This summer has been crazy so far! Right after my golf outing, I flew to Buffalo for Jim Kelly’s golf outing and it was like a reunion of sorts. One of my closest friends and one of the best teammates a guy can have was there (Bubby Brister) Check out the pictures below:

Myself, Solomon Wilcots, Mark Schlereth and are filming specific skill sets for our positions so that kids, parents and coaches can download them. The DVD will include specific training techniques and skill sets to help a player maximize their talents and become an elite player.

The other pictures were at Jim Kelly’s golf outing. I did’t know my man Jaws was going to be there so I was jacked to see him. Chris Berman was also there and Boom is always a blast to be with.

Things in the football world are quiet right now, but that is how it is suppose to be. Unless, you want to talk Brett or TO. Speaking of Brett I’m going to reach out to him why I’m in Nashville for the Jeff Fisher roast and see if he will sit down with me and tell the world what he is going to do, either come back or stay retired. Update coming soon I hope.

I’m looking forward to the Jeff Fisher Roast. I have put together some amazing pictures of Jeff and I hunting and fishing. I have also included a few pictures of our cabins that the continental divide separates. I will update the roast when is over. I hope everyone is enjoying the start of summer and everyone has a safe one!

After the first 2 rounds ended it was clear to me that this year lacked a lot of must have players. When that happens I think the best thing to do is trade out of the top picks and gather picks for next year or years to come, because from the 1st round to the 5th round there is not much difference. Here are a few players I think will really struggle adjusting to the NFL and then I break down few I think will make the transition successfully.

First off I think Percy Harvin will struggle in all areas. I didn’t see one thing on tape that would say he will be able to run consistent route’s with the understanding of adjusting to coverage’s. In fact all you heard about him is he is a great athlete; last time I checked I have never seen the “great athlete” position? Special teams are his only shot to have an impact.

Darius Heyward-Bey, WR Maryland - has great speed and that is a fact but you need more than speed to be a great WR in the NFL and you’re now asking him to work with a QB that is going into his 2nd year as a starting QB? Darius has speed but he is a very sloppy route runner and he lacks the ability to separate out of breaks because he is always on his heels. You must be able to separate in this league to be considered good!

Jason Smith, T Alabama - he destroyed players at times in college in the running game, but he will not be facing inferior talent at the next level and he will have to play with better technique than he played with in college. Also, he struggled with quick pass rushers because his feet are not all that good. To have a shot in this league he will have to play guard because pass rushers in the NFL will wear him out with their quick first step.

Aaron Maybin, DE Penn State - everything that was said about him was accurate - he can get off the ball and rush the QB. Although he does have a glaring weakness - he was mauled in the running game by TE’s in college. How will he ever get off a block in the NFL?

Jason Smith, T Baylor - this guy has a very good skill set with great feet and hips but what I love about him is he will rip your head off all day long. He has a great chance to start day one.

Donald Brown, RB Connecticut - he was the most complete RB in the draft. He has great quickness and runs with power. Also, he catches the ball very well and plays every down like it is his last. Peyton Manning will love him.

With Mathew Stafford already signed with Detroit the 2009 NFL Draft has officially started. Of all the teams in the draft that needed help at almost all positions and needed to draft players to help this team right away it is the Lions. So with their first pick they take a QB that has an amazingly strong arm, but as I have studied him on tape he is not as accurate as you would like him to be when he throws down field nor is he an impressive decision maker. When you struggle in those area’s it is hard for me to warrant first round ability let alone first pick overall. If Stafford has to start this year he will be destroyed. The Lions do not have enough talent to hide and protect him and if he fails he will set the Lions organization back even further if that is possible.

This is a pick represents the future of the Detroit Lions, the only problem is the future of this franchise is this season. They go into the season with a 0 and 17 resume based on the end of 2008 and they could climb all the way to 0 and 21 before they see a win. The rest of the draft had better be awfully good in order for Detroit to recover from this pick and others in the past.

I will tweeting on my page (twitter.com/merrilhoge.com) and ESPN.com page for the first round so tune in and send questions as they come up. Good luck to all the football fans out there I hope your team drafts the player’s that can help your team win it all.

