Also in round one we saw the return of the Islanders who nearly took the Penguins all the way, Senators dismantled Montreal in 5 games, the rivalry intensified after a hit on Lars Eller of the Canadiens in game one. Never doubt Detroit again! After they beat the Ducks in 7 games, veteran players stepped up in games 6,7 when it mattered with Zetterberg who didn’t have a goal heading into game 6 but ending the series with 3 goals and 5 assists.

In the remaining Western Conference games, San Jose swept the Canucks in 4, Vancouver who haven’t a playoff game since the finals after being swept last year by the Kings. Blackhawks continued their impressive performance beating the Wild in 5. Probably the best series of round one, the Blues lost 4-2 to the Kings, probably the most physical series, both teams with big hits, always finishing the forecheck, Steen was the standout player for the Blues, Kings were able to get more goals from their role players which in the end was the difference.

Eastern Conference Semi Finals

Heading into round two, we’ll see the Bruins Rangers matched up for the first time since 1973, (Via NHL.com), this is quite amazing especially with both teams making the playoffs on a regular basis. As they say when your goalie gets on a hot streak, you have a chance to go all the way. Both teams are coming out of physical series, with a couple of days rest needed for both teams, Bruins should be slightly concerned with how the series went with having a chance to close the series but couldn’t until game 7, while Rangers will be heading into round 2 with all that momentum carried form the Capitals series, this should be a great series as original 6 teams both fan basis will be really up for this, with that said I’ll be taking the Rangers in 7, with the hot streak at the moment of Lundqvist will ride the Rangers to the Conference Finals.

Penguins will be matched up against the Senators , with the return of Crosby has taking this team offensively to a different level with the team able to get goals from multiple players, with teams trying to match up players against Crosby it allows other players around him to see more of the puck, there was a danger of the Pens not making it but a switch in goal from Fleury to Vokoun in the last 2 games showed it was the right decision, Vokoun has been calm under pressure and looked like he belongs in goal, the Senators who are riding high after thrashing Montreal, Karlsson who has 6 points for the Sens will see Cooke for the first time since the injury that he suffered and was out for 2 months, I expect hear more words coming out of the Eugene Melnyk the Senators owner than his players, Penguins fire power will be too much for the Senators, the Penguins win this series in 6.

Western Conference Semi Finals

Chicago, Detroit will meet in round 2, with many of the media expecting a battle of LA between the Kings, Ducks but instead we are put up with this series! This will be the final time these teams will meet as Western conference rivals with Detroit moving to the Eastern Conference next season, both can only meet if they make the Stanley Cup final, which would be an awesome series. A lot of skill will be on display with the likes of Toews, Kane, Datsyuk, Zetterberg on show. Howard has had a good play-off run so far, he will need to be consistent if the Wings have any chance to win this series, also the defence needs to step up and try keep pressure of Howard. Chicago will need Toews, Kane to step up who haven’t scored a goal in the play-offs yet, but still managed to beat the Wild in 5 games. Not sure Detroit will able to keep either forward not scoring in round 2, can they trust Howard enough to keep in games? Unlikely, I like Chicago in 6 games.

To round out the 2nd round of the playoffs, we’ll see the battle of California between San Jose and LA Kings, it will be the first time these two teams will meet beyond the first round. San Jose who put away Vancouver in 4 games, will be delighted having the extra week off especially in a shortened season. The Kings are coming out of a tough series against the Blues, but managed to win 4-2. Niemi who had a good series against the Canucks, has looked sharp most of the season with Quick who was inconsistent at times has really picked it up over last couple of months. A series which may not get enough attention especially it being on the West coast, also fans in the UK will be suffering with games expected to start between 2 – 3 AM! Both teams suffered slumps during the season but both came back strong, a tough series to call but I’ll be going with the Kings to win in 7 games.

Oklahoma City Thunder (1) Vs (8) Houston Rockets

This just had to happen. Ever since the huge trade that went down last October, James Harden was destined to meet his old buddies from OKC somewhere down the line in the post season. Oklahoma City has been as efficient as ever in the regular season. Racking up the wins and locking up the number 1 seed with games to spare. Houston could have been the odd team out going into the final week of the season but Utah couldn’t keep pace and the Rockets squeezed in despite a final night loss to the Lakers that bumped them to the 8 seed.

That loss could be vital as I just don’t see how Houston lives with OKC. The defensive discipline and playoff savvy is just not there for the Rockets at this moment in time. Durrant and Westbrook will thrive off the Rockets shortcomings and its going to be a tough ask for the upstart Rockets. Harden has played out of his skin all season and will be a massive handful for OKC and there is no doubt the Rockets are dangerous and certainly a team to watch in the future, but the Thunder know how to win these series, and will do it against bigger and better teams than the Rockets.

Keys to the series. Post presence for the Thunder. Perkins and Ibaka have to take away Omer Asik and make him a none factor. Lin has to find some defense for the Rockets other wise Westbrook will carve him up. Give it to Harden!!!

Prediction-Thunder in 5.

San Antonio Spurs (2) Vs (8) Los Angeles Lakers

Well,well,well….You have to give the Lakers credit. They were 5 games out of the play offs at stages of the season. Every key player has been hurt. They changed their head coach after just 5 games and to top it all off they lost Kobe Bryant for the season and perhaps part of next season. For them to be going in as the 7 seed is an achievement in itself. Can they knock off the ailing Spurs? This has the potential to be a great series. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol seem to have found some synergy and that could be dangerous for anyone who faces the Lakers.

People seem to have forgotten just how good these 2 are. Gasol…legit 7 footer, finesse big man with a jumper. Howard…defensive battering ram and overwhelming post presence on both sides of the floor. Great players who have to step up. Steve Nash is struggling with injury but should he return I’d make LA slight favorites in this series. Tony Parker has looked mortal after putting together and MVP caliber season prior to his ankle injury. Manu Ginobli has just returned from a similar injury and looked gimpy in his return to action last week. Boris Diaw is done for the season and they just added Tracy McGrady who hasn’t played an NBA minute all season. I’d never count out the Spurs, but there is only one team with momentum in this series and it’s the Lakers.

Keys to the series. Lakers bench cannot let them down and has to fill in Kobes production. Tim Duncan is the key for the Spurs, arguably the best big man of all time never slows down.

Prediction. Lakers in 7.

Denver Nuggets (3) Vs (5) Golden State Warriors

This series should be a lot of fun. Denver likes to get out and run, high flying fast paced and hard working team with no real star but a hell of a lot of talent. Golden State with the snipers from distance and 3 genuine 7 footers giving them something inside. Don’t expect a whole lot of defense in this one folks. The big question mark for Denver is how healthy is their superstar sophomore Kenneth Faried? An ankle injury picked up on the final Sunday of the regular season has him listed as questionable for game 1. Golden State on the other hand, there has to be question marks on how their style will translate to playoff basketball. They have to slow it down and not force the shot, distribute better in games that might be played in the half court. The coaching matchup will be a key in this one too. Mark Jackson is a terrific motivator while George Karl has the nous to win games in the post season. This could sneakily be the most entertaining series of round 1.

