TheDailyBlitz.com

The 2013 NFL Draft class lacked the kind of excitement at the top that we saw back in 2012 with Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III.

The 2014 class of draft-eligible prospects will certainly generate more buzz than this year's group.

Here are my top 25 draft-eligible prospects for the 2014 NFL Draft:

1. Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Carolina

If Clowney were eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft, he would have likely been the No. 1 overall pick. In fact, there was some debate in the media whether Clowney should sit out the 2013 college football season in order to not allow the potential for injury to risk his draft stock for 2014.

As the top recruit out of high school, Clowney has lived up to the hype since stepping on the field for the Gamecocks. During the span of his two years as a student-athlete, Clowney has 21 sacks. The only three players with more sacks during that stretch have either graduated or left early for the NFL.

Last season, he was tied for third in the nation in sacks (13.0) and second in tackles for loss (23.5).

2. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

With the prototypical size (6'3" and 220 pounds) for the position, Bridgewater has all of the tools to be successful at the next level: a strong arm, intelligence, toughness and mobility.

Bridgewater, the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, led the Cardinals to an 11-2 record and a win over the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.

The sophomore completed 68.5 percent of his pass attempts last year and finished with a 27-to-8 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions.

3. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan

Lewan was a first-team AP All-American last year with Luke Joeckel, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2013 draft, and has the prototypical size (6-8 and 309 pounds) and athleticism to play left tackle at the next level.

4. Jake Matthews, OT, Texas A&M

As half of college football's best pair of bookend tackles last season, Matthews will move to the left side this year to protect Johnny Football's blind side. Some believe Matthews has the potential to be even better than Joeckel. Matthews' father Bruce was a 14-time Pro Bowler and a first-ballot Hall of Fame inductee.

5. Anthony Barr, OLB, UCLA

A converted running back from his first two seasons at UCLA, Barr flourished as a pass-rusher and finished second in the nation with 13.5 sacks in 2012. In addition, he finished tied for seventh with Texas A&M's Damontre Moore in tackles for loss (21.0). With continued development, Barr has the potential to be a top-five pick in next year's draft.

6. Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State

Tied for third in the country in passes broken up (17) and seventh in passes defended (19), Roby was a second-team AP All-American as a sophomore and has the chance to be the top cornerback selected in the 2014 draft.

7. Marqise Lee, WR, USC

Lee, who is also a sprinter and high jumper on USC's track team, had a monster season as a sophomore as he posted his second consecutive 1,000-yard season. Lee, the Biletnikoff award winner, led the nation in receptions (118), finished second in receiving yards (1,721) and scored 14 touchdowns.

8. Cyrus Kouandjio, OT, Alabama

Playing left tackle for the most talented offensive line in the country, Kouandjio was a five-star prospect coming out of high school. Although he tore his ACL in the middle of his freshman season, Kouandjio made big strides ("leaps and bounds" as ex-teammate Chance Warmack called them) in his sophomore campaign.

9. Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson

Boyd, the ACC Player of the Year, made nice strides as a junior. His completion percentage increased to 67.2 percent (from 59.7 percent), his yards-per-attempt average increased to 9.12 (from 7.67) and his rating increased to 165.6 (from 141.2).

10. C.J. Mosley, LB, Alabama

If he declared early and entered the 2013 draft, Mosley would have likely been a first-round pick last year. Along with Jarvis Jones and Manti Te'o, Mosley was a first-team AP All-American selection at linebacker in 2012.

Not only did Mosley lead the national champions in tackles (99) last season, but he has the versatility to play multiple spots within the linebacking corps and excels in coverage.

11. Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TE, Washington

Seferian-Jenkins is a matchup nightmare and the top tight end prospect in this year's draft class. In addition to tight end, Seferian-Jenkins has lined up at defensive end on pass-rushing situations and has also played basketball for the Huskies. He won't be playing basketball for them this season, though.

Although he was arrested for DUI back in March and is currently suspended from the team, he is expected to play this season and he has 11 months to stay out of trouble and put all of this behind him.

