Jimmy Clausen

By: Brandon Wangrin

Some people are indifferent about Jimmy Clausen. Saying he does not have the necessary zip on his passes, saying he cant make all of the NFL throws, and saying he is not “NFL ready”.

The reason scouts and NFL Draft “experts” always have trouble evaluating quarterbacks is because they are way to obsessed with arm strength and not arm accuracy. I agree you have to be able to make the throws, but in the NFL if you cannot hit your receiver in the chest it doesnt matter how hard you throw it. Whatever happened to judging a player on his poise in the pocket, knowledge of the game, understanding of a pro offense, having a quick release, or pure accuracy. All of these things Jimmy Clausen has.

Mark my words, Jimmy Clausen will be a great quarterback in the NFL eventually. He played under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame and unlike many college quarterbacks (Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, and Colt McCoy) he played in a pro offense. Scouts are right about Clausen, he does not have a Joe Flacco, Matt Stafford, or Jamarcus Russell like arm, but neither do a lot of quarterbacks in the NFL. He does, however, have a strong arm and the ability to make every throw. When I watch him on film, I notice how he is a natural playmaker, extreme competitor, and has the ability to make difficult throws, under pressure, and on the run that many other quarterbacks cannot make. He really reminds me of an Aaron Rodgers or Tony Romo type quarterback being that he has the ability to make plays that were un-thinkable.

If you are the Browns or Raiders and you do not draft Jimmy Clausen I will be SHOCKED and you will be missing out on a very talented, knowledgeable quarterback.

Take your Pick: Brandon Graham or Derrick Morgan?

By: Brandon Wangrin

Earlier today I had a discussion with my brother about who was better between Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech) and Brandon Graham (Michigan).

Both are very talented defensive ends and comparable. Morgan has a couple of inches on him, but they are comparable in size both weighing in the upper 260’s. They both ran 4.72 forty yard dashes at the Combine and Graham benched pressed 225 31 times, whereas, Morgan DNP.

When I told him who I would choose it didnt take me much time. I answered Brandon Graham. When I watched Graham at the Senior Bowl and the Senior Bowl practices I was extremely impressed. I felt he was hands down the best defensive player on either side of the ball.

Graham led all of college football in tackles for loss last season. He disrupts the backfield as good as any defensive lineman in the NFL Draft (yes even Jason Pierre-Paul). He also has the ability to play outside linebacker in a 3-4 system, which he proved at the NFL Combine in his workouts. He is a very dynamic player.

Honestly if Graham went in the top 10 in the Draft, I would not be surprised. I just love everything about this kid from his ability to his leadership.

Morgan, though, is also a very good player. He has may be a little better at stopping the run in comparison to Graham and the thing I like about him is his relentless motor. He is a big body should be a great player at the next level, I just dont believe he will be as good as Graham.

NFL Mock Draft (Updated: 4/7)

By: Brandon Wangrin

1. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford- Oklahoma- Quarterback: Bradford will be the #1 pick for the St. Louis Rams. He will give them a “face of the franchise” and something to build around.

2. Detroit Lions- Ndamukong Suh– Nebraska- Defensive Tackle: This defense needs size and Suh gives them that. He will apply pressure on the quarterback as well as stop the run.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Gerald McCoy- Oklahoma- Defensive Tackle: I believe they should pick Eric Berry here, but I think they will go with McCoy. They were near the bottom in sacks last year and need to get more pressure on the quarterback. McCoy will start right away.

4. Washington Redskins- Russell Okung- Oklahoma State- Offensive Tackle: Okung is the most talented offensive lineman in the draft. He is “NFL ready”, has a HUGE body, and is good in run and pass protection. Now that the Redskins addressed their issues at quarterback with Donovan McNabb their is no need to draft a quarterback, obviously.

McNabb no more in Philly; gets traded to Redskins

McNabb getting traded to the Redskins for the 37th overall pick and a 2011 3rd or 4th round pick really affects the NFL Draft. I believed the Redskins would and should draft Jimmy Clausen with the 4th overall pick, but now that will obviously change.

