NFL Draft Review: 2013 First-Round Draft Picks

It's officially "NFL Draft Season" here at the Ultimate Football Blog, so I thought it would be a fun time to go back and review some of the draft picks that NFL teams have made over the last few years. Up first? The controversial 2013 NFL Draft. The 2013 NFL Draft was a unique one because there was no surefire top pick in the draft and it really was a giant game of 32 NFL teams playing "hit-or-miss". Well, how did that work out for them? Let's take a look......

NFL Draft Review:

2013 First-Round Picks

Guide:

Snaps: Here you will find the number of snaps the player has actually taken in the league. How do you judge a player on the field? By the number of snaps he takes. If he doesn't play, he's hard to judge.

PFF Grade: PFF Grade is short for ProFootballFocus Grade. ProFootballFocus.com is the best website for tracking how each individual football player contributes on the field. The experts at PFF keep track of literally EVERYTHING that happens on the football field and their grades are top-notch. The grading system is pretty easy to figure out to. If a player gets a negative grade (basically anywhere from, -0.01 to -50) than they haven't been playing that well. If the player doesn't have a negative sign in front of their grade, than they have been playing some fantastic football. And I shouldn't have to tell you that the higher the positive number, the better the player has been.

Arrow: What does the future look like for this guy? 

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Eric Fisher (OT) Central Michigan

2013 Snaps: 811

2014 Snaps: 1,030

2013 PFF Grade: -21.5

2014 PFF Grade: -17.5

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 4 vs. New England

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 8 vs. St. Louis

Arrow: Pointing in the middle. Fisher has shown improvement in the 2014 season, but he hasn't been consistent enough to be called even a decent starter thus far. Most of the time it takes offensive lineman sometime to find their footing in the NFL, so there's still some hope in KC that Fisher can pan out and his arrow points in the middle because he did show some signs of progression this year.


2. Jacksonville Jaguars: Luke Joeckel (OT) Texas A&M

2013 Snaps: 280

2014 Snaps: 999

2013 PFF Grade: -7.7

2014 PFF Grade: -15.8

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 9 vs. Cincinnati

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 10 vs. Dallas

Arrow: Pointing down. After an injury cut his first season short, Joeckel returned to the Jacksonville line-up and hasn't done much to show the Jaguars that he can potentially turn into the elite OT prospect they thought he could. Much like Fisher though, Joeckel could just be going through some growing pains, but next year is a huge year for the guy as far his future in the NFL is concerned. He needs to show something.


3. Miami Dolphins: Dion Jordan (LB) Oregon

2013 Snaps: 339

2014 Snaps: 223

2013 PFF Grade: -0.4

2014 PFF Grade: -2.2

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 10 vs. Detroit

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 13 vs. New York Jets

Arrow: Pointing down. Jordan has been a big bust for the Dolphins so far and as a Ducks fan, that pains me to say. He hasn't seen much action on the field and there's already rumors that the Dolphins are looking to move on from him. If those rumors are true, Jordan's last hope could come in the shape of his old college coach Chip Kelly. If the Dolphins do decide to release Jordan and the Eagles pick him up and Kelly can't get anything out of this kid, we may be seeing him playing football in Canada in 2016.


4. Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson (OT) Oklahoma

2013 Snaps: 1,186

2014 Snaps: 909

2013 PFF Grade: -2.1

2014 PFF Grade: 14.3

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 13 vs. Dallas

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 14 vs. Seattle

Arrow: Pointing up. Johnson has been a stud so far in the NFL. He's been much better than the two offensive tackles taken before him in this draft and he showed improvement on the field in his second year in the league. Eagles fans have to be pleased with this draft selection, especially when you consider how bad the other two offensive tackles have struggled thus far in the league.


5. Detroit Lions: Ezekiel Ansah (DE) BYU

2013 Snaps: 581

2014 Snaps: 724

2013 PFF Grade: -2.2

2014 PFF Grade: 17.2

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 10 vs. Miami

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 15 vs. Minnesota

Arrow: Pointing up. After a rookie season that saw him struggle a little, Ansah has completely exploded in his sophomore season in Detroit. The Lions defense was already scary with the likes of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley, but the addition and play of Ansah this year has created a complete nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. Ansah was considered a "project" when the Lions drafted him, but he has officially arrived in the NFL.


6. Cleveland Browns: Barkevious Mingo (DE) LSU

2013 Snaps: 668

2014 Snaps: 680

2013 PFF Grade: -10.4

2014 PFF Grade: 8.6

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 12 vs. Atlanta

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 15 vs. Cincinnati

Arrow: Pointing up. After a disappointing rookie season, Mingo showed some improvement in Cleveland this season. He's been pretty solid against the run and as a pass rusher and should continue to improve in Cleveland as long as there's some stability in the organization. Not only that, but he's also got one of the coolest names in the NFL. Some people just have "it".


7. Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Cooper (OG) North Carolina

2013 Snaps: 0

2014 Snaps: 191

2013 PFF Grade: Didn't play

2014 PFF Grade: -3.8

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 13 vs. Atlanta

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 14 vs. Kansas City

Arrow: Pointing down. Cooper hasn't seen much on-the-field action since entering the NFL due to his ability to not stay healthy. In the one game where he saw the most action (against the Chiefs in week 14), he didn't look good, especially in the run game. I don't know what to make of Cooper since we haven't seen a lot of him, but I don't have a lot of hope for his future due to his inability to stay healthy.


8. St. Louis Rams: Tavon Austin (WR) West Virginia

2013 Snaps: 434

2014 Snaps: 552

2013 PFF Grade: 0.3

2014 PFF Grade: -6.9

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 14 vs. Washington

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 16 vs. New York Giants

Arrow: Pointing down. Tavon Austin was supposed to come into the NFL and revolutionize the league with his speed and quickness. Well, that hasn't happened yet and after two seasons, I don't have a whole lot of faith in that happening anytime soon. After a less-than-mediocre rookie season, Austin had a terrible sophomore season. Now, that could be blamed on the fact that there's been horrendous quarterback play in St. Louis since Austin arrived, but it's still going to be hard to convince me that this guy is going to turn into an elite wide receiver anytime soon. Not after what I've seen from him so far. Maybe the Rams can trade him to a team that actually has a quarterback in an effort to help save Tavon's career?


9. New York Jets: Dee Milliner (CB) Alabama

2013 Snaps: 747

2014 Snaps: 118

2013 PFF Grade: -2.4

2014 PFF Grade: -0.4

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 5 vs. San Diego

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. Green Bay

Arrow: Pointing in the middle. The self-proclaimed "greatest corner in the NFL" hasn't exactly lived up to his own moniker. After a mediocre rookie season, Milliner had an injury-riddled sophomore season where he only saw action in 3 games. There's still hope for Milliner though as new New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles knows a thing or two about defensive backs. Not only did he play eight seasons in the NFL as a safety, but Bowles also has plenty of experience as a secondary coach in the NFL. If there's anyone who can get Milliner to finally live up to his self-proclaimed moniker, it's Todd Bowles. Watch out for a potentially great season from Milliner in 2015.


10. Tennessee Titans: Chance Warmack (OG) Alabama

2013 Snaps: 1,088

2014 Snaps: 986

2013 PFF Grade: -3.2

2014 PFF Grade: 4.1

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 15 vs. New York Jets

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 8 vs. Houston

Arrow: Pointing up. After a decent rookie season, Warmack had a less-than-stellar start to the 2014 season. It wasn't until week 11 against Pittsburgh when Warmack seemed to finally find his footing and went on to play like a Pro Bowler the rest of the season. The Titans already had a pretty good offensive line and the play of Warmack late in the season has to have the coaching staff excited about his future.


