VanFulpen’s NFL Power Rankings – Week 3

1. Chicago Bears (3-0) – Defensive end Julius Peppers has been a huge addition for the defensive line.


2. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) – The Steelers defense has been playing outstanding.


3. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) – One of the surprise teams of the early season so far but can they keep it up.


4. New Orleans Saints (2-1) – The lost in overtime after missing a field goal that could have won it and keep them undefeated.


5. Green Bay Packers (2-1) – Lost to the Bears on Monday Night in a hard fought NFC North game.


6. Houston Texans (2-1) – Against the Cowboys didn’t play like the had played in the first two weeks.


7. Indianapolis Colts (2-1) – The Colts looked they are ready to roll again this season.


8. New York Jets (2-1) – The Jets where able to go down to Miami and beat the Dolphins.


9. New England Patriots (2-1) – The Patriots got their offense rolling against the Bills.


10. Miami Dolphins (2-1) – Lost at home against the Jets but still should be in the mix for the AFC East crown.


11. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) – The Bengals still haven’t put an great offensive game together but our still 2-1.


12. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) – Quarterback Joe Flacco was able to bonus back and throw 3 touchdown passes this week.


13. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) – The Falcons won a hard fought game against the Saints in overtime.


14. Tennessee Titans (2-1) – The Titans offense has gotten things going yet like they had last year with Vince Young.


15. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) – The Eagles are keep Michael Vick as the starter and right now their offense is explosive.


16. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) – The Seahawks where able to make the plays when it counted against the Chargers to win the game last Sunday.


17. Arizona Cardinals (2-1) – The Cardinals are in the NFC West the worst division in football so they have a chance to win it again this year.


18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) – Showed their true colors against the Steelers this week.


19. San Diego Chargers (1-2) – The Chargers always start the season out slow when it is all said and done they will be in the playoffs.


20. Minnesota Vikings (1-2) – The Vikings got their first win, but still didn’t look like the team they where last year.


21. Dallas Cowboys (1-2) – Quarterback Tony Romo played well, which allowed the Cowboys to beat the Texans.


22. New York Giants (1-2) – Quarterback Eli Manning has to play better then what he did last week against the Titans if the Giants want to win the NFC East title.


23. Washington Redskins (1-2) – The Redskins allowed rookie quarterback Sam Bradford and the Rams to get their first win of the season.


24. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) – It might time for a house cleaning in Jacksonville.


25. Denver Broncos (1-2) – The Broncos just don’t have the playmakers they used to have in Denver.


26. Oakland Raiders (1-2) – Quarterback Bruce Gradkowski just isn’t the answer in Oakland and they will be looking for another quarterback this off-season.


27. St. Louis Rams (1-2) – The Rams where able to get a big time win against the Washington Redskins this week.


28. San Francisco 49ers (0-3) – The 49ers looked horrible against the Chiefs on Sunday, they fired their offensive coordinator but everyone needs to play better as well.


29. Detroit Lions (0-3) – Lions fans can’t wait to get quarterback Matthew Stafford back.


30. Carolina Panthers (0-3) – Quarterback Jimmy Clausen first start wasn’t great but it wasn’t horrible, they might have something to build on their.


31. Cleveland Browns (0-3) – The Browns need a quarterback and will try to trade for Kevin Kolb this off-season.


32. Buffalo Bills (0-3) – The Bills released quarterback Trent Edwards who started their first two games, but everyone knows they are on the clock for possible Ryan Mallett.

Power Ranking Number 20: Carolina Panthers

The biggest question is when does the Jimmy Clausen era start in Carolina, true Matt Moore might start out training camp as the starter but Clausen is the future in Carolina and is possible a franchise quarterback. Another big question is this head coach John Fox’s last year in Carolina, he is on his final year of his contract and has been given a contract extension.

The Panthers have one of the best running back combinations in Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and this season like in the past will focus their offense on running the football and they should be very effective doing so like always. Steve Smith is there only proven wide receiver but they did draft Brandon LaFell out of LSU who could be a good rookie wide receiver to keep your eye on.

