2011 NFL Draft: Week 1 Stock Up/Stock Down
Week One of the 2010 college football season opened with a bang and has lead us into a "monster" Week Two.
Before we get there though, some spectacular - and rather unspectacular - play from some of the guys we are expecting to see on Sundays next season needs to documented.
The 2011 NFL Draft will have no shortage of talented players and even has the potential to feature as many as four to five first round quarterbacks; a feat that has not been reached since the 2003 and 2004 drafts.
Until that time though, each Wednesday we will come back and discuss some draft prospects that may have helped - or hurt - their 2011 NFL Draft stock.
Stock Up 1: Brandon Burton, CB, Utah
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At 6’0, 198 pounds, the Utes junior cornerback drew the daunting task of locking up man-to-man all night with one of the country’s elite receivers, Pittsburgh’s Jon Baldwin. With a distinct size advantage - 6’5, 225 pounds – Baldwin is an imposing force for any corner to handle one-on-one, but Burton and his rumored sub-4.4 speed were more than up to the challenge.
Aside from what looked to be a blown coverage late in the game, Burton blanketed Baldwin all night. Quick hitch screens were stopped for one yard completions and more importantly; deep balls were knocked away for incompletions.
Burton essentially took away Baldwin for 95% of the game and the Utes ended up with a big opening win over the Big East favorite Panthers. A known cover guy before this matchup, Burton is definitely a rising prospect to keep an eye on as this season progresses.
The Utes and Burton play host to UNLV this weekend.
Stock Up 2: Daniel Thomas, RB, Kansas St. and Kendall Hunter, RB, Oklahoma St.
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The Big 12’s leading rusher from a season ago picked up right where he left off against UCLA on Saturday in exciting fashion. The 6’2, 228 pound senior rambled for 234 yards on 28 carries and two touchdowns.
He also added two receptions for 15 yards out of the backfield - Kansas State only threw the ball 16 times.
Thomas has intriguing size and ability in the backfield and if he was being overlooked a bit to start the season, he should not be anymore.
Another Big 12 rusher, Kendall Hunter of Oklahoma State, cannot be forgotten either.
The Cowboy put up phenomenal numbers when healthy in 2008 (1,555 yards, 16 TDs, 6.5 avg) but missed five games last season, parts of others, and only carried the rock 89 times.
On Saturday, he ran for 257 yards and four touchdowns, on only 21 carries, averaging a ridiculous 12.2 yards per carry.
Beating up on Washington State is hardly something to get excited about, but it was good to see the 5’8, 198 pound talent back on the field. His presence can not go overlooked this season either and he could move up from the mid rounds if he continues to produce like this.
Thomas and K-State take on Missouri State at home Saturday night and Hunter’s Cowboys play host to Troy.
Stock Up 3: DeMarco Murry, RB, Oklahoma and Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma
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In a game much too close for comfort in Norman, with quarterback Landry Jones struggling, the Sooners turned to their big guns to help them gut out a win against a stingy Utah State team.
Senior tailback DeMarco Murray and junior wide receiver Ryan Broyles answered that call emphatically.
Murray finished the day with 218 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries and Broyles snatched nine balls for 142 yards and two touchdowns.
The 6’1, 210 pound Murray is one of the most explosive players in the nation. Rated as one of the top senior running backs coming into the season, he showcased his talents with nothing less than a stellar performance when his team needed him most.
Broyles, in a junior class of dominant receiver talent (Baldwin, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, Michael Floyd) is making his case to stand out among them.
Only 5’11, 183 pounds, the playmaking wide receiver must continue to produce like this if he wants to hang with the aforementioned physical freaks he is competing against; Saturday was a pretty good start.
The Sooners will host Jimbo Fisher’s FSU squad Saturday afternoon in what is sure to battle of top tier talent.
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Stock Up 4: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
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Arguably the top cover cornerback talent in the land, Peterson flashed his brilliance as a playmaker with the ball in his hands and displayed his lock down talents against an undermanned UNC program in the Georgia Dome on Saturday night.
Including an 87 yard punt return for a touchdown, Peterson racked up 257 all-purpose return yards against the Tar Heels on 7 total touches. He averaged 33.3 yards per kick return and 39.3 yards per punt return.
A great size-to-speed ratio, the 6’1, 210 pound junior could easily be the top cornerback off the board next April and if he continues to play like this, it is easy to see why.
Peterson and the Tigers take their show on the road to battle Vandy on Saturday.
Stock Up 5: Christian Ponder, QB, Florida State
5 of 12While it was only the opening game against Samford, Ponder came out and lit it up with ease this past Saturday. The FSU signal caller completed 12 of 14 passes for 187 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
Ponder threw a great ball in the limited (first half only) action that he saw and made everything look easy. His two incompletions – a tipped ball on the line INT and a slightly overthrown but catchable endzone ball – were both plays that could have been completions.
Jimbo Fisher’s balanced offense was as advertised and Ponder made sound decisions with the football from under center and in shotgun.
Ponder has garnered mixed ratings on whether he belongs in the first round of next April’s draft, but if Week One was any indication, he looks ready to prove he belongs.
Things will get very interesting this week when the Seminoles travel to Norman to take on Oklahoma and we will see if Ponder is ready to enter that “top of the class” conversation.
Stock Up 6 (Bonus): Brett Brackett, WR, Penn State
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An added bonus this week is Penn State’s intriguing WR/TE hybrid Brett Brackett. Recruited as a quarterback, the 6’6, 242 pound split end was then moved to tight end and had recorded only 17 career catches coming into the season.
