Vince is a journalist with a video production and print media background. He has two B.A.’s, one in film and digital media and the other in journalism & promotional communication from Cleveland State University (’10). 

His most recently high profile positions have included executive producer and secondary host of the CSU Basketball Insider on STO and as editor-in-chief of The Cleveland Stater, CSU’s campus newspaper.

Vince is fresh off of completing a fellowship at WKYC, Channel 3 in Cleveland—working alongside several of the city’s best broadcast professionals.

  

 

What is this? Well, in addition to our own Power Rankings, we are going to post this top 15 called the Ultimate Football Rankings (UFB Rankings). It’s compiled of a bunch of rankings of a bunch of good sites, including ours (see bottom) and adds a contrast to our regular Power Rankings. More sites will be added as the weeks go on. Views held in write ups do not necessarily represent the views of footballfanspot.com.

(1)  1. Green Bay Packers (8)  10 – 0   next vs Detroit Lions

Not an impressive win of Tampa Bay, buy a win none the less.  The Packers are still undefeated and Aaron Rodgers still looking very good.  Tough match up this weekend, but very winnable.  Are we seeing our first 19-0 team, we are thinking so.

(2)  2. San Francisco 49ers  9 – 1   next at Baltimore Ravens

Held serve against the Cardinals.  Proved they are deserving of this division, but this week they are needing to prove they deserving of being in the playoffs.  First legitimate rushing threat, lets see if they are truly #1 rush defense in a battle of the Harbaugh brothers.

(3)  3.  Pittsburgh Steelers  7 – 3   next at Kansas City Chiefs

Steelers being classy Steelers, just sit back, collect the wins, get into the playoffs, then turn it on. Its awful quite in Pittsburgh. . . . For now.  Things are about too get ugly and it is Terrible Towel Time!!!

(4)  4.  New Orleans Saints  7 – 3   next vs New York Giants

Breesus and company could easily come out of that bye of theirs firing on all cylinders healthy and well oiled. . . .They could also break down and be rusty just as easy for the most important stretch of the schedule this season.

(5)  5. New England Patriots  7 – 3   next at Philadelphia Eagles

Pats finally pulled away from the Jets with a win over the Chiefs.  Now on a two-game win streak, people have quickly forgotten about that two-game losing streak.  With a very complimentary second half schedule, things are looking good in New England.

(6)  6. Baltimore Ravens  7 – 3    next vs San Francisco 49ers

It was odd not seeing Ray Lewis on the field during a Ravens game. But I guess that’s a permanent reality that Baltimore fans will soon face. With a game full of officiating controversy, the Ravens were able to sneak one past Cincinnati, but big brother is in town, lets see how they do against each other.

(10)  7. Detroit Lions  7 – 3   next at Green Bay Packers

We would like to say they have finally found a running game, but it was just the Carolina Panthers lack of stopping the run.  With Chicago having QB issues, Detroit has a new life in the playoff race and they will work on taking an advantage of it. Expect a good game on Thanksgiving.

 

(7)  8. Chicago Bears  7 – 3   next at Oakland Raiders

Cutlers injury is devastating, he’s playing the best ball of his career and now Chicago turns to Caleb Hanie to limp them into the playoffs so maybe, just maybe Cutler comes back. NFC is extremely tough tho, schedule is favorable, however we say they might just miss the playoffs. . .

(8)  9. Houston Texans 7 – 3   next at Jacksonville Jaguars

Texans use bye week to prepare for life with Matt Leinart.  With Foster, Tate, and the return of Andre Johnson can they be just as productive with Leinart or is this division title run over?  Oh yea, they also have the #1 overall defense, we like their chances of still winning this division.

(14)  10. Atlanta Falcons  6 – 4   next vs Minnesota Vikings

 Atlanta might be the best team currently out of the playoffs right now. . . . Again that is how tough it is in the NFC.  Falcons regrouped at home against Titans, allowing CJ2k only 13 yards on 12 carries.  Another easy week to help keep them on pace with New Orleans.

(9)  11. New York Giants  6 – 4   next at New Orleans Saints

Their opportunity to bury the Eagles themselves and get the leg up in the division. . . . . And they still couldn’t do it…..When Philly makes a drastic late push and gives the Giants headaches they have only themselves to blame.

(11)  12. Dallas Cowboys  6 – 4   next vs  Miami Dolphins
With a current 3-game win streak and a very winnable game things are looking better.  Throw in the Giants 2-game losing skit and a Monday Night game against New Orleans, things now look great for Dallas.  Jason Garrett has dialed-up a successful offensive game plan, but will it be enough?  We will soon see.

(12)  13. Cincinnati Bengals  6 – 4   next vs Cleveland Browns

After being screwed by the officials, they have a real good chance of getting things back on track this weekend.  Two tough losses will be shortly forgotten after a weekend of flexing on the Browns.  Rookie connection back in full-effect.

(NR)  14. Oakland Raiders  6 – 4   next vs Chicago Bears

Still leading the division after downing the Vikes.  Carson Palmer makes everyone around him better. WR’s are better and once DMC comes back. . . . Oh Boy. The Black Hole doesn’t look so dark anymore.

(13)  15. New York Jets  5 – 5   next vs Buffal Bills

Seeming that he loves to talk so much, Rex Ryan, like Tony Sparano, can now officially say. “We’ve Been Tebowed.”  That guarantee is looking less and less reachable.  With being on the verge of not making the playoffs, they need to start winning and BADLY!!