On defense they lost defensive end Julius Peppers in free-agency and linebacker Thomas Davis could be out the season with a knee injury, but they still have linebacker Jon Beason who is one of the most productive linebackers in the NFL. The Panthers are hoping that second year player defensive end Everette Brown can take up some of the pass rushing slack from losing Peppers along with rookies Greg Hardy and Eric Norwood. Cornerback Chris Gamble is the leader and best player in the Panthers secondary and will need to have an outstanding season if the Panthers are able to compete in the NFC South.

Top 100 Players Left in 2010 NFL Draft

With the 1st round done, now here are the best 100 players left in the NFL Draft.

1. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
2. OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas
3. DT Brian Price, UCLA
4. OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
5. S Taylor Mays, USC
6. DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
7. DT Terrence Cody, Alabama
8. WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame
9. ILB Daryl Washington, TCU
10. OT Charles Brown, USC
11. S Nate Allen, South Florida
12. ILB Sean Lee, Penn State
13. OT Rodger Saffold, Indiana
14. QB Colt McCoy, Texas
15. WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois
16. TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
17. DT Lamarr Houston, Texas
18. S Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
19. DE Koa Misi, Utah
20. WR Damian Williams, USC
21. DE Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech
22. DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State
23. DT Cam Thomas, North Carolina
24. OG Jon Asamoah, Illinois
25. RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
26. RB Montario Hardesty, Tennessee
27. WR Carlton Mitchell, South Florida
28. OLB Navorro Bowman, Penn State
29. DT Linval Joseph, East Carolina
30. CB Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest
31. OLB Ricky Sapp, Clemson
32. OT Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts
33. RB Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
34. CB Chris Cook, Virginia
35. TE Jimmy Graham, Miami (Fla.)
36. DT Torrell Troup, UCF
37. WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
38. OLB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
39. OLB Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
40. DE Corey Wootton, Northwestern
41. OT Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale
42. CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Indiana-PA
43. S Chad Jones, LSU
44. S Reshad Jones, Georgia
45. CB Jerome Murphy, South Florida
46. LB Donald Butler, Washington
47. DE Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
48. WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
49. TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida
50. DE Austen Lane, Murray State
51. CB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
52. TE Dennis Pitta, BYU
53. OT John Jerry, Mississippi
54. RB Ben Tate, Auburn
55. TE Anthony McCoy, USC
56. RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford
57. TE Ed Dickson, Oregon
58. C Matt Tennant, Boston College
59. WR Eric Decker, Minnesota
60. DT Al Woods, LSU
61. TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
62. S Major Wright, Florida
63. ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida
64. DE Brandon Lang, Troy
65. WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson
66. CB Javier Arenas, Alabama
67. WR Taylor Price, Ohio
68. OT Selvish Capers, West Virginia
69. QB Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
70. QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
71. S Darrell Stuckey, Kansas
72. RB Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State
73. S TJ Ward, Oregon
74. QB Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee
75. TE/FB Clay Harbor, Missouri State
76. CB Amari Spievey, Iowa
77. RB Joe McKnight, USC
78. C J.D. Walton, Baylor
79. OLB Rennie Curran, Georgia
80. CB Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State
81. OLB Dekoda Watson, Florida State
82. CB Walter Thurmond, Oregon
83. DT D’Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
84. DT Geno Atkins, Georgia
85. OLB Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas
86. WR Jordan Shipley, Texas
87. S Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
88. WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
89. DT Arthur Jones, Syracuse
90. OT Tony Washington, Abilene Christian
91. WR Andre Roberts, Citadel
92. OG Mike Johnson, Alabama
93. DE C.J. Wilson, East Carolina
94. OG Zane Beadles, Utah
95. OLB Jermaine Cunningham, Florida
96. DE Clifton Geathers, South Carolina
97. DE Lindsey Witten, Connecticut
98. S Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt
99. DE George Selvie, South Florida
100. WR Blair White, Michigan State

Top 10 QB’s for 2010 NFL Draft

Here are my top ten quarterbacks and some sleepers to watch.

1. Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
3. Colt McCoy, Texas
4. Tim Tebow, Florida
5. Tony Pike, Cincinnati
6. Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
7. Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee
8. John Skelton, Fordham
9. Jarrett Brown, West Virginia
10. Jevan Snead, Mississippi

Sleepers:
Levi Brown, Troy
Tim Hiller, Western Michigan
Mike Kafka, Northwestern

TOP 150 for NFL Draft

1. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
4. S Eric Berry, Tennessee
5. OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
6. LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
7. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
8. OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
9. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
10. S Earl Thomas, Texas
11. RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
12. DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
13. OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
14. CB Joe Haden, Florida
15. OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
16. DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
17. OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas
18. DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
19. CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
20. DE Brandon Graham, Michigan
21. DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
22. RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State
23. DE Everson Griffen, USC
24. OG Mike Iupati, Idaho
25. TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma
26. OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
27. C Maurkice Pouncey, Florida
28. DT Brian Price, UCLA
29. OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
30. CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers
31. S Taylor Mays, USC
32. DE Jerry Hughes, TCU
33. RB Jahvid Best, California
34. DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
35. DT Terrence Cody, Alabama
36. CB Kareem Jackson, Alabama
37. WR Demaryius Thomas, Georgia Tech
38. WR Golden Tate, Notre Dame
39. ILB Daryl Washington, TCU
40. OT Charles Brown, USC
41. S Nate Allen, South Florida
42. ILB Sean Lee, Penn State
43. OT Rodger Saffold, Indiana
44. QB Colt McCoy, Texas
45. CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State
46. DT Tyson Alualu, California
47. WR Arrelious Benn, Illinois
48. TE Rob Gronkowski, Arizona
49. DT Lamarr Houston, Texas
50. S Morgan Burnett, Georgia Tech
51. DE Koa Misi, Utah
52. WR Damian Williams, USC
53. DE Jason Worilds, Virginia Tech
54. DE Alex Carrington, Arkansas State
55. DT Cam Thomas, North Carolina
56. OG Jon Asamoah, Illinois
57. RB Jonathan Dwyer, Georgia Tech
58. RB Montario Hardesty, Tennessee
59. WR Carlton Mitchell, South Florida
60. OLB Navorro Bowman, Penn State
61. DT Linval Joseph, East Carolina
62. CB Brandon Ghee, Wake Forest
63. OLB Ricky Sapp, Clemson
64. OT Vladimir Ducasse, Massachusetts
65. QB Tim Tebow, Florida
66. RB Dexter McCluster, Ole Miss
67. CB Chris Cook, Virginia
68. TE Jimmy Graham, Miami (Fla.)
69. DT Torrell Troup, UCF
70. WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
71. OLB Eric Norwood, South Carolina
72. OLB Thaddeus Gibson, Ohio State
73. DE Corey Wootton, Northwestern
74. OT Jared Veldheer, Hillsdale
75. CB Akwasi Owusu-Ansah, Indiana-PA
76. S Chad Jones, LSU
77. S Reshad Jones, Georgia
78. CB Jerome Murphy, South Florida
79. LB Donald Butler, Washington
80. DE Greg Hardy, Ole Miss
81. WR Brandon LaFell, LSU
82. TE Aaron Hernandez, Florida
83. DE Austen Lane, Murray State
84. CB Dominique Franks, Oklahoma
85. TE Dennis Pitta, BYU
86. OT John Jerry, Mississippi
87. RB Ben Tate, Auburn
88. TE Anthony McCoy, USC
89. RB Toby Gerhart, Stanford
90. TE Ed Dickson, Oregon
91. C Matt Tennant, Boston College
92. WR Eric Decker, Minnesota
93. DT Al Woods, LSU
94. TE Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh
95. S Major Wright, Florida
96. ILB Brandon Spikes, Florida
97. DE Brandon Lang, Troy
98. WR Jacoby Ford, Clemson
99. CB Javier Arenas, Alabama
100. WR Taylor Price, Ohio
101. OT Selvish Capers, West Virginia
102. QB Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
103. QB Tony Pike, Cincinnati
104. S Darrell Stuckey, Kansas
105. RB Anthony Dixon, Mississippi State
106. S TJ Ward, Oregon
107. QB Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee
108. TE/FB Clay Harbor, Missouri State
109. CB Amari Spievey, Iowa
110. RB Joe McKnight, USC
111. C J.D. Walton, Baylor
112. OLB Rennie Curran, Georgia
113. CB Perrish Cox, Oklahoma State
114. OLB Dekoda Watson, Florida State
115. CB Walter Thurmond, Oregon
116. DT D’Anthony Smith, Louisiana Tech
117. DT Geno Atkins, Georgia
118. OLB Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas
119. WR Jordan Shipley, Texas
120. S Kam Chancellor, Virginia Tech
121. WR Dezmon Briscoe, Kansas
122. DT Arthur Jones, Syracuse
123. OT Tony Washington, Abilene Christian
124. WR Andre Roberts, Citadel
125. OG Mike Johnson, Alabama
126. DE C.J. Wilson, East Carolina
127. OG Zane Beadles, Utah
128. OLB Jermaine Cunningham, Florida
129. DE Clifton Geathers, South Carolina
130. DE Lindsey Witten, Connecticut
131. S Myron Lewis, Vanderbilt
132. DE George Selvie, South Florida
133. WR Blair White, Michigan State
134. CB Alterraun Verner, UCLA
135. S Larry Asante, Nebraska
136. LB Jamar Chaney, Mississippi State
137. DE George Johnson, Rutgers
138. OT Jason Fox, Miami
139. ILB Pat Angerer, Iowa
140. OLB Dexter Davis, Arizona State
141. CB Syd'Quan Thompson, California
142. ILB Darryl Sharpton, Miami
143. CB A.J. Jefferson, Fresno State
145. DT Mike Neal, Purdue
146. CB Trevard Lindley, Kentucky
147. WR Riley Cooper, Florida
148. TE Garrett Graham, Wisconsin
149. S Kurt Coleman, Ohio State
150. OG Marshall Newhouse, TCU