11. San Diego Chargers: D. J. Fluker (OT) Alabama

2013 Snaps: 1,186

2014 Snaps: 1,142

2013 PFF Grade: -7.9

2014 PFF Grade: -8.8

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 16 vs. San Francisco

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 11 vs. Oakland

Arrow: Pointing down. Fluker had his moments in his rookie season, but he struggled for the most part. He didn't show much improvement in his sophomore season in the NFL and outside of Lane Johnson, that seems to be a theme with the offensive tackles in this draft class. Next year could be a big year for Fluker as far as his future in San Diego is concerned.


12. Oakland Raiders: D.J. Hayden (CB) Fresno State

2013 Snaps: 353

2014 Snaps: 603

2013 PFF Grade: -6.5

2014 PFF Grade: -2.6

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 12 vs. Kansas City

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 17 vs. Denver

Arrow: Pointing up. After struggling with injuries in his rookie season and at the start of this season, Hayden finally was able to play some decent minutes for the Raiders starting in week 9 against the Seahawks. Hayden has struggled at times in pass coverage, but that is expected from a young corner who hasn't seen much action, but the good news is that he actually looks like he could turn into a decent player when he's healthy. I'm interested to see if Hayden can play a full season next year and what kind of impact he can have on the Raiders defense.


13. New York Jets: Sheldon Richardson (DT) Missouri

2013 Snaps: 906

2014 Snaps: 835

2013 PFF Grade: 21.3

2014 PFF Grade: 39.9

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 14 vs. Minnesota

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 10 vs. Pittsburgh

Arrow: Pointing up. Do I really have to explain this one? Richardson has been an absolute stud since arriving in the NFL and is arguably the most talented player in this draft. If we re-did the 2013 draft, Richardson would not only be a top 3 pick, he could have potentially been taken first overall had the Kansas City coaching staff knew how amazing of a player he would wind up being. Ohhhhh, what could of been......


14. Carolina Panthers: Star Lotulelei (DT) Utah

2013 Snaps: 668

2014 Snaps: 522

2013 PFF Grade: 10.2

2014 PFF Grade: 8.7

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 17 vs. Atlanta

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 16 vs. Cleveland

Arrow: Pointing up. Lotulelei has been solid so far for the Panthers. He's a consistently good player who has been really impressive in run defense. He hasn't had a lot of sacks as a pro, but he does put a ton of pressure on the quarterback. He'll probably never be a "Sheldon Richardson" type of player, but he'll always give you consistently good play and that's all you ask for out of your NFL starters.


15. New Orleans Saints: Kenny Vaccaro (S) Texas

2013 Snaps: 803

2014 Snaps: 1,000

2013 PFF Grade: 3.1

2014 PFF Grade: -19.0

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 14 vs. Carolina

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 1 vs. Atlanta

Arrow: Pointing down. After a rookie season that saw people ready to peg Vaccaro as potentially the next best up-and-coming safety, the former Texas Longhorns' play dropped off in a significant way this season. I don't know what happened to Vaccaro, but the Saints had better hope he was just going through a bad spell this year. The guy was absolutely awful in pass coverage and looked lost at times when asked to help in run defense. I honestly don't know how to explain it, but much like the Saints team, Vaccaro regressed in an alarming matter in 2014.


16, Buffalo Bills: E.J. Manuel (QB) Florida State

2013 Snaps: 706

2014 Snaps: 262

2013 PFF Grade: -18.1

2014 PFF Grade: -10.6

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 1 vs. Chicago

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 3 vs. San Diego

Arrow: Pointing down. E.J. Manuel is the first player out of this draft that you can officially label a "bust" and feel good about it. People everywhere were shaking their heads when the Bills drafted Manuel with the 16th pick in the first-round and there's a reason why....he's not that good. The Bills were a much better team when Kyle Orton was their quarterback, but now that he's retired and the team doesn't have a first-round pick, Rex Ryan may be forced to play E.J. Manuel for another year. That's great news for fans of AFC East teams not named the Buffalo Bills.


17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones (LB) Georgia

2013 Snaps: 646

2014 Snaps: 242

2013 PFF Grade: -5.0

2014 PFF Grade: -7.5

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. Baltimore

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 1 vs. Cleveland

Arrow: Pointing down. I was pretty high on Jarvis Jones when he was coming out of college. I remember in my mock draft I had him going to the Pittsburgh Steelers with the 17th overall pick. Needless to say, I gave myself a pat on the back when it happened. I thought it would happen because the two seemed like such a natural fit. Apparently I was wrong. Jones has been a pretty big bust since arriving in Pittsburgh. He's rarely seen the field and when he has, he hasn't been that good. I don't know what the future holds for Jarvis Jones in Pittsburgh, but they had better hope he can avoid getting injured and start becoming an actual contributor on the field. They need it.


18. San Francisco 49ers: Eric Reid (S) LSU

2013 Snaps: 1,185

2014 Snaps: 902

2013 PFF Grade: 4.9

2014 PFF Grade: -0.3

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 11 vs. New York Giants

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 3 vs. Arizona

Arrow: Pointing in the middle. After a successful rookie season that saw him elected to the Pro Bowl, Reid's play dropped off a little this season. Now, it didn't drop off to the point where I'm ready to sell my stock on this kid because the 49ers were never really at full strength this season and they were a giant bowl of dysfunction. Plus, it's not like Reid was awful this season, he just regressed a little bit from last year. With some stability (hopefully...) to the franchise with a new head coach, we'll see next year whether or not Reid can return to the player he was when he exploded onto the scene in 2013.


19. New York Giants: Justin Pugh (OT) Syracuse

2013 Snaps: 1,042

2014 Snaps: 931

2013 PFF Grade: 1.9

2014 PFF Grade: -2.6

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. Arizona

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 6 vs. Philadelphia

Arrow: Pointing in the middle. In his rookie season, Pugh not only started every game for the Giants and played every snap, but he looked damn good doing so. I mentioned earlier that it's tough for offensive lineman to enter the league and have success right away. Pugh proved that theory wrong last season when he posted a 1.9 PFF grade after playing every snap for the team. There were still some skeptics out there though and Pugh didn't erase those doubters by coming out and playing worse than he did in his rookie year this year. Don't get me wrong. Pugh was still good in his sophomore season in the league, he just wasn't as good as he was last season. He went through a little stretch of the season (week 6-13) where he wasn't playing that good and that ultimately led to him getting a negative grade on the year. That likely won't happen again anytime soon.


20. Chicago Bears: Kyle Long (OG) Oregon

2013 Snaps: 1,070

2014 Snaps: 1,024

2013 PFF Grade: -1.7

2014 PFF Grade: 12.1

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. San Francisco

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 4 vs. Green Bay

Arrow: Pointing up. After a rookie season that saw his play go up-and-down, Long seems to have found his footing in the NFL and much like his father and brother, looks to have a long NFL career. The Chicago Bears had a very disappointing 2014 season, but the team has to be excited about the long-term prospects of Kyle Long. Long not only played every snap for the Bears offense this season, but he only had TWO bad games all-year. The Bears may be a mess, but at least they won't have to worry about the offensive guard position as long as Kyle Long is around.