When you study Defensive End in college it can be challenging as you try and translate them to the NFL. Here are a few things I look for when studying tape:

1. Athletic Ability - which means how quickly do they get off the ball and can they redirect. Often times teams will make their decision based on the results of the combine. The combine is an athletic event it tells you nothing about football. The only way to dissect a player is to watch tape. How do they perform on the field?
2. How well do they use their hands and do they play with leverage?
3. What kind of pass rushing moves do they currently have?
4. Can they play the run and get off a block with explosiveness?
5. What kind of motor does the player have?

Here are my breakdowns:

1.  Everette Brown, Florida State – the first thing I noticed on tape is that he has more than one pass rushing skill, in fact he has a great dip move and spin move like Dwight Freeney. He also has an above average swim move and a rip move which helps him get to the inside and outside of pass rushers. He will need to put some significant time working on playing the run but was better than most of the guys I watched.

2.    Brian Orakpo, Texas - Brian has the athletic ability to play outside LB and that just might be where he ends up. I thought he showed great burst and a very good motor, although he does not have the pass rushing skills of Everette he does have nice burst up field and uses his hands well to get inside with rip moves.  Needs work on getting off blocks in the run game.

3.    Aaron Maybin, Penn State – this guy can flat out run and gets out of his stance quick but that is just about where it ends.  I think most TE in the Big Ten are still blocking him, he will need serious work on playing the run and his pass rushing skills are one dimensional.  He has a good motor when it looks like he is going to make a play but once someone hits him in the mouth that V8 motor turns into a 4 cylinder.

4.    Lawrence Sidbury, Richmond - Lawrence has flashes where he looks good and shows tremendous athletic ability during run plays but he has no real good pass rushing moves.  His upside is he does play with leverage and will bull rush players at times, but looks lost on a lot of plays and out of position. Also, for a guy coming in at 266 he does not play the run strong enough to make an impact on the line.

5.    Tyson Jackson, LSU - no way can Tyson play DE in a 4-3 in the NFL. He is not athletic enough and does not have good enough hands or hips therefore he does not move very well and does not have great balance. He seemed to end up on the ground a lot and that is not good for any football player.  He did play tackle at times and even struggled there in college. Tyson might have a chance as a mid to late round pick if he plays DE in a 3-4 scheme.

When I study tape on college tackles here is what I look for. Feet - this skill is so important. The feet are the foundation to all the technique work that will be tested at the NFL level. Hip and Hand Movement - what kind of position are they are in as they pass block and run block, do they play to high or are they in a good football position at all times with their knees bent and hips down in an explosive position ready to attack. I also study them on every play to see if they  have a little nasty streak in them, I have always felt if that left tackle position plays mean it is a big plus. Here is the list of the 5 guys I have looked at starting from highest rated and down.

1. Jason Smith, Baylor - first thing that stands out he is nasty and wants to destroy everything in his way. Although, because he is so aggressive he will miss at times, but he is very athletic and has great feet. Also, he moves his hips very well and has active hands in both run blocking and pass blocking. Of all the tackles I watched Jason has the fewest flaws.

2.  Eben Briton, Arizona - I love how he keeps a good base as he comes off the ball, he comes off the ball square and with good  leverage and that helps him move people off the ball.  One thing to take not is that the guys in the NFL will be 50 - 80 pounds heavier than at the college level and much more proficient in technique and speed. He will have to improve his own technique to make up for the talent difference between college and the NFL.  As a pass blocker his feet are very good and his base is good but he still does not move his hips great and the quicker pass rusher’s will give him trouble.

3.  Michael Oher, Mississippi - great hips and very good feet which allows him to move with his great athleticism.  He moves well as a pass blocker and has good hands, but is not a dominate run blocker.

4.  Eugene Monroe, Virginia - very athletic, moves well and keeps a very good base in pass blocking and run blocking. He lacks on the physical side and would get bull rushed a lot at the college level. When I see that, it concerns me because the NFL guys will take advantage of that weakness down after down. He also uses his hands very and is an above average pass blocker.

