http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/6666 Recent articles about Sam Bradford en-us 1. Matthew Stafford (Georgia)* Round Projection: Early 1st He appears to be the top QB prospect in this draft. He has a strong arm and usually makes good decisions with the football. I think he can be a team's franchise QB if they decide that he's worth using big money on. 2. Tim Tebow (Florida)* Round Projection: 1st-3rd Tebow could realistically still end up anywhere in this draft. I think he has a great arm, although past QB failures in Meyer's system (A. Smith) will hurt his chances. 3. Curtis Painter (Purdue) Round Projection: 1st-3rd He's very talented and many people expect him to break out this season. If he does he could move all the way into round one. 4. Cullen Harper (Clemson) Round Projection: 3rd-5th While everyone's attention is on Clemson's running backs, Harper is quietly making a case to play in the NFL. 5. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan) Round Projection: 3rd-5th The Central Michigan product may elect to return to school but he is very talented. Playing against lesser competition will hurt his stock though. 6. Chase Daniel (Missouri) Round Projection: 3rd-4th Daniel is all over the map in NFL mock drafts. He's very accurate but his arm strength isn't the best in the world. Playing on national TV at Missouri this year will either help his stop considerably or knock him deep into this draft. 7. Hunter Cantwell (Louisville) Round Projection: 3rd-5th Here's the guy I keep hearing about. Cantrell has played in Brian Brohm's shadow for years and I hear he has a heck of an arm. He will see what he can really do now that Brohm is no longer a Cardinal. 8. Rudy Carpenter (Arizona State) Round Projection: 5th-7th He knows how to win, as evident by his fabulous career at ASU. Last year he completed an incredible 61.8% of his passes and threw 25 touchdowns compared to 10 INTs, showing that he makes great decisions with the ball. 9. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) Round Projection: 5th-7th Very very strong arm and showed how great he is during his Freshman year. He can make a lot of NFL throws and is very accurate. If he can do that in his first year, imagine what he can do once he gets some experience. 10. Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) Round Projection: 5th-7th Most Texas Tech quarterbacks do not play well in the NFL. None of them last very long in the league. I keep hearing that Harrell will be different, maybe he will be. Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:43:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278300 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278300 The decisions of a lot of underclassmen will determine whether or not the 2009 NFL Draft is strong or weak. On my big board of the best players in the draft I have used every player that is eligible to enter the draft and five of my top 10 can return to school next fall. The decisions of guys like Michael Crabtree, Matthew Stafford, Percy Harvin, Tim Tebow, Knowshon Moreno and Andre Smith will be important for the 2009 draft. If they return to school then Florida will have another national title run in them, as will Georgia, and the Crimson Tide and Red Raiders will keep their most talented player for another season. If these guys decide to enter the draft then NFL teams will have some extremely talented guys to choose from. Here's the VERY early lowdown on what I think these guys will decide: Michael Crabtree: NFL–I really think he is the most talented receiver to come out in years. He's electric and extremely fast. He has a huge body and he reminds me of Terrell Owens. I think once NFL teams realize his true potential that he will decide to leave. Please note he was a redshirt freshman so he is eligible to leave as a sophomore. Percy Harvin: College–Once Tebow (read below for more) decides to return I don't think Harvin will leave. He's very very quick but probably needs to work on proving he has the size to be an elite NFL receiver and not just a playmaker on kick returns and quick passes. Tim Tebow: College–If this guy leaves then I don't see anybody returning. He loves the University of Florida way too much to leave. He might be going for his third Heisman Trophy by then as well, and maybe even his third national title in four years. Knowshon Moreno: College–The Georgia running back showed his extreme talent at the end of last season, and he was also redshirted as a freshman. I don't think he plays as well as he did last year, although he will be great, and will stay until his Junior season. Andre Smith: NFL–The Alabama offensive tackle has been amazing since he signed with the Crimson Tide. I think he's got to go, he's been fantastic and will be great on a NFL offensive line. If he returns a lot of Crimson Tide fans will be very happy next season. Matthew Stafford: NFL–Stafford has a very strong arm and looks like he can be a franchise type quarterback in the NFL. I have watched many videos on him and although he has to work on his decision making, I believe he will be just fine if he decides to leave. Others whose decisions