The Packers at 11-0

With eleven games down, and only five more to go, the Green Bay Packers are a serious threat to become the third regular season team in the NFL history modern era to finish undefeated. After a slow start against the Lions on Turkey Day, the Packers offense came alive in the 4th quarter and proved that Detroit was still not ready to take the next step forward into the NFL elite. Here are my postgame grades from the victory over Detroit.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers started slow missing on a few third down conversions in the first half. However, he again proved why he was the best in the business at the back shoulder throw, completing big plays to James Jones and JerMichael Finley. Rodgers will tell you it wasn't his best game of the season, but with another quarterback rating over 120, Rodgers continues to show why just an average day for him is a great day for any other quarterback in the NFL. Grade: A-

Running Back James Starks had a couple nice draw plays before leaving the game early when his injury flared up. The Packers really never showed a true commitment to the running game, but that was expected against a superb Detoit defensive line. Brandon Saine had a few nice 3 and 4 yard carries and also showed great burst on a dump off pass and getting to the outside before taking a big hit. Ryan Grant missed a few cutbacks, and is showing why he may 3rd in line at this point in the Green Bay backfield. Grade: C+

Wide Receivers Again, a few selected receivers were a big part of the offense this week, while others were not as involved. On Thursday, Greg Jennings, James Jones, and Randall Cobb took the majority of the reps, while Jordy Nelson and Donald Driver were not as involved in the offense. Jones showed his undeceptive speed on his long touchdown reception that pretty much sealed the game. The receivers had a few drops in the first half, but fixed that problem as the offense got into gear in the second half. Grade: B+

Tight End JerMichael Finley had a couple drops, but still had a big 3rd down conversion on the opening drive in the second half that eventually led to a score and ejection of Ndamukong Suh. Tom Crabtree and Andrew Quarless were not involved in the passing game, but helped in pass protection especially once Josh Sitton went down with a knee injury. Grade: B-

Offensive Line Big props to this unit here. Besides for one drive where Kyle Vanden Bosch got to Rodgers a couple of times, the unit did a good job of shutting down Suh on the inside and Cliff Avril (who has had past success against Green Bay) on the outside. Evan Deitrich-Smith stepped in for the injured Josh Sitton and played very well, frustrating Suh. Deitrich-Smith did a great job of keeping his cool when Suh stomped on him, which eventually led to his ejection. After this unit was dominated by the Detroit defensive line in that game at Ford Field last year, they really responded well this time around. Grade: A

Defensive Line BJ Raji played his best game of the season, while Ryan Pickett made an athletic play to tip a Stafford pass and lead to an interception. The defensive line still failed to generate consistent pressure, but did a fairly good job stopping the run. Grade: B-

Linebackers With both starting inside linebackers going down with injuries, DJ Smith and Robert Francios stepped in admirably. Smith had great pursuit and a made a couple of great open field tackles, while Francois made a great leap and catch for his first interception of the year. Erik Walden had his best game of the season, with 8 tackles, while Clay Matthews picked up his first interception of the season. The only downside was being suspect in coverage and allowing the running backs and tight ends to pick up some yardage after the catch underneath. Grade: B

Defensive Backs Tramon Williams and Morgan Burnett shaded Calvin Johnson all day and kept him in check besides a garbage time touchdown at the end. Williams dropped two interceptions, including one that would have been an easy pick-6. Charles Woodson made a great play, leaping over Brandon Pettigrew and taking it away in mid-air. Grade: A-

Overall: In my opinion, it was porbably the second best performance of the season for the Pack after the Monday night game against the Vikings. With only five games remaining, the Pack have a very serious chance of going undefeated.

Week 1 Predictions

I will be having predictions every week starting here with week 1. Here are my predictions.

New Orleans at Green Bay
Atlanta at Chicago
Cincinnati at Cleveland
Buffalo at Kansas City
Philadelphia at St. Louis
Detroit at Tampa Bay
Tennessee at Jacksonville
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
Indianapolis at Houston
NY Giants at Washington --> Upset pick
Seattle at San Francisco
Minnesota at San Diego
Carolina at Arizona
Dallas at NY Jets
New England at Miami
Oakland at Denver

2011 NFL Predictions

NFC North
1. Green Bay 13-3
2. Detroit 8-8
3. Minnesota 6-10
4. Chicago 6-10

NFC East
1. Philadelphia 12-4
2. Dallas 10-6*
3. New York 8-8
4. Washington 3-13

NFC South
1. New Orleans 12-4
2. Atlanta 10-6*
3. Tampa Bay 7-9
4. Carolina 3-13

NFC West
1. Arizona 9-7
2. St. Louis 8-8
3. San Francisco 5-11
4. Seattle 5-11

Wild Card:
Dallas at New Orleans
Atlana at Arizona

Divisionals:
Atlanta at Green Bay
New Orelans at Philadelphia

NFC Championship
New Orelans at Green Bay

AFC North
1. Pittsburgh 12-4
2. Baltimore 11-5*
3. Cleveland 7-9
4. Cincinnati 2-14

AFC East
1. New England 13-3
2. New York Jets 11-5*
3. Miami 5-11
4,. Buffalo 4-12

AFC South
1. Indianapolis 10-6
2. Houston 9-7
3. Tennessee 7-9
4. Jacksonville 4-12

AFC West
1. San Diego 11-5
2. Kansas City 8-8
3. Oakland 7-9
4. Denver 5-11

Wild Card:
New York Jets at San Diego
Baltimore at Indianapolis

Divisional:
Baltimore at New England
New York at Pittsburgh

AFC Championship:
Pittsburgh at New England


SUPER BOWL
Patriots 34 Green Bay 31



MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player of the Year: Phillip Rivers
Defensive Player of the Year: Demarcus Ware
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Mark Ingram
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Von Miller
Comeback Player of the Year: Vincent Jackson

53 Man Roster Prediction

Football is back which means the blog is also back. I will start it off with my 53 man roster prediction for the Green Bay Packers. The cuts are expected Saturday September 3rd by 4 pm. Here it is.

Offense- 25 players
QB- Rodgers, Flynn, Harrell (3)
RB- Grant, Starks, Green (3)
FB- Kuhn (1)
WR- Jennings, Driver, Nelson, Jones, Cobb (5)
TE- Finley, Quarless, Crabtree, Taylor, Williams (5)
OL- Clifton, Bulaga, Sitton, Lang, Wells, Sherrod, Dietrich-Smith, Newhouse (8)

Defense- 25 players
DL-Neal, Raji, Pickett, Wilson, Wynn, Green (6)
LB- Matthews, Hawk, Walden, Bishop, Francios, Smith, Zombo, So’oto, Jones (9)
CB- Woodson, Williams, Shields, House, Lee, Bush (6)
S- Collins, Burnett, Peprah, Jennings (4)

Special Teams- 3 Players
K- Crosby (1)
P- Masthay (1)
LS- Goode (1)

Practice Squad
Anthony Levine, Josh Gordy, Lawrence Guy, Caleb Schlauderhaff, Ray Dominguez, Brandon Saine, Jamari Lattimore, Chastin West

Top Rated Players Still Available

Here is my list for the top rated players still available for Day 2 tomorrow. I will first have a list of player still remaining on my top 100 followed by some other late round sleepers that I like. Again, I will be posting draft grades sometime next weekend.

49. Christian Ballard- Iowa
50. Sam Acho- Texas
59. Brandon Burton- Utah
64. Quan Sturdivant- North Carolina
75. Greg Jones- Michigan State
78. DeAndre McDaniel- Clemson
82. Mark Herzlich-Boston College
84. Tandon Doss- Indiana
87. Luke Stocker-Tennessee
88. Ahmad Black- Florida
90. Ricky Stanzi- Iowa
91. DJ Williams- Arkansas
92. Davon House- New Mexico State
93. Casey Matthews- Oregon
95. Chris Carter- Fresno State
96. Jalil Brown- Colorado
99. Taiwan Jones- Eastern Washington

Other Sleepers
QB Greg McElroy- Alabama
RB Delone Carter-Syracuse
RB Da'Rel Scott-Maryland
RB Bilal Powell- Louisville
WR Tandon Doss- Indiana
WR Greg Salas- Hawaii
WR Cecil Shorts- Mount Union
TE Virgil Green- Nevada
T Lee Ziemba- Auburn
T Derek Newton- Arkansas State
G Steve Schilling- Michigan
C Jake Kirkpatrick- TCU
DE Ugo Chinasa- Oklahoma State
DE Pernell McPhee- Mississippi State
DE Markus Wright- Florida State
DT Lawrence Guy- Arizona State
DT Cedric Thornton- Southern Arkansas
OLB Adrian Moten- Maryland
CB Richard Sherman- Stanford
CB Justin Rogers- Richmond
CB Josh Thomas- Buffalo
CB Chykie Brown- Texas
S Deunta Williams- North Carolina
S Jeron Johnson- Boise State

2nd and 3rd Round Live Blog

With Ted Thompson's third selection, he selects Alex Green, a running back from Hawaii. At first reaction I did not like this pick, but after doing a little research and watching some highlights from him, this kid looks like he is the big sleeper in this running back class. Only last week did I put Green on my running back board and put him as my 21st ranked running back and a 6th round projection. I had never heard of him, but saw many draft sites were putting him higher in their rankings so I felt I should put him in my rankings. Green looks to be a player as reports are that he can catch and is very solid with his 225 pound frame in pass protection. This almost certainly means the end of Brandon Jackson in Green Bay, as it looks like Green can do just about everything Jackson can. Also, don't forget the last time the Packers aquired a running back with the last name of Green. Just saying. Anyway, solid pick for the Pack, but not one that is going to wow me with players like Quan Sturdivant and Christian Ballard on the board. Hopefully tomorrow the Packers address the defensive side of the ball, as there are still many solid prospects available here for the later rounds. To finish up the Panthers selected defensive tackle Sinoa Fua from Stanford who was ranked my 98th prospect and was selected 97th overall. Looks like I hit on that one. I will try and post some comments from time to time tomorrow regarding the Packers and other draft picks that stick out to me, but do not expect pick by pick analysis. I will have full team draft grades sometime around next week Sunday or the next Monday. Thanks for following on an day 2 with many surprises.

The Jets select Kendrick Ellis, a huge defensive tackle from Hampton. He is actually light on his feet and is actually really similar to Phil Taylor in my opinion. This is a good pick for the Jets who add him and Wilkerson to add some huge beef up front. A pick I really like this late here on day 2. The Steelers select the 2nd best available corner on my board in Curtis Brown. Packers on the clock.

Offensive tackle Joseph Barksdale from LSU is headed to the Raiders, which will help bolster the Raiders offensive line with Wisniewski. It looks like Robert Gallery will be leaving in free agency, and the Raiders offensive line was still average at best last season. However, I am not a big fan of Barksdale, and feel he is slow on his feet. He was a projected first round pick entering the season, but his stock really dropped this season with a subpar year. With the 93rd pick, the Bears select Chris Conte from Cal, the 6th best strong safety on my board. I don't know a lot about Conte and I had all five strong safeties ahead of him still available.

The Eagles continue the run on corners and select Curtis Marsh, a corner from Utah State. I also had Marsh ranked as a 4th rounder, and I felt there were some better corner backs available here for the Eagles like Brandon Burton (the top player on my board), Jalil Brown and Curtis Brown. The Falcons select Akeem Dent, an inside linebacker from Georgia. The Falcons are finally able to address a need on defense after giving up their 2nd round pick as part of the Julio Jones deal. Dent was the 80th ranked player on my board so this is a good value pick for them.

