2012 College Football / 2013 NFL Draft

[ChrisPozz]

Shawn Zobel:

I'm hearing S Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore is already at the process of narrowing potential agents in preparation to declare for the NFL

 

[BINGO]

Shawn Zobel:

I'm hearing S Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore is already at the process of narrowing potential agents in preparation to declare for the NFL

The Green Bay Packers are smiling right now.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Shawn Zobel:

I'm hearing S Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore is already at the process of narrowing potential agents in preparation to declare for the NFL

Expected. He would be dumb not to declare. The most complete RB prospect since Adrian Peterson, IMO. Only major question mark is whether Spurrier has already run him into the ground or not.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Wrong thread Sick.

 

[NinerSickness]

Wrong thread Sick.

Oops! I keep doing that. Thanks.

 

[BINGO]

Updated 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Who's No. 1? Geno or Barkley? | Bleacher Report

 

[BINGO]

By the way, the above mock draft I posted highlighted the reason why I still feel Barkley is the # 1 rated QB in this draft class despite the fact that Geno is putting up some jaw dropping video games type like numbers.

Also, the Justin Hunter situation I spoke of may indeed become a reality as I was pointing out to some of you guys. I really don't see him going in the top 15.

Interesting that Austin and Patterson aren't in the first round. I would hate to see the Rams ending up with Allen in the first, and Austin in the second. Those two selections that I'm referring to would be more than enough to make them a legitimate threat on offense. But if I were them, I'd draft Chance Warmack and the best OT left on the board (same path we took in 2010 with Davis and Iupati). Bradford needs to be protected and better holes have to be created for Stephen Jackson and the running game. Addressing the oline early would cause me to worry.

In the 2nd round I would go after Austin or Patterson.

 

[clyde_carbon]

Barkley a more complete prospect than Geno? Hah.

BTW Bingo - just because they have Justin Hunter falling doesn't help your point. They have a WR going 9th overall in Woods.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

I find Woods at #9 overall kind of crazy but maybe that is just me.

 

[BINGO]

Barkley a more complete prospect than Geno? Hah.

BTW Bingo - just because they have Justin Hunter falling doesn't help your point. They have a WR going 9th overall in Woods.

+1
Yeah that's true.

Nonetheless, I still believe that no WRs are going in the top 10. Again, it's just a gut feeling and there's still a lot of factors that has to take place in order for that to happen. For instance, how many OTs and DEs/OLBs have declared? In addition, the more WRs that decides to declare the worse it is for the top prospect b/c teams may say to themselves...well I can pass on Justin Blackmon and draft Ruben Randle or TY Hilton at a later round. However, if the WRs is not deep, there would be an obvious need for them (Woods/Hunter/Allen/etc.)

 

[BINGO]

I find Woods at #9 overall kind of crazy but maybe that is just me.

Yeah, me too. However, he's getting a bad rep (somewhat exaggerated) as a whole. I like him better than Kendal Wright who I liked last year as well. He has strong hands and run crips routes. He's the prototypical # 2 WR you'd want in the NFL.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Draft Blog

DT Lotulelei stands out against USC
October, 5, 2012 2:16PM ET
By Kevin Weidl

I'm spending the weekend deep in ACC country, taking in a tripleheader: Virginia Tech-North Carolina, Virginia-Duke and Florida State-N.C. State.

Before departing, though, I took a closer look at three prospects who caught my eye in recent days, and here are the impressions I came away with on a pair of perimeter players and the top-ranked defensive tackle on the board.

Utah's Star Lotulelei is a top-10 overall prospect thanks to his power and quickness.

Utah DT Star Lotulelei (Grade: 93)
Lotulelei showed Thursday night against USC why he's the No. 6 overall player on our board at Scouts Inc., with his power and strength giving Trojans C Khaled Holmes all kinds of problems.

Lotulelei (6-foot-3, 320 pounds) exploded off the ball at one point, blowing past Holmes, then meeting a USC ball carrier in the backfield and delivering what looked like a PerfectPlex -- the finishing move of Mr. Perfect in the old WWF -- to end the play.

Even more impressive was Lotulelei's effort just a few plays later, when he took on and disengaged from Holmes, then met and discarded the fullback before chasing the play down the line and making the stop.

Combine that explosiveness with Lotulelei's brute power and nimble feet, and you have a snapshot of why he has moved ahead of Georgia's Johnathan Jenkins as the top defensive tackle on the board. I saw Jenkins in person last week against Tennessee, and while I like his size and ability to stuff the run, Lotulelei clearly has better lateral range and more potential as a pass-rusher.