will affect the 2009 NFL Draft are: Jeremy Maclin, Sam Bradford, Brandon Spikes, Myron Rolle, Gregg Middleton Sun, 15 Jun 2008 14:55:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278198 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/278198 Before anyone criticizes our draft order we did it as fairly as we could. Four of our writers helped with the draft and we all agreed on our 12 playoff teams before we did anything. So we then drew team names out of a hat for the non playoff teams, positions 1-20. After that we stuck our 12 playoff teams in a hat and drew for positions 21-32. Amazingly Carolina got the top pick, which it traded to Philadelphia in the 2008 NFL Draft. There are a lot of happy Eagles fans out there. The biggest loser in our second NFL Mock Draft? The Atlanta Falcons who fall all the way from the #1 pick to the #9 pick. That means no Michael Crabtree or Michael Oher to compliment QB Matt Ryan. This time they select Travis Beckum, a very athletic tight end from Wisconsin. He should still help Ryan a lot. Some of the tougher picks of this mock draft were the Chargers, Saints, Patriots, and Colts picks at the end of the first round. Those four teams are all solid in a lot of areas (especially NE and IND). Guards aren't usually selected in the first round and we have San Diego selecting Duke Robinson. Robinson is a special talent and San Diego selected him in that spot because he probably would be gone by the time they selected in round two. Fili Moala is the big gainer in this mock draft. He gains 17 spots. Just to be honest, we knew he was too low in our initial mock draft but we just couldn't find anywhere to put him. The biggest faller was Tyson Jackson, falling 13 spots, but at least he made this draft. Brian Cushing fell considerably from the first mock draft, mainly due to need. Cushing fell from #19 out of the first round. Michael Johnson is a guy we have ranked fifth on our big board but he also tumbled out of this first round, once again mainly due to need for his position. These guys will eventually move their way back into the first round more than likely. Others that fell out of the first round were Brian Robiskie, Gregg Middleton, Chase Daniel, and Brandon Lafell. One major difference you will notice is that there are no trades in our mock draft. In our first one there were many, but this time around we just didn't see any trades happening although they were considered for every single team. One of the most considered spots to trade in this draft was #24 when San Diego was on the clock. They took Duke Robinson, a guard (as noted above) instead when no trade partner could be thought of. Chicago is a team that could jump in that position by trading future picks to take a quarterback like Sam Bradford or Chase Daniel. That would've also allowed San Diego to move back into the early second round into a spot where Robinson would more than likely be available. If you like this mock draft then please tell people about it. It takes a lot of work to do this every month. Email me here and let me know what you think about it. If you'd like to see what else has changed since our initial mock draft last month you can review our first one right here. Now without further ado, onto the mock draft: # Pick Pos School 1 WR Michael Crabtree (+0) (Via trade with Panthers) WR Texas Tech How about the luck of the Eagles? When we drew the team names out of a hat Carolina was drawn first, having the worst record in the NFL but the Panthers had already traded their pick in the 2008 draft to Philadelphia. That means Philadelphia has to take Michael Crabtree. Donovan McNabb has needed a big play receiver since Terrell Owens left town and the Texas Tech wide receiver would be that guy. 2 Michael Oher (+0) OT Ole Miss Michael Oher is the most talented offensive lineman in the draft. He does it all, and would help any team he goes to, especially the Houston Texans, who give up lots of sacks. 3 Matthew Stafford (+0) QB Georgia Stafford is the pick over Tim Tebow here. Matthew plays in a pro style offense and would probably be more NFL ready than his Florida counterpart. The Chiefs (just like the Jets in our initial mock draft) select a QB #3 overall. 4 Malcolm Jenkins (+4) CB Ohio State The Rams have nobody to hang with big, tall receivers. Jenkins is 6?3? and has excellent coverage skills. He anchored the top pass defense in the country in 2007, so the transition to the NFL should be pretty smooth. St. Louis gets the same guy as last team, only a bit higher 5 James Laurinaitus LB Ohio State In our first mock draft the Raiders took Laurinitus at #4 overall. This time they have the fifth pick and they still get their guy. This pick will help a linebacking core that needs a playmaker, plus Oakland has went offense the last two years. 6 George Selvie (+3) DE South Florida The Denver Broncos choose Selvie to complement Elvis Dumervil. Selvie is very quick off the line, and he makes a ton of backfield stops. He runs a 4.5 40, and should be able to help out Denver's D-Line right away. This guy is the real deal, and will likely impact this team immensely as a rookie. 