21. Cincinnati Bengals: Tyler Eifert (TE) Notre Dame

2013 Snaps: 684

2014 Snaps: 8

2013 PFF Grade: 1.7

2014 PFF Grade: 1.3

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. San Francisco

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 4 vs. Green Bay

Arrow: Pointing down. When the Bengals initially drafted Tyler Eifert, I thought he could come in and be a stud much like Rob Gronkowski is for the Patriots. That hasn't happened yet. Even though Eifert looked decent in his rookie season (he didn't blow the roof of the place, but he did post a 1.7 PFF grade which is still good...), he only played 8 snaps this season and missed the entire year due to an elbow injury. I still have some hope for Eifert's career, but if it was a stock, I'd be selling it right now.


22. Atlanta Falcons: Desmond Trufant (CB) Washington

2013 Snaps: 1,022

2014 Snaps: 1,099

2013 PFF Grade: 12.5

2014 PFF Grade: 13.5

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. San Francisco

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 4 vs. Green Bay

Arrow: Pointing up. Since arriving in the league last season, Trufant has been the definition of a "hit". The guy has been lights out since entering the NFL and the train doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. If we did a re-do on the 2013 draft, Trufant would almost surely be a top 5 pick. I'm excited to see what the future holds for this kid, especially with a new regime coming to Atlanta. I thought the Falcons were one of the worst coached teams in the NFL under Mike Smith and now that there will be a new head coach in place, Trufant may get even better. Let that one sink in.


23. Minnesota Vikings: Sharrif Floyd (DT) Florida

2013 Snaps: 472

2014 Snaps: 584

2013 PFF Grade: -5.9

2014 PFF Grade: 22.1

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 11 vs. Chicago

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 16 vs. Miami

Arrow: Pointing up. Perhaps no one in this draft improved better from last year than Sharrif Floyd. Floyd was one of those players who scouts thought could end up being a top 5 pick and was potentially talented enough to go #1 overall. Unfortunately for Floyd, he's the one who saw his stock slip in the draft as he ended up falling all the way to the Vikings at 23. That caused alarms to go off all over the NFL and after a disappointing rookie season, it looked like the experts were right on Floyd. Then he came out and played like he did this season and now Vikings fans everywhere are excited to see what Floyd can do in his third year in the league. If he was able to make progress like he did under Mike Zimmer after only a year, just imagine what could happen in the future for Floyd.


24. Indianapolis Colts: Bjorn Werner (DE) Florida State

 2013 Snaps: 352

2014 Snaps: 825

2013 PFF Grade: -6.7

2014 PFF Grade: -9.8

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 5 vs. Baltimore

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 13 vs. Washington

Arrow: Pointing down. Werner has not been a good professional football player since arriving in the league last year. Sure, he's had his moments (week 5 vs. Baltimore for example), but for the most part....he's been wildly inconsistent and hasn't shown signs that he can become a dependable every-down defensive end for Indianapolis. Next year could be a huge year for Werner because if he doesn't show remarkable improvement, he could find himself suiting up for a different team.


25. Minnesota Vikings: Xavier Rhodes (CB) Florida State

2013 Snaps: 686

2014 Snaps: 1,052

2013 PFF Grade: 1.7

2014 PFF Grade: 3.3

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 4 vs. Atlanta

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 2 vs. New England

Arrow: Pointing up. The Vikings seem to have really scored with defensive players in this draft. Not only do they seem to have hit on Sharrif Floyd, but Xavier Rhodes looks like a legitimate NFL cornerback as well. After a decent rookie season, Rhodes showed some improvement in his second year in the league. Not only did he play more snaps this season, but he saw his overall play on-the-field improve as well and that's all you ask for out of your NFL starters.


26. Green Bay Packers: Datone Jones (DE) UCLA

2013 Snaps: 276

2014 Snaps: 352

2013 PFF Grade: -7.7

2014 PFF Grade: 1.8

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 11 vs. Chicago

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 16 vs. Miami

Arrow: Pointing down. Datone Jones is hard to get a read on because he's basically been just a "part-time player" for the Packers. He has yet to play a full game for Green Bay and when he's on-the-field, he hasn't been that good. I don't know what the future in Green Bay holds for Jones, but if he continues down the path he's been on, he'll be playing in a new uniform or in Canada come 2016.


27. Houston Texans: DeAndre Hopkins (WR) Clemson

2013 Snaps: 1,015

2014 Snaps: 1,076

2013 PFF Grade: -5.4

2014 PFF Grade: 10.3

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 13 vs. Tennessee

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 16 vs. Baltimore

Arrow: Pointing up. After a pretty disappointing rookie year, Hopkins turned his career around with a successful 2014 campaign. What makes Hopkins' turnaround even more impressive is the fact that he's playing wide receiver on a team that has one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL. The Texans are an absolute disaster at QB, yet Hopkins still found a way to have a good season. That has to get Texans fans' excited for when the team actually does find a QB. Hopkins may not be the best blocker in the league, but the guy is a consistent threat downfield and should continue to improve as his team does.


28. Denver Broncos: Sylvester Williams (DT) North Carolina

2013 Snaps: 394

2014 Snaps: 468

2013 PFF Grade: -7.7

2014 PFF Grade: -9.9

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 9 vs. New England

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 3 vs. Seattle

Arrow: Pointing down. Williams has been a pretty big bust for the Broncos so far and I don't have a lot of hope for his future. If John Fox (a great defensive coach) and company couldn't get anything out of this kid, do you honestly expect me to believe someone else will? If I'm Denver, I would consider trading this kid for a late-round draft pick in order to get something for him, because if you continue to play him on the field....he's going to give you nothing.


29. Minnesota Vikings: Cordarrelle Patterson (WR) Tennessee

2013 Snaps: 446

2014 Snaps: 582

2013 PFF Grade: 4.8

2014 PFF Grade: -3.5

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 8 vs. Tampa Bay

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 6 vs. Detroit

Arrow: Pointing down. While the Vikings seem to have hit on their defensive players in the 2013 draft, it hasn't been the same for their offensive guys. Patterson has struggled somewhat since entering the league. After a decent rookie season, Patterson's play fell off this year while the Vikings overall pass game improved (figure that one out....). There was really only two games this season where Patterson had any kind of impact on the game for Minnesota. That's just not going to cut the mustard for a guy that Vikings fans thought could eventually turn into their #1 WR. As of right now, Patterson looks destined to be a #3-4 WR who bounces around from team-to-team each year. Next season is a big one for this guy.


30. St. Louis Rams: Alec Ogletree (LB) Georgia

2013 Snaps: 1,055

2014 Snaps: 1,073

2013 PFF Grade: -3.0

2014 PFF Grade: -3.9

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 9 vs. San Francisco

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 7 vs. Seattle

Arrow: Pointing in the middle. Ogletree is a tough prospect to get a read on. There are times on-the-field when the guy looks like the best defensive player out there. Then, there are times when you are left scratching your head by what you just saw. If you looked up "inconsistent" in the Dictionary, it wouldn't surprise me to see a picture of Ogletree staring back at you. The good news for Rams fans is, Ogletree's play seemed to have picked up as the year went on this season and that could be a bright sign heading into next year. The Rams are a young team that is ready to knock the glass ceiling of the NFL out of the way. Ogletree finding some consistency in his play would be a huge step forward for St. Louis to achieve exactly that.