Syracuse S Shamarko Thomas (81)
Thomas flashed in the season-opener against USC, and after watching that game and the Northwestern game, I'm impressed with his overall skill set.

Thomas (5-8⅜, 206) is a versatile prospect who spends most of his time at safety, but he also has experience at linebacker and even plays some corner. He can play the point in coverage or drop down to cover slot receivers, and he is not afraid to throw his compact, muscular frame around in run support.

He diagnoses the run quickly, fills the alley in a hurry and uses his impressive closing burst to deliver heavy blows on ball carriers. He is prone to coming in too hot and takes poor angles at times, but Thomas knows how to get to the ball, including as a blitzer off the edge.

And one play against USC in particular showed his ability to recover against wide receivers. Thomas lined up about 12 yards off Trojans WR Robert Woods, who was in the slot, and bit on an outside move before Woods came back to a post route. Thomas opened his hips on the initial move and allowed Woods inside, but was able to rotate back to the inside, get on Woods' hips and intercept a ball that was thrown a bit behind Woods.

All of that has Thomas turning some heads, and given his versatility and the way he plays the game, Thomas looks like a good bet to come off the board on Day 2.



Oregon State WR Markus Wheaton (70)
I evaluated Wheaton during our preseason film session and put a third-round grade on him, and he's living up to that so far. He has three touchdowns this season after catching just one all of last year, and his tape against Arizona shows ability to threaten defenses vertically.

Wheaton (5-11½, 182) did a great job at one point against the Wildcats of selling an out-and-up route, getting the defender in a trail position and then showing the second gear to run under a deep ball. I also like Wheaton's hands and the way he catches the ball away from his frame.

He's shown some tightness and could eliminate some wasted motion out of breaks, but Wheaton's quickness eats up defenders' cushions quickly and is able to throttle down on stop and comeback routes. He won't ever thrive in the slot, but Wheaton's fast start and top-end speed have him looking to cement a spot on Day 2.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Draft Blog
Topflight DBs lead elite SEC defenses
October, 9, 2012 5:12PM ET
By Steve Muench

My ESPN.com colleague Chris Low broke down the numbers on the SEC's best defenses earlier today on the SEC blog, and Alabama, Florida and South Carolina figure prominently in the debate.

With that in mind, here's a look at the top two draft-eligible NFL prospects from each of those three defenses, along with the other eligible players from each unit who earn draftable grades at this point.

Draft-eligible non-seniors are noted with an asterisk.



Alabama

Dee Milliner's instincts and ball skills have boosted his stock in 2012.

CB Dee Milliner* (Grade: 93)

Milliner turned heads with a strong performance against a Michigan team that tried to pick on him early in the season opener, and his instincts are arguably his greatest strength.

His ability to diagnose routes and anticipate breaks translates into him getting earlier breaks on the ball than most corners when he lines up in off coverage. And while Milliner (6-foot-0¾, 197 pounds) hasn't had to make tough catches on either of his picks this year, much of that is because of sound positioning.

He also has the arm length, fluid hips and top-end speed to develop into an effective press corner, and all that makes him a potential first-rounder.



DT Jesse Williams (85)
Williams has the size, initial quickness and upper-body strength to quickly develop into a starting nose tackle in the NFL. Ole Miss found that out the hard way two weeks ago when the Rebels tried to run at Williams with the ball at the 1-yard line early in the second quarter. Williams (6-3½, 320) stayed low and clogged up the middle on both first and second down, forcing the Rebels to run off-tackle on third down.

He hasn't recorded a sack this year, but Williams is a disruptive pass-rusher who can move quarterbacks off the spot and make it tough for them to step up when they sense pressure off the edge. He also does a nice job of getting his hands up in passing windows. He currently carries a mid-second-round grade.


Other Prospects
ILB Nico Johnson (79; 6-2, 245)
S Robert Lester (69; 6-1½, 215)
DE Quinton Dial (36; 6-5 3/8, 307)


Florida

S Matt Elam* (86)
Elam's tape from last week's win over LSU is nothing short of impressive. Chasing down Tigers WR Odell Beckham after a 56-yard gain and ripping the ball out of Beckham's hands stands out as one of the biggest plays of the year so far for the Gators.

Elam also set the tone early against LSU when he cut down RB Spencer Ware (57) after a 1-yard gain on the first drive of the game. It was an impressive hit despite the fact that a personal foul on a teammate gave LSU a first down on the play.