I have never been a fan of Allen Bailey, but I still had him graded as a late 2nd rounder, so this is good value for Kansas City with their 3-4 defense. I was hoping the Packers would take a shot on him if he was available, but solid pickup for the Chiefs. Nevis was another LSU Tiger that I was impressed with when I watched the Cotton Bowl, and now he is headed to the Colts and should definitely help the defensive front led by Daniel Muir, a former Packer practice squad player. And the Saints add to their great draft by adding one of my favorite players in this draft, Johnny Patrick, a corner from louisville. And the Chargers also go corner by taking Shareece Wright, who I had ranked as a 4th round grade, but still he was one of the top corners left. The Chargers obviously wanted to adress their pass defense in the later rounds by adding to their secondary and have looked to have done it by adding Gilchrist and Wright.

Vincent Brown to the Chargers is a great pick. Vincent Jackson is good, but Malcolm Floyd isn't special and Craig Davis is a bust. Brown blew up at the Senior Bowl, raising his stock from the 6th round to the 3rd round. Jernigan, another player I like is heading to the Big Apple to play for the Giants. Jernigan is another short a quick wide receiver that may step in as the return man in front of Will Blackmon. Mason Foster, who blew up in the Holiday Bowl against Nebraska is a great pick for the Bucs this last, as I had him as one of my best players available. The Ravens select Jah Reid who is very raw, but he is mammoth size and can learn from Michael Oher.

Jurrell Casey, who I had projected as a 2nd-3rd rounder is a good value pick here for the Titans, who were considering Fairley at defensive tackle in the 1st round. Austin Pettis, the 2nd Boise State wide receiver selected is headed to the Rams to help out Sam Bradford. The Rams had Julio Jones on their radar in the first round, but they figured there was no chance that would happen. They instead take a solid receiver in Pettis, who I had graded as a third rounder. Leonard Hankerson is headed to the Nations Capital, and will be a great option for whoever is behind center in Washington. Santana Moss is getting old, and Armstrong is nothing special and they were the only two receivers who caught touchdowns for the Skins last season. I beleive Hankerson instantly becomes the number one option in Washington. The only question is who the quarterback will be. Chris Culliver is headed to the 49ers with the 80th pick in the draft. Culliver is the first prospect that I did not have ranked, so the 49ers definitely must have seen something in him. Another reach at corner comes directly after, where DeMarcus Van Dyke who I had as a fifth round grade is taken by Al Davis. Van Dyke has a lot of physical talent, but he lacks coverage skills. Sounds like an Al Davis pick to me. Chargers up next.

The Seahawks select another Badger, John Moffit who was the best guard available. Moffit was an All-American and makes that the 4th Badger in 75 picks. This upgrades the Seattle offensive line, regardless of what Todd McShay thinks. Will Rackley is the next selection, who after the Moffit selection, was the best guard available. Rackley was a player I felt the Packers may select late in the third round. The Jaguars were also another team in need of a guard, so this will also upgrade their line.

DeMarco Murray goes with the 81st pick, which is a good pick for the Cowboys. Murray was the top running back left on my board. Now, the question is what will they do with their other running backs. It looks like Marion Barber or Tashard Choice will be gone. Martez Wilson is a great pick for the Saints, who was the top player ranked on my board at 43. The Saints continue to improve on an impressive draft with Jordan and Ingram. And the New England Patriots select Stevan Ridley, who proved a lot to me after having a great Cotton Bowl against Von Miller and Texas A&M. That game put his stock up and a great combine moved his stock up here to the 3rd round. The Patriots have the second straight pick and select a shocker, Ryan Mallett. Wow is all I can say. Where does Mallett fit into the Patriots long term plans with Brady still having at least 3 or 4 years left in New England.

Terrell McClain goes to the Panthers with the first pick of the third round. A strong defensive tackle gives the Panthers that defensive tackle that many were prjecting them to take at this position. Dontay Moch, one of my favorite players in thie draft is selected by the Bengals. Moch, who is raw, is the fastest linebacker in this draft and will be a great edge rusher if he can develop. The Broncos have a major need at defensive line and instead select Nate Irving a middle linebacker, with the selection, which is a bit surprising to me. Kevlin Shepard, who I have as my second ranked linebacker behind Martez Wilson goes early in the third round, which is excactly where I had him projected. The Cardinals take a tight end, but reach for Robert Housler with tight ends like Virgil Green, Jordan Cameron, D.J. Williams, and Luke Stocker still on the board. And finally, Justin Houston, the 33rd ranked player on my big board goes with the 70th overall pick. Great pick for the Chiefs.

And the Packers are on the clock. I am hoping for Randall Cobb or Justin Houston. And the Packers indeed take Randall Cobb! What a great pick for the Packers. As I said on my Packers preview for today on a post earlier, Cobb fits the mold of Dexter McCluster in that he is a dynamic player that can finally be the kick returner that the Packers have been looking for. Cobb will probably begin the season as the 4th receiver if Jones is not brought back and the Packers can do a lot of new things on offense, such as reverses or having option passes to Cobb. The Packers finally have that dynamic player that they have not had in recent memory. Great Pick that gets an A from me. In Ted we trust.

And the Dolphins instead choose a running back, Daniel Thomas from Kansas State. I was a huge fan of Thomas following his Bowl Game, as he has great size which allows him to break tackles. His only concern is his speed, so the Dolphins may look for a speed back later. The Steelers have selected Marcus Gilbert, the top tackle remaining on my board. After the Super Bowl, it was evident that the Steelers needed another tackle, so this is great value for the Steelers.

The Chargers have drafted Jonas Mouton, who I had graded as a 6th rounder is selected by the Chargers with the 61st pick in the draft. It looks like the Chargers will move Mouton to the the inside, which doesn't make much sense to me. They have an underperforming Larry English, and need to upgrade the 3-4 pass rush at outside linebacker. Justin Houston is sitting on the board right there and would be a great fit in San Diego. Miami has just traded up for the Skins pick, who have traded down for the 4th time. Is this Ryan Mallett territory?

And the Texans make another great move. They trade up with New England and select the best player left on my board, Brandon Harris. I said earlier that the Texans needed to look for a corner after drafting Brooks Reed. The pass rush was significantly upgraded and now the pass defense as a whole has really been improved. In my opinion, Houston has the top draft thus far with Watt, Reed, and Harris, who are 10, 35, and 26 respectively on my big board. the top ranked player on my board is now Justin Houston at 33.

Torrey Smith, who is my 3rd ranked receiver and 31st overall player. What a great player this late for a definite need for the Ravens. Smith was one of my favorite prospects in this draft becaue of his athletic ability. He has blazing speed for a guy his size and also has kick return ability, which is why I am shocked he fell so far. the Ravens definitely get another steal and have one of the best drafts thus far with both Smiths. With Stallworth and Mason as free agents, a receiver was a must. The second straight receiver is selected,this time Greg Little by the Cleveland Browns. Little has major character concerns as was suspended for all of last year. Phyiscially, I would grade him as a second round pick, but the character issues bring him down to a 4th round grade.


The Lions take Mikel Leshoure with the 57th pick as we wind up this 2nd round. Leshoure is a power back and should be a good complement to Jhavid Best if he is able to stay healthy. Kevin Smith is always hurt and Maurice Morris is not an NFL back anymore, even if he had a good Thanksgiving Game against New England last year.

The Eagles take Jaiqwan Jarrett, a safety from Temple with the 54th selection. Jarrett could easily step in and start at strong safety, as it looks like the Eagles will not be bringing Quinton Mikell back. This gives the Eagles two very young safeties, both selected in the 2nd round, Nate Allen and Jarrett. The Chiefs select a guard/center Rodney Hudson with the next pick. Hudson is "undersized" at 6'2 300 pounds, but is still one of the top lineman in this class. The Patriots select Shane Vereen a running back, the fourth ranked running back on my rankings and pass up on Mikel Leshoure, the running back from Illinois. With Fred Taylor and Kevin Faulk getting old, the Patriots needed a complement to BenJarvus Green Ellis. The Lions have traded up and the pick is in.

The Bears select Stephen Paea with the 53rd pick. The Bears must be happy because Kevin Seifert from ESPN just reported that the Bears would have taken Paea with their first round pick had Carimi not been there. Paea set a combine record with 49 bench reps, obviously making him one of the strongest players in this draft. The Bears let go of Tommie Harris, so this selection definitely makes sense. Angelo must have gotten antsy after seeing Austin go right before at 52 prompting a trade up.

The Colts continue to shore up their line this draft by taking another tackle, Ben Ijalana fron Vanderbilt. That gives the Colts 2 of the top 6 tackles on my player rankings. Polian knows that the Colts first interest in protecting Peyton Manning, so I like this pick. The Chargers improved their secondary by selecting Marcus Gilchrist. Quentin Jammer has been injury-prone lately and is also aging while Antione Cason is solid but not spectacular. The free fall for Bowers ends here as the Tampa Bay Bucs, who were probably considering him at 20, were ecstatic to find him here at 51. Just like the Texans, the Bucs have signigicantly improved their pass rush this draft with Bowers and Clayborn. Marvin Austin is great value at 52 for the Giants, as many people felt he was going in the late first round. The Bears have just traded up for the 53rd pick and are now on the clock.

After going to eat dinner, I have to get caught back up so some quick thoughts. Bruce Carter is headed to Dallas. Carter was injured with a torn ACL for some of this season, but he was a consensus first round pick had it not been for the injury. Jarvis Jenkins, a powerful defensive tackle from Clemson is headed to Washington to help out with a 3-4 defense in the middle. The Texans continue to upgrade their pass rush and select Brooks Reed from Arizona. The Texans will pair him with Watt in this draft class to go along with Mario Williams. Now I expect them to add some corners in the later rounds. The Vikings make another shocking decision by selecting tight end Kyle Rudolph from Notre Dame. Rudolph is the top tight end in this draft, and Jim Kleinsasser is getting old, but I felt the Vikings had more pressing needs especiallly with Visanthe Shianoce still playing at a high level. Titus Young, who has been compared to a poor man's DeSean Jackson is headed to the Lions and will most likely play in the slot while giving Stafford another weapon. Very good draft so far for the Lions. The Broncos use back to back picks on Rahim Moore and Orlando Franklin. Denver had a pressing need at tackle, and will also get the second best safety in this draft class. Lance Kendrick, the thid Wisconsin player in the first 47 picks, is selected by the St. Louis Rams. It has been a while since the Rams have had a very good tight end so I am actually a pretty big fan of this pick especially knowing just how good Kendricks is after watching him for four years. The Raiders do indeed go with Stefen Wisniewski who I had them taking a full round later. Well, I am finally caught up and here is the Colts selection after trading up.

No, the Cardinals do not select Mallett and in my opinion that is a smart decision. the Cardinals will most likely pursue a veteran quarterback such as Kevin Kolb, Marc Bulger, or Carson Palmer. The Cardinals select a bit of a shocker with Ryan Williams, which means the future of Tim Hightower looks to not be in Arizona. Beanie Wells has also struggled with injuries, so I can see why Arizona went with Williams here, who is the 3rd rated running back on my board. The Titans have now selected another edge rusher not named Da'Quan Bowers and that is Akeem Ayers. Ayers is the 24th prospect on my board so to get him at 40 is great value for the Titans.

