Draft Profile: Dennis Pitta

NAME – Dennis Pitta

Position – Tight End.

College – Brigham Young.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6- ½, 245 pounds

Important numbers – 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 27 reps on bench press, 34-inch vertical jump, 0-foot 5-inch broad jump.

Age – 25.

Honors – Second-team All-America ’09 … first-team All-Mountain West offense ’07-’08-’09 … team captain ’09.

College career – Pitta’s journey through Provo, Utah is quite a story. He was a walk-on back in 2003 out of Moorpark High School in California. He got on the field in the ’04 season as a red-shirt freshman and then spent two years in the Dominican Republic on an LDS church mission. He returned for the ’07 season and became a force in the BYU offense immediately. In his junior season, he caught 83 passes for 1,083 yards and six TDs. He holds most of the tight end receiving records for the Cougars and that’s saying something because they’ve been producing draft-choice tight ends for years. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Linval Joseph

NAME – Linval Joseph

Position – Nose tackle/Defensive end.

College – East Carolina.

Status – Junior.

Size/Weight – 6-4¼, 319 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 39 reps on bench press, 31.5-inch vertical jump, 8-foot 6-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in October.

Honors – First-team All-Conference USA defense ’09 … honorable mention All-Conference USA defense ’08.

College career – Big man out of Florida who was recruited by former Pirates head coach Skip Holtz; when Holtz left for South Florida, that’s when Joseph decided he was ready to move on as well. A big man with a lot of athletic ability, he was very active in his career at East Carolina for an interior lineman, marked by his 143 total tackles in 41 games. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Kyle Wilson

NAME – Kyle Wilson

Position – Cornerback/Punt returner.

College – Boise State.

Status – Red-shirt Senior, graduated in December ’09 with degree in communications.

Size/Weight – 5-10, 94 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.43 seconds in 40-yard dash, 25 reps on bench press, 38-inch vertical jump, 10-foot 2-inch broad jump.

Age – 23 in late May.

Honors – Second-team All-America ’08-’09 … first-team All-WAC defense ’08-’09 … second team All-WAC defense ’07 … Boise State defensive captain ’09.

College career – Essentially a four-year starter on the corner for the Broncos, Wilson’s college career ended with a 14-0 season and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl over TCU. He had a sack and forced a fumble in that game against the Horned Frogs. Big plays were part of his m.o. at Boise, with 2 INTs returned for TDs and 3 punt returns for scores including a 90-yarder. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Rob Gronkowski

NAME – Rob Gronkowski

Position – Tight end.

College – Arizona.

Status – Junior.

Size/Weight – 6-6¼, 258 pounds

Important numbers – 4.68 seconds in 40-yard dash, 23 reps on bench press, 33.4-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 11-inch broad jump.

Age – 21 in May.

Honors – Third-team All-America ’08 … first-team All-Pac 10 offense ’08.

College career – Gronkowski sat out the entire ’09 season at Arizona after back surgery. This came after his strong ’08 season when he caught 47 passes for 672 yards and 10 TDs, earning all-conference and All-America mentions. During his two seasons on the field, he showed the ability to block and catch. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Terrence Cody

NAME – Terrence Cody

Position – Nose tackle.

College – Alabama.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-3 5/8, 354 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.62 seconds in 40-yard dash, 22 reps in bench press, 22-inch vertical jump, 7-foot 9-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in June.

Honors – First-team All-America ’08-’09 … first-team All-SEC defense ’08-’09 … first-team All-America Junior College ’07.

College career – Known as Mount Cody because of his size, the Florida native rolled into Tuscaloosa in 2008 and became an immediate force in Nick Saban’s defense at nose tackle. In the ’09 season, the Tide defense was No. 1 against the run in the country and No. 3 in fewest yards allowed. Cody faces a minimum of two blockers on each play, thus he didn’t produce much in the way of statistics, but he was a dominating force that helped the rest of the defense. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Aaron Hernandez

NAME – Aaron Hernandez

Position – Tight end.

College – Florida.

Status – Junior.

Size/Weight – 6-2 5/8, 245 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.63 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 30 reps on bench press, 33-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 3-inch broad jump.

Age – 20, will turn 21 in November.

Honors – First-team All-America ’09 … John Mackey Award winner for college football’s best tight end ’09 … first-team All-SEC offense ’09. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Kareem Jackson

NAME – Kareem Jackson

Position – Cornerback.

College – Alabama.

Status – Junior.

Size/Weight – 5-10½, 196 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.4 seconds in 40-yard dash, 13 reps on bench press, 37.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 10-inch broad jump.

Age – 22.

College career – A three-year starter at cornerback in the Alabama defense, he improved from season to season, even though he never achieved All-SEC status in any of his three seasons. Jackson was an active tackler in the Tide defense with 159 total tackles in 41 games, but he did not have a lot of interceptions, finishing with five. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Damian Williams

NAME – Damian Williams

Position – Wide receiver/Punt returner

College – Southern Cal.