NFL Draft News & Notes

-- Former NFL offensive coordinator and current Montreal Alouettes head coach Marc Trestman was front and center at Notre Dame junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen's Pro Day as he helped set-up the scripted workout that the possible Top-10 pick performed in front of NFL scouts. By all accounts the script was one much preferred to the one performed recently by Oklahoma junior quarterback Sam Bradford at his own Pro Day workout as Clausen threw many more down-field passes so his arm strength and the velocity on his ball was much easier to evaluate than at Bradford's workout. Trestman was believed to be a candidate for the Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders head coaching positions this past off-season and his continued work with helping to groom young NFL-bound quarterbacks will certainly keep his name among the hopeful NFL head coaching candidates in 2011, as well.

-- Promising their anonymity here is a list of who several key NFL evaluators think will be the best draft valued players per position, in other words, who they believe will be key contributors without necessarily being the highest rated or first drafted prospect at each position:

*Three prospects were listed if there was a tie among the dozen people we spoke to.

QB: Jarrett Brown (West Virginia), John Skelton (Fordham)
RB: Montario Hardesty (Tennessee), Deji Karim (Southern Illinois)
FB: Chris Zardas (Massachusetts), Cory Jackson (Maryland)
WR: Golden Tate (Notre Dame), Mike Williams (Syracuse), Kyle Williams (Arizona State)
TE: Clay Harbor (Missouri State), Jimmy Dray (Stanford)
OC: Joe Hawley (UNLV), Ted Larsen (NC State)
OG: Chris DeGeare (Wake Forest), Marshall Newhouse (TCU)
OT: Rodger Saffold (Indiana), Jared Veldheer (Hillsdale)

DE: EJ Wilson (North Carolina), Daniel Te'o-Nesheim (Washington), Hall Davis (UL-Lafayette)
DT: Torell Troup (Central Florida), Tyson Alualu (California)
ILB: Phillip Dillard (Nebraska), Travis Goethel (Arizona State)
OLB: Jason Worilds (Virginia Tech), Arthur Moats (James Madison), Keaton Kristick (Oregon State)
CB: Jerome Murphy (South Florida), Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (Indiana, PA), Kevin Thomas (USC)
S: Major Wright (Florida), Larry Asante (Nebraska)

K/P: Garrett Lindholm (Tarleton State), Scott Ravanesi (Southern Illinois)

How the McNabb trade effects the draft.

With the news that the Philadelphia Eagles traded quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins, not only is Washington getting a possible Hall of Fame type quarterback but now the impact of the NFL Draft will be felt.

