Week 4 preview

We’ve reached the first Sunday that a few teams will have the week off. Bummer for fans in Dallas, Kansas City, Minnesota and Tampa Bay (Although considering the blackouts going on in Tampa, I doubt anyone is really too upset.) And it’s really too bad that the other three have this week off since they seem to all have some moment after last week.

As for the teams that will be on the field, there are some interesting storylines to follow. How about the debacle in San Francisco? Division title expectation have turned into 0-3 and staring 0-4 in the face as they head to Atlanta. But that’s not the worst part. Starting SS Michael Lewis decided that it was a better option for him to not get on the plane and simply ask for his release. This coming on the heals of former 1st rounder Kentwan Balmer going MIA in training camp and demanding a trade. Heck, Glen Coffee didn’t even bother asking for a trade, he quit football all together. What happened to everyone wanting to play for Mike Singletary?

Donavan McNabb returning to Phily, with Michael Vick as the Eagles starting QB. How will the fans react to McNabb? All those wins, all those playoff wins, the trips to the NFC title games. Will those matter or will Phily fan live up to their reputation? As for Vick, this is a huge game. He’s always been an incredible talent, including having stretches where he’s looked out of this world. But the issue was always his inability to string a group of these games together. Will he return to that inconsistent QB that he’s always been, or will this be game #3 in a row that showcases Vick’s unbelievable ability? We’ll find out soon!

I’ll tell you, I feel bad for the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers are tying to see what they have in QB Jimmy Clausen, and the Saints are coming off a tough loss to the Falcons. I can see Drew Brees and his folks putting up a huge number against the struggling visiting Panthers.

Detroit has played some really good football so far this year (if you can say that about a 0-3 team) and it has been without Calvin “Megatron” Johnson at his best and backup Shaun Hill taking the snaps. It doesn’t get any easier as the Lions head to Lambeau to take on a Packers team that should be pretty ornery after their loss on Monday Night Football.

I’d look for another team to get back on track this week, the San Diego Chargers. San Diego should get on track this week at home against the Cardinals.

Fantasy Alert – Maurice Jones-Drew may have a shot at having a good day. Even though the Jags should be crushed, the Colts run defense isn’t very good and MJD may have a chance to get on track this week. Which would be helpful considering his lack of production and his most likely high first round selection.

Same can be said for Shonn Green. The Jets are a run-oriented team and they are going against the Bills, an opportunity to get healthy if I’ve ever heard it.

And this may be the week that T.O. and Ochocinco finally do something as they go against their cross-state rival Browns.

Week 3, our first GPS games

Here we go, into one of the most pivotal weeks of the year. You’ll start hearing all types of things about the percentage of teams that go to the playoffs after starting 0-3 or 3-0 etc. And all that’s fine, but let’s see which teams pass the all important eye test. Or as Ronnie Lott told the Saints last year on their way to the Super Bowl, can you “smell greatness”. So apparently many people in the NFL, including the fans, may be on sensory overload. But I digress.

Stealing a term from one of my favorite sports writers, Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area, these are GPS games. What are GPS games? They give a nice barometer of where a team sits on the NFL landscape, so let’s take a look at a few.

The Tampa Bay Bucs are 2-0 heading into a home game against the Steelers, this is really a “show me who you are game.” It is about this time in the NFL season that teams start picking up tendencies and patterns. If Josh Freeman can stay hot, and the Bucs can finish Sunday with a win moving to 3-0, they will be a team to keep an eye on and not nearly the walk-over many suspected. However, the could very well be taken to the woodshed despite the Steelers having a fluid QB situation. The Pittsburgh defense and running game could cause all kinds of problems and expose the currently undefeated Bucs. Keep an eye on Tampa this Sunday.

The Falcons head to the Superdome in New Orleans to take on a Saints team coming off a short week and an emotional win over the 49ers. Now this really is a GPS game for the Falcons. Which team is the real Falcons? The one that couldn’t move the ball and lost to Pittsburgh, or the one that kicked the stuffing out of the Cardinals? We’ll see this week. This is also a battle in the NFC South, meaning if the Falcons have any intention of making a push for the division, it starts in New Orleans.

The New York Giants host the Tennessee Titans, and this is a GPS game for both teams. The Titans just fell at home to the Steelers, a game in which they were favored. The Giants just got Peyton-slapped by the Colts. So which team responds? Can the Titans establish the run? The Colts, the team farthest away from being a run-oriented team, didn’t have a problem. So what will Chris Johnson and company do? Can Eli and his receivers get the timing back? I’m going with the Giants in this one. Playing at home should be a benefit, and the QB situation in Tennessee scares me. Even with Johnson running the rock, I don’t think the Titans have enough. We’ll see at the end of Sunday which team is for real, and which one was just pretending.

