My plans for today

[Matt McGuire]

I'll go to the UK game, give a brief report of how NFL prospects such as Andre' Woodson and Keenan Burton played, then I'll come back and blog from this forum on the Cal/Tenn game. Should be interesting, definately a season opener worth watching (as opposed to UK/EKU).

Anyways, campus here in Lexington is packed with UK fans. Amazing how big the bandwagon can get. I remember this time last year that I would say 65% of UK fans said that the head coach, Rich Brooks, should be fired. Now, they wouldn't be opposed to building a huge statue of him in downtown.

[Walter]

Definitely look forward to your reports.

[Matt McGuire]

Sorry, I was down in the dorm's den watching Cal/Tenn and writing notes. Really impressed with Lavelle Hawkins, looks like a very solid mid round prospect. A great 40 time could move him up to round 2.

Anyways, my thoughts on the UK game:
*Andre' Woodson played a good game, still very accurate, showing last season wasn't a fluke. However, he did a few things that bothered me. He still held on to the football too long a few times instead of throwing it away. I thought he would improve on this when he knows this is one of his biggest weaknesses. Missed one throw high to Burton on an out route...this is one of his biggest tendencies. When he misses throws, he missses them high. I think an NFL coach might be able to fix this. This could be bad for Andre', as high passes over the middle are more likely to be INT'd.

*I was really impressed with UK's starting center Eric Scott. He is a senior and a converted tight end. He has very good athleticism and mobility. He is 6'5, 295, but he looks bigger and I would say he is more like 6'5 305. He has a lot of potential if he looks good in post season workouts. Keep an eye on his draft stock as the season goes on. He lacks experience, and will be a developmental player. His ceiling looks to be late Round 3 to early Round 4.

*Keenan Burton had a good game, but I don't see him winning the jump balls in college that he will be up against in the NFL. Still a very impressive player, and he is versatile on special teams.

*Rafael Little had a good game, his forte is running to the outside, making cuts, and catching the football. He is very athletic, but he is on the small side. His OL needs to develop, too early to say where he will go exactly in the draft.

*One player that needs to be on everyone's radar is sophomore ILB Micah Johnson. He had a great game. He was the top ILB prospect in the country last year, and he has a 6'2 240 frame with 4.5 speed. He slimmed down and looks to be in excellent shape. He is seeing the game a lot better than last season and he is able to read/diagnose/react. He looked great in pass coverage, which is one of his weaknesses. He really sticks his nose in there and knows how to get to the football. He should be starting for UK the rest of the season. He is living up to his hype, and has the potential to be an early entry for the 2009 NFL Draft with his physical tools. I would compare him to a young Jeremiah Trotter.

[Walter]

Great stuff, Matt. I'll add those to the prospect pages.

[Matt McGuire]

Also Walter, impressed with Tamme's speed in the game. Really seemed more elusive than last year, but this draft class has a lot of potential.

Fred Davis
Martellus Bennett (JR)
Martin Rucker
Chase Coffman
John Carlson

Could be a deep TE class this year, which is pretty rare. All of those guys run a sub 4.7 I believe.

[Walter]

Do you see any of those guys in the first round?

[Matt McGuire]

Tough to say right now Walter. Greg Olsen was an excellent TE prospect, yet most teams past on him because they have bigger needs to fill than TE. TE is looked at by teams as a luxury position to have. They don't want to spend a pick too high and risk not filling other needs. Certainly understandable.

I'd say the two players with the most potential to go high in the draft Walter have to be Martellus Bennet and Fred Davis. They have the best size/athleticism combo. You aren't going in round 1 unless you are a great athlete. The days of Kyle Brady to the Jets over Warren Sapp are over, as you know.

Production this season is big, but what is bigger for determining first round TEs is their post season workouts, maybe more so than any other position. If a team is gonna spend a high pick on a TE, they can't afford to have a bust.

