NFL Power Rankings: Week 17

Jeremy Lambert is back with his final NFL power rankings of the regular season! Enjoy them while they'e here. They could get up and leave at any moment.....



Welcome to the Ultimate Football Blog Week Seventeen Power Rankings. Like most power rankings, this list is highly official and should never be doubted. If you disagree with it, you’re probably a moron.

No commentary this week as I’ll be doing a special year end awards piece for the site sometime later this week.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Let’s give the Bucs a lot of credit. They were up 20-7 to start the fourth quarter against a bad New Orleans Saints team with nothing to play with. If the Bucs had won, they would’ve done the most NFC South thing ever and screwed up their chance at the #1 overall pick. But they smartly packed it in. They let Brees throw the go-ahead touchdown pass and then ensured their loss by taking a safety on a potential game-winning drive. You didn’t do much right this year Tampa Bay, in fact you let a lot of idiots who thought you would be good down, but you saved your best football for last. And that’s how you get it done in the NFL.

2. Aaron Rodgers’ MVP Case

J.J. Watt once again played well on Sunday, but Rodgers leaving with an “injury” and then returning to help lead the Packers over the Lions pretty much wrapped up the MVP for him.

3. Andrew Luck vs. AFC North

6games. 134/206 (65%) passing. 1,733 yards. 16 touchdowns. 3 interceptions. 111.2 passer rating. 6 wins.

4. Cowboys on the Road

The Cowboys finished the season undefeated on the road and showed some really great killer instinct against a terrible Washington team. Now they host a playoff game at home.

5. Jim Harbaugh’s Bank Account

This dude is going to make more in college than any coach in the pros. And he doesn’t have to deal with a ton of egos. But he does have to live in Michigan.

6. Johnny Manziel’s Parties

I’ve never been invited to one of these things, but they sound like they are pretty epic. Josh Gordon told me.

7. NFC SOUTH CHAMPS BABY!

For the first time in division history, a team won back-to-back NFC South championships. That team? MY 7-8-1 CAROLINA PANTHERS!!!!!!

8. Rex Ryan’s Next Team

By the time you read this, Rex Ryan will probably have been fired. That’s good news for a team searching for a head coach. Ryan is a great head coach who was handcuffed by a lot of poor management decisions.

9. J.J. Watt

The Jaguars tried hard to give Watt the MVP, but for now he’ll have to settle for the weekly “Rag the Jags” spot.

10. The INT Battle

Jay Cutler played but didn’t throw an interception, season long leader Blake Bortles managed to take care over the ball, Drew Brees tried to make a late run, but wait THAT’S PHILIP RIVERS MUSIC!

32. Geno Smith

Good numbers in a meaningless game doesn’t make you a good quarterback. I can’t wait for people to talk themselves into Geno being “the guy” based on these last couple of weeks.

50. Bears QB Situation

Kyle Orton aint walking through that door.

73. Miami Dolphins and Washington Redksins

Who has the brighter future? The Dolphins have a disgruntled receiver, a mediocre quarterback with a hot wife, and a seemingly incompetent coach. The Redskins have a terrible owner, a terrible quarterback, and a coach who might be gone. Neither team seems to have a positive attitude either.

100. Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan

If I need to win a big game, these are the last two guys that I want on my team. Yet every year they are talked about as being “elite.” They are good quarterbacks, but they’ve proven time and time again that when it counts the most, they falter. Rivers and Ryan just needed to win on Sunday to get in the playoffs. They threw four interceptions and were sacked 13 times combined. Blame injuries, poor coaching, poor schemes, or whatever you want to blame. But blame Rivers and Ryan the most.

101. Dalton to Green

Every time Andy Dalton passes to A.J. Green it usually ends up being a turnover. Whether it’s a Dalton pick or a Green fumble, the ball seems to end up with the other team. Maybe Dalton should stop passing to Green.

174. Lions Stomp

One game isn’t enough at this point. These guys have been doing it all season.

200. January Peyton Manning

He doesn’t seem healthy and he’ll be playing in cold and nasty weather. Good luck.

296. Mike Smith’s Next Team

Unlike Rex Ryan, Mike Smith isn’t a very good coach and I encourage the fan base of the team that hires Mike Smith to revolt.

