Top 5 Seniors by Position

[motife]

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/insider/columns/story?columnist=kiper_jr_mel&id=3168726

Mel Kiper

Quarterbacks
1. Matt Ryan, Boston College
2. Brian Brohm, Louisville
3. Joe Flacco, Delaware
4. Colt Brennan, Hawaii
5. Andre' Woodson, Kentucky

Running Backs
1. Mike Hart, Michigan
2. Chris Johnson, East Carolina
3. Jacob Hester, LSU
4. Dantrell Savage, Oklahoma State
5. Matt Forte, Tulane

Fullbacks
1. Peyton Hillis, Arkansas
2. Owen Schmitt, West Virginia
3. Jerome Felton, Furman
4. Mike Cox, Georgia Tech
5. Doug Jones, Cincinnati

Wide Receivers
1. Limas Sweed, Texas
2. Early Doucet, LSU
3. Keenan Burton, Kentucky
4. Josh Morgan, Virginia Tech
5. Dorien Bryant, Purdue

Tight Ends
1. Fred Davis, USC
2. John Carlson, Notre Dame
3. Dustin Keller, Purdue
4. Martin Rucker, Missouri
5. Kellen Davis, Michigan State

Offensive Tackles
1. Jake Long, Michigan
2. Sam Baker, USC
3. Chris Williams, Vanderbilt
4. Jeff Otah, Pittsburgh
5. Carl Nicks, Nebraska

Offensive Guards
1. Eric Young, Tennessee
2. Robert Felton, Arkansas
3. Jacky Claude, Florida St.
4. Drew Radovich, USC
5. Chad Rinehart, Northern Iowa

Centers
1. Cody Wallace, Texas A&M
2. Steve Justice, Wake Forest
3. Kory Lichtensteiger, Bowling Green
4. Jeff Cavender, Boise State
5. Dallas Griffin, Texas

Defensive Ends
1. Chris Long, Virginia
2. Quentin Groves, Auburn
3. Lawrence Jackson, USC
4. Chris Ellis, Virginia Tech
5. Darrell Robertson, Georgia Tech

Defensive Tackles
1. Glenn Dorsey, LSU
2. Sedrick Ellis, USC
3. Kentwan Balmer, North Carolina
4. Marcus Harrison, Arkansas
5. Trevor Laws, Notre Dame

Inside Linebackers
1. Dan Connor, Penn St.
2. Vince Hall, Virginia Tech
3. Jonathan Goff, Vanderbilt
4. Ben Moffitt, South Florida
5. J Leman, Illinois

Outside Linebackers
1. Keith Rivers, USC
2. Ali Highsmith, LSU
3. Bruce Davis, UCLA
4. Hilee Taylor, North Carolina
5. Shawn Crable, Michigan

Cornerbacks
1. Mike Jenkins, South Florida
2. Tracy Porter, Indiana
3. Leodis McKelvin, Troy
4. Charles Godfrey, Iowa
5. Trae Williams, South Florida

Safeties
1. Marcus Griffin, Texas
2. Craig Steltz, LSU
3. Josh Barrett, Arizona State
4. Jonathan Hefney, Tennessee
5. Dennis Keyes, UCLA

Place-Kickers
1. Brandon Coutu, Georgia
2. Jason Reda, Illinois
3. Rob Zarrilli, Hofstra
4. Arthur Carmody, Louisville
5. Alexis Serna, Oregon St.

Punters
1. Durant Brooks, Georgia Tech
2. Mike Dragosavich, North Dakota State
3. Brett Kern, Toledo
4. Benjamin Dato, Fordham
5. Ben Woods, Buffalo

[Freak Out]

Limas Sweed....now that's a football name.

[b bulldog]

RB crop

[Deputy Nutz]

RB crop

Hell there is a white guy in the top 3.

[Jimx29]

Odd how there's not a single randomly place apostrophe in any of those guys names :\

[Pacopete4]

now that we have developed a core of players.. i wonder if TT's strategy will change with the draft. He wanted to gather as many picks before because we lacked depth, well now that we have starters or guys that we thinking will be starters when they mature.. i wonder if he'l trade up for a stud and take a shot at a game breaker that this team will need to take the next step.. and im not just talking the offensive side of the ball

[Tarlam!]

now that we have developed a core of players.. i wonder if TT's strategy will change with the draft.