Another great game on tap will be the Cowboys and Texans. The Cowboys looking for their first win are in a little bit of a tailspin. While the Texans are feeling good about themselves after taking out the Colts in week one and coming from behind to beat the Redskins in week 2. This battle for Texas has huge implications. The Texans believe this is there year to make some noise in the playoffs, and if the Cowboys have any intention of living up to their Super Bowl expectations, it starts this week in Houston. Dropping to 0-3 won’t be the end of the world, but the seat’s temperature will surly be tuned up on Wade Phillips. Fantasy Alert – The Bears were able to get deep on the Cowboys multiple times in week 2, and with threats like Andre Johnson and Jacoby Jones, the Texans will try and expose that secondary some more. So look for another big day from Matt Schaub and his crew.

Quick hits

The battle in the AFC South looks to be for real. After the Texans mounted a comeback against Washington and the Colts completely destroyed the Giants, their next matchup will be a doozy.

Free trip to the playoffs. That’s the motto going around the NFC West. The Niners and Rams are 0-2, and the Seahawks and Cardinals are 1-1, with not just loses this week, but major beat-downs. Plus, the only wins for the Seahawks and Cardinals came against....you guessed it, the Niners and Rams. This will be a fight all year, but right now it doesn’t look like a good fight. Watch for the 49ers to win the division, especially if they can play like they did Monday Night against the Saints.

What is to be made of all the QB changes? Two things. 1) QB play is not nearly as good as it has been in the past and 2) Coaches and organizations are more likely to make a switch because they know their jobs are on the line. From an NFL standpoint it’s pretty tough, 10 QBs that were starters in week 1 are now no longer the starter, or were benched already this season. If QB is the most important position in the NFL, teams aren’t giving these guys much room to make mistakes. From a fantasy standpoint, how much does it suck to have drafted Kevin Kolb, Matt Stafford, Jason Campbell or Vince Young? And with the position in constant flux, I sure hope you headed my advice and secured one of the top 7 QBs in your draft. If not, time to play QB roulette.

Feel free to comment or contact me directly at nfldraftpros@yahoo.com. Until next week.

Heading to Week 2

What a first week of NFL action!!

Allow me a quick second to remind you that I thought the Patriots were flying under the radar. And after a three TD performance from Tom Brady, including two of them to Wes Welker, who answered a lot of questions about his knee, the Patriots are firmly back in the top of the power rankings.

As for the the other game that I touched on that had a lot of questions, the Seattle v SF game. Well, Seattle answered some and the 49ers answered a lot. To bad for the 49ers all the answers were wrong. Now there is in fighting between coaches and players, unnamed sources, late night team meetings, it must seem like bizzaro world in the Bay Area, the 49ers are in shambles and the Raiders seem to be improving.

Speaking quickly of Seattle, I'm not putting all my chips in their basket just yet, but what I am doing is giving Pete Carroll his due. He was fine his first time around in the NFL, I mean, he took his teams to the playoffs. His downfall was having to follow Bill Parcells. So if he can get a running game going, Hasselbeck has shown he still has a little left in the tank, Seattle won't be the pushover many, incuding me, thought they'd be.

Rough start for the Green Bay Packers, not in terms of winning or losing, but on the injury front. Losing Ryan Grant hurts! FANTASY ALERT - If you haven't yet, put in a waiver claim on Brandon Jackson. He won't be Ryan Grant, but he'll be a very solid back, and could revitalize his career. He'll be worth a few starts this year.

Staying in the NFC North, WOW, did the Lions get screwed. Only a team that has as much bad luck as the Lions could something like that happen. Hard to believe you didn't see the highlight or hear the discussion, but Calvin Johnson caught what many thought was the winning TD pass, only to have it waived off because he did not maintain control through the entire catch. Now, by the letter of the rule it was a correct call, but it didn't pass the eye test. Calvin went up, caught the ball, came down with both feet in the endzone, fell on his butt, went to roll over, used the ball to balance himself as he was standing up and then it fell out of his hans. No TD, OUCH! Yes they got the call right, but it's a bad rule. FANTASY ALERT - One thing that did come out of the game, besides Matt Stafford getting another shoulder injury, is that rookie Javid Best is the main man. He didn't get many yards, but he was taking on the Bears defense, and the fantasy value is in the fact that he stayed in near the goal line and put two in the endzone.

Quick Hits

Can we all remind each other that the Jets were 7-7 last year until two playoff teams laid down for them and allowed them to get to 9-7. Yes they had a nice run in the playoffs, but Sanchez's 20 picks need to be remembered. Along with the loss of Thomas Jones and the fact that they didn't improve their wideout position. The Jets had a big target on their back, but why? I guess we forgot who they really were.

Sam Bradford looked like the real deal. Granted it was against the Cardinals, and he still lost, but he did some things in that game that showed he should have a bright future as long as the Rams can build around him.

Pittsburgh squeaked by, but they don't care, they put up the W and are one game closer to seeing Big Ben return.

