Draft Meets Tourney: Matching 2011 NFL Draft Prospects with Tournament Teams
To some football fans, following the NFL Draft is the most exciting time of the football season. And to probably a greater percentage of basketball fans, March Madness is the peak of the sports season.
There's so much skepticism, so much risk, so much potential and a chance to change one's team for the long future in both cases. And before both happen, everyone from the casual fan to the hardcore follower can either be right or wrong, and we don't know until the start of the events to see how it'll unfold.
Here's a (fun) look at how some of the tournament teams compare to potential first round prospects in the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Marcel Dareus, DT, Alabama
1 of 10
The top seed in the tournament, Ohio State is, as expected, one of teams many are picking to be the team that finishes number one. They have the size in Jared Sullinger, some flashy players on the outside, and can beat teams in many ways, running the inside-out offense.
Marcel Dareus has been in the Top 10 mix most of the year, but only after really showcasing his size and ability to play so well in his body did he move into Top 3 consideration. While he isn't the most talented in this draft, similar to Ohio State maybe not being the most talented as well, you know exactly what your getting out him and he's a very real possibility, even the "favorite" to be the first pick in the draft.
Still, I don't see either getting to number one, though both should go pretty far/high.
Kansas Jayhawks: Von Miller, OLB, Texas A&M
2 of 10
Maybe a bit of a stretch of a comparison, but both are elite talents with outstanding athletic ability.
The Morris brothers can use their size and length to power through and finish against bigger teams, and Josh Selby and the rest of the team has the athleticism and big play ability to take care of getting the stats and points for the team to make them a top tier team.
Miller was very productive and a headache the past two seasons against Big 12 competition, similar to Kansas, and he wowed teams with how athletic he really is at the Combine. Though I don't think he's as dominate as Kansas could be throughout March and in April, I think both will come up just short in finishing number one.
Duke Blue Devils: Patrick Peterson, CB, LSU
3 of 10
If Kyrie Irving comes back, you'd be going out a limb if you DON'T pick Duke to win the championship again. And if the Panthers aren't sold on drafting a quarterback, don't be surprised if they look at the top player on most boards across the league in Patrick Peterson.
Both are very safe bets to be productive, both in the tourney and in the NFL. They have the athletic ability, aren't always flashy, but generally do just enough to shut down opposing teams/receivers. You'll never hear anything bad about their work ethic or character too.
I don't think the Panthers go quarterback with the first pick, and instead go with the safe pick, which should be Marcel Dareus, Patrick Peterson, or AJ Green. If you want a safe pick, but the Dukies to get to at least the Final Four. As much as a don't want repeat number ones, Duke is clearly the best team in this tourney right now, in my opinion at least.
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Pittsburgh Panthers: Blaine Gabbert, QB, Missouri
4 of 10
Projected as one of the Top four or five picks in the draft, Blaine Gabbert can really open eyes if he performs well over the next few days in his Pro Day and workouts.
Pittsburgh is for sure the worse of the number one seeds, and I might even rather every other number two seed and a few number three seeds over them. That's similar to the sentiment in the NFL right now about Gabbert: There could be at least one or two quarterbacks who teams like more.
Generally, having Pitt go far in the bracket is not something many feel confident in, and NFL teams aren't confident that Gabbert is a top five level quarterback like Bradford, Stafford, Sanchez before him. But in the next few days-weeks, that could change a lot, depending on how much they can impress their viewers.
North Carolina Tar Heels: Cam Newton, QB, Auburn
5 of 10
Harrison Barnes was tremendously hyped coming into the year for the Tar Heels and was set to return the program to tops in the country. Cam Newton came to Auburn and early on was seen as the best player in the country and eventual Heisman trophy winner.
While Barnes and North Carolina struggled early, they finally put it together and rallied at the end of the season to go from a fringe tourney team in mid-season to a number two seed. Now, the one year wonder Harrison Barnes has quickly gone from highly touted recruit to potential star in the making.
Newton was extremely impressive and didn't lose at game while at Auburn, including winning his own National Championship. There are some flaws in his game, as there is with North Carolina, but he is prospect that has such a high ceiling and could be hard to pass on for teams towards the top of the draft.