12. Stephon Tuitt, DE, Notre Dame

The top 3-4 defensive end in this year's draft class, Tuitt led the Irish in both sacks (12.0) and tackles for loss (13.0) last season.

13. Louis Nix, DT, Notre Dame

Strong at the point of attack, Nix was a huge reason (no pun intended) why the Irish ranked third in the nation in rushing defense. Despite his size (6-3, 340), Nix has excellent movement skills.

14. Sammy Watkins, WR, Clemson

As a freshman, Watkins had 82 receptions for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. His sophomore campaign was slowed by suspension and some minor injuries as he was overshadowed by teammate DeAndre Hopkins, but he has the talent to be the second receiver off the board and potentially a top-10 pick next April.

15. Jason Verrett, CB, TCU

A third-team AP All-American last year, Verrett led the Big 12 in interceptions (six) and passes defended (20). At only 5'10", Verrett does not have the ideal size and length most teams covet in cornerbacks. That said, he is an extremely smooth and fluid athlete with the ability to close and make a play on the ball.

16. David Fales, QB, San Jose State

Fales began his collegiate career at Nevada behind now-49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, but he transferred to a JUCO before ending up at San Jose State. In his first season with the Spartans, Fales threw for 4,193 yards and 33 touchdowns and completed 72.5 percent of his pass attempts.

17. Aaron Lynch, DE, South Florida

A former five-star recruit, Lynch led Notre Dame in sacks (5.5) as a true freshman in 2011. After transferring to South Florida to be closer to home, he sat the 2012 season out, but he has the potential to be a top-10 pick in 2014.

18. David Yankey, OT, Stanford

Yankey was a second-team AP All-American and winner of the Morris Trophy, best offensive lineman in the Pac 12, last season as a left tackle. He will move back inside to guard for Stanford this season and has played four of the five offensive line positions.

Stanford offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren has called Yankey the "best pulling offensive lineman in the country."

19. Jackson Jeffcoat, DE, Texas

Jeffcoat, the son of former Cowboys defensive end Jim Jeffcoat, saw his 2013 season end prematurely after he tore his pectoral muscle. Over his past 13 games (final seven games of 2012 and first six games last year), Jeffcoat has a total of 24 tackles for loss and 12 sacks.

20. Kyle Van Noy, LB, BYU

Especially after closing out the season with a dominant performance that included two defensive touchdowns in the Poinsettia Bowl, it was a bit of surprise that Van Noy returned to school for his senior season. Last year, Van Noy finished fourth in the nation in tackles for loss (22.0), tied for third in sacks (13.0) and tied for second in forced fumbles (six).

21. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB, Oregon

Ekpre-Olomu was a third-team All-American that ranked sixth in the country in passes defended (20) to go with his four interceptions including one returned for a score. In addition, he was tied for the lead in the Pac 12 with six forced fumbles last year.

22. Loucheiz Purifoy, CB, Florida

With good size (6-1 and 189 pounds), Purifoy is an athletic corner that will be used as a two-way player in 2013. Gators coach Will Muschamp recently said, "Loucheiz is going to be a corner for us, but, at the end of the day, we've got to create a role for him because he is an explosive guy. He makes plays with the ball in his hands. He has tremendous ball skills."

23. Trent Murphy, DE/OLB, Stanford

A first-team All-Pac 12 choice at linebacker in 2012, Murphy had 10.0 sacks and 18.0 tackles for loss, both of which led the Cardinal defense.

24. Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M

With the success last season of Russell Wilson, who slipped to the third-round due to his height (5-10), Manziel has a shot of a being a first-rounder in 2014. Manziel, the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner, is listed at 6-1 and 200 pounds, but he set the SEC record for most yards with 3,706 passing yards and 1,410 rushing yards. In fact, he led all players in rushing — both yards and touchdowns (21) — in the SEC.

25. Adrian Hubbard, OLB, Alabama

As a sophomore in 2012, Hubbard led the Crimson Tide in sacks (7.0) and tackles for loss (11.0). With excellent length and athleticism, Hubbard has the potential to take a big step forward in 2013.