I believe this was a great trade for the Redskins and not so great for the Philadelphia Eagles. The Redskins desperately needed a quarterback, so Mike Shanahan could run his offense appropriately and thats what they got. McNabb has the ability to make every throw and he has a rocket arm perfect for slant routes, which Shanahan loves to run. The fact that they did not give up the 4th overall pick really makes this a great trade, because now they can look at an offensive lineman to block for McNabb or maybe even upgrade on their defense with a player like Eric Berry or possibly Gerald McCoy, which would allow them to trade Albert Haynesworth (who they are really upset with).

I understand that the Eagles feel they can win with Kevin Kolb, but I just dont see Kolb and a 2nd round draft pick winning more games than McNabb would next season. If it does not work out well for them, which I am not sure it will, Andy Reid will definitely be on the hot seat. Draft purposes this does allow the Eagles to address some obvious needs. They need help at the defensive line, outside linebacker, running back, and safety. I feel that the Eagles defense was not the same last season with the loss of Brian Dawkins. There are three very good “NFL ready” safeties (Eric Berry, Taylor Mays, and Earl Thomas), which i believe they should look at drafting one of them. Running back is a position that is usually very deep in NFL Drafts, so they can address that towards the 3rd round. In the second round I would look to draft an outside linebacker and a defensive lineman. All I know is that it will be very  interesting to see how this all turns out for the Philadelphia Eagles.

I will be updating the NFL Mock Draft later this afternoon.

(DAY 3) With the 7, 8, 9 Picks…

By: Brandon Wangrin

I am going to tell you who I believe each team should draft with their picks for the first three rounds (over the next 34 days, three picks a day). Different than a Mock Draft because in a Mock Draft I tell you who I believe they will pick in the NFL Draft. In these articles I am telling you who I would pick if I were each team.

7. Cleveland Browns- Dez Bryant– Wide Receiver- Oklahoma State

I first believed that the Browns would go with inside linebacker Rolando McClain, but the more and more I read about how they are thinking about drafting Colt McCoy with their second round pick makes me believe they will go with the very talented receiver Dez Bryant. Bryant is 6’2 220 lbs and is extremely explosive. Bryant would make this receiving core look pretty good on paper with Bryant, Massaquoi, and Robiskie for the future. The Browns want this offense to change this off-season and adding a weapon like Bryant would change it.

8. Oakland Raiders- Earl Thomas- Safety- Texas

The Raiders have a pretty good defense already and if they added a play making safety like Earl Thomas, they could take their defense to the next level. People think they will go with an offensive lineman here, but I would wait until the 2nd round to address that issue. Thomas ran a 4.44 forty time in the Combine, so you know that Al Davis will like that.

9. Buffalo Bills- Brian Bulaga- Offensive Tackle- Iowa

The word to describe Brian Bulaga is polished. He has great fundamentals and is strong. The Bills need an offensive tackle to block for Trent Edwards, a player that Chan Gailey believes he can turn around. Bulaga will protect the blind side for Edwards right away. Plus, Iowa knows how to produce offensive lineman so there is not much room for bust here.

(DAY 1) Picks 1, 2, 3

(DAY 2) Picks 4, 5, 6

Top 10 Safeties

By: Brandon Wangrin

Safety is a position in my mind that is often under looked in the NFL Draft. Constantly superstar players get drafted past the first round or at a much lower spot in the first round than they should. It is such an important position too. Safeties have to be able to help stop the run, cover in pass, blitz the quarterback, and most importantly make plays. I am going to go through obvious instances where safeties have gone way too late in the NFL Draft before I get to this years top 10:

• It all starts in 2002 when Ed Reed (one of the best safeties in the history of the game) was drafted 24th overall to the Baltimore Ravens. I almost went in to shock when I looked back at the players that were drafted in front of him (David Carr, Joey Harrington, Quentin Jammer, Ryan Sims, Roy Williams S, Wendell Bryant, Donte Stallworth, Jeremy Shockey, William Green, Phillip Buchanon, T.J. Duckett, Ashley Lelie, Daniel Graham, Bryan Thomas). If you would like to take a look at the 2002 NFL Draft go here.