Status – Transfer junior, graduated in December ’09 with degree in sociology.

Size/Weight – 6-0 5/8, 197 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.53 seconds in 40-yard dash, 19 reps on bench press, 38-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 10-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in May.

Honors – Third-team All-America ’09 … First-team All-Pac 10 receiver and returner ’09 … Southern Cal MVP in ’09 … Honorable-mention All-Pac 10 receiver ’08.

College career – An Arkansas native, Williams began his college career with the Razorbacks but transferred after his freshman season to Southern Cal. After sitting out the ’07 season under NCAA rules, he became a starter with the Trojans offense in ’08 and put up 128 catches over two seasons with 15 TDs. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Navarro Bowman

NAME – Navarro Bowman

Position – Outside linebacker/Inside linebacker.

College – Penn State.

Status – Junior, graduated in December with degree in crime, law and justice.

Size/Weight – 6-0 5/8, 236 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.62 seconds in 40-yard dash, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 9-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in late May.

Honors – Third-team All-America ’09 … first-team All-Big 10 defense ’08-’09.

College career – There were times in Bowman’s career in State College where he was one of the biggest impact players in major college football. There were other times when he was not, certainly not after his arrest for fighting and his admission of marijuana use. He averaged nearly seven tackles per game during his three-year career, along with eight sacks and six takeaways. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Vladimir Ducasse

NAME – Vladimir Ducasse

Position – Offensive tackle/Guard

College – Massachusetts.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-4 3/8, 332 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.21 seconds in 40-yard dash, 29 reps on bench press, 26-inch vertical jump, 7-foot 7-inch broad jump.

Age – 23 in October.

Honors – First-team All-America for Football Championship Series … first-team All-Colonial offense ’08-’09 … team captain ’09.

College career – A late comer to football, not playing the game until his junior year in high school, Ducasse developed quickly enough to move onto the college game at UMass. He became a starter as a sophomore and spent the next three seasons handling left tackle. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Dexter McCluster

NAME – Dexter McCluster

Position – Wide receiver/Running back.

College – Mississippi.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 5-8¾, 172 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.53 seconds in 40-yard dash, 20 reps on bench press, 37.5-inch vertical, 9-foot 10-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in August.

Honors – First-team All-SEC all-purpose runner ’09 … second-team All-SEC running back ’08-’09 … third-team All-America ’08 … offensive MVP of Cotton Bowl ’09.

College career – McCluster arrived at Ole Miss as one of the most successful schoolboy RBs in Florida. But because of his size, he was moved to WR and that’s essentially what he was until the last two seasons, when he was a combination RB and WR. In the last two seasons in 26 games, he ran for 1,824 yards and caught passes for 1,145 yards. He became one of the most dynamic offensive forces in the SEC. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jerry Hughes

NAME – Jerry Hughes

Position – Outside linebacker/Defensive end.

College – TCU.

Status – Senior, expected to graduate in May with degree in communications.

Size/Weight – 6-2, 255 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.65 seconds in 40-yard dash, 26 reps on bench press, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 10-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in August.

Honors – Two-time consensus All-America ’08-’09 … Ted Hendricks Award as nation’s best DE ’09 … Ronnie Lott Trophy as nation’s best defender ’09 … First-team All-Mountain West defense ’08-’09. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Devin McCourty

NAME – Devin McCourty

Position – Cornerback.

College – Rutgers.

Status – Red-shirt senior.

Size/Weight – 5-10¾ , 193 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.48 seconds in 40-yard dash, 16 reps on bench press, 36-inch vertical jump, 10-feet 6-inch broad jump.

Age – 23 in August.

Honors – First-team All-Big East defense ’09 … Rutgers team captain ’09 … Rutgers MVP on defense and special teams ’09 … semi-finalist for Draddy Trophy, the academic Heisman.

College career – McCourty had a solid, sometimes spectacular stay at Rutgers, where he was part of a very successful program. In the last four years the Scarlet Knights played and won consecutive bowl games and finished with at least 9 victories each season. McCourty played three seasons with his twin brother Jason, a 6th-round choice last year of the Tennessee Titans. A three-year starter on the corner, he was also a special teams standout and finished his career with seven blocked kicks. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Anthony McCoy

NAME – Anthony McCoy

Position – Tight end.

College – Southern Cal.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-4½, 259 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.71 seconds in 40-yard dash, 19 reps in bench press, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 5-inch broad jump.

Age – 22.

Honors – Honorable-mention All-Pac 10 offense ’08.

College career – Inconsistent career with the Trojans, making his mark primarily as blocking tight end, McCoy put up a dazzling 20.8-yard average per catch in the ’09 season. That was on 22 receptions. His big game was against Notre Dame, with five catches for 153 yards. The Fresno native had 46 career catches but only three scores. He was suspended twice for academic reasons, including missing the ’09 Emerald Bowl. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Nate Allen

NAME – Nate Allen

Position – Free safety.

College – South Florida.

