By Coden Mruk

MORGANTOWN, WV – This is the final part of my 3 part look in to the first round of this year’s upcoming NFL Draft. In Part 1 we saw two quarterbacks taken in the top 10. Part 2 was dominated by defense, making up 8 of the middle ten picks. In this final part we will take a look at some really good teams and some really good prospects who could go to those teams with picks 21-32. I credit ESPN.com, draftdaddy.com, profootballweekly.com, footballdraftanalysis.com, Men’s Fitness, Scout.com, and draftboardinsider.com for the majority of my research.

For an in-depth look in to the rest of round 1 of this year’s NFL Draft please see the links below.

http://www.collegesportsfeed.com/2010-nfl-mock-…-3-part-series/

http://www.collegesportsfeed.com/2010-nfl-mock-…es-picks-11-20/

#21 Cincinnati Bengals – Jermaine Gresham TE Oklahoma – Cedric Benson and the Bengals were arguably the surprise of the year, and I say arguably because don’t forget about what the Jets did with rookie Mark Sanchez at QB. The Bengals don’t have a rookie at the helm, in fact they have Carson Palmer who when at the tip of his game is a top 5 QB in the league, don’t even try to argue it. The defense is in great shape and should be just as dominant as they were in 2009. Gresham would bring a much needed boost in the passing attack, as well as a big body to run blocking. Gresham stands 6’6 260 lbs and plays like a wide receiver. When healthy in 2008 Gresham caught  66 balls for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns. Go ahead and read it again. 950 yeards and 14 touchdowns. Sorry Bengal fans, J.P Foschi is not the answer at TE.

#22 New England Patriots – C.J. Spiller RB Cleamson – The Patriots still won the AFC East last year but not quite with the ease they are accustomed to. It’s obvious that defensive unit needs work but with the league leader in catches going down for the playoffs and then failing to advance past the Baltimore Ravens, this high flying offense is going to need help if they want to remain in that category. The Patriots should franchise Wilfork shoring up the defensive line, and Draft Spiller to immediately return kicks and eventually take the lead in that crowded back field. Spiller is a freak athlete with ridiculous upside, I would be shocked if they passed on the opportunity for a top running back/ return man.

#23 Green Bay Packers – Trent Williams OT Oklahoma – When LT Chad Clifton went down last season, the Green Bay Packers offensive line took a huge hit. They have their QB for the future in Aaron Rodgers and need to make it a priority to protect him. Williams is a 6’5 320 lb OT that can play any position down the line, including center. Trent was the captain of Oklahoma’s young offensive line this year and showed it by his play on the field. In 2009 Williams was an All-American player and has the skills to be a long time starter at the next level.

#24 Philadelphia Eagles – Carlos Dunlap DE Florida – When you talk Eagles in the off-season the conversationalways goes to Donovan McNabb. The bottom line is it looks like they will be OK offensively regardless of who they choose to go with between McNabb, Kolb, and Vick. However, the defense is a completely different story. No Jim Johnson, no Brian Dawkins, and what do you get? A defense that allowed more points than the 4-12 Washington Redskins. I know they managed to record 44 sacks this past season and would prefer to load up in the secondary, but Carlos Dunlap’s value at this point in the draft is through the roof, and I don’t see any DBs available worth the 24th overall pick. Dunlap is a monster on the field at 6’6 290 lbs and pushes offensive lines out of the way. By pairing Dunlap with last year’s team sack leader Trent Cole, the Philadelphia Eagles once again have a top pass rush and have significantly improved on that side of the ball.

#25 Baltimore Ravens – Arrelious Benn WR Illinois – Sorry Baltimore fans, even if Donte Stallworth is at all productive he is probably not the answer at wide receiver. The receiving core in Baltimore is led by Derek Mason who had to come out of retirement and RB Ray Rice who actually led the team in receptions. Mason and Kelley Washington are both unrestricted free agents this off season so that leaves you Stallworth and Demetrius Williams on the outside. Arrelious Benn is under the radar at this point but has the athletic ability to excel at the combine and he is the only receiver in the draft who can stand next to Dez Bryant physically. He is known for having a strong work ethic and runs precise routes. At 6’2 220, Benn is the big, physical wideout needed on the outside to put this offense over the top.