( ) left of rankings indicates previous weeks rankings

( ) next to teams indicates first place votes

UFB Power Rankers are:

Frank Hyun of Patriots Review

Ronnie Kohrt of Ronnie K’s Blog

Mr. Kangaroo of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Brandon Clark of Titan Sized

Steven Lourie of Football Fan Spot

Mr. C.J. Sports of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Adam Hughes of Naptown’s Finest

Walter Cherepinsky of Walter Football.com

Brian Goldsmith of Hair of the Dog Sports Blog

David Gallagis of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Garett Krobot of CJ Sports NFL Talk

Fantasy Football Pickups 

Last week overall: 7-7

Last week ATS: 8-6 (+$680/+19%)

Overall picks: 44-32 (.579)

ATS Picks: 37-36-3 (+$430/+2%)

Lock picks: 4-1

Upset picks: 7-5

Sports Betting FAQ 

Seattle Seahawks 13 Chicago Bears 23 

Spread: Chicago -6.5

Pick against spread: Chicago 2 units -220

Seattle sucks on the road. They are 3-15 on the road since the start of 2008 and 6-20 since the start of 2007. Chicago is getting Jay Cutler back so they won’t have to worry about Todd Collins going 6 for 16 with 4 picks. Seattle’s defense is not as good as the Giants, especially in terms of a pass rush, so Cutler should have a good game. Matt Hasselbeck does really bad under pressure. He’s done all right this season because he’s only been sacked 9 times. The reason, they haven’t really faced a good pass rush, like the Bears possess. Julius Peppers could have a huge game here against Seattle’s mediocre line in a win.

Baltimore Ravens 21 New England Patriots 24

Spread: New England -2.5

Pick against spread: New England 1 unit +100

This one was tough. We saw how badly the Ravens beat the Patriots last year in the playoffs, but what are the chances Tom Brady throws 4 picks again. That’s the only reason Baltimore won that game and, if you remember, Baltimore actually lost to the Pats earlier last season. The Ravens destroyed the Broncos and their one dimensional offensive attack last week, but the Patriots aren’t quite as one dimensional. They can run and they also convert in the red zone much better than the Broncos do. The Patriots also haven’t lost off a bye week since 2003. In fact, they’ve only lost one game where they’ve had more than 2 weeks to prepare (season opener, coming off bye) since 2003. I’m taking the Patriots, but not putting a lot of value on it.

Detroit Lions 20 New York Giants 23

Spread: -10 NY Giants

Pick against spread: Lions 2 units +200

The Lions have covered all 4 times they have been underdogs this season and are 5-0 against the spread this season. They’re coming off a 44 point outburst, yet are unexplicably being given roughly 10 points here. The Giants are coming off two great wins, but something about this team suggests to me that they could go from good right back to bad once again. Maybe it was the fact that they failed to blowout the Bears, who played like crap offensively. Maybe it’s the fact that Eli Manning through 2 desperate picks against the Texans…when leading by 3 touchdowns. Whatever the reason, I’m not picking the Giants to cover a large spread against a team that’s 5-0 against the spread.

Atlanta Falcons 31 Philadelphia Eagles 21 Upset Pick

Spread: Philadelphia -3

Spread against spread: Atlanta 5 units -550

The Eagles can’t stop the pass. Bad news, the Falcons passing offense is the strength of their offense. The Falcons also have a surprisingly strong pass rush to get after the quarterback and the Eagles offensive line is playing like complete crap of late. The 49ers sacked Kevin Kolb 4 times. Imagine what the Falcons will do to him. I love this matchup for the Falcons here, even on the road. I have no idea why they are underdogs here. The Eagles are incredibly overrated. 

Cleveland Browns 10 Pittsburgh Steelers 20

Spread: -14 Pittsburgh

Pick against spread: Cleveland 2 units -220

14 point spreads always make me nervous. That’s a lot to win by. The Steelers are better than the Browns by a lot, but here’s my thinking. The Steelers defense has been playing 110% with Ben out. Ben’s back now and they are playing the lowly Browns. Why would they play 100%. They could easily hold Colt McCoy and the Browns to single digits if they tried their hardest, but I don’t expect them to do so. If they give up 10+, I need to Steelers to score 24+ to win and I don’t feel comfortable picking them to do that. I’m not putting a lot on them, but I got the Browns.

Miami Dolphins 20 Green Bay Packers 27

Spread: -4 Green Bay

Pick against spread: Green Bay 1 unit -110

The line has officially been posted for this one, a -4 line favoring the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is expected to play, but he probably won’t be 100% and any wrong hits could force the Packers to pull him and put in Matt Flynn. Chad Henne has not won a game this season against a team that can either take away his run game (New York) or put points up on the board in a hurry with their passing game (New England). The Packers can do both. However, they have so many injuries on both sides of the ball and they’re really struggling right now. The line value is more than a field goal so I’m put 1 unit on the Packers in a shaky play.

San Diego Chargers 24 St. Louis Rams 21

Spread: -9 San Diego

Pick against spread: St. Louis 2 units +200

The Chargers have yet to win on the road, but this is right around the time they start playing better every year. This can also be seen as a must win game for them. If they start 2-4, their backs will be up against it with a good Denver team and a good Kansas City team in their division. I expect them to come out and play better than they normally do against inferior teams on the road, but that spread is pretty huge. I’m not going to take them to cover that spread after what I’ve seen from them this season on the road.

New Orleans Saints 36 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26

Spread: -4 New Orleans

Pick against spread: New Orleans 3 units +300

I think that loss to the Cardinals was a wake up call. The Saints had been underachieving and still winning up to that point, but now they sit here at 3-2 and facing the possibility of falling to 3-3 if they lose on the road to an “inferior” Bucs team. If they fall to 3-3, Tampa will sit at 4-1 and Atlanta will sit at either 4-2 or 5-1 and both of those teams will hold tiebreakers over them. That’s not a place they want to be. I expect a much better effort out of them offensively this week and for them to convert in the red zone, something they haven’t done to this point. The Bucs will score points with Josh Freeman against this injured New Orleans defense, but not enough to win or cover.

Kansas City Chiefs 17 Houston Texans 28

Spread: -4.5 Houston

Pick against spread: Houston 5 units -550

The Chiefs defense played their hearts out against Indy, but still lost because their offense is incompetent. They won’t play nearly as well this weak against a Houston offense squad that just looked like crap last week. With a fully healthy Andre Johnson, their offense should be back to normal. The Texans defense is weak against the pass, but Matt Cassel isn’t good enough to hurt them in any significant way. Unless the Texans throw a pick six or allow a special teams turnover, they’ll cover this week.