Keys to the series. How Denver deals with Faried’s possible absence, the likes of Javale McGee have to fill the rebounding void. Golden State has to play playoff basketball. Get stops, and don’t force the shots.

Prediction-Nuggets in 7

Los Angeles Clippers (4) Vs (5) Memphis Grizzlies

These teams do not like each other. A wild 7 game series last season which the Clippers edged and some very chippy regular season meetings this season have given this series an edge. There are fascinating match ups all over the floor with Chris Paul and Mike Conley, Blake Griffin and Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol and DeAndre Jordan all set to go at it. It’s going to be physical and exciting and it’s going to go to the wire.

The Grizz arguably improved after trading Rudy Gay away. The addition of Tayshaun Prince gives them some vital championship experience and a little bit of distance scoring to go with the double double machines down low in Z-Bo and Gasol. How Mike Conley contains Paul will be vital in the series. Conley is a very good player, but Paul is the elite at his position and cannot be allowed to dictate this series otherwise it’s going to be a long one for Memphis. The Clippers have looked like a championship caliber team at times this season and if they put it together and play with more intelligence they could go deep into this play offs. You could say many of the same things about Memphis. This should be a cracking series and a close and evenly matched one too.

Keys to the series. Clippers have to take it to the rack. Griffin and Jordan have to get their opposite numbers in foul trouble. Grizzlies have to get Gasol’s jumper working, he’s so versatile, it would give them another dimension.

Prediction-Clippers in 7.

Eastern Conference Preview

That’s it for the Western conference. Enjoy the games and check back here for my 2nd round previews. Follow me on twitter @NEILDONOHOE

This weekend the best 16 teams in the Association start the battle for the Larry O’Brien trophy. An exciting regular season came to an end this past Wednesday where even on the final night, games had playoff implications. The Lakers made it….just. Miami rolls in off the back arguably the most impressive regular season in the history of the league. The Spurs and Celtics continue to defy time and could be as dangerous as ever. The Thunder will feel they have as good a chance as anyone to take the title, while the Nuggets quietly put together a championship caliber regular season.

The Clippers won their first division title and remain as exciting as ever and the Grizzlies will be a tough grind for anyone. Brooklyn has first round home court going into their first post season in their new surroundings. The Bulls are getting healthy and there is also the Rose factor, while underdogs like the Bucks, Golden State and the Hawks will be looking to hit someone in the mouth and cause an upset and finally the Knicks and Pacers look like the biggest threat to the Heats dominance in the east. With that lets take a look at each match up, starting in the Eastern conference…

Miami Heat (1) Vs Milwaukee Bucks (8)

Without being disrespectful to the Bucks, who are a solid NBA team with a lot of talent, this series should be over in 4 games. Miami is just too talented, too fast, too strong and too good. They are so deep it’s not even funny. I hate to write a team off because they are in the tournament on merit, but the Bucks are looking head on at a juggernaut. Miami are rested, having had their win streak ended a couple of weeks ago. James and Wade have been used sparingly and they have still been winning with ease, with the likes of Norris Cole and Chris Anderson stepping up. Milwaukee is talented, of that there is no doubt. Brandon Jennings and Montae Ellis are a handful when they get hot. Larry Sanders could win most improved player this season and as a team they can get hot from 3 with the likes of Dunleavy and Illyasova but I just don’t see anything for them against one of the most talented rosters ever assembled.

Keys to the series…The Heat just need to keep the machine ticking over. The Bucks have to win the battle in the paint, but it will be tough.

Prediction- Heat in 4.

New York Knicks (2) Vs Boston Celtics (7)

This one should be an old school, smash mouth playoff series. These 2 teams don’t like each other. The Knicks have the edge and have looked a better basketball team than the Celtics all season long. They took the season series 3-1 including one particularly bad beat down in Boston where J.R Smith slashed the C’s up from 3 point range. The question is, can you really count out the Celtics? A team that reached the Eastern Conference finals against all odds last season with a scrub bench? My honest answer being…I just don’t know. Maybe KG will lock down the Knicks. Maybe Paul Pierce will play hero ball and fire the Celtics into round 2, But then again, maybe Carmelo Anthony will be just too much for the green to handle. This is a huge series for Carmelo. He is the scoring champ and the star of this team. It’s on his shoulders. If he can go out there and handle the Celtics in a big time playoff series then these play offs may be his making.

Keys to the series…Knicks have to get the 3 ball working. They are hard to live with when they do. Celtics have to shrink the court and get Jeff Green going.

Prediction- Knicks in 7….just.

Indiana Pacers (3) Vs Atlanta Hawks (6)

The Pacers looked a lock for the 2 seed when the Knicks had a mid season dry spell but eventually fell to 3^rd and face the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks have had a quiet season, we’ve heard more about trade rumors surrounding Josh Smith than we have about the Hawks quietly locking up the 6 seed. As good as Smith can be, this series will be won and lost by the Pacers defense  They play an old school eastern conference style anchored by Roy Hibbert, and in the likes of David West and Paul George can score in bunches too. The point guard matchup is also intriguing with Jeff Teague and George Hill both capable of playing at an all star level but can also both be inconsistent. Al Horford is the X Factor for the Hawks. He could conceivably handle Hibbert and open up so much outside for the likes of Kyle Korver.

Keys to the series. Indiana has to keep up the defensive pace and not allow Korver to get hot. Atlanta has to feed Horford inside and Smith must control his shot selection with chances at a premium.

Prediction- Indiana in 6.

Brooklyn Nets (4) Vs (5) Chicago Bulls.

Last but not least an intriguing matchup in Brooklyn between the Nets and Bulls. This could be the pick of the first round match ups. The Bulls are healthy and playing well, the Nets will want to advance after spending big money this past offseason. Inconsistency has dogged both of these teams, but they both can play at a championship level when they turn it on. Deron Williams is the key to this series. With Rose still in the will he/wont he stage of his comeback, Williams should be able to attack the likes of Hinrich and Nate Robinson and get whatever he wants going to the basket. He’s flat out a better player than the Bulls guards. Two all stars will go at it in the center position. Joakim Noah has the slight edge over Brook Lopez with his intensity and versatility while the X Factor for the Bulls will be athletic 2 guard Jimmy Butler who finished the season with 8 straight double digit scoring games.

Keys to the series. Deron Williams has to attack his opposite number and then go to work for the Nets. Noah and Carlos Boozer have to bully the Nets inside and muddy the game up.

Prediction-Bulls in 7.

That concludes the Eastern conference…Check back in the coming days for the West.
Follow me on twitter @NEILDONOHOE for in game tweets during the NBA Playoffs and all manner of musings on American Sports.

