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A talented pack of defenders
N.C. State linemen are all over draft board
12:53 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The North Carolina State defense ranked sixth in the NCAA in sacks, eighth in defense and 14th overall in 2005. As impressive as those statistics are, I think the Wolfpack may have underachieved.
I didn’t see North Carolina State play a single game last season – but I do know the Wolfpack fielded one of the best defensive lines in college football. Or should have, anyway.
North Carolina State has the two top defensive ends and the third-best defensive tackle on the 2006 NFL draft board.
Strongside end Mario Williams is one of the three best players in this draft at any position. Weakside end Manny Lawson is right behind Williams on the end board and projects as a mid-first-round draft pick. Defensive tackle John McCargo projects as a late first-round pick.
So how did Wake Forest beat North Carolina State? How did floundering North Carolina slap 31 points on the Wolfpack? How did Clemson rush for 243 yards against the Wolfpack?
Williams and Lawson were named the first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference ends and were joined by linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who projects as a mid-round draft pick. Yet the Wolfpack allowed 25 touchdowns en route to a 7-5 finish on the season.
On paper, this group should have been devastating. It wasn’t. Maybe the parts are better individually than they were collectively. That’s what this draft board seems to indicate.
Moving on, here’s a look at the rest of the NFL as we close in on the draft:
SLIDING VALUE
Southern Cal listed tailback LenDale White at 235 pounds last season. He showed up at the NFL scouting combine in March at 238 pounds and at USC’s Pro Day in April at 244.
White also didn’t give the NFL a 40-yard dash time at either of his job interviews. He opted not to run in March and then begged off in April, citing a sore hamstring. The lack of a 40-time and his increasing weight have the NFL concerned, so his draft stock is sliding.
But White could be sprinting down the draft board to his two best NFL fits at the tail end of the first round, Carolina or Pittsburgh. The Panthers select 27th and the Steelers 32nd. Both love the big-back, ball-control concept of offense – and White is the biggest back in this draft.
Jerome Bettis has retired in Pittsburgh and the Panthers have released Stephen Davis this off-season. So both the Super Bowl champion and the NFC runner-up have immediate openings at running back.
If he gets in shape and heals up, White is the type of hammer back that both teams covet. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his career at USC and rushed for a school-record 52 touchdowns.
The last thing the Cincinnati Bengals want to see is White wearing the black and gold of the Steelers next season. And the last thing the Atlanta Falcons want to see is White wearing the blue and black of the Panthers.
It could happen at either place.
SLIDING VALUE II
If one of the elite quarterbacks starts sliding in the first round, keep an eye on the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback is a priority for the Vikings. Incumbent starter Brad Johnson will be 38 in September. At No. 17, the Vikings are too low to get one of three elite quarterbacks in this draft: Matt Leinart, Vince Young or Jay Cutler. But if one of those quarterbacks slides to 8, 9 or 10, the Vikings have the ammunition to go up. With five first-day draft picks, Minnesota could barge its way into the top 10 by trade.
BOILING OVER
What’s going on at Purdue? Three Boilermakers left school early to apply for admission to the draft – quarterback Brandon Kirsch, defensive end Ray Edwards and safety Bernard Pollard. Two other players on this draft board transferred from Purdue, defensive end Brett Hawkins of Illinois State and linebacker LaDrelle Bryant of Indiana State. Hawkins was the Gateway Conference defensive player of the year with his 17 sacks.
LEARNING CURVE
The San Francisco 49ers aren’t blaming their young quarterback Alex Smith for the NFL’s 32nd-ranked passing offense in 2005.
The 49ers have rid themselves of three receivers this off-season, trading Brandon Lloyd and Rashaun Woods and releasing Johnnie Morton. Replacing them will be free-agent signings Antonio Bryant and Bryan Gilmore. Bryant caught 69 passes at Cleveland last season and Gilmore averaged 21 yards per catch at Miami. Both figures would have led the 49ers. Better weapons make for a better quarterback.
HAVES, HAVE NOTS
The Cowboys are among the haves in the NFL, the Detroit Lions among the have nots. The NFL keeps reminding the Lions of that with the annual schedule.
Playing at home on Thanksgiving Day is a huge edge because the visiting team has only two days to prepare for the game. Two teams play at home every Thanksgiving, Detroit and Dallas.
The NFL tries to offset that edge with the Lions. For the 27th time in the last 29 years, the NFL is sending the Lions on the road the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2006. In fact, it’s the longest road trip the Lions make all season – to Arizona.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, have been awarded a home game on the weekend before Thanksgiving for the 16th time in the last 29 years. That Nov. 19 game at Texas Stadium against Indianapolis, in fact, will be the fifth time the Cowboys have been assigned a home date on the weekend before Thanksgiving in the last six years.
FINAL THOUGHT
The five most important days on the NFL calendar are: 1) Super Bowl; 2) first day of NFL draft; 3) conference championship games; 4) opening day; 5) second day of the NFL draft.
I hope everyone reading enjoys the draft as much as I do.