And Jim Harbaugh makes a trade and selects Colin Kaepernick for the 49ers. It was rumored that Harbaugh fell in love with Kaepernick at the Senior Bowl. If anyone can groom a quarterback it will be Harbaugh, and he will have a challenge. Kaepernick is definitely a project, and I really am not a fan of his mechanics. He is really gifted athletically and will make some plays with this his feet, but he still has a long way to go throwing the football before he can become effective in this leauge. The free fall for Bowers continues as the Browns as another defensive end not named Bowers is selected, Jabaal Sheard from Pittsburgh. His name has got to be coming up soon. Will the Cardinals now take Mallett?

The first three pick of Day 2 have been made. The Patriots choose to add depth to their defensive backfield by selecting a physical corner in Ras-I Dowling. The Bills, who I expected to go with a quarterback, instead pass on Kaepernick and Dalton to select Aaron Williams, a safety from Texas. Williams is not as good of a safety prospect as former teammate Earl Thomas was last year, but he is physical on coming up. The Bengals go as expected and take Andy Dalton from TCU, who I really like. Dalton has phenomenal accuracy and really torched the Badgers in the Rose Bowl with the timing of his throws.

Welcome to Day 2! My second and third round mock drafts are predicted below. However, at this point it is almost a crapshoot as I expect multiple trades to be made tonight. The Patriots are now on the clock.

2nd and 3rd Round Mock Draft

2nd and 3rd Round Mock Draft

33. New England- Brooks Reed
34. Buffalo- Colin Kaepernick
35. Cincinnati- Andy Dalton
36. Denver- Marvin Austin
37. Cleveland- Torrey Smith
38. Arizona- Akeem Ayers
39. Tennessee- Mikel Leshoure
40. Dallas- Aaron Williams
41. Washington- Ryan Mallett
42. Houston- Brandon Harris
43. Minnesota- Da’Quan Bowers
44. Detroit- Bruce Carter
45. San Francisco- Ras-I Dowling
46. Denver- Kyle Rudolph
47. St. Louis- Ryan Williams
48. Oakland- Orland Franklin
49. Washington- Johnny Patrick
50. San Diego- Martez Wilson
51. Tampa Bay- Justin Houston
52. New York- Ben Ijalana
53. Indianapolis- Jarvis Jenkins
54. Philadelphia- Curtis Brown
55. Kansas City- Kendrick Ellis
56. New England- Leonard Hankerson
57. Seattle- Stephen Paea
58. Baltimore- Titus Young
59. Cleveland- Jabaal Scheard
60. New England- Brandon Burton
61. San Diego- Tandon Doss
62. Chicago- Patrick Cobb
63. Pittsburgh- Marcus Gilbert
64. Green Bay- Jerel Jernigan

65. Carolina- Drake Nevis
66. Cincinnati- Rahim Moore
67. Denver- Shane Vereen
68. Buffalo- Luke Stocker
69. Arizona- Rodney Hudson
70. Cleveland- Lee Ziemba
71. Dallas- Allen Bailey
72. New Orelans- Mason Foster
73. Houston- Christian Ballard
74. New England- Jeremy Beal
75. Detroit- Davon House
76. San Francisco- Greg Little
77. Tennessee- Edmund Gates
78. St. Louis- Quinton Carter
79. Miami- Ricky Stanzi
80. Jacksonville- John Moffit
81. Oakland- Stefen Wisniewski
82. San Diego- Curtis Marsh
83. New York- Lawrence Wilson
84. Tampa Bay- Shareece Wright
85. Philadelphia- Jah Reid
86. Kansas City- Dontay Moch
87. Indianapolis- K.J. Wright
88. New Orelans- Kelvin Sheppard
89. San Diego- James Brewer
90. Baltimore- Chris Carter
91. Atlanta- Jordan Cameron
92. New England- DeAndre McDaniel
93. Chicago- Sione Fua
94. New York- Greg Romeus
95. Pittsburgh- Vincent Brown
96. Green Bay- Will Rackley
97. Carolina- Lance Kendricks

Packers Outlook in Rounds 2 and 3

After a great pick in Derek Sherrod last night, the Green Bay Packers are back to work tonight with the last pick in the 2nd and second last pick in the 3rd round (64th and 96th overall). Again, I do not see Thompson trading up like many of you may hope for simply because I see another good player falling to the Packers with the 64th overall pick. My best hope is for an electrifying wide receiver and return guy like Kentucky's Patrick Cobb or Troy's Jerel Jernigan. Both are small and speedy receivers that can do multiple things in an offense such as reverses and maybe even a little Wildcat. A great comparison to these two players is a guy like Dexter McCluster who the Chiefs selected last year in the third round. Also, when was the last time the Packers had a dynamic return man? Another option the Packers could go is to boost that defensive line at the 5-technique with a player like Miami's Allen Bailey, Clemson's Jarvis Jenkins, or Iowa's Christian Ballard. All would be solid picks and would get immediate playing time as the primary backup to Mike Neal and Ryan Pickett at both end spots. Also, don't forget about a pass rushing outside linebacker if a good one drops to the Packers tonight at 64. Nevada's Dontay Moch, Fresno State's Chris Carter, and North Carolina's Bruce Carter would all be tough for Thomopson to pass up. In the third round, I could see Thompson going with a running back with solid pass catching abilities (since the future of Brandon Jackson is uncertain) such as Cal's Shane Vereen or Oklahoma's DeMarco Murray. If he does not opt for a defensive lineman in the 2nd round, Thompson could look at another Mississippi State player Pernell McPhee or take a Big Ten player like Karl Klug from Iowa. However, a solid guard could also be available such as Georgia's Clint Boling or Lehigh's Will Rackley. In my 2nd and 3rd round mocks which I posted above, I have the Packers taking Jerel Jernigan and Will Rackley.

NFL Draft Live Blog

Well, that takes us to the end of the first round. My second ruond mock will hopefully be up by tomorrow afternoon and I will also have a little shorter analysis of about every five picks or so. As for my final results, I had ten correct on my mock draft but eleven if you want to accept my Mark Ingram selection to the Saints at 24 (he was selected at 27). Goodnight everybody!

With the final selection of the first round, my Green Bay Packers select Derek Sherrod, an offensive tackle from Mississippi State. Is this a sexy or flashy pick? No. Do I love this pick? Yes. Sherrod is an athletic tackle and his strength is in the pass blocking game, which is exactly what the Packers like to do. 366 days ago, the Packers had pressing needs at both tackle slots with Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher getting old. Now, however, it looks like the Packers are set at tackle for the next decade after spending their last two first round picks on Bulaga and Sherod. Those of you that were calling for Bowers...why? Bowers is a great talent but there is a reason he fell out of the first round. He has major knee issues that teams are worried about. No doubt, he is a great talent, but can he maximize that talent on a bad knee? Also, Bowers in no way fits in a 3-4 defense. He is strictly a 4-3 defensive end rusher and would be worthless to the Packers opposite of Clay Matthews because he has never rushed standing up. He would be a little undersized at 280 to fit in as the 5-technique in the Packers defense and would not take up many blockers. Sherod is called by some scouts at the best all around offensive tackle in this draft because he has few weaknesses. According so Scott Wright on NFL Draft Countdown, Sherrod's few weaknesses are that he is not dominant in the run game and he lacks a killer instinct. However, this selection ensures that the Packers have their left tackle of the future and can keep Bulaga at right tackle, where he was very solid in his rookie season last year.

And the Steelers make a quick pick and select Cameron Heyward, another great pick for a 3-4 scheme. As a Packer fan, this is a blow because I was sure one of Heyward and Wilkerson would be there when the Packers picked. Good pick for Pittsburgh, but now it will be interesting to see what Green Bay does. Do they go offensive tackle with Derek Sherod or take a 3-4 OLB like Reed or Ayers? Here we go.

A good pick for the Jets this late in the first round. I am a huge fan of Wilkerson and really wanted to Packers to select him. Wilkerson is a perfect fit in a 3-4 scheme like the Jets and Rex Ryan will certainly be pleased.

And the Bears luck from last season still continues. Gabe Carimi somehow drops to the Bears where they have a major need at right tackle. They get the number 3 and 19th player on my board in the draft with the 29th pick in the first round. Carimi could instantly step in to protect Jay Cutler and play right away. Kind of a bummer as a Wisconsin fan to see Carimi going to the Bears.

The Saints appear set on taking Mark Ingram. As a Packer fan, I am ok with this. Would I have liked Ingram? Yes. Do we really need him? No. The Packers biggest need is on the interior and there are still many really good defensive lineman available for Thompson to select. I am also higher on James Starks than most people and Ryan Grant will also be back. I had Ingram mocked at 24 to the Saints so I partially got this one right. They really needed a running back as it appears Reggie Bush will not be back and they also revolved through Mike Bell, Julius Jones, Chris Ivory, and Pierre Thomas last year. Many of them got injured and none of them stood out. The Saints really gave up a lot however. The Patriots get richer again, where they aquire a first rounder next year and the Saints second rounder this year. However, this is a great first round for the Saints getting Cameron Jordan and Mark Ingram.

Great pick for the Ravens getting a top 15 talent towards the end of the first round. Smith has a lot of character issues but they Ravens really need a corner back and are the kind of team with strong leadership that will shape Smith up. You think Ray Lewis is going to allow this kid act like an idiot? Great value for the Ravens. Now a trade by the Patriots to the Saints.

So it looks like the Ravens passed on their pick allowing the Chiefs to jump in front of them. Well, we dont see that one every day. So the Chiefs have the 26th pick and the 27th pick goes to the Ravens it appears. The Chiefs select Jonathan Baldwin, the wide receiver from Pittsburgh. Is it a reach? Yes. But I like Baldwin and his size. He just has some immaturity issues, but that will come with time. The Chiefs need someone to prevent defenses from focusing entirely on Dwayne Bowe, so I have no problem with this pick although it may be a small reach. So now the Ravens on the clock?

A quick Packers update. I don't expect Ted Thompson to trade up like the Packers blogs are hoping for. There are many good players sitting on the draft board that would certainly fill a need for the Packers. If Ingram makes it past the Patriots, he could certainly be there when the Packers pick. Also, a good defensive lineman should make its way down to Green Bay like Bowers, Wilkerson, or Heyward. There are also some good defensive backs such as Jimmy Smith, Brandon Harris, and Aaron Williams. We may even see Thompson trade back and select tomorrow with so many good players still on the board.

So the Seahawks were trying to trade down and obviously couldn't find any takers. so they take their guy James Carpenter...who I have projected as a 3rd or 4th round pick. This in my opinion is the worst pick in the draft so far by a long shot. Carpenter is the 101st ranked prospect on my board and I felt the Seahawks could have gotten him in the 2nd round at the earliest. Also, you reach for a tackle with Carimi (a right tackle like Carpenter) or Sherrod on the board? Just a pick that makes no sense to me. Baltimore on the clock. I have Cameron Heyward mocked here but could they take the risk on Bowers?

A great pick for the Saints because not many people had Jordan dropping that far. Some mocks had him going as early as 10 to the Skins, so this is great value for the Saints considering defensive end was their biggest need. This is another A grade for me, as Jordan had a monster Senior Bowl where he proved to be unblockable. Seattle on the clock. Talk on the JS blog is that the Packers may trade up around here with Ingram still onthe board. The Seahawks have been rumored to be interested in trading down.