Now with the Redskins have their quarterback there is no shot that they will draft Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, if like we figure the St. Louis Rams draft Sam Bradford number one overall. The Redskins will most likely draft the best offensive tackle at number four hoping that Russell Okung of Oklahoma State is still there.

So the biggest question mark is where does Clausen go, well right now it looks like he will be available for the Buffalo Bills to select him with the ninth overall pick, but if he doesn’t go there how far will he fall. Would the Jacksonville Jaguars think about him at number ten? Or what about the San Francisco 49ers and one of their two first round picks if they are not sold on Alex Smith. Then there is always the Oakland Raiders, and we know they where looking at Donovan McNabb. A dark house could be the Kansas City Chiefs, since Clausen’s former head coach Charlie Weis is now the offensive coordinator and he has been all around the country working out college quarterback so that tells me they are not sold on quarterback Matt Cassel.

The other person in this situation is Jason Campbell and where does he go now, the Redskins don’t have to trade him, but I would think that they would want to. Some dentations for him could be Buffalo, Jacksonville, Carolina, Cleveland, or even Oakland. We have to see, but things now are getting more interesting.

Another note of interest, the Eagles only have two quarterbacks on their roster, so expect them to draft one late, or sign a few as un-drafted rookie free-agents.

VanFulpen Mock Draft 4.0

1. St. Louis Rams – QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
2. Detroit Lions – DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
4. Washington Redskins – OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
5. Kansas City Chiefs – OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
6. Seattle Seahawks – OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
7. Cleveland Browns – S Eric Berry, Tennessee
8. Oakland Raiders – OT Bruce Campbell, Maryland
9. Buffalo Bills – QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
10. Jacksonville Jaguars – LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
11. Denver Broncos – WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
12. Miami Dolphins – OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas
13. San Francisco 49ers – CB Joe Haden, Florida
14. Seattle Seahawks – RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
15. N.Y. Giants – OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri
16. San Francisco 49ers – S Earl Thomas, Texas
17. Tennessee Titans – DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
18. Pittsburgh Steelers – OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
19. Atlanta Falcons – DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
20. Houston Texans – DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
21. Cincinnati Bengals – DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
22. New England Patriots – DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
23. Green Bay Packers – OT Charles Brown, USC
24. Philadelphia Eagles – OG Mike Iupati, Idaho
25. Baltimore Ravens – CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
26. Arizona Cardinals – OLB Brandon Graham, Michigan
27. Dallas Cowboys – S Taylor Mays, USC
28. San Diego Chargers – RB Ryan Mathews, Fresno State
29. N.Y. Jets – NT Terrence Cody, Alabama
30. Minnesota Vikings – CB Devin McCourty, Rutgers
31. Indianapolis Colts - DT Brian Price, UCLA
32. New Orleans Saints – DE Everson Griffen, USC

Information going into the 2010 NFL Combine

-- The 2009 NFL Draft featured 42 players who were selected (256 players total were picked) that were not chosen to participate in last year's NFL Scouting Combine... last year's draft had the most non-combine players selected since 2003 when a total of 43 players were taken who failed to receive invites to Indianapolis.

-- NFL evaluators have been told that Notre Dame junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Tennessee junior defensive back Eric Berry, a pair of possible Top-10 selections, may come up "Short" when it comes to the weigh-in portion of the NFL Combine... Clausen may be under 6030 while Berry could be below 5110.

-- With many of the top signal callers opting not to workout because of injury or opting to wait for their Pro Days the quarterbacks who could benefit the most this weekend are Cincinnati senior quarterback Tony Pike, West Virginia senior quarterback Jarrett Brown, Mississippi junior quarterback Jevan Snead and Troy senior quarterback Levi Brown.

-- Teams will be paying close attention to the weight of Georgia Tech junior running back Jonathan Dwyer... those who are highly interested in his abilities hope to see a leaner 225-230 pound range back show up to Indianapolis... if he were to be too much north of 235 pounds it will create some questions about his work ethic and ability to be an every-down guy at the next level.

