
2007 Mock Draft - Top 10
After weeks of analysis, the NFL Draft is finally here. Soon there will be no more debates about whether the Texans should take Reggie Bush or Mario Williams with the No. 1 pick or if Vince Young will be able to cut it in the NFL. Meanwhile, college teams are getting back to the business of creating the stars of next year's draft. To that end, we enlisted our college football expert, Stewart Mandel, to give us a preview of what the Top 10 of the 2007 NFL Draft will look like, complete with a prediction of which teams will be picking where. Here's what he gave us: 1. Green Bay: Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma. After finishing with a 3-13 record, Favre's out, but the Peterson-Aaron Rodgers combo will help the Lambeau faithful forget their iconic QB. 2. Buffalo: Brady Quinn, QB Notre Dame. After a year of flip-flopping Kelly Holcomb and J.P. Losman, the Bills will have seen enough. Charlie Weis' prodigy will then assert himself as Buffalo's starter in his rookie year. 3. San Francisco: Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech. At 6-feet 4, 235 pounds, and possessing 4.4 speed, Johnson will give the 49ers their best target since Jerry Rice. 4. Chicago: Brian Brohm , QB, Louisville: After years of dealing with backups thrust into the starting role (Rex Grossman, Kyle Orton, Chad Hutchinson, Craig Krenzel), the Bears get a quarterback who can win games rather than not lose them.5. New York Jets: Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC: The 6-5 Jarrett reunites with former roommate Matt Leinart takes some of the weight off of Laveranues Coles. 6. Tennessee: Paul Posluszny, LB, Penn State. Showing no ill effects from the knee ligament damage he suffered in the Orange Bowl, the two-time Butkus Award-winner will be the first defensive player taken. 7. Detroit: Justin Blalock, OT, Texas. The Lions have one of the best receiving corps in the business, but their running game has all but disappeared. Drafting this 6-4, 230-pounder will be the first step in re-establishing it. 8. Houston: Marshawn Lynch, RB, California. He could team with likely No. 1 pick Reggie Bush to form one heck of a backfield. 9. Minnesota: Michael Bush, RB, Louisville: He may not have the talent of Reggie, but this Bush should help the Vikings control the ball and let their defense win some games. 10. New Orleans: Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi. The Saints defense has been one of the worst in the league the past few seasons, but Willis will help it get back to respectability. Now it's your turn. What picks do you like? Which do you hate? Do you think you have a better Top 10? Let's see it. Who Should Replace Keith Jackson?Whoa, Nellie! Keith Jackson has retired. Yes, Jackson deserves some time off. He's 77-years-old and has been calling football games since 1966, but his retirement (the second time around) is still a disappointment. He was the voice of the sport, and now that voice is off to play shuffleboard, golf or whatever it is retired college football announcers do. It looks like Brent Musburger -- by default -- becomes the senior play-by-play man in college football, but it just won't be the same. Today, we want to know who you think should be the new voice of college football. Our vote goes to Brad Nessler. How about yours? Things to Do Before You GraduateKings of Bling
NBA Playoffs v. NCAA Tournament
For some hoops fans, the NBA playoffs mark the beginning of the great two-month basketball odyssey. For others, it serves as a reminder of why the 65-team, single-elimination NCAA tournament is superior to the NBA's drawn-out process of determining a champion. Here at SI on Campus, the sides have been drawn. Matt Waxman can't wait for the NBA playoffs to end, while Andy Gray views them as the high point of the sports year. Here are their rationales: Waxman: Do I really have to argue this? Why not ask me to make a case for why hiring Jacko as your babysitter is a bad idea? Every game in the NCAA tournament is a Game 7. In college, you need to play but six games to be deemed a champion. In the NBA, it can conceivably be as many as 28. And the NCAA tourney is a made-for-TV spectacle with cut-ins to close games and cutaways from blowouts. The NBA? Wake me up when it's over. Gray: For me, it starts with the center of the basketball universe -- LeBron James -- and you're not going to find him in college. At 21, James has established himself as the future of the NBA, but reputations are made in the playoffs and his first postseason run is can't-miss TV. Let's not forget that 20 years ago a kid named Jordan walked into Boston Garden and poured in 63 points in his first playoff series against Larry Bird's Celtics. Second, the NCAA's one-and-done format doesn't cut it. Every game isn't a Game 7 when there aren't six other games for fans and players to develop their hatred of the other team. Would rivalries like Lakers-Celtics, Heat-Knicks, and Bulls-Pistons exist if there was a one-game playoff? Most importantly, the quality of the basketball in the NBA playoffs is much higher. Exhibits A and B: the Pistons and Spurs. They know how to do the little things like make the extra pass, help out on team defense and get their shots in the flow of the offense instead of forcing them. In other words, they know how to play as a team, the way Dr. Naismith invented the game. Say all you want about the college game being superior, but I've taken naps that were more exciting than this year's Final Four. And that was supposed to be the climax of the best tournament around? I don't see it. Both sides have made their cases. Where do you stand? |
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