[Matt McGuire]

A few notes Walter on Andre' Woodson courtesy of UKathletics.com:

*"...André Woodson extended his school-record streak of consecutive passes without an interception to 191. That is the third-longest streak in SEC history, trailing just David Greene of Georgia (214 in 2004) and Stewart Patridge of Ole Miss (1997).

*7th straight game with 67% completions..."

[Walter]

That's really impressive. It's amazing some people don't know who he is.

[Matt McGuire]

It's amazing people label him as a 2nd round draft prospect or as a top 5 QB (meaning that Chad Henne, Colt Brenna, or Matt Ryan are even near his level).

I think he is better than Brohm, but most people never have seen Woodson play and all they hear about is Brohm on ESPN so they just say Brohm is #1...I have a friend just like this and when he saw some of Andre's highlights on youtube he didn't change his mind but he loves Woodson as a prospect.

[Matt McGuire]

A few notes Walter on Andre' Woodson courtesy of UKathletics.com:

*"...André Woodson extended his school-record streak of consecutive passes without an interception to 191. That is the third-longest streak in SEC history, trailing just David Greene of Georgia (214 in 2004) and Stewart Patridge of Ole Miss (1997).

*7th straight game with 67% completions..."

Kinda funny, Woodson threw an INT (more of a horrible play call imo than anything...stupid idea) and then it was eliminated because EKU was offsides.

[Walter]

LOL hey sometimes you need the breaks to go your way.

I keep telling my friends who are mild college football/NFL fantasy player friends that Kentucky has the top QB in the nation, and they're like "Who!?"

[Matt McGuire]

lol...if UK beats UL then they will know who Andre' Woodson is. He will become the "new" Brian Brohm with all the hype ESPN will throw his way.

[Matt McGuire]

LOL hey sometimes you need the breaks to go your way.

I keep telling my friends who are mild college football/NFL fantasy player friends that Kentucky has the top QB in the nation, and they're like "Who!?"

You say that Brohm is the best QB in the country. So don't you mean Brohm, who plays for UL which is located in Kentucky....? LOL

[Walter]

I have Brohm ranked No. 1 because he is the consensus No. 1 and would be drafted before Woodson today. I think that could change on draft day though, if that makes any sense.

[Walter]

LOL I think Lou Holtz just mumbled that "Appalachian State over Michigan wasn't really an upset." Not completely sure because it's hard to understand him.

[Matt McGuire]

I have Brohm ranked No. 1 because he is the consensus No. 1 and would be drafted before Woodson today. I think that could change on draft day though, if that makes any sense.

How do you know he is consensus #1 Walter? Do you have a lot of NFL scouts who you talk to? ESPN doesn't count as consensus. He might be consensus in the eyes of the average/casual NCAAF fan, but imo in the eyes of scouts I think some might say Woodson and some might say Brohm.

[Matt McGuire]

LOL I think Lou Holtz just mumbled that "Appalachian State over Michigan wasn't really an upset." Not completely sure because it's hard to understand him.

LMFAO ya I just made a post on that, which deserves one.

Holtz and Carr should be fired at the exact same time.

[Walter]

I could ask you the same thing, how do you know he's not the consensus No. 1?

[Walter]

LMFAO ya I just made a post on that, which deserves one.

Holtz and Carr should be fired at the exact same time.

Can we add Mark May to that mix?

[Matt McGuire]

I could ask you the same thing, how do you know he's not the consensus No. 1?

NFL Draft Scout has Woodson as #1. On a lot of college football/NFL Draft forums he isn't consensus #1 QB among the more hardcore football fans that really study what is going on.

I talked to an NFL Scout who was actually at UK's spring practice watching Woodson. He was a scout for the Chiefs. Said Woodson definatley has things he needs to work on, but so does Brohm. He said that Woodson is 1a and Brohm is 1b at the moment. Physically he said Woodson is easily superior to Brohm and this is why he believes that Woodson will be a better prospect.