#26 Arizona Cardinals – Sergio Kindle OLB/DE – Karlos Dansby is going to get paid, but probably not by the Cardinals. They have franchised the outside linebacker the last 2 seasons in a row and by rule if they choose to franchise him a third straight time, will have to pay him the equivalent to the amount paid to quarterbacks who receive the tag. For about 16 million dollars I’m guessing the Cardinals let him test the free agent market and replace him right away with Sergio Kindle. He’s 6’4 255 and can play up or down. Kindle replaced Orakpo on the end after being drafted by Washington last year. He draws many comparisons to Orakpo and in the National Championship Game recorded 2.5 sacks.

#27 Dallas Cowboys – Dan Williams NT Tennessee. The Cowboys look like a really good team right now and could get even better in the draft and maybe even by trading one of their three backs for a first or second round pick. I would. They don’t have a traditonal hole clogging NT and Dan Williams gives them just that. Williams is 6’3 330lbs and would have been the top tackle in the SEC had it not been for Terrence Cody. The Cowboys need to address their offensive line which has an average age of 32 among the starters and the oldest being Flozell Adams who is 34.  But with my top 6 offensive linemen off the board, they’ll have to worry about that later.

#28 San Diego Chargers – Jason Pierre-Paul DE South Florida – The Chargers have a bunch of free agents toaddress, among those being Shawn Merriman, Vincent Jackson, Darren Sproles, and Malcom Floyd. Depending on how they handle these situations will play a large part on their draft strategy. One thing is certain, they need to develop a better pass rush from the defensive end position. Pierre-Paul is 6’6 270lbs and can literally do back flips up and down the field. I’ve seen mocks where JPP goes as high as top 15. The San Diego Chargers three end rotation managed a total of 6 sacks on the season.

#29 New York Jets – Dezmon Briscoe WR Kansas – The New York Jets were the surprise of the playoffs lastseason and that was in large part due to a great defense and a really good running game. Mark Sanchez seems to be a fit for the QB of the future in New York and it’s time to build around him. The Jets don’t see Braylon Edwards sticking around and that play making potential needs to be replaced. Briscoe is good size wideout at 6’3 200 lbs and can play on the outside opposite Jericho Cotchery. Over the last two seasons at Kansas Briscoe caught 176 balls for over 2.700 yards and 24 touchdowns. He is only a junior and already holds most every receiving record at Kansas.

#30 – Minnesota Vikings – Brian Price DT UCLA – It’s no secret that the Vikings pride themselves on their defense, and the defensive line in particular. Kevin and Pat Williams have been dominant up front their whole careers, but Pat Williams is 37 years old and Kevin will turn 30 before season’s start. Brian Price is a stocky 300 pounder who recorded 7 sacks last season and can rotate in that line giving a rest to the ageing Williams pair.

#31 Indianapolis Colts – Navorro Bowman OLB PSU- The Colts will be good as long as Peyton Manning is standing back there at quarterback. It has been said that the defense of the Colts, though good, is the Achilles heal of the team. Bob Sanders is the play maker and Gary Brackett the leader but Bowman has a ton of upside as an outside linebacker. He comes from PSU and has drawn comparison to Lavar Arrington earning him the nickname “Lavorro”. His is 6’1 230 and looks like a body builder. He has the ability to stop the run as well as get down and rush the passer.

#32 New Orleans Saints - Everson Griffin DE USC – The word on this guys is freak. He’s known as a workout warrior and trains on a regular basis with teammate Taylor Mays. Griffen is 6’3 265 lbs and is as fast and athletic as he is strong. I full expect him to be a top performer at this year’s combine. The Saints are basically stacked on the offensive side of the ball and can add to the defense with this pick and hopefully keep teams fro double teaming fellow DE Will Smith who recorded 13 sacks last season.

Thank you for reading my 3 part look in to this year’s first round of the NFL draft. I hope my predictions and opinions have stirred some debate and argument in your head about who will end up where and I would love to hear what you have to say. Please comment with your opinion of your team’s pick. Look for more articles in the future in regards to the NFL combine, free agency, and a follow up article after the draft.

