VanFulpen’s Mock Draft – Week 3

Drafted order is based on my power ranking.


1. Buffalo Bills (0-3) – QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas*
2. Cleveland Browns (0-3) – QB Andrew Luck, Stanford*
3. Carolina Panthers (0-3) – WR AJ Green, Georgia*
4. Detroit Lions (0-3) – CB Patrick Peterson, LSU*
5. San Francisco 49ers (0-3) – DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama*
6. St. Louis Rams (1-2) – DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina*
7. New England Patriots (from Oakland Raiders (1-2) – RB Mark Ingram, Alabama*
8. Denver Broncos (1-2) – CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) – QB Jake Locker, Washington
10. Washington Redskins (1-2) – WR Julio Jones, Alabama*
11. New York Giants (1-2) – CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
12. Dallas Cowboys (1-2) – S Rahim Moore, UCLA*
13. Minnesota Vikings (1-2) – QB Christian Ponder, Florida State
14. San Diego Chargers (1-2) – WR Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh*
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) – DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
16. Arizona Cardinals (2-1) – OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College
17. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) – DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
18. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) – OT Nate Solder, Colorado
19. Tennessee Titans (2-1) – OLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA*
20. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) – DE Allen Bailey, Miami (FL)
21. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) – CB Aaron Williams, Texas*
22. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) – DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
23. Miami Dolphins (2-1) – TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame*
24. New England Patriots (2-1) – WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame*
25. New York Jets (2-1) – OLB Von Miller, Texas A & M
26. Indianapolis Colts (2-1) – OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina
27. Houston Texans (2-1) – DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina
28. Green Bay Packers (2-1) – CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida*
29. New Orleans Saints (2-1) – OLB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma*
30. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) – OLB Mark Herzlich, Boston College
31. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0) – OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
32. Chicago Bears (3-0) – OT Orlando Franklin, Miami (FL)


* = underclassmen

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.

VanFulpen’s Heisman Poll

1. QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State – Against Eastern Michigan Pryor accounted for six touchdowns -- four passing, one rushing and one receiving. On the season he has 939 yard passing and 10 touchdowns and 269 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. He is on the #2 overall team in the country and is the leader of that team which is the reason he is number one on my Heisman poll.


2. QB Denard Robinson, Michigan – Robinson got hurt against Bowling Green and only played about 10 minutes in the game, but did end up rushing for 129 yards and 2 touchdowns. The questions are how bad is he really hurt and what will he do against Big Ten competition.


3. QB Kellen Moore, Boise State – Moore threw for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns against Oregon State 873 yards and 8 touchdowns on the season. He should put up good numbers and Boise State will be a huge favorite in all their remaining games.


4. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas – Mallett looked like the Heisman favorite in the first half against Alabama when Arkansas was leading, but in the second half Mallett made some bad throws and threw 3 interceptions total in the game and cost Arkansas a shot at the upset.


5. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford – Luck didn’t have a great game in the win over Notre Dame, throwing his first two interceptions of the season but they got the win and now move on to play Oregon. This season Luck has 912 yards passing and 11 touchdowns and 163 yards rushing along with 1 rushing touchdown.

VanFulpen's College Football Poll

1. Alabama (4-0) – A huge late come back win on the road against Arkansas and now they face Florida.


2. Ohio State (4-0) – Ohio State played Eastern Michigan, not a powerhouse team but should get some test later in the Big Ten season.


3. Boise State (3-0) – Boise State beat Oregon State at home only real test left is possible Nevada.


4. TCU (4-0) – TCU wins again, they are waiting for their only test left for the season November 6th against Utah.


5. Nebraska (4-0) – Nebraska plays Thursday against Kansas State a good test for them as well as Kansas State running back Daniel Thomas.


6. Oregon (4-0) – Great game coming this Saturday in the Pac-10 when Oregon takes on Stanford.


7. Oklahoma (4-0) – Just because Texas lost this past Saturday to UCLA, Oklahoma can’t over look them this Saturday.


8. Florida (4-0) – Huge game this Saturday against Alabama.


9 Wisconsin (4-0) – Huge game this Saturday for Wisconsin as they travel to Michigan State.


10. Stanford (4-0) – Stanford travel to Notre Dame and won and now have to go to Oregon and play the Ducks in a huge game in the Pac-10.


11. Auburn (4-0) – Huge win for Auburn against South Carolina at home and now the next big SEC game isn’t until October 16th against Arkansas.


12. LSU (4-0) – LSU beat West Virginia and in two weeks have a big game against Florida.


13. Utah (4-0) – Utah should be undefeated when the go in their game against TCU, November 6th.


14. Arizona (4-0) – A late touchdown gives them a one point win over Cal, now this week they take on Oregon State.


15. Arkansas (3-1) – Loss against Alabama at home in a game they could have won, now take on Texas A & M this week.


16. Iowa (3-1) – Open up Big Ten play this week at home against Penn State.


17. Miami (FL) (2-1) – Was able to go on the road at beat Pittsburgh on the road now open ACC play against Clemson this Saturday.


18. Texas (3-1) – Texas had a horrible game against UCLA, but have a chance to make up for it this Saturday against Oklahoma.


19. USC (4-0) – Even without the ability to go to a bowl game this season, still a very good football team.


20. Michigan (4-0) – Michigan was able to beat Bowling Green without quarterback Denard Robinson for most of the game, but need him to be healthy now that they are getting into Big Ten games.


21. Michigan State (4-0) – They get Wisconsin at home this Saturday and need to keep running the ball like they have all season.


22. South Carolina (3-1) – Lost a hard fought game against Auburn, are off this week and the next game they play is against Alabama.


23. Penn State (3-1) – Penn State travels to Iowa to kick off the Big Ten season.


24. Florida State (3-1) – Florida State has played well since their beat down at the hands of Oklahoma.


25. Kansas State (4-0) – Kansas State takes on Nebraska this week and they need running back Daniel Thomas to have a big game.

VanFulpen's NFL Week 3 Winners

Tennessee at NY Giants 1:00 PM CBS – Both teams are coming off a loss and the Titans benched quarterback Vince Young. Running back Chris Johnson should have a better game then last week.


WINNER: GIANTS


Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay 1:00 PM CBS – Both teams are 2-0, and the Steelers will start Charlie Batch at quarterback, maybe Tampa Bay can be the sleeper team in the NFC South.


WINNER: BUCS


Cincinnati at Carolina 1:00 PM CBS – The Bengals offense needs to score touchdowns and this week the do.


WINNER: BENGALS


Cleveland at Baltimore 1:00 PM CBS – The Browns get to go to a pissed off Ravens team for losing last week to the Bengals, not a good thing.