Status – Senior, graduated in December ’09 with degree in communications.

Size/Weight – 6-0½, 207 pounds.

Important numbers – 16 reps on bench press, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 6-inch broad jump (he’s yet to run 40-yard dash for NFL teams because of a left quad injury.)

Age – 22.

Honors – Second-team All-Big East defense ’09. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Arrelious Benn

NAME – Arrelious Benn

Position – Wide receiver.

College – Illinois.

Status – Junior.

Size/Weight – 6-0 7/8, 219 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.42 seconds in 40-yard dash, 20 reps on bench press, 37.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot 1-inch broad jump.

Age – 21, he will turn 22 in September.

Honors – First-team All-Big 10 offense ’07, ’08 … honorable mention All-Big 10 offense ’09 … team captain ’08, ’09 … selected Illini MVP ’08 … unanimous selection as Big 10 Freshman of the Year ’07. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Anthony Dixon

NAME – Anthony Dixon

Position – Running back.

College – Mississippi State.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-0¾, 233 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.67 seconds in 40-yard dash, 15 reps on bench press, 33-inch vertical jump, 10-foot 1-inch broad jump.

Age – 22, will turn 23 in late September.

Honors – First-team All-SEC offense ’09 … Mississippi State’s all-time leading rusher. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Chad Jones

NAME – Chad Jones

Position – Strong safety.

College – LSU.

Status – Junior.

Size/Weight – 6-2, 221 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.57 seconds in 40-yard dash, 9 reps on bench press, 36-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 7-inch broad jump.

Age – 21, will turn 22 in early October.

Honors – Second-team All-SEC defense ’09.

College career – In just three seasons with the Tigers, Jones became a major contributor on special teams and defense. In his freshman season, he had 23 special teams tackles and also returned punts and kickoffs. He got some starts at free safety in ’09 and then moved into the starting lineup at strong safety in ’09, with 74 total tackles, 3 interceptions and a 93-yard punt return for a TD. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jason Worilds

NAME – Jason Worilds.

Position – Defensive end/Outside linebacker.

College – Virginia Tech.

Status – Red-shirt junior.

Size/Weight – 6-1 1/8, 254 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.65 seconds in 40-yard dash, 24 reps on bench press, 38-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 6-inch broad jump. (Reportedly ran a 4.49 in the 40 at his Pro Day workout.)

Age – 22.

Honors – Second-team All-ACC defense ’08 and ’09.

College career – Worilds’ career started slowly, as he had to battle dislocated shoulders in both the ’06 and ’07 season. When he got the chance to play in 2008, he produced with 12.5 sacks over two seasons and became one of the team’s leading tacklers. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Reshad Jones

NAME – Reshad Jones

Position – Strong safety.

College – Georgia.

Status – Red-shirt junior.

Size/Weight – 6-1, 214 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.54 seconds in 40-yard dash, 24 reps on bench press, 39.5-inch vertical jump.

Age – 22.

Honors – First-team All-SEC defense ’09 … second-team All-SEC defense ’08. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Koa Misi

NAME – Koa Misi

FULL NAME – Nawa’akoa Lisiate Foti Analeseanoa Misi.

Position – Outside linebacker/Defensive end.

College – Utah.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-2 5/8, 251 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.75 seconds in 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical jump, 10-foot 7-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – First-team All-Mountain West defense ’09 … voted team captain ’09 … second-team All-Mountain West defense ’08. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Chris Cook

NAME – Chris Cook

Position – Cornerback/Free Safety

College – Virginia.

Status – Red-shirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-2, 212 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.44 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 7 reps on bench press, 38-inch vertical jump, 11-foot broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – Selected team captain ’09.

College career – An athletically gifted player, Cook has a checkered career with the Cavaliers. A broken leg in ’05 cost him seven games. He lost three games in the ’07 season due to a sprained knee and then he was suspended for the Gator Bowl for academic reasons; that suspension continued through the entire ’08 season. He came back for the ’09 season and had 40 total tackles and four interceptions. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Daryl Washington

NAME – Daryl Washington

Position – Inside linebacker/Outside linebacker.

College – TCU.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-1¾, 230 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 17 reps on bench press, 31-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 6-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in October.

Honors – First-team All-Mountain West defense in ’09. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Matt Tennant

NAME – Matt Tennant

Position – Center/Guard.

College – Boston College.

Status – Red-shirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-4 5/8, 300 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.15 seconds in 40-yard dash, 27 reps on bench press, 25-inch vertical jump, 8-foot 2-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – Second-team All-ACC offense ’09 … offensive co-captain ’09 … finalist for ’09 Rimington Trophy that goes to college football’s best center … honorable mention All-ACC offense ’08.

College career – Over the last three seasons, Tennant has been at the pivot in the B.C. offense and handling the duties quite well. He’s had major elbow surgery after the ’07 season, but was back and ready to play in ’08, not missing a game. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Morgan Burnett

NAME – Morgan Burnett

Position – Free safety.

College – Georgia Tech.