5. Andre Smith, Alabama - this guy mauls people off the ball and drives them 5 to 10 yards back and at times it looks like a man among boys.  One concern that I have with these type of guys in college is the weight difference when they arrive in the NFL.  The very best college player he played last year will be the worst NFL player he faces.  He also struggled with quick pass rushers, especially the ones that went inside on him. The last thing I noticed is his sub par pass rushing skills and that will present a huge problem in the NFL. This will need to be a major focal point for him wherever he lands.

I flew into Arizona today and as I was waiting for my bags, guess how walks up to talk to me? He was one of the greatest basketball players to ever play and one of the worst golfers of our time. Got it? Oh and one of the great guys in this world….Charles Barkley.

I used to live in Scottsdale AZ and I would see Sir Charles every now and then out for dinner, so it’s been a while, but it was so nice to visit with him about football. First thing he asked me was about Jay Cutler going to Chicago and if that is a good thing?

Well I posted my thoughts yesterday to this blog so those who have signed up know how I feel and I basically repeated the same thing.

He was funny about it because he was focused on the draft picks as well. We then started to talk about the state of professional sports and the money the current players make and how there are so many players that care about just the money and after they get it they are done.

He was telling me Pat Riley used to tell him I need players that want to dominate voluntary activities. I am paraphrasing what Sir Charles said but the point is you need to have players that are driven by the passion and love for there sport.

My son Beau was with me and he is an excellent basketball player so I asked Charles to give him some advice on what fundamentals he should work on to be the best basketball player he can be.

What he said was very interesting, if your right handed make sure your left hand is just as good as your right hand in all things, shooting, dribbling, passing. Also work on your shooting everywhere on the court in all situations.

We then started talking about how very few players ever want to work on their weaknesses but rather focus all day on their strengths. Great players make weak things strong. I know this post doesn’t have a lot to do about football but I just love it when I run into down to earth people.

I was down at the Bengal offices today and ran in Aaron Curry the LB out of Wake Forest who was in visiting the Bengals along with Chris Wells the RB from Ohio State. I met Aaron only for a few minutes but this is the part of being an analyst I don’t get to do as much as I would like to. I feel it is one of the most important things a team must do is visit with the potential draft pick and try to get to know the real player, because players are trained on how to act, but I believe if you visit long enough and know what to ask you can figure a player out.

I only met Aaron for a few minutes (and there is no way to ever now in a few minutes) but he did have a good energy about him and he seemed to be respectful. When you come into the NFL it is so important that you respect everyone, and when I say everyone I mean the trainers, equipment managers, video crew, etc. So many times when I was playing a rookie would walk in and disrepect the entire organization. Nothing lights a fire under me faster than to see that and once I established myself as an NFL player, I never tolerated that attitude if I saw it. If you want things and need help you go to the trainers, equipment guys and video guys. I can tell you some of my best NFL relationships I have made has been the group that did such a great job of taking care of me like my trainer’s, equipment managers and video crew. Thanks my brothers.

Jay Cutler to Chicago, what does that mean for the Bears? It means they have a QB that can play in all the weather conditions that you find at Soldier field. I played there as a Bear and I can tell you it can be one of the most perfect football days and then it can be the perfect storm and you need a QB that has the arm strength to play in those conditions. What will he bring to the Bears? He will help stretch this offense and the group of WR’s they have will get much better, but the Bears still do not have great talent at WR and that is something that will have to be addressed before you see all of the true benefits of having a QB like Jay Cutler. Ron Turner is the offensive coordinator in Chicago and he was my coordinator when I played there and I know this from playing for Ron he likes to go vertical and he will take advantage of Jay’s ability to do that. As you look at the WR’s they have on there roster there biggest match up guy is there TE Greg Olsen. There line is solid and there running game shows signs of being consistent with some explosiveness with 2nd year back Matt Forte. Something Jay will have to do focus on this year is to learn to manage his game better. What I mean about that is know what throws you can make and when you should make them.

