NFL's Future

Miller's combination of size and speed should find him a spot in round-one

Bruce Feldman of CBS Sports is reporting that Miami RB Lamar Miller will enter the 2012 NFL Draft.  Miller is a redshirt sophomore that will forgo his final two years of eligibilty at the U.

Miller is reportedly signing with Drew Rosenhaus as he follows suit of teammates Tommy Streeter and Marcus Forston.

Miller is widely considered the second best back in the draft after Trent Richardson of Alabama.  He is a powerful, one-cut runner with blazing straight-line speed.  He ran for 1,272 yards and 9 TD’s in 2011, his first year as a full-time starter.  Miller is a former prep track star that could clock in the low 4.3′s in the 40.  At 5’11, 215-pounds Miller has ideal size for the position and should be taken in the first-round of the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Miami coach Al Golden had previously reported that Miller would require shoulder surgery in the offseason so it’s unknown as to when he’ll be able to workout for pro teams.

Te'o will return for his senior season at ND

On Sunday night, Fox Sports broke the story of Manti Te’o's decision to stay at Notre Dame for his senior season.  Te’o was considered by many to be the top linebacker eligible for the 2012 NFL Draft.

Te’o could still revoke the decision as the deadline to declare is January 15.  It appears that is unlikely as Notre Dame has already released a statement on the decision.  Te’o's decision came at the Lott Impact Trophey Banquet and was confirmed by his father to the Chicago Tribune.

“I feel I’m not done at Notre Dame. I’ll be coming back to Notre Dame,” Te’o was quoted by Lisa Horne of Fox Sports on Twitter.

The 6’2, 255-pound junior led the Irish in tackles with 115 and added 13 TFL and 4.5 sacks in 2011.  Te’o is athletic and could have played in multiple schemes at multiple positions in the NFL.  His aggressive, downhill syle of play had him in the middle part of round one on most draft boards, including the 14th best prospect on our Big Board. 

Te’o will return to an Irish squad that will be hit hard by graduation and one of the toughest schedules in the country.  It will be tough for Te’o to improve on his draft stock by returning to ND but I would expect him to be the top linebacker in the 2013 NFL Draft.

The Five-Star locks of Week 14

Profetta’s Picks

Indianapolis (+16.5) @ Baltimore  

With or without Ray Lewis, the talent gap between these two teams is too wide for me to think that the Ravens should win by anything less than three TDs at home.

Prediction: Ravens 24, Colts 7

Houston (+3) @ Cincinnati

The Texans can clinch their first playoff berth with a win and a Titans loss, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the AFC South won’t be decided until Week 17, when Tennessee travels to Houston.

Prediction: Bengals 20, Texans 13

Oakland (+11.5) @ Green Bay

Carson Palmer (without Darren McFadden, Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford at his disposal) vs. Aaron Rodgers…at Lambeau Field…in December…

Prediction: Packers 31, Raiders 16

Kansas City (+10.5) @ New York Jets

You know the drill. Revis blankets Bowe, Rex Ryan’s defense befuddles a below-average NFL QB (Palko), and the Jets win ugly at home. However, Romeo Crennel’s stop unit is tough and I could see the Chiefs embracing the “spoiler” role, so that double-digit spread makes me nervous. The Jets win, but don’t cover.

Prediction: Jets 17, Chiefs 16

Minnesota (+10) @ Detroit

If Ponder and Peterson can go, the Vikes might have a chance, but I just don’t see them having an answer for Calvin Johnson in this one.

Prediction: Lions 27, Vikings 16 Read the rest of this entry » «Week 14 Picks Against the Spread»

It seems every year we inevitably scratch our heads when some players decide to forgo their collegiate careers for the “greener” pastures that are the NFL.  The 2011 NFL Draft saw a record number of early entrants (56) and it looks like the 2012 NFL Draft could challenge that record.  Here’s the top five guys that shouldn’t contribute to a record-breaking 2012:

Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma

If Matt Barkley and Robert Griffin III make the wise decision of entering the 2012 NFL Draft, it would be a bad idea for Jones to put his name in the 2012 hat.  Yesterday, I referenced the idea that Matt Kalil and Matt Barkley are a package deal but I think both ultimately decide to take their talents to the NFL.  Jones’ struggled throughout the 2011 season but particularly when his top receiving threat, Ryan Broyles, went down for the season.  He finished the regular season with no TD’s and five INT’s in his last three games.  Barring an absolute monster game in the Insight Bowl and a otherworldly pre-draft workouts, Jones would be the fourth QB off the board in April.  Some would argue that Ryan Tannehill is a better pro prospect, making Jones the fifth best QB.  I won’t go that far but certainly he runs the risk of being a second-round pick if he decides to enter the 2012 NFL Draft.