Before I get onto qualifying, the build up to the race and race day itself was dominated by one issue, the sponsor. The sponsor is not something that usually gets any specific publicity but the sponsor for the this race was the NRA and therefore in the current climate in the US this generated a lot of feeling from both sides of the political spectrum. One Senator wanted the race to not be shown and some drivers weren’t allowed (by orders from team bosses) to give interviews in front of sponsor boards. I’m not going to say anything about the rights or wrongs of what should or shouldn’t be a sponsor or give a view on the sponsor themselves as this isn’t the place for it. But what I would like to do is clarify a couple of things that really annoyed me when reading through fans comments about the race. Firstly there was a lot of criticism that the commentary team weren’t often mentioning the sponsors name and therefore this must be a conspiracy against the NRA. It wasn’t, it was made clear pre-race that the NRA had not paid for the ‘platinum’ sponsorship deal that included TV spots. Therefore other then one mention an hour that the package included there was no contractual reason to mention the sponsor. The criticism extended to one of the roving reporters saying he never mentioned the sponsors name, again he clarified that he never mentions the sponsors name in any broadcast. Watch next weeks race, called the STP400 and you will see that he never mentions them either, but I bet nobody asks him why!

On to Friday’s qualifying and it was one dominated by the Busch brothers. Early runner Aric Amirola set a blistering time that many thought would not be beaten but with only eight drivers to go Kurt Busch put in an amazing lap and went to the top of the tree. However before the champagne could be drunk the 42nd (out of 45) driver went out and younger brother Kyle Busch spoiled the party with a time of 27.509 seconds (196.299 mph), a mere 0.086 seconds faster. But with the changing conditions of the race there is no guarantee that qualifying speed translates into race speed.

As the green flag drops Kyle is able to get clear of his brother but had to contend with Almirola who was challenging him on the inside and the two run side by side and they are joined by Martin Truex Jr who has come from 5th to go three wide. Before either of them touch, the 18 is able to get his nose in front and take the lead. Such is the pace in the early stages that drivers are able to make up positions with relative ease. Jimmie Johnson who qualified in seventh is up to 3rd after only a few laps and showing that he has got a good amount of speed at TMS is Joey Logano. Before the race his car had failed an inspection and had to go through the process a few times before it was able to pass. Both his car and Brad Keselowski’s car were found to be using ‘illegal’ rear end housings which were confiscated and had to be re-examined again. Even as the national anthem was playing and the cars were being fired up Logano was still back in the garage area in inspection. As a result of making it to pit row late he had to start from the rear of the field. But after only 7 laps he had moved up 10 places and was quickly closing up on the drivers in front of him.

None of that concerns Kyle Busch though as he is able to pull out too a two second lead from the 56 car of Truex Jr and is already lapping the slower cars. Just as it is looking like the cars are getting to spread out Ricky Stenhouse Jr gets loose and hits the wall but the incident isn’t deemed unsafe enough to warrant yellow flags and the racing continues. But only a few laps later the first caution of the day is thrown when debris is spotted and the leaders take the chance to come to pit row. A solid stop for the 18 sees him win the race off pit row and a good stop for Johnson puts him in second. It’s not a good stop though for either Almirola or Keselowski, the former went from 8th to 27th and the latter went from 16th to 30th. The restart sees the 18 hold the lead but with pressure from behind from the 56. The two of them get side by side and just as the 56 gets his nose in front Stenhouse Jr again goes into the wall only this time he turns round and slides backwards down the track and into the side of the 51 of Austin Dillon who in turn narrowly avoids taking out Keselowski.

With the 56 now in the lead and the choice of restart position he takes the inside line. However Truex Jr is unable to make the same kind of start that the 18 has been making on that line and the two of them run side by side as the 18 is able to run the high line just as well as he can on the bottom. But the 56 is able to take the lead and put some clean air between him and the 18. The gen-6 car then starts to come into its own. In past races here even when a faster car was trying to catch and pass it would struggle once it got into the dirty air of the leading car to close the gap and make a decisive move, often relying on the lead car making a mistake. Now the new car is allowing Busch to close the gap on the 56 and run right behind him without any loss of traction or speed. He is soon able to make the extra speed count as one lap after catching him he passes Truex Jr and retakes the lead.

Busch doesn’t a get chance though to establish a lead as once again Stenhouse Jr brings out a caution flag, not through spinning but as he leaves the pit, after the crew has worked on his car, smoke starts pouring out of the back. Although it would look like serious engine failure from the control tower it is in fact his rear tyre rubbing on the damaged bodywork. While Busch is again first off pit row, Jeff Gordon moves up two places and into second. He can’t maintain the position on the restart and gets passed by Truex Jr who once again tries to close down Busch. Johnson has a big wobble on the restart and is lucky that he isn’t collected by anyone behind him, but although he keeps it together he falls back to 14th place.

The race then becomes a bit stagnated as the 18 is comfortably out front and although drivers like Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr are slowly moving up the order most drivers seem content to hold station and let the race develop a little more. A round of green flag pit stops come and go and after his last bad stop things get even worse for Keselowski as he has to come back to pit row as he thinks he has a flat tyre and he goes a lap down. But he gets a bit of luck as debris appears on the track and for the fourth time the yellow flags come out which allows him to take the wave around and get his lap back, albeit at the back of the pack. For the leaders it is a great stop as Busch comes out still in the lead but again Truex Jr’s crew aren’t as quick and he leaves in fourth, behind Gordon and Earnhardt Jr. No surprises on the restart sees the 18 get cleanly away from the 24 and 88 but the two chasing Hendrick Motorsport cars are at least able to keep him check early on. While Kyle is out front, his brother’s bad luck continues as his engine gives up and he is forced to take his car to the garage ending what started out as a promising day.

Gordon is able to get a run on Busch and momentarily takes the lead as Busch fights hard to stay in the lead but it isn’t enough and for the second time in the race Busch is passed for the lead. While one Hendrick Motorsport car takes the lead the race isn’t going as well for Earnhardt Jr. He starts reporting issues with his gauges saying that they have all gone off and he can’t figure out what is happening so he comes to pit row, and goes a lap down. The issue is a simple battery issue that had he realised on track would have only taken a second to switch to the back up and he may not have lost any places. As he comes out he is two laps down but because he had no gauges he didn’t know his speed on pit row and is penalised for speeding. Things get even worse when bizarrely while coming down pit row the call is made by his crew chief Steve Letarte to stop and take fresh tyres. The rules state (as in F1 and most other motorsports) that no work can be carried out on the car while the car is in pit row serving a penalty. He is therefore penalised again and has to serve another drive through. By the time that is all done the 88 car has gone from 3rd place to 35th and five laps down.