500. The Entire Raiders Defense

HOW DO YOU LET BROCK OSWEILER THROW A TOUCHDOWN TO SOME GUY NAMED VIRGIL GREEN?!?!?! ALL VIRGILS ARE JOBBERS!!!!!

1000. Steve Cook

Fantasy football is dumb and the Steelers won the division.

NFL Regular Season Round-Up

The end of the NFL regular season is here.....

I know, I know. It sucks, but I think we are going to be OK. We manage to survive without football for 6+ months out of the year and even though it's painful to see your favorite team's season end, there's always the hope that they will be much better next season that keeps us going. Before we can look forward to next season though, we need to look back at this season. Before the playoffs get into motion, we are going to take a look back at how each team did during the regular season. We are also going to take a look back at how each of my predictions panned out so everyone can make fun of how wrong I was. As if that wasn't already enough, I provide you with my updated playoff predictions as well as the coaches I think will be looking for work once the day ends. It's a damn good time and it's all right here in this column.....

Record: 11-5 (3-3)

My Predicted Record: 8-8 (1-5)

Teams Beaten: Chargers, Giants, 49ers, Redskins, Raiders, Eagles, Cowboys, Rams (2x), Lions, Chiefs

Teams Lost To: Broncos, Seahawks (2x), Falcons, 49ers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 28th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 18th

Record: 6-10 (5-1)

My Predicted Record: 7-9 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Saints (2x), Buccaneers (2x), Panthers, Cardinals

Teams Lost To: Bengals, Vikings, Giants, Bears, Ravens, Lions, Browns, Packers, Steelers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 15th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 26th

Record: 10-6 (3-3)

My Predicted Record: 10-6 (5-1)

Teams Beaten: Steelers, Browns (2x), Panthers, Buccaneers, Falcons, Titans, Saints, Dolphins, Jaguars

Teams Lost To: Bengals (2x), Colts, Steelers, Chargers, Texans

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 4th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 3rd

Record: 9-7 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 6-10 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Bears, Dolphins, Lions, Vikings, Jets (2x), Browns, Packers, Patriots

Teams Lost To: Chargers, Texans, Patriots, Chiefs, Dolphins, Broncos, Raiders

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 31st

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 5th

Record: 7-8-1 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 9-7 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Buccaneers (2x), Lions, Bears, Saints, Browns, Falcons

Teams Lost To: Steelers, Ravens, Packers, Seahawks, Saints, Eagles, Falcons, Vikings

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 19th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 17th

Record: 5-11 (1-5)

My Predicted Record: 11-5 (4-2)

Teams Beaten: 49ers, Jets, Falcons, Vikings, Buccaneers

Teams Lost To: Bills, Packers (2x), Panthers, Dolphins, Patriots, Lions (2x), Cowboys, Saints, Vikings

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 18th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 23rd

Record: 10-5-1 (3-3)

My Predicted Record: 9-7 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Ravens (2x), Falcons, Titans, Jaguars, Saints, Texans, Buccaneers, Browns, Broncos

Teams Lost To: Patriots, Colts, Browns, Steelers (2x)

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 7th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 30th

Record: 7-9 (2-4)

My Predicted Record: 4-12 (1-5)

Teams Beaten: Saints, Titans, Steelers, Raiders, Buccaneers, Bengals, Falcons

Teams Lost To: Steelers, Ravens (2x), Jaguars, Texans, Bills, Colts, Bengals, Panthers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 9th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 14th

Record: 12-4 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 3-13 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Titans, Rams, Saints, Texans, Seahawks, Giants (2x), Jaguars, Bears, Eagles, Colts, Redskins

Teams Lost To: 49ers, Redskins, Cardinals, Eagles

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 1st

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 19th

Record: 12-4 (6-0)

My Predicted Record: 13-3 (5-1)

Teams Beaten: Colts, Chiefs (2x), Cardinals, Jets, 49ers, Chargers (2x), Raiders (2x), Dolphins, Bills

Teams Lost To: Seahawks, Patriots, Rams, Bengals

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 5th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 1st

Record: 11-5 (5-1)

My Predicted Record: 6-10 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Giants, Packers, Jets, Vikings (2x), Saints, Falcons, Dolphins, Bears (2x), Buccaneers

Teams Lost To: Panthers, Bills, Cardinals, Patriots, Packers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 16th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 2nd

Record: 12-4 (5-1)