WINNER: RAVENS


Dallas at Houston 1:00 PM FOX – The Texans went overtime to beat the Redskins, the won’t have to play longer then four quarters this week.


WINNER: TEXANS


San Francisco at Kansas City 1:00 PM FOX – The Chiefs can’t start 3-0 can they, well the are playing the 49ers at home.


WINNER: 49ers


Detroit at Minnesota 1:00 PM FOX – Brett Farve won’t start this season 0-3 and the Lions are still without quarterback Matthew Stafford


WINNER: VIKINGS


Buffalo at New England 1:00 PM CBS – After the lost to the Jets the Patriots get to beat up on the Bills.


WINNER: PATRIOTS


Atlanta at New Orleans 1:00 PM FOX – The Saints get the Falcons at home and get a chance to start back to back seasons 3-0.


WINNER: SAINTS


Washington at St. Louis 4:05 PM FOX – Sam Bradford get to try to get his first NFL regular season win, it will come but not this Sunday.


WINNER: REDSKINS


Philadelphia at Jacksonville 4:05 PM FOX – The Eagles stick with Michael Vick at quarterback to start, but still say Kevin Kolb is their future.


WINNER: JAGUARS


Oakland at Arizona 4:15 PM CBS – The Raiders are going with Bruce Gradkowski at quarterback over Jason Campbell.


WINNER: CARDINALS


San Diego at Seattle 4:15 PM CBS – The Seahawks are coming off a beating by the Broncos and the Chargers are a much better team.


WINNER: CHARGERS


Indianapolis at Denver 4:15 PM CBS – The Colts are ready to get on a roll after a week one loss.


WINNER: COLTS


NY Jets at Miami 8:20 PM NBC – No cornerback Darrelle Revis for the Jets to cover Brandon Marshall for the Dolphins, advantage Dolphins.


WINNER: DOLPHINS


Green Bay at Chicago 8:30 PM ESPN (Monday Night) – Both teams are 2-0 and playing well, Bears are at home and quarterback Jay Culter is playing well.


WINNER: BEARS

VanFulpen’s Mock Draft – Week 2

Draft order is based on my power rankings

1. Buffalo Bills (0-2) – QB Andrew Luck, Stanford*
2. St. Louis Rams (0-2) – WR AJ Green, Georgia*
3. Cleveland Browns (0-2) – QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas*
4. Carolina Panthers (0-2) – DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina*
5. Detroit Lions (0-2) – CB Patrick Peterson, LSU*
6. San Francisco 49ers (0-2) – QB Jake Locker, Washington
7. Dallas Cowboys (0-2) – DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama*
8. Minnesota Vikings (0-2) – CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
9. Arizona Cardinals (1-1) – QB Christian Ponder, Florida State
10. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) – DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
11. New England Patriots from (Oakland Raiders (1-1) – RB Mark Ingram, Alabama*
12. Denver Broncos (1-1) – CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) – S Rahim Moore, UCLA*
14. Washington Redskins (1-1) – WR Julio Jones, Alabama*
15. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) – OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College
16. Tennessee Titans (1-1) – OLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA*
17. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) – OT Nate Solder, Colorado
18. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) – DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
19. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) – DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
20. New York Giants (1-1) – TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame*
21. New England Patriots (1-1) – WR Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh*
22. New York Jets (1-1) – OLB Von Miller, Texas A & M
23. San Diego Chargers (1-1) – WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame*
24. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) – CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida*
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) – OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina
26. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) – OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
27. Chicago Bears (2-0) – DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina
28. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) – OT Orlando Franklin, Miami (FL)
29. Miami Dolphins (2-0) – OLB Mark Herzlich, Boston College
30. Green Bay Packers (2-0) – CB Aaron Williams, Texas*
31. Houston Texans (2-0) – DE Allen Bailey, Miami (FL)
32. New Orleans Saints (2-0) – OLB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma*

* = Underclassmen

VanFulpen’s Top 30 Chart for 2011 NFL Draft

All of these players are eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft, but aren’t all seniors and still would have to declare for the NFL Draft.

1. DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina*
2. QB Andrew Luck, Stanford*
3. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas*
4. CB Patrick Peterson, LSU*
5. WR AJ Green, Georgia*
6. DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
7. CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
8. DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama*
9. QB Jake Locker, Washington
10. RB Mark Ingram, Alabama*
11. OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College
12. CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
13. OLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA*
14. S Rahim Moore, UCLA*
15. WR Julio Jones, Alabama*
16. WR Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh*
17. DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
18. DE Allen Bailey, Miami (FL)
19. CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida*
20. OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina
21. TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame*
22. WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame*
23. DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
24. OT Nate Solder, Colorado
25. DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina
26. OLB Von Miller, Texas A & M
27. OLB Mark Herzlich, Boston College
28. QB Christian Ponder, Florida State
29. OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
30. OLB Travis Lewis, Oklahoma*


* = Underclassmen

VanFulpen’s NFL Power Rankings – Week 2

1. New Orleans Saints (2-0) – The Saints are the best team in the NFL and proved it on Monday Night Football traveling to San Francisco and being able to win with a field goal on the final play.

2. Green Bay Packers (2-0) – Quarterback Aaron Rogers looks like he is the leader for the NFL MVP award and their defense is great as well.

3. Houston Texans (2-0) – Overtime win against the Redskins and now they are at home against the Cowboys if they can beat their in state rivals will go along for their confidence.

4. Miami Dolphins (2-0) – Great win against the Vikings on the road now they take on the Jets.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0) – No Big Ben no problem in the first two weeks.

6. Chicago Bears (2-0) – Jay Cutler has looked like the Pro Bowl player the Bears thought they traded for in the first two weeks.

7. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) – On of the surprise teams of the early season so far but can they keep it up.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) – The other surprise team and they have a good young quarterback leading them.

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

10. San Diego Chargers (1-1) – Maybe the early season lost to the Chiefs was a good thing for them.

11. New York Jets (1-1) – They have to go play Miami this week, who last season they where 0-2 against.

12. New England Patriots (1-1) – Patriots didn’t look like themselves in the second half against the Jets.

13. New York Giants (1-1) – Eli and the Giants got beat by his older brother Peyton but still look like the team to beat in the NFC East.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) – The Bengals need to get their offense going and score touchdowns and not kick field goals.

15. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) – The Ravens can’t wait to get Ed Reed back because then their defense will be even better.

16. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) – The Falcons can’t afford running back Michael Turner to be hurt and miss too much time.

17. Tennessee Titans (1-1) – Vince Young will be back as the starter, but they need to open more holes for running back Chris Johnson then what they did on Sunday against the Steelers.

18. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) – Michael Vick has played well but they are going back to quarterback Kevin Kolb, might not be the right move.

19. Washington Redskins (1-1) – Donovan McNabb should have this team right around a late season wild card push.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) – The Jaguars have to get better play out of their quarterback or will be looking for a new quarterback and new head coach in the off-season.

21. Denver Broncos (1-1) – The beat the Seahawks this past Sunday but don’t look like a playoff type team.

22. Oakland Raiders (1-1) – The Raiders might be looking for another quarterback this off-season as Jason Campbell was benched in the first half Sunday.

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) – The great opening day win didn’t look so great after getting beat by the Broncos.

24. Arizona Cardinals (1-1) – Derrick Anderson is not the answer at quarterback and they could be draft one in the first round again.

25. Minnesota Vikings (0-2) – Brett Farve came back for this? Life isn’t looking good, but just what the doctor ordered the Detroit Lions and Shaun Hill this Sunday.

26. Dallas Cowboys (0-2) – The Cowboys have to go on the road and beat the Texans this week.

27. San Francisco 49ers (0-2) – The 49ers play in the worst division in the NFL, the NFC West so an 8-8 record might win the division.

28. Detroit Lions (0-2) – Lions fans can’t wait to get quarterback Matthew Stafford back.

29. Carolina Panthers (0-2) – The Jimmy Clausen era has started in Carolina.

30. Cleveland Browns (0-2) – The Browns are hoping the quarterback Andrew Luck falls to them next April.

31. St. Louis Rams (0-2) – The Rams need offensive weapons and should trade for Vincent Jackson.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-2) – The Bills have benched quarterback Trent Edwards after week two.

VanFulpen's Heisman Watch

1. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas – Mallett won on the road against Georgia with a game winning touchdown passes and threw for 380 yards and 3 touchdowns. Has a huge game this week against Alabama and if he has a great game and pull off the upset should be in the driver seat for the Heisman.

2. QB Denard Robinson, Michigan – Robinson played UMass and did win the game and put up good number, but it was UMass and for a while it looked like Michigan could have been on upset alert.

3. QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State – Pryor and Ohio State did beat Ohio, but Pryor threw 2 interceptions and it was never a game where Pryor needed to make any Heisman type moments.

4. QB Kellen Moore, Boise State – Moore threw for 370 yards and 2 touchdowns and crushed Wyoming, but a huge test for Boise State as well as Moore awaits this week against Oregon State.

5. QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma – Jones threw for 254 yards and 1 touchdown against Air Force but didn’t look all that impressive as he did the week before, his Hesiman hopes are fading but has a huge game in two weeks against Texas in which his Hesiman stock could rise fast depending on how he plays.

VanFulpen’s College Football Top 25

1. Alabama (3-0) – Running back Mark Ingram is back and the Tide is ready to roll.

2. Ohio State (3-0) – Ohio State played Ohio and just over powered them.

3. Boise State (2-0) – Boise State roll again but has big test this week against Oregon State.

4. TCU (3-0) – TCU rolled against a Big 12 team in Baylor.

5. Nebraska (3-0) – Nebraska defense is one of the best and proved that against Washington and quarterback Jake Locker.

6. Oregon (3-0) – We will get to see how good Oregon is in two weeks when they take on Stanford.

7. Texas (3-0) – Had to take on a good Texas Tech team on the road and didn’t look great but won the game.

8. Oklahoma (3-0) – Oklahoma won again and we all are looking forward to the game in two weeks against Texas.

9. Arkansas (3-0) – Quarterback Ryan Mallett is right up there in the early Heisman voting and they take on #1 Alabama this week at home.

10. Florida (3-0) – In two weeks they are at Alabama and that will be a great test for this young team.

11. Wisconsin (3-0) – A close game against Arizona State at home and in two weeks they travel to Michigan State.

12. LSU (3-0) – A very good under the radar SEC team that this week take on West Virginia.

13. Utah (3-0) – Utah should be undefeated when the go in their game against TCU, November 6th.

14. South Carolina (3-0) – Huge match up this week when they take on Auburn.

15. Auburn (3-0) – Huge match up this week when they take on South Carolina.

16. Stanford (3-0) – Stanford is at Notre Dame this week and will need to put some points so that they can come out of South Bend with a victory.

17. Arizona (3-0) – A huge win this week against Iowa, now we will see what they can do in the Pac-10.

18. USC (3-0) – Even without the ability to go to a bowl game this season, still a very good football team.

19. Iowa (2-1) – Tough loss on the road against Arizona, but need to rebound and get ready for Big Ten play.

20. Miami (FL) (1-1) – Big game this week against Pittsburgh on the road on Thursday night.

21. West Virginia (3-0) – Huge game this week at LSU.

22. Michigan (3-0) – Was able to beat UMass this week and have Bowling Green this week before they get into Big 10 play.

23. Michigan State (3-0) – Huge win this past week against Notre Dame on the road, but the healthy of head coach Mark Dantonio is a big concern after he suffered a heart attack.

24. Penn State (2-1) – They can’t take Temple this week lightly as they are a good football team.
25. Oregon State (1-1) – If they can beat Boise State this week, the open week lost against TCU won’t hurt as bad.

VanFulpen's NFL Week 2 Winners

Pittsburgh at Tennessee 1:00 PM CBS – The Titans played great in their week one opening win and they are at home. Winner: TITANS

Miami at Minnesota 1:00 PM CBS – Could the Farve and the Vikings lose two in a row, it is possible and the game will be close. Winner: VIKINGS

Arizona at Atlanta 1:00 PM FOX – Falcons are coming off an open day lost in overtime, and Cardinals are coming off an open day win, but I don’t think that matters much. Winner: FALCONS

Baltimore at Cincinnati 1:00 PM CBS – The Bengals can’t fall two games behind the Ravens this early in the season. Winner: BENGALS

Kansas City at Cleveland 1:00 PM CBS – The Chiefs could really start the season off 2-0. Winner: CHIEFS

Chicago at Dallas 1:00 PM FOX – Dallas has problems blocking the Redskins, now in comes Julius Peppers, watch out Romo. Winner: COWBOYS

Philadelphia at Detroit 1:00 PM FOX – Michael Vick looks like he will start at quarterback, not a great thing for the Lions poor defense. Winner: EAGLES

Buffalo at Green Bay 1:00 PM CBS – Packers look to keep their winning ways at home. Winner: PACKERS

Tampa Bay at Carolina 1:00 PM FOX – This game should be close as both teams are equally match talent wise. Winner: PANTHERS

Seattle at Denver 4:05 PM FOX – First road game for Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, he hopes to keep it rolling. Winner: SEAHAWKS

St. Louis at Oakland 4:05 PM FOX – Sam Bradfords first road game in the NFL, and it is against the Raiders. Winner: RAIDERS

Houston at Washington 4:15 PM CBS – Two 1-0 teams match up to see who can stay undefeated early in the 2010 season. Winner: TEXANS

New England at NY Jets 4:15 PM CBS – Jets are hoping that their passing game looks better then it did in week one. Winner: PATRIOTS

Jacksonville at San Diego 4:15 PM CBS – Jacksonville has to travel from the east coast to the west coast and that never is a good thing. Winner: CHARGERS

NY Giants at Indianapolis 8:20 PM NBC – The Manning brothers go head-to-head in the Sunday Night Game. Winner: COLTS

New Orleans at San Francisco 8:30 PM ESPN (Monday Night) – The 49ers are hoping that their offense looks better in their home opener. Winner: SAINTS

Draft Digest: QB Christian Ponder - Overhyped or Too Early To Judge?