[Matt McGuire]

Can we add Mark May to that mix?

Dude, we would totally pwn as ESPN College Football hosts. You have the banter, I have the analysis, ESPN would fire them right now if they knew how awesome we would be lol.

[Walter]

Interesting, didn't know NFL Draft Scout has Woodson as No. 1.

There are other sites that have Brohm No. 1, including NFL Draft Countdown. They have Woodson going 13th overall.

I like what that scout said, Woodson 1a and Brohm 1b. It's close, and I could see Woodson being No. 1 right now. I'm still going to keep Brohm over Woodson for now. I think it'll be interesting to see what happens once both squads stop playing crappy teams.

[Walter]

Dude, we would totally pwn as ESPN College Football hosts. You have the banter, I have the analysis, ESPN would fire them right now if they knew how awesome we would be lol.

That would be awesome. Even if people didn't agree with us, we're still better than Holtz and May because we don't slur and make incoherent comments every 30 seconds.

[Matt McGuire]

Interesting, didn't know NFL Draft Scout has Woodson as No. 1.

There are other sites that have Brohm No. 1, including NFL Draft Countdown. They have Woodson going 13th overall.

I like what that scout said, Woodson 1a and Brohm 1b. It's close, and I could see Woodson being No. 1 right now. I'm still going to keep Brohm over Woodson for now. I think it'll be interesting to see what happens once both squads stop playing crappy teams.

I think it will be interesting when they play each other. I can't believe a matchup of the two consensus top QBs in college football isn't on ESPN or ESPN 2 or CBS. ESPN Classic, but still...

[Matt McGuire]

More importantly Walter, Scott Wright has Woodson #6 overall as a prospect, same for Mel Kiper. Both have Brohm #1, but both had Brady Quinn #1 last pre-season as well.

[Walter]

I think it will be interesting when they play each other. I can't believe a matchup of the two consensus top QBs in college football isn't on ESPN or ESPN 2 or CBS. ESPN Classic, but still...

Wow... is it on any of the smaller channels like Fox Sports Net?

[Walter]

More importantly Walter, Scott Wright has Woodson #6 overall as a prospect, same for Mel Kiper. Both have Brohm #1, but both had Brady Quinn #1 last pre-season as well.

I think everyone had Quinn No. 1 last year, including myself.

You just don't know what can happen over the course of a season.

I wonder why Scott has Woodson No. 6 and yet has him going 13th. I guess team needs, but still.

[Matt McGuire]

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/players.php?genpos=QB&draftyear=2008&sortby=tsxpos&order=ASC

There is my evidence that Brohm isn't #1 consensus QB overall.

Also Walter, I said that UK/UL will be on ESPN Classic, I think you missed it.

[Walter]

Oh, OK, I missed that.

Hey, I'll take ESPNC, that's fine with me. Just as long as I get to watch it.

[Matt McGuire]

I think everyone had Quinn No. 1 last year, including myself.

You just don't know what can happen over the course of a season.

I wonder why Scott has Woodson No. 6 and yet has him going 13th. I guess team needs, but still.

Yes Walter, even I had Quinn #1 overall...but that is where I learn from my mistakes. My top 5 prospects right now would be:

1. Darren McFadden RB/Arkansas
2. Andre' Woodson QB/Kentucky
3. Calais Campbell DE/Miami
4. Glenn Dorsey DT/LSU
5. Jake Long T/Michigan

[Walter]

I think I'd put Campbell No. 2; he has Julius Peppers-type attributes.

[Matt McGuire]

Oh, OK, I missed that.

Hey, I'll take ESPNC, that's fine with me. Just as long as I get to watch it.

Yeah, but my beef is most people don't have ESPNC. This should be a nationally televised game for these reasons:

1. Big stars
2. Big rivalry
3. Lots of scoring
4. Big atmosphere
5. UL is a powerhouse and UK is up and coming...a great storyline here

[Walter]

Oh, you'll get no argument from me. I'm definitely tuning into that game.

