USC Steals the Show at the NFL Draft—Again

The NFL’s minor league franchise in Southern California again sent the most players to the League, 11 in all, with a couple that could still sign on as free agents.

That makes 21 in the last two years with at least another 10 coming next year, and maybe a few more depending on how many juniors declare.

In fact, USC has seen exactly 53 Trojans drafted by the NFL since Pete Carroll took over as head coach in 2001—enough to stock an entire roster.

This year five were picked on the first day, three in the first round—Mark Sanchez (fifth overall), Brian Cushing (15th), and Clay Matthews (26th)—and two in the second round—Rey Maualuga (38th) and Fili Moala (56th), while six Trojans were picked on Sunday.

Over the years, USC has had more players drafted in the first round (74) than any other school.

Here's a closer look at each of the players that helped make history this weekend:

Mark Sanchez

The USC player with the greatest profile, Sanchez was the highest pick and the one surrounded by the most drama. It was anyone’s guess where he would go.

Speculation had him going anywhere from No. 2 to St. Louis to No. 17 to the New York Jets. In the end, it was the Jets who picked the talented quarterback, but in a roundabout way.

In exchange for the fifth pick, the Jets agreed to give former coach Eric Mangini, now with the Browns, their 17th pick, their second-round selection and three players: defensive end Kenyon Coleman, safety Abram Elam, and the quarterback they drafted last year, Brett Ratliff.

Leadership, mobility, poise under fire, and confidence; these are the intangibles that NFL quarterbacks must have in addition to physical talent. And Sanchez has these in abundance along with accuracy and a strong arm.

Of all the USC players picked in the draft, Sanchez has the best chance of eventually becoming an All-Pro. His knowledge of the game and the vision to survey the entire field and make quick decisions will also give him the best shot at becoming a 16-game starter this season. He is already an instant celebrity in the Big Apple.

The one knock on Sanchez is that he only started 16 games—13 last season and three in 2007. But at USC, where the competition is so intense that every practice is harder than a game, Sanchez had a prolific 2008. He completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,207 yards and 34 touchdowns and led the Pac-10 in passing efficiency (a school-record 164.6) as well as total offense.

The fact that Sanchez is with the right team further ensures his success. He is coming from USC, where Carroll is a defensive-minded coach, to the Jets and new head man Rex Ryan, the former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. Like the Jets, USC also utilized a strong running game along with a pro-style passing attack.

Brian Cushing

Cushing was the first of the four talented USC linebackers to be drafted. He went in the No. 15 slot to Houston. Cushing and Matthews were the most versatile of the USC linebackers.

Cushing, a four-year starter at USC, has played all the linebacking spots and was generally considered one of the finest strong-side outside linebackers in the NFL Draft. Strong at blitzing the quarterback, Cushing had 10.5 sacks last season among his 73 tackles. He is also very strong at dropping back into pass coverage.

Capable of playing either outside linebacker position, Cushing gives Houston numerous options for aligning its defense and crafting aggressive blitz packages. The only question is his durability.

He suffered a shoulder injury during his freshman season. The following year, he had surgery on the shoulder. In 2007, he was hampered by ankle and knee injuries. Then, this past season, he played with a broken hand.

Cushing has shown the ability to play injured and still be effective at the collegiate level. But in the NFL—where players are bigger, faster, and hit much harder—his durability will be a question.

Clay Matthews Jr.

Out of all the USC linebackers, Matthews Jr., the No. 26 pick by the Green Bay Packers, is the most athletic and the most versatile. In addition, he has an uncompromising work ethic. A walk-on at USC, Matthews had to prove himself first on special teams, then as a spot player.

In 2007, it was difficult to keep him off the field. Pete Carroll used him as a situation player and finally last season, Matthews became a starter.

There was some drama involved in his pick, as well. After selecting defensive tackle B.J. Raji with the No. 9 pick, Packers general manager Ted Thompson pulled a surprise, trading up with the New England Patriots to nab Matthews.

The linebacker was a standout performer during his senior season, rose to the top at the combine, and had scouts buzzing at the USC Pro Day. He also ran better and showed more explosiveness than some of his more heralded counterparts.

Matthews has excellent NFL bloodlines. Clay Matthews Sr. and Bruce Matthews, Clay’s uncle, played in the NFL. Bruce is in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Matthews is bound to help the Packers where they need it the most—on defense. He will start out as a special teams player and a passing down backer who can bring it or drop back in coverage. But like Pete Carroll at USC, the Packers will eventually find it impossible to keep Matthews off the field.

Rey Maualuga

Maualuga, picked by many to be a first-rounder, dropped to the second round. Maualuga said that neither his 40 (4.91) nor his Wonderlic (15) would be an issue. "Most teams I talked to, they say it doesn't matter how fast you are in the 40. They have your game film to look at."

And what about the Wonderlic, Rey? "I don't think they care about that."

Wrong. They do care. NFL scouts also worry that he is too slow, too heavy, too undisciplined at times, and has a tendency to leave his feet and overrun plays.

Although Maualuga is the most heralded USC linebacker since Junior Seau and a ferocious tackler, he dropped to No. 38 and the Cincinnati Bengals. There he will rejoin with his linebacker teammate from USC, Keith Rivers, and former USC quarterback Carson Palmer.

Fili Moala

The three-year starter at defensive tackle closed out the first day as the No. 56 pick to the Indianapolis Colts. A well-schooled player that knows how to get up field and make something happen, he had 10 tackles for loss in 2008.

Like Matthews Jr. Moala also has good bloodlines. His cousin is Baltimore defensive tackle Haloti Ngata, who went 12th overall to the Ravens in 2006. But at only 6'4" and 305 pounds and surprisingly lean and long in the arms, Moala is nothing like his beefy cousin in terms of body type.