There has been some criticism of Florida State quarterback Christian Ponder after his performance against Oklahoma last weekend and people asking was his pre-season draft grade of him being a possible first round quarterback just over hype. To me it is way to early to judge Ponder on one bad performance. We have a long season to go and Ponder can make up for his bad performance against Oklahoma. Ponder made some bad reads against the Oklahoma defense and that cost him and his team. He made some bad throws and end up throwing 2 interceptions. But it wasn’t all his fault, Florida State defense got beat early and caused them to get down early and Florida State offensive line missed some assignments causing pressure on Ponder.

Ponders strengths:

-Good overall athlete
-Strong arm can make all the throws in the NFL
-Has the ability to throw on the run

Ponders weakness:

-Decision making needs to improve
-Sometime is inaccurate because of his footwork

2011 NFL Draft Possible Underclassmen

Underclassmen who will think about coming out for 2011 NFL Draft.

QB’s:
Ryan Mallett, Arkansas - JR
Andrew Luck, Stanford - Redshirt - Soph
Blaine Gabbert, Missouri - JR
Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State – JR

RB’s:
Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech - Redshirt - Soph
Mark Ingram, Alabama – JR
John Clay, Wisconsin – JR

WR’s:
A.J. Green, Georgia - JR
Julio Jones, Alabama - JR
Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh - JR
Michael Floyd, Notre Dame - JR
Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma - JR
DeVier Posey, Ohio State – JR

TE:
Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame – JR

DE’s:
Robert Quinn, North Carolina - JR
Marcell Dareus, Alabama - JR
Da'Quan Bowers, Clemson – JR
Frank Alexander, Oklahoma - JR
Quinton Coples, North Carolina – JR
Aldon Smith, Missouri - JR

DT’s:
Jurrell Casey, USC - JR
Jared Crick, Nebraska - JR
Lawrence Guy, Arizona State - JR
Kheeston Randall, Texas - JR
Jaye Howard, Florida - JR

OLB’s
Akeem Ayers, UCLA – JR
Travis Lewis, Oklahoma – JR
Keenan Robinson, Texas - JR
Zach Brown, North Carolina – JR

ILB:
Dont'a Hightower, Alabama – Redshirt – Soph

CB’s:
Patrick Peterson, LSU - JR
Aaron Williams, Texas - JR
Brandon Harris, Miami (FL) - JR
Janoris Jenkins, Florida – JR

S’s:
Rahim Moore, UCLA - JR
Robert Sands, West Virginia - JR
Will Hill, Florida - JR
Mark Barron, Alabama - JR

VanFulpen’s 2011 NFL Mock Draft

Here is my first mock draft based on my power rankings for the order, we all know that this will change ever week.

1. Buffalo Bills (0-1) - QB Jake Locker, Washington

2. St. Louis Rams (0-1) - WR AJ Green, Georgia*

3. Cleveland Browns (0-1) - QB Andrew Luck, Staford*

4. Oakland Raiders (0-1) - QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas*

5. Denver Broncos (0-1) - CB Patrick Peterson, LSU*

6. San Francisco 49ers (0-1) - CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska

7. Carolina Panthers (0-1) - DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina*

8. Detroit Lions (0-1) - CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia

9. Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) - OT Nate Solder, Colorado

10. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) - DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa

11. Atlanta Falcons (0-1) - DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama*

12. Dallas Cowboys (0-1) - OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College

13. Minnesota Vikings (0-1) - QB Christian Ponder, Florida State

14. San Diego Chargers (0-1) - WR Julio Jones, Alabama*

15. New York Jets (0-1) - DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State

16. Indianapolis Colts (0-1) - OLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA*

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) - RB Mark Ingram, Alabama*

18. Arizona Cardinals (1-0) - OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina

19. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) - OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

20. Washington Redskins (1-0) - WR Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh*

21. Seattle Seahawks (1-0) - DE Allen Bailey, Miami (FL)

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) - S Rahim Moore, UCLA*

23. Chicago Bears (1-0) - WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame*

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) - CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida*

25. Miami Dolphins (1-0) - TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame*

26. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) - CB Aaron Williams, Texas*

27. New York Giants (1-0) - RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech*

28. Tennessee Titans (1-0) - DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina

29. Houston Texans (1-0) - DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State

30. Green Bay Packers (1-0) - OLB Von Miller, Texas A & M

31. New England Patriots (1-0) - OLB Mark Herzlich, Boston College

32. New Orleans Saints (1-0) - DE Ryan Kerrigan, Purdue

VanFulpen’s Top 30 Chart for 2011 NFL Draft

All of these players are eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft, but aren’t all seniors and still would have to declare for the NFL Draft.

1. QB Jake Locker, Washington
2. DE Robert Quinn, North Carolina*
3. QB Andrew Luck, Staford*
4. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas*
5. CB Patrick Peterson, LSU*
6. WR AJ Green, Georgia*
7. DE Adrian Clayborn, Iowa
8. CB Prince Amukamara, Nebraska
9. OT Nate Solder, Colorado
10. DE Marcell Dareus, Alabama*
11. CB Ras-I Dowling, Virginia
12. OLB Akeem Ayers, UCLA*
13. OT Anthony Castonzo, Boston College
14. S Rahim Moore, UCLA*
15. WR Julio Jones, Alabama*
16. WR Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh*
17. DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
18. DE Allen Bailey, Miami (FL)
19. RB Mark Ingram, Alabama*
20. OLB Bruce Carter, North Carolina
21. DT Marvin Austin, North Carolina
22. TE Kyle Rudolph, Notre Dame*
23. WR Michael Floyd, Notre Dame*
24. RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech*
25. DT Stephen Paea, Oregon State
26. QB Christian Ponder, Florida State
27. OLB Von Miller, Texas A & M
28. OLB Mark Herzlich, Boston College
29. CB Janoris Jenkins, Florida*
30. OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin

* = Underclassmen

VanFulpen’s NFL Power Rankings – Week 1

1. New Orleans Saints (1-0) – Super Bowl champs looks like they will be a team this season to watch out for again.

2. New England Patriots (1-0) – Patriots looks good in opening win against the Bengals.

3. Green Bay Packers (1-0) – Packers go on the road in Philadelphia and get a win.

4. Houston Texans (1-0) – A huge opening week win against the Colts.

5. Tennessee Titans (1-0) – True the Titans opened up against the Raiders, but both the offense and defense looked good in week one.