My Predicted Record: 10-6 (4-2)

Teams Beaten: Jets, Bears (2x), Vikings (2x), Dolphins, Panthers, Eagles, Patriots, Falcons, Buccaneers

Teams Lost To: Seahawks, Lions. Saints, Bills

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 2nd

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 16th

Record: 9-7 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 6-10 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Redskins, Raiders, Bills, Titans (2x), Browns, Jaguars (2x), Ravens

Teams Lost To: Giants, Cowboys, Colts (2x), Steelers, Eagles, Bengals

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 14th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 10th

Record: 11-5 (6-0)

My Predicted Record: 13-3 (5-1)

Teams Beaten: Jaguars (2x), Titans (2x), Ravens, Texans (2x), Bengals, Giants, Redskins, Browns

Teams Lost To: Broncos, Eagles, Steelers, Patriots, Cowboys

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 13th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 22nd

Record: 3-13 (1-5)

My Predicted Record: 4-12 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Browns, Giants, Titans

Teams Lost To: Eagles, Redskins, Colts (2x), Chargers, Steelers, Titans, Dolphins, Bengals, Cowboys, Texans (2x), Ravens

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 32nd

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 27th

Record: 9-7 (3-3)

My Predicted Record: 8-8 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Dolphins, Patriots, Chargers (2x), Rams, Jets, Bills, Seahawks, Raiders

Teams Lost To: Titans, Broncos (2x), 49ers, Raiders, Cardinals, Steelers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 23rd

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 13th

Record: 8-8 (3-3)

My Predicted Record: 8-8 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Patriots, Raiders, Bears, Jaguars, Chargers, Bills, Jets, Vikings

Teams Lost To: Bills, Chiefs, Packers, Lions, Broncos, Ravens, Patriots, Jets

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 24th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 11th

Record: 7-9 (1-5)

My Predicted Record: 5-11 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Rams, Falcons, Buccaneers, Redskins, Panthers, Jets, Bears

Teams Lost To: Patriots, Saints, Packers (2x), Lions (2x), Bills, Bears, Dolphins

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 20th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 12th

Record: 12-4 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 10-6 (4-2)

Teams Beaten: Vikings, Raiders, Bengals, Bills, Jets (2x), Bears, Broncos, Colts, Lions, Chargers, Dolphins

Teams Lost To: Dolphins, Chiefs, Packers, Bills

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 10th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 4th

Record: 7-9 (3-3)

My Predicted Record: 12-4 (4-2)

Teams Beaten: Vikings, Buccaneers (2x), Packers, Panthers, Steelers, Bears

Teams Lost To: Falcons (2x), Browns, Cowboys, Lions, 49ers, Bengals, Ravens, Panthers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 8th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 31st

Record: 6-10 (2-4)

My Predicted Record: 8-8 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Texans, Redskins (2x), Falcons, Titans, Rams

Teams Lost To: Lions, Cardinals, Eagles (2x), Cowboys (2x), Colts, Seahawks, 49ers, Jaguars

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 17th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 21st

Record: 4-12 (1-5)

My Predicted Record: 6-10 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Raiders, Steelers, Titans, Dolphins

Teams Lost To: Packers, Bears, Lions, Chargers, Broncos, Patriots (2x), Bills (2x), Chiefs, Dolphins, Vikings

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 27th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 6th

Record: 3-13 (1-5)

My Predicted Record: 4-12 (1-5)

Teams Beaten: Chiefs, 49ers, Bills

Teams Lost To: Jets, Texans, Patriots, Dolphins, Chargers (2x), Cardinals, Browns, Seahawks, Broncos (2x), Rams, Chiefs

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 30th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 24th

Record: 10-6 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 10-6 (5-1)

Teams Beaten: Jaguars, Colts, Redskins, Rams, Giants (2x), Texans, Panthers, Titans, Cowboys

Teams Lost To: 49ers, Cardinals, Packers, Seahawks, Cowboys, Redskins

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 6th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 8th

Record: 11-5 (4-2)

My Predicted Record: 10-6 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Browns, Panthers, Jaguars, Texans, Colts, Ravens, Titans, Bengals (2x), Falcons, Chiefs

Teams Lost To: Ravens, Buccaneers, Browns, Jets, Saints

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 3rd

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 20th

Record: 9-7 (2-4)

