2010 NFL Mock Draft

1) St Louis Rams – Sam Bradford, QB

After passing on QB’s the past few drafts, the Rams take the number 1 rated passer this year.

2) Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh, DT

Acquiring OG Rob Sims, allows the Lions to focus on defense as they select the draft’s highest rated player.

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Gerald McCoy, DT

The Bucs hope McCoy can step in and be the best DT they’ve had since Warren Sapp.

4) Washington Redskins- Trent Williams, OT

With McNabb behind center, the Redskins choose a Left Tackle to protect him. Williams may be a better fit than the highly rated Russell Okung.

5)Kansas City Chiefs- Russell Okung, OT

Selecting Okung  will allow the Chiefs to move Branden Albert to Right Tackle or back to Guard, solidifying their line.

6)Seattle Seahawks- Jimmy Clausen, QB

With Hasselbeck’s career winding down, the Hawks take his successor and let him ride the pine for a year or two.

7) Cleveland Browns- Eric Berry, S

The Browns take the best player available in Berry and hope that he makes as many plays in the NFL as he did in college.

8. Oakland Raiders- Taylor Mays, S

Notorious for selecting players on Height-Weight-Speed combinations, there is no player in the draft that offers a better combo.

9) Buffalo Bills- Bryan Bulaga, OT

The QB position is still in question, but whoever it is, will have Bulaga watching his blindside.

10) Jacksonville Jaguars – Dez Bryant, WR

Unable to pass up the most talented player available, the Jags select Bryant in hopes to make their passing game a little more dynamic.

11) Denver Broncos- Dan Williams, NT

With Bryant gone, the Broncos take the third DT selected to anchor the nose in their 3-4 defense.

12) Miami Dolphins – Jason Pierre-Paul, DE/OLB

To replace Jason Taylor at OLB, the Dolphins select the super-athletic Pierre-Paul whose strikingly similar, physically, to Taylor.

13) San Francisco 49ers- Joe Haden, CB

In hopes to boost the 21st ranked pass defense last year, the 49ers take the top rated corner.

14) Seattle Seahawks- Derrick Morgan, DE

Probably the best all-around DE in the draft, the Seahawks select Morgan to fill the hole recently opened by Patrick Kerney’s retirement.

15) New York Giants – Rolando McClain, LB

With Anotonio Pierce out of the fold, the Giants opt for the big and intelligent Linebacker out of Alabama.

16) Tennessee Titans- Kyle Wilson, CB

The Titans select Wilson to start opposite of Cortland Finnegan in hopes of improving their secondary.

17) San Fransisco 49ers- C.J. Spiller, RB

Selecting Spiller will give the 49ers a great compliment to Frank Gore and will add another playmaker to the offense.

18) Pittsburgh Steelers- Maurkice Pouncey C/G

The best interior lineman in the draft goes to Pittsburgh, where they will appreciate his toughness and versatility.

19) Atlanta Falcons- Brandon Graham, DE

After an impressive Senior Bowl week, Graham shot up the draft boards despite not having ideal size for the position.

20) Houston Texans – Brian Price, DT

The Texans select the Defensive Tackle out of UCLA to help out former first round picks Amobi Okoye and Mario Williams.

21) Cincinnati Bengals- Earl Thomas, S

The Bengals add the instinctive, but undersized, Safety to their secondary to help boost their defense.

22) New England Patriots – Sergio Kindle, OLB

Sergio Kindle may be the best 3-4 OLB prospect in the draft and is the perfect candidate to replace Adalius Thomas.

23) Green Bay Packers- Bruce Campbell, OT

After re-signing LT Chad Clifton, the Packers select his successor in the very athletic OT out of Maryland.

24) Philadelphia Eagles- Sean Weatherspoon, LB

Looking to improve their LB corps, the Eagles select the best 4-3 OLB prospect in this year’s draft.

25) Baltimore Ravens- Jermaine Gresham, TE

Although not an immediate need, the Ravens take the highest rated TE and prepare him to take over for former first rounder Todd Heap.

26) Arizona Cardinals – Anthony Davis, OT

The cardinals select the big OT out of Rutgers to upgrade their Left Tackle position.

27) Dallas Cowboys – Mike Iupati, OG

With an aging offensive line, the Cowboys select the best Offensive Lineman available in Iupati.