6. New York Giants (1-0) – Eli Manning did throw 3 interceptions but he also threw 3 touchdown passes and wide receiver Hakeem Nicks looks like he can be a big time receiver in the NFL.

7. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) – There defense looked outstanding on Monday Night Football and their offense should come around.

8. Miami Dolphins (1-0) – It is nice to be able to open up the season with the Buffalo Bills, but a win is a win, and the Dolphins won on the road.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) – Their offense struggled with out quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, but their defense looked like the old Steelers defense and it was good to see safety Troy Polamalu on the field again and making plays.

10. Chicago Bears (1-0) – Free-Agent addition Julius Peppers made a huge impact knocking out Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford and the Bears defense played outstanding.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) – Quarterback David Garrard played well and helped lead the Jaguars to a victory and take the heat off of head coach Jack Del Rio for at least a week.

12. Seattle Seahawks (1-0) – Seahawks had a very impressive win against the San Francisco 49ers at home who many picked to win the NFC West.

13. Washington Redskins (1-0) – Redskins defense play outstanding and quarterback Donovan McNabb made enough plays to get the Redskins a win over the Cowboys.

14. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) – The Chiefs made enough plays on offense, defense and in special teams to lead them to a victory over the San Diego Chargers.

15. Arizona Cardinals (1-0) – The Cardinals didn’t look impressive and could have lost to the St. Louis Rams but enough plays to pull out the victory.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) – A comeback win for second year quarterback Josh Freeman at home is a great way to start the season.

17. Indianapolis Colts (0-1) – A lost on the road against Houston in which your defense gives a ton of yards on the ground isn’t the way you want to start the season, but don’t think the Colts are dead.

18. New York Jets (0-1) – The Jets played great defense on Monday Night Football, but they still need work on their passing game.

19. San Diego Chargers (0-1) – The Chargers always start slow, but they will turn it on as we get farther into the season.

20. Minnesota Vikings (0-1) – Farve needs time to get adjusted to life without wide receiver Sidney Rice, but will find a way to make it work until Rice gets back on the field.

21. Dallas Cowboys (0-1) – Offensive tackle Marc Colombo can’t get healthy fast enough for the Cowboys, because he replacement Alex Barron cost the Cowboys the game on Sunday night.

22. Atlanta Falcons (0-1) – The Falcons have to find their offense and be able to score touchdowns or it could be a long season.

23. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) – The Bengals go from the Patriots to the Ravens not an easy task to open up the season, but need to win next week if they want a chance to make the playoffs this season.

24. Philadelphia Eagles (0-1) – Is their going to be a quarterback controversy between Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick? Time will tell.

25. Detroit Lions (0-1) – Hard luck for the Lions once again, plus the lose their starting quarterback Matthew Stafford, the question is how long will he be gone for.

26. Carolina Panthers (0-1) – With quarterback Matt Moore throwing three interceptions and get a concussion is it Jimmy Clausen time?

27. San Francisco 49ers (0-1) – The 49ers where suppose to win the NFC West this year and came out in week one and looked far from a division champ.

28. Denver Broncos (0-1) – The Broncos did a have a chance against the Jaguars but the Broncos might be in for a long season this year.

29. Oakland Raiders (0-1) – Quarterback Jason Campbell wasn’t JaMarcus Russell bad against the Titans, but wasn’t great either, but should be able to get healthy against the Rams next week.

30. Cleveland Browns (0-1) – Quarterback Jake Delhomme threw two interceptions and that was the reason the Panthers cut him, and the Browns still had a chance to beat Tampa Bay.

31. St. Louis Rams (0-1) – Sam Bradford started and threw three interceptions, but looks like he could do well once the Rams get some more weapons around him.

32. Buffalo Bills (0-1) – Rookie running back CJ Spiller didn’t do anything on Sunday and Bills fans are just waiting until next April when they will be on the clock first with the number one overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

VanFulpen’s Heisman Watch

1. QB Denard Robinson, Michigan – If the Heisman Trophy was given out after two weeks Robinson would win the award hands down. What he has been able to two in the first two weeks of the season has been amazing. In two weeks he has put up 885 yards in total offense, and leads the country with 455 yards rushing and has 3 rushing touchdowns and also has thrown for 430 yards and 2 touchdowns. In last week against Notre Dame he racked up 502 yards in total offense and help Michigan win the game down in South Bend. In the next three week he should do well with winnable game for Michigan.

2. QB Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State – Pryor is coming off a huge win against Miami in which he rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown and lead Ohio State to the win. This season Pryor has thrown for 480 yards and 4 touchdowns and rushed for 130 yards and 1 touchdown. Ohio State isn’t tested for a while until they play at Wisconsin, October 16th.

3. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas – Mallett has throw for 701 yards and 6 touchdowns in two weeks and has the ability to put those type number game in and game out this season. He plays Georgia this Saturday and then in two weeks plays Alabama in which if he can pull that win off and put up good numbers who could job to the top of the Heisman list.

4. QB Kellen Moore, Boise State – Moore and Boise State didn’t play this past week and only has played one game against Virginia Tech in which he lead Boise State back to a win late in the game and threw for 215 yards and 3 touchdowns. In two weeks they play Oregon State which will be another big test for him and Boise State.

5. QB Landry Jones, Oklahoma – Jones is coming off a huge win against Florida State in which he threw for 380 yards and 4 touchdowns. In the first two weeks of the season he has thrown for 597 yards and 6 touchdowns with 2 interceptions, and Oklahoma will be in the National Title hunt all season long and they have a huge game against Texas in 3 weeks.

VanFulpen’s College Football Top 25

1. Alabama (2-0) – Even without Heisman Trophy winner running back Mark Ingram and talented defense end Marcell Dareus they still look like the best team in the country.

2. Ohio State (2-0) – Ohio State defense looks like they are the real deal.

3. Boise State (1-0) – Boise State win against Virginia Tech doesn’t look all that impressive now.

4. TCU (2-0) – TCU showing that they are going to be in the National Championship all season.

5. Texas (2-0) – Quarterback Garrett Gilbert is showing that he might be able to lead the team back to the BCS Championship game this season.