Green flag pit stops get under way for the second time and Truex Jr is one of the first to come in, from third, for fresh tyres which gives him a couple of laps on fresh tyres that he puts to good use as by the time the stops cycle through he is in the lead from Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon. The pressure appears to briefly show on the chasing 18 car as he gets loose and briefly makes contact with the wall but is able to keep his foot on the gas and keeps control of the car but loses second place to the 24. Gordon then starts to close down the gap to Truex Jr and is able to get side by side with him for the lead, but before Gordon can take the lead Travis Kvapil puts his car into the wall and the caution flags come out. No problems this time on pit row for the 56 and he holds the lead coming off pit row and on the green flag. Twenty laps later his lead is out to a massive 3.5 seconds and he is looking very comfortable out front.

That lead gets instantly wiped out when Ambrose spins after getting a nudge and further back in the cars taking avoiding action Jeff Burton also spins to bring out caution number six. The 56 gets a big lucky break as he and the 18 had come to pit row as part of a green flag stop but the rear tyres on the 56 are completely shot and if he hadn’t come to pit row when he did there is a good chance that they wouldn’t have lasted another lap, even under caution, and it could have cost him the lead. Again it’s a great restart for the 56 and he pulls away from the 18 and 24. But soon the battle for the lead becomes two as Gordon suffers from a broken wheel hub and has to take his car to the garage handing third to Joey Logano who is having a great drive.

With only 24 laps to go and Truex Jr looking comfortable out front, debris is spotted and out come the yellow flags. The leaders all come to pit row and the 18 crew have a great stop and are over a second faster than the 56 crew and the 18 wins the race off pit row. On the restart Busch is able to hold his lead as the 56 is taking the high line trying desperately to get along side, but without success. Truex Jr is able to close down the lead slightly and it looks like he might catch the 18 with only a handful of laps to go. But Busch changes the lines he is running and starts to pull away and with only a few laps to go there is no catching Kyle Busch and he takes his 26th win on his 300th Cup start, from pole to victory lane in a comprehensive victory.

How did the gen-6 car fair? Very well in one respect as the drivers clearly had the ability to pass and run close but from my point of view it didn’t translate into an exciting race. I admit that part of that could well be down to the timing of it for us UK viewers as once it had gone past 4am I was just wanting it to be over! But even for the east coast US it was past 11pm by the time the race ended and there were people complaining. There were also a few people calling for the race to be shortened by 100 miles. This worked very well for the Pocono race and it is an idea that I hope NASCAR do at least consider. As as it stands something needs to be done about the TMS race. We revisit it again later in the year and other than the people who go to the race and Kyle Busch there aren’t many people who are enjoying the current style of racing there. Still this is the first race that hasn’t lived up to the hype and if one race out of seven isn’t great than that is a ratio I will happily live with.

1. Dion Jordan

Jordan was redshirted in 2009, in 2010 Jordan who was brought in as Tight End was transitioned to the defensive side of the ball to play defensive end making a smooth transition to recording 33 tackles, 2 Sacks. In 2011 he became the full time starter, named in the All PAC-12 team recording 44 tackles, 7.5 sacks.

Jordan is very athletic and explosive player at his size of 6’7 he is very fluid, a raw pass rusher who hasn’t played DE for very long but has a knack of creating pressure with 10.5 (TFL) last season. Jordan one of the most versatile players in this draft, Oregon called upon Jordan to go in coverage and having to cover Tight ends, Slot receivers one on one.

At Oregon he played as a 4-3 End, with his size and speed he could successfully be switched to 3-4 OLB, with teams asking Jordan to go in coverage at times having done that already, he will have no problem adapting to what ever position he is asked to play.

Couple of negative things I would I have on Jordan is his shoulder injury that he suffered this past season, Jordan will have to show NFL coaches that his shoulder has fully recovered and regained his strength, Jordan isn’t great against the run where at times he unable to shed the block and be effective in the run game. Overall Jordan is a exciting prospect who can develop  into one of the better pass rushers.

2. Ezekiel Ansah

Only began playing football in 2010, after not making the Basketball team, Ansah was not familiar with American football, not knowing how to put on pads. Only playing 6 games in 2010 on special teams, and on the defensive line. In 2011 his role increased playing 12 games mainly on 3rd downs at OLB, DE. After injury to a player, Ansah played the remaining 9 games as the starter recording 62 tackles, 13 TFL and 4.5 sacks.

Ansah has the power, quickness that the other 4 guys that I have ranked in the top 5. A very raw talent that with a good coaching staff, Ansah could wreak havoc against offensive lines  Ansah has very good closing speed, you rarely see him giving up on plays, he is always going after the ball and doesn’t quit on the play. Ansah one of the more versatile players from this defensive class, BYU used him in a multiple of positions, from Nose Tackle to OLB and excelled in them positions, I would project Ansah a 4-3 DE in the NFL, allowing him to come off the edge with his speed.

You hear the term boom or bust a lot in the NFL, especially when it comes to the draft, Ansah could be that type of player, with him still understanding the game and expectations of him of what he could become as pass rusher if he drafted in the top 10 where i see him going. Ansah will need time to develop as a player, at BYU he was a situational player for most of his time there, he could be used in a similar role for his first season in the NFL.

3. Barkevious Mingo

A former 4* recruit out of High School, Mingo was Freshman All-SEC (2010), Second-Team All-SEC in 2011 recording  47 tackles and 8 sacks in his Sophomore year for LSU. A 4-3 DE for LSU, Mingo is a explosive off the edge, playing RE, LE, his athleticism will allow him to move 3-4 OLB where I believe he is better suited. Mingo is putting on weight, to have a bigger frame which allow him to have his hands in the ground and rush the passer. Also being more physical and stronger going against offensive linesman at the next level.

Plus for Mingo he has elite speed, if he asked to go in coverage in a 3-4, Mingo will be capable enough to do that. A very flexible player, Mingo is able to bend and dip allowing him to get around Offensive Line man, one thing I love about Mingo is he gives it 100% for every snap never see him quit on a play and is full of energy until the end of game.

Major concern for Mingo is his lack of production for LSU in his final season before declaring for the draft, many thought he would improve from his Sophomore year but didn’t live up to that expectation. Also Mingo at times struggled against the run but that can be improved once he has added some weight. Teams will have questions about that, but it could be the scheme used at LSU, which didn’t give him more freedom than what he wanted.

4. Bjoern Werner

Originally from Germany, Werner played for Salisbury School in Connecticut for two years, a 3* recruit who went choose FSU over a number of schools. Wener was named Consensus All-American, ACC Defensive player of the year in 2012 after a impressive 2012 season with 18 TFL, 42 Tackles, 13 Sacks.

Werner is more of a complete 4-3 End, who lined up as LDE for FSU. A good player against the run, weighing at 275 LB. He is able to get off the snap and into the backfield which saw him have 18 TFL in 2012 he creates tons of pressure coming from the edge, but occasionally he is kicked inside trying to replicate what he does on the outside. Has enough athleticism  to tackle in open space but ideally you would want to see him in a 4-3 than a 3-4 where he lacks elite speed like Mingo, Jordan who would do better in coverage. Werner often knocks down passes when he unable to get to the Quarterback, also has 18 passes broken down.