-- Wayne State senior running back Joique Bell has big expectations for his workout... according to several sources close to the Harlon Hill Award winner he hopes to break the 4.5 mark at nearly 225 pounds. Others that could surprise with eye-opening 40-times at the running back position include; Fresno State's Lonyae Miller, North Dakota State's Pat Paschall, Marshall's Darius Marshall and Virginia fullback Rashawn Jackson.

-- Notre Dame junior wide receiver Golden Tate could post one of the fastest 40-times amongst this year's crop of wide outs... Ohio U. senior wide receiver Taylor Price, South Florida junior wide receiver Carlton Mitchell, Clemson senior wide receiver Jacoby Ford and Connecticut senior wide receiver Marcus Easley could all easily break the 4.4 barrier on at least one of their 40-yard dash attempts... however, LSU all-purpose back/receiver Trindon Holliday or Kansas State wide receiver/return man Brandon Banks should battle for 40-yard dash supremacy at about 4.28.

-- Meanwhile, several area scouts expect one of Oklahoma State junior wide Dez Bryant, Illinois junior wide receiver Arrelious Benn, Kansas junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe or Tulane senior wide receiver Jeremy Williams to run slower-than-expected times in the 40-yard dash.

-- Hillsdale senior offensive tackle Jared Veldheer, Maryland junior offensive tackle Bruce Campbell, Iowa junior offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, West Virginia senior offensive tackle Selvish Capers and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Ed Wang are all capable of running below 5.00 and as fast as 4.90 in the 40-yard dash and each will weigh over 300 pounds.

-- Abilene Christian senior offensive tackle Tony Washington may have the most crucial interviews of any prospect attending this week's NFL Combine as the 6060, 305 pound, Division II All-American was unable to attend any of the post-season all-star games due to the numerous restrictions surrounding a past conviction that has yet to be completely identified by members of all 32 teams... he has 2nd or 3rd round talent, but he has his work cut out for him this week as more than a few teams are unsure how or if he can fit into their future plans because of the lengthy restrictions that could follow him for the rest of his life.

-- Idaho senior offensive lineman Mike Iupati has a chance to post one of the top numbers in terms of total reps of 225 pounds in the bench press portion of the workout... sources close to the standout linemen say he should hit in the high-30's without maximum effort.

-- Last year former Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram dropped to the Philadelphia Eagles in the 5th round (#153 overall) because he was coming off a pair of knee injuries... he suffered another major knee injury this past summer and some believe that evaluators will take a very close look at Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham's medical file and that he will likely be asked to come back to the medical re-check in early April so that all 32 teams can get as sure a read on the status of his right knee... he is expected to fully participate in the on-field workouts and aiming for 4.70 range in the 40-yard dash at 6060, 258 pounds.

-- USC junior defensive lineman Everson Griffen, Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham and Murray State defensive end Austen Lane, each expect to run 4.65 or better in the 40-yard dash... keep an eye on Louisiana-Lafayette senior defensive lineman Hall Davis and Nevada junior defensive end Kevin Basped who could both move into 3rd-4th round consideration with impressive workouts this weekend.

-- With all the DT talk surrounding Ndamukong Suh vs. Gerald McCoy, a number of others could push their way up the draft board based on their workouts this weekend... expect to see strong performances from Central Florida senior defensive tackle Torell Troup, UCLA junior defensive tackle Brian Price, Purdue senior defensive tackle Mike Neal and LSU nose tackle Al Woods.

-- TCU linebacker Daryl Washington has the potential to outshine more highly-acclaimed players like Alabama's Rolando McClain and Florida's Brandon Spikes when he times in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash.

-- Texas junior defensive back Earl Thomas has the ability to come out of the NFL Combine as a sure-fire Top-20 draft choice and by next week could be right on the heels of Tennessee junior defensive back Eric Berry and Florida junior cornerback Joe Haden for the title of first defensive back selected come April's draft.

-- Florida State senior cornerback Patrick Robinson almost certainly will post solid workout numbers, but keep a close eye on his positional workout as many evaluators are not in love with his instincts, foot-work and ability to find the ball when it is in the air.

-- Alabama senior cornerback Javier Arenas and Kentucky senior cornerback Trevard Lindley are two highly-acclaimed veteran defenders who may struggle with their 40-times... however, if he is 100% and able to workout expect to be impressed by the workout numbers turned in by Maryland senior cornerback Nolan Carroll and UTEP senior cornerback Cornelius Brown, who should run in the 4.4 range with 40" vertical at 5110, 195 pounds.