6. Nebraska (2-0) – Nebraska will be in the Big 12 Championship game in their last season in the Big 12.

7. Oklahoma (2-0) – Oklahoma looked outstanding against Florida State.

8. Iowa (2-0) – Looking like they might have a shot to take on Ohio State for the Big Ten title

9. Oregon (2-0) – The class of the Pac -10.

10. Florida (2-0) – A very young team, but have struggled more then people thought without Tim Tebow.

11. Wisconsin (2-0) – A typical Wisconsin team, physical and tough on both sides of the ball.

12. Arkansas (2-0) – In two weeks they play Alabama, but can’t over look Georgia this week.

13. LSU (2-0) – LSU is play solid football, and looks to be a sleeper in the SEC race.

14. Auburn (2-0) – Quarterback Cameron Newton has been just want Auburn needed.

15. Utah (2-0) – Utah should be undefeated when the go in their game against TCU, November 6th.

16. South Carolina (2-0) – Head Coach Steve Spurrier have the Gamecocks playing good football early this season.

17. USC (2-0) – Even without the ability to go to a bowl game this season, still a very good football team.

18. Miami (FL) (1-1) – Miami ran into a better overall team on the road in Ohio State this week, but should still be a good team this year.

19. Houston (2-0) – Quarterback Case Keenum hasn’t played as well as people think he can and Houston is still 2-0.

20. West Virginia (2-0) – Close game against Marshall but still came up with the victory.

21. Penn State (1-1) – Though game on the road against the best team in the country last week, but Penn State still is a good team.

22. Stanford (2-0) – Quarterback Andrew Luck has played well the first two weeks of the season.

23. Arizona (2-0) – A huge game against Iowa this week.

24. Michigan (2-0) – Quarterback Denard Robinson has been huge this season with already 885 yards of total offense this season in only two games.

25. Michigan State (2-0) – The running game has been huge for Michigan State in their first two wins and have a huge game against Notre Dame this week.

VanFulpen’s College Football Power Rankings

1 Alabama
Alabama is the defending National Champions and return the defending Heisman Trophy winner in running back Mark Ingram, their starting quarterback Greg McElroy, and their star wide receiver Julio Jones. The only problem is that they lost a lot on defense and only return two starters from last year’s team.

2 Ohio State
Ohio State brings back a number of players on defense that many thought would have left early for last years NFL Draft. On offense quarterback Terrelle Pryor is going into his third straight season as Ohio State’s starting quarterback, so look for him to improve his overall game this season. A big test will come in week two against Miami (FL), but the game is at home.

3 Oklahoma
Because of all the injuries last year a lot of players got a chance to play and get experience including quarterback Landry Jones who played most of the season last year because of quarterback Sam Bradford injured shoulder.

4 Florida
They lost quarterback Tim Tebow but replace him with John Brantley who is a better pure passer then what Tebow was in college. Florida has a lot of young talent on offense and defense and they will need to grow up in a hurry because they head to Alabama early in the season.

5 Texas
Sophomore quarterback Garrett Gilbert was baptized by fire in the National Championship game last year against Alabama but that should help him going into this season.

6 Boise State
Boise State returns 21 of 22 starters from last years team that went undefeated and beat TCU in the Fiesta Bowl but they have a huge test against Virginia Tech in week one of the season.

7 TCU
Andy Dalton is a very good quarterback and TCU should be favored in every game this season, and have NFL talent on both sides of the ball.

8 Nebraska
This will be Nebraska last season in the Big 12, before they make the move to the Big Ten and they will have a great shot at winning the Big 12 this season. They play Texas at home and if they are able to win that game they could go undefeated.

9 Iowa
Iowa is a senior lead team this season and will have a very good defense and the only team that could possible challenge Ohio State to win the Big Ten, and they play Ohio State at home this season.

10 Miami (FL)
Miami has a lot of talent and quarterback Jacory Harris could be a dark horse Heisman Trophy candidate. A huge test will come when they travel to Ohio State in week 2 of the season.

11 Virginia Tech
Running back Ryan Williams is one of the best running backs in the county and should have a huge season this year. Week one they play Boise State at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. if they are able to win that game they could get on a role.

12 Wisconsin
Wisconsin always has a physical football team that is able to run the football and play good defense and this season it is no different with running back John Clay and offense tackle Gabe Carimi leading the way.

13 Oregon
Oregon went to the Rose Bowl last season and should end up there against this season, but they did lose their quarterback Jeremiah Masoli who was kicked off the team and end up going to Mississippi to finish up his college career. LaMichael James was one of the most talented freshman running back in the county last season.

14 Penn State
Many people where surprised that running back Evan Royster returned for his senior season but Penn State is going to need his this season as they travel to Alabama in week 2 of the season and also have to go to Ohio State this year as well.

15 Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is the class of the Big East and has two of the most talented underclassmen on offense in running back Dion Lewis and wide receiver Jon Baldwin. Pittsburgh just needs to get the ball in both their hands as much as possible this season.

16 LSU
Quarterback Jordan Jefferson improved as the season went on last year and should be even better as a junior. They have a huge game week one against North Carolina in Atlanta.

17 North Carolina
There has been a lot of off the field issues this off-season with agents, but it looks like all players in question will be able to play this season. North Carolina has a number of NFL prospects on their team and play LSU in Atlanta the first week of the season.

18 Florida State
Bobby Bowden is gone but quarterback Christian Ponder is back for his senior season and that is good new for Florida State fans. They go to Oklahoma the second week of the season and still have to play Miami and Florida.

19 Arkansas
Quarterback Ryan Mallett should have another big season and then most likely will leave for the NFL Draft where he could possible be the number one overall pick next season.

20 Auburn
Quarterback Cameron Newton should be a big time player for Auburn and a star in the SEC, and is one of the biggest reason that Auburn should have an outstanding season this year.

21 Georgia
AJ Green might be the best wide receiver in college football right now. Georgia could possible be undefeated going into their game against Florida late in the season.

22 Oregon State
Running back Jacquizz Rodgers and wide receiver James Rodgers are big time player makers for Oregon State and they should be in the Pac-10 hunt right down to the end of the season. They open the season against TCU and also play Boise State this season.

23 Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech lost 4 juniors to the NFL last season and they will hurt them, but they still have quarterback Joshua Nesbitt and he is an outstanding running quarterback.

24 USC
USC can’t go to a bowl game for the next two season because of the Reggie Bush issues, but they still will have a very talented team this season.

25 Houston
Quarterback Case Keenum should put up ridicules passing number this season and his arm will keep Houston in every game this year.