Status – Junior

Size/Weight – 6-2, 209 pounds

Important numbers – 4.45 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 16 reps on bench press, 39.5-inch vertical jump, 11-foot broad jump.

Age – 21.

Honors – Second-team All-ACC defense ’08 … All-Freshman team ACC ’07.

College career – Coming out of high school in Georgia, Burnett did not wait to make his mark, as he had a sack and six tackles against Notre Dame in the ’07 season opener. He remained very active throughout his career, averaging almost six tackles per game. His best season was in ’08, his first as a starter with 93 total tackles and seven interceptions.

Stats of note – 40 games/28 starts … 235 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack … 14 INTs, 15 passes broken up, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovered fumble. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jon Asamoah

NAME – Jon Asamoah

Position – Guard.

College – Illinois.

Status – Senior

Size/Weight – 6-4 1/8, 307 pounds

Important numbers – 5.08 seconds in 40-yard dash, 22 reps on bench press, 27-inch vertical jump, 8-foot 11-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 in July

Honors – Second-team All-Big 10 offense ’09 … First-team Academic All-America ’09 … honorable mention All-Big 10 offensive ’08.

College career – For the last three seasons, Asamoah has held down the right guard spot in the Illini offense and did it with honors …Read More!

Draft Profile: Tony Pike

NAME – Tony Pike

Position – Quarterback.

College – Cincinnati.

Status – Red-shirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-5¾, 223 pounds

Important numbers – 4.9 seconds in 40-yard dash, 28.5-inch vertical jump, 9-foot broad jump.

Age – 24.

Honors – First-team All-Big East offense ’09 … second-team All-Big East offense ’08.

College career – Over his first three years at his hometown school, Pike barely got on the field, throwing 20 passes in that time. He finally got his opportunity in ’08, with 10 starts. Pike overcame a fractured left forearm during the season that required surgery. He returned three games later and finished the season. He missed four games in ’09 when the plate in his arm needed repaired. But Pike finished with more than twice as many TD passes than INTs. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jordan Shipley

NAME – Jordan Shipley

Position – Wide receiver, also returner and holder.

College – Texas.

Status – Redshirt senior, graduated in Dec. ’08 with degree in Kinesiology.

Size/Weight – 5-11¼, 193 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.6 seconds in 40-yard dash, 16 reps on bench press, 36.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 8-inch broad jump.

Age – 24.

Honors – All-America first-team selection ’09 … unanimous All-Big 12 selection in ’09 … second-team All-Big 12 pick in ’08 … all-time leader for Texas in receptions.

College career – Shipley arrived in Austin for the ’04 season as the most prolific receiver in Texas schoolboy history. But it was two years before he got on the field. He was a red-shirt as a freshman after surgery on his left knee, then he missed all 12 games in ’05 due to the knee and a hamstring injury. It was the ’07 season before Shipley started getting regular playing time. He received another season of eligibility with a medical red-shirt and in ’08 and ’09 had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Perrish Cox

NAME – Perrish Cox

Position – Cornerback.

College – Oklahoma State.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 5-11 3/8, 195 pounds

Important numbers – 4.58 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 12 reps in bench press, 32.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 5-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – First-team All-Big 12 defense ’09 … Big 12 Conference all-time leader in kick return yardage … Honorable mention All-Big 12 defense ’08 … Honorable mention All-Big 12 returner ’07. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jason Fox

NAME – Jason Fox

Position – Offensive tackle.

College – Miami, FL.

Status – Senior, graduated with business management degree in Dec. ’09.

Size/Weight – 6-6 7/8, 303 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.45 seconds in 40-yard dash, 23 reps on bench press. Rehab from knee surgery kept him from doing other drills.

Honors – First-team All-ACC in ’09 … voted by his teammates co-MVP of the ’09 team.

College career – As a true freshman, Fox was starting at the right tackle spot until injuries forced his move to the left side for the last four games of the season. That’s where he stayed over the next three years, handling the left tackle position for 39 games. Fox missed time throughout his career because of a dislocated left elbow, sprained ankle, right knee injury that required surgery and he was held out of a game in ’09 with an irregular heartbeat. …Read More!

The Big Boom in Big D … Monday Cup O’Chiefs

They blew up Texas Stadium on Sunday.

Good. It should have been dynamited about 20 years ago. It was one of the five most decrept stadiums in the National Football League. Fans of the Cowboys should thank Jerry Jones for building a far better place for his team to play their games than the clutter of concrete and steel that went up in 1971.

I remember the first time I saw Texas Stadium. It was sometime in 1978 or 1979 when the Pittsburgh Steelers traveled to Dallas to play the Cowboys in a pre-season game. I was excited about seeing the place because after years of seeing the stadium on television with all those great Dallas teams, I had come to believe that the spot with a hole in the roof was a sacred place in the NFL. Thanksgiving Day games, Monday night games, post-season battles … it was a building of memories.