How 'bout them Texans?!?!? 200+ for Arian Foster was a statement and the win in general was a statement. This could be the year the Texas break through the .500 ceiling and end the year with a winning record and in the playoffs. And the one thing the Texans did do was expose the Colts run defense.

The Colts still can't stop the run. Good news for owners of Peyton Manning because he'll be throwing all year. Bad news for the Colts, making another run may be getting tougher.

Think SD misses Vincent Jackson?

Anyone pass on Chris Johnson with the 1st pick in their fantasy draft? 200+ and 2 TDs in week 1 must have made you shake your head if you did.

I want to thank everyone that sent me bar, restaurant, and overall road trip suggestions. I still haven't chosen where I'm going, so if you got hot spots in your town, let me know. Until next week…….

Jake "Hurt" Locker

As everyone knows, when Jake Locker's name came up as a possible #1 overall pick for last year's draft (had he entered), I was completely flabbergasted. At no time did I ever see Locker as a #1 worthy type of player. People said, "It's because he's a QB." Fair enough. But after watching today's Nebraska/Washington game, my impression of Locker is "MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT."

The dude is not a QB. He's an athlete playing QB. When it comes to running with the ball, Locker is in his element. No problemo. But when it comes to passing the ball... OMG, hide the women and children and close your eyes cuz it is UGLY. Much like last year, Locker continues to struggle with reading defenses and throwing accurately. If he wasn't throwing into double coverage today, he was throwing an errant pass that his receiver had little chance of catching.

Locker is a gifted physical specimen with a strong arm. He threw a beautiful 45 yard TD pass to Jermaine Kearse. Problem was, that play accounted for more than half of Locker's aerial output today as he threw for only 71 yards (on 4 of 20 attempts) the entire game. Plus, Locker had all day to throw the TD pass cuz Kearse got behind the secondary and was wide open. Though the stats showed 2 INTs, Locker could've easily had two more.

I'm sure he'll have better days, especially given how poor the Pac-10 conference is (see: Nebraska 52, Cal 31). Nebraska was the test to see how Locker would perform against tougher competition and Jake failed miserably. People like to offer the excuse that Locker's still trying to learn Sarkisian's offense. If that's the case, slap that Nate Davis tag on him right now. Locker's in his SECOND YEAR of Sarkisian's offense. Even guys like Pat Barnes and Kyle Boller were able to adapt to a totally new offense within one spring/offseason.

If I had to make an NFL comparison for Locker, it'd be Kevin O'Connell.

Kicking Off The NFL Season

The first game of the year is in the books and things started out and ended just how the defending champion Saints would have liked. But it was the middle part of the game that I’m sure they’ll not be pleased with. And instead of boring you with the play-by-play let me get right into what stood out to me. First, the Saints were at their best when they had a strong mix of runs and passes. Pierre Thomas was used to wear down the Vikings and the interior of the Saints line neutralized Kevin and Pat Williams. Fantasy owners take notice, Thomas was the workhorse back AND was used at the goal line. The Saints spread the wealth to all the WRs and I’m sure this didn’t make fantasy owners very happy. As for the Vikings, they tried to feed Adrian Peterson as much as they could, and he did put up 87 yards on the ground, but he still needs more touches. And I’m not sure if those touches are going to increase. The Vikings TD can on a drive that was heavy-Favre. Lots of passes including the TD. So was this Brett’s way of saying “we need to pass the ball more.” Perhaps. And if that’s the case it could be a long season for the Vikings because pressure caused 1 INT and a few near misses, not to mention the Vikings only put up 9 points and lost. So the Vikings really need to get back to the drawing board figure out how to get more out of their offense.

Now on to the rest of the league.

Tom Brady was involved in a car accident, but he walked away from it and he should be unaffected for the game against the Bengals. When news broke regarding the accident I’m sure it put every owner of Brady in a fantasy league on the edge of their seat. But it’s not Brady that will be the focus for many fantasy players this Sunday, it will be who he is throwing to. Can Moss continue to put up good numbers or will he be in a bad mood about something? Who’s gonna be the #2 target. The organization can say all they want but the proof will be Sunday afternoon. Is Wes Welker back to 100%, is his clone, Julian Edelman, able to put up similar numbers? Who is going to run the ball? All these fantasy questions will be answered Sunday, but it won’t be easy. The Bengals should put up a pretty good fight, but if you read my column last week you know I’m pretty excited about the Patriots flying under the radar. This is a good first test for them and I would anticipate them opening some eyes in the first week of the season.

On the other coast the 49es travel up to Seattle in a game that has a lot of storyline, the least of which is the outcome of the game. As training camp wound down Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis got into it and had to be pulled into the locker room for a stern talking to by Coach Singletary. Have these two put it behind them? Will missing all of the preseason hurt Crabtree or will he come out like he did last year and put up strong numbers? Just what does Pete Carroll have going on in Seattle? Will he invigorate the Seahawks or fall flat? Again, lots of questions entering the season for both of these teams and it will be interesting to see just how it plays out.