Check out our early 2014 NFL Mock Draft. For more mocks, check out our 2014 NFL Mock Draft Database.

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three months away from the 2013 NFL Draft, all but two teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and draft.

Many sites including ours will attempt to project how the draft will play out and Kevin Hanson has updated his three-round mock draft this weekend. As we get closer to the draft, the plan is to project all seven rounds.

[Hanson's 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3]

Some of you are fans of the NFL draft and take a big-picture view while others only really care how things will shake out for your particular team. Either way, we got you covered as we will start publishing 32 team posts to go along with our full mock draft for you to be able to follow it whatever way you deem appropriate.

In Hanson's updated 2013 mock draft, here are the Tennessee Titans picks:

Pick 10. Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon

Having switched from tight end to defensive end only two seasons ago, Jordan (6-7, 243 pounds) is a little raw but he's an explosive athlete with plenty of upside. Jordan played outside linebacker in 2012.

Pick 41. Kawann Short, DT, Purdue

Short led the Boilermakers in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (7.0). Starting defensive tackle SenDerrick Marks is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason.

Pick 72. Larry Warford, G, Kentucky

Having started his past 37 games, Warford was a second-team All-SEC choice the past two seasons and a third-team AP All-American last year. The Titans need to improve the play of their interior linemen.

To see the full mock, click here. For other teams, click here.

If you're interested in contributing to our site and possibly posting your own NFL mock draft, please e-mail draft [at] eatdrinkandsleepfootball [dot] com.

Related: Brendan Donahue's Mock | NFL Mock Draft Database | NFL Draft Big Board | 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 02:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three months away from the 2013 NFL Draft, all but two teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and draft.

Many sites including ours will attempt to project how the draft will play out and Kevin Hanson has updated his three-round mock draft this weekend. As we get closer to the draft, the plan is to project all seven rounds.

[Hanson's 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3]

Some of you are fans of the NFL draft and take a big-picture view while others only really care how things will shake out for your particular team. Either way, we got you covered as we will start publishing 32 team posts to go along with our full mock draft for you to be able to follow it whatever way you deem appropriate.

In Hanson's updated 2013 mock draft, here are the San Francisco 49ers picks:

Pick 32. Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU

With "Kiki" on the other side, Montgomery formed a talented duo with Mingo at LSU. In 2011, Montgomery led the Tigers in sacks (nine) and was a first-team All-SEC selection.

Like Mingo, however, Montgomery saw a drop in production in his junior season, but he led the team in sacks with 7.0 and finished second in tackles for loss (12.0).

Pick 64. T.J. McDonald, S, USC

McDonald (6-3, 205) led USC in tackles (110) this year and he was third on the team in 2011 with 67. In addition, McDonald had 6.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and one sack this year.

The hard-hitting free safety is the son of Tim McDonald, who played for USC and the 49ers as well. SI's Tony Pauline compared McDonald to Alabama's Mark Barron in his list of top 32 prospects before the 2012 season began: "McDonald is a terrific safety whose skill set is underrated, just like Mark Barron's... He's also an explosive run defender who also plays the ball well in coverage, just like Barron."

Pick 76 (Via CAR). Leon McFadden, CB, San Diego State

Despite suffering a groin injury that will force him to sit out the Senior Bowl, McFadden had a good week of practice, which is more important, before suffering the injury. ESPN's Todd McShay wrote that McFadden "stood out [on Tuesday]. He jumped Tavarres King's out route and had a nice interception in one-on-ones. He stuck to receivers like glue, was balanced and under control. ..."

Pick 96. Akeem Spence, DT, Illinois

Spence finished third on the team in tackles (72) and was tied for second in tackles for loss (7.0).

To see the full mock, click here. For other teams, click here.

If you're interested in contributing to our site and possibly posting your own NFL mock draft, please e-mail draft [at] eatdrinkandsleepfootball [dot] com.

Related: Brendan Donahue's Mock | NFL Mock Draft Database | NFL Draft Big Board | 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 01:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three months away from the 2013 NFL Draft, all but two teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and draft.