Broncos, what does this mean for them, I’m hearing it’s a great deal? Really? You just traded your best player, you get a good QB (not great) in return and you get 2 first round draft picks and a 3rd round pick. How could this be better? You have no idea if those draft picks will be impact players, in fact 50% of them are busts so the odds are only one of them will pan out and will the one that makes it be special? Here is my point, how do you know it’s a good deal when you have no idea what kind of players you will be getting in return? The truth is we won’t know for several years if this was a good deal for Denver. The bottom line is, from playing in this league and studying it for 24 years, when you trade a QB that has made an impact this early in his career you may never recover from a decision like that. As I watch Josh McDaniel’s handle his first job I see disaster all over it. Let me explain why, when he went after Matt Cassel the writing on the wall started. He is trying to make the Denver Broncos the New England Patriots! At least that is how players look at it. When I went to the Chicago Bears and Dave Wannstedt was the head coach he made a critical error: he would always talk about what they did in Dallas and he would try and get players that played in Dallas and as players we hated that. We wanted to be the Chicago Bears we could care less about the Dallas Cowboys and it affected our attitude towards him. Josh McDaniel’s has done nothing to earn the trust of the Bronco players and if you think getting rid of there best player in Jay Cutler will grab the Bronco players attention you have another thing coming. Players aren’t concerned about getting trade as much as they think how stupid was the move and all he did was hurt our team. This is about as bad a start as a head coach could have.

I finished looking at the WR’s in this upcoming draft and I always find this position very interesting and I will get to that in just a second, but I would like to clear up a few things with the RB list established earlier.

After watching all the tape and just going by that the best RB in this years class is Donald Brown for Connecticut, he is the most complete in all areas, quickness, power running skills hands blocking and so on. What confirmed it for me (and I unfortunately do not always get this information) is while I was at ESPN the University of Connecticut is only a few miles away so the exposure to Donald was widespread. He is a class act and has his priorities in place, what I’m trying to say is a team can trust him. You know what was interesting if you go back and read what I had written about him, the one thing that stood out more than anything is how hard he played with out the football. That speaks to character and he has it and he is my number one back. I still like Greene over Wells and it is like splitting hairs because when you have academic problems and flunk out that speaks to work ethic. I know Greene came back and he just might have learned his lesson and if so he will become a very powerful back, but if money is his goal he could be a bust. And Wells has moments that he looks like an absolute stud and then there are times he looks like he is just not into it and I watched tape when he was healthy because I know he had a foot injury, but when I see a player that never plays as hard as he can all the time that is a big red flag for me. If Wells comes into the NFL with the playing attitude he had at Ohio State he will always frustrate coaches and fans. Moreno and McCoy are not future backs in this league neither play with the power necessary to be consistent in this league, both have quickness and catching abilities along with running and blocking skills that will make them a great weapon for some coach, but they will need complement in the backfield to survive in the NFL.

WR - this position is so hard to evaluate because in college seldom do you see anyone run a route any more, in fact if you went on just route running ability you would pick Ohio State’s Brian Robiskie. He is the most polished and has played in a system that has a WR run more than a 6 yard hitch or a crossing route like they have Florida’s Percy Harvin who is fast and explosive but shows very few WR skills.

That leads us to what I look for, first I want to see how quick a WR is how does he get in and out of breaks, what kind of route runner is he. The best I’ve ever seen coming out of college was Tory Holt. Second, where does he make his catches? Will he go in the middle and make catches? A great example is when Charles Rogers, the WR from Michigan State was coming out and so was Andre Johnson the WR from Miami. Now most people loved Charles Rogers, but when you put on the tape one thing stood out right away Rogers was not going to play in the middle of the field EVER! Johnson was the superior WR with no questions, now Detroit drafted Rogers because he was from the area, how stupid is that!

I also look for a WR ability to run after the catch and I study to see if he understands man or zone coverage’s and how quickly can he identify them. Also, how does he run routes against man coverage does he climb the defender and threaten him, or how does he work the DB to get open? And against zone does he know how to uncover or get to the void of the zone? All of these attributes are crucial if you are going to make it in the NFL. You know longer can run a crossing route have the QB dump you the ball and run for a TD. The players you are about to line up against are just as fast as you are and if you’re a rookie the guy that is covering you is smarter than you are. These rookies will see more defensive coverage’s in their first mini camp then they saw their entire career in College, so that is why I look to see if a WR is able to identify coverage quickly in college because it gets even harder to do it in the NFL.

