Should the Seahawks look to the draft to solve their quarterback problem?

By Kshell

The Seahawks this offseason have a very serious problem at the quarterback position. I examined if the Seahawks should sign Matt Flynn or sign Peyton Manning . If the Seahawks strike out on either they can still salvage that position with the draft. The draft could still be an option even if they sign Manning who will be 36 years old. The draft is a necessary move for this franchise moving forward into the future. The draft has great reward if you draft the right guy you should have him for the following decade. The fall back to the draft is that this is a move for the future which means Pete Carroll who is 14-18 heading into season three will be yet another rebuilding year or two. The Seahawks if they choose the draft route will likely choose between Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill or take a sleeper later in the draft.

The first guy the Seahawks will be looking at is Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. Griffin won the heisman trophy and ended his career by defeating the Washington Huskies 67-56 in the Alamo Bowl giving the Baylor Bears their first ever 10 win season. Griffin had a terrific career at Baylor completing 66.5% of his passes for 10,366 yards(8.6 YPA) with 78 touchdowns to just 17 interceptions. He also ran for 2,081 yards with 33 rushing touchdowns. Griffin won the heisman last year completing 72.4% of his passes for 4,293 yards(10.7 YPA) with 37 touchdowns to just six interceptions. He also ran for 699 yards with 10 touchdowns. If Griffin III falls to the Seahawks I believe they will draft him regardless if they sign Manning or not. Griffin III is the type of talent you just don't pass up with the 12th pick. The problem is there is a 99.8% chance he won't be there. That means if the Seahawks were to land Griffin III they will have to trade up to land him. Is Griffin III worth giving up future draft picks to land? That will be up to Carroll and John Schneider to make that decision. If they feel Griffin III isn't worth trading up for there is other options.

If the Seahawks determine that Griffin III isn't worth the price of trading up for they could select Ryan Tannehill out of Texas A & M. Tannehill was only a full-time starter his senior year while leading the Aggies to only a 7-6 record. Tannehill is 6'4" and for his career completed 62.5 % of his passes for 5,450 yards(7.4 YPA) with 42 touchdowns to 21 interceptions. His senior year he completed 61.6% of his passes for 3,744 yards(7.1 YPA) with 29 touchdowns to 15 interceptions. He also ran for 306 yards with four touchdowns. Tannehill is a big physical quarterback who is also athletic as he can move in the pocket. Drafting him with the 12th pick overall might be a reach so to maximize taking Tannehill the Seahawks might have to trade back a few spots to acquire an extra draft pick before taking Tannehill. If the Seahawks can't find a willing trade partner they might go a different route in the draft.

The Seahawks if they choose to take a project later in the draft will have some options. I think the best offseason would be to sign Peyton Manning and draft Nick Foles in the third round. Foles comes from the Arizona Wildcats and was a three year starter there. In his career he completed 66.4% of his passes for 10,067 yards(7.1 YPA) with 67 touchdowns to 33 interceptions. The Wildcats went 4-8 last season during Foles senior year but that was no fault of his own. Foles during his senior year completed 69.1% of his passes for 4,334 yards(7.7 YPA) with 28 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Foles is very accurate and standing at 6'5" 245 lbs has the size to be a successful quarterback. He isn't the only option late in the draft but he is my favorite option late in the draft. The problem is the Seahawks have had a poor history in the draft with quarterbacks.

Here are the following names the Seahawks have drafted in their franchise history Steve Myer(1976, 4th round), Sam Adkins(77' 10th round), Frank Seurer(84', 3rd round), John Conner(85', 10th round), Davie Norrie(86', 11th round), Sammy Garza(87', 8th round), John Gromos(90', 12th round), Dan McGwire(91', 1st round-16th overall), Rick Mirer(93', 1st round- 2nd overall), Brock Huard(99', 3rd round), Josh Booty(01', 6th round), Jeff Kelly(02', 7th round), Seneca Wallace(03', 4th round), David Greene(05', 3rd round) and Mike Teel(09', 6th round). Not one of those players went on to do much in the NFL. In 1991 the Seahawks chose Dan McGwire over Brett Favre with the 16th overall pick. McGwire the brother of Mark was a bust for the Seahawks. He played in only 12 games making just five starts for the Seahawks. He completed only 50.3% of his passes for 745 yards(5.1 YPA) with two touchdowns to six interceptions. He had a quarterback rating of 62.1 for the Seahawks. He was so bad that two years later with the second pick overall the Seahawks had to go the quarterback route again. This time the Seahawks selected Rick Mirer from Notre Dame university who was taken right after the New England Patriots selected Washington State Cougars quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Mirer played for the Seahawks for four years starting 51 games(20-31 as a starting quarterback) completing 53.4% of his passes for 9,094 yards(6.0 YPA) with 41 touchdowns to 56 interceptions. He had a quarterback rating of 65.2 . In 2005 the Seahawks took David Greene in the third round and he was cut before the 2007 season began never appearing in an NFL game in two years. This franchise for whatever reason has failed miserably in the draft when it comes to the most important position in football.

The main problem with going with the draft is that means Tarvaris Jackson will be your starting quarterback in 2012. Pete Carroll is 14-18 as head coach of the Seahawks and although he took over a rebuilding project this is still professional sports. Paul Allen is more patient with coaches than most owners but there will come a time when Carroll has to start producing winning seasons. By drafting a quarterback to develope that means you're rebuilding as Jackson who is very limited will be your starting quarterback in 2012 and possibly even in 2013. With the exception of Andrew Luck who the Seahawks have no shot at drafting there isn't a quarterback in this draft who can step in right away and lead a team to the playoffs in my opinion. So if the Seahawks choose to draft a quarterback that means they are punting 2012 away.

I've now gone over the three options the Seahawks have to solve their quarterback dilema. I think the safest option is signing Matt Flynn. I think the best option is signing Peyton Manning and drafting Ryan Tannehill or Nick Foles. I think by signing Manning that gives you the best chance to win now while also developing the future in Tannehill or Foles. I think the worst option is trading picks away to land Griffin III. I also think just drafting Tannehill or Foles and going into next year with Jackson as your starting quarterback is a terrible move too. We'll see what the Seahawks do this offseason but realistictly I think they only have three options to improve the quarterback position going forward. The draft is a move for tomorrow but I think signing Manning and drafting is the way to go. Why not win now and tomorrow? Hopefully Carroll and Schneider make the right decisions as this is a critical offseason for the Seahawks.