31. Dallas Cowboys: Travis Fredrick (C) Wisconsin

2013 Snaps: 1,025

2014 Snaps: 1,201

2013 PFF Grade: 14.6

2014 PFF Grade: 23.6

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 3 vs. St. Louis

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 14 vs. Chicago

Arrow: Pointing up. One of the biggest reasons for the Cowboys' turnaround this past season was the outstanding play of their offensive line. People want to know how Dallas built that extremely scary unit, well....it starts with the NFL Draft. I was one of the people at the time who wasn't a fan of Dallas drafting Fredrick this high, but man, I was wrong. Not only has Fredrick turned into a bonafide stud, but he's one of the reasons the Cowboys went from "worst-to-first" this year. I apologize to the Dallas Cowboys scouts for hammering this pick when it happened. Obviously you guys know what you're doing.


32. Baltimore Ravens: Matt Elam (S) Florida

2013 Snaps: 1,034

2014 Snaps: 696

2013 PFF Grade: -3.4

2014 PFF Grade: -16.6

Best Game of 2014 Season: Week 9 vs. Pittsburgh

Worst Game of 2014 Season: Week 3 vs. Cleveland

Arrow: Pointing down. Stop the presses people. The Baltimore Ravens have missed on a defensive draft pick. I know it doesn't happen that often because the Ravens consistently find amazing defensive talent in the draft, but Matt Elam is not one of them. Elam had a less-than-great rookie season and he parlayed that into a "holy crap, this guy sucks" sophomore season. It wouldn't surprise me to see the Ravens part ways with Elam this off-season because he seriously has offered up absolutely nothing that has benefited Baltimore so far in his career.

Dustin James' NFL Draft Guide: 6th 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

6th Edition

Final List Of Underclassmen Who Have Declared For The Draft:

-Nelson Agholor: WR (USC)
-Jay Ayaji: RB (Boise State)
-Kwon Alexander: LB (LSU)
-Javorius Allen: RB (USC)
-Arik Armstead: DE (Oregon)

-Delon Barnes: DE (Penn State)
-Malcolm Brown: DT (Texas)
-Alex Carter: CB (Stanford)
-Sammie Coates: WR (Auburn)
-Tevin Coleman: RB (Indiana)
-Jalen Collins: CB (LSU)
-Landon Collins: S (Alabama)
-Amari Cooper: WR (Alabama)
-Xavier Cooper: DE (Washington State)
-Christian Covington: DT (Rice)
-Ronald Darby: CB (Florida State)
-Mike Davis: RB (South Carolina)
-Stefon Diggs: WR (Maryland)
-Lorenzo Doss: CB (Tulane)
-Lemar Durant: WR (Simon Fraser)
-Mario Edwards Jr.: DE (Florida State)
-Durrell Eskridge: FS (Syracuse)
-George Farmer: WR (USC)
-Ereck Flowers: OT (Miami)
-Dante Fowler: DE (Florida)
-Devin Funchess: WR/TE (Michigan)
-Jacoby Glenn: CB (Central Florida)
-Eddie Goldman: DT (Florida State)
-Melvin Gordon: RB (Wisconsin)
-Dorial Green-Beckham: WR (Oklahoma)
-Deontay Greenberry: WR (Houston)
-Randy Gregory: DE (Nebraska)
-Todd Gurley: RB (Georgia)
-Chris Hackett: S (TCU)
-Eli Harold: DE (Virginia)
-Chris Harper: WR (California)
-Dee Hart: RB (Colorado State)
-Braylon Heard: RB (Kentucky)
-Gerod Holliman: S (Louisville)
-D.J. Humphries: OT (Florida)
-Brett Hundley: QB (UCLA)
-Danielle Hunter: DE (LSU)
-David Irving: DT (Iowa State)
-Jesse James: TE (Penn State)
-Duke Johnson: RB (Miami)
-Matt Jones: RB (Florida)
-Nigel King: WR (Kansas)
-Tyler Kroft: TE (Rutgers)
-Marcus Mariota: QB (Oregon)
-Ellis McCarthy: DT (UCLA)
-Benardrick McKinney: OLB (Mississippi State)
-Patrick Miller: OT (Auburn)
-Tyler Moore: G (Florida)
-Rakeem Nunez-Roches: DT (Southern Mississippi)
-Andrus Peat: OT (Stanford)
-Breshad Perriman: WR (Central Florida)
-Marcus Peters: CB (Washington)
-Jordan Phillips: DT (Oklahoma)
-Darius Philon: DT (Arkansas)
-Bradley Pinion: P (Clemson)
-Jeremiah Poutasi: OT (Utah)
-Shane Ray: DE (Missouri)
-Josh Robinson: RB (Mississippi State)
-Shaq Roland: WR (South Carolina)
-James Sample: S (Louisville)
-Jeff Sifrin: TE (UMass)
-Noah Spence: DE (Ohio State)
-Donovan Smith: OT (Penn State)
-Jaelen Strong: WR (Arizona State)
-Shaq Thompson: LB (Washington)
-Max Valles: LB (Virginia)
-Trae Waynes: CB (Michigan State)
-Leonard Williams: DL (USC)
-Maxx Williams: TE (Minnesota)
-P.J. Williams: CB (Florida State)
-Trey Williams: RB (Texas A&M)
-Jameis Winston: QB (Florida State)
-T.J. Yeldon: RB (Alabama)

Final NFL Draft Order:

This is the final order for the NFL Draft that will be held this Spring)

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

2. Tennessee Titans 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars 

4. Oakland Raiders

5. Washington Redskins

6. New York Jets

7. Chicago Bears

8. Atlanta Falcons

9. New York Giants

10. St. Louis Rams

11. Minnesota Vikings

12. Cleveland Browns

13. New Orleans Saints

14. Miami Dolphins

15. San Francisco 49ers

16. Houston Texans

17. San Diego Chargers

18. Kansas City Chiefs

19. Cleveland Browns (from Buffalo)

20. Philadelphia Eagles

21. Cincinnati Bengals

22. Pittsburgh Steelers

23. Detroit Lions

24. Arizona Cardinals

25. Carolina Panthers

26. Baltimore Ravens

27. Dallas Cowboys

28. Denver Broncos

29. Indianapolis Colts

30. Green Bay Packers

31. New England Patriots

32. Seattle Seahawks

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 that head of hair on ESPN known as Mel Kiper:

1. Tampa Bay Bucccaneers: Jameis Winston - QB (Florida State)

2. Tennessee Titans: Marcus Mariota - QB (Oregon)

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

4. Oakland Raiders: Amari Cooper - WR (Alabama)

5. Washington Redskins: Randy Gregory - DE (Nebraska)

6. New York Jets: Shane Ray - DE (Missouri)

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

8. Atlanta Falcons: Dante Fowler - DE (Florida)

9. New York Giants: Brandon Scherff - OT (Iowa)

10. St. Louis Rams: T.J. Clemmings - OT (Pittsburgh)

11. Minnesota Vikings: Devante Parker - WR (Louisville)

12. Cleveland Browns: Danny Shelton - DT (Washington)

13. New Orleans Saints: Vic Beasley - DE (Clemson)

14. Miami Dolphins: Shaq Thompson - LB (Washington)

15. San Francisco 49ers - Kevin White - WR (West Virginia)

16. Houston Texans: Trae Waynes - CB (Michigan State)

17. San Diego Chargers: Arik Armstead - DE (Oregon)

18. Kansas City Chiefs: Dorial Green-Beckham - WR (Missouri)

19. Cleveland Browns: Ereck Flowers - OT (Miami)

20. Philadelphia Eagles: Marcus Peters - CB (Washington)

21. Cincinnati Bengals: Alvin Dupree - DE (Kentucky)

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

23. Detroit Lions: Malcolm Brown - DT (Texas)

24. Arizona Cardinals: Melvin Gordon - RB (Wisconsin)

25. Carolina Panthers: Andrus Peat - OT (Stanford)

26. Baltimore Ravens: Devin Funchess - WR (Michigan)

27. Dallas Cowboys: Jordan Phillips - DT (Oklahoma)

28. Denver Broncos: Benardrick McKinney - ILB (Mississippi State)

29. Indianapolis Colts: Jaelen Strong - WR (Arizona State)

30. Green Bay Packers: Eddie Goldman - DT (Florida State)

31. New England Patriots: Sammie Coates - WR (Auburn)

32. Seattle Seahawks: Devin Smith - WR (Ohio State)

In the weeks leading up to the NFL Draft, you will see a certain selected prospect a week here (mainly the top recruits in the draft) with my personal scouting report on that prospect. I took professional scouting classes at the Scouting Academy, so this is my way of giving back.....

This week's prospect:

Marcus Mariota (QB, Oregon)

Height: 6'4"

Weight: 220 pounds

Strenghts: Makes quick decisions. Runs the ball extremely well. Has great pocket presence. Is a student of the game. Loves the game of football. Great teammate. Strong arm with a quick release. Throws good on the run. Avoids turnovers. 

Weaknesses: Struggles with accuracy on deep throws. Doesn't get asked to make a lot of NFL-type throws in Oregon's offense. Has had injury problems in college. Needs better ball placement. Needs to work on fumbling issues. Could use 10+ more pounds on his body. 

Pro Comparision: Russell Wilson

Brief Synopsis: Everyone knows I'm a huge fan of Marcus Mariota's. I'm an Oregon football fan and Mariota is arguably the greatest player to ever put on an Oregon uniform. While I may be looking at Mariota's pro prospects through biased lenses, I'm doing my best to watch him work with a clear mind. With that said, I do believe Mariota is worth a top pick in the draft due to his potential. I wouldn't take him if I was an NFL team that needed a starter immediately. Mariota is not the type of quarterback who can come in and start damaging the league from the moment he steps on the field. There is going to be growing pains with Marcus and the perfect situation for him would be to get drafted by a team that has a decent starter in place that he could learn behind. If a team takes Mariota in the first-round and puts him into traffic right away, Mariota is going to get ran over and that can cause irreconcilable blows to his self esteem. Mariota has things that you can't teach in kids (intelligence, good decision-making skills, and the ability to read the field quickly) and most of his weaknesses are something that NFL coaches can work on. While I would hesitate to call Mariota a "sure thing" in this draft, I think he's much more ready to play than guys like Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, and Johnny Manziel were. Anyway you slice the pie, people are going to be talking about Marcus Mariota and how he will do in the NFL for the next 1-2 years. Are you ready for it people? 

Slammin' Stevie Cook's NFL Conference Championship Picks!

Hi, hello & welcome to Conference Championship Weekend! I'm Slammin' Stevie Cook, and we're just two games away from finding out who's going to represent the AFC & NFC in the Super Bowl! Am I allowed to say Super Bowl? Will the NFL threaten us with a lawsuit if we say Super Bowl? Do we have any money they can take from us? I know I don't have any money, but Dustin apparently does very well in his occupation of Pot Grow Master. So hopefully he'll be able to cover any legal fees going forward.  And hopefully he'll have me covered once I get my prescription.

Big doings this week on the NFL coaching front! We had some people let go on Black Monday, but it didn't stop there. Just this week the Broncos decided that John Fox, a guy that won 46 games in 4 seasons, won the AFC West every season & won a playoff game with Tim Tebow as his quarterback, was the reason that they couldn't get past the Colts in the playoffs. Nevermind the fact their QB either had a strained quad or a torn quad based on whichever ESPN source you choose to believe. I expect to see a report that he had his leg amputated like he was Kerry Von Erich or something before the week's out. In any event, the Broncos, along with the Falcons & Bears, are looking for a coach. Many teams have found theirs, so let's take a look at them!

Buffalo Bills

Out: Doug Marrone (opted out of contract)

In: Rex Ryan (previously Jets head coach)

How about Doug Marrone? Dude opts out of his contract with the Bills because his super-smart agent got a clause in there where he could do it & get a bunch of money. Everybody in the media starts telling us that he's going to be this hot property & all the other NFL teams with coaching vacancies will want him. He does some interviews for head coaching gigs. Doesn't get any of them. Last I heard, he was interviewing in Jacksonville to be their offensive coordinator. So apparently Doug Marrone isn't this hot property that people thought he was because...he almost got the Bills in the playoffs? At least he got a bunch of money out of the Bills, so if he wants to go mess around with Blake Bortles for awhile it's his right.

As for the hire, I love it. I'm not sure whether or not Rex Ryan is a guy that can coach a Super Bowl championship team, but he's one of those people that has to be coaching a team in the NFL. It's like how Jim Mora Sr. never really coached any good teams but he had to be somewhere in the NFL because of the comedic factor with his press conferences. There's always some sort of drama going on with Rex on or off the field & there's never a dull moment. Sometimes we forget about Buffalo because they're in upstate New York & the team hasn't been relevant since their last Super Bowl defeat, but Rex & his various escapades & smack talk will keep them on the radar. He was already talking all sorts of junk during his introductory press conference & it was great to see. And hey, it's not like the Bills were that far off this season. They just need a quarterback.

You think Rex will change his tattoo & have his wife wearing a Mark Sanchez Bills jersey? Just a thought.

New York Jets

Out: Rex Ryan (fired)

In: Todd Bowles (previously Cardinals defensive coordinator)

Professional. Consistent. Steady. These are not words you could associate with the New York Jets as far back as I remember, but they're words used to describe their new head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles was a safety in the NFL from 1986-1993, mostly with the Washington Football Team, and has been coaching all over the place since starting out as the Jets' secondary coach in 2000. The Cardinals' defense has stood up with the best defenses in the league in his two seasons there, and hopefully his experience with the secondary will shore things up in that weak link of the Jets' defense. He's gonna need a quarterback, and he's going to need to keep his head on straight because he's walking into a situation where it's easy for everything to go haywire at the drop of a hat. It's always been that way with the Jets, and a newbie head coach & newbie general manager could lead to more fireworks. You also hear things like Chan Gailey coming in as the offensive coordinator & get nervous because Gailey didn't exactly do wonders with the Bills offense when he was head coach there & got run out of Kansas City when he was the offensive coordinator there. I want to like this hire because Bowles seems like a good dude, but there are some yellow flags going up here.

Oakland Raiders

Out: Dennis Allen/Tony Sparano (fired/was passed over for permanent gig)

In: Jack Del Rio (previously Broncos defensive coordinator)

Del Rio grew up in the Bay Area & his family has had Raiders season tickets for years, so even though he's never been a coach or player with them it feels like a homecoming. The Jaguars were at least mediocre when he was coaching them, though if you listen to Jaguars fans they'll tell you that he ran the organization into the ground and is a large reason why they're terrible now. I dunno, I still say 68-71 in Jacksonville's pretty good. The Broncos had one of the top defenses by most statistical measures when he was coordinator there, though if you listen to Broncos fans they'll tell you that the defense is awful because they don't get enough sacks. John Madden loves him though. I can listen to John Madden or I can listen to fans. Hmm, I think I'll trust Madden's judgment. If Derek Carr's as good as people tell me he is & if Del Rio can get the defense going, the Raiders just might get on the road back to respectability.