I think TT's strategy goes beyond your description of just collecting depth. I think if TT is within reach of a guy he says "wow" to, and the other guys on his board don't have as much appeal as the "wow" dude, he will try and go after him.

He has repeatedly said he is not adverse to trading up to get somebody, he also points out, it just hasn't occured. Maybe some insinuating evidence can be claimed with the "Grant for a 6th trade". A lot of pundits had Grant being cut from the Giants roster at some point. TT made sure he became a Packer, though.

TT is meticulous with his player evaluations - whether or not he places value correctly is a completely different argument. He sticks to his evaluations, despite what GMs around him do on draft day. That is the core of his strategy, at least that's my belief.

TT tends to err on the side of conservatism. The trade he turned down with the Browns last year should serva as a reminder.

And, he demonstrates patience with his picks. Take Hodge, e.g. Obviously from the outside, Hodge has been a complete bust, save a decent Camp in his rookie year. Wynn, too was put on IR for what I think was a season ending injury to the attitude reflex in the right side of his brain.

I think we will see the same TT strategy draft day, which, IMHO, has never ever ruled out trading up. Up until this point of his tenure, TT seems to be following his grand plan to the letter.

[Fritz]

Very well-reasoned post, Tarlam.

I'd like to see - believe it or not - TT get another defensive lineman or two. The importance of depth at that position was evident in the dropoff of play after Cole and Jolly got hurt. With Williams on the way out the door (I'd lay odds that he's outta here cuz some crazy team will overpay the guy), it will be important to pick up some talent.

It might be interesting to see if TT tries to uncover some later-round gems at CB. The thinking there is that Harris and Woodson (with Blackmon and maybe Bush in reserve) might be good for another year, so a young, raw corner could sit and learn and be the dime back or something.

Same with a tight end. I do like Rucker from Missouri very much, but he ay go high. And whether he can block is still questionable. Maybe TT can get a guy later who can sit and be a reserve for a year or two. Heck, if Bubba comes back for one more year, that would be perfect.

And a running back would be nice. Create some competition for Brandon "Sack 'O Potatoes" Jackson.

[CaliforniaCheez]

I don't agree with any list put out by ESPN.

However, I think Ted will go for a CB in 1st or second round. Woodson and Harris are aging and expensive. They are getting nicked up over the course of the season.

It will probably take 3 high picks to find the quality needed.

Ted likes BPA. TE depth, OLB depth, Center depth, and RB depth are concerns that could be addressed in free agency before the draft.

Ted's drafts are really for the 2010 season. You have to look ahead to understand it.

[Fritz]

Don't know that I agree with you now, CaliCheez. I would have, last year, but all of a sudden this very young team is 12-3. McCarthy doesn't seem to be afraid to start the rookies, unlike Holmgren.

[The Leaper]

It is so tough to evaluate the draft at this point when you don't know all of the underclassmen that are coming out. This list makes the draft look incredibly thin...but some positions will be bolstered a lot by a couple of good junior players who commit to the NFL.

However, with several big name juniors already saying they are returning to college next year, it might be somewhat of a weak draft compared to recent years.

[PackerPro42]

If some top juniors don't come out it's going to be a very weak draft as far as depth is concerned.

[packrulz]

NFLdraftcountdown has them taking Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas. I don't know much about the college guys but to get to the next level the Pack needs a CB that can play man coverage with TO or Moss.

[hurleyfan]

NFLdraftcountdown has them taking Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas. I don't know much about the college guys but to get to the next level the Pack needs a CB that can play man coverage with TO or Moss.

Per Cali:
However, I think Ted will go for a CB in 1st or second round. Woodson and Harris are aging and expensive. They are getting nicked up over the course of the season.


I tend to agree with this thought process, with Bush being nicked/hurt quite a bit and some big plays given up, I think TT needs to look at CB

And as Fritz points out, D Linemen in this defense are at a premium!

What round did we get Jolly? Pretty low right?

[Iron Mike]

I'm wondering which QB bust the Bears are gonna draft with their early-round pick. :P