Oakland Raiders 20 San Francisco 49ers 23

Spread: -6 49ers

Pick against spread: Oakland 1 unit -110

Interesting spread. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an 0-5 team favored by 6 points before. The Raiders won’t be 100% after playing their hearts out last week, with an 0-5 team on tap so I expect the 49ers to win this game, but I’m not taking them giving up that many points to the spread. I don’t trust them to win this game by more than 6, especially if Jason Campbell plays like he did late against San Diego.

Dallas Cowboys 21 Minnesota Vikings 28 

Spread: -1.5 Minnesota

Pick against spread: Minnesota 2 units +200

This game is basically a playoff game. If you lose, you go home basically. Neither of these teams are going to be able to come back from 1-4. However, you win and you’re right there at 2-3 and a 9-7/10-6 season isn’t that far out of reach. Who do you trust more in a playoff game? Brett Favre? Or Tony Romo? I’m going with the elder of the two, at home, a place where Favre is 10-1 since joining the team before last year. Yeah, they are 1-1 there this year, but they are a better team now with Randy Moss and having had their bye than the one that lost at home earlier this year. I expect them to beat the Cowboys in Minnesota and eliminate them the way they eliminated them in Minnesota last January.

New York Jets 31 Denver Broncos 19 

Spread: -3 NY Jets

Pick against spread: NY Jets 4 units +400

The Broncos lost last week because Baltimore’s defense is too good for one dimensional teams. They will lose the same way this week and for the same reason. This should be an easy cover for the Jets even on the road in Denver, a tough place to win.

Indianapolis Colts 37 Washington Redskins 21 Lock Pick

Spread: -3 Indianapolis

Pick against spread: Indianapolis 5 units -50

It’s crazy how out of favor the Colts have fallen this season. Easy money. All Peyton Manning has to do is outscore the Redskins by 3 and the Redskins can’t stop anyone through the air. I’m going to take the Colts every week until people remember who their quarterback is and start giving them some repsect again.

Tennessee Titans 20 Jacksonville Jaguars 27 Upset Pick

Spread: -3 Tennessee

Pick against spread: Jacksonville 3 units -330

The Titans are 0-2 this year coming off a win. The home team is 8-3 against the spread on Sunday and Monday night this season. The Jaguars are 6-1 against AFC North opponents since the start of last season. The Jaguars haven’t had a home Monday night game in what seems like forever. They play well when they’re fired up and on Monday Night Football against a division opponent, they’ll be fired up plenty against a Titans team that can’t win 2 in a row.

 

QB RB WR TE OT G C NT DT 3-4 DE DE RLB OLB MLB CB S K P

Updated: 4/17/10 

Scoring System: 

100 Once in a decade prospect 

95-99 Elite talent 

90-95 Solid top 10 pick 

85-90 Solid first round pick 

80-85 Late 1st-early 2nd 

75-80 Solid 2nd round pick 

70-75 Solid 3rd round pick 

65-70 3rd-4th round pick 

60-65 4th-5th round pick 

55-60 5th round pick 

50-55 6th round pick 

45-50 7th round pick 

40-45 Undrafted, invite to training camp 

30-40 Career practice squader 

20-30 No NFL future 

0-20 No football future 

 

1. Damian Williams (USC) 87

Doesn’t get the big hype of guys like Dez Bryant and Golden Tate, but I think he’s the best overall wide receiver in this draft class because he possesses two traits, in addition to his natural athleticism, that very few wide receivers his age do, good route running, and a humble personality. He really knows how to get open and catch the ball at the best possible point and he’s not one to complain if a quarterback doesn’t throw to him. He’d be a perfect fit for a west coast offense and he can also return punts. He hasn’t been off the charts in terms of production, but he’s led the Trojans in catches and receiving yards in each of the last two years and had 70 catches for 1010 yards and 6 touchdowns this year in a pro style offense, despite having a true freshman at quarterback.

2. Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) 86

3/30/10: Bryant’s measurables and workout in the positional drills, especially after basically a year off of football, were really impressive considering he was wearing brand new cleats that had not been broken in before. However, when you consider that the reason he did not have cleats is because he “forgot,” it’s hard to consider this pro day a success. He is known for having mental lapses on the field, and dropped a few catchable balls today, so forgetting something as important as your cleats cancels out the good that the strong workout did, especially when it’s something as important of your Pro Day after being suspended a whole year for something stupid. He really did not seem to get the importance of this day. 

Suspended for something bizarre, but that shouldn’t hurt his draft stock too much. The character red flags are there and he doesn’t always seem to have his head in the game. He drops way too many passes and isn’t a good route runner, but he’s going to be an excellent #2 deep threat at the next level at worst. He has an amazing size, speed combination and is extremely dangerous in the open field.

3. Golden Tate (Notre Dame) 82          

2/28/10: He’s got more speed than I thought. I was expecting 4.4-4.45 and he ran 4.36 on a day where some receivers have been running slower than expected. I still have concerns about his ability to be a #1 option at 5-10, but this kind of speed helps.      

2/26/10: We knew Tate was on the short side, but he barely measured at 5-10 at his weigh in. There aren’t a lot of #1 options that are that short. He’ll still be a good player and he’s the second most NFL ready player in this draft class after Damian Williams, but he has future #2 written all over him and not future #1.

His production 151 catches for 2576 yards and 25 scores over the last two years, in a pro style offense is amazing, but he may be maxed out athletically and he doesn’t have a great upside. His 40 time is poor for his size and he may have trouble finding a niche as a wide receiver at the next level. A lot of his statistical prowess can be attributed to having Jimmy Clausen at quarterback, but he should still be a fine #2 wide receiver at the next level because he has very reliable hands and runs good routes for someone his age.

4. Brandon LaFell (LSU) 79                  

2/28/10: He wasn’t supposed to be a speed demon, but a 4.59 hurts a lot. He’s not going to get a lot of separation at the next level. He also measured in at 6-2 this week instead of 6-4 so his stock could be taking a drop this week.