Here is the WR’s I have looked at and the strengths and weaknesses.

Brain Robiskie WR from Ohio State, you can tell his dad (Terry Robiskie) an NFL coach has worked with him on route running. I can see Brian transition nicely to the NFL. He does a great job of identifying coverage’s and does a nice job of attacking defenders and getting them to make mistakes and in the process gets open. He also makes tough catches. He gets in and out of breaks nicely had good speed. Brian is not explosive and he is not exceptional quick but he is fast and quick enough. I see him developing into a solid number 2 WR.

Michael Crabtree WR Texas Tech, my man is quick and I mean quick. He gets in and out of breaks so fast he will be very hard to cover, his quickness reminds me of Chad Johnson and that is what has made Chad such a successful WR in the NFL. The way Texas Tech runs their offense you can get caught up in Michael’s numbers and lose sight of studying his skill set to see how he will transition to the NFL. He does not run a lot of different routes so that concerns me, because he will not just run a bubble screen or a go route or curl route in the NFL, but what I did see that I loved is when he runs routes he separates and he wins at the line of scrimmage. He also does a great job of coming back to the ball and catches with his hands and he will hit you as a blocker. I could see Michael developing into a 1 WR because of his quickness and his ability to separate from defenders.

Percy Harvin WR Florida, this guy is down right explosive and that is what everyone is so excited about and if that explosiveness alone was enough to be successful in the NFL I would take him number one over all, but speed alone does not make a football player. Of all the tape I watched on Percy his main route was a crossing route. Florida recruits kids with speed for a reason, they are just going to out run you to a national title and boy does it work, but in the NFL you can’t win like that, because the guys covering Percy will be as fast and when he runs those crossing routes and enters Ray Lewis’s area he will get his block knocked off and be lucky to play another down. Now here is the challenge with Percy, he was only asked to run three routes. He would run a crossing route, corner and option route along with lining up in the backfield and running the ball. He will have to learn how to run routes along with reading coverage as he does it. Not an easy task for a kid that is raw and green. In fact it will be overwhelming and all that thinking will neutralize his speed and people will be very disappointed in him because they will expect him to do what he did at Florida and that will just not happen early. The key for Percy is that whoever drafts him uses packages like the wildcat or something to that nature to get him the ball, so that he can learn the NFL game. If they ask him to line up as a WR they will be very disappointed.

Hakeem Hicks WR North Carolina, his greatest strength is when the ball is in his hands. He breaks tackles with the best of them. He also does a great job when the ball is in the air going up and getting it from the defender. I call that the moment of truth and when that ball is in his area he makes the catch most of the time. Hakeem does not have great quickness and does not run great routes. This is his biggest problem because he is not down right explosive. He will have to work hard at running routes because when he gets to the NFL he will not beat many people in man coverage and the NFL is playing more and more man. He is big and strong and that can help him as he learns how to run routes but at some point his route running skill must improve drastically. He also has a good feel for coverage’s but this will be challenges at the next level like it will for all of them.

Jeremy Maclin WR Missouri, good quickness not like Crabtree but close. He has good explosiveness and runs ok routes but not great. He also is not asked to run a lot of different routes in college but the more I watch college the WR’s are not required to win, but in the NFL running good routes separates the average from the great. He played most of the time in the slot so projecting him to play to the strong side or week side of a formation is very hard and that concerns me a little. When you play in the slot you usually get a teams 2nd or 3rd best cover guy and you have a lot of room to run routes. When you line up to the strong or weak side of the formation you’re more restricted and therefore have to learn how to run routes accordingly. So can he do that? Not sure because he was not asked to do that in college. Now if I go by what I have seen and as I look at his skill set he should be able to but it’s a very different transition and if he is going to be a number 1 WR for a team he will have to do it. Now teams will get him in the slot at times but he will have to be good at lining up all over to be considered a dominate number 1.