Werner tends to disappear late in games, especially when things aren’t going his way. At times you see Werner not finish a tackle and wrap his arms around the ball carrier. Werner was considered a top 5 pick early in the season, as more people have watched tape of Werner he has seemed to drop off considerably with him going bottom half of the draft. Overall Werner is a solid player, who will help teams but won’t be a 15 sack guy per season.

5. Cornellius Carradine

Carradine attended Butler Community College before transferring to FSU. Having only played 2 years at the FBS level, with couple of years playing at the JUCO level. In his first season with FSU he recorded 38 tackles with 5.5 sacks, Carradine has good closing speed, and is able to bend around the edge with natural flexibility who is able to to recover from bad a play.

A player who could play either end position also could transition to OLB in a 3-4 with his speed, movement. One of the better rushers in this years draft, who is quick off the ball and is able to get to the QB constantly. Non stop motor, you never see Carradine giving up on plays, he able to push around Tight ends, keeping a low pad level allows him not to be engaged too long with OT, a very good player reading and reacting to plays.

If Carradine didn’t suffer a ACL injury during last part of the regular season, Carradine would have gone in the top 10 of the draft. If medically cleared, I believe he will go in the bottom half of the first round in the draft, someone will get a talented pass rusher.

Like the DT group the defensive end group is very deep and good, the likes of Okafor, Hunt, Jones who could creep into the first round, with the emphasis on getting to the Quarterback and creating pressure pass rushers will be hot property in the draft.

Johnson has no problems holding his lead at the restart from Kenseth. Shortly they are joined by third place Kasey Kahne who has quietly worked his way up the leaderboard after his early race issues and soon gets up into second. As the cars enter the final 100 laps the drivers with competitive cars start moving their way back up the tree. Bowyer, after his earlier crash is up in the top 5 and Gordon who had been down in 18th has now worked his way up to 6th and soon gets into 3rd. But for the remaining Hendricks Motorsport driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr he gets put a lap down and is having a miserable day. After running near the front in the early part of the race Vickers day gets worse when he brings out cation number 10 after puncturing. On the restart with 43 laps to go the order is Johnson, Gordon, Bowyer, Busch, Kahne. This is the same top three who restarted at the end of the race last year and took each other out, but this time its a less dramatic restart with Johnson out front from Gordon and Bowyer. As if to reflect the ramp up in intensity the top three cars now run their fastest laps of the race.

Just as Bowyer gets underneath Gordon for second, Jr is hit by Patrick and spun for yet another caution. But it is not Patrick’s fault as she herself is bumped by Vickers and has no where to go but into the side of the 88. A slightly strange incident occurs that the pack then come to an almost complete stop as Jr is sat right on the racing line but rather then allowing him to turn and get back to the back of the pack, Johnson nips round the bottom of Jr’s car and puts him a lap down. While this angers a lot of Jr fans, Jr’s crew chief, Steve Letarte, states after the race “I would never expect a team mate who was leading in the race to help you not go two laps down. That’s pretty embarrassing to ask him to do that.”.

With 30 laps to go Johnson again holds the lead on the restart but surprisingly Gordon who started right behind him wasn’t able to follow him and take second place away from Bowyer. With 22 laps to go Johnson has established yet another comfortable lead and looks to be unstoppable. But nothing is ever that straight forward as Kurt Busch completes a miserable day when his car bursts into flames and slides round the outside wall with fire pouring out of the bonnet. Luckily he is able to get out and activate the under bonnet extinguishers before it gets out of control. Nonetheless it forces a red flag to be thrown to allow the clean up and all cars come to a halt on the front straightaway. With cold tyres Johnson has to be able to get a good restart and hold his position for ten more laps. Like the true professional he is Johnson is able to hold a tight line and although Bowyer puts a lot of pressure on him from the outside the 48 gets a good drive out of the turns and maintains his lead all the way to the chequered flag and his 8th win at MS (and therefore his eight grandfather clock) and 62nd of his career.

Six races in and yet another thoroughly enjoyable race. There were no scores settled as many had been predicting, but most people accepted that this probably wouldn’t happen as drivers cant risk damaging their cars to settle a score. But there was enough action up and down the field over the 500 laps to keep everyone entertained, in spite of this being the longest race of the season so far at nearly 4 hours. The top drivers bided their time and knew when to move up the field, the gen-6 car easily allowing this to happen. There were some great performances from drivers who needed a good result, Jamie McMurray finished 7th, Danica Patrick who was 2 laps down at one point, finished a very impressive 12th and was the highest place rookie on a track that is notoriously hard to learn and master. But the true master was of course Jimmie Johnson. He led 346 laps, had the fastest lap and of course went from pole to victory lane and now leads the standings, in an utterly dominate display. We go next to Texas where Johnson won last year, so don’t bet against another 48 victory.

In Fridays qualifying session the gen-6 car again showed what a great development it is, as six drivers set a new track record, breaking the previous best of 98.084 set in 2005 by Tony Stewart. It was no surprise that Jimmie Johnson took the pole in a blistering time of 19.244 seconds (98.400 mph). He had been fast in the earlier practice sessions and he has won seven times at the track so it looked very likely that the race was going to be his too lose. A quick mention for second place Marcos Ambrose. He learned his race craft on road circuits (normal race tracks to us Brits!) and MS is one of the hardest circuits to get to grips with, but despite having a mediocre start to the season he looks to be showing signs that he is getting to grips with the nuances of NASCAR.

As the drivers took the green flag it was neck and neck between the front two, and surprisingly as they crossed the line at the end of the first lap it was the Aussie Ambrose that was in the lead. It was short lived though as going into turn one the 48 got his nose down the inside of the 9 car and forced his way through to take the lead. The question coming into the race was were there going to be two lines available for the drivers, in the early stages everyone is hugging the inside line to the detriment of those drivers who are stuck on the outside and can’t get back down. An early victim of this is the 5 of Kasey Kahne who despite starting on the inside moved to the outside and quickly gets passed by the train on the iniside. But before he suffers too much the first caution of the day comes out as Danica Patrick, on her first visit, gets bumped from behind by Ken Schrader, who helpefully radios “that’ll learn her”, and spins up the track. The first 27 stay out but further back some come to pit row to try out some different tyre strategies. Cheif amongst them is Kahne who comes for four new tyres.

On the restart the 48 gets pushed into the lead by third place Brian Vickers, who follows Johnson through the turn and into second place. This time it is Ambrose’s turn to be left high and dry on the outside line, and two laps later he is back in 9th. While the top four of Johnson, Vickers, Jeff Gordon, and Matt Kenseth remains relatively stable (Vickers and Gordon swapping places is the only change) for the opening portion of the 500 laps, the fresh tyres of Kahne are paying off as he moves up 10 places to 19th. The early laps at MS are very much a case of feeling each other out and seeing how the car reacts in the turns and where the grip is. The racing isn’t that hard during this period as nobody wants to cause any damage that would jeopardise them later in the race. So while there are a few passes here and there everything is relatively civil.