Price scores seven touchdowns as Huskies lose Alamo Bowl 67-56 to Baylor

By Kshell

In a wild game that shattered most Alamo Bowl records the #12 Baylor Bears(10-3,6-3) outlasted the Washington Huskies(7-6,5-4) 67-56 in a game that set defenses back for decades. The Bears were led by running back Terrance Ganaway who rushed for 200 yards and five touchdowns as the Bears overcame a 42-24 deficit to the Huskies. In the loss Huskies sophomore quarterback Keith Price shined throwing for 438 yards with four passing touchdowns while also rushing for 39 yards with three more rushing touchdowns. This was a fantastic game as both offenses couldn't be stopped. For Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian this season ended much different than last season as the Huskies closed last year out winning four games in a row. Instead the Huskies after starting off 5-1 ended the year losing five of their final seven ball games. In the process three defensive coaches including defensive coordinator Nick Holt were let go.

The Baylor Bears won the coin toss and chose to receive as it didn't take long for them to set the stage in this game. The Bears went on a 13 play 85 yard touchdown drive on their opening possession. After completing his first pass Griffin hit Tevin Reese down the middle for a gain of 25 yards to the Baylor 32 yard line. Facing a third and seven Griffin hit another 15 yard pass to the 50 yard line. Griffin would hit three more passes down to the Huskies 23 yard line. Facing a fourth and one the Bears decided to go four it and Terrance Ganaway rushed for three yards to the Huskies 11 yard line. That is when Griffin hit Kendall Wright for the 11 yard touchdown to give the Bears an early 7-0 lead. On the drive Griffin was eight for nine passing for 79 yards showing the heisman committee got the heisman vote right when choosing him. The Huskies offense would get a chance to even up the score as these teams went back and forth all night.

The Huskies wasted no time answering back starting off on their own 32 yard line Keith Price starting his first bowl game hit senior wide receiver Devin Aguilar for a gain of 42 yards to the Bears 26 yard line. Chris Polk would rush for two yards, on the following play Price would check it down to Polk who broke a few tackles to gain six yards setting up a third and two from the 18 yard line. Polk lining up at fullback would gain six yards to the Bears 12 yard line. After the Bears jumped offsides the Huskies had first and five from the seven yard line. Polk would rush for four yards down to the three yard line but then would be stuffed for a loss of two. Setting up a crucial third and three from the five yard line the Huskies had an empty backfield as Price took the snap in shotgun. Price who was healthy for the first time all year reminded fans of the quarterback he had taken over for in Jake Locker as he ran up the middle untouched for his first career college rushing touchdown from five yards out to even the game at 7-7. Price on the drive was two for two passing for 48 yards while also rushing a touchdown from five yards out.

On the next possession the Bears offense wasn't about to slow down on the Huskies defense who had struggled all season long against good teams. Starting from their own 37 yard line after a one yard run by Wright he lateraled the ball to Jarred Salubi for a gain of 17 more yards to the Huskies 45 yard line. Facing a third and 10 from the Huskies 45 yard line Griffin completed a nine yard pass to Terrance Williams setting up another fourth and short for the Bears offense. Facing a fourth and one from the 36 yard line the Bears decided to go for it once again against the Huskies defense. Salubi would bust the run to the house for 36 yards out for the touchdown giving the Bears a 14-7 lead over the Huskies. Defensively the Bears would then force a three and out on the Huskies offense trying to set up the route which other ranked teams have done to the Huskies this season. After a quality punt by the Huskies the Bears offense would start on their own 18 yard line looking to go up 21-7.

The Bears offense would go on a 13 play 82 yard touchdown drive for their third possession of the game. Starting from their own 18 yard line Griffin hit a six yard pass then ran the next two times for 10 yards including coverting a third down. Griffin completed a pass to Reese to the 50 as the Bears were marching once again. Ganaway ran three straight times for 16 yards to the Huskies 34 yard line. After a penalty forcing them back to make it first and 20 from the 44 the Bears managed to make it third and two. After a short gain once again going for it on fourth and one from the Huskies 25 yard line Griffin ran for a yard to get the first down. On the following play Griffin had a play that they'll show when he is drafted. Griffin went back to pass the Huskies blitzed he made three Huskies miss then started to take off eventually making more Huskies miss in the process as he rushed for 24 yards for the touchdown to give the Bears a 21-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Huskies were in danger of already letting this game get away before they took over for their third possession of the game starting on their own 27 yard line. Price hit Aguilar for a short gain of four yards followed up by Polk rushing for two more setting up a third and four from the 33 yard line. Price connected with senior wide receiver Jermaine Kearse for a gain of 13 yards to the 46 yard line. Facing a third and nine from the 47 yard line Price hit freshman sensation Kasen Williams for a gain of 16 yards to the Bears 37 yard line. After a short completion to Williams again and an incomplete pass the Huskies were facing a third and nine from the 36 yard line. Facing a blitz Sarkisian called a draw play to Polk who ran for 15 yards to the 21 yard line. Another penalty on the Bears moved the ball to the 13 yard line. After a short run by Polk on second and nine from the 12 yard line Price was scrambling out of the pocket instead of running for guaranteed yardage he found James Johnson dragging along in the back of the endzone for the touchdown pass. That touchdown pass gave Price 30 for the season becoming the first ever Husky quarterback to throw for over 30 touchdowns while cutting the score down to 21-14. Josh Shirley would record one of four sacks on the next drive on third down to force the first Bears punt of the game.

From their own 16 yard line the Huskies out of the spread formation play action to a streaking Jesse Callier up the seam for a gain of 28 yards to their own 44 yard line. On second down Price would hit freshman sensation Austian Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of eight yards to the Bears 40 yard line setting up a third and one. The Huskies attempted a play action bomb but the pass was incomplete setting up a fourth and one which Polk ran for two yards giving the Huskies a first down. Price would hit Kearse to the left wide open for a gain of 32 yards as he was pushed out of bounds at the six yard line. On second and goal from the six Polk would rush up the middle for five yards to the one yard line. The Bears anticipating a run stacked the box as Price play action threw to a wide open Aguilar who leaped over the defender for the one yard score which tied the game up at 21-21.

The Huskies defense would force the first turnover as freshman Andrew Hudson sacked Griffin forcing the fumble as another freshman John Timu recovered it for the Huskies. Taking over on their own 43 yard line Price began the drive with a gain of seven yards through the ground. Polk ran for five yards then another 14 to the Bears 31 yard line. Price hit his big tight end Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of 16 yards to the Bears 15 yard line. After no gain by Polk is when Price made a highlight run. Price went back to pass started to take off and then at the 10 yard line despite being five yards past the line of scrimmage pumped fake like he was going to throw to get the defender into the air as he then dove into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the game and fourth overall touchdown of the first half alone. Price went right then cut upfield towards the middle for the touchdown. More importantly in a game that seemed destined to be a blowout loss the Huskies had taken a 28-21 over the Bears.