My Predicted Record: 7-9 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Seahawks, Bills, Jaguars, Jets, Raiders (2x), Rams, Ravens, 49ers

Teams Lost To: Cardinals, Chiefs (2x), Broncos (2x), Dolphins. Patriots

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 21st

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 25th

Record: 8-8 (2-4)

My Predicted Record: 13-3 (5-1)

Teams Beaten: Cowboys, Eagles, Chiefs, Rams, Saints, Giants, Redskins, Cardinals

Teams Lost To: Bears, Cardinals, Broncos, Rams, Seahawks (2x), Raiders, Chargers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 11th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 9th

Record: 12-4 (5-1)

My Predicted Record: 14-2 (5-1)

Teams Beaten: Packers, Broncos, Redskins, Panthers. Raiders, Giants, Cardinals (2x), 49ers (2x), Eagles, Rams

Teams Lost To: Chargers, Cowboys, Rams, Chiefs

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 12th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 7th

Record: 6-10 (2-4)

My Predicted Record: 5-11 (1-5)

Teams Beaten: Buccaneers, Seahawks, 49ers, Broncos, Raiders, Redskins

Teams Lost To: Vikings. Cowboys, Eagles, 49ers, Chiefs, Cardinals (2x), Chargers, Giants, Seahawks

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 25th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 15th

Record: 2-14 (0-6)

My Predicted Record: 7-9 (3-3)

Teams Beaten: Steelers, Redskins

Teams Lost To: Panthers (2x), Rams, Falcons (2x), Saints (2x), Ravens, Vikings. Browns, Bears, Bengals, Lions, Packers

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 29th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 29th

Record: 2-14 (1-5)

My Predicted Record: 3-13 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Chiefs, Jaguars

Teams Lost To: Cowboys, Bengals, Colts (2x), Browns, Redskins, Texans (2x), Ravens. Steelers, Eagles, Giants. Jets, Jaguars

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 26th

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 28th

Record: 4-12 (2-4)

My Predicted Record: 6-10 (2-4)

Teams Beaten: Jaguars, Titans, Cowboys, Eagles

Teams Lost To: Texans, Eagles, Giants (2x), Seahawks, Cardinals, Vikings, Buccaneers, 49ers, Colts, Rams, Cowboys

Overall Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 22nd

Overall Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 32nd

Pre-season Playoff Predictions

(Here are my playoff predictions that I made back in August)

(Winners are in BOLD)

AFC WILDCARD ROUND
Pittsburgh @ Baltimore
Cincinnati @ New England

NFC WILDCARD ROUND
Green Bay @ Chicago
San Francisco @ Philadelphia

AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
Baltimore @ Denver
New England @ Indianapolis

NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
Green Bay @ Seattle
San Francisco @ New Orleans

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
New England @ Denver

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
New Orleans @ Seattle

SUPER BOWL
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

New Playoff Predictions

(Now that we actually know the playoff line-up, here are my predictions as to how they will unfold)

(Winners are in BOLD)

AFC WILDCARD ROUND
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh
Cincinnati @ Indianapolis

NFC WILDCARD ROUND
Detroit @ Dallas
Arizona @ Carolina

AFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
Pittsburgh @ Denver
Indianapolis @ New England

NFC DIVISIONAL ROUND
Dallas @ Green Bay
Arizona @ Seattle

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Denver @ New England

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
Green Bay @ Seattle

SUPER BOWL
New England Patriots vs. Seattle Seahawks

(I can't change my pre-season pick if it still looks good....c'mon guys!)

NFL Black Monday Predictions

Before we wrap things up for good, today is "Black Monday" in the NFL. It's the Monday after the regular season is over and it also happens to be the day where we see the most NFL head coaches handed their pink slips. Here are my predictions on who's getting a pink slip today:

100% Gone

-Jim Harbaugh (Already Left Team; Mutual Separation)

-Marc Trestman (Chicago Bears)

-Rex Ryan (New York Jets)

50/50 This Guy Is Gone

-Jay Gruden (Washington Redskins)

-Gus Bradley (Jacksonville Jaguars)

-Mike Smith (Atlanta Falcons)

There's A Small Chance This Guy Is Gone

-Tom Coughlin (New York Giants)

-Ken Whisenhunt (Tennessee Titans)

-Lovie Smith (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

-Jeff Fisher (St. Louis Rams)

-Mike Pettine (Cleveland Browns)

-Doug Marrone (Buffalo Bills)

-Sean Payton (New Orleans Saints)

Dustin James' NFL Draft Guide: 3rd Edition

It's officially draft season here at the Ultimate Football Blog and here is all the information you need to keep you up-to-date on all the latest happenings in the NFL.......