N.C. State linemen are all over draft board
12:53 PM CDT on Tuesday, April 18, 2006
The North Carolina State defense ranked sixth in the NCAA in sacks, eighth in defense and 14th overall in 2005. As impressive as those statistics are, I think the Wolfpack may have underachieved.
I didn’t see North Carolina State play a single game last season – but I do know the Wolfpack fielded one of the best defensive lines in college football. Or should have, anyway.
North Carolina State has the two top defensive ends and the third-best defensive tackle on the 2006 NFL draft board.
Strongside end Mario Williams is one of the three best players in this draft at any position. Weakside end Manny Lawson is right behind Williams on the end board and projects as a mid-first-round draft pick. Defensive tackle John McCargo projects as a late first-round pick.
So how did Wake Forest beat North Carolina State? How did floundering North Carolina slap 31 points on the Wolfpack? How did Clemson rush for 243 yards against the Wolfpack?
Williams and Lawson were named the first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference ends and were joined by linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who projects as a mid-round draft pick. Yet the Wolfpack allowed 25 touchdowns en route to a 7-5 finish on the season.
On paper, this group should have been devastating. It wasn’t. Maybe the parts are better individually than they were collectively. That’s what this draft board seems to indicate.
Moving on, here’s a look at the rest of the NFL as we close in on the draft:
SLIDING VALUE
Southern Cal listed tailback LenDale White at 235 pounds last season. He showed up at the NFL scouting combine in March at 238 pounds and at USC’s Pro Day in April at 244.
White also didn’t give the NFL a 40-yard dash time at either of his job interviews. He opted not to run in March and then begged off in April, citing a sore hamstring. The lack of a 40-time and his increasing weight have the NFL concerned, so his draft stock is sliding.
But White could be sprinting down the draft board to his two best NFL fits at the tail end of the first round, Carolina or Pittsburgh. The Panthers select 27th and the Steelers 32nd. Both love the big-back, ball-control concept of offense – and White is the biggest back in this draft.
Jerome Bettis has retired in Pittsburgh and the Panthers have released Stephen Davis this off-season. So both the Super Bowl champion and the NFC runner-up have immediate openings at running back.
If he gets in shape and heals up, White is the type of hammer back that both teams covet. He averaged 5.8 yards per carry in his career at USC and rushed for a school-record 52 touchdowns.
The last thing the Cincinnati Bengals want to see is White wearing the black and gold of the Steelers next season. And the last thing the Atlanta Falcons want to see is White wearing the blue and black of the Panthers.
It could happen at either place.
SLIDING VALUE II
If one of the elite quarterbacks starts sliding in the first round, keep an eye on the Minnesota Vikings.
Quarterback is a priority for the Vikings. Incumbent starter Brad Johnson will be 38 in September. At No. 17, the Vikings are too low to get one of three elite quarterbacks in this draft: Matt Leinart, Vince Young or Jay Cutler. But if one of those quarterbacks slides to 8, 9 or 10, the Vikings have the ammunition to go up. With five first-day draft picks, Minnesota could barge its way into the top 10 by trade.
BOILING OVER
What’s going on at Purdue? Three Boilermakers left school early to apply for admission to the draft – quarterback Brandon Kirsch, defensive end Ray Edwards and safety Bernard Pollard. Two other players on this draft board transferred from Purdue, defensive end Brett Hawkins of Illinois State and linebacker LaDrelle Bryant of Indiana State. Hawkins was the Gateway Conference defensive player of the year with his 17 sacks.
LEARNING CURVE
The San Francisco 49ers aren’t blaming their young quarterback Alex Smith for the NFL’s 32nd-ranked passing offense in 2005.
The 49ers have rid themselves of three receivers this off-season, trading Brandon Lloyd and Rashaun Woods and releasing Johnnie Morton. Replacing them will be free-agent signings Antonio Bryant and Bryan Gilmore. Bryant caught 69 passes at Cleveland last season and Gilmore averaged 21 yards per catch at Miami. Both figures would have led the 49ers. Better weapons make for a better quarterback.
HAVES, HAVE NOTS
The Cowboys are among the haves in the NFL, the Detroit Lions among the have nots. The NFL keeps reminding the Lions of that with the annual schedule.
Playing at home on Thanksgiving Day is a huge edge because the visiting team has only two days to prepare for the game. Two teams play at home every Thanksgiving, Detroit and Dallas.
The NFL tries to offset that edge with the Lions. For the 27th time in the last 29 years, the NFL is sending the Lions on the road the weekend before Thanksgiving in 2006. In fact, it’s the longest road trip the Lions make all season – to Arizona.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, have been awarded a home game on the weekend before Thanksgiving for the 16th time in the last 29 years. That Nov. 19 game at Texas Stadium against Indianapolis, in fact, will be the fifth time the Cowboys have been assigned a home date on the weekend before Thanksgiving in the last six years.
FINAL THOUGHT
The five most important days on the NFL calendar are: 1) Super Bowl; 2) first day of NFL draft; 3) conference championship games; 4) opening day; 5) second day of the NFL draft.
I hope everyone reading enjoys the draft as much as I do.