Which would be fun because the NFL's better when teams like the Raiders are relevant. They stir up hatred when they're good, over the last decade they've just been never-ending sources of comedic material. They used to be one of the top brands in football, remember when everybody had a Raiders Starter jacket? Right now they're a waste of a perfectly good color scheme & logo.

San Francisco 49ers

Out: Jim Harbaugh (mutual parting of ways)

In: Jim Tomsula (previously 49ers defensive line coach)

49ers management wanted somebody that they could work with. Jim Harbaugh wanted to do things his way & rubbed certain people the wrong way, and that wasn't what management wanted. Tomsula's been with the 49ers since 2007 & was even interim coach for a game in 2010 after Mike Singletary was canned. They won that game 38-7, so they've got that going for them. He's a 49er guy through & through & will make sure to keep management happy. The defensive line has been pretty solid since he's been there so you can't say he wasn't good at that job.

That all being said...I think Harbaugh wins more games at Michgan in 2015 than Tomsula does with the 49ers. Head coaches by nature are difficult to work with, just ask their wives. Show me a head coach that's easy to get along with & I'll show you a loser. I criticized the 49ers for mutually parting with Harbaugh because he wasn't a stooge, & they turn around & hire a guy that's been around forever. They didn't even have to interview him, which can be spun one of two ways:

-they know he's awesome
-they know he'll do whatever they say

We know what's more important to the 49ers.

I don't have any losers to show you this week because we've reached pro football's final four. All four of these teams have overcome the odds & now sit one game away from the promised land of the Super Bowl. Let's take a look at the matchups.

Packers at Seahawks (-7.5): The Panthers hung close with the Seahawks for quite awhile, but did anybody really think they had a chance of winning? It just seemed like Seattle was toying with their opponents, waiting for the right moment to strike like Floyd Mayweather Jr. waits for the right moment to strike whichever ham & egger he's fighting. Give Carolina credit for getting that far, but the main thing we learned from that game is that Kam Chancellor is better than Cam Newton. Chancellor usually doesn't get the hype that a Richard Sherman gets but he's one of the best in the game. Just like everybody else on the Seahawks defense. They still look like the team to beat, and they're playing a team that they blew out early in the season.

However, we know that we can't judge a playoff game based on what happened in the regular season. This game happened before Aaron Rodgers told everybody to R-E-L-A-X. The rules changed at that point. People seem less relaxed now that Rodgers is running around on one good leg, but he's still performing like the MVP so what am I gonna say about it? I guess I can say that I've always believed that a great defensive team will win out over a great offensive team nine out of ten times, and Seattle's offensive attack with the Hall of Famer Russell Wilson & Beast Mode is good enough to overcome Green Bay's defense. It won't be a blowout, but I still have the Seahawks covering.

Colts at Patriots (-6.5): I didn't think Indy's time was now, but they stepped up to the plate last week in Denver & knocked off the Broncos. I don't care if Peyton Manning was out there on a walker or if they were coached by a deaf, dumb & blind man (according to Denver fans), the Colts came into hostile territory & planted their flag down. Give them all the credit in the world. This is Andrew Luck's first conference championship game, and I guarantee that it won't be his last. You're starting to see a bit of a backlash against him in some corners because he is the Golden Boy, he is the future of the NFL, and he got the torch passed to him by Peyton Manning last week, but it is what it is. Dude's gonna be great, what am I supposed to do, knock him down?

Unfortunately I think there will be plenty of knocking down going on Sunday night. We said earlier that regular season games don't necessarily indicate what will happen in the playoffs...but the Patriots have a long history of kicking the Colts' teeth in, especially in Foxboro.  Three meetings of Andrew Luck & the Patriots have led to three blowout victories for the Patriots. Will beating the Broncos give the Colts enough of a boost to shock the world? Stranger things have happened, but I find it highly unlikely. I expect the spread to get wider before game time, and I expect the Patriots to cover.

So I'm picking the favorites. That usually doesn't work out well, but when you look at the Patriots & the Seahawks it's tough to come up with reasons they can lose. If Aaron Rodgers & Andrew Luck can have the kinds of games that you look at when looking at Hall of Fame level quarterbacks, one of them can definitely pull off an upset. I hope they do. Greatness is fun to watch.

Last Week: 3-1

Playoff Record: 5-3

Regular Season Record: 126-124-6

Taking A Look At Oregon & Oregon State's Potential Incoming Recruits

Now that the college football season is officially over, it's time to start thinking about next season. Well, what better way to start next season's football coverage than to take a quick look at how each Oregon school is recruiting so far? With signing day less than two weeks away, it's time for college football coaches to hit the recruiting trail extra hard to help bring in those last second commitments that will help your football team improve next season. Here's how the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers are doing on the recruiting trail so far:



Star rankings:

***** - Elite

**** - Potential to be elite

*** - Potential to be elite, but likely won't get there; still a good player

** - Has starter potential

* - This guy just doesn't cut the mustard



Oregon Duck's Commitments (with signed letter of intent already signed):


-QB Travis Waller (Anaheim, California): ****

(6'2, 195 pounds, 5th ranked QB on Rivals.com)

-RB Taj Griffin (Powder Springs, Georgia): ****

(5'9, 172 pounds, 1st ranked RB on Rivals.com)

-WR Alec Ofodile (Columbia, Missouri): ****

(6'1, 201 pounds, 23rd ranked WR on Rivals.com)

-OL Zach Okun (Newbury Park, California): ****

(6'3, 327 pounds, 16th ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-DE Canton Kaumatule (Honolulu, Hawaii): ****

(6'7, 275 pounds, 8th ranked DL on Rivals.com)

-DB Ugo Amadi (Nashville, Tennessee): ****

(5'9, 182 pounds, 20th ranked DB on Rivals.com)




Oregon State Beaver's Commitments (with signed letter of intent already signed):


-QB Seth Collins (El Cajon, California): **

(6'4, 180 pounds, un-ranked QB on Rivals.com)





Oregon Ducks' Verbal Commitments (these guys are expected to sign by signing day next week):


-OL Shane Lemieux (Yakima, Washington): ****

(6'6, 298 pounds, 32nd ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-RB Malik Lovette (Redlands, California): ****

(5'11, 204 pounds, 23rd ranked RB on Rivals.com)

-OL Brady Aiello (Lafayette, California): ***

(6'6, 258 pounds, un-ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-LB Paris Bostick (Santa Monica, California): ***

(6'1, 210 pounds, un-ranked LB on Rivals.com)

-TE Jake Breeland (Mission Viejo, California): ***

(6'5, 205 pounds, 25th ranked TE on Rivals.com)

-DT Drayton Carlberg (Minneapolis, Minnesota): ***

(6'5, 281 pounds, 25th ranked DL on Rivals.com)

-DE Gus Cumberlander (Ellenwood, Georgia): ***

(6'6, 238 pounds, 22nd ranked DL on Rivals.com)

-OL Jake Hanson (Eureka, California): ***

(6'5, 285 pounds, 73rd ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-DB Dylan Kane (Honolulu, Hawaii): ***