• In 2003, Troy Polamalu was drafted 16th overall. Polamalu is an obvious playmaker and should have been a top 5 pick in the NFL Draft. I understand that maybe the top 5 had bigger needs, but he dropped all the way to 16??? The five players drafted in front of him were Jerome McDougal, Michael Haynes, Ty Warren, Jimmy Kennedy, and Marcus Trufant. The next safety was taken taken Ken Hamlin, who may be better than all five players in front of Polamalu, 42nd overall. 2003 NFL Draft
• In 2004, Sean Taylor was drafted with the 5th pick overall and had he not died would possibly be the best safety in the NFL today. After him there was not another safety picked until the 44th pick and it was Bob Sanders. Sanders ran under a 4.4 forty time, but still teams opted not to take him until the 2nd round. The five players drafted in front of him were (Julius Jones, Travis LaBoy, Tatum Bell, Ben Troupe, and Daryl Smith). 2004 NFL Draft
• In 2007 teams started taking some safeties in the first round. Four total were taken and it seemed to work out just fine Laron Landry 6th, Michael Griffin 19th, Reggie Nelson 21st, and Brandon Meriweather 24th. It was obviously a stacked class, yet still busts were drafted in front of them. 2007 NFL Draft
• In 2008 Kenny Phillips was taken with the 31st overall pick (the last pick in that first round). Phillips has already become a star right away for the New York Giants. The five picks in front of him were Dustin Keller, Kentwan Balmer, Lawrence Jackson, Antoine Cason, and Duane Brown. 2008 NFL Draft
• Last year in 2009 obviously Jarius Byrd was taken with the 42nd overall pick. All he did in his rookie season was intercept 9 passes (tied for 1st in the NFL with Darren Sharper, Charles Woodson, and Asante Samuel). No big deal though. 2009 NFL Draft

This year the safety class is LOADED again. Please teams, do not overlook the safety position. There is some superstar talent especially with the Big Three Eric Berry, Earl Thomas, and Taylor Mays. Here are the top 10 safeties this year:

(DAY 2) With the 4, 5, 6 Picks…

By: Brandon Wangrin

I am going to tell you who I believe each team should draft with their picks for the first three rounds (over the next 34 days, three picks a day). Different than a Mock Draft because in a Mock Draft I tell you who I believe they will pick in the NFL Draft. In these articles I am telling you who I would pick if I were each team.

4. Washington Redskins- Jimmy Clausen- Quarterback- Notre Dame

The thing that I love most about Jimmy Clausen is that he is very athletic and because of it he has play making ability. When I watch him I notice his ability to get away from pressure and make some very difficult throws. Many people believe that he lacks arm strength, but I believe that he has a much stronger arm than he gets credit for. He only threw four interceptions all of last season and one them hit his receiver directly in the back. His accuracy is second best in the draft to Sam Bradford. If the Redskins want to take it to the next level they need a quarterback who can get them there and thats Jimmy Clausen.

5. Kansas City Chiefs-Russell Okung- Offensive Tackle- Oklahoma State

Scouts keep making a big deal about the forty times that Trent Williams and Bruce Campbell ran, but does that really affect offensive lineman? I mean I believe that it shows that you have good quickness, but offensive lineman never have to run 40 yards. Im just saying that I would not draft a lineman over another solely because he ran a better forty. With that being said Okung is the 6’5 and bench pressed 225 lbs 38 times (1st among lineman in the NFL Draft). He is NFL ready and the Chiefs need an offensive lineman to protect Matt Cassell’s blind side.

6. Seattle Seahawks- Gerald McCoy- Defensive Tackle- Oklahoma

This is a case of a team drafting the best available player and getting a STEAL. The Seahawks need some help getting pressure on the quarterback and could use a defensive tackle to pair with Brandon Mebane. McCoy would instantly change the attitude of this defensive line core.

The Seahawks do need a offensive lineman and a running back, but I believe they will go with a offensive lineman with their second 1st round pick (14th) and a running back in a later round. Their tend to be quality running backs in rounds past the first round.

Go here for DAY 1 (1st, 2nd, 3rd picks) to check out the first three picks.

(DAY 1) With the 1, 2, 3 Picks….