The biggest problem for the leaders is lapped traffic. On such a short track it only takes a short green flag period before the leader comes across them and it is causing Johnson and Gordon a few issues as some of the drivers don’t seem too aware of the cars behind them. Kyle Busch takes advantage and decides to see how well his is running and the answer seems to be very well as he easily moves up to third and closes down the gap to the leading two at a rapid pace. He soon gets a chance to improve the position as a few laps later Scott Speeds pulls his car to a halt at the side of the track and the caution flags come out. The caution also works out well for Kahne who had worked his way up to 4th and now gets a chance to take another set of fresh tyres. But it isn’t a good pit stop for him and he falls to 12th. Team mate Gordon also falls three places to 6th, but it is a good stop for Jamie McMurray who moves up three places to 3rd. The restart again sees Johnson claim the bottom line and the lead with Busch falling in line behind him. Gordon is also able to get inside of McMurray to retake third and it is now the turn of the 1 car to get squeezed out on the outside and falls back to 9th after only a few laps.

Busch’s run to the front is complete on lap 90 as he is able to get alongside Johnson on the back straight and get on the inside into the turn leaving Johnson no chance to turn and block his line.

But the 48 must have just been taking a break for a few laps as only 13 laps later he is back in the lead, and a further 13 laps later the 18 has fallen back to 4th. The 48 looks in unstoppable form and on lap 136 he has lead 100 laps at today’s race, this being the eleventh time that he has led for a 100 laps at MS. By lap 164 he has also lapped all of the Roush Fenway Racing drivers as well as Tony Stewart in a dominant early start to the race. His run is nearly brought to a halt when the 35 of Josh Wise gets pushed high and picks up so much rubber on his tyres that he is unable to turn the car and hits the wall, but surprisingly there is no caution. There is however a caution when debris appears in turn four and the leaders all come to pit row. Kyle Busch has a great stop and comes out in second. But that brings the problem of the drivers on the outside getting hung out and losing positions on the restarts. For those who have never seen a restart in a NASCAR race the cars start in two lines, like they would on a grid. The leader gets to choose which line he wants and on a track like MS that will always be the inside line. Wary of what may happen Busch radios to his team mate Kenseth, who is in third, asking if he can give him a break on the restart and let him in. But Kenseth isn’t very accommodating as he replies that he needs the extra point for leading a race but if he already had one then he would have done.

But before anything can materialise at the front there is chaos in the middle of the pack as the 15 of Clint Bowyer gets spun round. Initially what appears to have happened is that Bowyer got together with the 56 of Truex Jr which spun the car. But on closer inspection the accident actually started further up front. There were actually two crashes going on, one started with Dale Earnhardt Jr getting a push from Vickers which slowed up the 88 car. Vickers then got into the 88 again which made the 55 car move into the path of Ambrose, who in turn took avoiding action and slid into turn 3 bumping into the side of the 11. What the camera’s don’t pick up though is how the second accident of the 56 and the 15 came together, only showing the aftermath that has the 56 with a severely wrecked front end. Unfortunately what it means is that all three of the Michael Waltrip Racing cars were involved in the incident. The second accident might have something to do with Johnson up front as he appears to move up the track and is slow going into turn three and moves into the path of McMurray. This caused the 1 car to brake hard and hit the side of the 29 that caused him to slow and may have bunched up the 15 into the 56.

Johnson’s move also gives rise to further confusion, as when watching the race live it appeared that as a result of having to lift off the 48 was passed by four cars and should therefore restart in fifth. However he is still showing as the leader. The reason for this comes from the in car replays, that shows that although Johnson was passed before the yellow flags come out but (and its a big but!) those cars had not yet crossed the start finish line which was the next timing line. The rules state that when a caution comes out the order for the restart will be the order that the cars were in at the last timing line. At this line Johnson was still the leader. Not very clear to the fans and it also caused some confusion between the drivers, Busch (who looked to be the new leader) even commenting that Johnson must have his lucky horseshoe up his ass!

No surprises at the restart as the 48 again takes the lead but this time the 18 and 20 cars dont let him get away and start working together to haul him back. 25 laps later Kenseth gives Johnson a little tap coming into a turn, but it is enough to move Johnson off his line slightly and allows Kenseth to edge his way in front. Kenseth actually apologies for the bump, stating that he has never passed anyone under green here for the lead. Kenseth then gets a chance to show what he’s got on restarts when the 83 of David Reutimann goes into the wall for caution number five. While most teams play it safe and take four tyres the 11 (being driven this week by Mark Martin as Denny Hamlin is still injured) gambles with two moving them up 12 places to 3rd. However on the restart that gamble immediately looks to have failed as he quickly gets passed and falls down the order and only three laps later is outside the top 10 and when the next caution comes out, after Carl Edwards gets a punctured rear tyre and spins, he has fallen to 25th. It gets even worse for him at the following pit stop as he sets off without the front left tyre being properly attached. The error appears to be because he is not used to the calls but closer inspection shows it is not his fault as he set off the moment the car hit the floor (as all drivers do) and the jack man should not have lowered the car. The team has to replace the tyre outside his pit box and as a result gets further penalised a lap.

Matt Kenseth is able to hold the lead at the restart but behind him the 78 of Kurt Busch gets pushed up the track by Jeff Gordon and punctures a tyre. However he is able to limp back to the pits without a caution. While one brother goes to pit lane the other takes the lead as Kyle Busch is able to find a way round Kenseth. He doesn’t get long to enjoy the lead though as 56 spins and the seventh caution of the day comes out. On the restart second place Kenseth gets a big push from the 2 of Brad Keselowski but he is able to keep control and keep second behind the 18. The bump allows Johnson to get alongside the 2 car and retake third. But again Kurt Busch spins after having a coming together with the 38 of David Gilliland bringing out caution number eight. The caution plays right into the hands of the cars that took the wave around at the previous caution as this allows them to not only be on the lead lap but also be on the lead lap with fresh tyres. Drivers like Danica Patrick and Mark Martin are now back on the lead lap and once again have a chance at trying to win.

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Cordarrelle Patterson, Tennessee

It always amazes me when a guy as good as Patterson ends up at junior college. When you watch him you just wish he had been playing for Tennessee for three years and not just one. Cordarrelle joined the Volunteers as a junior from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. He impressed there and didn’t disappoint for Tennessee in his first and only season in the SEC.