Many sites including ours will attempt to project how the draft will play out and Kevin Hanson has updated his three-round mock draft this weekend. As we get closer to the draft, the plan is to project all seven rounds.

[Hanson's 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3]

Some of you are fans of the NFL draft and take a big-picture view while others only really care how things will shake out for your particular team. Either way, we got you covered as we will start publishing 32 team posts to go along with our full mock draft for you to be able to follow it whatever way you deem appropriate.

In Hanson's updated 2013 mock draft, here are the Carolina Panthers picks:

14. Carolina Panthers (draft history) - Johnathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State

Despite his size (6-3 and 322 pounds), Hankins has the athleticism and versatility to play all along the defensive line. With the size and ability to stuff the run, Hankins is also disruptive in the passing game as well.

If it weren't for questions about his motor, Hankins could be a top-five pick. Instead he may end up being the third (or worse) defensive tackle off the board.

45. Carolina Panthers (draft history) - DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Clemson

The Panthers could really use a second receiver to step up alongside Steve Smith yet Smith himself will turn 34 years old this offseason.

Hopkins had a monster season with 82 receptions for 1,405 yards and 18 touchdowns. In fact, Nuke scored in all but one game this season.

* The 49ers own the Panthers third-round pick.

To see the full mock, click here. For other teams, click here.

If you're interested in contributing to our site and possibly posting your own NFL mock draft, please e-mail draft [at] eatdrinkandsleepfootball [dot] com.

Related: Brendan Donahue's Mock | NFL Mock Draft Database | NFL Draft Big Board | 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three months away from the 2013 NFL Draft, all but two teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and draft.

Many sites including ours will attempt to project how the draft will play out and Kevin Hanson has updated his three-round mock draft this weekend. As we get closer to the draft, the plan is to project all seven rounds.

[Hanson's 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3]

Some of you are fans of the NFL draft and take a big-picture view while others only really care how things will shake out for your particular team. Either way, we got you covered as we will start publishing 32 team posts to go along with our full mock draft for you to be able to follow it whatever way you deem appropriate.

In Hanson's updated 2013 mock draft, here are the Baltimore Ravens picks:

Pick 31. Kevin Minter, LB, LSU

Minter led LSU in tackles (130) and tackles for loss (15.0) this season. Along with Georgia's Jarvis Jones and Alabama's C.J. Mosley, Minter was a first-team All-SEC selection at linebacker this year.

Pick 63. Phillip Thomas, S, Fresno State

While Ed Reed has said that he won't retire after Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens will need to find his eventual replacement soon.

Like Reed, Thomas is a playmaker at safety. Thomas, the MWC Defensive Player of the Year, led the country with eight interceptions for Fresno State.

Pick 95. Travis Frederick, C, Wisconsin

Frederick moved from guard (as a freshman and sophomore) to center (as a junior) and the Ravens could use reinforcement and depth at both spots.

To see the full mock, click here. For other teams, click here.

If you're interested in contributing to our site and possibly posting your own NFL mock draft, please e-mail draft [at] eatdrinkandsleepfootball [dot] com.

Related: Brendan Donahue's Mock | NFL Mock Draft Database | NFL Draft Big Board | 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Three months away from the 2013 NFL Draft, all but two teams have shifted their focus to the offseason and draft.

Many sites including ours will attempt to project how the draft will play out and Kevin Hanson has updated his three-round mock draft this weekend. As we get closer to the draft, the plan is to project all seven rounds.

[Hanson's 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3]

Some of you are fans of the NFL draft and take a big-picture view while others only really care how things will shake out for your particular team. Either way, we got you covered as we will start publishing 32 team posts to go along with our full mock draft for you to be able to follow it whatever way you deem appropriate.

In Hanson's updated 2013 mock draft, here are the Atlanta Falcons picks:

Pick 30. Alex Okafor, DE, Texas

The Falcons recently cut Ray Edwards, who was an expensive free-agent signing in 2011, after posting no sacks and only nine tackles before being released. Considering John Abraham is 34 years old, it would certainly make sense for the Falcons to add a pass rusher at this spot.

