
6. Casey Matthews, 6’2” 235 lbs. Oregon
7. Kendall Smith, 6’1” 224 lbs. Florida State
8. Cobrani Mixon, 6’1” 233 lbs. Kent State
9. Winston Bowens, 6’0” 250 lbs. Memphis
10. Chris Donald, 6’1” 224 lbs. Tennessee (Jr)
11. Lorenzo Edwards, 6’1” 236 lbs. Florida
Cornerbacks:
1. Ras-I Dowling, 6’2” 200 lbs. Virginia*
2. Patrick Peterson, 6’1” 205 lbs. LSU (Jr)*
3. Prince Amukamara, 6’1” 205 lbs. Nebraska*
4. Chimdi Chekwa, 6’0” 188 lbs. Ohio State
5. Janoris Jenkins, 5’11” 188 lbs. Florida (Jr)
6. Darrin Walls, 6’0” 190 lbs. Notre Dame
7. Kendric Burney, 5’9” 185 lbs. UNC
8. Jerell Norton, 6’0” 200 lbs. Arkansas
9. Jai Eugene, 5’11” 191 lbs. LSU
10. Quinton Richardson, 6’0” 200 lbs. Washington
11. Omar Bolden, 5’10” 195 lbs. Arizona State
Strong Safety:
1. DeAndre McDaniel, 6’1” 200 lbs. Clemson*
2. Michael McNeil, 6’2” 205 lbs. Auburn
3. Ahmad Black, 5’9” 185 lbs. Florida
4. Davonte Shannon, 6’0” 193 lbs. Buffalo
5. Andrew Dailey, 6’2” 221 lbs. Penn State
6. Joe Lefeged, 6’1” 200 lbs. Rutgers
7. Johnny Brown, 5’11” 200 lbs. Ole Miss
8. Chima Nwachukwu, 5’11” 201 lbs. Washington State
9. Nate Oliver, 6’0” 215 lbs. Ohio State (Jr)
10. Malcolm Williams, 5’11” 205 lbs. TCU
Free Safety:
1. Rahim Moore, 6’1” 190 lbs. UCLA (Jr)*
2. Deunta Williams, 6’2” 205 lbs. UNC*
3. Harrison Smith, 6’2” 212 lbs. Notre Dame (Jr)
4. Antwine Perez, 6’1” 210 lbs. Maryland
5. Zac Etheridge, 6’0” 204 lbs. Auburn
6. Brett Greenwood, 6’0” 200 lbs. Iowa
7. Chris Culliver, 6’0” 190 lbs. South Carolina
8. Braxton Amy, 6’0” 210 lbs. UTEP
9. Chris Harris, 6’0” 185 lbs. Kansas
10. Brian Lainhart, 6’1” 207 lbs Kent State
Punters:
1. Ryan Donahue, 6’3’ 180 lbs. Iowa
Kickers:
1. Thomas Weber, 5’8” 171 lbs. Arizona State
2. Kai Forbath, 6’0” 198 lbs. UCLA
Friday, May 7, 2010
The NFL Draft: A New American Tradition
The NFL Draft: A New American Tradition
(Originally Posted at NFLDraftDog.com prior to the 2010 NFL Draft)
It is getting close. The time of year for many football fans that is equivalent to the likes of Christmas and the Fourth of July. It is a time to awaken the barbeque from a long winter’s nap, dust off that old jersey, and ice down the kegerater. Celebrations will be in order as well as the occasional grumbling from those who did not get what they wanted. Yes, it is about time for the annual National Football League’s entry draft.
It is the football world’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? – Reality TV at its finest. The young stars of the college gridiron will meet their professional destinies face to face and the rest of the world, including myself, will tune in to watch them.
The yearly event that takes place this April, 22nd through the 24th in New York’s Radio City Music Hall has blossomed into one of the most interesting and most followed aspects of football. It not only provides an organized format for NFL teams to take turns selecting the top college talent but it also offers another chance for fans to brag or whine about their team. Discovering who will be gracing plasma screens across the nation for possibly the next decade can be equivocal to getting a new car. You want to show it off to your friends while at the same time crossing your fingers and hoping it performs at the highest level, at least until you are finished making the payments on it. Occasionally you score the dream car which more than fulfills your expectations and other times, unfortunately, you get a lemon.