By Coden Mruk

MORGANTOWN, WV – In part 1 of this 3 part look in to the first round of the NFL Draft we saw a shake up at the top with the Rams selecting QB Sam Bradford over DL Ndamukong Suh with the first overall pick. With the rest of the top 10 picks we saw another quarterback go, a wide receiver,  linebacker, and a safety.The majority of the top picks were used on the offensive and defensive line. Not much of a surprise considering it would be a lineman with the best opportunity to step in immediately for his team. In Part 2 of this series I predict, and analyze draft selections 11-20. I credit ESPN.com, draftdaddy.com, profootballweekly.com, footballdraftanalysis.com, Men’s Fitness, Scout.com, and draftboardinsider.com for the majority of my research.

For an in-depth look at picks 1-10 check out part 1 of this 3 part series by clicking the link below.

http://www.collegesportsfeed.com/2010-nfl-mock-draft-a-detailed-look-in-to-the-1st-round-part-1-of-a-3-part-series/

#11 Jacksonville Jaguars - Derrick Morgan DE Georgia Tech - The Jacksonville Jaguars somehow managed to record only 14 sacks through 16 games last season making them the team with the lowest sack total in the league. Jacksonville missed two years ago on Derrick Harvey, who played the same position as Morgan but at Florida. Harvey has  managed to record only 5.5 sacks over his disappointing two year career. Because of this I look for the Jacksonville Jaguars to pass on my #1 rated DE Carlos Dunlap (out of Florida), and select the leaner, more athletic Morgan who recorded 12 sacks last season for the Yellow Jackets. Generating a pass rush should be the #1 priority for the Jaguars and they address that with this pick.

#12 Miami Dolphins – Jerry Hughes DE/OLB Texas Christian U - Look, Miami is not too far off from being a good team. They have an effective offense led by Ronnie Brown and a recharged Ricky Williams. The defense wasn’t half bad either recording 44 sacks on the season. However, 9 of those came from Joey Porter who was released this off season. Another 7 from Jason Taylor who will be 36 years old by seasons start. By drafting Jerry Hughes you immediately fill the void left by Joey Porter and the need for a pass rusher off the edge. Hughes recorded 26 sacks over the last two seasons, making him the definitive leader on an outstanding defense. Scouts love the versatility of Hughes who is listed at 6’3 260lbs and can be down on the end or standing up on the outside.

#13 San Francisco 49ers – Bruce Campbell OT Maryland – The San Francisco 49ers made a late season switch this past year to a more pass oriented spread style offense and it paid dividends to the growth of Alex Smith. This being said, they still rely heavily on the success of Frank Gore. They want to get him back to producing numbers similar in terms of yards as 2006 and to continue finding the end zone at a higher rate. From everything I’ve read and heard Bruce Campbell is a freak. Bruce Feldman did a feature on Campbell back in May on just how much of a freak. He reported that Campbell bench pressed 490lbs and ran a 4.8 40. If this was back in May I can only imagine where those numbers will be come the NFL combine. You team him up with Joe Staley and you have bookends for the next decade.

#14 – Seattle Seahawks – Taylor Mays S USC – Lets not forget that Pete Carroll only agreed to the Seahawks job If he had full control of the team, and he got it. Taylor Mays played 4 years under Pete Carroll at USC and showed signs of greatness throughout his career. Mays could be the player who is helped most by his combine showing. He’s probably the best overall athlete in this year’s draft. He stands 6’3 and weighs in at 230lbs. Nate Millado wrote an article for Mens Fitness where he says that in high school, while running track, Mays was consistently times in the 40 in the neighborhood of 4.25 seconds. Everyone is aware of his work ethic in the weight room. With his combination of size and speed as well as his familiarity with Carroll, I expect the Seahawks to waste no time taking Mays at 14.