On Saturday, the Nittany Lion caught eight balls for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
An intriguing prospect with incredible size, look for Brackett to be a common weapon for true freshman Robert Bolden to get comfortable with throughout the season. At 6’6, he is a hard target to miss.
Joe Pa takes Penn State into Tuscaloosa Saturday night to battle with Nick Saban and the defending National Champion Tide.
Stock Down 1: Mike Pouncey, C, Florida
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Tough to watch. Unexplainable. Disappointing. When watching the tape of Florida’s ugly opening day win against Miami (OH), all these thoughts come to mind as center Mike Pouncey struggled getting the ball back to his quarterback John Brantley.
Considered by many to be one of the top centers/interior lineman in the 2011 class, Pouncey drew some serious question marks about his ability to snap the ball.
Living up to the versatility of his brother Maurkice, a first round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers a season ago, is going to be a lot harder than it looks right now.
If Pouncey does not figure out his problems, the 6’5, 315 pound senior may have to be moved back to guard and in the process, damage his draft stock.
Florida plays host to South Florida on Saturday.
Stock Down 2: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
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Regarded as the cornerstone of the Pittsburgh line and one of the top 50 draftable players in his class, Pinkston needed to come out and dominate at Utah on Thursday night.
Instead, he played into the hands of one of his biggest question marks and showed he may not be the blindside blocker people are looking for.
Pinkston struggled against a pure edge rush and revealed that he may not have the overall athleticism to make that type of play.
On the other hand, he looks like he may be a better suited athlete for guard play at the next level. On the Dion Lewis touchdown run, they went tackle over with Pinkston and he did a great job sealing the edge, getting pieces of two players on his way down.
As a whole, it was not a truly bad game from the 6’4, 305 pound Pinkston, but it showed that he may not be suited as a tackle in the NFL forcing his draft stock to take a shot.
Pittsburgh is at home on Saturday against New Hampshire.
Stock Down 3: Nate Potter, OT, Boise State
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Boise State came away with a huge win Monday night in the nation’s capital, but not everybody looked good doing it.
At 6’6, 300 pounds, Potter is considered by many to be one of the top tackles in the junior class; however, he certainly doesn’t look like it right now.
He looked decent in the run game, but just didn’t look athletic or gifted enough outside and he got noticeably beat.
Moving him from guard to tackle may not be the best move and he has got to put it together better than that if he wants to save face.
Boise State next takes the field against Wyoming on Saturday, September 18.
Stock Down 4: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
10 of 12If you look at the stat line and the timing of Baldwin’s big plays, you couldn’t consider his night a true stock down performance. Yet, when you replay the game film, Baldwin did not perform up to his ability against Utah’s Brandon Burton and simply got beat.
The four receptions for 71 yards are a bit of a mirage. Baldwin did run a great route over the middle on the last touchdown drive and made a great catch behind the linebackers for a big first down. However, he lined up in the slot (away from Burton) and made the big play.
On the big 44-yard TD catch, Burton sat down in a zone and Utah’s safety never came over. Granted, Baldwin made two big plays when his team needed it, he did it at the expense of Utah’s mistakes.
At 6’5, 230 pounds, Baldwin is a physically imposing wide receiver to line up against. Yet, he was routinely stymied at the line of scrimmage by the smaller Burton and lost every jump ball his quarterback Tino Sunseri put up for him.
Sunseri played far from good in this game and did not throw a great ball, but Baldwin has to take advantage of his mismatch in size and needs to make more plays when the ball comes his way.
On this night Burton beat Baldwin and now, the Pitt Panther must regroup and put up a good performance in order hang tight with the other dominant receivers in his class.
Pittsburgh will take on New Hampshire at home on Saturday.
Stock Down 5: Marvin Austin, DT, UNC
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Not playing because of agent-related accusations is never a good thing. Austin, one of the top players at his position in his class, is one of many players under investigation at UNC.
While 12 players were ruled ineligible for Week One and not allowed to be with the team, Marvin Austin showed up at the game in Georgia on his own accord.
The 6’3, 310 pound senior defensive tackle put his foot (actually his fingers) in his mouth a while back when he tweeted about a party in Miami and “bottles of alcohol”.
During a segment of the telecast on Saturday night they panned over him in the crowd prompting the announcers to talk about his situation and leading to a quote from his coach stating, “I don’t know how he got down here – he isn’t with us”.
One would think that being under investigation for being places and interacting with people that a college athlete shouldn’t would deter even dimmest of players from causing more drama; obviously not so.
The circus that is the UNC season is already bad enough. For Austin, having his immaturity glorified on national television while he already cannot show his talents on the field is not going to help his draft stock.
Honorable Mention
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Stock Down: Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh
Romeus looked very lazy and uninterested in Pitt's opening loss to Utah. He spun himself out of too many plays, stood straight up too often, and good handled relatively easy on the edge.
He showed spurts of ability at time but played nowhere near his potential.
When watching the game again though, his counterpart on the Utah line, stood out.
Stock Up: John Cullen, OT, Utah
A JUCO transfer, Cullen stands about 6'5, 285 pounds and looked relatively impressive in his first start. Athletic and big enough to make a name, he could be a player to watch in the next two seasons.
Wesley O'Donnell covers the NFL, NCAA, and NFL Draft year round. He is a contributing writer to NFL Draft Bible and can be followed on twitter @wesodonnell.
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