In a bit of a surprising move, the Eagles pass on a tackle and corner and take a 26 year old guard. No disrespect to Watkins, but I do not think this is the right pick for the Eagles. Dmitri Patterson is simply not starting corner caliber material for a team not far away from a Super Bowl. Also, Jason Peters is good on one side, but they have no right tackle. Winston Justice was completely dominated by Clay Matthews in the Wild Card game and Carimi projected to be a very solid right tackle. The Eagles did need a guard and will start right away, which doesn't make it a horrible pick. However, corner and tackle were more desperate needs, which they need to address in the later rounds now. I would grade this a C-. The Saints on the clock...Mark Ingram or D'Quan Bowers are possibilites. I also can't believe Cameron Jordan is still on the board.

Well, Polian made the obvious pick and took Anthony Castonzo. The Colts dream scenario was for Castonzo to fall to 22, and that indeed happened. Castonzo was the 2nd best tackle on my board behind Tyron Smith. Not much need for analysis here other than it was a good pick for the Colts, who stupidly passed on Roger Saffold last year for Jerry Hughes. Philadelphia on the clock...this could be Carimi or my mock draft selection Jimmy Smith.

Trade Alert! The Browns have acquired the Chiefs 21st pick in the draft. And it looks like this pick will be Phil Taylor. I really think this is a reach, especially trading back into the first round for him. I felt the Browns could have waited a few more spots instead of trading all the way up the 21. Taylor will replace Shaun Rodgers in the 3-4 defense for Cleveland, but I am still not as impressed with him as a prospect. He had a dominant Senior Bowl, but he still has large stamina issues and he takes plays off. Not my favorite pick of the first round here by Mike Holmgren after a good trade made earlier tonight. I fully expect this next pick by the Colts to be Castonzo.

And no, the Bucs do not select Da'Quan Bowers or Cameron Jordan, but instead go off what many reports were saying. Many reports last week said Clayborn is high on the Bucs draft board and that statement looks like it was true. After a monster junior year where he was considered a top ten pick, Clayborn had an up and down senior year causing his stock to drop a bit. However, being the 20th pick in the draft is no small feat either. Tampa was obviously going defensive end with this pick, and they obviously felt concenred about the knee injury of Bowers or that Jordan did not fit the system. A solid pick for the Bucs, except I only felt it was a little high.

If I had to grade the first round so far, I would give the Giants an A. Not many people predicted Prince Amukumra falling this far, but the Giants were certainly happy. Amukumara is the second best corner in this draft and the 8th rated prospect on my big board so to get him at 19 is a steal. Terrell Thomas and Corey Webster are nothing special and even Aaron Ross struggled a little last year. The Giants had many games last year where they gave up big passing games (aka Aaron Rodgers) so this is definitely a great pick and a need. The Bucs on the clock...is this Bowers territory?

Well, I would like to personally thank ESPN for breaking the news early again and showing us Corey Liuget celebrating. Liguet helps bolster a defensive line that is probably the biggest question mark for the Chargers entering next season. Between Liguet and Cameron Jordan, the Chargers had some good options available to them. A need at good value for the Chargers works out well for them. The Giants up next, who I have mocked Anthony Costanzo to.

Wow, that was a surprise. Solder being the 2nd tackle selected in this draft is a big surprise to me especially considering how interested I heard the Pats were in Cameron Jordan. Solder was the 5th rated tackle in my board, as I was not impressed with his footwork and he plays high. The former converted tight end is still really raw and had a rough Senior Bowl on top of that. The Patriots needed help on their offensive line and a team like New England can also take a sort of project like Solder. Chargers on the clock.

Well, good thing I was wrong. The selection of Ryan Kerrigan to the Skins gives me my tenth pick right in 16 tries, definitely the best I have ever done thusfar. We still have half the first round left! Kerrigan makes sense, as it looked like the Skins were going defensive line. I just expected him this pick to be Jordan, as rumors were that the Skins were very interested in him. However, I really like Kerrigan too, who I have ranked just one spot lower on my defensive end rankings. Good pick for the Redskins. I have Jordan going to the Patriots on my mock...let's see if I am right.

The Dolphins selection of Pouncey makes me 9/15 on my mock. My goal was getting 10 right for this draft, so I am one pick away. Of course, I probably just jynxed it. A decent pick for the Dolphins, but I am still convinced they should have went with Mallett here. I mocked Pouncey because I believed Sporano was going to take a lineman in a year where this may be his last with the Dolphins. However, Mike Pouncey is not better than his twin brother Maurkice who went 18th last year (and as soon as I type that, Mel Kiper says that exactly). I believe he is slightly overrated based on his brother's success, but its not a terrible pick. Just not a great one. Washington on the clock for the second time tonight. It will be interesting to see where they go. My prediction is Cameron Jordan.

The Rams make a little bit of a surprising pick taking Robert Quinn. However, they had a large need on the defensive line. I just expected to go them interior with Liuget instead of at the end. Quinn is a freak athlete, probably the best among defensive ends in this draft. Quinn could have been the top pick in this draft with Andrew Luck staying had he not been suspended for dealing with an agent. The Rams get very good value here at pick 14 as Quinn will team up opposite Chris Long. They will still need to get some help at defensive tackle in the later rounds. The Dolphins on the clock.

And the Detroit defensive line becomes even better. Nick Fairley, the third best player on my board goes to Detroit a year after the selection of Ndamukong Suh. Detroit now has one of the top defensive lines in football, which is a scary thoguht as a Packer fan considering their offensive line was completely dominated by the Lions in that game in Detroit last December. The Lions really didn't have a need a defensive tackle, but he was the top player on the board so it made sense for Detroit. Vanden Bosch and Suh with Fairley is a scary thought. One pick after a laugher, this pick makes me worried as a Packer fan. St. Louis next.

Well, it looks like the Vikings could not trade back. And they make a major reach for Christian Ponder. Look, I like Ponder, but 12th overall? Minnesota really was despereate for a quarterback and they showed it by reaching here. I had Ponder as a 2nd to 3rd round grade and he goes 12th? I am just in shock and am also laughing at the same time as all Vikings fans around me are still cursing. I liked Mallett and Dalton much better than Ponder, who just looked terrible in his bowl game against South Carolina. He had a great Senior Bowl to bring his stock back up, but I will say it again. Minnesota really reached here. Ponder is a good fit for the West Coast offense, but that is the only plus Minnesota has going for this pick.

The Houston Texans selecte my boy JJ Watt with the 11th overall pick. However, I feel like Amukumara would have been the better pick as Houston's pass defense was absolutely attrocious. Watt will still definitely help the pass defense with his pass rushing skills, so its still a good pick. Watt was a complete stud this year with my Wisconsin Badgers and he is definitely a good fit in Houston, where they need a 5-technique opposite of Mario Williams. Watt has the best motor in this draft and I will never forget the Northwestern game I went to this year at Camp Randall where he had 2 forced fumbles and a pick in the same game. Good but not a great pick for Houston and good luck JJ. We will miss you at Wisconsin. My nemesis the Vikings are on the clock. Is this an option for Nick Fairley?

Well, the Redskins and Mike Shanahan obviously did not like Blaine Gabbert and have traded the 10th pick in the draft to the Jaguars. The Jaguars instead take Gabbert with the 10th pick in the draft, which makes me very happy. I definitely agree with this decision as opposed to what some of you may think. Gabbert is the best quarterback in the draft and I have never been a big David Garrard fan. The Jaguars can start Garrard and let Gabbert ease into the offense until he is ready. Best of all, the Vikings will not be getting Gabbert. This rounds out the first round for me and makes me 8/10. Houston on the clock...is this Prince Amukumara territory?


Props to you Jerry Jones. I've had Tryon Smith as my top tackle before he people started putting him up in this range and Jones made me look good. Smith is a superior athlete from the tackle position and will definitely help keep Tony Romo upright. I thought Jones may lean towards Amukumara, but he made the right decision in this case. There is a lot of depth at corner in this draft that they can get later. Washington on the clock...please let the rumors be true and take Gabbert.

And the Titans love for Jake Locker was not a secret. This makes me 7/8, but I assumed Gabbert was going to the 49ers. To select Locker over Gabbert is really telling and says that the Titans were really set on taking Locker regardless of whoever was there. I have said it before and will say it again. I have Locker as a 2nd round grade as I have not been impressed with him in his college days. Locker definitely is dangerous and has a cannon and some athletic ability and definitely fills a need for the Titans. Locker has a lot of accuracy issues and had only a 54% completion percentage in his career. And I LOVE how Gruden is saying this guy is a winner when Washington was about .500 every seasin with Locker. I feel Gabbert will be the better player, and now I am getting nervous that he may fall to the Vikings at 12. Come on Washington!

Aldon Smith is the first semi "reach" of this draft. Smith definitely has the ability and has unbelievable speed for a defensive end. However, I feel like the 49ers could have definitely traded back a few spots here for a team that needed a quarterback and wanted Blaine Gabbert. The earliest I saw Smith going was 11 to the Texans. This tells me that Gabbert or Locker could slide a bit now. Titans already with the pick in!


Wow, what a move by the Falcons. They trade up for the clear cut second best receiver in this draft and will have Jones on the other side of Roddy White. This makes Atlanta significantly better and as a Packer fan, this makes me worried. It will be interesting to see how much Atlanta gave up in order to move up 21 spots in the first round. Luckily, I still had Julio Jones mocked number 6, so this makes me 6/6 to begin this draft. And the details for the trade were just released. Wow, Atlanta has to give up their number one, two, and fourth round picks in this draft in addition to their first and fourth next year. Julio Jones better be what Dmitrov imagined because five picks for one guy is really a risk, especially to move up 21 spots for a wide receiver. Now on the flipside, Jones and White with Turner at running back and Gonzalez at tight end should give Matt Ryan many weapons to work with and make the Falcons one of the top offenses in the league. That defense is still a question however, and I definitely remember Aaron Rodgers shredding that Falcons defense for 48 points in the Divisional round on a January Saturday night.


Thanks ESPN and Coleen Dominguez for breaking the news early. Anyway, great pick by the Cardinals! Peterson is without a doubt the top player in this draft and is going to be a complete stud in the NFL. He weights 220 pounds for a corner back and yet still runs a 4.3 40. Peterson still has some coverage issues and sometimes is slow to breaking to the ball but that is nitpicking and is his only small weakness. Peterson going to Arizona gives them one of the best corner tandems in the NFL paired up with Dominique Rodgers- Cromartie. And I will stop talking about how great Peterson is because our first trade just happened! Browns trade the 6th pick to Atlanta!


A.J. Green, the second overall player on my board goes with the 2nd overall pick. Green in my opinion is the best wide receiver to come out since Calvin Johnson in 2007 and its really not even close. Green is a freak athlete with freak hands and I have been following him since his freshman year at Georgia. He really single handedly kept Georgia in games this past season. Now, the question is what is next in Cincinnati? Is this selection enough to convince Carson Palmer to come back? Or will the Bengals trade back into the first round and select Andy Dalton or Christian Palmer? Arizona on the clock with Patrick Peterson still on the clock.