I was very disappointing after taking a tour and seeing the stadium that August. It was a dump even then, seemingly thrown together in pieces, none of which fit very well. I made many more trips to Irving and I can tell you that there was nothing special about Texas Stadium itself. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Austen Lane

NAME – Austen Lane

Position – Defensive end/Outside linebacker.

College – Murray State.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-5¾, 276 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.84 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 10-feet 5-inch broad jump.

Age – 22.

Honors – Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year … first-team All-OVC in ’08-’09 … finalist for Buck Buchanan Award, given to Division I-AA defensive player of the year.

College career – Coming out of Iola, Wisconsin, Lane was not highly recruited, receiving attention from schools like Minnesota State, Minnesota Duluth and Division II schools. He made an official visit to UMass, but ended up at Murray. Lane contributed immediately, getting his first college sack as a freshman. His victim? Missouri QB Chase Daniel. He worked his way up to the OVC’s defensive player of the year. Lane had 23 sacks over the last two seasons. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Tyson Alualu

NAME – Tyson Alualu

Position – Defensive tackle.

College – California-Berkley.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-2 3/8, 295 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.87 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 21 reps on bench press, 35.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 8-inch broad jump.

Age – 23 in May.

Honors – First-team All-Pac 10 ’09 … second-team All-Pac 10 ’08 … team captain ’09.

College career – On his first trip to Berkley, Alualu lasted less than week before returning home to Honolulu. He eventually returned, but this time brought his wife and young son. That touch of home allowed him to adjust to college and Pac-10 teams suffered the consequences. In the last two seasons he’s had 22 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks.

Stats of note – 52 games/40 starts (39 in a row) … 195 total tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 16 sacks … 1 INT, 4 forced fumbles, 4 recovered fumbles … 1 blocked kick. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Ed Dickson

NAME – Ed Dickson

Position – Tight end/H-back.

College – Oregon.

Status – Redshirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-4¼, 249 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.6 seconds in 40-yard dash, 23 reps on bench press, 34-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 7-inch broad jump.

Age – 23 in late July.

Honors – Second-team All-Pac 10 Conference in ’08.

College career – When Dickson arrived on campus he was moved to the defensive line because of depth concerns from injuries. He moved back to offense for the last four games of the ’06 season and stayed there for three more years. Dickson’s contributions improved from sophomore to junior to senior seasons. Strongest season was ’09, with 42 catches for 551 yards and six TDs. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Cam Thomas

NAME – Cam Thomas

Position – Defensive tackle.

College – North Carolina.

Status – Redshirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-4, 330 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.29 seconds in 40-yard dash, 31 reps on bench press, 29-inch vertical jump, 8-feet 6-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

College career – Broke into the starting lineup in his second playing season and stayed there, working as part of a defensive line rotation for the Tar Heels. Thomas is a space-eater, and became very adept at closing two games and frequently handling two blockers. With the presence of North Carolina coach Butch Davis, Thomas has gotten a chance to play in pro style defensive schemes. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Toby Gerhart

NAME – Toby Gerhart

Position – Running back/Fullback/H-back.

College – Stanford.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-0, 231 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 22 reps on the bench press, 38-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 10-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – Consensus All-America ’09 … second in voting for the ’09 Heisman Trophy, 28 points behind the winner, Alabama RB Mark Ingram … Pac-10 Conference Offensive Player of the Year ’09 … Doak Walker Award winner ’09.

College career – Second on Stanford’s all-time rushing list, Gerhart put together back-to-back 1,000-yard+ seasons, including a school record 1,871 yards last season. His first two seasons were cut short by injuries, including a knee problem in ’07 that ended his season after just one game, a 141-yard effort against San Jose State. He finished up with two seasons with 553 carries for 3,007 yards and 43 rushing TDs. Gerhart also played on the Stanford baseball team, where he was a hard-hitting center fielder who helped lead his team to the College Baseball World Series. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jerome Murphy

NAME – Jerome Murphy

Position – Cornerback/safety.

College – South Florida.

Status – Redshirt Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-0¼, 196 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.52 seconds in 40-yard dash, 16 reps in the bench press, 38-inch vertical jump, 10-feet 5-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – 2nd-team All-Big East in ’09.

College career – Nobody in the history of South Florida football played as any games for the Bulls as Murphy did over the last four seasons. He was very active on defense,  as he took part in 15 takeaways and was frequently one of the team leaders in tacklers each week. Showed himself to be a contributor on special teams, not only in the return game, but in blocking kicks. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jermaine Cunningham

NAME – Jermaine Cunningham

Position – Defensive end/Outside linebacker.

College – Florida.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-3 3/8, 266 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.68 seconds in 40-yard dash, but missed rest of NFL Combine work recovering from shoulder surgery.

Age – 22 in late August.

Honors – Second-team All-SEC in ’08-’09 … team captain in ’08.

College career – A three-year starter in the Gators defense, his overall tackles have gone down each year, while his sack totals have gone up. He’s always been a guy who can make big plays, as he forced six turnovers with those 19.5 sacks.