28) San Diego Chargers – Ryan Mathews, RB

The Chargers take Mathews to team up with Darren Sproles as they adjust to life after LaDanian Tomlinson.

29) New York Jets – Jared Odrick, DE/DT

The fifth defensive tackle goes off the board, but Odrick should be a good fit as a DE in the Jets 3-4 defense.

30) Minnesota Vikings – Devin McCourty, CB

With injuries and age catching up with the Vikings’ secondary, they select McCourty to infuse some youth and speed.

31) Indianapolis Colts- Charles Brown, OT

It’s always a priority to protect the franchise QB and the selection of Brown should help keep Manning upright.

32) New Orleans Saints- Donald Butler, LB

In effort to improve their Linebacker corps, the Saints take Butler who, up to this point, has been a very overlooked prospect.

April 22, 2010 · Filed under NFL

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2010 NFL Mock Draft – Top 10

Now that the 2010 NFL scouting combine has taken place, it’s time to take our first shot at a mock draft. This one will only feature the first ten picks, but in subsequent versions we will slowly expand to encompass the entire first round. And when we do, we will be putting our mock draft up against Mel Kiper Jr’s in a little friendly competition.

1) St Louis Rams- Sam Bradford, QB Oklahoma

With needs practically everywhere, the Rams pass on the two highly regarded DT’s and pick up the best QB in the draft. With prototypical size at 6’4 and 236 pounds and tremendous accuracy, Bradford will be a great starting piece for the Rams to build their offense around.

2) Detroit Lions- Russell Okung, OT Oklahoma State

After acquiring DT Corey Williams from the Browns in a trade, the Lions opt to turn their attention from improving their ability to get to the opponent’s QB, to protecting their own. Drafting Okung will not only upgrade their Left Tackle position, but it will enable incumbent LT Jeff Backus to slide over to guard and upgrade that position as well.

3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska

I can’t help but think the Tampa Bay front office will feel like this when they see Nebraska’s monster DT Ndamukong Suh available at #3. If Suh lives up to all the hype he’s been receiving, in a few years he’ll have Bucs fans saying “Warren who?”

4) Washington Redskins- Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma

Both Bradford and Okung going off the board in the top 3 is probably the worst case scenario for the Redskins. If this situation were to occur, I think the Redskins would actively seek a trade down unless they become enamored with QB Jimmy Clausen. But for now, I have the Redskins taking the next best OT on the board to fill the gaping hole left by recently retired Chris Samuels.

5) Kansas City Chiefs- Eric Berry, S, Tennessee

The best player on the board here is DT Gerald McCoy, but with two former top 5 picks already manning the DE spots in their 3-4 defense, it makes a lot more sense for the Chiefs to take the next best player, Eric Berry. Berry is the best defensive back in this draft who is no stranger to making plays… and a lot of them.

6) Seattle Seahawks – Gerald McCoy, DT, Oklahoma

Ideally looking for a Left Tackle or a Quarterback, Seattle decides to go with the best player available in explosive DT Gerald McCoy. McCoy will be the explosive, disruptive force that the Seahawks were hoping DT Cory Redding would be when they acquired him from the Lions for Julian Peterson.

7)Cleveland Browns – Dez Bryant, WR, Oklahoma State

I’ve read that the Browns may be seriously interested in QB Colt McCoy early in the second round or possibly even trading back up into the first for him. In the first round, however, they’ll draft his new number one target who will be the playmaker they had hoped Braylon Edwards would be.

Oakland Raiders- Taylor Mays, S, USC

Does Taylor Mays have top 10 talent? No, he doesn’t. But, Taylor Mays is one of the best athletes in this draft class and as Al Davis has proved in the past, he loves numbers. Davis must be drooling over these: At 6’3 230 lbs, Mays is the size of a linebacker and ran his 40 yard dash in the low 4.4’s at the combine. However, most scouts clocked Talyor Mays in the 4.3’s and NFL Network unofficially clocked him in at 4.24 in the 40-yard dash, which would be a record tying performance. Quite simply, Taylor Mays is a freak.

9)Buffalo Bills- Bryan Bulaga, OT, Iowa

The third OT goes in the Top 10 when the Bills opt to select Left Tackle Bryan Bulaga from Iowa over QB Jimmy Clausen. Although he may not have the potential of Okung or Williams, Bulaga is considered to be a polished player who should be ready to start right away in the NFL. Although Clausen will be heavily considered I think the Bills will decide to solidify their Left Tackle spot and give one of their young QBs one more shot to prove they can be the man in Buffalo.