It looks like the reports were true that Marcell Dareus would not make it past the Bills. Dareus blew up at the combine and many moved him over Nick Fairley as the top defensive tackle in the NFL Draft. I believe that is false, but that is taking nothing away from Dareus. I just think Fairley is a better and dominant player. However, in this scenario, Dareus is a better fit in a 3-4 where he can be the nose tackle, whereas I see Fairely as making more of an impact as a 1 or 2 technique in a 4-3. Good pick by Buffalo. Cincinnati taking AJ Green next?

The Broncos do indeed select Von Miller with the second pick in the draft. I completely agree with Miller as a "rare explosive athlete." Before the season, Miller was a a projected late first round pick, and I was hoping Green Bay would have a chance at him to pair up with Matthews. However, as the year went on, it showed Miller was definitely going to be drafted at a higher range. After a monster Senior Bowl and NFL Combine, Miller shot up teams' draft boards and is now the second overall pick. Miller is so explosive off the edge and the comparisons to Derrick Thomas are legit. A 4.4 40 coming off the edge is indeed scary and it will be even scarier for teams playing Denver if Elvis Dumervil can remain healthy. Buffalo next on the clock.

Here we go. The Panthers are on the clock...and the pick is already in.

As expected, the Panthers go with Cam Newton with the first overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft amongst many boos in Radio Music City Hall. Now, if I were the Panthers, I would have taken Patrick Peterson, but I definitely understand why they went this direction. As I said in my mock, Jimmy Claussen may not have had a fair shot in Carolina last year, but it just looks like he doesn't have it. Newton is a really high risk, but I felt like Carolina had to do this. He has a lot of potential and not many people are gifted with that size and athletic ability while also having a cannon for an arm. If I were Carolina, I wouldn't start him right away, but they may have no choice. Jimmy Claussen was that bad last season. On to Denver, where it looks like this pick will be Von Miller.


The NFL Draft is finally here! I will have my thoughts for every pick in the first round of the draft. Here is my final mock again right here to see how many I get right once the 32nd selection is made:

http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/user_mock_drafts.cfm?mock_id=23283

NFL Draft Player Rankings

Here is my top 100 Big Board for this draft and also my player rankings my position. Less than an hour away from the first pick! I am going to quickly get some food and then be back on here in front of ESPN for the start of the draft. Hope you can join me for the live blog.

Top 100 Prospects
1. Patrick Peterson
2. AJ Green
3. Nick Fairley
4. Marcell Dareus
5. Von Miller
6. Julio Jones
7. Robert Quinn
8. Prince Amukumara
9. Blaine Gabbert
10. JJ Watt
11. Aldon Smith
12. Cameron Jordan
13. Tyron Smith
14. Ryan Kerrigan
15. Da’Quan Bowers
16. Cam Newton
17. Anthony Costanzo
18. Mark Ingram
19. Gabe Carimi
20. Mike Pouncey
21. Corey Liuget
22. Jimmy Smith
23. Derek Sherrod
24. Akeem Ayers
25. Phil Taylor
26. Brandon Harris
27. Adrian Clayborn
28. Ryan Mallet
29. Cameron Heyward
30. Aaron Williams
31. Torrey Smith
32. Nate Solder
33. Justin Houston
34. Muhammed Wilkerson
35. Brooks Reed
36. Jonathan Baldwin
37. Marvin Austin
38. Danny Watkins
39. Jake Locker
40. Mikel Leshoure
41. Stephen Paea
42. Kyle Rudolph
43. Martez Wilson
44. Bruce Carter
45. Rahim Moore
46. Ras-I Dowling
47. Titus Young
48. Ben Ijalana
49. Sam Acho
50. Christian Ballard
51. Leonard Hankerson
52. Mason Foster
53. Randall Cobb
54. Christian Ponder
55. Jabaal Sheard
56. Andy Dalton
57. Lance Kendricks
58. Steve Wisniewski
59. Brandon Burton
60. Ryan Williams
61. Jerel Jerrnigan
62. Kelvin Sheppard
63. John Moffit
64. Quan Sturdivant
65. Drake Nevis
66. Rodney Hudson
67. Allen Bailey
68. Jurrell Casey
69. Colin Kaepernick
70. Shane Vereen
71. Quinton Carter
72. Greg Romeus
73. Curtis Brown
74. Johnny Patrick
75. Greg Jones
76. Kendrick Ellis
77. Orlando Franklin
78. DeAndre McDaniel
79. Vincent Brown
80. Akeem Dent
81. Marcus Cannon
82. Marcus Gilbert
83. Mark Herzlich
84. Dontay Moch
85. Tandon Doss
86. Nate Irving
87. Jarvis Jenkins
88. Luke Stocker
89. Ahmad Black
90. Austin Pettis
91. Ricky Stanzi
92. D.J. Williams
93. Davon House
94. Casey Matthews
95. DeMarco Murray
96. Chris Carter
97. Jalil Brown
98. Sione Fua
99. Daniel Thomas
100. Taiwan Jones


Quarterbacks
1. Blaine Gabbert- Missouri 1st
2. Cam Newton- Auburn 1st
3. Ryan Mallet- Arkansas 1st- 2nd
4. Jake Locker- Washington 2nd
5. Christian Ponder- Florida State 2nd- 3rd
6. Andy Dalton- TCU 2nd- 3rd
7. Colin Kaepernick- Nevada 3rd
8. Ricky Stanzi- Iowa 3rd
9. Nathan Enderle- Idaho 4th
10. Pat Devlin- Delaware 4th
11. Greg McElroy- Alabama 4th-5th
12. T.J. Yates- North Carolina 5th-6th
13. Tyrod Taylor- Virginia Tech 6th
14. Scott Tolzien- Wisconsin 7th
15. Taylor Potts- Texas Tech 7th
16. Jerod Johnson- Texas A&M 7th


Running Backs
1. Mark Ingram- Alabama 1st – 2nd
2. Mikel Leshoure- Illinois 2nd
3. Ryan Williams-Virginia Tech 2nd- 3rd
4. Shane Vereen- California 3rd
5. DeMarco Murray- Oklahoma 3rd-4th
6. Daniel Thomas- Kansas State 3rd-4th
7. Taiwan Jones- Eastern Washington 3rd – 4th
8. Jordan Todman- Connecticut 3rd-4th
9. Kendall Hunter- Oklahoma State 3rd-4th
10. Dion Lewis- Pittsburgh 4th
11. Steven Ridley- LSU 4th
12. Delone Carter- Syracuse 4th
13. Da’Rel Scott- Maryland 4th -5th
14. Derrick Locke- Kentucky 4th- 5th
15. Jacquizz Rodgers- Oregon State 5th
16. Noel Devine- West Virginia 5th
17. Darren Evans- Virginia Tech 5th – 6th
18. Bilal Powell- Louisville 6th
19. Graig Cooper- Miami 6th
20. Jamie Harper- Clemson 6th
21. Alex Green- Hawaii 6th
22. Anthony Allen- Georgia Tech 6th-7th
23. Roy Helu- Nebraska 7th
24. Evan Royster- Penn State 7th
25. Mario Fannin- Auburn 7th

Fullbacks
1. Anthony Sherman- Uconn 4th-5th
2. Charles Clay- Tulsa 5th
3. Stanley Havili-USC 5th
4. Owen Marecic- Stanford 5th
5. Henry Hyzonski- Pittsburgh 6th
6. Shaun Chapas- Georgia 7th

Wide Receivers
1. AJ Green- Georgia 1st
2. Julio Jones- Alabama 1st
3. Torrey Smith- Maryland 1st- 2nd
4. Jonathan Baldwin- Pittsburgh 1st-2nd
5. Titus Young- Boise State 2nd
6. Leonard Hankerson- Miami 2nd
7. Randall Cobb- Kentucky 2nd
8. Jerrel Jernigan- Troy 2nd – 3rd
9. Vincent Brown- San Diego State 3rd
10. Tandon Doss- Indiana 3rd
11. Austin Pettis- Boise State 3rd
12. Terrence Tolliver- LSU 3rd – 4th
13. Greg Little- North Carolina 4th
14. Edmond Gates- Abilene Christian 4th
15. Ronald Johnson-USC 4th
16. Dwayne Harris- East Carolina 4th-5th
17. Darvin Adams- Auburn 4th-5th
18. Kris Adams- UTEP 5th
19. Greg Salas- Hawaii 5th
20. Stephen Burton- West Texas A&M 5th-6th
21. Cecil Shorts- Mount Union 5th- 6th
22. Jeremy Kerley- TCU 5th -6th
23. DeAndre Brown- Southern Miss 6th
24. Dane Sanzenbacher- Ohio State 6th
25. Niles Paul- Nebraska 6th
26. Aldrick Robinson-SMU 6th -7th
27. Armon Binns- Cincinnati 6th -7th
28. Jeff Maehl- Oregon 7th
29. Denarius Moore- Tennessee 7th
30. Kris Durham- Georgia 7th

Tight Ends
1. Kyle Rudolph- Notre Dame 2nd
2. Lance Kendricks- Wisconsin 2nd-3rd
3. D.J. Williams- Arkansas 2nd-3rd
4. Luke Stocker- Tennessee 3rd
5. Virgil Green- Nevada 4th
6. Jordan Cameron- USC 4th
7. Julius Thomas- Portland State 4th – 5th
8. Lee Smith- Marshall 6th
9. Rob Housler- Florida Atlantic 6th
10. Zach Pianalto- North Carolina 6th
11. Weslye Saunders- South Carolina 7th


Tackles
1. Tyron Smith- USC 1st
2. Anthony Costanzo- Boston College 1st
3. Gabe Carimi- Wisconsin 1st
4. Derrick Sherrod- Miss St. 1st – 2nd
5. Nate Solder- Colorado 1st -2nd
6. Ben Ijalana- Villanova 2nd
7. Orlando Franklin- Miami 3rd
8. Marcus Gilbert- Florida 3rd
9. Lee Ziemba- Auburn 4th
10. Jah Reid- Central Florida 4th
11. James Brewer- Indiana 4th-5th
12. Joseph Barksdale- LSU 4th-5th
13. Jason Pinkston- Pittsburgh 4th- 5th
14. Chris Hairston- Clemson 5th
15. DeMarcus Love- Arkansas 5th-6th
16. Darius Morris- Temple 5th -6th
17. Derek Newton- Arkansas State 6th
18. Willie Smith- East Carolina 6th-7th
19. David Mims- Virginia Union 6th-7th

Guards
1. Mike Pouncey- Florida 1st
2. Danny Watkins- Baylor 1st-2nd
3. John Moffit- Wisconsin 2nd – 3rd
4. Rodney Hudson- Florida State 2nd-3rd
5. Marcus Cannon- TCU 3rd
6. James Carpenter- Alabama 3rd-4th
7. Clint Boling- Georgia 3rd-4th
8. Will Rackley- Lehigh 4th – 5th
9. Andrew Jackson- Fresno State 4th- 5th
10. Zach Hurd- Connecticut 5th
11. Steve Schilling- Michigan 5th -6th
12. Keith Williams- Nebraska 5th-6th
13. David Arken- Missouri State 6th
14. Justin Boeren- Ohio State 6th

Centers
1. Steve Wisniewski- Penn State 2nd – 3rd
2. Kris O’Dowd- USC 4th
3. Alex Linnenkohl- Oregon State 5th
4. Brandon Fusco- Slipper Rock 5th
5. Jake Kirkpatrick- TCU 5th-6th
6. Ryan Bartholomew- Syracuse 6th
7. Zane Taylor- Utah 6th
8. Kevin Kowalski-Toledo 6th -7th
9. Tim Barnes- Missouri 6th- 7th

