Gosselin's Top 100 - YES! to #21

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The top 100

07:32 PM CDT on Thursday, April 26, 2007
By RICK GOSSELIN / The Dallas Morning News
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcont...0.24f9573.html


1-10
Rank, player Position School
1. Calvin Johnson WR Ga. Tech
Gosselin on Johnson: Since the NFL opened the door to underclassmen in 1990, juniors have gone first overall in 10 of 17 drafts. Come Saturday, make it 11 times. The Oakland Raiders are likely to select either LSU QB JaMarcus Russell or Johnson with the first overall choice. Both are skipping their senior seasons. It also will be the third consecutive draft an underclassman has gone first overall, following QB Alex Smith in 2005 (San Francisco) and DE Mario Williams in 2006 (Houston). A record 15 underclassmen were selected in the first round in 2005. Seventeen juniors carry potential first-round grades into this draft. At 6-5, 239 pounds with 4.35 speed in the 40, Johnson is the best of the bunch.
2. Adrian Peterson HB Oklahoma
3. JaMarcus Russell QB LSU
4. Joe Thomas OT Wisconsin
5. Brady Quinn QB Notre Dame
6. Gaines Adams DE Clemson
7. LaRon Landry S LSU
8. Darrelle Revis CB Pittsburgh
9. Levi Brown OT Penn St.
10. Leon Hall CB Michigan
11-20
Rank, player Position School
11. Jamaal Anderson DE Arkansas
12. Patrick Willis MLB Mississippi
13. Adam Carriker DE Nebraska
14. Marshawn Lynch HB California
15. Lawrence Timmons OLB Florida St.
16. Robert Meachem WR Tennessee
17. Reggie Nelson S Florida
Gosselin on Nelson: Since 1967, when the AFL and NFL merged drafts, there have never been four safeties taken in a first round. That could change with LaRon Landry, Nelson, Michael Griffin and Brandon Meriweather all toting first-round grades. The search is on for safeties with ball skills, and Nelson is coming off a six-interception season for the national champions. "His nickname is the Eraser," Florida CB Reggie Lewis said. "If I got in a situation where I was beaten, I knew I had the Eraser back there. With Reggie behind me, I knew I didn't have any problems."
18. Ben Grubbs G Auburn
19. Ted Ginn Jr. WR Ohio St.
20. Joe Staley OT C. Michigan
21-30
Rank, player Position School
21. Amobi Okoye DT Louisville
22. Aaron Ross CB Texas
23. Jarvis Moss DE Florida
24. Jon Beason OLB Miami-Fla.
Gosselin on Beason: The Hurricanes are no longer a college football power, but they remain a dominant force every April. They've had first-round selections in 12 consecutive NFL drafts, the longest current streak among the colleges. The next longest streak is five by Oklahoma. Miami also has had 22 players selected in the first round this decade – 10 more than runner-up Florida State. The Hurricanes can pad both totals with three potential first-round draft picks: Beason, S Brandon Meriweather and TE Greg Olsen. Beason has been compared to ex-teammate Jonathan Vilma, a No. 1 pick by the Jets in 2004. A bit undersized (6-0, 237), Beason packs a heavyweight's punch in a middleweight's body.
25. Dwayne Bowe WR LSU
26. Michael Griffin S Texas
27. Paul Posluszny MLB Penn St.
28. Justin Harrell DT Tennessee
29. David Harris MLB Michigan
30. Brandon Meriweather S Miami-Fla.
31-40
Rank, player Position School
31. Greg Olsen TE Miami-Fla.
32. Anthony Gonzalez WR Ohio St.
33. Alan Branch DT Michigan
34. Anthony Spencer DE Purdue
35. Chris Houston CB Arkansas
36. Ryan Kalil C Southern Cal
37. Trent Edwards QB Stanford
Gosselin on Edwards: The pre-draft hype focused on the two elite passers at the top of this board, LSU's JaMarcus Russell and Notre Dame's Brady Quinn. But three quality quarterbacks factor into the second round: Edwards, Drew Stanton of Michigan State and Kevin Kolb of Houston. All could go quickly. Edwards went 26-0 in his final two seasons at Los Gatos (Calif.) HS and set a state record by completing 78.1 percent of his passes as a junior. But he played on some terrible teams at Stanford, winning only 10 of his 31 starts. He also took a beating, missing time with shoulder, thumb and foot injuries. Still, he's 6-4, 231 pounds with a big arm. The NFL loves measurables at quarterback.
38. Arron Sears G Tennessee
39. Dwayne Jarrett WR Southern Cal
40. Drew Stanton QB Michigan St.
41-50
Rank, player Position School
41. Sidney Rice WR S. Carolina
42. Justin Blalock G Texas
43. Craig Davis WR LSU
44. Kevin Kolb QB Houston
45. Steve Smith WR Southern Cal
46. Claude "Turk" McBride DT Tennessee
47. Antonio Pittman HB Ohio St.
Gosselin on Pittman: Running back is one of the thinnest positions in this draft. After Adrian Peterson and Marshawn Lynch at the top, there could be a stretch of 30-plus picks before the next runner goes. Some NFL teams do not have any RBs in the second round – and there's no consensus on how the backs stack up after the first two. Different teams have Pittman, Kenny Irons (Auburn), Chris Henry (Arizona), Brandon Jackson (Nebraska) and Tony Hunt (Penn State) rated as the third back on draft boards. Pittman has 4.40 speed in the 40 and rushed for 1,233 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
48. Victor Abiamiri DE Notre Dame
49. Tony Ugoh OT Arkansas
50. Marcus McCauley CB Fresno St.