-- Syracuse senior defensive tackle Arthur Jones will not participate in the workout portion of the NFL Combine and will instead wait until a Pro Day scheduled for April 6th even though several sources close to him insist that he will be 100% medically cleared by the NFL Combine's medical staff and receive a clean medical evaluation after suffering both a torn pectoral muscle last spring and a torn left lateral meniscus in his knee during the season... teams employing a 3-4 defensive scheme are sure to send plenty of evaluators to his early April Pro Day and down-the-road Jones could end up being one of the best "Value" picks of the draft.

- Information from The NFL Draft Bible and other reporters was used in this report. The NFLDraftBible.com is the preeminent source of NFL Draft Information.

Pre-Combine News and Notes

Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, will participate in all of the workouts at the NFL combine.

Wide Receiver Demaryius Thomas, of Georgia Tech, broke his left foot on Wednesday in Scottsdale, AZ, while training for next week's combine. He will not be able to do anything at the combine and it looks as if he will be out 4 to 6 weeks.

Wide Receiver Eric Decker of Minnesota will not be working out at the NFL Combine because of his foot injury that he hasn’t recovered from.

Quarterback Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame will not be working out because of his toe injury at the NFL Combine as previously been reported.

Question marks surround quarterback Sam Bradford of Oklahoma as to if he will workout at the NFL Combine, most people I have spoken to say that he will not work out in Indianapolis and will wait for his Pro Day.

All signing are pointing to that tight end Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma will work out at the NFL Combine because he is very close to being 100 percent.

Tight End Jim Dray of Stanford who injured his ankle at the Texas vs. the Nation game will not be able to work out at the NFL Combine, but hopes to be ready for his Pro Day.

Running Back Ryan Mathews of Fresno State will participate in all of the workouts at the NFL Combine and from people that are training with him as well as seen him train, he could be on player that blows the NFL scouts away with his work out numbers.

Running Back Jonathan Dwyer of Georgia Tech who some people question his weight gain this season has been working hard to be in the best shape of his life and should weight in less then around the 235 pounds he played at this season.

VanFulpen's Top 25 NFL Draft Prospects

Here are my top 25 prospects for the 2010 NFL Draft Pre-NFL Combine.

1. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska
2. DT Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma
3. S Eric Berry, Tennessee
4. DE Derrick Morgan, Georgia Tech
5. CB Joe Haden, Florida
6. LB Rolando McClain, Alabama
7. OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State
8. WR Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State
9. DE Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida
10. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
11. QB Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
12. OT Anthony Davis, Rutgers
13. DE Carlos Dunlap, Florida
14. RB C.J. Spiller, Clemson
15. DT Dan Williams, Tennessee
16. OG Mike Iupati, Idaho
17. OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma
18. DT Brian Price, UCLA
19. S Earl Thomas, Texas
20. OT Bryan Bulaga, Iowa
21. CB Kyle Wilson, Boise State
22. DE Brandon Graham, Michigan
23. S Taylor Mays,
24. DT Jared Odrick, Penn State
25. DE Everson Griffen, USC

2010 NFL Combine: QB Overview

List of Quarterbacks Invited to NFL Combine:
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Levi Brown, Troy
Jarrett Brown, West Virginia
Sean Canfield, Oregon State
Daryll Clark, Penn State
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
Armanti Edwards, Appalachian State
Max Hall, BYU
Tim Hiller, Western Michigan
Mike Kafka, Northwestern
Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
Thaddeus Lewis, Duke
Colt McCoy, Texas
Tony Pike, Cincinnati
Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State
John Skelton, Fordham
Riley Skinner, Wake Forest
Jeavan Snead, Mississippi
Tim Tebow, Florida

Juniors:
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma
Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame
Jeavan Snead, Mississippi

Played in Senior Bowl:
Jarrett Brown, West Virginia
Sean Canfield, Oregon State
Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan
Tony Pike, Cincinnati
Zac Robinson, Oklahoma State
Tim Tebow, Florida