Injuries start to hit NFL Draft Prospects

The College Football season hasn’t even started and some of the teams have already lost players for the season that were prospects for the 2011 NFL Draft.

DB Troy Woolfolk, Michigan - Wooolfolk dislocated his ankle and broke a bone in his leg at this past Tuesday’s practice and is most likely lost of the season, he could possible take this year as a redshirt season and come back for the 2011 season. He had a 5th to 7th round grade from the NFL going into the season and most people thought he would move to free safety at the NFL level despite playing cornerback at Michigan.

DE Ben Martin, Tennessee - Martin went down with an Achilles injury on the first day of summer practice and will miss the season. He will be taking this year as a redshirt season and plans to come back 100 percent for next year. He had a 5th to 7th round grade from the NFL going into the season and he would have been looked at as a 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level because of his size and athleticism.

DE Danny Richard, Grand Valley State - Richard has been lost for the season after suffering a torn ligament in his left knee, it is the same knee he hurt in last years D-II national championship game. Richard plans to pursue a medical redshirt exemption from the NCAA so that he can play next season. He has a free agent grade going into the season, but Grand Valley has shown over the years to be a powerhouse on the field and also has had players either get drafted late or sign as free-agents.

DE Christian Anthony, Grambling – Anthony suffered an apparent heart attack last week Thursday afternoon. He was released from the hospital this past Wednesday after being in stable condition while in the hospital. There has been no official word if he will play football this season or ever again. Football is secondary to Anthony having a long a healthy life, if he can get cleared to play football again that would be great. Before the season he had a 5th round grade from the NFL.

Power Ranking Number 1: Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts where the favorite going into last years Super Bowl and many think that they will be back again this season. The biggest reason is the best quarterback in the NFL right which is Peyton Manning. Manning has been doing it for so long as such a high level no one thinking anything will be different this season. He also is getting back another weapon on offense in wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez who missed all of last season after injuring his knee in the first game of the season. Because of his injury both Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie step up in the passing last season. The Colts number one receiver Reggie Wayne still is a great receiver and last season he caught 100 passes for 1,264 and 10 touchdowns. Another big time weapon for Manning is tight end Dallas Cark who last season who also caught 100 passes for 1,106 and 10 touchdowns. Running back Donald Brown goes into his second season and him along with Joseph Addai make a nice one-two punch running the football and also being able to catch the ball out of the back field.

Defensive end Dwight Freeney is the leader on the defense and wasn’t 100 percent healthy in the Super Bowl last season. The Colts drafted defensive end Jerry Hughes to add more depth and more passing rushing to their defense and he could be Freeney possible replacement down the road. Linebacker Gary Brackett resigned in the off-season and the Colts need his leadership and experience in their defense to be able to make another Super Bowl run. Safety Bob Sanders is an outstanding player and a difference maker in the secondary when he is healthy but that is the key him being healthy.

The Colts have all the talent on both sides of the ball to make it back to the Super Bowl, but many of the Super Bowl loser in the past haven’t even made the playoffs the following year after they lost the Super Bowl, I don’t think that will be the case with the Colts.

Power Ranking Number 2: New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints are the defending Super Bowl champs and return most of their starters that helped them win the Super Bowl last season. Quarterback Drew Brees is the man that makes the offense go and last season he complete over 70 percent of his passes and threw for 4,388 yards and 34 touchdowns. Running back Reggie Bush hasn’t put up big numbers in the regular season but in last years playoffs he made some huge plays and showed why he was the number two pick overall five years ago. Running back Pierre Thomas is a work horse and can make plays running the football or in the passing game. Wide receiver Marques Colston has been one of Bress’ main weapons in the passing game since Brees came to New Orleans. Wide receiver Robert Meachem come on strong last year having a career year catching 45 passes and 9 touchdowns, and the Saints expect his growth to continue. Devery Henderson is a big play waiting to happen in the passing game.

Defensive end Will Smith is the Saints best pass rusher and last season he had 13 sacks, the Saints added defense end Alex Brown in the off-season who had 6 sacks last season with the Bears to add in the pass rush department. Linebacker Jonathan Vilma has been a welcome addition to the Saints the past two season and is one of the leaders on defense. Safety Darren Sharper had an outstanding season last year and many thought he should have been defensive players on the year since he had 9 interceptions and returned 3 of them for touchdowns and also had 15 passes defended. There was some question this off-season if he would come back to the Saints since he was a free-agent, but in the end he did up resigning and he is one of the main reason that the Saints might be able to repeat.

The Saints had an outstanding season last year on both sides of the ball, their offense has been good for a while but the defense under defensive coordinator Greg Williams has really stepped up and become a very good until in the NFL. The Saints have a shot at back to back Super Bowl wins but they need to stay healthy, it should be a good time all season down in New Orleans.

Power Ranking Number 3: San Diego Chargers

True the San Diego Chargers have some players that are thinking about long hold outs in wide receiver Vincent Jackson & offensive tackle Marcus McNeill that could last until the tenth week of the season. But the Chargers still do have on of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Phillip Rivers and one of the best tight ends in Antonio Gates. With Jackson most likely holding out for a long time wide receiver Malcom Floyd will have to step up and become the number one receiver and former first round pick Buster Davis will have to show that he isn’t a first round bust. The Chargers drafted running back Ryan Mathews in the first round this year and expect a lot out of him running the football and also will use him in the passing game and they still have do everything back Darren Sproles.

On defense the Chargers play a 3-4 defense and hope that outside linebacker Shawne Merriman signing his offer sheet and comes out and had a lights out season, but there is still a possibility that he could get traded something before the seasons starts. If that happens that is why last year in the first round they drafted outside linebacker Larry English to along with the other outside linebacker Shaun Phillips. With the trading of cornerback Antonio Cromartie that means that former first round pick Antoine Cason starts this year opposite Quentin Jammer. The Chargers had a hard time stopping the run last season and are counting on rookie Cam Thomas to be an anchor at the nose tackle spot since they lost Jamal Williams to the Denver Broncos.

The Chargers are a very talents team and also play in one of the weaker divisions in all of the NFL in the AFC West so they should win the division again this season with no problem and then it is on to the playoffs where the last few seasons things haven’t gone they way the Chargers expected them to. The Chargers are hoping the Jackson, McNeill and Merriman don’t hold out into the season, but if they do they have people they fell can replace them, but it does hurt their depth. But expect the Chargers to be in the Super Bowl hunt no matter if those three are with them or not.