#15 -  New York Giants – Joe Haden CB Florida – Joe Haden has the potential of a top 10 pick and some mock drafts I have seen project him going as high as #7 to Cleveland. It’s obvious that the Giants need major help on defense. Their unit gave up 427 total points and that was 110 more than the next highest total in the division. The loss of captain Antonio Pierce needs to be addressed but Haden’s value is too high at this point to pass on. With Haden on one side and Aaron Ross or Corey Webster the other, it should lessen the need for double teams and allow the safeties to be looking to stop the run. Haden was a first team All-American for the Gators in 2009.

#16 – Tennessee Titans – Terrence Cody NT Alabama – First of all let me just say that I love this guys name…ha. Ok, Terrance Cody is 6’5 and weighs in at about 355 lbs…on a light day. The Tennessee Titans are still looking to fill the void left by Albert Haynesworth. After seeing how the defense struggled in his absence I’m sure the front office has no problem bringing in a long time replacement. He was the anchor in the middle for that Alabams defense and is has a lot to do with Rolando Mcclain being a first round pick. Plus, Kyle Vanden Bosch is probably gone to free agency and Jevon Kearse is not Jevon Kearse anymore. The line needs the help.

#17 San Francisco 49ers – Earl Thomas S Texas – With their second pick in the first round the 49ers could significantly bolster their already above average defense by drafting Earl Thomas. Having locked down the offensive line earlier the 9ers are free to use this pick by taking a high value guy at this point with potential to start right away. Thomas reminds me a lot like Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed in that he has a nose for the ball, and a nose for the end-zone. he picked off 8 balls last season against a good group of quarterbacks and took two of them to the house. Mike Singletary would love a guy like Thomas on his defense and I think he gets him.

#18 – Pittsburgh Steelers – Bryan Bulaga OL Iowa – The Steelers had an extremely disappointing season last year and right now look like the third best team in that division. For that to change they are going to have to get back to a hard nosed running game like they had when they were winning super bowls. Bryan Bulaga is 6’6 312lbs and was an All-American in what was his junior season. The Big Ten is run heavy conference and Bulaga has proved he can get the job done by winning the award for the top offensive lineman in the conference.

#19 – Atlanta Falcons – Patrick Robinson CB FSU – Atlanta looks pretty good on the offensive side of the ball when everybody’s healthy so look for them to draft defense throughout the entire day. The Falcon’s depth chart at the corner position reads as Chris Owens, Brent Grimes, and Chevis Jackson. They need a lot of help in the secondary and could even be looking to draft a safety if a guy like Mays or Thomas falls to them. Patrick Robinson has decent size at 5’11 190lbs and could run as low as a 4.3 40 at the combine. He led FSU with 6 picks on the year and is considered a good cover corner. Plus, The Falcons like really fast corners from Florida State.

#20 Houston Texans – Sean Weatherspoon OLB Missouri – I know the Texans are not happy with their running back situation right now so I could see them going for C.J. Spiller out of Clemson. However, the offense has proven its self already and they have to get better on defense if they want to finally get in to the playoffs after two straight years of being the sexy pick and failing to get in. Sean Weatherspoon was a three time all conference player and in 2009 led the Big 12 in tackles, averaging over 11 per game. Weatherspoon is big, fast, strong, and plays like he has a chip on his shoulder. He is an outside linebacker by trade and that works perfectly with DeMeco Ryans in the middle and Brian Cushing on the strong side. This young, talented trio would be in consideration for the top linebacking core and maybe be what they need to get to the post season.

The defense dominated picks 11-20 having 8 of those 10 selections going to the defensive side of the ball. I hope you enjoyed my predictions and analysis. Look for the final part of this three part series very soon.

By Coden Mruk

MORGANTOWN, WV - This is a three part series in which I break down the first round of the draft. This first part will analyze the drafts 1-10 picks. The predictions and analysis are my own personal opinion. I credit ESPN.com, draftdaddy.com, profootballweekly.com, footballdraftanalysis.com, Men’s Fitness, Scout.com, and draftboardinsider.com for the majority of my research.

I have seen many versions of the 1st round of this years upcoming NFL Draft. I’ve seen Suh, Mccoy (Gerald), and Bradford all projected as #1 picks. I’ve seen mocks that have as many as two running backs off the board, and as many as four wide receivers being taken round 1. I’ve seen the conservative mocks with DL and OL dominating the top 15 selections. From everything I’ve seen, it is obvious that this years first round is going to be exciting. This mock draft is due to change throughout the draft process especially after the NFL combine. This mock draft does not take in to consideration draft day trades.