After a nice kickoff return the Bears offense would start off on their own 41 yard line. Griffin would hit a 14 yard pass moving the ball to the Huskies 45 yard line. Facing a third and five from the 40 Shirley would sack Griffin again forcing the Bears to go for it again. This time it was fourth and nine from the Huskies 44 yard line with only 46 seconds left in the half. Griffin would throw an incomplete pass as momentum was wearing purple(or in this games case all white). On the ensuing play Polk who was contained all half busted the run 56 yards for the touchdown to give the Huskies a 35-21 lead having scored 28 unanswered points.

 Starting from their own 33 yard like Griffin was able to march the Bears down for a field goal as he went three for five passing for 42 yards. The Huskies led at halftime 35-21. For the Bears they had 18 first downs while gaining 343 yards while going four for nine on third downs but went three for four on fourth downs.  They were led by their heisman trophy quarterback Griffin who was 18-24 passing for 192 yards with a touchdown while rushing for 46 yards with another touchdown. The Huskies had 17 first downs while gaining 313 yards while going six for eight on third downs while converting their only fourth down. Price led the Huskies going 12-18 passing for 179 yards with two touchdowns while rushing for 27 yards with two more touchdowns. Polk ran for 107 yards with a touchdown while catching a pass for six yards. Aguilar had three receptions for 47 yards with a touchdown while Kearse had two receptions for 45 yards. The first half had 59 combined points and the second half would feature even more scoring.

The Huskies began the second half with the ball and wasted little time in maintaining momentum. On the second play of the half Price scrambled left found a streaking Kearse for an 80 yard touchdown pass to give the Huskies a 42-24 lead. The Huskies had just outscored the Bears 35-3 since the first quarter. The Bears offense would answer back though. Starting from their own 20 yard line Griffin completed a 13 yard pass to Wright to the 33 yard line. Wright ran for nine more yards to the 42 yard line. Ganaway would rush for eight yards on the next two carries as the Huskies would committ a 15 yard penalty putting the ball on the Huskies 35 yard line. Griffin completed a six yard pass then would rush for 15 yards on the next two plays to the Huskies 14 yard line. On third and one from the eight yard line Ganaway rushed for a yard to the seven. Salubi rushed it in from seven yards out to pull the game to within 42-31. The Bears then forced a three and out on the Huskies getting the ball back on their own 15 yard line.

The Huskies defense responded by forcing a three and out themselves. Punting from their own 10 yard line Kasen Williams almost broke it to the house on the punt return. Williams ran the punt back 46 yards to the Bears 16 yard line as the Huskies look to extend their lead to 18 again. Instead something happened that hadn't happened all season long. Polk fumbled the ball as the Bears recovered on their own 11 yard line. Just like what happened in the first half the Bears immediately took advantage like the Huskies did when they stopped the Bears on fourth down. Ganaway busted the run up the middle 89 yards for the touchdown. Griffin completed the pass for the two point conversation as the Bears cut the lead to 42-39 still in the third quarter.

With all momentum now on Baylor's side the Huskies took over on their own 27 yard line. For most sophomore quarterbacks facing basically a Baylor crowd this would rattle them but not Price who never seems to be rattled. Price delivered a 60 yard pass to Kearse who used his speed to go down to the Bears 13 yard line. Price still not done yet on the next play found Aguilar in the back of the endzone for the touchdown and Aguilar's second of the game. For Price that was his fourth and final touchdown pass of the game. This was also the fourth time during the season Price had thrown for four touchdown passes in a game more importantly the Huskies responded with a score of their own giving them a 49-39 lead over the Bears.

Starting on their own 26 yard line the Bears took over on offense. Reese their leading receiver ran for 23 yards to their own 49 yard line. Facing a third and seven from the Huskies 48 yard line Griffin completed a 23 yard pass to Levi Norwood down to the Huskies 25 yard line. Salubi rushed to the right for 24 yards down to the Huskies one yard line. Ganaway would rush for his second of many touchdowns from one yard out cutting the lead to 49-46 as this game was still in the third quarter.

After a kick went out of bounds the Huskies took over on their own 40 yard line. Polk ran for nine yards then Price hit Johnson for 24 yards down to the Bears 27 yard line. After Kearse ran the wrong route senior kicker Erik Folk would miss the 43 yard field goal that he normally would make. The Huskies had two possessions in the Bears Red Zone in the second half and came away with zero. After another Shirley sack Reese the receiver would bust it 78 yards down the Huskies two yard line. After Griffin was denied from one yard out Ganaway would rush for his third touchdown of the quarter from one yard out giving the Bears a 53-49 lead heading into the fourth quarter. A quarter which saw the Bears outscore the Huskies 29-7(overall 29-14) after falling behind by 18 after the Huskies opening possession.

Starting from their own 24 yard line the Huskies would amount a long scoring drive. The Huskies would go on a 13 play 76 yard drive. After a run of four yards by Polk then a Price pass to Polk for two yards the Huskies were facing a critical third and four from the 30 yard line. Price completed another pass to Kearse down the middle for 13 yards to the 43 yard line. Polk would rush for four yards, Price another four then Polk one yard setting up a fourth and one from the Bears 48 yard line. Polk like he did all game in short yardage got the first down with a gain of three yards. On the next play Price again making plays with his feet found Aguilar for 30 yards to the Bears 15 yard line. After a short run Price hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of nine yards down to the Bears four yard line. After an incomplete pass and a loss of four by Callier the Huskies were facing a third and goal from the eight yard line. Price rolled to his right saw nobody was open then went up the sideline and finally as he dove put the ball on the pylon for the touchdown from eight yards out. The Huskies took a 56-53 lead as Price rushed for his third touchdown of the game and seventh touchdown overall in the game.

Starting from their own 30 yard line after a short two yard gain is when the heisman put his foot forward. Griffin hit Wright for a gain of 48 yards to the Huskies 20 yard line. Griffin hit Wright again for seven yards to the 13 yard line. Ganaway rushed to the left for nine yards setting up a first and goal from the four yard line. Ganaway then scored the goahead touchdown from four yards out giving the Bears an incredible 60-56 lead over the Huskies with 8:40 left in the game. On that critical drive which lasted on five plays Griffin was two for two passing for 55 yards while also rushing for two yards. For Ganaway that was the fourth straight scoring drive for the Bears where he ended the drive scoring a touchdown. The Huskies offense who had punted just once all second half would take over on their own 22 yard line knowing they had to score considering their defense had just allowed 36 points in the second half.