7 Tim Tebow (-1) QB Florida The choices here were Chris Wells or Tim Tebow. Last time we went with Wells. This time we go with Tebow. Why? Well Jon Kitna is 35 years old and he keeps guaranteeing 10 win seasons for the Lions. That is going to get old in a hurry. 8 Travis Beckum (+12) TE Wisconsin The Atlanta Falcons have no real tight end, and unless one of their current five emerges as a star in the 2008 season, they will look to bolster that position in the draft. Travis Beckum is the best tight end in the draft, and the Falcons scoop him up at number 8. 9 Fili Moala (+17) DT USC Wow. Buffalo is loaded. There really wasn't an area of weakness here with Buffalo being set at every position. Marcus Stroud is recovering from an ankle injury so that's the only hole we can find at all. 10 Percy Harvin (+3) WR Florida Bernard Berrian is not a number one receiver. The Vikings really need help at this position, so they take Percy Harvin, the do-it-all receiver from Florida. Harvin will give Tarvaris Jackson a safety outlet, because he can make something out of nothing with his quickness. 11 Chris Wells (-1) RB Ohio State Cedric Benson has not been the answer at running back for Chicago. They need someone else so they take Wells here, the first running back taken at #11 overall. He would make an immediate impact. 12 Mryon Rolle (+2) FS Florida State Last time we had Andre Smith picked here, but with Scott Locklear and Walter Jones at OT and a rookie joining the depth chart it appears the Seahawks will go somewhere else here. Myron Rolle would help a secondary that could use use some depth. 13 Curtis Painter (-2) QB Purdue This could be a reach because Painter is not really a top rated player but San Francisco needs a quarterback badly. Alex Smith has not grasped the NFL offense and San Francisco has to give up on him eventually don't they? This would be moving past the AS Era in SF. 14 Rey Maualuga (-9) LB USC Maualuga would be an absolute steal here. In the last mock draft we had Washington taking Brian Cushing but by gaining five spots the Redskins can take the even higher rated USC linebacker, Maualuga. 15 Derrius Heyward-Bey (+6) WR Maryland Derrius Heyward-Bey is the choice over Byrd, Robiskie, and Maclin. The Dolphins just drafted Ted Ginn Jr in 07, but he is never going to be a star receiver. He is mainly just an electrifying return man. Their other choices at wideout are Earnest Wilford and Derek Hagan. 16 Andre Smith (-4) OT Alabama Willie Anderson is getting up in years and Smith is a top offensive lineman. The Alabama lineman would be a great choice for the Bengals because he would open up holes for Rudi Johnson and Kenny Watson. 17 Demetrius Byrd (+0) WR LSU Jon Gruden loves big receivers. With Joey Galloway at 36 and Ike Hillard at 31 it is time to go young. The Buccaneers don't know how who their QB of the future is but when they figure it out that guy will need a young receiver to throw the ball to. 18 Knowshon Moreno (+5) RB Georgia We all know what happens when a running back hits 30 and Thomas Jones will do just that this season. If he does slow down then New York will have to draft a running back for the future. Moreno has quick feet and runs through the SEC's best defenses. 19 Alex Boone (-4) OT Ohio State The Ravens selected Michael Oher in our last mock draft but in this draft they are selecting 17 spots later which means they get Boone, the third highest rated OT in this draft. They select him because Jonathon Ogden is 33 and getting up there in years. 20 Tyson Jackson (-13) DE LSU Robaire Smith will turn 31 this upcoming season and he will eventually lose a step. Without any major need positions to fill the Browns draft Jackson, who stumbles 13 spots from our last draft just because of lack of need. 21 C. J. Spiller (-3) RB Clemson Edgerrin James will turn 30 this season and has struggled since he signed with the Cardinals. Whether of not he struggles in 2008 is a guess but either way Arizona needs to grab a young running back. Spiller would be a great addition. 22 Victor Harris (+6) CB Virginia Tech Mike McKenzie is one of the NFL's première corners but is already 32 years old. The Saints just drafted a cornerback, Tracy Porter, this year but they need a big time defensive back. Harris could be that guy for New Orleans if given the chance. 23 Brandon Spikes (+7) LB Florida James Farrior is entering his 12th season and will probably retire within the next three seasons. If Pittsburgh wants to look towards the future then Spikes would be a great choice. He brings lots of athleticism and has a nose that takes him to the football. 24 Duke Robinson (+NR) OG Oklahoma Guard is a position that is usually filled in the second round or later but Robinson is too good to pass up for the Chargers. Mike Goff is 32 years old at one of the most grueling positions in the NFL, so San Diego has to prepare for the upcoming years. 