In a game that clearly has very little interest to most, the Denver Broncos travel down to Jacksonville, but I’m very intrigued. The Broncos got off to great start last year and crashed and burned towards the end, so which version of the Broncos will show up this year? The Jags are built to run the ball and playing at home should have a small advantage, so does this mean the Broncos get off to a slow start, or can Kyle Orton manage the game enough for the Broncos to pull out a victory? And in the secondary story line that will interest more people then the actual game, who’s going to be the #2 QB for the Broncos, Brady Quinn or Tim Tebow? And will Tebow get any playing time. Just another little something to check-in on for week one of the NFL season.

And in possibly the game of the week, Phily hosts Green Bay in the start of the Kevin Kolb era. The Packers looked unstoppable on offense in the preseason, will that continue? Can Kevin Kolb utilize the young weapons he has on the outside in DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin and succeed, or will the pressure to perform in Phily be too much? And the bigger question for Phily fans, can the defense get some pressure on Rodgers or will he pick them apart and march up and down the field?

Entering week one there are always more questions then answers, and that’s what the next few weeks will do for us, answer questions. In the meantime, at least for the next 48 hours, every team thinks they got a shot to do something special this year, and come January half of them will be disappointed. But it is the journey that is going to be the most exciting part. So enjoy the start of the NFL season, and check back next week where we’ll have more answers to all these questions.

2010 Dream Draft

Here are the results of out 2010 realtime dream draft. Just to review, Jerry Hsu and Todd Kleinheinz each draft between the #16 and #17 slots in each round. The player obviously must still be available in the actual draft. Here are the results. In the parentheses you will see where WE took them, followed by where they actually got taken, or in some cases, where they are now. You'll notice a lot of undrafted free agents, because this is only the 2nd year of the "Dream Draft" we had to fill in a lot of positions with undrafted guys. As the years continue things will shake out and show us if we have what it takes to identify talent or not.

Todd Kleinheinz
OFFENSE
QB1: Mike Reilly ('09 UFA - Steelers UFA/Packers FA/Rams FA)
QB2: Jevan Snead ('10 UFA - Bucs UFA)

RB1: Rashad Jennings ('09 Rd6/#189c - Jaguars/Rd7/#250)
RB2: Chris Brown ('10 UFA - Broncos UFA)
FB1: Jamie McCoy ('10 UFA - Rams UFA)

WR1: Golden Tate ('10 Rd2/#48b - Seahawks/Rd2/#60)
WR2: Quan Cosby ('09 Rd7/#225b - Bengals UFA)
WR3: Freddie Barnes ('10 UFA - Bears UFA)
WR4: Blair White ('10 UFA - Colts UFA)

TE1: Shawn Nelson ('09 Rd3/#80b - Bills/Rd4/#121)
TE2: Riar Geer ('10 UFA - Broncos UFA)

LT: Michael Oher ('09 Rd1/#16b - Ravens/Rd1/#23)
LG: Herman Johnson ('09 Rd5/#152b - Cardinals/Rd5/#167)
C: Jeff Byers ('10 UFA - Seahawks UFA)
RG: Chris Marinelli ('10 UFA - Broncos UFA)
RT: Ciron Black ('10 UFA - Steelers UFA)

LDE: Everson Griffen ('10 Rd3/#80c - Vikings/Rd4/#100)
DT: Cam Thomas ('10 Rd4/#114b - Chargers/Rd5/#146)
DT: Malcolm Sheppard ('10 UFA - Texans UFA)
RDE: Lawrence Sidbury ('09 Rd4/#116c - Falcons/Rd4/#125)

OLB: Antonio Coleman ('10 UFA - Bills UFA)
ILB: Mike McLaughlin ('10 UFA - Ravens UFA)
OLB: Dekoda Watson ('10 Rd6/#185b - Bucs/Rd7/#217)
OLB2: Keaton Kristick ('10 UFA - 49ers UFA)
ILB2: Darry Beckwith ('09 UFA - Chargers UFA)

CB: Kyle Wilson ('10 Rd1/#16c - Jets/Rd1/#29)
CB: Syd'Quan Thompson ('10 Rd7/#223c - Broncos/Rd7/#225)

FS: William Moore ('09 Rd2/#48c - Falcons/Rd2/#55)
SS: Myron Rolle ('10 Rd5/#147c - Titans/Rd6/#207)

K: Leigh Tiffin ('10 UFA - Browns UFA)
P:
LS: Morgan Cox ('10 UFA - Ravens UFA)
KR/PR: LeRoy Vann ('10 UFA - 49ers UFA)

Jerry Hsu
QB1: Nate Davis ('09 Rd3/#80c - 49ers/Rd5/#171)
QB2: Jarrett Brown ('10 UFA - 49ers UFA)
QB3: Matt Nichols ('10 UFA - Cowboys UFA)