#1 St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma- Like most people, I originally had the Rams selecting Ndamukong Suh with the #1 overall pick because of his “can’t miss” draft status. After looking at the situation more closely, Sam Bradford would Make the Rams better at the most important position of the field immediately. The NFC West is up for grabs with the departure of Kurt Warner from the Cardinals. With no premiere quarterbacks in this division everyone is scrambling to address their situations. The winner could be the team who finds their quarterback first. Bradford stands tall at 6’4 weighing 225. When he was healthy he had 86 touchown passes over a two year span and probably would have been a top 5 pick had he come out last year. Don’t forget how they missed in the first round in ’08 on defensive lineman Chris Long.

#2 Detroit Lions – Ndamukong Suh DT Nebraska – With the Rams passing on Suh and the Lions looking to bolster their defensive line, Suh slips no further than #2. The Lions have shown interest in DT Gerald Mccoy from Oklahoma but Suh is the more dominant of the two on a consistent basis. Standing 6’4 and weighing in at 300 lbs. Suh has recorded 158 tackles over his last two seasons at Nebraska. That is a ridiculous number for a DT. Everyone is in agreement that this guy is a freak. He would be the right pick for a Detroit team that did make small strides on the offensive side of the ball last season with rookie QB Mathew Stafford.

#3 Tamba Bay Bucs – Gerald Mccoy DT Oklahoma – Lets face it, the Bucs were awful. I mean they were almost unwatchable. They do however have a ray of hope in their young quarterback from last year’s draft, Josh Freeman. With a couple pieces on the offense already in place look for Tampa Bay to be spending the majority of day one drafting defense. We all know a good defense can win games even if paired with a pedestrian offense, and it all starts down in the trenches. I know safety Eric Berry is a play maker and game changer but bolstering the run defense and getting a push up front should be a priority.

#4 Washington Redskins – Eric Berry S Tennessee - It’s true that Shanahan may want to bring in his own guy to play quarterback but with Bradford gone to the Rams I don’t see the skins taking Clausen with this high of a pick. Unless they feel he can really make an impact right away and would be better right now than Jason Campbell. Look for the Redskins to go best available and take Berry. Berry is a play maker with a nose for the ball and has been his whole college career. In three years he accumulated over 240 tackles, 14 interceptions, and returned those 14 picks a total just under 500 yards. The Redskins defense was a really solid unit last year despite their 4-12 record, gave up 336 points which was second in their division behind only the Dallas Cowboys. The Addition of Berry makes the Redskin’s defense a top notch squad.

#5 Kansas City Chiefs – Russell Okung OT Oklahoma St. – Kansas City seems to be stuck in a state of perpetual building as a franchise. They Made two big front office moves hiring Charlie Weiss and Romeo Cronnell to the staff. The on-field situation may be more difficult to address. Matt Cassel was brought in to be the quarterback of the future for Kansas city but has yet to see any real success. Drafting Russell Okung to play the left tackle position makes perfect sense given that current left tackle Branden Albert is actually a guard by trade. on top of that, current LG Brian Waters is turning 33 years old this week. Okung at LT, move Albert down to guard and all the sudden you have a powerful left side of the line. Okung was a two time All-American at Ok. St. and was the recipient of the 2009 Jim Parker award, given to the top offensive lineman in the country. A perfect fit to cover Cassel’s blind side and lead the way for up and coming running back Jamal Charles.

#6 Seattle Seahawks – Anthony Davis OT Rutgers – Pete Carroll’s number one concern coming in to this season is figuring out how to get the stagnant offense of the Seahawks moving. Everything was a disappointment for Seattle last season. No running back ran for more than 680 yards. T.J. Houshmandzadeh did manage to catch 79 balls but only 3 of those were touchdowns. By drafting Anthony Davis You can solidify the left side of the line immediately leading to better pass protection on the blind side and more push for the run game. Davis is a beast at 6’6 325 lbs he has the potential to play the left tackle position in the NFL for a long time, as do many of this years OL prospects. The Seahawks pick again at 14 and could take a chance on a guy like Dez Bryant or Jimmy Clausen if either of those two are still around.