The Ultimate Football Blog: 

NFL Draft Guide

3rd Edition

Underclassmen Who Have Declared For The Draft:

-QB Brett Hundley (UCLA)  

-RB Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin)

-RB Todd Gurley (Georgia)

-RB Matt Jones (Florida)

-WR Devin Funchess (Michigan)

-WR Lemar Durant (Simon Fraser)

-OL Tyler Moore (Florida)

-DE Eli Harold (Virginia)

-OLB Dante Fowler (Florida)

-OLB Noah Spence (Ohio State)

-CB Lorenzo Doss (Tulane)

-S Durell Eskridge (Syracuse)

-WR Sammie Coates (Auburn)

-OT T.J. Humphries (Florida)

-S Gerod Holliman (Louisville)

-RB Jay Ajayi (Boise State)

-CB Jalen Collins (LSU)

-RB Mike Davis (South Carolina)

-CB Marcus Peters (Washington)

-OT Jeremiah Poutasi (Utah)

-WR Shaq Roland (South Carolina)

-WR Jaelen Strong (Arizona State)

-TE Maxx Williams (Minnesota)

Current NFL Draft Order:

This would be the current order if the NFL Draft was held today....

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

2. Tennessee Titans 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars 

4. New York Jets

5. Oakland Raiders

6. Washington Redskins

7. Chicago Bears

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. Minnesota Vikings

10. New Orleans Saints

11. New York Giants

12. St. Louis Rams 

13. Cleveland Browns 

14. San Francisco 49ers

15. Houston Texans

16. Miami Dolphins 

17. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo)

18. Kansas City Chiefs 

19. Baltimore Ravens

20. Philadelphia Eagles

21. Carolina Panthers 

22. San Diego Chargers

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

24. Dallas Cowboys

25. Cincinnati Bengals

26. Indianapolis Colts

27. Detroit Lions

28. Arizona Cardinals

29. Green Bay Packers

30. Denver Broncos

31. Seattle Seahawks

32. New England Patriots

It's Mock Draft Time!

(In this space, you will find a full blown mock draft. For the time being, I will be featuring an expert's mock draft until the end of the football season when mine will be officially released. Contain your excitement.....)



This week's mock draft is brought to you by the fine folks over at WalterFootball.com:



1. Tampa Bay Bucccaneers: Marcus Mariota - QB (Oregon)

2. Tennessee Titans: Jameis Winston - QB (Florida State)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars: Leonard Williams - DE (USC)

4. New York Jets: Amari Cooper - WR (Alabama)

5. Oakland Raiders: Randy Gregory - DE (Nebraska)

6. Washington Redskins: Ronnie Stanley - OT (Notre Dame)

7. Chicago Bears: Landon Collins - S (Alabama)

8. Atlanta Falcons: Shane Ray - DE (Missouri)

9. Minnesota Vikings: Brandon Scherff - OT (Iowa)

10. New Orleans Saints: Dante Fowler - LB (Florida)

11. New York Giants: Ereck Flowers - OT (Miami)

12. St. Louis Rams: Kevin White - WR (West Virginia)

13. Cleveland Browns: DeVante Parker - WR (Louisville)

14. San Francisco 49ers: P.J. Williams - CB (Florida State)

15. Houston Texans: Ronald Darby - CB (Florida State)

16. Miami Dolphins: Eddie Goldman - DT (Florida State)

17. Cleveland Browns: Vic Beasley - DE (Clemson)

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Jaelen Strong - WR (Arizona State)

19. Baltimore Ravens: Shilique Calhoun - DE (Michigan State)

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Trae Waynes - CB (Michigan State)

