Earlier in the day I ranked the 4-3 DE prospects and now I will take a look at the 3-4 DE prospects. As a whole, this class is very, very bad. It lacks an elite talent and desperately lacks depth. In fact, there are only 10 prospects that I view as draftable.

1. Devon Still, Penn State – Still had an incredible year at Penn State and that will likely end up rewarding him with a spot in the first round of the draft. His stock ranges from the 10 to 25 range.

2. Michael Brockers, LSU – Brockers, just a redshirt sophomore, had an awesome year for the nation’s best defense and should end up being a first round draft pick. He has all the tools to be a very good 3-4 DE.

3. Billy Winn, Boise State – Winn has had a solid, consistent career at Boise State and that should get him selected on day 2 of the NFL Draft. His stock ranges from the second to third round.

4. Derek Wolfe, Cincinnati – Wolfe is a phenomenal pass rusher and his breakout year at UC should earn him a spot in Day 2 of the NFL Draft.

5. Jared Crick, Nebraska – Crick was on pace to become a first round draft pick but an unfortunate injury that cost him most of his season has caused his stock to plummet into the third or fourth round. He could end up being one of the steals of the draft.

After the jump, see the remaining prospects

Continue reading this post »

Janoris Jenkins is an intriguing prospect. Had he entered the draft a year ago, the former Florida Gator could have been a first round pick. Instead, Jenkins opted to stay with Florida for another season.

However, on April 26, 2011, just two days before the start of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Gators dismissed Jenkins from the football program for his second drug related arrest in three months.

A year later, Jenkins is still creating a buzz in the pre-draft process. After a strong year at North Alabama, Janoris Jenkins earned an invited to the 2012 Senior Bowl, where he has been one of the most impressive players in practice, according to those on site.

So, what are NFL teams going to do about this extremely talented defensive back with a questionable past? We'll examine that after the jump.

Continue reading this post »

Today I am going to rank both Defensive End positions. I am going to start with the 4-3 DE’s and later in the day, I will post the 3-4 DE rankings. Make sure to check back the rest of the week for the rest of the Draft rankings.

1. Quinton Coples, UNC – Coples came into the year as a potential top 5 pick, but after a dissapointing season where he looked to coast by, his stock has fallen to the 10 to 15 range.

2. Whitney Mercilus, Illinois – Mercilus burst onto the scene this season, recording double digit sacks and bringing Illinois to some early season success. His stock as of now is somewhere in the top 20 picks.

3. Melvin Ingram, South Carolina – Ingram has displayed an incredible motor and good athleticism. He will be picked likely in the 1st round but a bad combine could cause him to fall to the 2nd round. He reminds me of former Michigan star, LaMarr Woodley.

4. Nick Perry, USC – Perry had an awesome season at USC and has seen his stock soar to the top 20 picks. He is a fantastic pass rusher with the potential to be a 10+ sack per season kind of player.

5, Vinny Curry, Marshall – As far as pass rushing comes, Curry is the best in the draft. However, he is awful in run support and therefore will have to be a situational player. His stock ranges anywhere from the late first round to the middle of the second round.

After the jump, see the rest of the 4-3 DE prospects.

Continue reading this post »

The Minnesota Vikings, who currently hold the No. 3 selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, are more than willing to listen to offers for their draft pick, Vikings GM Rick Spielman said today.

"If someone wants to come up and get our pick, we're going to be more than willing to listen," Spielman said.

With Andrew Luck to the Colts being a foregone conclusion at this point, and a handful of teams in the mix to jump up and select Robert Griffin III second, it would appear that any team looking to swap with Minnesota has their eye on the next tier of prospects in this draft.

Among the candidates to be selected third overall are USC's Matt Kalil, Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon and LSU's Morris Claiborne. After the jump, we'll examine which teams could be in play to move up into the Vikings' slot.

Continue reading this post »

Josh Norman has been invited to his second All-Star Game of the season. The Coastal Carolina cornerback will be a late addition to the Senior Bowl roster after an injury to Nebraska's Alfonzo Denard, according to WMBF News. Norman will play on the North team.

Last week at the East West Shrine Game, Norman elevated his stock to mid-round status with a tremendous week of practice. The lengthy defensive back is playing his best football and getting a chance to prove himself against top competition.

After the jump, check out a brief scouting report of Norman based on what I've seen.

Continue reading this post »

NEPatriotsDraft - Senior Bowl Day 3 South defense report
Day three of the Senior Bowl practices have concluded here and I just got back from the South practice. I took a look at the defense today for the south and here are some of my practice notes.

Big Cat Country - 2012 Senior Bowl practice report: South team Day 3
As Wednesday's practice came to a close, North Alabama cornerback Janoris Jenkins had a flock of NFL scouts and personnel men to speak with after practice. The former Florida transfer has been on a mission to rebuild his draft stock after some questionable off the field decisions that ultimately forced him to leave Gainesville. In the week of practices thus far, Jenkins has shown he's got the ability to be one of the top corners in the 2012 NFL Draft, at least on the field.

Continue reading this post »

The center class is very good this year and features a couple of high draft picks.

1. Peter Konz, Wisconsin – Konz had an incredible year at Wisconsin, opening up holes for Montee Ball while also protecting Russell Wilson. He will likely be a first round draft pick.

2. Ben Jones, Georgia – Jones had a stellar year at Georgia and due to his great play, he will likely be a 2nd or 3rd round draft pick.

3. Michael Brewster, Ohio State – Brewster came into the year as a 1st round prospect but had a rough year. Due to his potential, he will still be a 3rd to 4th round draft choice.

After the jump see the rest of the prospects

Continue reading this post »

Hey guys. I posted this topic at Behind the Steel Curtain and figured it could work here as well. What is your ideal draft for your team. It can be a dream and something that is unlikely to happen but just post it in the comments. However, don't put a first round prospect in the 3rd round or anything silly like that. You can take into account the compensatory picks you are supposed to get and you can trade picks. My Dream Steelers draft is after the jump

Continue reading this post »