The perfect fit for a run heavy pro style offense because he has experience running pro style routes and he’s an amazing run blocker for his age. His frame is still a bit wiry and that could lead to injuries at the next level as he tries to make some of the crazy catches he made in college, but he’s certainly not afraid of anything and will throw his body around for the ball fearlessly. 57 catches for 792 yards doesn’t seem like much for a senior season, but when you consider that LSU passed 336 times this season, all of a sudden those numbers look really good. He was by far the most dominant end zone threat on his roster and his 11 touchdowns more than tripled the total of the guy who was second on the team. He’s got good height, good hands, good fearlessness, good run blocking, and a good red zone presence, but needs to put on more muscle and he’s not fast in comparison to some of the receivers in this draft class.

5. Eric Decker (Minnesota) 77

What you see is what you get with him, but what you’re getting is a big consistent #2 option with good hands. He’s not overly athletic, but he’ll be a good red zone threat and possession receiver with his size and good hands. He’ll compliment an inconsistent deep threat very well at the next level, but there isn’t a ton of upside with him.

6. Dezmon Briscoe (Kansas) 76             

2/28/10: He’s a talented physical receiver, but receivers who run 4.61 40s normally have a lot of trouble gaining separation in the NFL. I was afraid his time would be bad, but I didn’t expect this bad.

A handful to take down in the open field and a great red zone presence, but he doesn’t run routes well, his 40 time and straight line speed are very poor, and his strong stats came in a weird offense that inflates stats. Still, he can be coached into being a good route runner and if he is, he’ll be a very dangerous wide receiver because he moves and breaks tackles like a running back in the open field. He may be a late bloomer as a wide receiver, but he has good upside and could contribute right away in a big way in a spread style offense.

7. Jeremy Williams (Tulane) 75

1/30/10: He was the South’s Marshawn Gilyard, leading all receivers with 6 catches, and also added a nice 27 yard run where he flashed a lot of speed I didn’t even know he had. He has a nasty injuries of injuries, two ACL repairs, but he has all the skills and could be looking at the 2nd round now.

He’d be ranked higher if he weren’t always hurt, but he has a long history of injuries. He finally put all the tools together this year and he has a good size speed combination and the upside to be a nice #2 receiver but his past inconsistencies and injuries will drive scouts nuts and that should drop him into the 3^rd round. He also never played a tough level of competition.

 

8. Arrelious Benn (Illinois) 74

If he gets drafted high it will be on what he can do not on what he has done. He dropped way too many passes this season, looked timid going over the middle of the field and in the end zone, but he has an amazing physical build and coaching staff may look to bring a future #1 option out of him. Scouts could also blame his awful statistical season this year on the fact that Juice Williams was his quarterback. Williams is probably the worst quarterback to ever play the game. I’m barely exaggerating.

9. Marshawn Gilyard (Cincinnati) 74              

2/28/10: I have a feeling Gilyard was just having a bad day, he looked WAY faster this season than the 4.56 he ran today. However, I’m moving him down my board a little until he runs a faster time at his Pro Day.

1/30/10: He was the North’s leading receiver with 5 catches for 102 yards and a score and made some very impressive catches against tough coverage. These catches were ones where the defender didn’t give him a ton of room, but he either was able to create just enough separation to get the ball, or able to make an acrobatic catch away from his body. He also was one of the better kick returners in this game as well. I think he dispelled the concerns about his size from earlier this week (weighing in at 8-10 lighter and 2 inches shorter than he was listed), and actually got a comparison to DeSean Jackson by the commentators. I wouldn’t quite say that, but he certainly has the look of an NFL wide receiver and also a kick returner.

1/26/10:  Measuring 2 inches shorter than what you were listed at is never a good thing. 

Needs to bulk up, but he projects as a nice slot receiver at the next level. He has very good agility and would be a welcome addition to a team as a punt returner as well and he runs fast straight line like a gazelle, but he comes from a spread offense so he may be a system player that doesn’t translate well to the NFL.

10. Dexter McCluster (Mississippi) 73                 

2/28/10: Surprisingly, his 4.55 40 at 5-9 173 doesn’t hurt him that much in my book, but it has to hurt him some considering we were expecting a high 4.3, maybe low 4.4 at worse. However, this is one of those guys who is faster in pads than he is timed and stronger than his size. He should still catch on somewhere in the NFL as that Percy Harvin type player.

2/27/10: How do you bench 20 reps of 225 pounds when you are a mere 173 pounds? That is crazy! This little guy may be small, but he is tough, he is strong, he is committed, and he is damn fast as well. 

A blur of a football player who is a bit undersized. He has lined up at both running back and wide receiver in his career and had 1169 rushing yards and 520 receiving yards last season. He has also lined up as a wildcat so there’s going to be a spot in the NFL for him, though it is not going to be a conventional one. He will play the Percy Harvin role for a team, a slot receiver, return guy, and occasional 3^rd down back and wildcat and will be plenty valuable doing so.

11. Danario Alexander (Missouri) 73                     

1/30/10: For all he was targeted, and he was one of the most targeted wide receivers in the first half, he didn’t make a catch. He looked about two steps slower than everyone on the field and didn’t seem to have his head in the game. On one play he was wide open, but failed to catch the ball because he didn’t know it had been thrown to him until it was too late. He played very little in the 2nd half, not surprisingly.

Played in a weird offense and has awful speed, but his size and strength could make him a very nice red zone specialist wide receiver at the next level. He’ll also fit into a wide receiver rotation well right away if a team runs a shotgun style offense. His hands are reliable and he’s a big moving target at 6-5, but his route running and speed are very poor.

12. Demaryius Thomas (Georgia Tech) 69

Played in a weird offense and doesn’t have great speed, but a 25.1 YPC is nothing to overlook. He’s got good size at 6-3 229, but he’ll have trouble getting separation at the next level. He’s like a running back in the open field and he has good size. He may have a future as a goal line receiver and he’s also a strong run blocker. He did hurt his foot and was unable to work out at the combine and may not have a chance to workout for teams before the draft, which hurts, but he should be good to go for team workouts.

