2009-05-10T00:36:42Z Washington Post NFL panel breaks down college football prospects from scouting combine to draft day and beyond. tag:views.washingtonpost.com,2009:/theleague/predraft//71 Copyright (c) 2009, WashingtonPost.Newsweek Interactive 2009-05-10T00:36:42Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-05-05:/theleague/predraft/2009/05/aaron_curry_seattle_seahawks_draft_interview.html

After his Combine, the journey to which we covered in Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry got ready for a short American tour, and prepared for some visitors to his home campus. At Wake Forest's Pro Day on March 23, 41 representatives from all 32 NFL teams showed up to watch Curry and his teammates in action. Curry stood on his 4.52-40 time and 25 bench press reps...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-26T07:54:22Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-26:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/four_ways_to_draft_day_--_the_quarterback_problem.html

They each have Super Bowl rings -- all four of them. As assistant coaches, head coaches, general managers. Each of them has risen to the top of his profession, and though each of the four will be analyzing the 2009 draft instead of participating in it, few would be surprised to see any of them in a war room in 2010. They are respected names -- Steve Maruicci, Jon Gruden, Brian Billick, and Charley Casserly....Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-25T21:36:30Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-25:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/draft_feed_1.html

Follow along live as Cindy Boren Twitters from the NFL Draft. (Click here to follow us on Twitter) #twitter_div h2 { background-color: transparent; color: #C00; font: bold 12px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-transform: uppercase; margin: 0 0 1px 0; padding: 10px 0 0 0; border-bottom: 1px dotted #CCC; } #twitter_div ul { margin: 0 0 5px 0; padding: 0; list-style: none; } #twitter_div ul li { margin: 0 0 1px 0; padding: 7px 5px; font: 13px/18px...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Cindy Boren 2009-04-25T06:33:22Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-25:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/mark_sanchez_quality_over_quantity.html

For most NFL quarterbacks, sixteen starts make up a season. For USC's Mark Sanchez, sixteen starts add up to a lifetime. That's how many times the 6-2, 227-pound resident of Mission Viejo, California took the ball under center as the main man for what has essentially become the NFL's minor-league team. That's not a lot to go on, especially since Sanchez is coming out a year early, foregoing his senior season to see what the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-25T06:22:00Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-24:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/mike_reilly_the_undersold_overachiever.html

Just as having your ticket stamped by a big school isn't a lead-pipe lock when it comes to NFL success, a small-college designation needn't doom a player to backup or washout status. This is true even when it comes to quarterback -- the most important position in the game. In the last decade, quarterbacks like Delaware's Joe Flacco, Miami of Ohio's Ben Roethlisberger, Marshall's Chad Pennington and Byron Leftwich (along with Big Ben, the Holy...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-20T06:36:31Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-19:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/ziggy_hood_ahead_of_the_game.html

There are players in the game today whose tenacity never quite meets their talent, just as there are many names from the past whose work ethic never quite equaled what they were given. To reach true greatness, desire and ability must find a meeting place. As much as anyone in the 2009 draft class, Missouri defensive tackle Evander "Ziggy" Hood has created that meeting place. He's a 6-3, 300-pound hulk with 4.8 speed and enough...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-14T13:10:17Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-14:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/the_two_sides_of_everette_brown_1.html

The dual nature of life in football -- how one can be catastrophically aggressive on the field and a true gentleman in the "real world" -- was made clear to Florida State defensive end Everette Brown at an early age. Brown's parents were sticklers for decorum and etiquette, and their son had always followed suit, but he discovered that there was "Dad", and there was "Coach". "[It] was in my sixth-grade year," Brown told the...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-08T15:46:02Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-08:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/donald_brown_--_words_and_deeds.html

Philanthropy can be an indicator of selflessness, but the real measure of that trait can come in less obvious ways. It's in the way a person feels less comfortable talking about themselves than about others, and in the way a person gives to others at times when others are understandably focusing inward. Case in point: Two days before the 2009 NFL Draft, while most draft-eligible players are preparing for the big event, Connecticut running back...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-04-07T01:02:36Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-04-06:/theleague/predraft/2009/04/in_the_cattle_call_that.html

In the cattle call that is the NFL Scouting Combine, the main event is the 40-yard dash. For all the other testing and poking and prodding that each player has to go through in Indianapolis, the 40-yard dash is the one event that every single athlete knows people will remember. Do you know who had the highest Wonderlic score in Combine history? What about the guy who had the best time in the three-cone drill?...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Bill Barnwell 2009-03-31T14:16:46Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-03-30:/theleague/predraft/2009/03/brian_robiskie_all_in_the_family.html

From the Rooneys to the Mannings, football has always been about family. The NFL has seen over 150 father-son duos in its long history, and Ohio State wide receiver Brian Robiskie is about to add his name to the list. Brian's dad Terry was a running back with the Raiders and Dolphins for five years, from 1977 through 1981, and since retiring has been a coach with the Raiders, Redskins, Browns, and now the Falcons,...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-03-24T14:29:01Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-03-24:/theleague/predraft/2009/03/aaron_curry_safe_at_home_--_part_2.html

When we last left Wake forest linebacker Aaron Curry, he had just wrapped up a top five draft pick with a senior year that saw him win the Butkus Award as college football's top linebacker. His Demon Deacons had been turned into a consistently powerful program by coach Jim Grobe, and Curry was the star. After a 29-19 win over Navy in the Congressional Bowl on December 20, it was time to start thinking about...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-03-23T14:05:25Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-03-20:/theleague/predraft/2009/03/aaron_curry_safe_at_home_--_part_1.html

There are two kinds of safe picks in any draft. The more common kind can be seen in the mid-to-late rounds; players who meet their decent college projections, become valuable roleplayers, and occasionally break out into star status. The second kind of safe pick is extremely rare. These are the occasional players who not only have everything it takes to be a legitimate high-first-round draft pick; they've also sidestepped any red flags that could harm...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-03-17T12:03:53Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-03-17:/theleague/predraft/2009/03/brandon_pettigrew_more_than_the_sum_of_his_stats.html

One of the many things that the spread offense has changed about college football, and by proxy the pipeline of talent that graduates to the NFL, is the tight end position. The 1980's brought the more modern pass-catching tight end to the fore with players such as Kellen Winslow and Ozzie Newsome, but over the last few seasons, the balance of the position -- the fact that tight ends are expected to block at a...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar 2009-03-13T17:53:23Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-03-12:/theleague/predraft/2009/03/2009_draft_top_db_poll.html

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Emil Steiner 2009-03-10T17:09:51Z tag:washingtonpost.com,2009-03-10:/theleague/predraft/2009/03/darius_butler_ready_for_prime_time.html

According to a USA Football study published in September, 2008, only California produces more NFL talent than Florida -- 214 to 185 players at the time, and probably not so different now. Only Texas can compare, with 170. The good news for Florida kids is that the scouts are well aware of the hot spots. The bad news is that some great talents get overlooked and have to travel out of state to get what...Please click on the title to continue reading this entry.

Doug Farrar