25 Vontae Davis (+0) CB Illinois Sam Madison will play his 12th NFL season this year. R. W. McQuarters will play his 11th. It's time to draft a cornerback if you're the Giants and Vontae Davis is the playmaker they need. He's not afraid to be aggressive off the line and is quick enough to recover if the receiver makes a move to get by him. 26 Aaron Kelly (+NR) WR Clemson I'm not sure how Dallas missed out on taking a receiver in the 2008 NFL Draft but they did, making it an absolute must in the 09 Draft. The Cowboys are so desperate that they are going to use PacMan Jones at receiver due to the Terry Glenn situation. 27 Taylor Mays (-11) S USC Mays is more of a free safety but the Patriots need a strong safety to replace Rodney Harrison when he loses a step. They already have Brandon Merriweather to play free safety. Mays is a great player and would be a steal at #27 overall. In our last mock draft we had him going #16 overall. 28 Jeremy Maclin (-1) WR Missouri This pick would do two things for Tennessee. First of all we know Tennessee has to grab a receiver in this draft because their receiving corps is just not getting it done, so this would fill that need. Secondly Maclin would be a return man that electrifies crowds the same way PacMan Jones did before he was traded to Dallas. 29 Wopamo Osaisai (+NR) CB Stanford The Al Harris-Charles Woodson era in Green Bay cannot last forever. With Davis (the guy Green Bay took in our initial mock draft) gone the Packers go to the next wave of defensive backs. Osaisai will be a late first to mid second round pick. 30 Chase Coffman (+NR) TE Missouri Dallas Clark is a young guy that the Colts move around in the slot and put in many different places. Coffman would be a true tight end that could block and help Peyton Manning in the passing game. Clark is a do it all guy. Coffman would be strictly a tight end, something Indianapolis doesn't already have. They are basically set in every position. 31 Nic Harris (+NR) S Oklahoma Brian Dawkins is 34 and although J. R. Reed and Sean Considine are decent players neither are in the same league as Dawkins. The Eagles hope Harris can fill the void that Dawkins will leave when he retires when they select him here. 32 Senderrick Marks (+NR) DT Auburn The Jaguars continue working on their defensive line after taking Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves in the 08 Draft. Rob Meier is 30 so the Jaguars take Marks in a toss up over Al Woods from LSU here as the final pick in the NFL Draft. Thu, 12 Jun 2008 17:59:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277375 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/277375 FIO's "Best of the Best" is back in 2008 for its second season - check out staff writer Dan Mesday's top ranked collegiate football players, as he goes position by position breaking down what to look forward to in college football for 2008. This time around - the quarterbacks. Wed, 28 May 2008 08:14:21 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271660 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/271660 I had the pleasure of attending the Oklahoma Sooners spring game in Norman on Saturday. The weather was partly cloudy with winds continuously gusting to approximately 30 MPH. The winds made it tough on the QB's and Kickers. There were 6 INT's thrown by the QB's. 3 INT's by starter Sam Bradford. Bradford did throw a beautiful TD pass to TE Germaine Gresham , who made a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch in full stride. Many passes were overthrown or underthrown because of the intense straight winds all afternoon. Freshman running back Justin Johnson from Gilmer, TX looks like he will be a good workhorse for the Sooners as he displayed some good power and speed during some of his runs. The offense is at a disadvantage this early in drills and the defense took advantage of that during the game. The game was attended by many former Sooners as well as Baltimore Ravens QB, Steve McNair and country music singer and big-time OU fan, Toby Keith. Former Sooners on hand for the game were Safety Roy Williams (Dallas Cowboys), Jamaal Brown (New Orleans Saints), Davin Joseph (Tampa Bay Bucs), Travis Wilson (Cleveland Browns), Reggie Smith (2008 Draft), DJ Wolfe (2008 Draft), Allen Patrick (2008 Draft) and a host of others dating back to the 1940's. I will post a couple of pics with me and Davin Joseph and Phil Loadholt(current All Big-12 offensive lineman. Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:44:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236267 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/236267 The final 12 in my list of 25, and why they might bring home the bronze stiff arm Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:17:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/90875 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/90875 2008-2009 Heisman Top 25, Why they can win, and why they won't. PLUS 2007's best numbers. Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:32:40 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/89648 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/89648 Is the Big XII North back? Will the SEC use one good team again as the basis for their "we're the best" argument? Can the Big Ten rebound from its bad luck? And what will USC do in 2008? Rank. Team (ZN Final Top 25 Rank, '07), Record '07 – Short comment on each team. 1. Georgia (4), 11-2 – There's not a more talented team in 2008, with this many returning starters... ... Thu, 10 Jan 2008 18:03:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/67271 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/67271 Over the weekend, Round 2 of the tournament-style college football playoff took place between the eight teams that made it thru the first round. Read about what went down in each game and take a look at the teams that advanced to the next round as we move into the semifinals! Mon, 24 Dec 2007 03:34:14 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/51888 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/51888 A last look at the 2007 race won by Tim Tebow and a first look at the 2008 race. Tue, 11 Dec 2007 17:17:28 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/42535 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/42535 This Saturday a new Heisman Trophy winner will be crowned. Last year, I was disappointed because the media selected a candidate based on his team's performance rather than Troy Smith's individual play. This year, I will be disappointed because the media will decide to give the title to the most impressive player in the BCS. While the national media may throw out logic, AccuScore analysis Wailele Sallas soundly lists the nation's top seven players in this week's edition of 7 in '07. Thu, 06 Dec 2007 01:40:36 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/40914 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/40914 Finally, after this week, college football fans will get a chance to breath. The public will no longer have to worry about upsets, rankings or Notre Dame. Thanks to the partiy that has consumed college football, uncertainty will still be in charge however, as for the first time since the BCS' inception in 1998, there are no real big bowl games set up. In fact, only 9 of the 64 bowl game openings have been filled. AccuScore analyst Wailele Sallas helps clear the path predicting who'll go to the five BCS Bowl games, including two others in this week's edition of 7 in '07. Thu, 29 Nov 2007 09:19:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/39345 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/39345 What a game!!!! Sooners trailed by 7 points through the WHOLE ENTIRE first half.... I had my fingers crossed through the halftime show but when the came back on the field and started running i couldn't help myself, i just screamed and clapped! I bet it was quite a scene cuz my family was watching the game in another room hahaha...... Chris brown made the two touchdowns and Garret Hartley got a 41 yard field goal. D.J. Wolfe's end-zone interception midway through the fourth quarter helped build the momentum for the Sooners! It was his fourth interception. Demarco Murray picked up three first downs rushing for 59 yards on 9 total carries.... Each quarterback had one interception and ou had 3 turnovers! Luckily they managed to fight back.... OU had 316 total yards and 21 first downs!Lets see if #4 ranked team oklahoma can win next saturday against texas. It's a home game so all that are attending make some noise, and raise your voice!!!!! Game Quotes: Oklahoma 17, Iowa State 7 OU HEAD COACH BOB STOOPS "I'm pleased to win again. I have a long history in Iowa. I knew the players they had and knew they would be tough." OU QUARTERBACK SAM BRADFORD "Our defense really kept us in the game in the first half. We were really fortunate to only be down seven at half and win. I was a little off today. I think it was a combination of things that we were slightly off in the fi rst half." "We came into halftime and everybody was positive. We talked about it this week, and we knew [Iowa State] was going to work hard, but everybody stayed positive and we weren't really concerned." "All that matters is the next play. Even if you're 0-for-20, you have to go out there with confidence because the next play could give you a chance to win." Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:54:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/32142 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/32142 Lee Roy Selmon graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1975 with a degree in Special Education and membership in the National Honor Society. He also won the Outland Trophy and Vince Lombardi Award. Selmon was the first-ever draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He played until 1986, when he retired from the Bucs. His No. 63 is the Bucs only retired jersey. After being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, he joined the University of South Florida as an Associate Athletic Director of External Affairs. In 1995, he entered the NFL Hall of Fame, the first former Sooner and only Tampa Bay Buccaneer to date. Lee Roy's first blog installment is about the South Florida football program which he played an integral part in developing. He also blogs about his beloved Oklahoma Sooners and the challenges they face this weekend in the Red River Shootout after a devastating loss against Colorado. Thu, 04 Oct 2007 22:35:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29745 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/29745