#7 Cleveland Browns - Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State – The Cleveland Browns are a really fun scenario because Mike Holmgren is in charge of all things football. Who knows what he could have up his sleeve. Dump a QB and start fresh? Maybe. Holmgren has been around football a long time and knows you need big physical play makers on the offensive side of the ball. Remember when he drafted Koren Robinson. Robinson’s draft analysis read as “Explosive breakaway threat with impressive leaping ability… Explodes coming off the line and uses his hands well to escape press coverage…Has an array of moves to elude defenders”. Sound like Dez, yeah. Plus, if you are being realistic you can not truly believe that Josh Cribbs and Muhomed Massaquoi are a good enough one two punch to ever allow the Browns to make a run at the rest of the division. You have to replace Braylon Edwards.

#8 Oakland Raiders – Rolando Mcclain LB Alabama – The Oakland Raiders beat a couple pretty good teams last season and that was in a large part because their defense really isn’t all that bad. The problem is the quarterback situation is awful and the stable of running backs has been anything but impressive. It also doesn’t help that Zack Miller continues to be the number 1 target through the air. However, this is not the pick to address the offense. You aren’t going to take a QB in the first round unless you have completely given up on Jamarcus Russell. The Raiders just used a top ten pick last year on Heyward Bey and Darren Mcfadden the year before that and you do have to let those two continue to develop on by being on the field. What Rolando Mcclain brings to the Raiders is instant production and leadership. He had 105 tackles last season for Alabama and was the captain for the #1 defensive unit in the country. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a beast and Al Davis loves “freaks”. Standing at 6’4 Mcclain is a solid 260 lbs. He has the ability to move left to right and stuff the middle.

#9 Buffalo Bills – Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame – The New York Jets found their QB of the future in last years first round and I expect the Bills to follow suit. They are the last team in the division looking for a quarterback and need one now if they want to seriously compete in the next 3-5 years. Clausen is considered somewhat of an athletic freak just like Quinn before him and his showing at this years combine could be exactly what the Bill’s front office needs to pull the trigger. He may be able to step in immediately coming from a pro style offense under Charlie Weiss. Clausen is built to play in the NFL at 6’3 225. Last year at Notre Dame he completed his passes at a 68% clip and threw 28 touchdowns to only 4 INTs.

#10 Denver Broncos – Mike Iupati OG Idaho – The Denver Broncos are short on play makers without Brandon Marshall in the lineup but with Dez Bryant off the board there is not a receiver available worth the #10 pick. Like always they do have a young stable of running backs and will use this pick to get Knowshon and company out and running. Iupati is a people mover at 6’6 330 lbs. He plays gaurd and would be an awesome fit next to Ryan Clady on the left side of the line. Iupati was a 2009 All-American.

Thank you for reading and I appreciate any and all comments. For an in-deptch look in to the rest of the first round check out parts 2 and 3 of this series by clicking on the links below.

http://www.collegesportsfeed.com/2010-nfl-mock-draft-part-2-of-a-3-part-series-picks-11-20/

http://www.collegesportsfeed.com/2010-nfl-draft-part-3-of-3-part-series-picks-21-32/

The future looks bright for former Bearcat.

By Coden Mruk

MORGANTOWN, WV – Cincinnatti QB Tony Pike has finished his college career as a two year starter for the Bearcats throwing for over 5,000 yards and 49 touchdowns. In his final season at Cincinnati, Pike led his team to a 12-0 regular season record and a birth in the 2009-2010 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Improving each year, Pike saw his touchdown numbers shoot from 19 to 29 this past season. Just as impressive was that he threw those touchdowns without turning the ball over, throwing only 6 INTs on the season. Coming in to the final game of the season against Pitt for the Big East championship Pike had only thrown 3 interceptions on the year. He managed to match his 3 additional interceptions with 3 touchdowns and the all important game winner to take the conference and finish out a perfect regular season. Also note that he threw 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in Cincinnati’s only loss to Florida.