Patterson is a play maker. He took to the field as a running back, punt returner, kick returner and wide receiver. His statistics on the ground are pretty nice on their own. He finished the year with 25 carries for 308 yards, which is a 12.3 yards average. The main reason he gained such an average is his elusiveness. He puts his foot in the ground, throws his weight and has a great turn of pace to accelerate away. His attitude seems to be that no one can tackle him and, as long as you protect the ball, that is a great attitude to have.

As a returner he has the speed and agility to always be a danger. He returned a kick-off for a touchdown at Mississippi State by making four guys miss with ease. At full speed his cuts are devastating. Bray must have loved having Patterson as a target. If you got the ball to him in space, it was almost a guarantee he would beat the first man. Quite simply, this guy put defenders on their backside.

Patterson runs the slant exceptionally well. He cuts cleanly into it and has the burst of acceleration to separate from the defender. When the ball comes into him, he is quick to pull it in to his chest on these plays and they usually result in a solid gain. He has good hands, although there were a few easy drops during the 2012 season. These could probably be attributed to mental lapses rather than technical errors. There were not many occasions where he had to use his height to go up and catch a high ball over a defender. This is may be a slight on his ability to do so or could just be put down to the play calling at Tennessee.

Patterson has a swagger about him on the field and he is very confident in his own ability. In the game at Mississippi State, he took an end around inside his own 15 yard line and tried to get to the right corner. He ran out of room and so, with eight defenders committed, he jump cut backwards and reversed the field.

He turned on his electric acceleration, beat nine defenders to the other corner and wasn’t touched until the 45 yard line before going out around the 55 yard line. He turned a nothing play that would have ended in a five yard loss into a 40 yard gain. There aren’t many players who have the vision, confidence and ability to do this.

There are some improvements needed in Patterson’s game for him to thrive at the next level. Most of these focus around intangibles. He is prone to a taunting penalty and while an element of arrogance isn’t necessarily a bad thing, needless penalties will not be tolerated by NFL coaches. On occasions last year, he appeared disinterested when he did not get the ball early in games. He also ran a very simple route tree at Tennessee and he will need to become accustomed to a pro-level playbook very quickly. He will also need to learn when to get out of bounds. The next level is a different animal with poor decisions being punished by huge hits and turnovers.

These issues are not huge and there are no indications that Patterson will do anything but knuckle down before September. Cordarrelle has the skill and ability to improve the receiving corps of virtually any team in the league.

Tavon Austin, West Virginia

Sometimes when I’m bored I will churn through YouTube watching videos of current NFL stars in their high school games. What you end up seeing normally is a man among boys, a guy double the size of the rest, absolutely tearing it up. Watching Tavon Austin brutally destroy everyone around him on the ground has been my favorite video so far. While no bigger than his peers, Austin’s acceleration and speed were so unfair that I actually felt sorry for his opponents.

Austin is a game changer of the same ilk as DeSean Jackson and Mike Wallace. It is hard to knock anything to do with Tavon’s feet. He is frightening quick with explosive acceleration. If you add to this his awareness, elusiveness and agility you get an incredibly exciting prospect. What is evident from his senior season tape is that he has incredible patience. His ability to return kicks and punts is great because of this. He will catch the ball, slow down to almost a stop while surveying the field and waiting for his blocks to be set up. Once he has picked his route he will turn on his speed and, generally, get solid gains.

As a slot receiver, Austin has developed great route running ability as well as developing the much needed skill of route adjustment. He impresses underneath and is able to create separation with ease, mostly due to his burst of pace. He finished the season tied with Stedman Bailey in receptions (114) but behind him in receiving yards (1289 vs. 1622) and touchdowns (12 vs. 25). It would be easy to state Bailey was the wide receiver must crucial to West Virginia’s season, but Austin has one huge plus, he can play as a running back.

After averaging 7.4 yards a carry on 14 carries through the first nine games, he lined up as a running back proper at home to Oklahoma. The first thing the Sooner’s defence did when they saw this was calling a time out. There was no way they could have anticipated this in training all week. They hadn’t and it showed. Austin scored three touchdowns while carrying 21 times for 344 yards, an astounding 16.1 yards average. Tavon used his entire impressive repertoire of skills to out duke, out cut, out accelerate and generally dominate the Oklahoma defense  It was disappointing that after such a performance, Austin would finish on the losing team as West Virginia succumbed to a 50-49 defeat. Austin went on to grab another 5.8 yards per carry from 26 attempts against Iowa State and Kansas in the last two games of the regular season.

What the above shows you is that, above all, Austin is a football player. Get the ball in his hands and he will produce. He has good hands and is able to deal with touch passes as well as rockets. Generally he has good body control through the catch. One slight on Austin’s catching is that he tends to body catch a bit too much. He has strong hands; he just needs to use them a bit more. Austin isn’t a big guy, measuring in at 5’8, so he does have some issues catching the ball in traffic. To be fair though, that really isn’t his game.

At the next level he will need to improve his blocking. He does get stuck in, but his slight frame means there is room for improvement. An off-season in a NFL weight room will give him a bit more bulk but maintaining the explosive speed is just as important. Tavon will be a good player at the next level, maybe even great.

Keenan Allen, Cal

The biggest shame with Keenan Allen is that he had to limit his game in college to account for the lack of ability of his quarterback, and half-brother, Zach Maynard. There is no question that Allen has the ability to make a serious impact in the NFL. He doesn’t have jaw-dropping tape like Cordarrelle Patterson or Tavon Austin but he is arguably a much safer pick than either of them.

Allen has solid hands and his all-round catching ability is great. He uses his big 6’2″ frame to shield the ball from defenders while making himself clearly available to his quarterback. Maynard would really rifle the ball in to him on short throws and Allen showed off his soft hands by bringing them in complete. Allen fills out his frame well and uses it to absorb big hits. He has big hands at 10″ and a large catching radius. He has the ability to go up and catch the ball high, but he wasn’t able to do this overly successfully in 2012 at Cal. This was more an issue with Maynard’s inability to throw those balls accurately rather than Allen lacking skill.

Allen doesn’t have explosive acceleration or elite pace, but he is quick enough to outpace defenders once he gets up to speed with his long stride. He also separates well despite lacking instant acceleration. A concern would be the next level where the defensive backs are faster, stronger and more skillful  Allen will be able to outpace them but he’s not going to blast by. For a man of his size, he can cut precisely and accelerates out of his breaks impressively. He showed nice awareness, acceleration and pace on a punt return touchdown against Southern Utah early on in the season. This was however after he fumbled the punt catch and it was against Southern Utah, hardly a powerhouse in college football, but the skills are there nonetheless.

Generally his route running is good. He varies his speed well in his routes. He shows some key next level abilities in setting up his defensive backs, understanding how to manipulate zone coverage to his advantage and uses his physicality well to jam backs at the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately, due to the lack of skill at quarterback, the route tree Allen ran at Cal was somewhat restricted. The jury is still out on his ability to adapt to the complex route tree in the NFL. There were also times last year where Allen would run routes at the wrong depth. One of the most poignant was in the game at Ohio State. On a 4th & 6, Allen ran his comeback route two yards short of the first down marker and subsequently the ball was turned over.