10)Jacksonville Jaguars- Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida

Last year, there were two PLAYERS who recorded more sacks then the entire Jacksonville defense (Jared Allen had 14.5 sacks and Elvis Dumervil had 17 sacks compared to the Jaguars’ 14). Obviously, the Jaguars need help with their pass rush. Pierre-Paul wasn’t the most productive pass rusher in the NCAA last season but his great size (6’4, 270) and outstanding athleticism will be awfully hard to ignore for a team with such an anemic pass rush.

March 31, 2010 · Filed under NFL

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NFL Scouting Combine: Players to Watch on Offense

So the NFL combine is only days away but chances are, unless you’re a draft enthusiast, that you only know a few big name players taking part. Don’t worry. This article is going to detail the players you should be watching at each position. Let’s start with the offense.

Quarterbacks

The Top Guns:

Sam Bradford, Oklahoma- Some people think that Bradford would have been the number 1 draft choice in 2009 instead of Stafford had he entered the draft last year. This year, his talent is still apparent, yet it might be his health that prevents Bradford from being 2010’s top choice. The most important part of the combine for Bradford wont be on the field. Team doctors will get a chance to perform exams on him and if its determined that his injured shoulder is a cause for concern then it becomes very possible Bradford won’t even be selected in the top 10. (Bradford won’t be participating in on-field drills)

Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame- Clausen and Bradford are most likely the only QB’s who will be drafted in the first round this year. Clausen is coming off a fantastic junior year where he completed 68% of his passes for 3,722 yards, 28 TDs and only 4 interceptions. Clausen has the arm and the size (About 6′3, 220) to be an NFL quarterback. He’s also been praised for his toughness, playing through injury and his clutch play. Does he have the maturity, confidence and intelligence to lead an NFL team? That’s what teams are going to try to figure out. (Clausen won’t be participating in on-field drills)

The Question Marks:

Colt McCoy, Texas- There is no question that Colt McCoy was a great college Quarterback. Through his four years as a starter at Texas he averaged 28 touchdown passes a season and had a career completion percentage of 70.3%. Colt is also a great athlete and has the ability to scramble and gain yards on the ground. So what’s the problem? Well, Colt played in the infamous spread offense while at Texas. The spread offense utilizes a lot of short, quick passes which is the reason for Colt’s high completion percentage. The question is does Colt have the arm strength to play in the NFL or is he strictly a system QB who can only thrive in the spread offense? Depending on what some teams may think, Colt could be drafted anywhere from the late first round to the third round.

Tim Tebow, Florida- It’s hard to believe that possibly the best quarterback in the history of college football may not even be a quarterback in the NFL. Tim Tebow has a list of exceptional qualities – strong, athletic, competitive, tough, determined, great leader and even good arm strength. Unfortunately for Tebow, its that long release, poor footwork and minimal experience in a pro-style offense that raises some serious questions for his future as an NFL QB. However, with his athleticism and competitive fire it’s not hard to imagine Tebow having success at another position in the NFL. He is big enough to play other positions as he weighed in at 6′3, 236 at the Senior Bowl. It’ll be interesting to see how fast Tebow runs his 40 yard dash. If he can manage to run it in 4.7 seconds or less then the suggestions that Tebow become an H-back may grow a little louder. (Note: Tebow won’t throw at the combine. Apparently, he has refined his mechanics and will be showing them off at his pro-day in Florida. Stay tuned.)

The Sleeper:

Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan- LeFevour had a great Senior Bowl game as he threw for 97 yards and a TD while adding a rushing TD as well. He really caught my eye with two perfectly thrown deep balls to WR Mardy Gilyard. With good size (6′3, 230), a strong arm, and great athleticism (rushed for 1,122 yards and 19 TD’s his sophomore season) LeFevour is certainly an interesting prospect. However, like McCoy, LeFevour played in a spread offense, spending most of his time in the shotgun. Some may also be concerned about the level of his competition as he played in the MAC conference. However, as his four-time selection to the Academic All-MAC team would suggest, LeFevour is a smart guy but will need time on the bench of an NFL team to develop and grow.