Much of this past year’s success can be credited to the Bearcats high flying offense led by Pike and senior wideout Mardy Gilyard. The duo hooked up for a total of 9 touchdowns in as many games. Pike missed 3 regular season games due to injury but before going down was considered a candidate for the Heisman trophy.

Now, after impressing everyone at the Senior Bowl including ESPN’s and Scout.com’s Todd McShay, Tony Pike finds himself right in the middle of the draft process and there is a ton of buzz around this guy. In fact, Mcshay called Pike the “best all around prospect” at this years Senior Bowl. Pointing out Pike’s upside,Mcshay calls his ball “deadly accurate”, and continued by noting Pike “shows good poise in the pocket”. If he can continue to improve on his pocket awareness and ability to read coverages he becomes an elite NFL QB prospect standing 6’6 and weighing in at 225 lbs. He has the body of your prototypical quarterback resembling Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer. Scouts and GMs both love what Tony Pike brings to the table at the quarterback position.

Lets be realistic, there are about ten total teams whose quarterback position can be considered up in the air or unsettled. From the Rams to the Vikings, throw in the Jaguars, Cardinals, Panthers, and Seahawks…to name a few. I’m not saying that ten teams are going to draft a quarterback, especially not within the first three rounds of this years draft. What I’m saying is that if you are one of these GMs and you see a quarterback on your draft board who you feel can make your team better you draft him. As we all know the quarterback is the leader of the offense and by default the scape goat when things turn sour. Having a quarterback whose abilities only allow him to manage an offense puts a strain on defenses that few teams can afford. That’s why the strong arm and accuracy of Pike has a lot of people taking a closer look. Here is a short look at a few of those scenarios.

Minnesota Vikings- This whole situation revolves around Brett Favre’s decision to come back or retire. For sake of this argument lets say he retires. The Minnesota Vikings are stacked on the defensive side of the ball however they are aging quickly. The offense has a premiere running back, three good wide receivers, and a tight end already in place. We have all seen  what Minnesota can do with an effective passing game and we have also seen just how ineffective Tavaris Jackson can be. Minnesota could address the  defense early and Tony Pike could find his way on the Vikings draft board come round 3.

Seattle Seahawks- There is a new sheriff in town in Seattle and he wants to win. Pete Carroll had a short stint in the NFL prior to this gig with the Seahawks but his professional coaching career turned out to be a bust. He moved on to USC where he experienced win after win, bowl after bowl. He’s going to want to win and win now. To do that, don’t be surprised to see the Seahawks draft a quarterback to play and learn behind Matt Hasselbeck, who could be looking for work if he doesn’t get the job done soon.

Arizona Cardinals- It looks like kurt Warner’s career has finally come to an end. Originally, Arizona’s plan was to move in to the future featuring Matt Leinart at the helm. The time Leinart has spent on the feild, though it short, has not been by any means impressive. To me, it is obvious that Matt Leinart is not the answer for the future unless he improves significantly. This improvement could be sparked by creating a small quarterback controversy by drafting a guy like Pike. Give yourself two young quarterbacks both of whom are looking to prove something. Announce Leinart as your starter going in to camp giving him the confidence of the coaching staff and front office and let Tony Pike learn from the sideline.

Do I think Tony Pike is going to be a great NFL quarterback? No. Do I think any team should bet the farm on a guy like Pike? No.I do think that Tony Pike has put himself in position to be considered an elite prospect at the quarterback position. If I’m a GM I take a chance on Pike in round 3. If he falls to round 4 or 5 its a steal.

Big East living up to expectations.

By Coden Mruk

MORGANTOWN, WV –  We are halfway to March and you know what that means. No not Valentines Day, it means March Madness is almost here. With it, comes the selection process of deciding who is in and who is out in this years tournament. Lets take a look at six teams in the Big East who are riding that bracket bubble as it stands right now. I’ll tell you my picks for who’s in and who’s out.

