NFL Draft Posts:

The 2012 NFL Draft Top Ten Picks

By Eric Gray | April 27, 2012 @ 10:20 am

#1 - Andrew Luck - QB - Indianapolis Colts

#2 - Robert Griffin III - QB - Washington Redskins

#3 - Trent Richardson - RB - Cleveland Browns

#4 - Matt Kalil - OT - Minnesota Vikings

#5 - Justin Blackmon - WR - Jacksonville Jaguars

#6 - Morris Claiborne - CB - Dallas Cowboys

#7 - Mark Barron - SS - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

View the Gallery / 10 Photos »

The first round of the 2012 NFL Draft has come and gone, with 9 of the 10 picks getting their ceremonial jersey, team hat, and photo op with commissioner Roger Goodell. Carolina's pick, LB Luke Kuechly, opted to stay home and be with his family and friends instead of going to New York.

Right now every fan and every team is hoping they picked that one can't miss guy, but you just never know. This seems like a super talented class of players, so hopefully there aren't any Ryan Leaf or Jamarcus Russell type busts in there.

Round One of the NFL Draft is Full of Surprises

By Travis Pulver | April 27, 2012 @ 12:54 am

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announces the No 5 pick for Jacksonville, Justin Blackmon

This season’s crop of college talent clearly made an impact on a number of coaches and general managers around the NFL. How else can you explain the incredible number of trades that took place during the first round of the 2012 Draft Thursday night?

Roger Goodell had said he wanted to add suspense back to the NFL Draft (cause that’s what people are looking for). Recently he sent out a memo requesting teams not make their picks known public prior to the draft (the same day the Colts announced they were taking Andrew Luck). What he got was a first round that had eight trades.

The 2012 NFL Draft is Tonight so get Ready With This Remix (VIDEO)

By Eric Gray | April 26, 2012 @ 9:02 am

Watch Video

Can you feel it? The excitement is coming with the pageantry, the cheers and boos. The NFL Draft kicks off tonight at 8pm Eastern, and you can watch it on ESPN, NFL Network, and follow it online.

We know Andrew Luck is the number one pick for the Indianapolis Colts, and Robert Griffin III will go second to the Washington Redskins. Then the real fun begins, because once the Minnesota Vikings make the third pick (probably OT Matt Kalil) the rest of the league has to start figuring out which draft plan they've mapped out works.

So to get you ready for all that, here's a video from DJ Steve Porter. If you're not familiar with his work, he takes things like press conferences and interviews and cuts them together with some nice beats to make extremely entertaining songs out of them. Porter made this one ahead of last year's draft, but it's filled with some vintage clips and interviews from nearly 30 years of drafts. It's worth a look and listen.

Article by Eric Gray

NFL Draft – The Top Cornerbacks

By Eric Gray | April 25, 2012 @ 12:01 pm

View the Gallery / 8 Photos »

As long as NFL rules are going to favor receivers, teams are going to need that elusive 'shutdown corner' who can stay with pass catchers while staying within the rules.

Cornerbacks are at a high premium these days, and there will be around 12-15 of them picked in the first three rounds. LSU's Morris Claiborne, South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore and Dre Kirkpatrick from Alabama are the top three CBs in this year's draft. Not surprising to see three guys from the SEC at the top, that conference likes everyone to know they're about speed.

Click through the gallery to see some more cornerbacks who will be lining up on Sundays this fall.

Article by Eric Gray

NFL Draft – The Top Inside Linebackers

By Eric Gray | April 25, 2012 @ 10:14 am

View the Gallery / 10 Photos »

It used to be that the inside linebacker, or 'Mike' backer, was the anchor and soul of the defense. Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Ray Lewis come to mind as some of the greats when you start talking about the position.

These days, with the pass-happy rules of the NFL, the emphasis of the Mike backer has decreased a little bit, but teams still want to have a scary dude staring the quarterback down when he gets to the line. It makes sense to have speedy linebackers on the outside who can cover the pass, but teams still need that guy in the middle to make teams game plan around them.

Luke Kuechly out of Boston College and Dont'a Hightower from Alabama are the two highest rated prospects in this year's crop of ILBs, but they're hardly alone. Click through the gallery to see who scouts are high on for this week's NFL Draft.

Article by Eric Gray

NFL Prospect Shows Off Athleticism (VIDEO)

By Travis Pulver | April 25, 2012 @ 8:25 am

Watch Video

When it comes to football players from Presbyterian College in the small town of Clinton, South Carolina, they are typically not draft prospects. However, this year they do have one kid; a defensive back by the name of Justin Bethel.

Bethel led the Blue Hose this past year (yes, the name is real) in both total (87) and unassisted tackles (60). Both are improvements off his team leading totals from the previous two seasons. He has a knack for scoring too. Both of the punts he returned went for touchdowns and he took one of his four interceptions to the house.

His play earned him an invite to the Combine this year where he had the best vertical among defenders with 39.5 inches. According to this video he can do a whole lot better (60 inches). While it will not make him draft worthy (although he has been rated as a late round pick), it could help him get a few invites into camp.

Article by Travis Pulver

NFL Draft – And the 2012 Mr. Irrelevant is…Going to Get Lucky! (VIDEO)

By Travis Pulver | April 25, 2012 @ 7:35 am

Watch Video

Every draft there is one person that is not expected to make the final cut on his team. It’s not someone with legal issues (because the NFL cares so much about those). Nor is it someone with a questionable work ethic or suspect stats.

It is simply the last person picked; No 253 (this year), otherwise known as Mr. Irrelevant.