Starting from their own 22 the Huskies pounded Polk hoping to go on a long game winning drive so the Bears wouldn't touch the ball again. Polk ran for two yards to their own 24 yard line. Polk rushed up the middle for six yards to the 30 yard line then ran for a yard. Facing a fourth and one from the 31 yard line with 7:15 left Sarkisian knowing his defense wasn't recording any stops decided to go for it. Polk would extend the drive with a two yard run. After a run of no gain by Callier, Price would hit Seferian-Jenkins for a gain of nine yards setting up a third and one from their own 42 yard line. Price on play action would hit Seferian-Jenkins again for 17 yards to the Bears 41 yard line. After an incomplete pass, Polk would rush for two yards setting up a third and eight from the 39 yard line. Sarkisian out thinking himself called a shovel pass which the Bears defense had sniffed out so Price elected to ditch the play eventually the lateral to Johnson was ruled an incomplete pass setting up a fourth and eight. Facing a three man rush the pressure got to Price hitting him as he threw the ball intended for Williams out of bounds as the Bears offense took over.

The game although not over as the Huskies still had their timeouts that felt like the game. Making sure that was the game the Bears offense looked to put the Huskies pathetic defense away. Salubi ran for 11 yards to the 50 yard line. Ganaway would rush for seven yards to the 43 yard line. Ganaway put the game away after that busting a 43 yard run untouched up the middle for his fifth touchdown of the second half alone giving the Bears a 67-56 lead with 2:36 left in the game. On the ensuing kickoff Huskies true freshman Danny Shelton who is a defensive tackle took the kickoff 16 yards but finally fumbled the ball as the Bears recovered. The Bears would run out the clock as they would win their 10th game of the season. While the Huskies who scored 56 points were left wondering what exactly happened in this game.

For the Bears this is how they were winning games all season long. Led by Robert Griffin III who finished his college career completing 24-33(72.7%) of his passes for 295 yards(8.9 YPA) with a touchdown while rushing for 55 yards(73 if you don't include sacks) with another touchdown. His favorite receivers were Kendall Wright who had seven catches for 91 yards with a touchdown. Tevin Reese also had five for 66 yards. The Bears had three different guys go over 100 yards rushing led by Terrance Ganaway who ran for 200 yards on 21 carries(9.5 YPC) with five touchdowns. Reese had 101 yards rushing despite being a receiver. Jarred Salubi ran for 101 yards with two touchdowns. As a team the Bears had 33 first downs and 777 total yards of offense including 482 yards(9.3 YPC). The Huskies offense was terrific but the Bears offense was amazing.

For the Huskies despite the loss saw a breakout performace from their sophomore quarterback Keith Price. Price completed 23-37(62.2%) of his passes for a career high 438 yards(11.8 YPA) with four touchdowns to zero interceptions. Price also ran for 39 yards and a career high three touchdowns giving him seven total for the game. His main targets were Jermaine Kearse who had five receptions for 198 yards with a touchdown in his final game as a Husky. Devin Aguilar playing in his final game also had five receptions for 90 yards with two touchdowns. Tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins had five receptions for 59 yards showing he has a bright future. James Johnson had two receptions for 36 yards with a touchdown. Kasen Williams added three receptions for 19 yards while having 53 yards in two punt returns. Also playing in his final game Chris Polk finished his Husky career with 147 yards rushing on 30 carries(4.9 YPC) with a touchdown while having two receptions for eight yards. The Huskies offense put up 26 first downs and 620 yards of offense.

All in all, offense sells tickets but defense wins championships. The offensive output for this game and for this season was incredible. Until the Huskies are playing good defense though they'll forever remain playing in second tier bowl games in the Sarkisian era. What a contrast from a year ago for Sarkisian who saw his team end the season winning four straight games then carried that momentum into this year with the 5-1 start. Now the Huskies ended the year losing five of their last seven(only two wins were against 4-8 Arizona and WSU) showing that progress is harder than many had hoped in year three. The Huskies this year went 7-1 against non ranked teams but were 0-5 against ranked opponents showing they are above the half nots but quite ready to join the halves company quite yet. When the Huskies start playing some defense it won't matter what their quarterback does as they'll be winning more ball games. What Sarkisian has going in Seattle is quite exciting but sometimes boring football like the SEC plays is better since that is winning football.

Observations:

-  Keith Price exceeded all expectations for him this season. For this bowl game Price tied a school record last set in 1919 for most touchdowns in a game. Price in this game with his 438 yards passing was also tied for second all-time in passing yardage for a single game behind only Cody Pickett. Price who had been banged up all season long was mainly a pocket passer but today finally healthy he was moving around. Price was making plenty of plays with his legs and it showed with his three rushing touchdowns when prior to that he had zero rushing touchdowns in his career.

For his sophomore year Price finishes the year having thrown for over 3,000 yards and 30 touchdowns. To be exact Price set the single season record for highest completion percentage completing 66.9% of his passes for 3,063 yards(8.5 YPA) with 33 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions while rushing for three touchdowns in the process. Price set single season records for QB rating, completion percentage and touchdowns thrown while having a 3:1 ratio in the process. Price is already fifth in Huskies history for most passing touchdowns and is only 18 away from Jake Lockers school record of 53. Locker overall had 80 touchdowns in his career while Price is already at 38 so he has a chance to surprass Locker's total touchdown record as well since he has two more years remaining. Price going into this year was thought to be the weakness while next year he'll have plenty of hype and must deal with teams game planning to stop just him.

- The two senior receivers who both made all-conference Devin Aguilar and Jermaine Kearse left on a high note. Both had good games and neither one dropped any passes. For these two who arrived in 2008 and have been starting together since 2009 it will be strange next fall not seeing either in a Huskies uniform. For Aguilar he had a nice bounce back season finishing his career with five receptions for 90 and two touchdowns. Aguilar finished the year with 41 receptions for a career high 611 yards receiving with another career high six touchdown receptions.

For Jermaine Kearse who ranks in the top two in every major receiving category at Washington he finished his career with five receptions for 198 yards with a touchdown. He had a long 80 yard touchdown reception along with another 60 yard reception. Kearse was a big play receiver for the Huskies and that is how he should be remembered. He had a step back as he was clearly Locker's favorite receiver, due to more talent and Price spreading the ball around his numbers suffered a bit. For Kearse he finished the season leading the team with 47 receptions, leading the team with 699 yards and leading the team with seven touchdowns. This was the third straight year Kearse led the team in all three categories as he'll be missed. These two receivers came in when the program went 0-12 and now are leaving the program in good hands as they set the bar very high.