The Tar Heels should be able to get to the Elite Eight, and Newton is projected in my soon to be post Mock Draft No. 8 to the Tennessee Titans.
Florida Gators: Nate Solder, OT, Colorado
6 of 10
Florida a number two seed? Not Kentucky, Texas, Purdue, UConn, all who are in my opinion are better teams, but the Gators get a Top eight seed.
Nate Solder is projected to be one of the first two or three tackles taken. But I'd take four tackles, similar to four teams at least over Florida, in this upcoming NFL Draft. Guys like Derrick Sherrod (Miss St), Tyron Smith (USC), Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin), and Anthony Castonzo (BC) all have more potential and should be looked at as higher picks.
I have Florida losing second round to Michigan State, but either way I'd wager that most fans don't have Florida close to their five years ago level as a national contender. I wouldn't bank on Nate Solder being a high pick either, ending up in the bottom half of the first round.
Connecticut Huskies: Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada
7 of 10
Kemba Walker, arguably the best and most exciting player in the country, has lead the UConn Huskies to to the NCAA tournament this year almost by himself and carried them to a No. 3 seed, despite not being viewed as a Top 25 team in the pre-season.
Colin Kaepernick was under the radar the entire season, but once the Boise State win, then the Senior Bowl, then the Combine, and now private workouts, Kaepernick has found himself as a potential 1st round selection.
Both had great college coaching (Chris Ault of Nevada, Jim Calhoun of UConn) that really developed them over their season, and both have the wow factor that makes them easy to like and great to root for.
Kaepernick maxes out as a late first round pick, maybe in the 25-30 range, and I think UConn may have a tough time getting to the Sweet 16 or further, mainly because Cincinnati and San Diego State have more depth in talent than the Huskies.
Brigham Young Cougars: Da'Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
8 of 10
Jimmer Fredette was among the best scorers in the country this year, and has been great to watch all season long. Da'Quan Bowers was the sack leader in college football this year, and while he hasn't been as electrifying as Jimmer, he's been similarly productive.
However, both BYU and Bowers have big knocks on them that could limit their rise. BYU lost Brandon Davis, their second option after Jimmer and a key part of their team, to a suspension for violating University Rules. That loss could take BYU from potential deep tournament to focusing on one game at a time (that's right, I'm looking at Wofford).
Bowers got knee surgery after the season, and the knee recovery is quickly becoming a concern for many teams. Once viewed as one of the top prospects in the draft (BYU ranked in the Top 10 at one point), Bowers could fall thanks to that injury and despite his production.
Xavier Musketeers: Ben Ijalana, OT, Villanova and Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton
9 of 10
Xavier is the top ranked team that doesn't hail from a football "FBS" conference. While I don't think their in for a long tournament run, some like them as a sleeper that could be deadly.
Ijalana and Ellis are both fringe first round picks now, but the small school label as well as Ellis's character concerns could make it very iffy as of now. Still, being a potential first round pick from a small school is a great achievement.
Xavier plays in the toughest bracket, arguably, in the tournament, having to likely go through Syracuse, North Carolina, Kentucky and Ohio State to reach the Final Four. As many as five offensive tackles and as many as twelve defensive linemen could go in round one, so Ijalana and Ellis could also face an uphill battle to be included as well.
Michigan State Spartans: Jake Locker, QB, Washington
10 of 10
No question my favorite comparison, there are so many dots to draw here, at least in my opinion.
First off, neither had a great season, not close to what most were expecting for such a high profile team/quarterback. Both are now viewed as not worthy of being high picks in the tourney/draft, despite having the talent for sure to do so.
And I have both going much further/higher than most do. I am a Jake Locker fan, more than most this year, because I think he has the athleticism, arm strength, mobility, footwork, and potential to be a solid if not great quarterback in the NFL. Also, Michigan State has the talent in guys like Durrell Summers and others to really wow.
Not many quarterbacks are emerging as top flight guys, and Michigan State is in arguably the worst section of the bracket. Both are under-appreciated as of now, and both could stay outside the Sweet 16/First Round, but I wouldn't count out either right now based on their potential and track record.
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