Defensive Ends
1. Robert Quinn- North Carolina 1st
2. JJ Watt- Wisconsin 1st
3. Aldon Smith- Missouri 1st
4. Cameron Jordan- California 1st
5. Ryan Kerrigan- Purdue 1st
6. Da’Quan Bowers- Clemson 1st
7. Adrian Clayborn- Iowa 1st- 2nd
8. Cameron Heyward-Ohio State 1st -2nd
9. Brooks Reed- Arizona 1st-2nd
10. Sam Acho- Texas 2nd
11. Jabaal Sheard-Pittsburgh 2nd- 3rd
12. Allen Bailey- Miami 2nd- 3rd
13. Greg Romeus- Pittsburgh 3rd
14. Jeremy Beal- Oklahoma 4th
15. Cliff Matthews- South Carolina 4th
16. Pernell McPhee- Mississippi State 4th-5th
17. Ugo Chinasa- Oklahoma State 4th-5th
18. Ricky Elmore- Arizona 5th
19. Eddie Jones- Texas 5th
20. Markus Wright- Florida State 5th
21. Pierre Allen- Nebraska- 5th
22. Kenny Rowe- Oregon 5th-6th
23. Zane Parr- Virginia 6th
24. Ryan Winterswyk- Boise State 7th

Defensive Tackles
1. Nick Fairley- Auburn 1st
2. Marcel Dareus- Alabama 1st
3. Corey Liuget- Illinois 1st
4. Phil Taylor- Baylor 1st
5. Muhammed Wilkerson- Temple 1st-2nd
6. Marvin Austin- North Carolina 1st-2nd
7. Stephen Paea- Oregon State 2nd
8. Christian Ballard- Iowa 2nd
9. Drake Nevis- LSU 2nd-3rd
10. Jurrell Casey- USC 2nd-3rd
11. Kendrick Ellis- Hampton 3rd
12. Jarvis Jenkins- Clemson 3rd
13. Sione Fua- Standford 3rd-4th
14. Terrell McClain- South Florida 4th
15. Jerrell Powe- Mississippi 4th
16. Lawrence Guy- Arizona State 4th
17. Ian Williams- Notre Dame 4th- 5th
18. Sealver Siligi- Utah 4th-5th
19. Karl Kluh- Iowa 5th
20. Cedric Thornton- Southern Arkansas 5th
21. Brandon Blair- Oregon 5th-6th

Outside Linebackers
1. Von Miller- Texas A&M 1st
2. Akeem Ayers- UCLA 1st
3. Justin Houston- Georgia 1st – 2nd
4. Bruce Carter- North Carolina 2nd
5. Mason Foster- Washington 2nd
6. Mark Herzlich- Boston College 3rd
7. Dontay Moch- Nevada 3rd
8. Chris Carter- Fresno State 3rd-4th
9. Lawrence Wilson- Connecticut 3rd-4th
10. K.J. Wright- Mississippi State 4th
11. Thomas Keiser- Stanford 4th
12. Brian Rolle- Ohio State 4th-5th
13. Doug Hogue- Syracuse 5th
14. Wayne Daniels- TCU 5th – 6th
15. Adrian Moten- Maryland 6th
16. Mario Addison- Troy 6th
17. Jonas Mouton- Michigan 6th
18. Steven Friday- Virginia Tech 6th-7th
19. Brian Rolle- Ohio State 6th-7th
20. Jeremiah Hunter- Iowa 7th

Middle Linebackers
1. Martez Wilson- Illinois 2nd
2. Kelvin Sheppard- LSU 2nd-3rd
3. Quan Sturdivant- North Carolina 2nd – 3rd
4. Greg Jones- Michigan State 3rd
5. Akeem Dent- Georgia 3rd
6. Nate Irving- North Carolina State 3rd
7. Casey Matthews- Oregon 3rd-4th
8. Colin McCarthy- Miami 3rd-4th
9. Chris White- Mississippi State 4th
10. Ross Homan- Ohio State 4th- 5th
11. Alex Wujciak- Maryland 4th-5th
12. Bruce Miller- Central Florida 5th
13. Josh Byrnes- Auburn 6th
14. Mario Harvey- Marshall 6th
15. Orie Lemon- Oklahoma State 6th-7th
16. Mike Mohamed- California 6th – 7th
17. Nick Bellore- Central Michigan 7th



Cornerbacks
1. Patrick Peterson- LSU 1st
2. Prince Amukamara- Nebraska 1st
3. Jimmy Smith- Colorado 1st
4. Brandon Harris- Miami 1st- 2nd
5. Ras-I Dowling- Virginia 2nd
6. Brandon Burton- Utah 2nd -3rd
7. Curtis Brown- Texas 3rd
8. Johnny Patrick- Louisville 3rd
9. Davon House- New Mexico State 3rd-4th
10. Jalil Brown- Colorado 3rd-4th
11. Shareece Wright- USC 4th
12. Chimdi Chekwa- Ohio State 4th
13. Kendric Burney- North Carolina 4th
14. Brandon Hogan- West Virginia 4th
15. Curtis Marsh- Utah State 4th
16. Rashad Carmichael- Virginia Tech 4th-5th
17. DeMarcus Van Dyke- Miami 5th
18. Justin Rogers- Richmond 5th
19. Chris Rucker- Michigan State 5th
20. Josh Thomas- Buffalo 5th
21. Chykie Brown- Texas 5th
22. Buster Skrine- Chattanooga 5th-6th
23. Richard Sherman- Stanford 5th-6th
24. Cortez Allen- The Citadel 6th
25. Devon Torrence-Ohio State 6th
26. Mario Butler- Georgia Tech 6th-7th
27. Korey Lindsley- Southern Illinois 7th

Strong Safeties
1. DeAndre McDaniel- Clemson 3rd
2. Ahmad Black- Florida 3rd
3. Jeron Johnson- Boise State 4th- 5th
4. Shiloh Keo- Idaho 4th-5th
5. Joe Lefeged- Rutgers 5th
6. Chris Conte- California 5th- 6th
7. Jerrard Tarrant- Georgia Tech 5th – 6th
8. Da’Norris Searcy- North Carolina 6th


Free Safeties
1. Aaron Williams- Texas 1st- 2nd
2. Rahim Moore- UCLA 2nd
3. Quinton Carter- Oklahoma 2nd-3rd
4. Robert Sands- West Virginia 4th
5. Jaiquawn Jarrett- Temple 4th
6. Tyler Sash- Iowa 4th- 5th
7. Marcus Gilchrist- Clemson 5th
8. Deunta Williams- North Carolina 5th
9. Eric Hagg- Nebraska 6th
10. Chris Culliver- South Carolina 6th
11. Jermale Hines- Ohio State 6th-7th
12. Nate Williams- Washington 7th

3-4 OLB
1. Von Miller- Texas A&M
2. Robert Quinn- North Carolina
3. Aldon Smith- Missouri
4. Justin Houston- Georgia
5. Brooks Reed- Arizona
6. Akeem Ayers- UCLA
7. Sam Acho- Texas
8. Greg Romeus- Pittsburgh
9. Dontay Moch- Nevada
10. Chris Carter- Fresno State
11. Jeremy Beal- Oklahoma
12. Ugo Chinasa- Oklahoma State

Kickers
1. Alex Henerey- Nebraska 5th
2. Kai Forbath- UCLA 6th-7th
3. Josh Jasper- LSU 7th

Punters
1. Chas Henry- Florida 6th-7th
2. Ryan Donnahue- Iowa 7th
3. Reid Forest- Washington State 7th

NFL Updates for this Blog

Hello to all my followers again,

Just a few announcements. I will post my final player rankings and my top 100 big board sometime tomorrow afternoon a few hours before the draft starts.

Again, if you want to see my final mock draft, check the post below and click on the link.

I will also be having a live blog and will post my thoughts on each and every pick. On Friday, I will also have a live blog, giving my brief thoughts about every 5 picks or so on rounds 2 and 3. I will not have a live blog on Saturday for rounds 4-7 because I will most likely not be able to watch the draft. Instead, I will have team by team grades a week after the draft is over (cut me a break, I have finals next week). Hope you can follow the draft with me tomorrow. In the words of Bart Scott: CANT WAIT!

Final Mock Draft

Because this dumb blog will not let me copy and paste from Microsoft Word, I have posted my final mock draft on another website. That also sadly means I cannot post my pre-draft postional rankings and my big board but here at least is my mock. Enjoy!


http://www.fftoolbox.com/nfl_draft/user_mock_drafts.cfm?mock_id=23283

Pre-Combine Mock Draft

With the NFL Combine set to begin next week, I will give my first mock of the year for the 2011 NFL Draft. Enjoy...and also enjoy the fact that our Green Bay Packers our World Champions! :).

1. Carolina: Nick Fairley/DT Auburn
The best player in this draft goes to a team in need of a defensive tackle.

2. Denver: Da'Quan Bowers/ DE Clemson
Bowers is the most athletic defensive lineman to come out since Mario Williams.

3. Buffalo: Cam Newton/ QB Auburn
The Bills need someone to sell tickets and Fitzpatrick is not the answer.

4. Cincinnati: AJ Green/ WR Georgia
With OchoCinco and Owens both likely gone, this seems like a sure lock at this point.

5. Auburn: Von Miller/ LB Texas A&M
Joey Porter isn't getting any younger. Miller is a true speed rusher that will get to the quarterback.

6. Cleveland: Marcel Dareus/ DE Alabama
Dareus would be a great fit for a team moving to a 3-4.

7. San Francisco: Patrick Peterson/ CB LSU
The most talented player in this draft in my opinion is a steal at this point.

8. Tennessee: Blaine Gabbert/ QB Missouri
I have questions about Gabbert, but the fact is the Titans desperately need a quarterback.

9. Dallas: Prince Amukumara/ CB Nebraska
Michael Jenkins was exposed this season and Terrence Newman isn't getting any younger.

10. Washington: Julio Jones/ WR Nebraska
Really torn between Jones and Robert Quinn here. We'll see this plays out.

11. Houston: Aldon Smith/ DE Missouri
Houston is switching to the 3-4 and will need a pass rusher.

12. Minnesota: Robert Quinn/ DE North Carolina
It will be interesting to see how Quinn works out next week after a year off from football.

13. Detroit: Nate Solder/ T Colorado
The Lions need a franchise left tackle. Solder and Cherilous will solidify the two tackle positions.

14. St. Louis: Corey Liuget/ DT Illinois
The Rams struggled stopping the run up the middle this year.

15. MiamiL Mark Ingram/RB Alabama
This is a slam dunk in my opinion.

16. Jacksonville: Ryan Kerrigan/ DE Purdue
Its rumored Jacksonville really like Kerrigan who is a high character guy.

17. New England: Cameron Jordan/ DE California
New England's biggest need is a 3-4 DE, so this is a perfect fit.

18. San Diego: JJ Watt/ DE Wisconsin
Let the run on defensive ends continue. San Diego would be eccstatic if Watt fell here.

19. New York Giants: Tyron Smith/ T USC
The Giants don't have many glaring holes, but a tackle would be an upgrade.

20. Tampa Bay: Adrian Clayborn/ DE Iowa
The Bucs defensive ends were attrocious last season.

21. Kansas City: Phil Taylor/ DT
A strong senior bowl has him flying up the draft boards.

22. Indianapolis: Anthony Costanzo/ T Boston College
I have Carimi rated higher, but Costanzo projects as a left tackle which is what the Colts need.