- The two guys to my right will be asked to carry the load in the passing game next season in tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams. Throw in James Johnson and Kevin Smith the program is in good hands far as the passing game goes. For Seferian-Jenkins he bounced back from his freshman wall that he had hit late in the season with five receptions for 59 yards. He earned honorable mention all pac-12 as a true freshman. Seferian-Jenkins was tied with Aguilar for second on the team in receptions with 41 while having 544 yards receiving. He was also tied with Aguilar and Williams for second on the team with six touchdown receptions.

Kasen Williams who only had three receptions for 19 yards dazzled all the fans with that long 46 yard punt return. Williams who started the season off slow finished the year terrific. He finished fourth on the team in receptions with 36, fourth in yards with 427 and tied for second with six touchdowns. These two five star recruits showed everyone why they were rated so high. As sophomores look for both guys to develope more consistency week in and week out as Price evolves as an even better passer.

-  Kind of hard to brag about a defensive player having a breakout game when you allow 777 yards and 67 points. Well redshirt freshman defensive end Josh Shirley did just that with four sacks against Griffin. For the year Shirley finished with 8.5 sacks on the season not bad for being a freshman. The other freshman defensive end Andrew Hudson also had a sack while forcing a fumble against Griffin and he had 3.5 sacks for the season. Throw in Hau'oli Jamora who will be returning the Huskies will have enough talent on the edge to compete next year defensively. The Huskies were pretty young this year on defense starting more underclassman than everyone besides the Washington State Cougars. Now that Nick Holt has been fired hopefully with a new coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball they can finally get the most out of this defense which does feature some pretty talented players.

- Chris Polk announced today that he is going to the NFL. So this was Polk's last game in a Huskies uniform meaning he was 48 yards shy of Napoleon Kaufman's school rushing record putting him second place all-time. Polk finished his career rushing for over 100 yards for the 10th time this year while rushing for a career high 12th touchdown on the season. Polk this year showed he isn't just a power back that he is capable of busting long runs and being used as a receiver. Not  a guy who catches checkdowns but a guy who can line up as a receiver and catch fade passes or seam routes for a touchdown on you.

For the year Polk finished with 1,488 yards(5.1 YPC) rushing with 12 rushing touchdowns. Polk also added 31 receptions for 332 yards with four touchdowns this season giving him over 1,800 total yards of offense with 16 touchdowns. For his Huskies career he finishes with 4,049 yards rushing(5.1 YPC) with 26 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 79 passes for for 683 yards with four touchdowns all in just 40 career games meaning he averaged over 100 yards rushing per game in his career.  Polk will leave behind a strong legacy as he and Kaufman are the only backs to ever rush for over 1,000 yards three straight seasons. Jesse Callier and Bishop Sankey have bigger shoes to fill in Polk than Price did with Locker in my opinion. You just don't replace a guy of Polk's calibar who was the first Husky offensive player to be named first team all Pac-12 since Reggie Williams in 2003.

- The honeymoon period appears to be over for Sarkisian and the Huskies. When he took over the program was 0-12 and he immediately got the Huskies to 5-7 and within a game of a bowl game. He then brought in a ranked recruiting class which had the hype machine going. Last year after a 3-6 start Sarkisian saw his Huskies win four in a row including beat heavily favored Nebraska Cornhuskers in the rematch in the Holiday Bowl while bringing in another ranked recruiting class. Well this year as of now the Huskies aren't recruiting so hot losing out on home state kids Joshua Garnett(#1 offensive guard in the nation has eliminated UW recently) and on the same day as the Alamo Bowl Kavario Russell(four star running back from Mariner High School) committed to Notre Dame. You factor in the Huskies collapse for this season and just like that Sarkisian goes from a coach everyone in the nation wants to a coach even his own fan base is having second thoughts on.

Sarkisian is heading into a critical year four and he knows it. He just fired his friends Nick Holt, Mike Cox and Jeff Mills. Despite an offense that made great strides this season the defense regressed so poorly that the offense was overshadowed. Sarkisian hired two quality coaches today from Tennessee in Justin Wilcox(former Oregon Ducks player, Boise State and Tennesse Defensive Coordinator) showing he is serious about changing the culture of his defense. Sarkisian although not on the hot seat quite yet could find himself there if he were to have a disaster season and continue to get blown out mixed in with a loss to the wrong teams. The honeymoon period is over for Sarkisian and the Husky fans now is time to work on the marriage and in this case work on his coaching legacy at Washington.

In conclusion, this was a terrible way to end the season and a sad way to waste such an incredible performance by Keith Price. In a game that featured high draft picks in Robert Griffin III and Chris Polk it was Keith Price who was the best player on the field. Instead of this game being remembered as the Keith Price game this will be referred to as the Nick Holt game. This was the final straw in the Holt era at Washington as Sarkisian was left with no choice to make a change. The Huskies must find a way to play good defense. With an average defense this year the Huskies go 10-3 instead they remain at 7-6 which was rock bottom in the Rick Neuheisel and Jim Lambright days. The Huskies blew a great opportunity to make some noise against the 12th team in the nation on ESPN in a highly rated bowl game. Instead the defense like they have all season long let them down once again. Hopefully next year I'll be recapping some games where the defense is making strides and actually making some plays. For now the Huskies have to settle on being that exciting offense that has no defense. Basically the Huskies are the Texas Tech Red Raiders under Mike Leach which is okay for those on the other side of the mountains. That isn't okay for those on this side as the Huskies are sick of going 7-6, next year should be fun with Price having two more seasons left.

Alamo Bowl preview

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(7-5,5-4) are set to take on the #12 Baylor Bears(9-3,6-3) in the Alamo Bowl set in San Antonio, Texas which is three hours from the Baylor campus. Both teams feature explosive offenses led by Baylor's Robert Griffin III who won the heisman trophy. The Baylor offense is averaging 43.5 points per game which is good for seventh in the entire nation. While the Huskies offense which is led by Chris Polk is averaging 31.5 point per game which is good for 36th in the nation. This should be a high scoring game with two quality offenses going up against two weak defenses. The Bears defense is allowing 35.7 points per game which ranks 109th in the country while the Huskies defense is allowing 33.3 points per game which ranks 99th in the country. For what has been a boring bowl season so far this game should generate plenty of excitement to the casual fans.