Power Ranking Number 4: Minnesota Vikings

Vikings fans don’t worry quarterback Brett Farve is coming back for the 2010 season to hopeful lead the Vikings to a Super Bowl victory and then ride into the sunset like John Elway did years ago. But don’t expect to see Farve until the second or third pre-season game in camp with the Vikings, and they will give him all the time he needs for his ankle to heal, but they know without Farve their Super Bowl dreams are down the drain. True, the Vikings have a great running back in Adrian Peterson and he will be the focus on their offense no matter if Farve returns or not, but Farve making the passing game go. The Vikings have some outstanding receivers in Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, last year’s offensive rookie of the year Percy Harvin, and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe. They also have a very good offensive line that open holes for Peterson and does a good job pass blocking for Farve beside the NFC Championship game where Farve hurt the ankle.

On defense they have one of the best defensive lines in the NFL lead by defensive end Jared Allen who has a great motor and goes 100 percent all the time and has some very good pass rush moves. Pat Williams and Kevin Williams line up at defensive tackle and make up the Williams Wall which is one of the best defensive tackle combo and is very hard to run against. Middle linebacker EJ Henderson come back from injury which cased him to miss the final four games of the season and the post season. Despite having a very good cornerback in Antoine Winfield, the Vikings secondary is the weak point on their defense and are hoping by adding cornerback Lito Sheppard in the off-season that will help somewhat.

The Vikings season comes down to one thing, Brett Farve and how he plays at 41 years old. Will he be the quarterback that was one game away from the Super Bowl and helped Sidney Rice get to the Pro Bowl and Percy Harvin win rookie of the year, or will father time catch-up to him? Vikings are hoping that he can repeat the 2009 season but make his last game of his career be in Cowboy’s Statium walking off the field holding the Lombardi Trophy.

Power Ranking Number 5: New York Jets

The New York Jets who where one game away from the Super Bowl last season brought in a number of veteran players to help them be able to get to the Super Bowl this season and hopeful win it. On offense they traded for wide receiver Santonio Holmes who will miss the first four games of the season because of a league suspension because of off the field issues. They also traded for cornerback Antonio Cromartie and signed future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson as a free-agent as well as outside linebacker Jason Taylor. Second year quarterback Mark Sanchez is still the key to the offensive success and with the addition for Holmes and still having wide receiver Braylon Edwards and tight end Dustin Keller still on the roster will help his development. Running back Shonn Greene really come on in the playoffs last season and with the addition of Tomlinson is should aid in his development. Helping both Greene and Tomlinson is one of the better offensive lines in the NFL.

Cornerback Darrelle Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL and some think he might be the best defensive player in all of the NFL. He is a shut down corner with the ability to take away half the field and allows the defense to do many things with their blitz scheme. Getting nose tackle Kris Jenkins back from injury that cost him the final 10 games of the season and the post season will be a huge help to the Jets defense. Linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris are keys to the Jets defensive success and adding outside linebacker Jason Taylor should help the pass rusher.

Head Coach Rex Ryan made a very good impression with the Jets fans and organization in his rookie year as a NFL head coach, but needs to be able to follow it up with another great season in 2010. He has the talent on both sides of the ball but they key will be Sanchez having a good season and not having a sophomore slump.

Power Ranking Number 6: Dallas Cowboys

America’s Team the Dallas Cowboys are still looking for their first Super Bowl win after the Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin era. Will it come this season? Well Cowboy fans sure hope so and if they went to the Super Bowl it would be a home game since the Super Bowl this year is at Cowboys Stadium. Quarterback Tony Romo got another receiving weapon this April when the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant in the first round. Bryant will play along side the other Cowboys receivers in Miles Austin, Roy Williams and Patrick Crayton. But Romo’s favorite target in the passing game is tight end Jason Witten. Their running game is a three head monster in Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.

Outside linebacker DeMarcus Ware is the best player on a very good defense and two years ago he had 20 sacks and last season he followed that up with 11 sacks. In 2010 he should be again tops in the NFL in sacks. Anthony Spencer the Cowboys other outside linebacker came on last season with 6 sacks. Keith Brooking was a welcome addition to the linebacking core and provided leadership to the overall defense. Cornerback Mike Jenkins really stepped up his game last season to give a good cornerback opposite Terence Newman.

The Cowboys final won a playoff game last season, but lost to the Minnesota Vikings after beating Philadelphia in the first round. Owner Jerry Jones won’t be satisfied by just winning one playoff game he expects the Cowboys to get to the Super Bowl and win it this season and they have the team that could do it.

Power Ranking Number 7: Baltimore Ravens

The plan of the off-season for the Baltimore Ravens front office was to get quarterback Joe Flacco some more weapons in the passing game to go with the Raven great running game. Well the mission was accomplished by adding wide receivers Anquan Boldin and Donte' Stallworth, Boldin provides Flacco sure hands and the ability to run after the catch and Stallworth provides him speed to stretch the defense. Running back Ray Rice had an outstanding season but running and catching the football and last season he combined for a total of 2,041 yards all purpose, and the Ravens don’t expect to catch as many passes this season and think that will allow him to be even more effective running the football.

Ray Lewis is the heart and soul of the Ravens team and defense and last season he had 134 total tackles and 3 sacks and it doesn’t look that Lewis has lost much of a step despite being 35 years old. Defensive line Haloti Ngata is a force on the line and has the ability to play up and down the defensive line causing mismatches against the offensive line. Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs is the Ravens pass rusher that teams game plan against and in the second round in this years draft the Ravens feel the might have found another passer rush team will have to pay attention to in Sergio Kindle.

With the additions that the Ravens have made this off-season the have one of the better all around teams in the NFL, their only weak spot on their team is in their secondary but if they can get good play there they could have a chance to go to the Super Bowl.

Power Ranking Number 8: Green Bay Packers

There are many people that think the Packers can be a legitimate threat to make it to the Super Bowl this season, and most of the reason relies of the right arm of quarterback Aaron Rogers who had an outstanding season last year. He is a good athlete and has the ability to make all the throws. Running back Ryan Grant is a solid NFL running back who has the ability to break long runs and pound the ball inside. Greg Jennings is the Packers big play wide receiver and is one of the better route runners in the NFL. Tight end Jermichael Finley has a chance to be a special players in the NFL and last season caught 55 passes for 676 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Last season cornerback Charles Woodson was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press having a great season last year he intercepted 9 passes and returned 3 of them for touchdowns. Outside linebacker Clay Matthews had a great season as a rookie last year with 10 sacks and the Packers are expecting even more from him this season. The question marks for the Packers this season on defense is how fast with cornerback Al Harris coming back from his knee injury that he suffered last season and who else can they find to rush the passer on the outside beside Matthews?

The Packers are a good young team with a lot of talent who made it to the playoffs last season and should have a good shot at going back again as a wild card team as well as possible winning the NFC North Division. They will need to beat the Vikings and Brett Farve this season to do so, which they weren’t able to do last season.