Elam (5-10, 207) doesn't have great size, but he closes in a flash and doesn't gear down before he makes contact. He also did a good job covering punts and he should make an immediate impact on special teams at the next level, and that versatility is part of the reason he's in the second-round mix.


DE/DT Shariff Floyd* (82)
Floyd (6-3, 298) doesn't have great size for a defensive tackle and he plays too high at times, so it's not surprising that LSU had some success washing him down the line of scrimmage and double-teaming him when he lined up on the inside against the Tigers.

On the other hand, Floyd also used his quick hands to get off blocks and his above-average lateral mobility to fall back into plays after giving ground initially. He's a better fit at defensive end and has the tools to quickly develop into a starter for a base three-man front at the next level. Floyd uses his long arms to set the edge against the run and has the power to walk offensive tackles back to the quarterback when he lines up at end.


Other Prospects
OLB Jelani Jenkins* (70; 6-0, 230)
ILB Jonathan Bostic (64; 6-0 3/4, 245)



South Carolina

S DeVonte Holloman (70)
Holloman (6-2, 235) is a linebacker/safety hybrid who doesn't have ideal cover skills for a safety and is undersized for an outside linebacker prospect. However, he has enough range to play safety in a zone-heavy defense like the one the New England Patriots run, and the range to play outside linebacker for a team that favors speed over size like the Philadelphia Eagles do.

Holloman did a nice job of setting the edge and staying home against Georgia's run game last week, and also did a nice job tracking a tipped pass and coming up with a tough interception early in the first quarter. He's definitely in the Day 2 conversation right now.


S D.J. Swearinger (61)
Swearinger (5-11, 210) has just an average blend of height, weight and top-end speed, but he's a tough run-stopper for his size and has the balance and quickness to hold up in underneath coverage. The SEC suspended him for one game for a hit against UAB and he has to be careful about launching into receivers, but there's a lot to like about his physical style of play and the suspension doesn't appear to have affected his aggressiveness.

Swearinger flew upfield on runs and screens against the Bulldogs, and continued to show a willingness to sacrifice his body to make the play. He currently sits in the early Day 3 area.


Other Prospects
DE Devin Taylor (55; 6-6, 265)
C T.J. Johnson (31; 6-5, 315)

 

[BINGO]

I really like our 2nd round pick:
WalterFootball.com: 2013 NFL Mock Draft: First Round Continued

 

[Ray_Dogg]

I really like our 2nd round pick:
WalterFootball.com: 2013 NFL Mock Draft: First Round Continued

I like how Geno Smith is #1 Overall and Justin Hunter is #11.

 

[Ray_Dogg]

He also has Bray at #10 with Patterson in the 2nd and DRog in the 3rd.
I think I would have to take Patterson with our first round pick under this scenario.

 

[BINGO]

I like how Geno Smith is #1 Overall and Justin Hunter is #11.

Not gonna happen. Trust me!

 

[BINGO]

1.) 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Ideal Picks for Every 1st-Round Team | Bleacher Report

2.) 2013 NFL Mock Draft: Latest Picks, Predictions and Trades in 1st Round | Bleacher Report

 

[clyde_carbon]

Not gonna happen. Trust me!

Yes it will. Geno blows Barkley out of the water as a prospect. So does Wilson, in fact.

 

[BINGO]

NFL Draft 2013

Lotulelei turns heads against USC
Another lineman also rising, while two CBs move in opposite directions
Originally Published: October 3, 2012
By Todd McShay | Scouts Inc.

This week's ranking of Scouts Inc.'s top 32 overall prospects for the 2013 NFL draft doesn't feature wholesale changes, but there are some big names on the move and yet another change at the No. 2 spot.

The biggest of those names is Utah DT Star Lotulelei, who dominated USC's offensive line in Week 6 and as a result has jumped to No. 2 overall, displacing another fast riser in West Virginia QB Geno Smith.

Lotulelei isn't the fastest riser this week, though. That honor belongs to Mississippi State CB Johnthan Banks, who re-entered the rankings last week and has jumped 10 spots to No. 21 this week.

Elsewhere, a standout SEC offensive lineman continues to rise and is now inside the top 20, while an SEC cornerback has fallen to the edge of the top 20. And a pair of Florida Gators have made their way into the top 32, at the expense of an inconsistent defensive and an undersized wideout.

Here's a look at the entire list, with draft-eligible non-seniors noted with an asterisk.