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It’s never to early. The draft order is utterly random, with consideration to how things might play out given what we know in today’s NFL. Team needs were sometimes, but not always considered, as this is highly subject to change. Let’s get to the 5 Ws of the players making the transition from Saturdays to Sundays.
The Minnesota Vikings switched picks with the Cleveland Browns but the draft choices remained the same as everyone predicted them. Alabama running back Trent Richardson went to the Browns, USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil went to the Vikings. They simply swapped places at #3 and #4 overall. But who knew a mild version of eugenics was going on with Kalil’s family. (This story got lost in the internet mania over Lauren Tannehill)
From CBS Sports:
Based on family history, Matt Kalil was destined to be an outstanding physical specimen. His father was a pro football player, his brother is a starter in the NFL and his mother was Miss California. Now pro scouts say he soon may be regarded as the best in the family, not counting mom of course, although Matt was recognized by Playboy Magazine himself – as a 2011 Preseason All American.
I’m sure NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish never dreamed that “perks” like these would come with his new job. The greatest signal called in Huskies college football history became the last guy picked in our nation’s biggest gym class on Saturday when he went #253 overall in the 7th round to the Indianapolis Colts.
And that status is exactly why he has a special place in the heart of YouTube user Brianne, who straddles the line between fun crazy and dangerous crazy. Sexy crazy and felonious crazy. And that’s not all she wants to straddle.
h/t Lost Lettermen
When newly drafted players join their NFL teams this season, the coaches, system and competition each encounters will have a huge influence on how quickly they can make an impact. Here’s a look at the best and worst fits for players drafted in 2012. Note: this isn’t an assessment of good or bad picks, but rather an analysis of the best and worst marriages between player and team with regards to maximizing each player’s potential.
With Michael Floyd and Harrison Smith going in the first round on Thursday night, Notre Dame was well represented at the beginning of the NFL Draft. They were well represented at the back end too.
Former Notre Dame cornerback Robert Blanton was selected with the 139th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Blanton was taken with the fourth selection of the fifth round. Blanton was the second defensive back from Notre Dame drafted by the Vikings in this year’s draft. Harrison Smith was picked by Minnesota in the first round.
With the 2012 NFL Draft in the books, we can now say the Green Bay Packers made an emphatic attempt to improve the one facet they struggled in the most last season.
General Manager Ted Thompson went away from his “best player on the board,” motto and strictly went after defense.
Not since 2004 had Green Bay started out their draft with three consecutive defensive players. This year, they spent an unheard of six straight picks on the defensive side of the ball and even parted ways with three picks in order to trade up.
Here’s a look and a brief analysis of each of the Packers’ eight draft picks:
“It speaks volumes. Last year we put more players in the NFL than anyone in college football,” Wisconsin Head Coach Bret Bielema said following the Badgers spring game.
“I thought it was pretty cool this year we had six players through six rounds. Our kids are excited for it, it’s definitely a great pat on the back for our program, I believe we’ll probably have another at least six sign as free agents, so we’ll probably have 12-14 more guys go to the NFL,” he continued.
That’s right Wisconsin had 6 guys taken through six rounds of the NFL Draft on Saturday. One in each round. If only they had a seventh in the seven round- it would have been a perfect seven for seven.
Still 6 for 6 is almost unheard of.
(Update: the Indianapolis Colts have selected NIU quarterback Chandler Harnish with the final pick of the 2012 NFL Draft. So the Colts bookend the draft, with QBs)
Northern Illinois University is kind of known as the mid-major version of “Tailback U.” The DeKalb, IL institution has produced some of the most electric runners (LeShon Johnson, Michael Turner, Garrett Wolfe and Chad Spann) in not just the MAC, but all of college football.
The Huskies are known for tailbacks, not quarterbacks. However, they might have the best in school history in Chandler Harnish, who like the halfbacks mentioned above, is great at running the ball.
New England certainly needs help in their secondary. They have WRs playing DB for them that’s how short-handed they are. Remember Julian Edelman covering Anquan Boldin in the AFC Title game? Troy Brown actually played some defensive back too; even though he was a wide receiver by trade. And the Patriots legend fittingly announced this pick Tavon Wilson from the Illini, tonight in the 2nd round of the NFL draft.
Four Illinois Fighting Illini were drafted in the first rounds of the 2012 NFL Draft. All of them were taken ahead of anyone from Nebraska, Penn State, Ohio State or Michigan. Yes, Illinois had four while those four traditional powerhouses had a combined goose egg. Devon Still from PSU and Lavonte David from the Huskers were taken later in the second round.
Former Illinois OT Jeff Allen was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs with the 44th overall pick in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft. Allen was followed at No. 48 overall by defensive back Tavon Wilson by the New England Patriots. Following Whitney Mercilus and AJ Jenkins in the first round last night, this is the first time Illinois has had four players drafted in the top two rounds.
He’s passed up Golden Tate, Jeff Samardzjia and Tim Brown to claim all the major receiving records in Notre Dame history. And now Michael Floyd is a member of the Arizona Cardinals.
Floyd becomes the first WR taken by the Cardinals in the first round since the team selected Larry Fitzgerald with the third overall pick in 2004. He is the first Notre Dame player drafted by the Cardinals in the first round since the team selected QB George Izo with the second overall pick in 1960.
Taken 13th overall, Floyd becomes the highest draft pick out of Notre Dame since 1994, when the San Francisco 49ers drafted DT Bryant Young with the seventh overall selection.
Link Bank 4-29-12: Kaley Cuoco, Britney Spears meltdown house, hot sideline reporters, NFL Draft
-(E Online) Kaley Cuoco tweeted pictures of herself (along with hair-stylist pal Jen Atkin) on a boat trip covered in neon body paint that highlighted every curve of her banging bikini bod.
The 26-year-old Big Bang Theory star has been sharing her Caribbean holiday adventures in Anguilla with fans via Twitter,
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