The whole story of the NFL Draft starts in 1936 with the Philadelphia Eagles as the first team ever on the clock. They then selected Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago and he went on to be flop. In fact, he never even played a down of professional football. Since then, the NFL draft has gradually blossomed into a multi-media phenomenon that has uniquely become just as much of a spectacle as the Super Bowl itself. In fact, viewer ratings of the draft have gone up 62% in the last six years and the league is banking on increasing that number, at least for the first round. This year, for the first time ever, it will be broadcast live on a Thursday night. This will be the first time it has been in a prime time slot and with a livelier format it could probably draw the same type of following as Survivor and American Idol.
Growing up on ‘80’s television I was subjected to a lot of game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. Sure, it was fun to play along and try to solve the puzzles or guess the correct answers before the contestant could figure it out, but there was more to it than that. It was fun to see how much money somebody could walk away with and the more money somebody was playing for the more interesting it became. The NFL Draft has no shortage of young, instant wealth which has also become part of the draw. Where else will you see a guy anxiously waiting to be called to a podium where he will realize his dreams of becoming a famous, multi-million dollar earning pro athlete?
For a lot of interested parties, die-hard fans and sports writers the NFL draft also presents an opportunity to flex their prognosticating muscles. Mock drafts are a dime a dozen these days and if you have never seen one you can go to the NFL Draft Dog (nfldraftdog.com) and view several differing opinions on how it will turn out.
In a relatively young country still forming its cultures and traditions, American football is one thing that has started as and remained an American institution. We as fans hold all its rituals and folklore, no matter how trivial they may seem to the unacquainted, in high regard. From the singing of the national anthem to the Gatorade showers it is all something we cherish with the solemnity of a religious radical. Not to make light of those with devout beliefs but sports in general have an innate ability to draw the best and worst out of those that love it the most.
The draft is no exception to this absolute love. To some fans it may actually be the high point of their sports year. It has become a rite of passage for the players entering a new phase of their life while ceremoniously signaling the end to hard times for a struggling franchise – at least for one more off-season. This year the Rams are the first team on the clock. Whether they take quarterback Sam Bradford or defensive tackle Ndamokung Suh, a high percentage of the hopes and dreams belonging to St. Louis fans will be pinned on the young player they select. After that it will only be a matter of time before we can figure out if they were worth the hype and 50 million dollars that the organization will dish out to them.
While it could be anybody’s guess as to who will go where, there are a few certainties when it comes to the draft. For one thing, you can bet there will be a gaggle of raucous Jets fans filling the hall with cheers and jeers, depending on who their team picks. You can also bet on the Raiders making a selection that leaves the room silent, as it did when it took kicker Sebastian Janikowski in the first round in 2000 with quarterback Chad Pennington and running back Shaun Alexander still on the board. Honestly, the draft would not be nearly as fun to watch without Raiders owner Al Davis in his Evil Kneivel jump-suit making a decision that causes draft guru Mel Kiper to choke on his diet soda.
The draft has also seemingly become the highlight of the NFL Commissioner’s yearly duties as well. Nobody would even know what he looked like if he did not make the traditional walk to the podium every year, acting like a Michael Buffer-ish ring announcer at a heavyweight fight. Former commish Paul Tagliabue could hardly wipe the smile off his face while announcing that the first team “is on the clock”. When he vacated his position and Roger Goodell came on, it was like Leno taking over for Carson.
So if you are new to the ins and outs of the NFL Draft, this year is a good one to get yourself up to date. It is the 75th anniversary of the event so the league will be pulling out all the stops. It just so happens that this year’s crop of prospects is one of the deepest and most talented overall classes that we have seen in a while. One reason being is that more college underclassmen, being juniors and sophomores, have entered the draft more than any other previous year. With the state of the economy today that is not such a bad idea for a young man, considering that there are a lot of people out there with college degrees washing dishes and waiting tables. I suspect that next year we will see more of the same.
(Originally Posted at NFLDraftDog.com prior to the 2010 NFL Draft)
It is getting close. The time of year for many football fans that is equivalent to the likes of Christmas and the Fourth of July. It is a time to awaken the barbeque from a long winter’s nap, dust off that old jersey, and ice down the kegerater. Celebrations will be in order as well as the occasional grumbling from those who did not get what they wanted. Yes, it is about time for the annual National Football League’s entry draft.
It is the football world’s version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? – Reality TV at its finest. The young stars of the college gridiron will meet their professional destinies face to face and the rest of the world, including myself, will tune in to watch them.