Stats of note – 45 games/38 starts … 152 total tackles, 34 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks … 5 FF, 1 INT, 1 FR and 7 PBU. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Taylor Price

NAME – Taylor Price

Position – Wide receiver.

College – University of Ohio

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-0 3/8, 204 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 16 reps on bench press, 37-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 6-inch broad jump.

Age – 22.

College career – Price has been a three-year starter for Ohio and while he didn’t produce big numbers, he was pretty consistent and improving the last three seasons with 33, then 51 and 56 catches last season. He showed his athletic ability by throwing 3 TD passes.

Stats of note – 52 games/38 starts … 149 receptions for 2,019 yards and 14 TDs … 24 carries for 165 yards … three pass completions for 79 yards and 3 TDs … 10 kickoff returns for 179 yards … 5 punt returns for 26 yards. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Syd’Quan Thompson

NAME – Syd’Quan Thompson

Position – Cornerback.

College – California-Berkley.

Status – Redshirt senior.

Size/Weight – 5-9 ¼, 186 pounds.

Important numbers –4.62 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 33-inch vertical jump, 9-foot 9-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – First-team All-Pac 10 in ’08 and ’09 … named Cal’s most valuable freshman in ’06.

College career – After serving a redshirt season, Thompson jumped into the starting lineup in ’06 and never left the field in 52 games. He played his first game with a cast on a broken wrist but still contributed. His big year came in ’08 when he had four interceptions, two sacks, a 12.3-yard average on punt returns, including one he took back 73 yards for a score. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jared Veldheer

NAME – Jared Veldheer

Position – Offensive tackle.

College – Hillsdale College.

Status – Senior, earned degree in biology.

Size/Weight – 6-8 1/8, 312 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.06 seconds in 40-yard dash, 32 reps on bench press, 33.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 1-inch broad jump.

Age – He will turn 23 in mid-June.

Honors – Consensus Division II All-America … was elected team captain in both ’08 and ’09.

College career – When Veldheer got to Hillsdale as a freshman he was a skinny 255 pounds. He was 285 pounds as a sophomore and has been over 300 pounds for the last two years. He became a starter in his freshman season and remained at left tackle for four years.

Stats of note – 44 games and starts at left tackle; blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher in all four seasons. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Mike Johnson

NAME – Mike Johnson

Position – Guard/Tackle/Center

College – Alabama

Status – Redshirt senior, earned degree in consumer affairs and has taken graduate school classes.

Size/Weight – 6-5¼, 312 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.37 seconds in 40-yard dash, 21 reps on bench press, 25-inch vertical jump, 7-feet 7-inch broad jump.

Age – 23.

Honors – First-team All-America selection and first-team All-SEC in ’09 … second-team All-SEC in ’08 … voted team co-captain by his teammates … named co-MVP for Alabama offense with Heisman Trophy winning running back Mark Ingram. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Thaddeus Gibson

NAME – Thaddeus Gibson

Position – Outside linebacker.

College – Ohio State.

Status – Redshirt junior, scheduled to graduate in June.

Size/Weight – 6-2, 243 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.72 seconds in 40-yard dash, 32 reps on bench press, 9-feet 7-inch broad jump. He was timed in the low 4.6s during his Pro Day workout.

Age – 22.

Honors – Second-team All-Big 10 Conference in ’09.

College career – Gibson broke into the Buckeyes starting lineup during the ’08 season, beginning at outside linebacker, before moving in ’09 to defensive end. He made gradual improvement each season, finishing last year with 45 total tackles, 13 tackles for loss and four sacks. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Garrett Graham

NAME – Garrett Graham

Position – Tight End/Fullback/H-Back.

College – Wisconsin.

Status – Redshirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-3, 243 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.67 seconds in 40-yard dash, 20 reps on bench press, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 4-inch broad jump.

Age – 24 in August.

Honors – Team captain and team co-MVP in ’09 … first-team All-Big 10 selection in ’08 and ’09.

College career – Another in a line of good tight end prospects to come out of Wisconsin, Graham led the Badgers in receiving last year and was part of the passing game the last three years.

Stats of note – 40 games/33 starts, 121 catches, 1,492 yards, 16 TD catches. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Larry Asante

NAME – Larry Asante

Position – Strong safety.

College – Coffeyville CC; Nebraska, earned degree in economics in December.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-0 3/8, 212 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.62 seconds in 40-yard dash, 14 reps on bench press, 37.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 10-inch broad jump.

Age – 22.

Honors – First-team All-Big 12 in ’09 … honorable mention All-Big 12 in ’07-’08 … All-Jayhawk League at LB in ’06.

College career – Asante named himself “The Assassin” and made a name in the Big 12 for his aggressive – sometimes too aggressive – play. After starting his career in the junior college ranks at Coffeyville, KS. Community College, he made a smooth transition to the Nebraska defense. Asante started 10 games in ’07 and finishing second on the team in tackles. He was not out of the opening lineup for the rest of his career. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Mike Williams

NAME – Mike Williams

Position – Wide receiver

College – Syracuse

Status – Junior

Size/Weight – 6-0 5/8, 197 pounds

Important numbers – 4.53 in 40-yard dash, 8 reps on bench press, 33.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 8-inch broad jump.