Louisville- Rick Pitino and the Louisville Cardinals came in to tonight’s game at St. Johns sitting pretty with a 6-4 record in the Big East and baring any major set backs, an almost lock to get in this year’s tournament. St. johns, who is a bottom feeder in the conference made quick work of the Cardinals serving them a  beat-down at MSG. It looks like the travel combined with the latest Rick Pitino buzz was too much of a distraction. Whatever the problem was tonight I do fully expect the Cardinals to come out with alot more intensity when they go northeast to Syracuse. No matter how hard they come out, beating ‘cuse at home is a tall order. This being said, Louisville will probably find themselves at 6-6 and still decent position for a tourney bid. For losing Terrance Williams and Earl Clark in the first round of last year’s NBA draft, and taking on the 4th toughest schedule in the country, Louisville has not disappointed. If Rick Pitino can quiet the New Jersey rumors ASAP and get his team playing defense like we are used to seeing, I think they will be OK. At this point, Louisville is IN.

Marquette  – The Golden Eagles started off hot and have been hot as of late but a mid season lull has really put them in a sticky situation. What Marquette has going for them is that they are 6-5 in the Big East with their key wins coming against Georgetown and at Uconn, who is still a beast on their home floor. Don’t forget that they also beat Xavier at a neutral site. Lazar Hayward has lived up to his role as the premiere scorer and plays bigger than his 6’6 frame suggests. Pulling down 7.8 rebound per game, Hayward is irreplaceable in the paint.  Marquette’s next two games are at home against South Florida and Pittsburgh. If they can protect their home court they will be setting themselves up nicely for a spot in the tourney. I say that Marquette is IN.

South Florida – Dominique Jones has been playing out of his mind and the South Florida Bulls have been riding his almost 22 ppg to a surprising 5-6 record in the Big East. The bottom line is if you can manage to go 9-9 in this conference you get in the tournament and with 4 of their last 7 games at home and a road game at Depaul, I would be surprised if they did not reach that 9-9 mark. Something I really like about the Bulls is they are 3-4 on the road including a win at Georgetown. The South Florida Bulls are IN.

Notre Dame – This is probably the toughest call of the bunch because of the injury that Luke Harangody just suffered in their road loss to Seton Hall who usually protects their home court with regularity. Harangody is averaging over 24 points and 10 rebounds on the year. If he is forced to the sideline for even a week it could be a loss that the Irish aren’t prepared to bounce back from. Their 6-6 conference record could take a hit, severely hurting their chances for a bid but as it stands right now Notre Dame is IN.

Cincinnati – This team showed leaps and bounds from last season beating Vanderbilt and Maryland at a neutral site giving them two legitimate out of conference wins.  Like South Florida, the Bearcats are sitting at 5-6 in conference play and are bearing down for a late season grind for that 9-9 conference mark. Personally, I like the trio of Vaughn, Gates, and freshman phenom Lance Stephenson and fully expect those three to continue to contribute the way they’ve been for the remainder of the season. Cincinnati has been struggling on the road at 1-6. They are going to have to turn that around right now going away to Uconn and then to South Florida. This along with the remainder of their schedule is brutal which does give them the 18th toughest schedule but this probably wont be enough. Realistically I could see the Bearcats finishing 7-11 in the big east and that would obviously put them on the outside looking in. Until that happens I have the Cincinnati Bearcats as IN.

Connecticut- Where to start with this team, the fact that they have already lost 10 games and are 4-7 in the big east, or should we hit on their 0-6 record first? However you want to look at it the Huskies are struggling. I’m disappointed in their athletic big man Stanley Robinson. I know he’s second on the team in ppg and practically tied for first in rebounds but where are those flashes that we saw late last year that had everyone thinking first round pick? Calhoun isn’t right and either is his squad. I know that Uconn has the 8th toughest schedule in the country and they played Duke, Kentucky, and Texas but there is no excuse to the way they have been playing in conference games. You have to win the games that you are supposed to win. If Connecticut wants in this year I think they will have to finish out 5-2 in their next seven but with only 3 more games left at home I just don’t see it happening. Right now and probably for good,Uconn is OUT.

With the addition of Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia, Georgetown, and Pittsburgh, I am putting  ten teams from the Big East in the tournament. If Cincinnati falls off, and I expect they will, that brings the magic number to 9. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the premiere basketball conference in the country.