The yearly event that takes place this April, 22nd through the 24th in New York’s Radio City Music Hall has blossomed into one of the most interesting and most followed aspects of football. It not only provides an organized format for NFL teams to take turns selecting the top college talent but it also offers another chance for fans to brag or whine about their team. Discovering who will be gracing plasma screens across the nation for possibly the next decade can be equivocal to getting a new car. You want to show it off to your friends while at the same time crossing your fingers and hoping it performs at the highest level, at least until you are finished making the payments on it. Occasionally you score the dream car which more than fulfills your expectations and other times, unfortunately, you get a lemon.
The whole story of the NFL Draft starts in 1936 with the Philadelphia Eagles as the first team ever on the clock. They then selected Jay Berwanger from the University of Chicago and he went on to be flop. In fact, he never even played a down of professional football. Since then, the NFL draft has gradually blossomed into a multi-media phenomenon that has uniquely become just as much of a spectacle as the Super Bowl itself. In fact, viewer ratings of the draft have gone up 62% in the last six years and the league is banking on increasing that number, at least for the first round. This year, for the first time ever, it will be broadcast live on a Thursday night. This will be the first time it has been in a prime time slot and with a livelier format it could probably draw the same type of following as Survivor and American Idol.
Growing up on ‘80’s television I was subjected to a lot of game shows such as Wheel of Fortune and The Price is Right. Sure, it was fun to play along and try to solve the puzzles or guess the correct answers before the contestant could figure it out, but there was more to it than that. It was fun to see how much money somebody could walk away with and the more money somebody was playing for the more interesting it became. The NFL Draft has no shortage of young, instant wealth which has also become part of the draw. Where else will you see a guy anxiously waiting to be called to a podium where he will realize his dreams of becoming a famous, multi-million dollar earning pro athlete?
For a lot of interested parties, die-hard fans and sports writers the NFL draft also presents an opportunity to flex their prognosticating muscles. Mock drafts are a dime a dozen these days and if you have never seen one you can go to the NFL Draft Dog (nfldraftdog.com) and view several differing opinions on how it will turn out.
In a relatively young country still forming its cultures and traditions, American football is one thing that has started as and remained an American institution. We as fans hold all its rituals and folklore, no matter how trivial they may seem to the unacquainted, in high regard. From the singing of the national anthem to the Gatorade showers it is all something we cherish with the solemnity of a religious radical. Not to make light of those with devout beliefs but sports in general have an innate ability to draw the best and worst out of those that love it the most.
The draft is no exception to this absolute love. To some fans it may actually be the high point of their sports year. It has become a rite of passage for the players entering a new phase of their life while ceremoniously signaling the end to hard times for a struggling franchise – at least for one more off-season. This year the Rams are the first team on the clock. Whether they take quarterback Sam Bradford or defensive tackle Ndamokung Suh, a high percentage of the hopes and dreams belonging to St. Louis fans will be pinned on the young player they select. After that it will only be a matter of time before we can figure out if they were worth the hype and 50 million dollars that the organization will dish out to them.
While it could be anybody’s guess as to who will go where, there are a few certainties when it comes to the draft. For one thing, you can bet there will be a gaggle of raucous Jets fans filling the hall with cheers and jeers, depending on who their team picks. You can also bet on the Raiders making a selection that leaves the room silent, as it did when it took kicker Sebastian Janikowski in the first round in 2000 with quarterback Chad Pennington and running back Shaun Alexander still on the board. Honestly, the draft would not be nearly as fun to watch without Raiders owner Al Davis in his Evil Kneivel jump-suit making a decision that causes draft guru Mel Kiper to choke on his diet soda.
The draft has also seemingly become the highlight of the NFL Commissioner’s yearly duties as well. Nobody would even know what he looked like if he did not make the traditional walk to the podium every year, acting like a Michael Buffer-ish ring announcer at a heavyweight fight. Former commish Paul Tagliabue could hardly wipe the smile off his face while announcing that the first team “is on the clock”. When he vacated his position and Roger Goodell came on, it was like Leno taking over for Carson.
So if you are new to the ins and outs of the NFL Draft, this year is a good one to get yourself up to date. It is the 75th anniversary of the event so the league will be pulling out all the stops. It just so happens that this year’s crop of prospects is one of the deepest and most talented overall classes that we have seen in a while. One reason being is that more college underclassmen, being juniors and sophomores, have entered the draft more than any other previous year. With the state of the economy today that is not such a bad idea for a young man, considering that there are a lot of people out there with college degrees washing dishes and waiting tables. I suspect that next year we will see more of the same.
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