[Matt McGuire]

I think I'd put Campbell No. 2; he has Julius Peppers-type attributes.

Then why do you have him so low in your mock?

Also, Andre' Woodson has Carson Palmer attributes, he went #1 overall and is a star.

This draft really has a lot of elite (5 star prospects in it). We really didn't have that in last year's draft. I'd say the only 2 ***** prospects would be Calvin Johnson and Joe Thomas. Russell's bust factor is too high imo to warrant 5 stars for him.

But next year's draft could have 5-6 ***** prospects.

[Walter]

What word are you using that keeps getting bleeped out?

I have Campbell going fourth. I have KC taking a QB, Miami with the top prospect on the board, and Dallas with DeSean Jackson (they drafted Anthony Spencer last year, so they don't need Campbell).

[Matt McGuire]

not a word....**** means 4 stars...***** means 5 stars....asterisk=star

[Matt McGuire]

Cambell can't play OLB like Spencer can Walter. I also don't think Campbell can play DE in the 3-4.

[Walter]

Oh, ok, my bad. Saw those stars and I thought something was getting bleeped out there...

Long day, LOL. I wish I could have caught more college football today, but I was doing stuff this afternoon and I was on the phone with my hosting company for 2-3 hours this evening.

[Walter]

Cambell can't play OLB like Spencer can Walter. I also don't think Campbell can play DE in the 3-4.

Well, I don't think he'd be as effective in the 3-4, but I do think he's quick enough to do so. But that's beside the point, I don't have him going to Dallas anyway.

[Matt McGuire]

It's not about being quick, I just think that the 3-4 will hold back his pass rushing ability since he has to play in a different gap than in the 4-3.

[Walter]

But he'll still be a pass-rushing linebacker in the 3-4, I think he'd be fine there.

I understand he'd have more responsibilities as a linebacker, but I think he would be OK.

[Matt McGuire]

Campbell definately isn't an OLB Walter. He is too big and he needs to play with his hand down. Just because you are really athletic at RDE doesn't automatically qualify you to be able to play OLB in the 3-4.

Campbell can really only play DE in the 4-3 scheme, and I would even say he is a much better fit at RE and LE. For all his talent, he isn't the most versatile players, but most elite players aren't very versatile because they don't need to be.

[Matt McGuire]

But he'll still be a pass-rushing linebacker in the 3-4, I think he'd be fine there.

I understand he'd have more responsibilities as a linebacker, but I think he would be OK.

If you are drafting in the top 5, that player better be a lot better than "OK."

[Walter]

I'm not sure if you can be "too big" to be an outside linebacker, as Shawne Merriman is Calais Campbell's size.

I think Campbell would be a solid 3-4 rush linebacker. I know you need to be better than "OK" if you're drafting in the top 5... That's why I don't have Dallas taking him. You asked me why I had Campbell going 4th. That's exactly why. I think you're making my point for me LOL.

[Matt McGuire]

Well, idk what to say Walter I guess we are just going to have to disagree here.

When it comes to post season workouts we will just have to see what the scouts are saying. I really don't see Campbell as an OLB, you just seem to love to convert 4-3 DEs to 3-4 OLBs if they are any bit athletic.

[Walter]

Matt, I'm not saying we should convert Campbell to a 3-4 linebacker. I said he's more suited for the 4-3. But, my point is, if a team decides to draft him for the 3-4 I couldn't really argue with that. But, again, he's definitely a better 4-3 end. That's all I'm saying.

[Matt McGuire]

Well, a 3-4 team will never draft a LB (now a days) that doesn't fit their system. The days of Jason Babin are over in the NFL imo because teams spend much more on scouting than ever.

You aren't gonna draft a 3-4 OLB that will just be "above average" in that system.

Also, Campbell would look awful in pass coverage imo. Another reason he just doesn't fit the 3-4 at all.