Age – He will be 23 in May.

Honors – named second-team All-Big East in ’07.

College career – Very checkered career with the Orange. Williams did not play in ’08 after being suspended under allegations of cheating during the ’08 spring semester. Came back in ’09, but quit the team after being suspended for one game, and then facing another suspension. When he was on the field as a freshman and sophomore he was very productive and a game-breaker. Williams led the team in receiving as a freshman, the first time that happened at Syracuse in 23 seasons. …Read More!

Draft Preview: Sean Lee

NAME – Sean Lee

Position – Inside Linebacker

College – Penn State

Status – Redshirt senior, graduated in December with finance degree.

Size/Weight – 6-2, 236 pounds

Important numbers – 4.74 seconds in 40-yard dash, 24 reps on bench press, 37.5-inch vertical jump.

Age – 24 in late July.

Honors – second team All-Big 10 in ’07 and ’09 … Alamo Bowl defensive player of the game

College career – A productive career at Linebacker U. for Lee was hampered by knee injuries. He missed the entire ’08 season when he tore the ACL in his right knee during spring practice. During pre-season work in ’09, he sprained the ACL in his left knee and missed three games. When he was able to play, he was very good. As a sophomore against Wisconsin, he had 13 tackles, two sacks, recovered two fumbles and forced a fumble. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Amari Spievey

NAME – Amari Spievey

Position – Cornerback

College – Iowa

Status – Junior

Size/Weight – 5-10 7/8, 195 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.53 seconds in 40-yard dash, 6 repos on bench press, 34.5-inch vertical jump, 10-foot broad jump.

Age – He’ll be 22 on Income Tax Day.

Honors – 1^st-team All-Big 10 Conference selection as junior … second team as sophomore.

College career – After struggling with academics and losing his scholarship, Spievey fought back and had two very productive seasons (’08-09) where he had six interceptions, including one that he returned 57 yards for a TD against Minnesota. He left school a year early. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Carlton Mitchell

NAME – Carlton Mitchell

Position – Wide receiver.

College – South Florida.

Status – Redshirt junior.

Size/Weight – 6-2 7/8, 215 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.49 seconds in the 40-yard dash, 16 reps on bench press, 33-inch vertical jump, 10-feet 2-inch broad jump.

Age – 22 on Tuesday.

Honors – third-team All-Big East offense in ’09 … career pass receiving yardage leader at USF.

College career – Contributed in his first two seasons on the field, but did not become the Bulls go-to receiver until ’09, when he caught 40 passes for 706 yards and four TDs. Left school early. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Greg Hardy

NAME – Greg Hardy

Position – Defensive End/Outside Linebacker

College – Mississippi

Status – Senior

Size/Weight – 6-4, 281 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.96 seconds in 40-yard dash, 21 reps on bench press, 35-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 9-inch broad jump.

Age – He will turn 22 late in July.

Honors – As a sophomore, he was a first-team All-SEC defensive end, and was part of the second team defense as a junior.

College career – Hardy became his career at wide receiver, but was quickly switched to defense and in his sophomore season (’07), he was a first-team All-SEC defensive end. From there his performance with the Rebels trended downward due to injury and attitude problems. He missed playing time in ’08 due to a stress fracture and surgery on his right foot. The same injury led to another surgery in ’09 and he missed the final three regular season games of last season with a fractured left wrist. He was suspended in ’07 for two games by the head coach for violating team rules and was pulled from a game in ’08 for lack of effort. He played with Mississippi basketball team in his freshman year. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Torell Troup

NAME – Torell Troup

Position – Defensive tackle.

College – Central Florida.

Status – Redshirt senior.

Size/Weight – 6-2 ¾, 314 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.18 in 40-yard dash, 34 reps on bench press, 8-feet 2-inch broad jump.

Honors – second-team All-Conference USA for the last two seasons … elected team captain for the ’09 season.

College career – Troup was a three-year starter on the nose for one of the better defensive units against the run in major college football. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Rodger Saffold

NAME – Rodger Saffold

Position – Offensive Tackle/Guard

College – Indiana

Status – Senior

Size/Weight – 6-4 5/8, 316 pounds.

Important numbers – 5.22 in 40-yard dash, 27 reps on bench press, 29.5-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 5-inch broad jump.

Age – He will turn 22 in early June.

Honors – Second-team All-Big 10 selection as senior … served as a game captain for the offense five times during the ’09 season.

College career – Saffold was a three-year starter at left tackle for the Hoosiers, moving into the starting lineup as true freshman when he opened the last six games of the season. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Mardy Gilyard

NAME – Mardy Gilyard

Position – Wide receiver/Returner

College – Cincinnati

Status – Redshirt senior

Size/Weight – 5-11 7/8, 187 pounds

Important numbers – 4.56 in 40-yard dash, 13 reps on bench press, 39-inch vertical jump, 9-feet 9-inch broad jump.