Moala totaled only 90 tackles in 52 games. However, much of the success of the Trojans free-reigning linebackers the past three years has been Moala’s ability to occupy the middle with his quick burst off the ball and the power to slap away opposing linemen so the linebackers could make a play.

In Moala, the Colts pick up a much-needed defensive tackle who is capable of dominating the point of attack and fits in perfectly with the Colts’ defensive profile of smaller but quicker defensive linemen.

Patrick Turner

The talented wide receiver was the first USC player to get picked on the second day, at No. 87 to the Miami Dolphins. He was a surprise third-round pick.

None of the analysts following the draft liked the pick. They felt there were better receivers on the board. Turner, they say, is a bigger receiver (6'5", 220 pounds, 33-inch arms) who lacks the quickness and fluidity to create separation at the NFL level. Obviously, Miami felt differently.

Turner does an excellent job of using his frame to shield defenders from the ball and has solid hands. He does not drop many balls when catching within his frame. In addition, his size makes him an imposing target.

After finally coming to life at USC as a senior with 10 touchdowns, his stock continued to rise at the Senior Bowl, where he looked quick for his size and showed off those solid hands.

I’m sure the fact that he has been groomed in USC’s pro-style offense, and that Turner has been improving as he matures, were important considerations for the Dolphins.

Kaluka Maiava

Along with Maualuga, Maiava the other disappointment for this year’s linebacking corps. Mentioned several times from the second round on as one of the better players on the board, Maiava nevertheless dropped to the fourth round as the 104th overall pick to the Cleveland Browns.

The 2009 Rose Bowl Defensive MVP was considered slow by some, although he did reduce his 4.82 time at the combine to 4.68 at his Pro-Day workout. He is also on the small side at 5'11" and 230 pounds, and there are some concerns about his overall strength.

Still, he displays outstanding football intelligence that allows him to get into strong initial position to defend the run. He is also a consistent open-field tackler (something that has been missing at times in Cleveland) and shows good mobility in coverage.

A special-teams standout his entire career, Maiava stepped in as a nickel back on passing downs and a backup in 2007. Then last season, he started all 13 games at weak-side linebacker and racked up 66 tackles, 7.5 for a loss.

Because he lacks bulk, some feel he will get crushed by NFL tight ends, but he has a real nose for the ball, can slip blocks and may turn out to be the Browns’ best pick.

One NFL team asked each of the other three USC linebackers which one he would take besides himself, and all three said Maiava. That’s good enough for me. He’s my sleeper pick.

Kyle Moore

Tampa Bay used the fourth-round pick (117) they received from Dallas to draft Moore, a defensive end. He is a very gifted athlete who can quickly change direction and put on a closing burst to chase down a mobile quarterback or runner. He possesses an excellent blend of power and speed off the edge when rushing the passer.

However, the speed of the game at the professional level has some scouts concerned that Moore may be a split second late in finding the football. Nevertheless, Moore showed a lot of quickness at the Senior Bowl. With his 6’6" height and overall length, Moore has become an adept pass deflector, which I’m sure must have impressed Tampa Bay.

If he can add another 25 pounds without losing any quickness, the Bucs will have the ability to move him around on their defensive line. Moore is a great find for them this late in the draft.

David Buehler

Buehler was the fifth-round pick (172) of the Dallas Cowboys. He looks, runs, and lifts like a linebacker, but Buehler possesses terrific leg strength, which gives him excellent range as well as distance as a kickoff specialist.

Buehler converted 26-of-33 career field-goal attempts, including 6-of-11 from 40 yards or longer. However, there are concerns about his lack of experience with clutch kicks and accuracy as he gets into the high 40-yard range.

But he’s Mister Automatic when it comes to kickoffs. Sixty-nine of his 180 kickoffs were touchbacks, many out of the end zone. He's another Trojan with good bloodlines, his uncle, George Buehler, was a guard for the 1970s Oakland Raider teams. Dallas has drafted a winner with this pick.

Cary Harris

Harris, the sixth-round pick (183) of the Buffalo Bills, is another USC player who has dropped somewhat in the draft from a projected fifth rounder. Unfortunate hamstring injuries suffered at both the combine and at the USC Pro Day deprived Harris of the opportunity to show his speed and cornerback skills.

There is no doubt that he has toughness and good overall instincts. Although he lacks top speed, he can turn and run with receivers in press coverage, jump routes and put blocking backs on the ground, which makes him very effective playing near the line of scrimmage.

However, scouts were concerned that once a receiver creates separation Harris doesn’t have quick recovery speed, something that is essential for a pro cornerback.

Kevin Ellison

Ellison was the last, but not the least Trojan to be drafted. The safety was the sixth round pick (189) of the San Diego Chargers. A true hit man, Ellison rivaled linebacker Rey Maualuga in the ferocity of his tackles.

Somewhat stiff in his coverage, Ellison still gets strong initial position on a receiver. But because he lacks top-end speed and smoothness, some think he will eventually have to line up at OLB.

Several years ago, the Chargers had an opportunity to pick up another USC safety in the first round to replace Rodney Harrison (a slow 4.82, fifth-rounder). Instead they traded down for Sammy Davis and Terrance Kiel, and Pittsburgh picked up Troy Polamalu.

I’m not saying that Ellison will ever be a Polamalu or a Harrison, but wherever the Chargers decide to play him, he will produce and energize their defense. Kevin Ellison is my ultimate sleeper pick.

So I have three can’t-miss picks: Mark Sanchez, Clay Matthews Jr., and David Buehler. And also two sleeper picks: Kaluka Maiava and Kevin Ellison.

Congratulations to all 11 and the best of luck. I hope to see all of you playing on Sundays.