Another area that will need to be improved on is his blocking. He is strong enough to block well, and not afraid of getting stuck in, but his technique leaves a lot to be desired. If he were to end up at the Vikings, which is a distinct possibility, he will need some serious coaching regarding his blocking with Peterson running the ball so much.
All considered, Allen will be impressive at the next level. He will need some coaching and the transition to a NFL playbook may not be as smooth as hoped, but all the skills are there. He won’t be a deep threat as he just doesn’t have the elite speed, but his sturdy frame will take the hits and he will make the catches when required. I don’t think he will end up a number one receiver in a team for a few years yet, but the potential is there to be a team leader in the not so distant future.

Robert Woods, USC

Nothing will harm your draft stock quite like a pesky sophomore team mate stealing your junior season limelight. Okay that was a slight exaggeration but with Marqise Lee catching 42 more balls and gaining 875 more yards, it would be fair to say Woods went a bit under the radar in his final season in South California. In terms of production he dropped down on his 2011 numbers but just to state that would overlook his fantastic underclassman years.

As a freshman he had just less than 800 yards and six touchdowns including a 97 yard kick-off return against Minnesota. His sophomore year in 2011 paid greater dividends with 111 receptions for 1292 yards and 15 touchdowns. Woods finished that season as a Consensus All-American and First Team Pac-12. He also set a Pac-12 record for receptions and finished as a top three finalist for the Biletnikoff award. What I am trying to point out is that despite his quieter 2012 season, Woods has shown he has the skills and ability to succeed.

Athletically Woods is extremely solid. He ran a 4.51 second 40 yard dash at the Combine. He doesn’t have elite speed like Patterson or Austin but he has enough to do well at the next level. A 76 yard run against Syracuse on a WR Sweep play showed that. Unfortunately as he has neither elite speed, nor elite height, he may struggle to impact the first round of the draft. Despite only being 6’0″, Woods has good leaping ability and is able to catch the ball high. There were two notable instances against Notre Dame and at Arizona where Woods went up perfectly and secured a great catch at the very top of the throw.

He has the burst off the line to separate and very fluid hips that allows him to change direction effortlessly and quickly. In the game at Syracuse, he reversed the field sharply and eluded the Orange defense before showing the awareness to dive for the first down. He weighed in at 201 pounds at the Combine and so could so with putting on a bit more muscle mass before September. The defensive backs are so strong in the NFL that Woods will need to bulk up to dominate them. Bulking up will also be required to improve his blocking ability.

His hands are large and soft. He catches superbly well and makes tough completions seem simple. He uses his body in both securing the catch and protecting the ball from defenders. He adjusts well to all throws and can make all the catches he will need to make in the NFL. One slight concern is that he has the odd drop, which is more due to concentration rather than ability.

Woods’ route running is one of his strongest assets. At USC he ran a well-developed route tree and ran it impressively. He maintains speed in and out of his cuts, fluidly changes direction cleanly and always comes back for the ball making himself available for his quarterback. As previously mentioned, Woods lacks ideal strength and physicality and this does mean he will get pushed off route by stronger defensive backs. A summer in a NFL weight room will put him in a better position come the start of the season. Sometimes he will do too much in his jukes and shakes before changing direction. Ideally his routes need to be homogeneous otherwise smart backs will have a field day by jumping routes as they learn his traits and tendencies.

Lastly his intangibles are good. He is very competitive and critical of himself when he doesn’t make a catch. He is football smart and knows how to read coverage’s and defences. He shows great awareness (as previously mentioned at Syracuse) by knowing where the first down marker is. He has been schooled in a professional setup at USC and this translates through to his play. He is already a pro-style receiver and will fit straight in at the next level.

DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson

In his freshman season in 2010, Hopkins impressed with 52 catches for 537 yards and four touchdowns. It was the final third of this season where he began to shine with three 100 yard games. He improved in his sophomore year with 72 catches for 978 yards and five touchdowns. However, Hopkins suffered, like Woods did in 2012 at USC, with a guy a year his junior stealing all the headlines as Sammy Watkins had a phenomenal freshman campaign.

Watkins wasn’t the same force in 2012 and this meant Hopkins had to step up. He did just that with a fantastic season catching 82 balls for 1,405 yards. He also set a school record with 18 touchdowns (2nd in nation). Off the back of this stellar season, Hopkins’ draft stock is rising. Some recent mock drafts see him overtaking Keenan Allen as the third wide receiver taken after Cordarrelle Patterson and Tavon Austin. This is a distinct possibility and becomes more likely each week as Allen’s draft stock slips.

At 6’1″ Hopkins has good height but could do with bulking up his frame. His lack of strength is shown occasionally but generally he has enough to push off defenders and block. He lacks elite speed but has great acceleration and proved to be a legitimate deep threat at Clemson for Boyd. I watched Hopkins score touchdowns on deep balls against Florida State, North Carolina State, Boston College and South Carolina. He has excellent burst out of his cuts and separates with ease.

One of the main reasons he was able to catch his scores on deep balls was his route running. Robert Woods runs the best routes in this draft class, but Hopkins is definitely up there. His slant and go double move is a thing of beauty and he made some corners look like high school players. He runs his routes crisply, doesn’t rush his slower routes and has the impressive burst to pull away. His hands are good in terms of encouraging separation but could do with using his hands a lot more on press coverage. Xavier Rhodes gave him a torrid time in the Florida State game due to this.

His receiving is solid. His hands are big and although good, he suffers from too many drops. It appears these drops are more a case of lack of concentration rather than a lack of technique. From a technical point of view, he has developed into far more of a hands catcher rather than a body catcher and has shown the ability to track difficult balls over his shoulder. He shows good ball security and was continuously a red zone target for Boyd with his height and leaping ability. In the game at Auburn he caught a lovely fade pass to the back pylon over the top of the defensive back whilst being fouled. He also showed the ability to catch the ball very low while going to the ground.

After the catch, Hopkins doesn’t have the elusiveness or game changing ability of Austin or Patterson, but has a great change of speed and can make a tackler miss with ease. He has enough acceleration to punish defenses  Versus Georgia Tech he caught a ball on the side line, pulled it in nicely and turned on the burners to accelerate between two defenders for the score.

There are some other interesting aspects to his game. He was able to get a lot of favorable pass interference calls during the games I watched by being physical with backs. Although this isn’t a skill that will raise his draft stock, the ability to draw a foul at the right time can be as good as a catch. He was able to deal well with the pressure of being the #1 receiver at Clemson in his junior season as Watkins struggled with suspension and injury. In the bowl game versus LSU he caught a difficult ball in traffic on 4th and 16 to keep the ultimately game winning drive alive. Hopkins is a big game guy and in the NFL, they are all big games.