RB1: Chris Wells ('09 Rd1/#16c - Cardinals/Rd1/#31)
RB2: LeGarrette Blount ('10 UFA - Titans UFA)
RB3: Rashawn Jackson ('10 UFA - Panthers UFA)

WR1: Dez Bryant ('10 Rd1/#16b - Cowboys/Rd1/#24)
WR2: Jarett Dillard ('09 Rd4/#116b - Jaguars/Rd5/#144)
WR3: Sammie Stroughter ('09 Rd7/#225c - Bucs/Rd7/#233)
WR4: Seyi Ajirotutu ('10 UFA - Chargers UFA)
WR5: Damola Adeniji ('10 UFA - Bucs UFA)

TE1: Colin Peek ('10 UFA - Falcons UFA)
TE2: Michael Palmer ('10 UFA - Falcons UFA)
TE3: Jeff Cumberland ('10 UFA - Jets UFA)

LT: William Beatty ('09 Rd2/#48b - Giants/Rd2/#60)
LG: Sergio Render ('10 UFA - Bucs UFA)
C: John Estes ('10 UFA - Jaguars UFA)
RG: Brandon Carter ('10 UFA - Saints UFA)
RT: Adam Ulatoski ('10 UFA - Texans UFA)
OT3: Tony Washington ('10 UFA - TBD???)

DEFENSE
DE: Arthur Jones ('10 Rd5/#147b - Ravens/Rd5/#157)
NT: Ekom Udofia ('10 UFA - Saints UFA)
DE: Clifton Geathers ('10 Rd6/#185c - Browns/Rd6/#186)
DL4: Vince Oghobaase ('10 UFA - Dolphins UFA)
DL5: Nate Collins ('10 UFA - Giants UFA)

OLB: Brandon Lang ('10 UFA - Chargers UFA)
ILB: Navorro Bowman ('10 Rd3/#80b - 49ers/Rd3/#96)
ILB: Eric Norwood ('10 Rd4/#114c - Panthers/Rd4/#124)
OLB: George Selvie ('10 Rd7/#223b - Rams/Rd7/#226)
ILB3: Stephen Hodge ('09 Rd6/#189b - Cowboys/Rd6/#197)
ILB4: Kion Wilson ('10 UFA - Chargers UFA)
OLB3: Auston English ('10 UFA - Browns UFA)

CB: Coye Francies ('09 Rd5/#152c - Browns/Rd6/#191)
CB: Devin Ross ('10 UFA - Eagles UFA)
CB3: Chris Hawkins ('10 UFA - Jaguars UFA)
CB4: Donovan Warren ('10 UFA - Jets UFA)

FS1: Taylor Mays ('10 Rd2/#48c - 49ers/Rd2/#49)
SS1: Aaron Webster ('10 UFA - Texans UFA)
FS2: Mike Newton ('10 UFA - Colts UFA)
SS2: Justin Woodall ('10 UFA - Bears UFA)

K: Graham Gano ('09 UFA - Ravens UFA/Redskins FA)
P: Robert Malone ('10 UFA - Jaguars UFA)
LS: Clint Gresham ('10 UFA - Saints UFA)
KR/PR: Brandon Banks ('10 UFA - TBD???)

Jerry clearly loves the undrafted free agent process. We'll see how these teams shape up over the next couple years.

2010 is complete, how'd NFL Draft Pros do?

WOW, it's nearly a week after the 2010 NFL Draft and I'm just now emotionally recovered from the 3-day extravaganza! I loved the new format, but the idea of being involved for all 3 days was taxing.

First off, I don't usually grade drafts right after the draft, all it would be, is which NFL team took the most players off my board. It's better for NFL teams and draftniks to wait 2-3 years and see how these players react to getting the big money, see how they are used in systems, and just see if their college hype transfers to the NFL.

But I do like to look at my predictions and see how I did against everyone else, including the Big Boys like Mel Kiper, Todd McShay and the other TV draft experts. The Huddle Report each year grades out hundreds of mock drafts and Top 100 boards. I'm proud to say that NFL Draft Pros took #18 in the Mock Draft contest, beating such well known draft experts as Todd McShay and Scott Wright.

http://www.thehuddlereport.com/Free/mockdraftscoring.shtm

As for the Top 100 lists, we did even better. We tied Mel Kiper at #14.

http://www.thehuddlereport.com/Free/top100scoring.shtml

Not bad if I do say so myself.

Now it's time to start scoping out the class of 2011.