23. Philadelphia: Gabe Carimi/ T Wisconsin
See Wintston Justice getting abused by Clay Matthews in the Wild Card game.

24. New Orleans: Akeem Ayers/ LB UCLA
The Saints look set on offense so expect this pick to be defense.

25. Seattle: Jimmy Smith/ CB Colorado
Another prospect shooting up draft boards. With a strong combine, he could continue to do just that.

26. Baltimore: Brandon Harris/ CB Miami
Baltimore loves playmakers from the U. Here is another.

27. Atlanta: Titus Young/WR Boise State
Surprise! Atlanta needs a receiver with wheels that can stretch the field.

28. New England: Torry Smith/ WR Maryland
New England needs a deep threat to replace Randy Moss.

29. Chicago: Mike Pouncey/ G Florida
Pouncey falls right into Chicago's lap who is in desperate need of a left guard.

30. New York Jets: Justin Houston/ OLB Georgia
It is obvious the Jets still need help rushing the passer and Houston fits that mold.

31. Pittsburgh Steelers: Cameron Heyward/ DE Ohio State
The value of Heyward here is too good for the Steelers to pass up.

32. Green Bay Packers: Derrick Sherrod/ T Mississippi State
We never know what Ted Thompson does but we do know that if a player slips, he will grab him. Sherrod is a first round talent at tackle and would be able to fill in when Clifton retires. I am sure Ted Thompson is hoping for Justin Houston to fall here as he may be an instant starter oppositve of Matthews. Another possibility is Texas cornerback Aaron Williams.

Super Bowl Champions!

Finally! That is the word that first pops into my head. I have finally witnessed one of my teams win a championship (that I can remember watching) and who better than the team I love most of all: the Green Bay Packers. And what a feeling it really is. When Roethlisberger's pass hit the turf and there was no yellow on the field, I leaped out of my seat and shouted YES!! and hugged the first person of many that I could get my arms around at my Packer party. I couldn't take it anymore. After a couple minutes of celebrating I locked myself in the bathroom and teared up, while telling myself repeatedly, "We are Super Bowl Champions. Thank You!" It was the greatest moment of my sporting fandom career and I have a hard time believing that feeling will be surpassed. Think about it: With all the injuries that the Packers suffered, and then just sneaking into the playoffs by the slightest margins. Then, they won three straight road games against the top 3 teams in the NFC in back to back to back weeks on their route to the Super Bowl. That time of adversity that the team overcame...I mean wow, it just doesn't get much better than that. I get goosebumps and a wide smile on my face just thinking about it. Now, when I look back on my blog in the future, I can remember the exact feeling that I had when the Packers had captured Super Bowl 45. Here are my thoughts of the greatest Packer game that I have witnessed as a fan:


1) Aaron Rodgers is unbelievable. I know I gave him high praise after the Falcons game, but I need to do so again. There is no better player in the NFL than Aaron Rodgers. That is right. I truly believe Rodgers is the best player in the league. Brady may have something to say about that, but he looked older in that Jets game. Peyton Manning, on the other hand, is actually old and may only have five years left in his tank. Manning did not have a great season this year, and I wouldn't think twice taking Rodgers over him. Brees was phenomonal last season, but he made some questionable decisions this season with the football that led to many interceptions. Face it. Quarterback is the most important position for a football team, and there is not better quarterback in football than Aaron Rodgers. He is only 27 years old and he has no glaring weaknesses. His accuracy allows him to make any throw on the field, which was demonstrated in that championship game. The third touchdown before half to Greg Jennings over the middle had me saying to myself, "How did he make that throw?" There were three guys in a very tight window and Ryan Clark was one inch from tipping that ball. The amount of velocity on that ball with the pinpoint accuracy makes that throw just about impossible to defend. Rodgers also has the best poise of any quarterback in the league, which I think many people tend to underrate. Rodgers looked very calm on the Packers final drive and made the biggest throw of his career on a 3rd and 10 pass to Greg Jennings that was fit right down the seam. It was superb coverage by Ike Taylor, but the throw was just better. It was just a normal day for Rodgers: He was better than everyone else on the field, earning Super Bowl MVP honors and a new slick convertible on top of that.


2) The biggest plays of the game. There are 2 huge plays that stand out in my mind, and I cannot decide which one was more important. The first play of the fourth quarter Rashard Mendenhall took a carry to the right side, where he was met by Clay Matthews and the deep penetration by Ryan Pickett. Matthews put a stick on Mendenhall, jarring the ball loose before being picked up by Desmond Bishop. That play stopped all the Steelers momentum that they had gained in a tough 3rd quarter for the Packers. Without that fumble, I have no doubt in my mind that the Steelers would drive down and score to take their first lead of the ball game. The Packers were once again able to take advantage of the Steelers' third turnover and turned it into a touchdown (they finished with 21 points off turnovers).


The Packers were pinned back at their only 25 yard line on 3rd and 10 with only 6 minutes left to play and needed a first down to take some more time off the clock, since the Steelers only had one timeout. Rodgers took the snap and found only a three man rush, giving him loads of time to find Jennings down the seam who had half a step on Ike Taylor. Taylor reached out and barely missed the ball, allowing Jennings to gain 32 yards and keep the clock moving. If the Packers do not convert there, they go 3 and out and give the ball right back to the Steelers, who would have all the momentum in the world. Sam Shields was done for the game after his last drive where Mike Wallace abused him. With the Steelers momentum, I would not have liked Pat Lee and Jarrett Bush out there while the Steelers had a chance to tie or take the lead late in the ball game. Remember, with only six minutes left, the Steelers probably would have had the ball around their own 35 and could have had a steady drive that took just enough time off the clock. A Steelers touchdown, and the Packers and Aaron Rodgers may not have had enough time to go all the way down and score a touchdown again, no matter how great Aaron was playing. Just something to think about.


3. I am so happy for Charles Woodson and Donald Driver. The two are veterans, warriors, leaders, and just tough football players. I feel awful that they could not finish the game, but they finally were able to get that ring that they were coveting their whole careers. Charles Woodson broke his collarbone, covering a deep route since he was forced to play out wide with the departure of Sam Shields. Driver was tackled by two Steelers defenders where his ankle got caught underneath and buckled. Neither went back in the game and were left in tears at the prospects of not returning. Woodson gave an emotional halftime speach that he could not finish because he was choked back by tears. His Packer teammates were extremely motivated and told the veteran that they would win it for him. After the Steelers scored on their first possession of the third quarter, Woodson approached his defensive teammates on the sideline and shouted at them, "Damnit, I thought you were going to do this for me!" FOX cameras captured a great shot (and no I'm not talking about A-Rod being fed by Cameron Diaz) when they saw Woodson celebrate Suisham's missed field goal and then wince in pain. That is the kind of leader Woodson is, and it really speaks volumes of what he means to this team. I really think he will be a future Hall of Famer now that he has the ring. He has a Defensive MVP, multiple Pro Bowls, and now that Super Bowl ring. And what is great is that he got the MVP and Super Bowl ring with Green Bay, meaning he will probably go in as a Green Bay Packer.

4. It was a long halftime for me. Man,and I thought watching Shields leave the game with a shoulder injury would be bad. It caused Charles Woodson to leave his corner/blitzing/slot hybrid and force him to play on the outside where he is much less dangerous. The Steelers went after him on the first play on a vertical route to Mike Wallace. Woodson outstretched for the ball and landed awkwardly on his arm, breaking his collarbone. Knowing how tough Woodson is, I thought it would only be a stinger. Yet, Fergie wasn't enough to distract me from the game at halftime. I kept thinking what if Woodson and Shields are actually unavailable to play the rest of the game? I kept having flashbacks of last season's game between these two teams where Roethlisberger threw for 503 passing yards against our beat up secondary with the likes of Jarrett Bush and Josh Bell. Now it was Bush and Lee along with Tramon Williams who seemed like the only healthy defensive back starter. Roethlisberger just drove down the field on the last drive of the first half with ease on that secondary, and sure enough score to cut the lead to 11 and give the Steelers momentum heading into halftime. It sure did not feel like an 11 point lead because I really fearing if Woodson and Shields would be back. Sure enough, Pam Oliver says Woodson broke his collar bone. Shields did return to the game but only played with one effecive arm, which wasn't enough to stop Mike Wallace from abusing him on his touchdown. Thankfully, the defense held together and I have to give my due to Bush and Pat Lee. The probably weren't expected the play much, but they held their own for the most part in the second half when they were in the game. Bush actually generated some decent pressure playing the Woodson blitzing role, and made Roethlisberger a little uncomfortable. Despit being burnt by Ward for a touchdown in the first half, Bush played his best game as a Green Bay Packer.

5) This video should explain it all. Again, tears to my eyes. After, I watched this video it finally hit me. As Jim Irwin would say, "WORLD CHAMPION, GREEN BAY PACKERS!"

With the season finally over, I will keep posting random football thoughts weekly whether that be about the Packers or the draft. The scouting combine is my next focus!

Steelers vs. Packers- 2010 NFL Super Bowl

This is it. Super Bowl XLV is finally here and my beloved Green Bay Packers are in Dallas to play for the Lombardi Trophy. And who better to play in Dallas, then maybe the two most successful franchises in NFL history. The Green Bay Packers have won 12 NFL Championships-the most in NFL history. The Pittsburgh Steelers hoist the most Super Bowl Titles with 6. I don't know what I will do if we win or lose. I really haven't thought ahead of what I may do after the game because I am so pumped for 5:29 Sunday Night kickoff. I am one win away from seeing my favorite team (regardless of sport) win the Championship. And never before have I been this close to really remember it. Some great moments in my young sports life include Marquette's Final Four run when i was in 5th grade, The Bucks Eastern Conference Finals run when I was in 3rd grade, the Badgers Final Four run when I was in 1st grade, the Brewers Wild Card run when I was a junior in high school, and of course the Packers making the NFC Championship game when i was a sophomore in high school. Never however have I been this close, and as I said in my last post, it still hasn't hit me. Let's get into the analysis and prediction.





Reasons why I am optimistic about this matchup:
1) We are in a dome against the Steelers defense. This is kind of two different points combined into one, but two things are clear: the Packers offense is very explosive indoor and the Steelers have struggled in domes recently. We know the Packers were never really known as a dome team in the Favre years. That all changed when Rodgers took over as a starter and he has been simply lights out. In 12 career dome games, Rodgers numbers are absurd: 111.5 passer rating, a 68.8 completion percentage, 286.2 yards per game, and 31 total touchdowns vs. six interceptions. His two dome playoff games have been maybe two of the greatest playoff performances by a quarterback in recent memory- last year at Arizona and this year at Atlanta. The Packers receivers also tend to slip less and are more sure handed in the closed stadium setting. The Steelers have previously had struggles when teams try to spread them out like the Patriots and Saints did this season. The Steelers have also struggled in their last two games in domes- this season vs. the Saints where they lost 20-10, and last season just squeaking by the Lions at Ford Field. I also read that the Steelers on defense play better on grass, which makes sense since offenses are slower on their cuts. However, they are inside and both of their Super Bowl wins we know have come on grass.