As a senior, Okafor had 12.5 sacks on the season including an Alamo Bowl-record 4.5 of them in his final collegiate game.

Pick 62. Montee Ball, RB, Wisconsin

On the decline of his career and entering the last year of his contract, Michael Turner scored double-digit touchdowns for his fifth consecutive season. That said, "The Burner" averaged a career-low 3.6 yards per carry.

Dropping more than 20 pounds in between his junior and senior season, Ball rushed for 1,830 yards and 22 touchdowns last year. Amazingly, those numbers are down from 1,923 yards and 39 total touchdowns as a junior.

Pick 94. Tank Carradine, DE, Florida State

Carradine's season ended prematurely with a torn ACL in November. If it weren't for the injury, Carradine would have been a potential first-round pick in April. Despite missing a total of three games this season, he finished with 11 sacks and a team-high 80 tackles.

To see the full mock, click here. For other teams, click here.

If you're interested in contributing to our site and possibly posting your own NFL mock draft, please e-mail draft [at] eatdrinkandsleepfootball [dot] com.

Related: Brendan Donahue's Mock | NFL Mock Draft Database | NFL Draft Big Board | 2014 NFL Mock Draft

To keep track of our updates: (1) follow us on Twitter, (2) LIKE us on Facebook and/or (3) add us to your Google+ circle.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Earlier today, we released our rankings of the top 50 NFL Draft prospects in this year's NFL draft.

Both Brendan Donahue and I ranked our top 50 prospects and than an average of the two rankings determined our final list that was published.

Texas A&M All-American offensive tackle Luke Joeckel was our consensus No. 1 prospect, but we both had different prospects ranked second: Alabama guard Chance Warmack (Brendan) and Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei (Kevin).

Here are the top 25 prospects are on our list:

1. Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M
2. Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah
3. Chance Warmack, G, Alabama
4. Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia
5. Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State
6. Damontre Moore, DE, Texas A&M
7. Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama
8. Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon
9. Barkevious Mingo, OLB, LSU
10. Ezekiah Ansah, DE, BYU
11. Sheldon Richardon, DT, Missouri
12. Johnathan Cooper, G, North Carolina
13. Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan
14. Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia
15. Johnathan Hawkins, DT, Ohio State
16. Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas
17. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia
18. Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame
T19. Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee
T19. Jesse Williams, DT, Alabama
T19. Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State
T19. Keenan Allen, WR, Cal
T19. Xavier Rhodes, CB, Florida State
24. Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida
25. John Jenkins, DT, Georgia

See the full list here.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In my most recent mock draft, Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan is the 11th overall pick to the Chargers, who need offensive line reinforcements to help protect quarterback Philip Rivers.

Lewan won't be playing football in San Diego this year, though.

A bit of a surprise, Lewan has announced that he will return to Ann Arbor to play his senior season with the Wolverines.

"I am excited to return for my senior season," said Lewan in a release (via Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports). "I always said I would evaluate things and make the best decision for me, and that's exactly what I did.

"I want to graduate. I want to improve to be an elite left tackle. I want to stand out there with my family on Senior Day. I want to get my 'M' ring. I want to lead some of these young offensive linemen. These are all things I would have been giving up if I left."

As a likely top-10 pick in 2014, Lewan could compete with Texas A&M's Jake Matthews, who reportedly will return for his senior season as well, to be the top offensive tackle in next year's draft.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 03:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As the NFL season continues, several teams are positioning themselves for their playoff run. On the other hand, however, there are plenty of teams with no shot at making the postseason and their attention turns toward 2013 even though we are still one month away.

With that said, I have updated my 2013 NFL mock draft.

Here are the first few picks of the mock, but visit our draft section to see the full first round:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (draft history) - Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia

Neither Matt Cassel nor Brady Quinn is the answer at quarterback for the Chiefs. Going into Week 13, the Chiefs have thrown a league-low six touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions. If they have the first overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, a signal-caller will likely be the pick.