Running Backs

The Next Chris Johnsons?:

C.J. Spiller, Clemson- By most accounts, Spiller is the best running back entering the draft this year. At 5′11, 195, Spiller is very comparable in size and build to Chris Johnson. Two years ago Chris Johnson awed everyone at the combine by running the 40 yard dash in 4.24 seconds. While no one expects Spiller to run that fast, running the 40 in under 4.40 seconds should solidify his expectation of being the first running back selected in 2010. Spiller is also a talented kick returner and reciever. With a good showing at the combine he should be a top 15 pick.

Jahvid Best, California- Personally, my favorite running back in this class, Best, like Johnson, boasts game breaking speed as he should run the 40 in the 4.3 second range. A capable kick returner and reciever, Best is a nightmare in the open field due to his quickness and agility. He’s not going to run through a lot of tackles but with his speed and instant acceleration he was able to pull off a couple of Barry Sanders-like runs in college. Injuries and durability are a concern for Best and it’ll be interesting to see if he really measures in at the 5′10, 195 most web sites list him at.

The Big Guys:

Ryan Mathews, Fresno State- At 5′11, 220, Mathews is the ideal size for an NFL running back. Mathews also shows good explosion for his size and is expected to run the 40 yard dash in the high 4.4’s to low 4.5’s. He averaged 6.6 yards rushing his junior year en route to 1,808 yards rushing and 19 rushing TD’s. He may need some work on pass blocking  and receiving, as he only has 19 career receptions, but could still be drafted in the late first round.

Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech- Dwyer is an interesting prospect. He measures in at 6′0, 235, and has good straight-line speed drawing comparisons to Michael Turner. Unlike Best, Dwyer won’t make a lot of people miss with agility and quick cutting ability but he does a great job at breaking tackles and gets great leg drive due to his powerful lower body. His work ethic has been questioned and the fact that he showed up to offseason workouts 15 pounds overweight may indicate weight problems in the future.

Toby Gerhart, Stanford- Gerhart rushed for 1,871 yards and 28 touchdowns this past season as he was named one of the finalists for the Heisman Trophy Award. At 6′1 235, Gerhart possess exceptional power for a running back. He won’t run away from many NFL defenders (he is estimated to run the 40 in 4.6 seconds) but he will run over a fair share. His lack of elite speed and his reconstructed ACL in his left knee will be major concerns for NFL teams. However, his power running and pass blocking abilities will give Gerhart a place in the NFL.

The Little Guy:

Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss- At around 5’9 165, McCluster is nowhere near the prototypical size for an NFL Running Back. Despite his size however, McCluster has shown that he’s a playmaker. It only took him 181 carries to gain 1,169 yards rushing (a 6.5 yards per carry average) while also hauling in 44 catches for 520 yards. If McCluster can show off his speed, hands and versatility at the Combine he could find himself being selected somewhere in the second round.

Wide Recievers

The Go-To Guys:

Dez Bryant, Oklahoma- Bryant appears to be the consensus Number 1 receiver available in the 2010 draft and with good reason. Bryant has good size at 6’2 215 and great hands. Bryant isn’t afraid to get physical with opposing DB’s and can be tough to bring down in the open field. Bryant also does a great job of attacking the ball in the air and shows good concentration when going up for the jump ball. One thing Bryant doesn’t have however, is game-breaking speed. He should perform exceptionally well in pass-catching drills at the combine but it remains to be seen how fast he will run his 40. If he can clock in at 4.50 seconds or less we could see Bryant go in the top 10 picks.

Arrelious Benn, Illinois- Another big, physical receiver, Benn, who weighs in at 6’2 220, draws comparisons to Anquan Boldin, except he’s faster and more athletic. Unfortunately, Benn wasn’t able to fully showcase his talents in college because of the lack of talent at the QB position. In Benn’s best year he only recorded 67 receptions and 3 TD’s, but his physical ability is undeniable. Benn doesn’t have the hands or the ability to win jump balls like Dez Bryant but he should still end up being a first round pick.

Golden Tate, Notre Dame- Smaller than the two guys atop the 2010 wide receiver Draft Class, the 5’11, 195 pound Tate boasts great athleticism and good speed. He had a fantastic junior year tallying 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 touchdowns. However, Tate must improve his route running to have a successful career in the NFL. Without elite size or speed, it’s imperative that he runs crisp, clean routes in order to get separation. With his intelligence, instincts and athleticism, Tate should be a solid number 2 receiver in the NFL.