Played in East West:
Daryll Clark, Penn State
Max Hall, BYU
Mike Kafka, Northwestern
John Skelton, Fordham

Played in Texas vs. Nation:
Levi Brown, Troy
Tim Hiller, Western Michigan
Thaddeus Lewis, Duke

Surprising guys left off:
Jonathan Crompton, Tennessee
Matt Nichols, Eastern Washington
Ryan Perrilloux, Jacksonville State
Rusty Smith, Florida Atlantic
Bill Stull, Pittsburgh

Story Lines:
Tim Tebow – The national media, NFL Network, ESPN will be all over his every move. He should test well, but in the quarterback drills I expect him to struggle.

Jimmy Clausen – Had toe surgery in the off-season, so won’t be able to compete in drills at the NFL Combine, will have to wait until Notre Dame Pro Day.

Sam Bradford – His camp is keeping it quite on how much he will participate in the NFL Combine, if he is able to show he is 100 percent and does well, it will help him try to get to the number one overall pick.

Tim Hiller – Needs to show better consistency then he did at the Texas vs. the Nation game, last week in El Paso.

Daryll Clark – Needs to bounce back from his East-West game performance or NFL teams might ask him to move to running back.

Jeavan Snead – Snead could take advantage of the NFL Combine will a great week could help his draft status, since he had an up and down junior year.

Sean Canfield – Canfield had a rough Senior Bowl performance and could use the NFL Combine to show his ability to NFL scout, and that his week down in Mobile wasn’t the real Canfield.

Jarrett Brown – Brown needs to show that he can be a complete quarterback and not just a great athlete.

John Skelton – Skelton will need to show better foot work and mechanics in the quarterback drills.

Levi Brown – Brown looked a little stiff in his throwing motion at the Texas vs. the Nation game and hopeful can show some more flexibility at the NFL Combine.

Tony Pike – Will Pike weight in at more then he did at the Senior Bowl?

VanFulpen’s Heisman Watch

Here are my top five for the Heisman and why they will win the award and why they won’t win the award.

1. RB Mark Ingram, Alabama, So.
Stats: Rushing - 1,004 yards 6.6 average 8 touchdowns. Receiving - 19 receptions 186 yards 9.8 average 3 touchdowns

Why He Will Win It: He is the best player on possible the best team in the country and has put up some good stats. He needs to improve those stats and have some big games down the stretch but right now he is the front runner.

Why He Won’t Win It: He is a true sophomore, and voters still like to vote for upperclassmen, even with the resent history of sophomore winning it like Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford.

2. QB Tim Tebow, Florida Sr.
Stats: Passing - 1,159 passing yards, 8 touchdowns 4 interceptions. Rushing: 673 yards 3.8 average 12 touchdowns

Why He Will Win It: He won it as a sophomore and was in the race to win it last year. He is one of the best players in college football history and his team has a chance to win back to back national championships and three out of his four years.

Why He Won’t Win It: He hasn’t put up the huge stats like he did when he won it as a sophomore and that is what the voters want to see.

3. QB Jimmy Clausen, Notre Dame Jr.
Stats: Rushing - Stats: Passing – 2,050 passing yards, 16 touchdowns 2 interceptions.

Why He Will Win It: He from Notre Dame and he is having an outstanding season and the team still has a chance to go to a BCS Bowl game.

Why He Won’t Win It: He is from Notre Dame and has already lost two games this season against two of Notre Dames biggest rivals.

4. QB Colt McCoy, Texas Sr.
Stats: Passing - 1,806 passing yards, 14 touchdowns 8 interceptions. Rushing: 104 yards 1.8 average 1 touchdowns

Why He Will Win It: He is the quarterback for Texas who should win out the rest of their games and go to BCS National Championship game.

Why He Won’t Win It: He isn’t having the season he had last year and he didn’t win the Hesiman when he put up great stats.

5. QB Case Keenum, Houston Jr.
Stats: Rushing - Stats: Passing – 2,734 passing yards, 20 touchdowns 4 interceptions.

Why He Will Win It: He has put up some huge passing stats and his team has only lost one game this season.

Why He Won’t Win It: He plays at Houston and that will hurt him in the long run at his chances of winning the Hesiman.