You can't talk about the Bears mighty offense without first talking about heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III who if he leaves for the NFL would be a top 10 pick in the draft. Griffin is trying to lead the Bears to a 10 win season which was once unthinkable. For the year he completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,998 yards(10.8 YPA). He threw for 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions during the season. His passing stats alone are terrific then you factor in his 644 yards rushing(4.0 YPC) with nine touchdowns and you can see why he won the heisman trophy. His favorite targets are Kendall Wright who hauled in 101 receptions for 1,572 yards(15.6 YPC) with 13 TD's. The second weapon for this passing offense which ranks fifth in the nation is Terrance Williams who caught 53 passes for 895 yards(16.9 YPC) with 11 touchdowns. The Bears have a third receiver who is having a fine season in Tevin Reese who has caught 46 passes for 811 yards(17.6) with seven touchdowns. The Bears can also run the ball as they feature Terrence Ganaway who rushed for 1,347(5.9 YPC) with 16 touchdowns. The Bears offense features plenty of weapons on offense and for the Huskies to win they must keep that offense on the sidelines.

The Huskies need to do what they did last year in the Holiday Bowl win. Last year Sarkisian fed Chris Polk the ball over and over again as the Nebraska offense sat on the sidelines. Polk on the year has rushed for 1,341 yards(5.1 YPC) with 11 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 29 passes for 324 yards(11.2 YPC) with four touchdowns. Which earned Polk first team all pac-12 selection.  Polk currently trails Napoleon Kaufman by 200 yards for the all-time rushing lead in school history. Polk also has quality backup running backs if he needs a breather. Jesse Callier for the season has rushed for 264 yards(5.9 YPC) with a touchdown. He has also caught six passes. Remember last year in the Holiday Bowl Callier completed a 14 yard pass to Jake Locker to set up the first score. Bishop Sankey has ran for 187 yards(6.7 YPC) with a touchdown and also has caught six passes. Sankey is pretty quick and can bust a long run everytime he touches the ball. The Bears defense allows 198 yards rushing per game so the Huskies should pound the ball on them. If the Bears decide to stack the box well the Huskies also have a good passing game too.

The Huskies passing offense is led by sophomore quarterback Keith Price. Price who is filling in for Jake Locker who set plenty of records at Washington. For this year it was Price who set a record for most passing touchdowns in a single season. Price for the year completed 67.4% of his passes for 2,625 yards(8.1 YPA) with 29 touchdown passes(school record) to just 11 interceptions. Price has plenty of weapons to throw to as well as he spreads the ball around the field to multiple talented receivers.  Price was selected to honorable mention all pac-12 and in a normal year could have been more but with Andrew Luch and Matt Barkley that makes it tough. His two leading receivers are both seniors and honorable all pac-12 receivers Devin Aguilar and Jermaine Kearse. Aguilar caught 36 passes for 521 yards(14.5 YPC) with four touchdowns. Kearse caught 42 for 501(11.9) with six touchdowns while also rushing for a touchdown as well. Freshman sensation Kasen Williams has emerged lately and has caught 33 passes for 408 yards(12.4 YPC) with six touchdowns. James Johnson added 26 receptions for 330 yards(12.7 YPC) with three touchdowns. The Huskies also feature honorable mention all pac-12 freshman tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins who caught 36 passes for 479 yards(13.3 YPC) with six touchdowns. The Huskies also have plenty of offensive weapons to compete with the Bears. The key to this game will also be how the defense responds.

Last year when the Huskies won the Holiday Bowl all the attention was on the offense. When in reality the Huskies won 19-7 as the defense stepped up setting up the first score and eventually getting a safety. Mason Foster was the defensive MVP as he was all over the field. While Alameda Ta'amu just as easily could have been the MVP as well. He recovered the fumble that set up the first score, recorded two sacks and was also held which allowed the safety. Ta'amu who is a projected late first or early second round draft pick is playing his final game as a Husky. Ta'amu was honorable mention this year as he was injured throughout the season. Another Husky defender playing in his final game is Cort Dennison who led the Pac-12 in tackles and earned second team all pac-12 selection. The defense must step up if they expect to pull off this upset. Nobody is expecting them to shut down Baylor like they did last year with Nebraska but nobody will accept games where they allow over 40 like they did against Nebraska, Stanford, and USC. The defense must play tough in the redzone and hold the Bears to three points instead of seven points that could be the difference between winning and losing.

In conclusion, with Griffin winning the Heisman this will be the featured bowl game amongst the games not in the BCS. The Huskies have a great chance to impress the nation with a win against a quality opponent for the second straight year. For Sarkisian who is having a rough day losing out on an in-state recruit earlier today he can remove the doubt that he is the guy with a win today. With a win today Sarkisian will tie Jim Owens for second all-time in Huskies history for most bowl victories with two. With a win today the program will have made progress improving their win total each season under Sarkisian. With a win to day the Huskies will have won back to back bowl games for the first time in 20 years. This game is huge for the Huskies and their opponent for the second straight year is favored to destroy them. This is a huge test for the Huskies who failed so many throughout the year. Maybe tonight is the night the Huskies finally pass that final exam.

Huskies take on Heisman Trophy winner

By Kshell

For this bowl game Washington Huskies head coach Steve Sarkisian will be under the spotlight of the nation. The nation won't be watching the Alamo Bowl tonight to watch the Huskies though as they'll be watching Robert Griffin III who is the heisman trophy winning quarterback from Baylor. This will be the first time since Tim Tebow won the heisman in 2007 that a heisman trophy winner isn't playing in a BCS game. RGIII which is what most call him led the Baylor Bears to a 9-3 record as he completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,998 yards(10.8 YPA). He threw for 36 touchdowns to only six interceptions during the season. His passing stats alone are terrific then you factor in his 644 yards rushing(4.0 YPC) with nine touchdowns and you can see why he won the heisman trophy. This won't be the first time the Huskies have faced a heisman trophy winner in fact the Huskies have only beaten the Heisman twice in their history. They have lost five games in a row to the Heisman trophy winner which had three of them being coached by Sarkisian at the time.

The Huskies recently haven't played well against Heisman trophy winners as they've been blown out as well. The last time the Huskies played an eventual Heisman winner was in the trainwreck season of 2008 when Sam Bradford  came to town. Oklahoma destroyed the Huskies 55-14 as Bradford was 18-21 passing for 304 with five passing touchdowns and also rushed for a touchdown. In 2005 the mighty USC trojans came to town featuring eventual heisman winner Reggie Bush. The Trojans won 51-24 as Bush ran for 51 yards on just eight carries with a touchdown, also caught two passes for 18 yards. He also electrified college football with a spectactular 84 yard punt return for a touchdown. The year prior the Huskies faced the Trojans again losing 38-0 in 2004 as Matt Leinart who won the Heisman that year was 24-43 passing for 217 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. In 2002 the Huskies faced the Trojans losing 41-21 as Carson Palmer was 21-34 passing for 348 yards with four touchdowns three of which were to Mike Williams. The Huskies faced a Heisman winner seven years prior in Eddie George as the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Huskies in 1995 over in Columbus 30-20. George ran for 212 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 149 with a touchdown at halftime as the Buckeyes led 23-7 over the Huskies. The two previous times the Huskies faced a heisman winner though they actually won those games.