By: Brandon Wangrin

The NFL Draft starts in approximately 34 days, so I am going to tell you who I believe each team should draft with their picks for the first three rounds (over the next 34 days, three picks a day).

1. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford- Quarterback- Oklahoma

As I have said for the past month or two, the Rams should and will draft Sam Bradford with the #1 overall pick. The Rams need an identity and he will give it to them. He has had problems with injuries at Oklahoma, so what did he do? He put on 15-20 lbs. of muscle, putting him at 6’4 236 lbs. He is your prototypical size, has pinpoint accuracy, and an arm that can make ALL of the throws. When I heard people talking about the Rams drafting another defensive lineman I was dumbfounded. The Rams ranked 28th in passing offense in the NFL and 29th in passing touchdowns with 12. Regardless of how much money they paid him, Marc Bulger is not a quarterback that can take you to the playoffs anymore and he is way to injury prone.

Plain and simple, Rams draft Sam Bradford.

2. Detroit Lions-Ndamukong Suh- Defensive Tackle- Nebraska

It is obvious that the Lions will draft a defensive tackle with the 2nd overall pick, but which one will it be? I would go with Ndamukong Suh. The thing that I love about both Suh and McCoy is that they both have the ability to get to the quarterback, as well as stop the run. The reason I would go with Suh is simply because he is an athletic freak and he really dominated all of college football. He reaks havoc in the backfield and has to constantly be double teamed. Not to mention that he has great work ethic and a constant motor. Both Suh and McCoy will be very good at the next level though.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Eric Berry– Safety- Tennessee

Eric Berry in my eyes is the most talented player in the NFL Draft and I have said that for a while. After running a 4.47 forty time and having a 43 inch vertical, we know he has the capablities of being the next Ed Reed. If he drops past the fourth pick overall, I may just go balistic. He is a natural football player because of his natural instincts and his obvoius athletic capabilities.

For some reason that I can not explain, safeties always drop in the NFL Draft, but I believe it is the most important position on the defense. They not only have to play the pass, but stop the run and blitz the quarterback occasionally. I understand that the Buccaneers need pressure on the quarterback, but they will be able to find that in the second round, but you cant get a player like Berry at the second round position.

NFL Mock Draft: Updated (3/15)

By: Brandon Wangrin

1. St. Louis Rams– Sam Bradford- Oklahoma- Quarterback: Bradford will be the #1 pick for the St. Louis Rams. He will give them a “face of the franchise” and something to build around.

2. Detroit Lions– Ndamukong Suh– Nebraska- Defensive Tackle: This defense needs size and Suh gives them that. He will apply pressure on the quarterback as well as stop the run.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers– Gerald McCoy- Oklahoma- Defensive Tackle: I believe they should pick Eric Berry here, but I think they will go with McCoy. They were near the bottom in sacks last year and need to get more pressure on the quarterback. McCoy will start right away.

4. Washington Redskins– Jimmy Clausen- Notre Dame- Quarterback: I believe Shanahan will want a quarterback to begin his franchise. Clausen is athletic, has a good arm, and is a play maker.

Stock Up & Stock Down: Quarterbacks

After the NFL Combine, some players stock is way up and other players that performed poorly are way down. I am going to run down all of the players that are under this category. Players will be evaluated with arrows. The highest I will give a player is three ↑↑↑ or ↓↓↓.

Quarterbacks

• Sam Bradford- Oklahoma ↑↑

Bradford did not throw at the NFL Combine, but his stock is going up because he measured in so well. Bradford is 6’4 and gained about 15 lbs. of muscle to get up to 236 lbs. Scouts had questions about his durability, but the weight gain will give him more durability. It will be real interesting to see him throw and I believe he will look real sharp. His wonderlic test was extremely high as well, so you know he is intelligent.

• Jimmy Clausen- Notre Dame —

No arrows for Clausen. His height was average at 6’2.5 and he did not run the 40 yard dash. His pro day will be very important and I believe he will impress scouts with his strength, accuracy, and mobility.

• Colt McCoy- Texas ↓↓

McCoy did not throw at the NFL Combine, but what he did do was size in at 6’1 and ran an average 4.79 forty time. He doesn’t have the strongest arm in the world and accuracy can only get you so far when you are his size.