Through the first five games of the season, Smith played the quarterback position as well as it could possibly be played. Leading the Mountaineers to a 5-0 start, Smith threw for just shy of 400 yards per game, 24 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Since then, however, the Mountaineers have lost five of six games. During that stretch, Smith has averaged only 267 yards per game with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions.

Despite the recent struggles, Smith is clearly the top quarterback in this year's draft class.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (draft history) - Jarvis Jones, OLB, Georgia

Perhaps adding Jason Babin off waivers from the Eagles will help the Jaguars generate a more consistent pass rush, but the team is currently tied with the Raiders for last in the league in sacks (13.0) through Week 12.

Arguably the best pass-rusher of this year's draft class, Jones led the SEC and was tied for second in the nation in sacks (13.5) and had 19.5 tackles for loss in 2011 as a first-team All-American.

Although Jones has missed two games this season, he has 10.5 sacks in only 10 games played including a season-high three of them against the Gators on October 27th. In addition, Jones ranks sixth in the country with 19.5 tackles for loss.

3. Oakland Raiders (draft history) - Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah

Drawing comparisons to Ravens stud defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, Lotulelei has the potential to be the top defensive tackle selected in April and a top-three pick. As a first-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2011, Lotulelei had a strong season this year as well even if the stats might not indicate that.

Adding a player with Lotulelei's talent and upside should help the Raiders begin fixing some of their defensive woes. As noted with the Jaguars' pick, the Raiders are tied for last in the league in sacks and have also allowed the second-most rushing touchdowns (15) this season.

Continue to see the rest of the first round.

More mocks: 2013 NFL Mock Draft Database - 2014 NFL Mock Draft Database

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 07:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In today's win over Southern Mississippi, Nebraska senior running back Rex Burkhead left the game in the first quarter with an MCL sprain.

Burkhead had only three carries for 68 yards and scored on a 57-yard run. The 57-yard score was the longest run of his career.

As the team's workhorse back last year, Burkhead rushed for 1,357 yards and 15 touchdowns and had 21 receptions for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He started last season by scoring in 10 consecutive games and finished with seven 100-yard games.

According to coach Bo Pellini, the injury is considered to be "day-to-day, week-to-week."

Nebraska faces UCLA, Arkansas State and Idaho State in the next three weeks before facing Big Ten foes Wisconsin and Ohio State in back-to-back weeks.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is never a good time to punch a police officer in the face. If you're an NFL draft prospect, however, doing so five days before the NFL draft is even worse.

According to the Omaha World-Herald (via Pro Football Talk), ex-Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard did just that, allegedly, early this morning (2:15 a.m.) at a bar in Lincoln (NE).

In Dennard's most recent game, the 2012 Capital One Bowl, he was ejected for getting into a fight with South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.

Before his rest, Dennard was projected to go to the Eagles in the second round (51st overall pick) in my mock draft. In my next update, he will be a third-round pick and could possibly slip even further.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Wisconsin running back Montee Ball has decided to return to school for his senior season.

One of the main factors influencing Ball's decision to stay in school was the draft grade he received from NFL evaluators.

"I got it back two or three weeks ago, and obviously it weighed a lot on my decision. They came back, they said third round, and obviously I was a little disappointed. I felt like I was better than third round. Me coming back now, I'll be able to focus on my strength, my speed and all that stuff, and I believe I can better my stock," Ball said.

An area of focus for the 205-pound back will be to add about 10 pounds to his frame, however, he dropped 25-30 pounds going into last season. "I'm sure my body is a little confused with that, going from 230 to 205 and now I have to get back up to 215," Ball said.

Ball tied the NCAA record for touchdowns (39) set by Hall-of-Fame running back Barry Sanders and he finished with 1,923 rushing yards last year. In other words, he is unlikely to improve upon his on-field performance.

I understand why Ball would be disappointed by the draft grade he received. Considering how short-lived the career of an NFL running back is, however, I don't understand why he wouldn't cash in on his opportunity to move on to the next level.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Four and a half months from now, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will (almost) certainly be this year's top overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.