21. Carolina Panthers: Melvin Gordon - RB (Wisconsin)

22. San Diego Chargers: Todd Gurley - RB (Georgia)

23. Pittsburgh Steelers: Kevin Johnson - CB (Wake Forest)

24. Dallas Cowboys: Eli Harold - DE (Virginia)

25. Cincinnati Bengals: Bud Dupree - DE (Kentucky)

26. Indianapolis Colts: Markus Golden - DE (Missouri)

27. Detroit Lions: La'El Collins - OT (LSU)

28. Arizona Cardinals: Arik Armstead - DE (Oregon)

29. Green Bay Packers: Shaq Thompson - LB (Washington)

30. Denver Broncos: Cedric Ogbuehi - OT (Texas A&M)

31. Seattle Seahawks: Sammie Coates - WR (Auburn)

32. New England Patriots: Cameron Erving - OL (Florida State)



ESPN.com/Scout Inc's Current Top 32 Players In Draft (underclassmen who haven't declared yet are not listed)


1. Devante Parker - WR (Louisville)

2. Brandon Scherff - OT (Iowa)

3. Danny Shelton - DT (Washington)

4. Cedric Ogbuehi - OT (Texas A&M)

5. Dante Fowler - DE (Florida)

6. Melvin Gordon - RB (Wisconsin)

7. Kevin White - WR (West Virginia)

8. Vic Beasley - DE (Clemson)

9. T.J. Clemmings - OT (Pittsburgh)

10. Devin Funchess - WR (Michigan)

11. Todd Gurley - RB (Georgia)

12. Malcolm Brown - DT (Texas)

13. Jaelen Strong - WR (Arizona State)

13. La'El Collins - OT (LSU)

14. Kevin Johnson - CB (Wake Forest)

15. A.J. Cann - OG (South Carolina)

16. Bud Dupree - LB (Kentucky)

17. Marcus Peters - CB (Washington)

17. Denzel Perryman - LB (Miami)

18. Ifo Ekpre-Olomu - CB (Oregon)



Underclassmen Who Are Ranked, But Have Yet To Declare:


1. Leonard Williams - DE (USC)

2. Marcus Mariota - QB (Oregon)

3. Shane Ray - DE (Missouri)

4. Amari Cooper - WR (Alabama)

5. Randy Gregory - DE (Missouri)

6. Jameis Winston - QB (Florida State)

7. Landon Collins - S (Alabama)

8. Eddie Goldman - DT (Florida State)

9. Leonard Floyd - LB (Georgia)

10. Ereck Flowers - OT (Miami)

11. Shaq Thompson - LB (Washington)

12. Trae Waynes - CB (Michigan State)

13. Andrus Peat - OT (Stanford)

14. Bernardrick McKinney - LB (Mississippi State)

-A name that is picking up steam among NFL scouts is Oregon defensive lineman Arik Armstead. Reports are that the Junior is leading towards entering the NFL Draft after hearing he could potentially go as high as the mid-to-late first-round. Armstead is built like an NFL player and he definitely has the upside and pedigree to end up as a dominant force in the NFL, but the guy has been a little underwhelming at Oregon since arriving as a top recruit three years ago. Still, the promise and size is there and that has to have NFL teams extremely intrigued by what Armstead can become.


-Miami (Florida) running back Duke Johnson is reportedly leaning towards entering the NFL Draft. Johnson doesn't get the praise and accolades that Todd Gurley and Melvin Gordon do, but if you're looking for a running back who could take the league by storm, it's Johnson. Bleacher Report's Matt Miller compares Johnson to Jamaal Charles and something tells me that gets NFL fans everywhere drooling. I expect Johnson to go somewhere in the second-round if he does declare.


-Potential top pick Leonard Williams is far from a lock to enter the draft this season. Rumors are that the defensive lineman is considering returning to school to polish his game and is also said to be bitter that he's 0-3 against UCLA (USC's cross town rival) since stepping on campus. Is getting a win against UCLA enough to deter Williams' draft plans this year? Stay tuned.


-Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott recently received his grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Prescott hasn't revealed what the grade was, but he has said that if he doesn't think he'll be a first-round pick, he'll likely return to school next season. My guess? Prescott will be returning to school next season.


-Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook (who a lot of experts think would be the best pocket-passer in the draft if he decided to enter) is still leaning towards staying in school even though his draft stock has risen a lot lately. Cook could end up being a potential #1 overall pick next season if he returns to school and has a great year. 

MISSING: Have You Seen These NFL Players?