13. Andre Roberts (Citadel) 66                   

1/27/10: Another small school kid showing that he can play with the big boys, he may only be 5-11 180, but he’s showing excellent hustle and discipline (going to Citadel a military academy esque school will do that for yoy), but also amazing route running abilities. He doesn’t have elite NFL athleticism, but he’s looking like a mini Wes Welker this week.

A small school receiver who held his own against the big school kids at the Senior Bowl. He’s got very solid hands and, at the very least, he’ll be a solid slot guy. He’s drawing premature comparisons to Wes Welker because of his hands and his ability to contribute as a kick returner.

14. Jacoby Ford (Clemson) 65                       

2/28/10: Ford currently holds the record for fastest 40 time at the 2010 combine by running a blazing 4.28. He didn’t produce much on the field last year, but speed thrills. He should be a solid slot receiver, who can help on special teams, at the next level.

A speed demon with a 4.28 40, but I have a few concerns about his abilities to be an elite receiver at the next level. He doesn’t run great route or have great hands or do anything that receivers are supposed to do very well, except, of course run. He would be a 6^th round prospect if he ran a 4.4 so I have some concerns about him being ranked 3 rounds higher just because he was .12 seconds faster than 4.4.

15. Dorin Dickerson (Pittsburgh) 64

2/27/10: The biggest question Dickerson has to answer is what is his position. He can produce on the field, but he’s played everything from fullback to linebacker to tight end (where he was an All-American) to wide receiver. After measuring in at 226 pounds he proved too small for the first 3 positions, but after running a 4.40 40 with 34 inch arms and benching 225 pounds 24 times, I think he could be a fairly decent wide receiver in the NFL. A 4.40 40 at 6-1 226 with that kind of strength makes him a very interesting wide receiver option for teams in the mid to late rounds.

1/26/10: Does he have a position? He played both tight end and fullback in college, but he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near big enough to play either of those at the NFL level which is a shame because of his production. His 40 time will have to be wide receiver esque for him to get drafted.

He played linebacker, full back, tight end, and wide receiver at Pittsburgh, making the All-American team as a tight end last year. However, at 6-1 226, he doesn’t have the size to play either of the first 3 positions so he would have to be a wide receiver or just a special teamer who doesn’t have a true position. However, at the combine, he ran a 4.40 showing true wide receiver speed. He has good size. He’s a good run blocker. I have some concerns about how he’ll transition full time to wide receiver, but he did run pro style routes as a tight end for Pittsburgh. 

16. Jordan Shipley (Texas) 63

2/28/10: Again, maybe another guy who has having a bad day, but a 4.57 hurts his stock until he proves himself to be faster than that at his pro day. This is a guy who needs to be fast at the next level to succeed.

He’s a fairly boring prospect, a what you see is what get type player, with good solid hands, but lacking athleticism and no major upside. He’s already 24, but he’s also already one of the most accomplished receivers in college football and he proved with his strong game in the BCS Championship that he could do it without Colt McCoy. He should be a good slot guy at the next level, but he lacked good speed at the combine which is a bit concerning.

17. Carlton Mitchell (South Florida) 59

Every draft class has it. That wide receiver with amazing athleticism that lacks the production to match it and gets over drafted. Last year we had Darrius Heyward Bey, this year, it could be Carlton Mitchell and his 4.40 speed at 6-3 215. However, because Al Davis doesn’t need receivers, I don’t think he’ll go in the first. The 3^rd or 4^th makes more sense for him and there’s no denying the upside, but I’ll be conservative with his grade because he never was dominant statistically.

18. Riley Cooper (Florida) 56

A very athletic wide receiver, but what other type does Florida have. He didn’t put it all together until this year when he had 51 catches for 961 yards and 9 touchdowns, so there’s the issue that he’s could be just a one year wonder. He is very similar to Louis Murphy coming out of Florida last year with his measurables.

19. Shay Hodge (Mississippi) 56

A pro style receiver with very good production this year with 1135 yards and 8 touchdowns, but he lacks breakaway speed, will struggle to get separation in the NFL, and he’s a bit of a one year wonder. He’s not a true one year wonder, but he does have some of the characteristics, plus, his hands are a bit inconsistent. He could be worth a 5^th rounder for depth.

20. Seyi Ajirotutu (Fresno State) 55

A big tall receiver at 6-4 and change who former Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer compared to a young Vincent Jackson, who he worked with in San Diego, at the East-West shrine game. However, he never dominated on a college level, despite not facing BCS conference caliber competition very often. He had 3 decent years and 2 above average ones, but his career high in receiving yards is 795 and that was in 2008. He’ll also struggle to get separation at the next level with his low 4.6 speed, so, I could see him panning out, but it’s not likely. He may just be a goal line option at the next level.

21. Mike Williams (Syracuse) 55

He has second round talent, but it’ll take a miracle and a stupid GM for him to be drafted in the first 3 rounds. He has been suspended for academic reasons for an entire year before and last year, he quit on his team unexpectedly and, at the combine, he showed up out of shape, only benching 8 reps despite putting on 15 pounds, and when asked about quitting on his team, he didn’t seem to even think it was a big deal. Proceed with caution.

22. Taylor Price (Ohio) 54

An athletic freak capable of many acrobatic catches who is loved by Todd McShay, but his hands are way too inconsistent. He makes tough catches, but he’ll drop easy ones and his instincts in terms of route running and getting open aren’t great.

23. Emmanuel Sanders (SMU) 54

One of the more accomplished wide receivers in this draft class with 285 receptions for 3791 yards and 34 touchdowns in his career, but a big chunk of that came in June Jones’ offense, which is notoriously bad at producing NFL players. However, he still showed good hands on tape, as well as a lot of other nice things, so he could be a solid depth guy at the next level, he has experience as a return man. 

24. Joe Webb (UAB) 53

1/30/10: I know he’s a former quarterback, but he really didn’t show that he has what it takes to be a wide receiver at the next level, which is what he needed to do because he’s not, I don’t think, an NFL caliber quarterback. On one play when Tim Tebow was in trouble, Webb needed to come back to his quarterback and help him out and he did not. His route running was poor and he also had a fairly easy drop. I think he’ll still get drafted late, but I’m not sure about his upside.