Todd's Mock Draft

St.L	Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Det	Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
TB	Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma
Wash	Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma St.
KC	Eric Berry, S, Tennessee
Sea	Brian Bulaga, OT, Iowa
Clev	Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame
Oak	Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Buf	Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
Jac	Rolondo McClain, LB, Alabama
Den	Dan Williams, DT, Tennessee
Mia	Jason Pierre-Paul, OLB, South Florida
SF	Joe Haden, CB, Florida
Sea	CJ Spiller, RB, Clemson
NYG	Derrick Morgan, DE, Georgia Tech
Tenn	Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise St.
SF	Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
Pitt	Maurkice Pouncey, G/C, Florida
Atl	Brandon Graham, DE, Michigan
Hou	Earl Thomas, S, Texas
Cin	Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
NE	Jerad Odrick, DT, Penn St.
GB	Charles Brown, OT, USC
Phily	Taylor Mays, S, USC
Bal	Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
Ari	Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma St.
Dal	Sergio Kindle, OLB, Texas
SD	Ryan Mathews, RB, Fresno State
NYJ	Terrence Cody, NT, Alabama
Min	Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Indy	Brian Price, DT, UCLA
NO	Sean Weatherspoon, ILB, Missouri

Todd's Big Board - Top 100

OVR	Player	Pos.	School
1	Eric Berry	FS	Tennessee
2	Ndamukong Suh	DT	Nebraska
3	Gerald McCoy	DT	Oklahoma
4	Derrick Morgan	DE	Georgia Tech
5	Rolando McClain	ILB	Alabama
6	Trent Williams	OT	Oklahoma
7	Sam Bradford	QB	Oklahoma
8	Russell Okung	OT	Oklahoma St.
9	Joe Haden	CB	Florida
10	Bryan Bulaga	OT	Iowa
11	C.J. Spiller	RB	Clemson
12	Jimmy Clausen	QB	Notre Dame
13	Dez Bryant	WR	Oklahoma St.
14	Mike Iupati	OG	Idaho
15	Earl Thomas	CB	Texas
16	Kyle Wilson	CB	Boise St.
17	Brandon Graham	OLB	Michigan
18	Dan Williams	DT	Tennessee
19	Demaryius Thomas	WR	Georgia Tech
20	Jason Pierre-Paul	DE	South Florida
21	Everson Griffen	DE	USC
22	Ryan Mathews	RB	Fresno St.
23	Anthony Davis	OT	Rutgers
24	Maurkice Pouncey	C	Florida
25	Sean Weatherspoon	OLB	Missouri
26	Jermaine Gresham	TE	Oklahoma
27	Jared Odrick	DT	Penn St.
28	Sergio Kindle	OLB	Texas
29	Devin McCourty	CB	Rutgers
30	Golden Tate	WR	Notre Dame
31	Charles Brown	OT	USC
32	Kareem Jackson	CB	Alabama
33	Taylor Mays	FS	USC
34	Jerry Hughes	OLB	TCU
35	Brian Price	DT	UCLA
36	Patrick Robinson	CB	Florida St.
37	Rodger Saffold	OT	Indiana
38	Terrence Cody	DT	Alabama
39	Jahvid Best	RB	California
40	Daryl Washington	OLB	TCU
41	Colt McCoy	QB	Texas
42	Tyson Alualu	DT	California
43	Rob Gronkowski	TE	Arizona
44	Dexter McCluster	WR	Mississippi
45	Carlos Dunlap	DE	Florida
46	Chris Cook	CB	Virginia
47	Bruce Campbell	OT	Maryland
48	Lamarr Houston	DT	Texas
49	Nate Allen	FS	South Florida
50	Brandon Ghee	CB	Wake Forest
51	Jimmy Graham	TE	Miami (Fla.)
52	Morgan Burnett	FS	Georgia Tech
53	Koa Misi	OLB	Utah
54	Damian Williams	WR	USC
55	Arrelious Benn	WR	Illinois
56	Ben Tate	RB	Auburn
57	Jonathan Dwyer	RB	Georgia Tech
58	Ricky Sapp	OLB	Clemson
59	Vladimir Ducasse	OT	Massachusetts
60	Jon Asamoah	OG	Illinois
61	Tim Tebow	QB	Florida
62	Alex Carrington	DE	Arkansas St.
63	Toby Gerhart	RB	Stanford
64	Sean Lee	ILB	Penn St.
65	Eric Decker	WR	Minnesota
66	Corey Wootton	DE	Northwestern
67	Donald Butler	ILB	Washington
68	Eric Norwood	OLB	South Carolina
69	Matt Tennant	C	Boston College
70	Reshad Jones	SS	Georgia
71	Thaddeus Gibson	OLB	Ohio St.
72	Akwasi Owusu-Ansah	CB	Indiana (PA)
73	Brandon LaFell	WR	LSU
74	Jermaine Cunningham	DE	Florida
75	Carlton Mitchell	WR	South Florida
76	John Jerry	OT	Mississippi
77	Jared Veldheer	OT	Hillsdale
78	Montario Hardesty	RB	Tennessee
79	Anthony McCoy	TE	USC
80	Dominique Franks	CB	Oklahoma
81	Brandon Spikes	ILB	Florida
82	Navorro Bowman	OLB	Penn St.
83	Geno Atkins	DT	Georgia
84	Aaron Hernandez	TE	Florida
85	Jerome Murphy	CB	South Florida
86	Taylor Price	WR	Ohio
87	Cam Thomas	DT	North Carolina
88	Jacoby Ford	WR	Clemson
89	Jason Worilds	OLB	Virginia Tech
90	Chad Jones	SS	LSU
91	Ed Dickson	TE	Oregon
92	Javier Arenas	CB	Alabama
93	Austen Lane	DE	Murray St.
94	J.D. Walton	C	Baylor
95	Tony Pike	QB	Cincinnati
96	Amari Spievey	CB	Iowa
97	Major Wright	FS	Florida
98	Perrish Cox	CB	Oklahoma St.
99	Jonathan Crompton	QB	Tennessee
100	Linval Joseph	DT	East Carolina