The 2014-15 NFL regular season is just about in the books, so this week I decided to take a look at some players who went missing this season. Maybe it was injuries, perhaps it was just an off-year for the player or maybe there was some other reason for the player's disappearance? Either way, we are officially on the lookout for these guys and you should be as well.

MISSING

Doug Martin

Age: 25   Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers   Position: Running Back

Doug "The Muscle Hamster" Martin was once one of the most promising running backs in the NFL. After a promising season in 2012 where Martin went off for 1,454 rushing yards and 11 TD's, Martin has been a huge disappointment. Injuries cut his 2013 season short, so there was a good reason for his ugly season last year. This year though? Martin was able to compete in ten games for Tampa Bay, but he wasn't really impressive at all. According to Pro Football Focus, Martin only graded out with a positive grade in one game this season. He took 324 snaps, got 114 rushing attempts and only managed to get 386 rushing yards for an average of 3.4 yards per carry. Those are awful numbers for a guy who was once considered a future #1 overall pick in fantasy football. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Bucs part ways with Martin after this season as he clearly doesn't have what it takes to be a long-term starting NFL running back.

MISSING

Jadeveon Clowney

Age: 21   Team: Houston Texans   Position: LB/DL

The #1 overall pick in last year's NFL Draft was supposed to come into the league, line-up alongside the best defensive player in the NFL in J.J. Watt and terrorize other NFL team's for years to come. Instead, Clowney missed most of the season with injuries and was never around long enough to make any sort of significant impact. He only took 146 snaps and in the game where he took the most snaps (against the Bengals in week 12), he graded out with a negative grade. It's far too early to call Clowney a bust, but you can safely say that his rookie season was a bust because the guy contributed absolutely nothing. 

MISSING

Dwayne Bowe

Age: 30   Team: Kansas City Chiefs   Position: WR

There was a time when I comfortably thought that Dwayne Bowe could potentially turn into one of the top 3 wide receivers in the league. That time has officially passed. It's now been 3 seasons since Bowe passed the 1,000 yard mark in a season (a mark he's reached only three times in his eight-year career). As a matter of fact, the last two seasons of Bowe's career have been the worst one since his injury-plagued third season. That just doesn't cut the mustard for a guy who's getting paid as one of the NFL's top WR's. You know what else doesn't cut the mustard for a top NFL WR? Catching absolutely zero touchdown's this season. It might be a little "assholish" to blame all that on Bowe, but the guy is getting paid like he's one of the best players at his position. Perhaps he should start playing like it? It wouldn't shock me to see Kansas City cut Bowe in the off-season as the 30-year old's production on-the-field isn't going to improve as he gets older. 

MISSING

Eric Decker

Age: 27   Team: New York Jets   Position: WR

Raise your hand if you expected Eric Decker's production to take a huge dip this season! Of course, a dip in production should be expected for a wide receiver who goes from having Peyton Manning to Geno Smith as his quarterback, but that's besides the point. What people don't understand is, Decker really isn't that good of a wide receiver, especially for his price tag. Decker had the benefit of playing with Manning for two seasons and he saw his numbers sky-rocket. The only problem with that is, when Decker doesn't have Manning throwing him the ball.....he's an average wide receiver. Jets fans are going to find that out real quick, if they haven't already. 

MISSING

Vernon Davis

Age: 30   Team: San Francisco 49ers   Position: TE

My, how the mighty have fallen. The once-reliable Vernon Davis has fallen off this year in a traumatic way. Davis posted up the worst numbers in his nine-year NFL career across the board this season and it wasn't even close. In thirteen games so far this year, Davis has graded out negatively in seven of them with a HORRIFIC grade in week 6 against the Rams. Davis was once considered a top-tier TE to play in fantasy football. After a season where he only caught 25 balls for 236 yards and 2 TD's....I'll be surprised if he even gets drafted in fantasy football next year. As a matter of fact, I'll be surprised if this guy is still a 49er next year. He only has one season left remaining on his contract, but he will have a $7 million cap hit against SF next season and that's extremely too high for a guy who's production isn't matching up to his salary. Look forward to seeing this guy in another uniform next year.