Kenny Britt WR Rutgers, here is a guy that shows he can run routes has quickness and speed and looks like an NFL WR. As I study Kenny I see a guy that understand what coverage’s are being run and he gets out of breaks really well. He is physical and will play in the middle for a team and can be explosive and is very deceptive. I like his ability to transition to the NFL. What I like about him is I will not have to teach him to run routes as a coach I can use my time with him to work on reading coverage’s and polishing his route running skills. I would take a guy like Kenny or Brian Robiskie over a guy like Percy Harvin any day and all day long.

I have looked at 5 QB’s on tape and here is the order in which I like them and there strength and weakness. Keep in mind I have looked at each guy along with 3 or 4 games that he has played and studied each throw from those games to help make my evaluation. Here are the things I find to be most important when I study QB: 1 - is he a good decision maker, 2 - is he accurate and 3 - is he tough.

Now there are more things to playing QB but these are the big 3, if you struggle identifying coverage before the snap you won’t make it, and if you can’t make throws that WR can run after the catch or into a tight window you have no shot of being consistent in the NFL. Also if you’re not tough this league will see right through you! Remember Joe Montana could not make all the throws, but he was a good decision maker, accurate and tough!!!

1. Matthew Stafford: Georgia, first thing that stands out is he can make (RARE) throws; now what is a rare throw? A rare throw is a throw that can be made to break down or take advantage of certain coverage in an area few QB’s could make. Here is what I’m talking about, when a team plays cover 2 there are some voids in this coverage and if you have the arm strength to make the throw, you can take advantage of the coverage and you make defensive coordinators nervous. Here is one of the voids - between the corner who is at the line of scrimmage jamming the WR if they choose to and the safety to that side who is over the top of the corner. Now if you run a seem route (that means a go route straight down the field) that void is between the corner and safety, it’s not a big window and it’s even hard to make if it’s to the wide side of the field because the ball has to travel even further. Now very few QB’s in the NFL today can even make that throw. One guy that can make this throw in the NFL is Jay Cutler, so very few have his arm strength so very few can make it or even try. Stafford can make a throw like that with out a second thought and I saw him make that throw against South Carolina and it was very, very impressive. So this strength is rare and what it gives an offensive coordinator it is the ability to run all kinds of routes to all kind of coverage’s and you have no limitations. Now this can also be a weakness because when you have an arm like that you just think you can make any throw any time and that’s just not the case and it is even more magnified in the NFL, so he will have to work on being disciplined on what throws he can and should make, because for all the throws he can make he can get you into trouble if he is reckless with the ball.

One other thing I think is important as I look at QB’s is, do they anticipate throws? I felt he was ok in this category and would have liked to see a little more consistence with that. He was also not as accurate as I would like him to be, and the area I thought he struggled the most at was the deep ball. When a guy has big arm I think people just think he is accurate down field just because he can throw it so far. Not that case on Matthew. I also thought he had moments when he was inconsistent with shorter routes as well. I felt his foot work will have to get better the games I watched if he had to move in the pocket, like slide away from someone he kept moving instead up avoid and rest which is what he will need to do at the next level. As I studied him I did not feel he had as good a command of coverage’s, for example when you throw the ball. the QB in most cases must control the safety especially when they have a single safety. You can use routes to hold safeties but at the end of the day the QB needs to know where they are and control them because safeties tell you everything. In fact I thought there were times he did not even know what they were doing. This is a must at the next level. I did feel he was tough because his offensive line was not very good and he took shots from the defense and would stand in there and deliver the ball with no fear. I love that. I’m not sold that he should go first overall to Detroit because even though he has a lot of special tools I’m not sure he is special enough to carry a franchise and Detroit needs more than just a QB to get a win this year!

2. Mark Sanchez: USC, when I put in the tape the first thing that I noticed, USC was A LOT better team than Georgia. I watched Mark right after I watched Stafford so that stood out right away, and its very important as you evaluate players on what kind of team did they play on, because a great team can hide major weaknesses, much like the USC teams Matt Leinart played on. Mark is a good decision maker and would throw into tight windows and threw with better anticipation than did Matt Stafford. The one thing Mark does not have is Mathew’s big arm so he can’t make the throws Mathew can. Perfect example is the cover 2 example I gave with Stafford. I felt he was more accurate from the pocket than on the move. He is very rhythmic which is good, but when things are not in rhythm it really affected him and at the next level you need to be just about as good when things go bad as you are when things go well. Mark will make a good pro but will not elevate a team, just like at USC, he needs a strong supporting cast to succeed. Now I know all QB’s need help, but some need more than others and I feel Mark is one of those guys that will need more than just one good WR to be consistent. I also felt he was tough, even though he did not get hit much I did not see him shy away when he would throw for the most part.