A three year starter at UAB, 2 as a quarterback, one as a receiver. He was actually pretty good as a quarterback this year with a 59.8% completion percentage, a 8.5 YPA, and 8 interceptions to 21 touchdowns and 1427 rushing yards on 227 attempts. However, he played in a shotgun offense and only really had one good year and I don’t think he has an NFL arm. He has NFL athleticism and could play wide receiver as well, but he wasn’t that great as a receiver as a sophomore and he struggled in the Senior Bowl. He’s a project, but he’s also an athlete with upside at multiple positions. 

25. Marcus Easley (Connecticut) 52

26. Naaman Roosevelt (Buffalo) 50

27. Blair White (Michigan State) 47

28. Chris McGaha (Arizona State) 46

29. David Gettis (Baylor) 46

30. David Reed (Utah) 45

31. Scott Long (Louisville) 44

32. Donald Jones (Youngstown State) 44

33. Stephen Williams (Toledo) 44

34. Freddie Barnes (Bowling Green) 42

35. Thomas Harris (Alabama A&M) 40

 

These consensus NFL draft rankings are based off of Play the Draft’s formula, which takes into account big boards and mock drafts from across the DraftNik community. See players you think are underrated? Then sign up for Play the Draft for free and compete against me and other draft experts for the chance to win a chance to meet Mel Kiper. You can sign up at the following link. http://game.playthedraft.com/fbdraft/setup/affiliate_league_accept.asp?affiliateID=7

Quarterbacks

Andrew Luck 1^st

Robert Griffin 2^nd

Ryan Tannehill Top 10

Brandon Weeden Mid 2^nd round

Kirk Cousins Mid 3^rd round

Brock Osweiler Mid 3^rd round

Running backs

Trent Richardson Top 10

Lamar Miller 1^st/2^nd round

Doug Martin Early 2^nd round

David Wilson Mid 2^nd round

Chris Polk Late 2^nd round

LaMichael James Early 3^rd round

Wide receivers

Justin Blackmon Top 10

Michael Floyd Top 15

Kendall Wright Top 25

Stephen Hill 1^st/2^nd round

Alshon Jeffery 1^st/2^nd round

Reuben Randle Early 2^nd round

Mohamed Sanu Mid 2^nd round

Brian Quick Early 3^rd round

Nick Toon Late 3^rd round

Tight ends

Coby Fleener 1^st/2^nd round

Dwayne Allen Mid 2^nd round

Orson Charles Late 2^nd round

Offensive Tackles

Matt Kalil Top 3

Riley Reiff Top 15

Jonathan Martin Top 20

Mike Adams Late 1^st round

Zebrie Sanders Late 2^nd round

Bobby Massie Late 2^nd round

Brandon Washington Early 3^rd round

Mitchell Schwartz Late 3^rd round

Guards

David DeCastro Top 15

Cordy Glenn Top 25

Kevin Zeitler Early 2^nd round

Kelechi Osemele Mid 2^nd round

Amini Silatolu 2^nd/3^rd round

Centers

Peter Konz 1^st/2^nd round

 

Defensive Ends

Quinton Coples Top 15

Melvin Ingram Top 15

Andre Branch 1^st/2^nd round

Vinny Curry Mid 2^nd round

Ronnell Lewis Late 2^nd round

Jared Crick Late 2^nd round

Chandler Jones Late 2^nd round

Bruce Irvin Mid 3^rd round

Cam Johnson Mid 3^rd round

Defensive Tackles

Dontari Poe Top 15

Fletcher Cox Top 15

Michael Brockers Top 20

Devon Still Late 1^st round

Jerel Worthy Early 2^nd round

Kendall Reyes Mid 2^nd round

Brandon Thompson Mid 2^nd round

Alameda Ta’amu Late 3^rd round

Mike Martin Mid 3^rd round

Josh Chapman Late 3^rd round

Outside Linebackers

Courtney Upshaw Top 20

Nick Perry Top 25

Whitney Mercilus Late 1^st round

Zach Brown Early 2^nd round

Lavonte David Mid 2^nd round

Bobby Wagner Late 2^nd round

Shea McClellin Mid 3^rd round

Middle Linebackers

Luke Kuechly Top 15

Dont’a Hightower 1st/2nd round

Mychal Kendricks Early 3rd round  

Cornerbacks

Morris Claiborne Top 10

Dre Kirkpatrick Top 20

Stephon Gilmore Late 1^st round

Janoris Jenkins Late 1^st round

Alfonzo Dennard Mid 2^nd round

Jayron Hosley Late 2^nd round

Brandon Boykin Late 2^nd round

Josh Robinson Late 2^nd round

Chase Minnifield Late 2^nd round

Trumaine Johnson 2^nd/3^rd round

Jamell Fleming Early 3^rd round

Casey Hayward Late 3^rd round

Dwight Bentley Late 3^rd round

Safeties

Mark Barron Late 1^st

Harrison Smith Late 2^nd

Markelle Martin Late 3^rd

George Iloka Late 3^rd

 

 

Spotlight #1: Baylor RB Terrance Ganaway 

Spotlight #2: Baylor DT Nicolas Jean-Baptiste 

1st quarter

14:56: Ganaway takes the ball on the delay, not going anywhere, stuffed at the line.

14:18: Robert Griffin hits Kendall Wright perfectly in stride downfield for a 70 yard touchdown, called back because of penalty.

14:10: Frank Alexander bursts into the backfield and gets a tackle for loss on a designed quarterback run.

13:28: Ganaway with a nice pass block.

12:48: Ganaway tackles for loss as the Oklahoma front gets penetration with multiple guys. Frank Alexander in there again.

12:01: Ganaway looked a bit lost in pass protection. He couldn’t find a pass rusher to chip him.

11:56: Ganaway to the outside, not going anywhere. Not a speed guy. Don’t know why he’s trying to run outside against Oklahoma’s speedy first.