MISSING

Luke Joeckel

Age: 23   Team: Jacksonville Jaguars   Position: LT

It appears for the time being, that the Jaguars really whiffed with their #2 overall pick in last year's draft. Left tackle Luke Joeckel has been horrifically bad in his first two NFL seasons. His first season was cut short by an injury, but year two was supposed to be where Joeckel (who was widely considered the best talent in the 2013 NFL draft) took off. Unfortunately for Jags fans, that didn't happen. Joeckel played in almost every single game this year and only graded out positive in two of those games. He's struggling in both pass and rush blocking and gave up six sacks this year. Joeckel really needs to have an outstanding season next year to make sure he's not the latest "NFL Draft Bust" in a long line of busts (for the record, Kansas City Chiefs' LT Eric Fisher could also be listed here as well....but he's been a little better than Joeckel so far). 

MISSING

Matt Kalil

Age: 25   Team: Minnesota Vikings   Position: OT

One of the biggest disappointments this season has easily been the dip in production of Matt Kalil. There was a time when Kalil (the fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft) was considered an elite left tackle prospect. After a rookie season where he played all sixteen games and graded out negatively in only two of them (an outstanding feat for a rookie offensive lineman), we saw a little slip in his game last season during his second year in the league. We all thought that was attributed to Kalil just having an extremely impressive rookie year where he set the bar too high. Unfortunately, that rookie year is looking like an anomaly now. In fifteen games this year, Kalil has yet to grade out positive in one game so far. As a matter of fact, he's graded out negatively in 9 games so far and has given up 12 sacks overall. That is just extremely awful for a guy who was once considered to have the talent to be an elite level LT. It wouldn't shock me to see the Vikings part ways with Kalil this off-season as his regression in the league has to be alarming. They especially can't afford to have him around while they are trying to mold Teddy Bridgewater into an NFL franchise QB. Anyway you slice it, Matt Kalil's drop in production has been one of the most shocking things in the NFL this season.

MISSING

Tyson Jackson

Age: 28   Team: Atlanta Falcons   Position: DL

Tyson Jackson was a good (not great) football player for the Kansas City Chiefs. In 2013, he had a decent year for Kansas City, but Chiefs executives weren't sold on Jackson's long-term prospects and let Jackson walk in free agency after the Atlanta Falcons offered an outrageous contract to him (5 years for $25 million). It seems like the Chiefs knew what they were doing because Jackson has been awful this season. He's only managed one sack, twelve tackles, and has only graded out positive in two games so far this year. Unfortunately for Falcons fans, he's not going to get any better. He was never that great to begin with, and when you reward an average employee with a good employee's contract....the results are never good.   

MISSING

Bradley Fletcher

Age: 28   Team: Philadelphia Eagles   Position: CB

OK. This one was a joke. If you've turned your TV on to a Philadelphia Eagles football game this season, there's a good chance you've seen Fletcher getting torched by a wide receiver. He's not missing, but his coverage skills are. If you've seen those, please mail them to ChipKelly@WeWantMarcusMariota.com. 

MISSING

Kenny Vaccaro

Age: 23   Team: New Orleans Saints   Position: Safety

One of the big reasons for the Saints' disappointing season in 2014 had to have been the drop-off in play of Kenny Vaccaro. After Vaccaro's outstanding rookie season (Vaccaro started out poor in 2013, but quickly turned things around as he had a positive PFF grade in six of the eight final Saints' games), we saw a significant drop off in play this year. Vaccaro only had two good games this season and looked absolutely atrocious in games against the Falcons, Cowboys, and 49ers. The good news is, Vaccaro is still young and this last season may have just been a sophomore slump and he could get things turned around next year. The bad news is, a drop in production like Vaccaro just suffered is alarming and the Saints should definitely be concerned that Vaccaro has already peaked as an NFL player.

MISSING

Robert Griffin III

Age: 24   Team: Washington Redskins   Position: QB

There was a time when NFL experts thought Robert Griffin III was a better overall quarterback prospect than Andrew Luck (I was not a member of that group....). Fast forward to now and those people are very quiet regarding that argument (well, all of them except for ESPN's Skip Bayless who remains the biggest idiot in sports media). While it's absolutely crazy and stupid to compare RG III to Luck now, it happened at one time. RG III isn't worried about being better than Andrew Luck anymore. RG III is worried about being good enough to just start for an NFL team. Judging from the year he just had in Washington, I would say the "RG III Project" has failed big-time and it's time to blow-up the prototype and start over again. Sorry RG III fans, but the kid is a bust. 

If you have information on any of the above missing person's, please call:

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