That said, Luck, who is one of the five finalists, seems less likely to be this year's Heisman Trophy winner than he does the top pick in the draft.

The other four finalists are Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III, Alabama running back Trent Richardson, Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and LSU defensive back Tyrann Mathieu a.k.a. the Honey Badger.

Griffin leads the country in quarterback rating (192.3) and has more yards (3,998), touchdowns (36) and fewer interceptions (5) than Luck (167.5-3,170-35-9).

Meanwhile, Ball leads the country in rushing (1,759) and rushing touchdowns (32). Richardson, who ranks sixth in rushing, has 1,583 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.

The last defensive player to win the award was Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997. In the 13 years since Woodson won the award, the Heisman Trophy has gone to nine quarterbacks and four running backs.

Who will be this year's Heisman Trophy winner?

Related: Our 2012 NFL Mock Draft Database - Past Heisman Winners

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Not only will Terrelle Pryor miss the first five games of the season as Ohio State's quarterback, he'll miss them all.

"In the best interest of my teammates, I have decided to forego my senior year of football at the Ohio State University," Pryor said in a statement released by his lawyer, Larry James, on Tuesday evening, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

But, wait, there's more.

In addition to the news that Pryor will skip his senior season, there is an ESPN Outside the Lines report with allegations from a "former friend" that Pryor was paid up to a total of $40,000 to sign memorabilia in 2009-10.

That's just what the Ohio State football program needs: more alleged violations.

Pryor, who compiled a 31-4 record over three seasons, threw for 2,772 yards, 27 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in addition to rushing for 754 yards and four touchdowns last year.

The likely next step for Pryor will be the NFL supplemental draft, provided there is one. If he declares himself eligible for the supplemental draft, however, it's likely he'll only be a mid-round pick.

Per Rob Rang of CBS Sports, a scout told him Pryor "is a nice college player playing in a system that caters to his strengths. He’s a basketball player playing football, though, when it comes to the NFL. He’s not a quarterback. He doesn’t have the makeup, the release or the accuracy for it. And he isn’t one of those guys that you can make into another position. He’s going to run well and people are going to get excited about him, but he isn’t a football player. What you’ve seen at Ohio State – on the field and off – is what you get with him.”

And ESPN's Todd McShay tweeted a question that has an answer that probably won't make Pryor too happy, "Has anyone explained to T Pryor how much mid-round supplemental draft picks make?"

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Heading into the 2011 college football season, Ohio State was already expected to be without coach Jim Tressel -- in addition to five players including quarterback Terrelle Pryor -- for the first five games of the season.

Not only will Tressel miss those five games, but he will miss all of the team's subsequent games as well. This morning, Tressel submitted his letter of resignation to Ohio State AD Gene Smith.

Therefore, Luke Fickell, who was a former Ohio State defensive lineman, will remain the team's interim head coach throughout the entire 2011 season.

"... Recruitment for a new head coach - which is expected to include external and internal candidates - will not commence until the conclusion of the 2011-2012 season," OSU President E. Gordon Gee wrote to the school's trustees, per the Columbus Dispatch.

ESPN's Bruce Feldman identifies seven possible replacements for Tressel (and Fickell) in 2012: ESPN analyst Urban Meyer, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, TCU coach Gary Patterson, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden, Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio, Florida State defensive coordinator Mark Stoops and Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.

In his ten seasons at Ohio State, Tressel compiled a 106-22 record, won a national championship (2002) and seven Big Ten titles while beating archrival Michigan nine of ten times. Tressel has led the Buckeyes to a BCS Bowl game for six consecutive seasons, which is three times the next longest active streak of two by Oregon and TCU.

While Tressel ranks third all-time in wins at Ohio State behind Woody Hayes (205) and John Cooper (111), he won a larger percentage of his games (.828) than Hayes (.761).

SI's George Dohrmann has a story coming out soon and he tweets, "... Timing of Tress [decision] will make sense after you read it" so stay tuned ...

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 04:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)