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51-60
Rank, player Position School
51. John Beck QB BYU
52. LaMarr Woodley DE Michigan
53. DeMarcus "Tank" Tyler DT N. Car. St.
54. Zach Miller TE Arizona St.
55. Ray McDonald DE Florida
56. Eric Wright CB UNLV
Gosselin on Wright: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made it his mission to clean up the league's image, and he showed team owners he means business by suspending Tennessee cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones for the 2007 season for repeated run-ins with the law. So prospects in 2007 have been scrutinized like in no other draft. Players with past issues might slide on draft day – a half-round for some, a full round for others, a couple of rounds for still others. Wright is one of those players with a skeleton in his closet – an assault charge with an investigation of rape. No charges were ever filed. He has first-round talent but will slide into the second round – and maybe beyond.
57. Eric Weddle S Utah
58. Kenny Irons HB Auburn
59. Charles Johnson DE Georgia
60. Tanard Jackson S Syracuse
61-70
Rank, player Position School
61. Jason Hill WR Wash. St.
62. Jonathan Wade CB Tennessee
63. Tim Crowder DE Texas
64. Ryan Harris OT Notre Dame
Gosselin on Harris: Starting 45 games at the major-college level is superb preparation for the NFL. Starting his final two seasons in the NFL-style offense of Charlie Weis prepared Harris even more. "Coach Weis brought in a system that any player in the country would be lucky to have," Harris said. "I was fortunate to be in his offense. He surrounded himself with excellent coaches. I can't say enough about how much I benefited from playing in Coach Weis' system and how thankful I am." Weis was the offensive coordinator of the three-time Super Bowl champion Patriots.
65. Andy Alleman G Akron
66. Yamon Figurs WR Kansas St.
67. Ikaika Alama-Francis DE Hawaii
68. Josh Wilson CB Maryland
69. Chris Henry HB Arizona
70. Stewart Bradley OLB Nebraska
71-80
Rank, player Position School
71. Laurent Robinson WR Illinois St.
72. Dameion Hughes CB California
73. Samson Satele C Hawaii
74. Justin Durant MLB Hampton
75. Lorenzo Booker HB Florida St.
76. Quentin Moses DE Georgia
Gosselin on Moses: It's a first-day draft for defense. If an NFL team needs help in the front seven, it must find it Saturday because the talent level falls off dramatically in Rounds 4-7 on Sunday. That should push any defensive end with pass rush skills into the first day. Moses was an underachiever in 2006 with only 3 ½ sacks but a big-time achiever in 2005 when he led the Bulldogs with 11 ½ sacks. In his career, he made 42 ½ tackles for losses covering 227 yards. The NFL loves defensive linemen who spend their time making plays in the offensive backfield.
77. Doug Free OT N. Illinois
78. Paul Soliai DT Utah
79. Jacoby Jones WR Lane
80. Antonio Johnson DT Miss. St.
81-90
Rank, player Position School
81. Brian Leonard FB Rutgers
82. Josh Beekman G Boston Col.
83. Brandon Jackson HB Nebraska
84. Gerald Alexander S Boise St.
85. James Marten OT Boston Col.
86. Usama Young CB Kent St.
87. Tony Hunt HB Penn St.
88. David Clowney WR Va. Tech
Gosselin on Clowney: Clowney started only five games in 2006 and did not catch a single touchdown pass. But he looms as a first-day selection because the NFL draft is all about measurables – and few players on this board have measurables as ideal for his position as Clowney. The NFL prototype for the position is 6-0, 190 – like St. Louis Pro Bowler Torry Holt. Clowney also is 6-0, 190. Clowney has huge hands (10 ½ inches across) to snag passes and blazing wheels (4.36 speed in the 40) to outrun cornerbacks. His measurables give him a chance to succeed in the NFL. He caught only 33 passes for 416 yards last fall.
89. Leroy Harris C N. Car. St.
90. Jay Moore DE Nebraska
91-100
Rank, player Position School
91. Sabby Piscatelli S Oregon St.
92. Brian Robison DE Texas
93. Marshal Yanda G Iowa
94. Michael Bush HB Louisville
Gosselin on Bush: Bush has some special skills as a runner. In 2005 he led the Big East in rushing and the NCAA in scoring. At 6-1, 243 pounds, he was a first-round pick waiting to happen. But it didn't happen. Bush suffered a broken leg in the 2006 opener and missed the season. Two surgeries later, he figures to miss 2007, as well. If healthy, Bush would be the third-rated running back in this draft and a potential first-round pick. But anyone who drafts Bush will probably be doing so for 2008. This is not a patient league – but Bush is worth waiting for. Look for a team with an extra pick in the first day to draft him. The candidates: Atlanta, Denver, Oakland, San Diego San Francisco, Tampa Bay and the Jets.
95. Michael Coe CB Alabama St.
96. Jermon Bushrod OT Towson St.
97. Quinn Pitcock DT Ohio St.
98. Brannon Condren S Troy
99. Johnnie Lee Higgins WR UTEP
100. Allen Barbre G Missouri Sou.

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IMO, this list is more important to pay attention to than Gosselin's mock. He nails these pretty well.