Heading into the 1992 Rose Bowl the undefeated Washington Huskies led by Don James were hoping to win back to back Rose Bowls and win a National championship. Standing in their way was Heisman Trophy and future Super Bowl MVP Desmond Howard of the Michigan Wolverines. The Huskies won that game 34-14 as Howard was held to just one catch which was late in the game too. Mario Bailey of the Huskies scored a touchdown and he possed for the Heisman. Despite having 18 receiving touchdowns Bailey was snubbed from being invited to New York that year. Howard was the first heisman player the Huskies had faced in a decade as in 1981 Marcus Allen and the USC Trojans came to town again with the Rose Bowl on the line. The Huskies won 13-3 in a rain storm as Allen had 155 rushing but would lose to the Huskies for the second straight year after scoring the winning touchdown in 1979. That year the Huskies lost to the Trojans and eventual heisman trophy winner Charles White. The Trojans won 24-17 at Husky stadium as White ran for 243 yards on the day but was held out of the endzone. Don James actually went 2-1 against Heisman trophy winners while no other Huskies coach has defeated a heisman trophy winner.

In conclusion, every heisman winner with the exception of Howard had a good game against the Huskies. Look for Griffin III to have a good game as well. Sarkisian is hoping Griffin III has a good game instead of a great game as the Huskies pull off the upset. Defeating a heisman trophy winner is difficult but that is mainly because they are also on the national championship team. That isn't the case this game as the Baylor Bears already have three losses. The Huskies are going up against College Football's best and were already routed by the runner up Andrew Luck 65-21. The Huskies defense has been scary bad this year which will be quite the test given this is best player they have faced all year which is saying something considering they already played Luck, Matt Barkley and LaMichael James. Hopefully the Heisman jinx starts a little bit early at 6 p.m. PT tonight in the Alamo Bowl and Sarkisian can join James as the only Huskies coach to defeat a Heisman trophy winner.

Washington Huskies will take on Baylor in Alamo Bowl

By Kshell

The Washington Huskies(7-5,5-4) under third year head coach Steve Sarkisian has accepted an invitation to play in the Alamo Bowl against the #15 Baylor Bears(9-3,6-3). The Bears open up as seven point favorites over the Huskies as they'll be only three hours away from this game which takes place in San Antonio, Texas. For the Huskies who were 0-12 just three years ago they will be going to their second straight bowl game for the first time since going eight straight years from 1995-2002. The Huskies are making progress under Sarkisian improving their bowl status while improving their win total from a year ago. The Huskies like last year will be looking to win the bowl game which would give them their first back to back bowl win seasons since winning the Rose Bowl in the 1990 and 1991 seasons.

The Huskies take on a Baylor team for the first time since 1965. The Baylor Bears lead the all-time series 3-1 but like I said they haven't played in over 40 years. The Bears are led by Robert Griffin III who could very well win the Heisman Trophy this weekend. Later in the month as the game draws closer I'll break down the numbers as both the Huskies and Bears features strong offenses. Both teams also feature weak defenses who at times can be lit up like a Christmas Tree. The game will be played on a Thursday on December 29th at 6 p.m. on ESPN which should on paper be one of the better bowl games far as excitement goes. The Bears aren't a football powerhouse by any means either so like the Huskies they'll be excited to play in such a high profile bowl game as they hope to send Griffin III off in style.

In conclusion, rival fan bases can talk all they want about how the Huskies will be killed which is cute and pathetic at the same time. I heard the same thing last year about Nebraska and the Huskies won that game 19-7. What playing in a bowl game also does is develope your younger guys say a Keith Price last year from those extra 15 practices. If you go to a bowl game every year your fifth year seniors heading into their senior season will have had 60 extra practices so basically an extra season worth of practices that a team who wasn't going to bowl games would have. This bowl game will also allow Sarkisian to recruit in a very important state which is the state of Texas. Sarkisian has the chance to build some relationships with some key coaches while he is down in Texas that can later on down the road serve this program well. I'm just happy that once again I'm watching the Huskies in a bowl game. Should be a great game with two very exciting teams. This game could turn into a track meet which for the average fan is what they want to see. I'm just glad come Christmas season I'll be watching my favorite team playing in a bowl game for the second straight season.

Patton's 2012 NFL Mock Draft v 1.0

By Patton Richard



Normally I don't feel comfortable doing mock drafts until I know the draft order, but I'm starting to get excited for the draft. I don't project trades in my mocks, and this isn't what I would do, but what I think makes sense for the teams given rankings of players.

1. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
There is no possible way the Colts trade out of this pick or don't take Andrew Luck. I think they hold onto Peyton Manning for at least one more year before Luck takes the reign.

2. Carolina Panthers: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Matt Kalil is on the same level as Jake Long and Joe Thomas in terms of prospects coming out of college, and it doesn't hurt that his brother is the center for Carolina who just signed a long term deal.

3. Miami Dolphins: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
I have Matt Barkley only slightly below Andrew Luck in terms of overall ability. He reminds me so much of a stronger, more accurate, Matt Ryan.

4. St Louis Rams: Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
St Louis needs wide outs who can actually catch the ball. Justin Blackmon has the largest upside out of any WR in the draft.

5. Minnesota Vikings: Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford
Minnesota is very disappointed that Kalil isn't available to them, but they take the next best OT to help their aging line.

6. Washington Redskins: Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
The John Beck/Rex Grossman experience obviously isn't working, and Shanahan loves these toolsy QB types. Griffin's got incredible athleticism and throws the best deep ball in the class.

7. Arizona Cardinals: Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa
Arizona needs offensive line help however this seems like a reach. I think Reiff should be picked in the 15-20 range, but Arizona will reach to take the best OT on the board. This may playout like Levi Brown v2 (and missing on Adrian Peterson, or in this case, Trent Richardson).

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
Claiborne is the best CB in this draft and the Jaguars need a lot of help everywhere.

9. Philadelphia Eagles: Zach Brown, OLB, UNC
Eagles desperately need to improve their LB unit. Zach Brown has seperated himself from the rest of the OLB in this class.

10. Cleveland Browns: Landry Jones, QB, Oklahoma
The Colt McCoy experience has been a disaster, and although I'm not a fan of Landry Jones I think someone in the top 10-15 will reach for him. He does terrible in the face of pressure and I don't believe he has the arm strength to do everything he needs to do to succeed in the NFL.