(6'3, 195 pounds, un-ranked DB on Rivals.com)

-DB James Locke (Beaumont, Texas): ***

(5'10, 185 pounds, 44th ranked DB on Rivals.com)

-DT Rex Manu (Mililani, Hawaii): ***

(6'3, 290 pounds, un-ranked DL on Rivals.com)

-DB Jihree Stewart (Coronoa, California): ***

(5'11, 175 pounds, un-ranked DB on Rivals.com)

-OL Calvin Throckmorton (Bellevue, Washington): ***

(6'6, 262 pounds, 48th ranked OL on Rivals.com)



Oregon State Beavers' Verbal Commitments (these guys are expected to sign by signing day next week):

-OL Blake Brandel (Portland, Oregon): ***

(6'7", 270 pounds, 78th ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-OL Miki Fifita (Bradenton, Florida): ***

(6'5", 260 pounds, un-ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-ATH Shawn Wilson (Pomona, California): ***

(6'0", 165 pounds, un-ranked ATH on Rivals.com)

-DE Tavita Faaiu (San Francisco, California): **

(6'4", 245 pounds, un-ranked DE on Rivals.com)

-DB Omar Hicks-Onu (Carrollton, Texas): **

(6'1", 172 pounds, un-ranked DB on Rivals.com)

-OL Beau Hott (Plano, Texas): **

(6'3", 270 pounds, un-ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-OL Jacob Jimenez (Pflugerville, Texas): **

(6'4", 265 pounds, un-ranked OL on Rivals.com)

-OL Zach Lucas (Katy, Texas): **

(6'5", 265 pounds, un-ranked OL on Rivals.com)

- K Nick Porebski (Ephraim, Utah): **

(5'10", 190 pounds, un-ranked K on Rivals.com)

-ATH Tuli Wily-Matagi (Kahuku, Hawaii): **

(6'3", 230 pounds, un-ranked ATH on Rivals.com)



Top Recruits Who Are Uncommitted, But Could Sign With Oregon:


-ATH Donte Jackson (New Orleans, Louisiana): ****

(5'11, 160 pounds, 19th ranked DB on Rivals.com)


-OLB John Houston (Gardena, California): *****

(6'3, 208 pounds, 2nd ranked LB on Rivals.com)


-DT Rasheem Green (Gardena, California): *****

(6'4, 290 pounds, 3rd ranked DT on Rivals.com)


-CB Iman Marshall (Long Beach, California): *****

(6'1, 194 pounds, 1st ranked DB on Rivals.com)



Top Recruits Who Are Uncommitted, But Could Sign With Oregon State:


-None



Oregon Ducks Overview:

The Ducks have a legitimate shot at making this their best recruiting class ever. Playing in the National Championship game is never a bad thing when it comes to recruiting and the Ducks may have helped themselves out even with a loss to Ohio State. Oregon already has a good recruiting class with commitments from six 4-star players. However, the Ducks have the chance to land a ridiculously good recruiting class (and arguably their best ever) if they are able to snag commitments from the likes of 5-star kids John Houston, Rasheem Green, and Iman Marshall. Getting just one of those guys to sign with Oregon would be huge. Getting all three of them plus the addition of Donte Jackson? That's a game-changer folks. Oregon is a team to watch as we inch closer to Signing Day. They have the chance to make a lot of noise and could potentially flip another recruit before it's all said and done.


Oregon State Beavers Overview:

It definitely hasn't been the best recruiting year for Oregon State, but that's expected when you undergo a coaching change. OSU only has one guy verbally committed so far, but new head coach Gary Andersen still has time to make some noise and perhaps flip a commit or two before Signing Day gets here. The Beavers' likely won't make much noise this year on the recruiting trail (they are currently ranked #106th out of 129 teams with the next PAC-12 team being Utah at #57), but Andersen will have plenty of time to make some noise in Corvallis as next year's recruiting class will ultimately be what we judge the guy on.

2014-15 College Football Round-Up: PAC 12 Conference

The 2014-15 College Football Round-Up at the Ultimate Football Blog continues with the conference I felt was the best conference this year top-to-bottom, the PAC-12. Not only was the PAC-12 the toughest conference this year (once again, my opinion), but it was also the funnest conference to watch this season. While half of the Nation was sleeping, the PAC-12 was playing in night games and making history with some of the greatest moments of the season. It became such a thing that #PAC12AFTERDARK became a hit hashtag and you felt like you shouldn't go to sleep when the conference was playing because you didn't want to miss a hail mary or something else extraordinary. Anyway, it was another fun and exciting year on the West Coast in college football and here's how everything stood when it was all said and done......

PAC 12 Football

1st

Oregon Ducks

Record: 13-2 (8-1)

My Predicted Record: 13-1 (9-0)

Bowl: Rose Bowl vs. Florida State (Won 59-20), National Championship vs. Ohio State (Lost 42-20)

My Predicted Bowl: College Football Playoffs: Sugar Bowl vs. Florida State (L)

2nd

Arizona Wildcats

Record: 10-4 (7-2)

My Predicted Record: 10-3 (6-3)

Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs. Boise State (Lost 30-38)

My Predicted Bowl: Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Northwestern (W)

3rd

UCLA Bruins

Record: 10-3 (6-3)

My Predicted Record: 11-3 (6-3)

Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs. Kansas State (Won 40-35)

My Predicted Bowl: Alamo Bowl vs. Baylor (W)

4th

Arizona State Sun Devils

Record: 10-3 (6-3)

My Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-6)

Bowl: Sun Bowl vs. Duke (Won 36-31)

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

5th

USC Trojans

Record: 9-4 (6-3)

My Predicted Record: 10-3 (6-3)

Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska (Won 45-42)

My Predicted Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs. Nebraska (W)

6th

Utah Utes

Record: 9-4 (5-4)

My Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-6)

Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs. Colorado State (Won 45-10)

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

7th

Stanford Cardinal

Record: 8-5 (5-4)

My Predicted Record: 9-4 (6-3)

Bowl: Foster Farms Bowl vs. Maryland (Won 45-21)

My Predicted Bowl: Sun Bowl vs. Pittsburgh (W)

8th

Washington Huskies

Record: 8-6 (4-5)

My Predicted Record: 11-3 (7-2)

Bowl: Cactus Bowl vs. Oklahoma State (Lost 22-30)

My Predicted Bowl: Orange Bowl vs. Ohio State (L)

9th

California Golden Bears

Record: 5-7 (3-6)

My Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-8)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

10th

Oregon State Beavers

Record: 5-7 (2-7)

My Predicted Record: 9-4 (5-4)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: Las Vegas Bowl vs. San Diego State (W)

11th

Washington State Cougars

Record: 3-9 (2-7)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (1-8)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

12th

Colorado Buffaloes

Record: 2-10 (0-9)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (0-9)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

2014-15 College Football Round-Up: Big 10 Conference

The 2014-15 College Football Round-Up at the Ultimate Football Blog continues with a look at the conference that is the "Rodney Dangerfield" of college football. The BIG 10 continuously got dis-respected this year by the media and fans as being a "weak" Power 5 conference, but when it was all said and done.....the BIG 10 is the conference that is bringing home the trophy at the end of the day. The scary part about Ohio State winning it all is, this could be just the beginning. Urban Meyer has the Buckeyes loaded and ready to be a member of college football's next dynasty (Ohio State is about to go on a run that will be similar to USC and Alabama's dynasties). Jim Harbaugh is now the coach of Michigan and he's ready to bring that sleeping giant back. Penn State will continue to improve under the guidance of James Franklin. Michigan State isn't going anywhere and teams like Nebraska and Wisconsin could benefit greatly next season with changes at the head coaching position (I have high hopes for Mike Riley at Nebraska). Prepare yourselves folks. The BIG 10 isn't going anywhere....