Brandon LaFell, L.S.U.- Another big receiver standing 6’3 and weighing 205 pounds, LaFell is very physical and athletic. Like Bryant, LaFell does a great job of attacking the ball at its highest point and winning jump balls. He’s a great blocker and also does a good job fighting off the jam from opposing corners. He only had 57 receptions his senior year, but 11 of them went for touchdowns. If LaFell measures up to his listed height and weight and turns in a good 40 time, he could sneak into the first round.

Damian Williams, U.S.C.- Not nearly as physical as the bigger receivers in this class, the 6’1, 190 pound Williams makes up for it with his soft hands and great route-running ability. Williams isn’t a game-breaking receiver that opposing defensive coordinators have to change game plans in order to contain, but he could fit very nicely with a team looking for a quick, dependable number 2 option.

Tight Ends

The “Rocked Up” Receivers:

Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma- Since I was a little late in getting this article out, Jermaine Gresham has already officially weighed in at the combine. He measured in at 6’5 ¼ and 261 pounds with 35 ¾ inch arms. His arms are actually longer than the vast majority of NFL starting left tackles, which gives him an advantage not only in receiving but also blocking as well. Although Gresham isn’t expected to record an elite time in the 40 yard dash (most likely around 4.70), he is a huge threat as a receiver. Tremendously athletic and versatile, Gresham will create mismatches for most linebackers. Although he needs to work on his blocking, Gresham could be a first round pick this April.

Rob Gronkowski, Arizona- Officially weighed in at 6’6 ¼ and 264 pounds with 34 ¼ inch arms, Gronkowski is another TE with great size and long arms. He played in 10 games his sophomore year (he missed his junior year due to injury) but caught 10 touchdowns that season. Gronkowski is a tremendous athlete at the tight end position but his lack of experience and the fact that he hasn’t been on the field in over a year may scare some teams away from drafting him early. He needs to prove at the combine that he still possesses his athleticism and that he is healthy.

Aaron Hernandez, Florida- Hernandez measured in at 6’2 3/8 and 245 pounds with 32 ¼ inch arms. Significantly smaller than the previous two tight ends, Hernandez probably does not offer much potential as a blocker. He showed his ability as a pass catcher his junior year as he caught 68 passes for 850 yards and 5 TD’s. Most likely his best fit in the NFL would be as an H-Back.

Offensive Linemen

The Bodyguards:

Russell Okung, LT, Oklahoma State- Officially weighed in at the combine at 6’5 ¼ and 307 pounds. In addition to his great size he also has impressively long arms (36 inches), which would put him right among the top of the NFL along starting left tackles. The most impressive things about Okung are his feet and athleticism. He moves more like an athletic tight end rather than an lineman. I was shocked at how smoothly and quickly he moved when pulling to block on run plays. Okung not only reaches the second level, but also dominates and finishes. A great pass blocker, Okung would be the perfect candidate to protect Matt Stafford’s blind side (sorry, I just had to throw that in there).

Anthony Davis, LT, Rutgers- Officially measuring in at 6’5 and 323 pounds, Davis also boasts impressively long 34-inch arms. A fantastic run blocker, Davis can also hold his own in pass protection. Some feel that Anthony Davis is the best tackle in this draft and could even be a top 5 pick. Not as athletic as Okung, Davis would be a great fit for a run-first team.

Bryan Bulaga, LT, Iowa- Bulaga measured in at 6’5 3/8 and 314 pounds at the combine. While that’s great size for a left tackle, scouts were mostly concerned about his arm length. Bulaga’s arms ended up measuring in at 33 ¼ inches, which is not considered elite but will be ‘good enough’. (Scouts and coaches hate to see tackles with arm length less than 33 inches). Bulaga is a physical blocker with great technique. There are questions as to how good of a left tackle Bulaga will be in the NFL and whether he has already reached his peak, meaning he won’t get much better than he already is.

Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho- Iupati weighed in at 6’5 1/8 and 331 pounds with a solid 34 ¾ inch arm length. Quite the physical specimen, Iupati is certainly an intimidating presence in the interior of the offensive line. Iupati has fantastic strength and is a great, fluid athlete for a man his size. Iupati is still learning technique and footwork and as Mike Mayock of NFL Network pointed out he has a habit of ‘grabbing’ at defensive lineman, leaving him susceptible to holding calls. Still, don’t be surprised if some team falls in love with his physical ability and drafts him in the top 20 picks, a rare occurrence for a guard.