10:56: Alexander having an excellent start, QB hit to force an incompletion.

10:43: Oklahoma’s front 7 is playing awesome. Baylor tries an outside run with a wide receiver, tackled for loss, Alexander in on it among others.

7:16: Alexander gets in on a combined sack. He’s having a hell of a game and we’re only 8 minutes into it.

6:28: Griffin feeling the pressure, had throw to Kendall Wright almost picked by Travis Lewis, but Wright breaks it up. Alexander is in Griffin’s head.

4:37: Ganaway finally gets a positive gain, given an inside carry, picks up a few, dragging a guy a bit as he goes.

4:10: Ganaway runs for a few to the outside away from Frank Alexander, gain wiped out by penalty.

4:00: Ganaway with a powerful inside run, taken down by facemask, penalty on Oklahoma.

3:11: Ganaway with a decent lead block on a designed quarterback run. This is key because he may get converted to fullback at the next level.

0:58: Jean-Baptiste gets pressure on the quarterback, almost sacks him, but the quarterback avoided it and NJB couldn’t recover.

0:10: Ganaway takes a late handoff for a loss of a couple.

2^nd quarter

8:36: Nicolas Jean-Baptiste with a sack. NJB was benched to start the game and forced into action after injury to one of Baylor’s defensive linemen. Getting benched seems to have lit a fire under him as two plays later after the injury he gets a sack.

7:39: Kendall Wright takes a slant and uses his awesome open field abilities, quickness and power, to get a huge gain, 55 yards.

7:22: Ganaway explodes through a big hole for a sizeable gain.

7:14: Ganaway takes it up the middle, powers through for a 15 yard touchdown, breaking 2 arm tackles in the process.

2:24: Robert Griffin hits a receiver in stride deep for a 69 yard quick strike touchdown. Griffin’s deep ball accuracy is amazing. It’s also worth noting this was off play action. He’s had most of his touchdowns off play action this season.

2:11: Jean-Baptiste pancaked.

1:03: Jean-Baptiste gets pressure on the quarterback, forced him to flee the pocket and not convert 3^rd and 5 on a quarterback run.

 

3^rd quarter

12:54: Nowhere to go for Ganaway, Frank Alexander, again, gets into the backfield for a combined tackle for loss.

10:38: Ganaway up the middle for a few.

10:19: Ganaway powers up the middle to convert 3^rd and 1 against a stacked box.

10:04: Ganaway with a nice chip block.

9:53: Griffin has an awesome deep throw against tight coverage dropped.

6:46: Robert Griffin throws a dart, off his receivers’ hands, but it takes a bounce off the first receivers’ hands about 20 yards into the hands of a wide open Kendall Wright, who takes it and scores 87 yards. Awesome awareness and hustle to stay with the play by Wright. I love this kid. It’s worth noting that this is Baylor’s 3^rd touchdown drive of a minute or less in this game, their 17^th of the season. Amazing.

6:26: NJB does a good job of staying with a spinning ball carrier in the backfield, tackle for loss or no gain. Nice job of not letting the ball carrier break his tackle.

4:45: NJB is on tonight. 2^nd sack of the night. Knocks down the center with power and stays with the quarterback to finish him off. Getting benched really lit a fire under him as he’s having his best game of the season.

3:38: Alexander almost gets another sack, Griffin feels the pressure, steps up and completes it.

3:23: Powerful inside run by Ganaway for 11 yards.

2:41: Ganaway does some bouncing around in the backfield, not going anywhere.

4^th quarter

13:59: Ganaway with a great pass block.

13:26: Griffin does a great job after a badly botched snap by the Baylor center of getting the ball tracked down, getting out of the tackle box and throwing it past the line of scrimmage, incomplete, to save about 20 yards.

13:19: Travis Lewis with a facemask penalty. He’s had issues with penalties this year.

12:50: Ganaway up the middle, breaks a couple of tackles, 11 yard touchdown run.

10:29: NJB gets into the backfield on a play where Baylor gets a tackle for loss.

9:45: Landry Jones with two straight bad overthrows on 3^rd and 4^th down in the red zone. He also has a pick tonight. I have not been impressed.

9:28: Ganaway does a solid job blocking and recovering in the backfield. Griffin did hold the ball a long time so Ganaway technically allowed a pressure. The ball could have been picked on the throw.

8:44: Ganaway with a solid lead block for Robert Griffin on a quarterback scramble.

8:24: NJB shows good athleticism to get outside the tackle box to almost get a tackle, but just misses. He looked a little off balance and fell trying to get the tackle on the back.

6:25: NJB gets pressure and a hand in Landry Jones’ face. Nice job by Jones of still completing it.

5:20: Ganaway with another nice block. I’ve been really impressed with this part of his game.

4:50: Ganaway with a couple up the middle.

4:06: Griffin with a rare mistake, an errant lateral, out of bounds for a loss of a few.

1:23: NJB gets pressure, but slips, tripped up from behind by an offensive lineman, but missed by the official.

0:46: Ganaway powers it up the middle for a few. Good power run and a nice spin move as well.

0:08: Game winning touchdown by Robert Griffin. Enough said.

0:00: The big story in this game was Robert Griffin versus Landry Jones. Andrew Luck is well…Andrew Luck. Matt Barkley is playing very well at USC so it looks like it’s going to be between Griffin and Jones to be the 3^rd quarterback off the board, should both declare. In my opinion, Griffin got the better of this matchup.

Griffin was 21 of 34 for 479 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no picks and also ran for another 72 yards, and that’s including a couple sacks he took. He did this against a tougher defense. Oklahoma has 3 guys up front that could get drafted in the first 2 rounds this season (Alexander, Ronnell Lewis, and Travis Lewis). Baylor will be lucky to get 3 guys drafted, period, for their stop unit. Griffin’s numbers could have been better as he had a 70 yard touchdown called back by holding and another big gain downfield and potential touchdown dropped by his receiver. It’s crazy that Griffin could have had at least close to 600 yards and 6 touchdowns passing had a couple things gone his way.

