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4/27/2007 12:06:00 PM

How Closely Will You Watch the NFL Draft?

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Do you intend to spend all weekend dissecting the NFL Draft, or is the whole event a little overblown?
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The NFL draft is this weekend, and if you haven't had a chance to weigh in on who you'd choose first overall, your top sleepers, and who you think are the most overrated and underrated players, now's your last chance. However, one final draft question looms: how closely do you plan to follow it?

On Wednesday, SI.com's Tim Layden proclaimed that the draft is the biggest sporting event of the year – bigger than the Super Bowl, Final Four, World Series, Wrestlemania and anything else you can think of. While this may be a tad overstated, nobody can argue that the draft has become big business and a major event. Today, we want to know how big you think it is? Will you spend Saturday and Sunday glued to your television, listening to Mel Kiper Jr. tell you why the guard from South Alabama State is a future All-Pro? Personally, I'm more interested in the NBA Playoffs and the Red Sox-Yankees series. I'm a huge NFL fan, but I just don't see the point of spending 16 hours (over the course of two days) in front of my television when I can read Peter King on Monday and see who the winners and the losers were. After all, there's no actual football taking place.

Tell us where you stand on this NFL Draft mania.
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4/25/2007 12:00:00 PM

NFL Draft -- Who is overrated/underrated?

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Is Brady Quinn overrated ... or are experts underestimating Charlie Weis' ability to produce NFL-ready players?
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With the NFL Draft just three days way, there are lot of opinions about whether many top-tier prospects will succeed in the NFL. In other words, one scout may rave about the ability of Auburn RB Kenny Irons, while an opposing scout may trash Irons for his lack of speed. Luckily, SI.com's Stewart Mandel is here to cut through the hype and weigh in with his fifth annual overrated/underrated list. Here’s his breakdown by position:

Quarterback
Overrated – Brady Quinn, Notre Dame
Underrated – Troy Smith, Ohio State

Running Back
Overrated – Kenny Irons, Auburn
Underrated – Michael Bush, Louisville

Wide Receiver
Overrated – Dwayne Bowe, LSU
Underrated – Sidney Rice, South Carolina

Offensive Line
Overrated – Levi Brown, Penn State
Underrated – Dan Mozes, West Virginia

Defensive Line
Overrated – LaMarr Woodley, Michigan
Underrated – Charles Johnson, Georgia

Linebacker
Overrated – Stewart Bradley, Nebraska
Underrated – Buster Davis, Florida State

Defensive Back
Overrated – Chris Houston, Arkansas
Underrated – Eric Weddle, Utah

Now we want to hear from you. Which of Mandel's picks do you agree with? Which do you disagree with? You're on the board.
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4/23/2007 12:03:00 PM

Which schools produce the best positional players?

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Does USC deserve the reputation of producing top NFL quarterbacks, or is there another school that should have that honor?
Kirby Lee/WireImage
Last week, SI.com's Bucky Brooks weighed in on which college football programs produce the best players at each position. For instance, Ohio State has become a magnet for top receivers over the past 15 years, turning out the likes of Joey Galloway, Terry Glenn, David Boston and Santonio Holmes (not to mention Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez, who are both expected to be drafted this weekend). Here are some other schools and their positions of strength:

Quarterback: USC – Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, Matt Cassel
Next in line: John David Booty (2008 draft class), Mark Sanchez (2010)

Running Back: Auburn – Bo Jackson, Stephen Davis, Rudi Johnson, Cadillac Williams, Ronnie Brown
Next in line: Kenny Irons (likely second-round pick in this year's draft)

Tight End: Miami - Bubba Franks, Jeremy Shockey, Kellen Winslow II, Kevin Everett
Next in Line: Greg Olsen (likely first-round pick in this year's draft)

Offensive Linemen: Boston College – Damien Woody, Tom Nalen, Dan Koppen, Chris Snee
Next in Line: Josh Beekman and James Marten (both likely first-day picks in this year's draft)

Linebacker: Miami – Ray Lewis, Jesse Armstead, Dan Morgan, Jonathan Vilma
Next in line: Jon Beason (likely first or second-round pick in this year's draft)

Defensive Lineman: Georgia - Richard Seymour, Marcus Stroud, David Pollack
Next in Line: Charles Johnson and Quentin Moses (both potential first-day picks in this year's draft)

Defensive Backs: Miami - Ed Reed, Sean Taylor, Phillip Buchanon, Michael Rumph
Next in Line: Brandon Meriweather (likely first-day pick in this year's draft)

Did Brooks get it right, or are there any other schools that are more prolific at producing players at a specific position? For instance, Purdue's quarterback lineage – which includes Len Dawson, Bob Griese, Jim Everett, and Drew Brees -– is every bit as impressive as USC's. What other schools deserve props for producing great positional players?
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