Bruce Campbell, LT, Maryland- Another physical specimen, Campbell weighed in at 6’6 3/8 and 314 pounds with an incredible 36 ¼ inch arm length. Campbell is a great athlete whose upside is through the roof. He only started 17 career games in college but his rare combination of size and speed may get him drafted in the first half of the first round. It’ll be very interesting to see how many reps he puts up on the bench press and how fast he runs his 40. Only then, will we truly get an idea of how much an ‘athletic freak’ this guy really is.

Coming Monday: Part 2: Players to Watch on Defense

February 26, 2010 · Filed under NCAA, NFL

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NFL Scouting Combine 101

It usually starts out with young men, in the best shape of their lives, parading on stage in nothing but their underwear while dozens of other men analyze and critique their physiques. No, I’m not talking about some late night homoerotic special on HBO, I’m actually describing one of the first events of the NFL scouting combine and I assure you only the straightest of straight men watch, understand and enjoy this event. Until recently, when NFL network started airing this event live on television, the NFL scouting combine did not draw much fanfare. Fans are not allowed to attend the event and would have to settle for websites listing the player’s results or possibly an occasional few second clip on ESPN of a particularly riveting athletic performance.

So to the casual, or less knowledgeable fan the scouting combine might not mean much, perhaps due to a lack of understanding of what goes on or why we should care about it. Ironically, to some better-informed fans, the scouting combine is taken with a grain of salt as prospect’s performances can sometimes be drastically overrated. It’s very important to note that excellent performances at the combine DO NOT indicate or predict excellent football careers. The scouting combine serves several purposes. The first is to provide scouts and coaches with accurate heights and weights for all the prospects. It’s not uncommon for a college team to list a defensive end (or any other player for that matter) as standing 6’5 tall and weighing 280 pounds, only to have scouts find out at the combine that he’s really 6’3 and 265.

The second purpose is for teams to get a feel for the prospects through interviews. Each team is only allotted 15 minutes to speak to each player and while that may not seem like a lot, it may give a team a feeling of whether or not they want to bring that player in for a visit at some point down the road for a more extensive interview (each team is only allowed to bring in a certain amount of players for a more in-depth interview. I believe this number is 20.) In these timed 15-minute interviews, teams have been known to ask all types of questions to these prospects. Questions range from college statistical analysis such as “Why did your receptions go down from your junior year to your senior year?” where the interviewing team may look to see if the player throws teammates or coaches under the bus or if he has the maturity to accept responsibility himself. Or, they can get more personal asking things like “Have you ever cheated on your girlfriend?” or “What’s the first thing you’re going to buy with your signing bonus?” There may be many reasons why teams ask these more personal questions but usually teams look for honesty and how prospect’s react when taken off guard.

The third main purpose of the combine is to test the prospects’ intelligence and athletic ability through testing and drills. In order to test for intelligence each prospect takes a timed test called the Wonderlic. The Wonderlic test asks questions completely unrelated to football. For a sample of the Wonderlic test visit here. The athletic testing is the main event of the combine. And the main event of the main event is the 40-yard dash. Quite self-explanatory, prospects start in a 3 point stance and then sprint 40 yards as fast as they can while being timed.

Speed is extremely important in the NFL. If prospects fail to run the 40 yards in a certain amount of time it becomes very possible that the player will not be drafted and have a very difficult time establishing a career in the NFL. For example, most scouts and coaches who see a college cornerback run the 40 yard dash in 4.60 seconds or slower will most likely suggest that he switches his position to safety if he wants any hope of being drafted. Most teams probably wont draft a player to play cornerback who runs that slow unless he proves to be exceptional in several other categories like size, instincts and tackling ability. Even then, the teams willing to draft this prospect will be very limited and probably won’t do so until the 6^th or 7^th round of the draft, if at all. The magic number for cornerbacks is 4.49. If they can run the 40 in 4.49 or less then they have a good chance of getting drafted relatively high if teams believe they have the talent to go with the speed.