Griffin has tremendous deep accuracy and is putting up a legitimate Heisman worthy season, especially after a signature upside win here over Landry Jones and Oklahoma, in which he led the game winning drive. On the year, Griffin is completing 72.9% of his passes for an average of 10.6 per and 33 touchdowns to just 5 interceptions. His stats aren’t quite as good as they were to start the season, but he’s played tougher competition now that he’s in Big 12 play and still played well.

He’s mobile, athletic, and a tremendous character and leader on and off the field. Away from the football field, he’s also a former All-American hurdler and already a college graduate working on a Master’s Degree. He’s got a cannon arm and tremendous pocket presence. He’s playing behind clearly the worst offensive line of any of the top 4 quarterbacks in this draft class, taking 22 sacks already. Landry Jones, Andrew Luck, and Matt Barkley have combined for 21. However, Griffin hasn’t gotten frazzled, making great throws under pressure and producing behind a poor offensive line.

Landry Jones’ stat line wasn’t nearly as impressive in this one as Griffin’s was. Jones, the loser in this matchup, was 36 of 51 for 446 yards, no touchdowns, and a pick, though it’s worth noting the only reason he didn’t have a touchdown is because Oklahoma ran for all 5 of their scores on the goal line. Against a weaker defense, he simply didn’t play as well and got upset in the process. Jones doesn’t have Griffin’s leadership, athleticism, or arm strength, nor does he have Griffin’s numbers. On the year, he’s completing 65.3% of his passes for an average of 8.6 YPA, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He’s got more experience than Griffin, but that’s the only thing he has over him. He’s also playing in a system that bloats stats more than Griffin’s does.

The way I see this quarterback class, it’s Luck, Barkley, Griffin, and Jones. This makes sense. Luck does have the head-to-head win over Barkley and Griffin over Jones. Griffin doesn’t have the experience that Luck, Barkley, and Jones have (all 3 year starters), but he’s almost just as good as Luck and Barkley and better than Jones. Griffin would likely be a top 5 pick should he declare this year. If he returns, which he could in order to complete his Master’s, he would be the early favorite to be the #1 pick in a weaker quarterback class in 2013.

Griffin didn’t do this all by himself. Griffin has 3 great receivers in Kendall Wright, Terrance Jones, and Tevin Reese, though for comparison’s sake, Jones has a good receiving corps as well. All 3 of those receivers caught touchdowns, long touchdowns, and Williams’ was the game winner. Wright is likely the only of those 3 to come out this year, though Jones, a junior, could come out, but probably won’t, especially if Griffin doesn’t either.

Wright was the star of the star other than Griffin. He caught 8 passes for 207 yards and a score. That score was a 87 yard catch off the hands of another Baylor receiver. Call it luck, but you have to credit Wright for staying in position. He also had a 55 gain with the majority of it coming after the catch. The athletic 5-11 190 pound receiver could run in the 4.3s and has great functional speed and quickness. He’s got great hands and is deadly in the open field with both speed and power moves. He’s also a high character hustle player. A 4 year contributor, the senior is having a career year with 89 catches for 1281 yards and 10 touchdowns. He’s an early 2^nd rounder in my book.

Baylor also has Terrance Ganaway on offense. Ganaway is a big 6-0 240 pounder who some are projecting to fullback at the next level. For this reason, it is very good that he showed himself to be a solid blocker, both pass and run blocking, in this one. Ganaway didn’t look too bad running the ball either. He struggled early to get to the outside against Oklahoma’s speed, but once he started going north to south, he really looked good. He’s a physical, powerful runner who could be a nice short yardage back at the next level. He had 60 yards and 2 scores on 16 carries in the game and has 949 yards and 12 scores on 164 carries on the season. He looks like an early to mid day 3 pick.

I mentioned Oklahoma’s front 7 on several occasions in this writeup, but let’s get more in depth on them. Frank Alexander (DE/OLB), Ronnell Lewis (OLB/DE), and Travis Lewis (OLB/MLB) all could get drafted in the first 2 rounds. Alexander had the best game of the 3. He was especially impressive early when he was making a big play on every other snap. He didn’t keep that up all game, but he finished with 5 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and a sack, along with a quarterback hit and numerous quarterback pressures.

On the year, Alexander has 45 tackles, 17 for loss, and 8.5 sacks. The 6-3 257 pounder has 2 years of good production and looks like a borderline first rounder as either a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker. He could stand to bulk up another 5-10 pounds if he can do so without sacrificing speed and quickness. In my opinion, he’s more impressive than his counterpart, Ronnell Lewis, who often gets rated higher.

Lewis left this game early with an injury. The 6-2 244 pound defensive end shifted down from linebacker this season. His experience at linebacker will help him get drafted as a 3-4 outside linebacker. He’s a day 2 pick in my book. On the year, he has 60 tackles, 13 for loss, and 5.5 sacks. Travis Lewis is the 3^rd impressive front 7 player for Oklahoma. He really hasn’t looked the same after a broken foot earlier this season and he’s also had trouble with penalties this year. Once a potential first round, Lewis looks like a 2^nd rounder now. The 6-1 230 pound linebacker has 67 tackles, but just 2.5 for loss.

As I mentioned earlier, Baylor doesn’t have nearly the defense that Oklahoma says. Nicolas Jean-Baptiste might be their most talented player, but he didn’t even make the start. NJB is a big, physical 6-1 330 nose tackle prospect who had a very good junior season next to eventual first round pick Phil Taylor. However, the coaching staff was not impressed with his play of late and benched him for this one. When injury struck a Baylor defensive line, NJB was forced into action and made the most of it.

He showed great power, but at times didn’t look like a 330 pounder. He’s nimble for his size. He had 3 tackles, 2 for loss, and 2 sacks on the game. If he can play like this always, he’ll be a good 3-4 or 4-3 nose tackle at the next level, but there are concerns about his discipline and motivation. One plus, he did play a good amount of snaps in this one so he’s got good durability for someone his size. Someone will take a flier on him late.