Thinking about the NFL Draft

B&B - Those are good predictions, but I differ a little.  First off, let me preface this post by saying that CAL players DON'T get the respect that they deserve.  Year in and year out they produce offensive linemen that end up playing YEARS in the pros, but when is the last time one of them were drafted in the first round?  It's a sad but true fact that CAL is not highly regarded when it comes to the draft, and for the life of me I can't figure it out.  When Rodgers drops to the 24th pick and is the 2nd QB taken or Lynch goes down to the 14th pick, it's surprising to me.  Before I go on, let me say that I'm a big Bear lover, but I'm putting on my NFL GM cap for the rest.

DeSean Jackson/Lavelle Hawkins/Jordan -

    *Jackson, IMHO, is a bust waiting to happen.  He's small, cocky, has possible character issues, and he's been inconsistant this year.  Unless he's a combine stud I don't see him going in the first round.  There are plenty of WR's in this years draft and some of the top guys are from Michigan, the SEC, or another high prestige school.  There's a good chance of Jackson falling down to the top of the third round if he doesn't blow away the competition at the combine.

    *Hawkins, reminds me quite a bit of Jones from San Jose State last year who is now playing for the Packers.  I love this guy.  He's not going higher than the third round, but he's going to be a late steal for someone.  I can see him going around the 5th round to some team eager to increase their depth...maybe someone like the Titans.

    *Jordan is good and a four year starter.  He's also athletic enough to gain traction in the draft.  My only problem is the same problem as have with Jackson to the extent of consistancy and character which is why I'd be surprised if he was drafted higher than the 5th.

Forsett - Another player that I absolutely love, but his size and lack of playing time will hurt him.  He's a 7th rounder or undrafted free agent.  Had not so many underclassmen joined the draft along with the strength of the RB's in the draft, he'd easily be a 5th rounder.

Decoud - If he's ranked as the sixth best safety on Kiper's list then he's a mid round selection.  If he doesn't do well at the combine, ala Damien Hughes, he's a 6th or 7th rounder.  Honestly, I like him as a free safety, but not a strong safety and his gifts may be more suited for the strong side.

Larson - As with any punter, there is a good possibility that he'll be in a camp as an undrafted free agent.  Out of the 32 NFL teams, it's a pretty even mix in terms of punting talent judging by three categories:  Really Good, Good, and Not So Good.  So that means there will be at least 10 teams looking to improve the P position and Larsen is definitely a top 4 punter coming out of college this year.  My prediction is that he's drafted in the 7th round.

Well there you have my opinions.  Sorry that they aren't as positive as I'd like them to be, but when you have a team like CAL that produces 2000 rushing yards, and plenty of time for the QB over the past 5 years with only 2 RB's and 2 QB's drafted in the first round and still can't get a lineman drafted higher than the third round, it's an indication that your school doesn't have the prestige that it should have come draft day.  If Miami or USC had that kind of track record, they'd call them OL-U.