2) The Steelers offensive line is in shambles. Especially if Maurkice Pouncey cannot play. Doug Legurskey struggled last week after Pouncey went down and BJ Raji should be able to take advantage whether it is Legurskey or Pouncey on one leg. The Steelers have one of the worst offensive lines in the league even with Pouncey, especially at the tackle position. Flozell Adams is among the league leaders in holding penalties and Jonathan Scott is a midseason replacement when starter Max Starks went down. I think Cullen Jenkins could be in a for a huge day pass rushing more than anyone else because most of the attention for the Steelers line will be on Clay Matthews on the other side. I really believe the Packers will get there, but once they get to Roethlisberger they will have to wrap him up and bring him down instead of letting him get away. The Packers sacked Roethlisberger 5 times last year, but still for the most part had trouble stopping Roethlisberger, who threw for 503 passing yards. This is more in part due to the struggling secondary at the time than the pass rush, but we still know that Roethlisberger may be the hardest quarterback to actually take down in the NFL.





The two biggest strengths of the Packers play into the Steeler's weaknesses, which I am really excited about. The Steelers have a problems protecting Roethlisberger and have not had recent success against spread teams, while the Packers have a very solid pass defense and rush, and a prime aerial attack.





3) The last reason I am optimistic you may not believe: Special teams. The Steelers have one of the worst kickoff coverage teams in the NFL. And remember, last year Mike Tomlin attempted a surprise onside kick on the Packers in the game last season. Now I don't expect Tomlin to do that again, but crazier things have happened. We saw that last year in the Saints-Colts Super Bowl where Payton opened up with an onside kick to start the second half. If the Packers defense can stifle the Steelers, I could see Tomlin potentially going into his trick bag on special teams to turn the tide. Masthay, as I said in my last post is turning into the best Packers punter since the Heintrich days and has been excellent directing his kicks towards the sideline and inside the 20. Brad Smith of the Jets returned the opening kick against the Steelers in the week 15 matchup, forcing Tomlin to call many squib kicks since that moment. Shaun Suisham is a journeyman kicker but is he really that much worse then Crosby, who has only made one clutch kick in his 4 year career? The kicking game is a wash, but the Packers may be able to win the field position battle through special teams if they are able to get a few effective returns and Masthay can continue to remain productive.

Reasons Why I am pessimistic about this matchup:
1) Ben Roethlisberger scares me more than any player on this Steelers team: more than Polamalu, Harrison, and Mendenhall. He just has a knack for coming up big in these types of games. I really feel the Packers will get to him, yet he always sometimes seems to get away. As I said eariler, he is the toughest quarterback to bring down in the league. He takes a lot of sacks, yet he is also probably the best quarterback I have seen at converting 3rd and 10 yards or longer. He does this because the opposing defensive line tends to drop back in coverage and only rush 3 or 4. Roethlisberger usually gets out of trouble, and can either scramble to his right to buy time or stick in the pocket and make and accurate throw downfield for a gain of 20 yards. I excpect the Steelers to convert a couple of 3rd and 12s if Capers chooses to rush 3 and drop everyone back in that scenario. Roethlisberge is vulnerable as he is prone to fumling and taking sacks, but he may be the best clutch quarterback in the game I can think of, and I will be very worried if he is driving the Steelers down for a chance to win the game at the ened.

2) Rashard Mendenhall is a huge key to this game. The Packers have the fastest secondary in the league and I believe they will contain Mike Wallace and the Steelers receiver for the most part. I think Pittsburgh knows that Rodgers is lethal indoors and will try to keep the ball out of his hands as much as they can. Thus, I think the Steelers offensive gameplan will be built around Rashard Mendenhall, who ean about as hard as I have seen a running back run in that AFC Championship game. If the Packers have a weakness on defense, it is stopping the run, and if Mendenhall can grind it out for 3 or 4 yards a carry (he is averaging 3.6 yards per carry in the playoffs) he could keep the clock moving and open up the Steelers offense.

3) The Steelers linebackers are the most feared 3-4 linebackers as a group maybe in the history of the NFL. James Harrison, a former defensive player of the year, will be coming hard off edge against 34 year old Chad Clifton, who may be forced to keep Harrison off Rodgers all by himself. Lamar Woodley, the other edge rush has a least one sack in his six playoff games played and will try and get around rookie Brian Bulaga, who I expect the Packers to give help to. Lawrence Timmons in the middle may be the best all around linebackers of the four and that is saying something. The other inside linebacker is Larry Foote, who is a very solid veteran and is a sure-fire tackler. The linebackers are going to be coming very hard after Rodgers and they're defensive gameplan is to obviously shake Rodgers up. I even wouldn't be surprised to see Harrison go helmet to helmet on Rodgers like he is known for doing (similar to what Peppers did in the NFC Title Game). Think about it: a $50,000 fine is pocket change for a Harrison and the benefit would be knocking Rodgers out of the game. The line is going to have one of their best games of the season protecting Rodgers, because if he is given the time he is needed, he should be able to pick apart a suspect Steelers secondary.

4. The Steelers have the experience. Ok, I know that experience may not mean as much as it is hyped to be (just ask the 1997 Packers and the 2007 New England Patriots- both losers to underdogs). However, the Steelers have been outplayed in both of their last two Super Bowls (Seattle and Arizona) and still came out with a W. They know how to win games in which they do not play their best, even if it is ugly. I think the Packers will outplay the Steelers, but will it be enough to win the game is my question.

The Steelers game reminds me exactly of the game leading up to the Falcons game for 3 reasons. One is the game is inside, which means the Rodgers-led passing attack could be an aerial assault on Sunday night, in a game that I really did not expect to be a blowout at all. Two is the Steelers have played a very weak schedule this season, much like Atlanta. They ended the season, with the Panthers and Browns to lock up the 2 seed. They also have only played one good half in both of their postseason games: the second half vs. the Ravens, and the first half vs. the Jets. And finally three, the Packers brought the snowstorm weather from Green Bay to Dallas. Is this an omen and a sign of things to come? We will see.

I am going to take the Steelers 30-27, with Roethlisberger leading a game winning drive to win the game at the end. If I am wrong, I will be the happiest person in the world. Only 30 hours until kickoff! I am so jacked up.

Postgame Thoughts: Bears vs. Packers

I have been waiting to give my postgame thoughts on the NFC Championship for a while, but I was pretty busy with my first week back at school and then the Senior Bowl on Saturday. My apologies! Anyway, I wish I would have had time to write this last week where I was still really excited that we won. Now my focus is already looking forward to this Sunday instead of last week, but it shouldn't be too hard to recall one of the biggest wins in Packers history.

1) Sam Shields is a complete stud. I was really nervous about our nickel cornerback position heading into this season after what Kurt Warner did to this team last postseason. I didn't know much about Shields before the season other than he was really fast and really raw. I started to think he wasn't half bad after having a nice preseason. Then he held DeSean Jackson to 4 catches in Week 1. Then you didn't start hearing his name for a while, which is a good thing as a defensive back. Then he had a great interception on Sunday Night Football against the Cowboys on national television. Soon he was intercepting Eli Manning and playing out wide to let Charles Woodson play in the box as a slot blitzer. And finally last week happened. First, Shields came heavily on the corner blitz and hit Jay Cutler, knocking the ball loose and him out of the game. On Shield's first interception he went up as the wide receiver and shielded Johnny Knox away from the ball. It was a huge pick only a few plays after Rodgers threw an interception to Lance Briggs. It forced the Bears to head into halftime shut out by the Packers defense. Shields came again later in the 4th quarter on a corner blitz and forced Hanie to unload the ball quickly, only to be intercepted by B.J. Raji. And on the Bears final drive, Shelds made the interception that Packer fans will always remember: the interception that sealed a trip to the Super Bowl on their biggest rival's home turf. Not bad for an undrafted free agent huh? If there was a redraft of the 2010 NFL Draft, is there any doubt Shields would go in the first round? He played better than 3 of the 5 first round corners this season, only losing out to a Pro Bowler Devin McCourty of the Patriots and Joe Haden of the Browns- the 7th overall pick in the Draft. What an amazing find again for Thompson and the Packers scouting department.

2) B.J Raji. We knew he was going to be good, but this good and this dominant this soon? He is only in his second year in the league and he has proven that he is a complete stud in the middle of the 3-4. Raji started proving his dominance in the Patriots game towards the end of the season and just took off from there. He helped stuff the run and sack his former college teammate Matty Ice in the Divisional game. Then he made the big play for the pick six in the fourth quarter of the NFC Championship Game (note to Raji: I love you man, but try not to make that stretching the ball across the goalline so much like Leon Lett). 6.5 sacks from a 3-4 NT is unheard of in today's NFL, since the main focus of a 3-4 NT is to stop the run and have the linebackers fill the gaps. However, Raji is so quick that he is able to beat either the guards or centers with a quick shove or else simply piledrive him back. His combination of quickness and strength is just unbelievable for a man his size. He is without a doubt a top 5 defensive tackle in the league and I would only take Ngata, Suh, and Wilfork over him at this point. Remember, Raji is only 24 years old. I'm drooling as I write this.

3) Tim Masthay. He showed no fear punting the ball to Devin Hester and he was flat out phenomenal. He and Jarrett Bush have developed some kind of special teams chemistry that I can't really describe in writing, but it just seems Bush always knows where Masthay is punting the ball. Who wouldve known that I would be a writing a paragraph on our special teams, but in order to beat the Bears, we knew that it had to loom large. Masthay's final punt may have been one of the best punts I have ever seen in such a big moment. The Packers had gone 3 and out after going ultra conservative with about 3:30 left in the game and Masthay was forced to kick it to Hester again, making every Packer fan hold their breath. However, Masthay hit a boomer that went about 60 yards in the air and was caught right on the sideline. It gave Hester no real room to work with and he was contained for a very minimal game. It forced Hanie to drive a longer field that was thought, which proved to be huge because the more plays he had to throw the ball, the more likely a mistake: and that is exactly what happened. Masthay has shown that he is prehaps the best Packers punter since the Packers last Super Bowl punter, Craig Hentrich.

4) We are in the Super Bowl. You see, it really didn't hit me that we were in the Super Bowl at all last week. I don't know if that is because I went back to Vikings territory or if it was because the only thing the media could talk about was Jay Cutler. Or maybe it was just because I am still stunned. The Packers became the first 6 seed to win the NFC, making it through the 1,2, and 3 seeds all on the road, which was simply remarkable. Deep down, I knew we had a chance, but as you all know based on my predictions, I didn't think we would actually do it. I believed all year that we had the most talented roster in the NFL and still had not played a complete game in the regular season. This postseason, we still have not played a complete game (Atlanta was very close, except for the special teams blunder), and we find ourselves in the Super Bowl.

I had the weirdest reaction after the Bears game. After Shields' interception I just stuck my hands up while everyone around me was cheering. Yet, when Tramon picked off Vick I went crazy. It got me thinking how crazy sports are: When the moment is that big, you really aren't used to it. I do not recall the last time the Packers won an NFC Championship, since I was only 6 so I didn't know how I would actually react if the Packers won. I was quite surprised, and like I said, it still really hasn't hit me that my Packers are playing for a Super Bowl championship. I am simply just trying to appreciate that we are playing for a Lombardi. The Packers could be back next year, or they could be back in twenty years: You just never know with sports, which is why I am such a big fan.

I meant to end on that, but I just want to let everyone know that I watched the Senior Bowl last Saturday so if you want to check my reports on any names you may recognize below, feel free to go right ahead.