Jones struggles due to a lack of pocket awareness.  Despite being sacked only eight times this season, Jones looks skittish in the pocket at the very sign of a pass rusher.  His decision-making was questionable at times in 2011 and drastically decreased on the move.  There are enough negatives with Jones at this point to make one very wary of the possibility of using a first-round prospect.

On the flip side, Jones will be coming back to a team that lacks a true go-to receiver.  They have some young receivers with loads of talent but they weren’t successful with that bunch in 2011.  Jones’ advisors will have to weigh the pros and cons but I don’t see it wise to declare. Read the rest of this entry » «2012 NFL Draft: Don’t be a Fool, Stay in School»

News broke yesterday from CBSSports.com’s Rob Rang that cited a source stating that USC Junior tackle Matt Kalil is “set to return” to USC for his senior season.  Since the release of Rob Rang’s report Kalil has told Scout.com that the speculation is rumor and that no decision has been made.  Either way, we will break down the impact of the possibility of Kalil returning to school.

“I’m not close to making a decision. That will probably happen in the next couple weeks. No decision has been made. I just started thinking about the process I’m going to go through to make the decision. Read the rest of this entry » «Are Matt Kalil and Matt Barkley a Package Deal?»

Barron back atop the safety rankings

There are no clear-cut first round picks amongst the 2012 safety class.  Without a headliner, they will rely on a slew of juniors to live up to high expectations.

Mark Barron has re-emerged as the top safety prospect after having a very solid senior season for the Crimson Tide.  After that he is followed by three juniors with big ceilings.  Kenny Vaccaro is an under-the-radar prospect that figures to be a name that may surprise how early it’s called in April.  The sleeper of the class is Antonio Allen as he should come off the board as soon as the third-round in the 2012 NFL Draft. 

Here’s a look at the 2012 safety prospects:

1.  Mark Barron, Alabama

Height: 6’2  Weight: 215

Barron has bounced back from an inconsistent 2010 season with a solid senior season.  Barron is a hard-hitting safety that clearly worked on his coverage ability this season.  In 2010 he was beaten too frequently to be considered in the first two rounds.  In 2011, he turned that around and showed he can cover as well as come up and make big hits.  Barron is a SS in the NFL.

2012 NFL Draft projection:  1-2

2.  T.J. McDonald, USC (Junior)

Height: 6’3  Weight: 205

T.J. McDonald may be the only safety in this class that is more physically intimidating than Mark Barron.  McDonald is aggressive to a fault, at times.  He will have to reduce the amount.  He is solid in coverage and brings a ton of upside to the position.  He was well schooled at USC under the tutelage of Monte Kiffin which should make him a very likely candidate to play immediately.

 2012 NFL Draft projection:  1-2 Read the rest of this entry » «2012 NFL Draft Safety Rankings»

Claiborne has top 5 potential

The 2012 cornerback prospects class is as talented as it is deep.  That’s saying a lot if some of the top juniors declare for the 2012 NFL Draft.

The 2012 class features a legit shutdown corner at the next level in Morris Claiborne.  Claiborne has put up a phenomenal junior season and should be the first defensive player off the board in April.  There is a ton of value in the rounds 2 and 3 as we could see as many as 17 CB’s selected before day three of the draft.

Here’s a look at the 2012 cornerback prospects:

1.  Morris Claiborne, LSU (Junior)

Height: 6’0  Weight: 185

It appears Claiborne’s time spent playing next to Patrick Peterson paid off.  Claiborne has all the abilities of a shutdown corner and is a better pure cover man than Patrick Peterson.  He has emerged as the clear No. 1 corner in this class and may be the first defensive player off the board come April.  Claiborne’s blend of speed and instincts is rare and should be top 5 worthy.