Age – 23

Honors – A unanimous selection to the All-Big East first-team in ’09, Gilyard also was named to the No. 1 conference squad as a junior … second all-time in Big East receiving … named Big East special teams player of the year in ’08 … offensive player of the game at the 2010 Senior Bowl with five catches for 103 yards and a TD. …Read More!

DRAFT PROFILE: Alex Carrington

NAME – Alex Carrington

Position – Defensive end

College – Arkansas State, graduated with psychology degree and a 3.52 GPA.

Status – Redshirt senior

Size/Weight – 6-5¼, 285 pounds

Important numbers – 4.98 in 40-yard dash, 26 reps at 225 pounds in bench press.

Age – 23 in the middle of June

Honors – He was twice named to the All-Sun Belt Conference first-team defense. Carrington was named the conference’s defensive player of the year as a junior when he had 10.5 sacks.

College career – After his redshirt freshman season was stopped short by an injury after eight games, Carrington never missed a game with the Red Wolves.  The game of his career came against Western Kentucky back in December when he had four sacks, five tackles for loss, seven total tackles and returned a fumble 27 yards for the game winning TD. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Montario Hardesty

NAME – Montario Hardesty

Position – Running back

College – Tennessee

Status – Redshirt senior.

Size/Weight – 5-11¾, 225 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.49 in 40-yard dash, 21 reps on bench press, 41-inch vertical jump, 10-feet, 4-inch broad jump.

Age – 23

Honors – All-SEC first team as senior … twice was voted team captain by his teammates, including the ’08 season when he was not a starter.

College career – He had just one season as the feature back, rushing for 1,345 yards in ’09. Hardesty averaged 21 carries a game last year with a touchdown per game. Over his career he missed some time due to injury, including most of the ’05 season due to a torn right ACL. He also had problems with ankle injuries and a minor stress fracture in a leg. …Read More!

Draft Profile: Jimmy Graham

NAME – Jimmy Graham.

Position – Tight end.

College – Miami (FL), earned double degree in marketing and management, graduating in May ’09.

Status – Senior.

Size/Weight – 6-6¼, 260 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.53 in 40-yard dash, 15 reps with 225 pounds in bench press, 38.5-inch vertical jump, 10-feet in broad jump.

College career – Played four years of basketball for the Hurricanes before he hit the football field. Graham played 120 basketball games, and was known more for his defense; he finished with 104 career blocks. He averaged 4 points and 4 rebounds per game. Graham did not play football for seven years, from his freshman year in high school to last season at Miami. …Read More!

DRAFT PROFILE: Brandon Ghee

NAME – Brandon Ghee

Position – Cornerback

College –Wake Forest, earned his degree in communications.

Status – Redshirt senior (enrolled in ’05)

Size/Weight – 5-11½, 192 pounds

Age – turns 23 in early June

Important numbers – 4.37 in 40-yard dash, 15 reps on bench press, 37 inches in vertical jump, 10-feet 7 inches in broad jump.

College career – Three-year starter for the Demon Deacons, Ghee did not play in ’06 because of academic problems after his redshirt season. He did not earn any all-conference honors in three seasons. He spent ’09 as senior leader of the defense. …Read More!

Three Weeks And Counting

The NFL Draft is now just three weeks away and we are going to kick our coverage into high gear starting Thursday.

Coming up for the next 21 days will be a series of profiles of draftable players. These will not be the Sam Bradford, Eric Berry, Gerald McCoy types. There are plenty of stories about the players at the top of this draft available from literally hundreds of outlets.

Our profiles will concentrate on the players that will likely fall between No. 33 and No. 100. These are guys that could be the Chiefs second, third and even fourth round selections.  Our list of names was provided to scouts from three NFL teams and with a few exceptions, they agreed that these players fall into that range of the draft spectrum.

These profiles will pop up with about three or four per day through April 22nd. We will have a category on the right rail for the profiles in case you should happen to miss any of them.

Enjoy!

Draft Profile: LB Eric Norwood

NAME – Eric Norwood.

Position – Outside Linebacker, but could move inside.

College – South Carolina.

Status – Senior, earned his degree in criminal justice.

Size/Weight – 6-0 7/8, 245 pounds.

Important numbers – 4.74 in 40-yard dash, 36.5 inches in vertical jump, 9-feet 7 inches in broad jump.

Age – 22 in late May

Honors – Three- time first-team All-SEC; first Gamecock to achieve that honor … team captain as a senior … school’s all-time leader in sacks.

College career – Highly recruited out of North Cobb High School in Kennesaw, Georgia, Norwood began his career with South Carolina as a defensive end, eventually moving to outside linebacker for his final two seasons. He tied NCAA record in ’07 by returning two fumbles for touchdowns in the same game, from two and then 53 yards out. …Read More!