BIG 10 Football

1st

Ohio State Buckeyes

Record: 14-1 (8-0)

My Predicted Record: 12-1 (8-0)

Bowl: Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama (Won 42-35), National Championship vs. Oregon (Won 42-20)

My Predicted Bowl: Orange Bowl vs. Washington (W)

2nd

Michigan State Spartans

Record: 11-2 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 13-1 (9-0)

Bowl: Cotton Bowl vs. Baylor (Won 42-41)

My Predicted Bowl: Fiesta Bowl vs. Georgia (W)

3rd

Wisconsin Badgers

Record: 11-3 (7-1)

My Predicted Record: 10-4 (7-2)

Bowl: Outback Bowl vs. Auburn (Won 34-31)

My Predicted Bowl: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Ole Miss (L)

4th

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Record: 9-4 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 7-6 (4-4)

Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs. USC (Lost 42-45)

My Predicted Bowl: Holiday Bowl vs. USC (L)

5th

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Record: 8-5 (5-3)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (1-7)

Bowl: Citrus Bowl vs. Missouri (Lost 17-33)

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

6th

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Record: 8-5 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (1-7)

Bowl: QuickLane Bowl vs. North Carolina (Won 40-21)

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

7th

Maryland Terrapins

Record: 7-6 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 5-7 (2-6)

Bowl: Foster Farms Bowl vs. Stanford (Lost 21-45)

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

8th

Iowa Hawkeyes

Record: 7-6 (4-4)

My Predicted Record: 10-3 (7-1)

Bowl: TaxSlayer Bowl vs. Tennessee (Lost 28-45)

My Predicted Bowl: Outback Bowl vs. Florida (L)

9th

Penn State Nittany Lions

Record: 7-6 (2-6)

My Predicted Record: 4-8 (1-7)

Bowl: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College (Won 31-30)

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

10th

Illinois Fighting Illini

Record: 6-7 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 6-7 (3-5)

Bowl: Heart of Dallas Bowl vs. Louisiana Tech (Lost 18-35)

My Predicted Bowl: Pinstripe Bowl vs. Syracuse (L)

11th

Michigan Wolverines

Record: 5-7 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 9-4 (5-3)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: Detroit Bowl vs. North Carolina (W)

12th

Northwestern Wildcats

Record: 5-7 (3-5)

My Predicted Record: 9-4 (6-2)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: Fight Hunger Bowl vs. Arizona (L)

13th

Indiana Hoosiers

Record: 4-8 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 5-7 (3-5)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

14th

Purdue Boilermakers

Record: 3-9 (1-7)

My Predicted Record: 3-9 (0-8)

Bowl: No bowl game

My Predicted Bowl: No bowl game

NFL Weekend Hangover

NFL Power Rankings expert Jeremy Lambert is back and he's hungover again........


Another weekend of NFL Playoff action is in the books, which means it’s time to drink some water and pop a couple Advil because I know that all of you have a hangover.

That Other Picked Up Flag

The Carolina Panthers weren’t going to beat the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, but it would’ve been nice if they were given a fair chance. The same officiating crew that picked up the not-quite-but-maybe-it-was-pass-interference flag in the Detroit Lions vs. Dallas Cowboys game worked the Panthers/Seahawks game. This time they threw a flag indicating a personal foul against the Seahawks for hitting Cam Newton in the head as he was sliding. Then they decided to pick it up. At least they didn’t announce it this time.

The non-flag came with the Panthers down a touchdown in the fourth quarter and would’ve given them a first down. It would’ve at least given them a chance to continue their drive and march down the field. Instead the refs stabbed the drive and Mike Tolbert killed it one play later with a dropped pass.

I just want to know why this crew was allowed to work another game after the Debacle in Dallas a week before? Whether or not the penalty against the Seahawks should’ve been called is irrelevant. It was called. Then it was not called because these referees are morons. Last week I blamed Roger Goodell for setting a bad example. This week I’m once again blaming Goodell for letting this crew officiate another game.

Again, I don’t think the Panthers would’ve won the game, even if they turned that drive into a touchdown, but the officials certainly didn’t help their cause.

Cold Weather Manning

I talked about how bad Peyton Manning plays in the cold weather in a recent Power Rankings column and he appeared this past weekend. Manning looked good on the opening drive of the game, but as the night got colder, Manning got worse. He struggled to connect on any downfield throw and was limited to throwing nothing but short passes across the middle or screen passes. As the Broncos fell behind, Manning was forced to throw the ball more, and it was obvious to anyone watching that he was afraid to throw it more than 10 yards.

The knock on Peyton was that he always struggled in the cold weather, even during his prime. You put an aging Manning with a noodle arm thanks to neck surgery in cold weather and you saw the end result.

I don’t know if this is the end for Peyton Manning, but if it is, he’s had one hell of a career. He’s the greatest regular season quarterback of all-time, but his playoff track record is always going to be a sticking point when it comes to his greatest of all-time ranking, especially since he’ll always be compared to Tom Brady.

Unless Manning can find a way to end up in St. Louis or Houston, I think we’ve seen the last of him, at least as a playoff threat.

Is It A Catch?

The NFL rules are dumb. Dez Bryant made a spectacular fourth down catch to put the Cowboys, down 26-21, on the one yard line. Then the call was overturned because even though he caught the ball and rolled, the ball kinda hit the ground and bounced a bit, but never really left the hands and arms of Dez. According to the rules, Dez didn’t complete the act of a catch because no one knows what the hell a catch is anymore.

Here’s what I hate and don’t really understand: A runner can immediately fumble the ball in the endzone as long as the ball breaks the goal plane and it’s still ruled a touchdown. But a receiver has to catch the ball, maintain control as he hits the ground, and get up with the ball still in his possession.

We all know that the rules aren’t consistent between the offense and defense, but I think that we’re ignoring the fact that the rules aren’t consistent anywhere in football. I can’t put full blame on the officials because I guess they called it by the rulebook, but the rulebook is dumb and needs to be heavily looked at in the off-season.

Brady’s Last Stand

Tom Brady found himself down by 14 points twice on Saturday. And twice he led a comeback before eventually winning the game. Bill Belichick pulled out all the stops on Saturday, including a trick play that confused John Harbaugh so bad that he didn’t think it was legal.

This is Tom Brady’s last chance at one more Super Bowl and I think everyone knows it. He’s not getting any younger and his re-worked contract allows the Patriots to cut him without taking much of a financial hit. And we all know that the Patriots have no problems with cutting veterans. The Patriots re-tooled their defense to stop potent passing attacks and have a healthy Rob Gronkowski for the first time in forever. They’re also getting something out of Danny Amendola, which certainly won’t continue.

Brady got by a tough Baltimore Ravens team that has haunted him the past couple of seasons and now he gets to face the best young quarterback in the league and the Indianapolis Colts, who should still be considered an arch rival even without Peyton Manning. If he wins, he’ll either face the league MVP and the guy many people consider to be the best QB in the game right now or the best defense in the league and the last year’s Super Bowl champs.