NFL Draft Pros Draft

As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. And that is never more appropriate then when it comes to the NFL Draft. It's always easier to look at the draft results a year or two later and say, why did they take that guy, or why didn't they take this guy.

Well, here at the NFL Draft Pros, we aren't immune to making those comments either, so last year we decided to take a swing at drafting in real-time. We put ourselves right in the middle of the draft, right between the 15th and 16th pick of each round. The rules were simple, you can draft any player that was still on board. The test was, could we put together a team of players that were better then some, if not many, NFL GMs. Since we are just entering the 2nd draft the teams are obviously incomplete. However, it does seem to have a decent foundation. Can we continue to build a strong team? We'll see.

Here are the results from the 2009 draft. In addition to the 7 rounds of draft picks, we both picked 2 undrafted free agents, thus the 9 players.

Todd

Michael Oher, OT, Mississippi
William Mooore, S, Missouri
Shawn Nelson, TE, Southern Miss
Lawrence Sidbury , DE , Richmond
Herman Johnson, OG, LSU
Rashad Jennings, RB, Liberty
Quan Cosby, WR, Texas
Darry Beckwith, ILB, LSU
Mike Reilly, QB, Central Washington



Jerry

Chris Wells, RB, Ohio St .
William Beaty, OT, Uconn
Nate Davis, QB, Ball St .
Jarrett Dillard, WR, Rice
Coye Fracies, CB, San Jose St .
Stephen Hodge, S, TCU
Sammie Stroughter, WR, Oregon St.
Fratz Joseph, LB, Florida International
Graham Gano, K, Florida St.

Defensive Rankings

Defensive Tackle

1. Ndamukong Sug, Nebraska
2. Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. Dan Williams, Tennessee
4. Jared Odrick, Penn St.
5. Terrance Cody, Alabama
6. Brian Price, UCLA
7. Lamarr Houston, Texas
8. Tyson Alualu, Cal
9. Geno Atkins, Georgia
10. Cam Thomas, North Carolina

Defensive End

1. Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
2. Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
3. Jerry Hughes, TCU
4. Everson Griffen, USC
5. Carlos Dunlap, Florida
6. Alex Carrington, Arkansas St.
7. Brandon Lang, Troy
8. Jermaine Cunningham, Florida
9. Corey Wooton, Northwestern
10. CJ Wilson, East Carolina

OLB

1. Brandon Graham, Michigan
2. Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
3. Sergio Kindle, Texas
4. Navorro Bowman, Penn St.
5. Koa Misi, Utah
6. Daryl Washington, TCU
7. Eric Norwood, South Carolina
8. Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio St.
9. Ricky Sapp, Clemson
10. Dekoda Watson, Florida St.

ILB

1. Rolando McClain, Alabama
2. Brandon Spikes, Florida
3. Donald Butler, Washington
4. Sean Lee, Penn St.
5. Pat Angerer, Iowa
6. Jamar Chaney, Mississippi St.
7. Phillip Dillard, Nebraska
8. Micah Johnson, Kentucky
9. Darryl Sharpton, Miami
10. Mike McClaughlin, Boston College

CB

1. Joe Haden, Florida
2. Kyle Wilson, Boise St.
3. Patrick Robinson, Florida St.
4. Perrish Cox, Oklahoma
5. Devin McCourty, Rutgers
6. Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest
7. Kareem Jackson, Alabama
8. Chris Cook, Virginia
9. Javier Arenas, Alabama
10. Dominique Franks, Oklahoma

S

1. Eric Berry, Tennessee
2. Earl Thomas, Texas
3. Chad Jones, LSU
4. Taylor Mays, USC
5. Larry Asante, Nebraska
6. Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
7. Major Wright, Florida
8. Myron Rolle, Florida St.
9. Nate Allen, South Florida
10. Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech

Offensive Rankings

Quarterbacks

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
3. Tony Pike, Cincinnati
4. Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee
5. Tim Tebow, Florida
6. Colt McCoy, Texas
7. Sean Canfield, Oregon St.
8. Jarrett Brown, West Virgina
9. Jevan Snead, Mississippi
10. Mike Kafka, Northwestern