11. Seattle Seahawks: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
Last year I mocked Mark Ingram to the Seahawks, and this year I'm mocking the next Alabama RB. Trent Richardson can run between the tackles, take a swing pass and go the distance, and run crisp routes. He's the purest RB I've ever scouted (moreso than Adrian Peterson), if this was 2003 Richardson might be the #2 overall pick, but the dynamic of the NFL has changed so much that Richardson drops. Marshawn Lynch hasn't been a disappointment (in my mind), but he is a free agent after this year and the Seahawks still lack playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. It was between Richardson and Quinton Coples.

12. Kansas City Chiefs: Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
Kansas City is last in sacks in the NFL. Coples is the top DE in the draft, but he's puzzling to say the least. He loves to hit people super hard, but when he gets hit back he shuts down. He's very ineffective in about 50% of snaps I've seen, and I mean give up on the play level ineffective.

13. San Diego Chargers: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Best player available, big physical corner who I would love to be on the Seahawks. I like him slightly more than Claiborne, however most people I talk to have Claiborne rated higher.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska
Alfonzo Dennard has been playing like the best CB in college football since he has returned from injury. Tampa will be drafting a CB in either round 1 or 2 of this draft.

15. Denver Broncos: Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
Denver has many holes including WR. Eric Decker looks like he could be a probowler in the future, but Adding Alshon Jeffrey could give Tebow a chance to complete more than 2 passes a game.

16. Tennessee Titans: Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
Tennessee needs another WR opposite of Kenny Britt. Some have Michael Floyd as the #2 WR in the class. His off the field troubles should go right along with Kenny Britt's.

17. Dallas Cowboys: Janoris Jenkins, CB, Northern Alabama
Janoris Jenkins would have been the #2 corner behind Patrick Peterson last year, but after getting kicked out of Florida and transferring to Northern Alabama his stock has dropped.

18. Cleveland Browns (From Atlanta): Luke Kuechly, ILB, Boston College
My favorite LB prospect, he's going to have over 200 tackles this year. He's very technically sound and rarely makes mistakes.

19. New York Jets: David DeCastro, OG, Stanford
We seem to hear that this years guard prospect is the best to come out in a long time. We heard it about Iupati, we hear dit about the Pouncey's, and now we're hearing it about DeCastro. I trust the scouts that say he's an all-pro waiting to happen.

20. Buffalo Bills: Vinny Curry, DE, Marshall
Vinny Curry has shown to be the most consistent pass rusher in the draft. I thought about him over Coples, but decided against it.

21. Cincinnati Bengals (From Oakland): Vontaze Burfict, OLB, Arizona State
Everyone's favorite crazy in Vontaze Burfict, he has the highest upside out of everyone left in the draft. He could be an all-pro in year one and I wouldn't be surprised.

22. New England Patriots: Courtney Upshaw, OLB/DE, Alabama
New England is going to be going very heavily on the defensive side of the ball this year and Upshaw is the next player from the SEC to join Belichick

23. Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia
Cinci takes the last CB I have a first round grade on.

24. Baltimore Ravens: Manti Te'o, ILB, Notre Dame
Baltimore is hard to read on who they want, I'm guessing at somepoint they'll need to address their line backing corps in the draft.

25. New York Giants: Dont’a Hightower, ILB, Alabama
The Giants have been looking for better linebackers for years, now they get one that falls to them in the draft.

26. Chicago Bears: Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State
Chicago's offensive line is terrible, Osemele is an instant starter.

27. Detroit Lions: Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State
People thought the Lions would take an OT last year when they went with Nick Fairley, now they cannot wait any longer.

28. New England Patriots (From New Orleans): Mark Barron, S, Alabama
Mark Barron is the highest rated safety in what is considered the second consecutive week safety class. Barron is a hard hitter who can help that defense.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jared Crick, DL, Nebraska
Jared Crick had a top 10 grade coming into the year, and then hurt himself and didn't end up showing that potential. Pittsburgh takes a chance on a big player with big upside.

30. San Francisco 49ers: Brandon Thompson, DT, Clemson
San Francisco has been the biggest surprise of the year, they'd love to get a CB, but Thompson could upgrade the DL that could use it.

31. Houston Texans: Alameda Ta'amu, DT, Washington.
The Houston Texans have made a seemless transition into a 3-4 defense. However, they really need a nose tackle to anchor that D. We are well aware of Ta'amu's inconsistencies, however he can dominate if he applies himself correctly.

32. Green Bay Packers: Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin
Konz would have been selected 10 picks earlier if he didn't injure himself last week. There seems to be one center prospect worth a first round pick every year, this year it's Konz.

Round 2:

1. Indianapolis Colts: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

2. Carolina Panthers: Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M

3. Miami Dolphins: Lamar Miller, RB, Miami

4. St Louis Rams: Dwight Jones, WR, North Carolina

5. Minnesota Vikings: Jerel Worthy, DT, Michigan State

6. Washington Redskins: Chris Polk, RB, Washington

7. Philadelphia Eagles (From Arizona): Andrew Datko, OT, Florida State

8. Jacksonville Jaguars: Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

9. Philadelphia Eagles: Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

10. Cleveland Browns: Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

11. Seattle Seahawks: Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

12. Kansas City Chiefs: Bruce Irvin, OLB, West Virginia

13. San Diego Chargers: Zebrie Sanders, OT, Florida State

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: TJ McDonald, S, USC

15. Denver Broncos: Nick Perry, DE, USC

16. Tennessee Titans: Cordy Glenn, OG, Georgia

17. Dallas Cowboys: Josh Chapman, DT, Alabama

18. Atlanta Falcons: Dwayne Allen, TE, Clemson

19. New York Jets: Brandon Jenkins, DE/OLB, Florida State

20. Buffalo Bills: Nick Toon, WR, Wisconsin

21. New England Patriots (From Oakland): Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

22. New England Patriots: Omar Bolden, CB, Arizona State

23. Cincinnati Bengals: LaMichael James, RB, Oregon

24. Baltimore Ravens: Cyrus Gray, RB, Texas A&M

25. New York Giants: Marvin McNutt, WR, Iowa

26. Chicago Bears: Mike Brewster, OC, Ohio State

27. Detroit Lions: Levy Adcock, OT, Oklahoma State

28. New Orleans Saints: Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: Lucas Nix, OG, Pittsburgh

30. San Francisco 49ers: Robert Lester, S, Alabama

31. Houston Texans: Casey Hayward, CB, Vanderbilt

32. Green Bay Packers: Cliff Harris, CB, Oregon