2012 NFL Draft projection:  Top 5

2.  Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama (Junior)

Height: 6’3  Weight: 192

Dre Kirkpatrick is a physical corner  that possesses elite size for the position.  Kirkpatrick struggled in 2011 with speed (Andre Debose) but held up well against some of the SEC’s best receivers (Rueben Randle).  Not many teams outside of Florida tested Kirkpatrick, so his numbers dipped in 2011.  Take the numbers with a grain of salt because Kirkpatrick will go in the top 15 of the 2012 NFL Draft. 

2012 NFL Draft projection:  Top 15 Read the rest of this entry » «2012 NFL Draft Cornerback Rankings»

Luck's looking for houses in Indy

With the “Suck for Luck” power(less) rankings running the course, we look ahead to the all-important speculative draft order. 

The final weeks of the season should be as interesting as ever with the likes of Andrew Luck, Matt Barkley, and/or Robert Griffin III awaiting these poor franchises.  With that said, here’s a look at a whole bunch of speculation:

Indianapolis Colts (0-12)

Strength of Schedule: 

Remaining Games:  @ Baltimore, vs. Tennessee, vs. Houston, @Jacksonville

Forecast:  The Colts are a better team with Dan Orlovsky at the helm.  And that should get them to zero wins.  They are just really bad.  With Baltimore, Tennessee, and Houston ahead they have already packed their golf bags. 

Projected Win Total:  0

St. Louis Rams (2-10)

Strength of Schedule:  .556

Remaining Games:  @ Seattle, vs. Cincinnati, vs. Pittsburgh, @ San Francisco

Forecast:  Stick a fork in the Rams, they may (and should) shelve Sam Bradford for the remainder of the season given their record.  Seattle is the only winnable game amongst the bunch unless Jim Harbaugh decides to sit his entire team as they will have locked up home field advantage by then.  It’s looking like a two-win season for the Rams.

Projected Win Total:  2 Read the rest of this entry » «Week 13 2012 NFL Draft Order»

The 2012 inside linebacker class underperformed according to the expectations of most.  The top four linebackers in this class are underclassmen and could decide to stay in school. 

Led by Manti Te’o of Notre Dame, who appears to be the most complete of the bunch, the 2012 ILB class is full of headliners and a possible head case.  The talented but temperamental, Vontaze Burfict severely underperformed in 2011 but has outgrown his welcome in the NCAA.  He is sure to declare after being pulled from his final game at ASU by then-coach Dennis Erickson.  Barring a miracle, Burfict will be entering the draft early.  This class features the all-time NCAA tackles leader in Luke Kuechly.  The junior Boston College LB is a tackling machine but questions about his ability to make plays in the backfield abound.  This may be one of the more interesting position groups in the 2012 NFL Draft and it should remain fluid up until draft day.

Here’s a look at the 2012 inside linebacker prospects:

1.  Manti Te’o, Notre Dame (Junior)

Height: 6’2  Weight: 245

Te’o may be the best athlete in the 2012 NFL inside linebacker prospects class.  And that’s saying a lot.  He is a downhill thumper that has a knack for making big plays.  His all around game is more versatile than Kuechly’s, hence the No. 1 ranking.  Te’o needs to work on his discipline as he has a tendency to overpursue.  He struggled against Michigan’s Denard Robinson because of his angles.

2012 NFL Draft projection:  Top 20

2.  Luke Kuechly, Boston College (Junior)

Height: 6’3  Weight: 235

Kuechly is not the athlete that Burfict or Te’o are but he makes up for it with his sensational instincts.  Kuechly is constantly around the ball as evidenced by his astonishing stats.  As a freshman, Kuechly had 158 tackles and 13 TFL.  As a sophomore Kuechly tallied 183 tackles and 10.5 TFL.  In 2011 he put the icing on the cake as he became the NCAA all time tackles leader.  He is a student of the game that excels as an in-the-box run defender.  The only knock on Kuechly is how much behind the line of scrimmage he will give a team?

2012 NFL Draft projection:  1 Read the rest of this entry » «2012 NFL Draft Inside Linebacker Rankings»