Now, if you’re thinking ahead you may think “Well why the hell should the 40 yard dash have such an impact on positions like defensive and offensive lineman? When in games are they running 40 yards downfield?” For defensive and offensive lineman the 40 yard dash portrays how athletic these players are. Offensive linemen who run under 5.0 seconds are usually considered to have unique athleticism and often times, there are only a couple of offensive linemen who manage that feat every year. However, even more important are something called the 10 and 20 yard splits. When a player runs the 40-yard dash, not only is his time taken after he runs 40 yards, but it is also recorded after he has run 10 and 20 yards as well. These splits are very important for defensive lineman. A defensive lineman may only have to run 40 yards downfield a few plays a game, but every passing play he is sprinting 10 yards to get to that opposing quarterback. A good 10 yard split time could indicate that this prospect has the explosion and quickness necessary to blow by offensive tackles en route to pressuring the QBs.

The same situation holds true for the vertical jump. Offensive lineman will never be called upon to jump in the air to catch the ball or for any other reason really. However, the vertical jump indicates how powerful the prospect’s lower body is, specifically the hips, buttocks and thighs. Why is this important? Well even though offensive lineman boast outrageous bench press numbers and otherworldly upper body strength, its actually their lower body strength that gives them the ability to push and drive defensive lineman out of the way, opening up lanes for their running backs.

The scouting combine is a major part of analyzing these college prospects as NFL teams look to find out as much as possible about these young players. However, it’s important to balance out prospects’ performance at the combine and their performance on the field in college. Every year players get drafted higher than they deserve because of their combine performance (see Darrius Heyward-Bey drafted by Oakland at #7 last year due in large part to running the 40 yard dash in 4.30 seconds) and vice versa. As Storps.com resident NFL Draft expert, look for more articles about the combine in the near future. Stay tuned for articles previewing and reviewing the 2010 Scouting Combine and make sure to check back here for coverage leading all the way up to the NFL Draft.

February 15, 2010 · Filed under NCAA, NFL

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Our Valentines

The Storps staff thought you’d like to know who our Valentines are this year, from a Sports and Pop Culture standpoint. Here’s a few of our favorites.

Tiger Woods

By Mike Capozzi

I know, I know. I’m probably competing with about 3 to 4 dozen other people for this distinction but hey, I like my chances. You see, me and Tiger are pretty similar. We’re both clean cut, straight laced guys who you’d be completely comfortable bringing home to Momma. But yes, we both have very very dark secrets. Tiger has his rampant, uncontrollable sex addiction. And Im strangely aroused by a shirtless Horatio Sanz. There, it’s out. My therapist said I’d feel a lot better after just admitting it. So why not Horatio Sanz as my 2010 valentine then? Cause as Snooki would so poetically put it “Tiger [used] to be a nice guy, like he shows his good side and then he shows his jerkoff side (by cheating on his wife – many, many times) and thats what I like. A good guy and a jerkoff.” I’m so glad someone else sees it like me.

Julie Bowen

By Jeremy Rothschild

A week ago on the podcast, I named people who continue to complain about there not being enough women comedians as the Douche of the Week. There are more talented women being showcased now than ever, and it amazes me that people continue to campaign for a cause that has already been won. Julie Bowen is exhibit A. As the subtly crazy, increasingly intricate mother of three on Modern Family, her astoundingly nuanced performance has taken her from being “That hot chick from Happy Gilmore” to a star. Her constant ability to make a fool of herself and make me laugh, as well as bury an outdated notion, is why I want her to be my valentine. Or, as her daughter on the show’s boyfriend, Dylan, would say, “All women should look as tasty as you when they’re old.”

Johnny Damon

By Jesse Kahn

On a day full of love between man and woman, or man and man, or even woman and woman I wanted to make my valentine someone who hasn’t been feeling too much love lately. Johnny Damon, who was dumped by the Yankees at the end of this past baseball season, now cannot find another mate or team who wants him. The way this relationship ended between Damon and the Yanks was the equivalent of a girlfriend who dumped her boyfriend right after he got down on one knee and gave her a ring. So that’s why my valentine this year will be Johnny Damon, he deserves the love for what he’s done as well as a new contract, even for 2 years.

Sam Adams

By Rob Sobel

As the beer aficionado how can my valentine not be Sam Adams? 28 unprecedented beer styles, the Utopia series is back on the streets, Jim Koch is still going at it with the commercials; this is the go to brew. And on Valentine’s Day there can’t be any beating around the bush. There can’t be any second doubts. You need to know what you’re getting yourself into. And that guarantee is Samuel Adams. (No puns intended within this paragraph).

February 14, 2010 · Filed under Pop Culture

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