Running Backs

1. Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
2. Javid Best, Cal
3. CJ Spiller, Clemson
4. Ryan Mathews, Fresno St.
5. Toby Gerhart, Stanford
6. Montario Hardesty, Tennessee
7. Anthony Dixon, Mississippi St.
8. Ben Tate, Auburn
9. Joe McKnight, USC
10. Charles Scott, LSU

Fullback

1. Rashawn Jackson, Virginia
2. Manase Tonga, BYU
3. John Conner, Kentucky
4. Jack Corcoran, Rutgers
5. Kerry Meier, Kansas

Wide Receiver

1. Dez Bryant, Oklahoma St.
2. Arrellous Benn, Illinois
3. Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech
4. Golden Tate, Notre Dame
5. Brandon LaFell, LSU
6. Damian Williams, USC
7. Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
8. Jordan Shipley, Texas
9. Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
10. Taylor Price, Ohio

Tight End

1. Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
2. Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
3. Aaron Hernandez, Florida
4. Dennis Pitta, BYU
5. Anthony Moeaki, Iowa
6. Anthony McCoy, USC
7. Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
8. Colin Peek, Alabama
9. Ed Dickson, Oregon
10. Jimmy Graham, Miami

Offensive Tackle

1. Russell Okung, Oklahoma St.
2. Anthony Davis, Rutgers
3. Trent Williams, Oklahoma
4. Brian Bulaga, Iowa
5. Bruce Campbell, Maryland
6. Charles Brown, USC
7. Selvish Capers, West Virginia
8. Kyle Calloway, Iowa
9. Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale
10. Ciron Black, LSU

Offensive Guards

1. Mike Iupati, Idaho
2. Jon Asamoah, Illinois
3. Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts
4. John Jerry, Mississippi
5. Mike Johnson, Alabama
6. Mitch Petrus, Arkansas
7. Chris Marinelli, Stanford
8. Brandon Carter, Texas Tech
9. Zane Beadles, Utah
10. Sergio Render, Virginia Tech

Center

1. Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
2. Justin Walton, Baylor
3. Matt Tennant, Boston College
4. John Estes, Hawaii
5. Eric Olsen, Notre Dame
6. Kenny Alfred, Washington St.
7. Ted Larsen, North Carolina St.
8. Joe Hawley, UNLV
9. Josh McNeil, Tennessee
10. Chris Hall, Texas

Slash

1. Dexter McCluster, Mississippi
2. Jocoby Ford, Clemson
3. Antonio Brown, Central Michigan
4. Joe Webb, UAB
5. Armanti Edwards, Appalachian St.

Mock Draft 2.0

Draft Analyst Jerry Hsu has posted his most recent mock draft.

#	TEAM	PLAYER	POS	SCHOOL
1	Rams	Sam Bradford	QB	Oklahoma
2	Lions	Ndamukong Suh	DT	Nebraska
3	Bucs	Gerald McCoy	DT	Oklahoma
4	Redskins	Jimmy Clausen	QB	Notre Dame
5	Chiefs	Russell Okung	OT	Oklahoma State
6	Seahawks	Eric Berry	S	Tennessee
7	Browns	Dez Bryant	WR	Oklahoma State
8	Raiders	Taylor Mays	S	USC
9	Bills	Anthony Davis	OT	Rutgers
10	Jaguars	Rolando McClain	ILB	Alabama
11	Broncos (via Bears)	Derrick Morgan	DE	Georgia Tech
12	Dolphins	Dan Williams	DT	Tennessee
13	49ers	Joe Haden	CB	Florida
14	Seahawks (via Broncos)	Bryan Bulaga	OT	Iowa
15	Giants	CJ Spiller	RB	Clemson
16	Titans	Carlos Dunlap	DE	Florida
17	49ers (via Panthers)	Trent Williams	OT	Oklahoma
18	Steelers	Kyle Wilson	CB	Boise State
19	Falcons	Brandon Graham	DE	Michigan
20	Texans	Earl Thomas	S	Texas
21	Bengals	Arrelious Benn	WR	Illinois
22	Patriots	Jerry Hughes	OLB	TCU
23	Packers	Mike Iupati	OG	Idaho
24	Eagles	Jason Pierre-Paul	DE	USF
25	Ravens	Jared Odrick	DE	Penn State
26	Cardinals	Jermaine Gresham	TE	Oklahoma
27	Cowboys	Bruce Campbell	OT	Maryland
28	Chargers	Ryan Mathews	RB	Fresno State
29	Jets	Terrence Cody	DT	Alabama
30	Vikings	Sean Weatherspoon	OLB	Missouri
31	Colts	Arthur Jones	DT	Syracuse
32	Saints	Navorro Bowman	OLB	Penn State