3. Josh Freeman: Kansas ST, talk about raw, he is athletic and makes things happen when he runs but it’s not his first thought to run which makes him a gamble in the NFL but more importantly he would force things at times which could mean he was not sure of what coverage a team was in or he would single a WR out and throw the ball to him no matter what the coverage was saying. Neither one of these habits are very good. I felt his accuracy was ok and I did feel he was tough and his offensive line was not very good and they got into some games were it was a blow out. His best bet is to get drafted on a team with a great QB coach so he can spend a few years on the bench learning from his coaches and the QB’s in front of him and then will have a better chance to make an impact.

4. Pat White: West Virginia, I have to say the only thing I got from Pat was he is a very good athlete and an amazing runner. WVU offense is pure college and I’m telling you there is nothing in that offense that would give you a indicator that Pat could play QB in the NFL. His accuracy was ok decision making was ok, in fact it was great when he would run the ball because there is more reading of defenses running the ball than throwing it based on how that offense works. If you draft him as a QB it will be a major project unless you just run bubble screens and have a dominate running game with Pat carrying the ball 10 or so times a game. Like they did in Tennessee with Vince Young!

5. Harrell Graham: Texas Tech, I always get nervous when I see a QB with big numbers and he plays a majority of his snaps from the shot gun and most of the routes are slants, hitches or crossing routes. The reason for that is it’s so unrealistic in the NFL to run this offense on a consistent basis so you have to be so careful that you do not let numbers tell the whole story. I thought he was very accurate especially with the short to intermediate routes; he does not have a big arm so when he tries to push it down the field he lost alot of accuracy. The offensive system Texas Tech ran forces the QB to be a good decision maker and Harrell did that very well. The thing that he will struggle with is learning to play from under center more.

Arizona Cardinalsalready gave themselves a shot to get back into the playoffs next year, by signing Kurt Warner. That was key because Matt Leinart does not have the accuracy or quick release Kurt does and Matt would not be able to take advantage of the talent the Cardinals have on offense. Now as we look to the draft you have to remember when young guys play especially rookies you usually see there greatest improvement in year 2, so I expect Tim Hightower to be a big help on offense next year. They had injuries in the playoffs at the TE position and could use more depth there. On defense when you are playing a 3 - 4 you need to always have talented LB’s because you are playing with 4 and creating depth at that position is so critical. I also think they need more help in the secondary.

Titans - losing Albert Haynesworth, was it really that big of a deal losing a DT? Well, were the Eagles ever the same after they lost Reggie White? Answer NO! Listen I know he missed some games and they won most of them, but remember it was just a few games and Albert played in the majority of the 16 games. Over the course of an entire NFL season is when you will see the difference, once the body of work is gone from your defense play after play. He makes life so much easier for the LB’s and DE’s, the secondary and the defensive coordinator. He will be missed over a 16 game season for sure. The defense will still be very good but I do not believe it will be as dominant as last year! On offense, getting Kerry Collins signed and Nate Washington adds explosiveness but the foundation of this team is their running game and this offensive line is very underrated and TE Bo Scaffe is better than most people realize, but they could still use another TE that can block and catch to help complete the foundation of this team and their commitment to the running game.

He attacks defenders is the first thing that pops out on tape, he is always going forward and getting positive yards, I love how he runs behind his pads and attacks defenders. He has good feet not great and he has learned how to avoid some defenders before taking on others. His strength is his physical style and he should never try and deviate from that, because he is hard to bring down. He does not get out of breaks all that well and he tends to get stuck in a cut.

He is a very good blocker, I see him as a feature back but could play 3rd down because he can block. I still like Shonn Greene over Hill because of his quickness but I would put Hill over Wells of Ohio state. All three of these backs will be viewed as future backs, guys that can carry the ball 20 plus times a game.