SB Nation - Lydon Murtha

SB Nation 2009 Big 12 Preview: Nebraska Cornhuskers Team Capsule

Jon Johnston — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:32:52 -0000

The SB Nation Big 12 preview will post on Friday at The Ralphie Report. The following is the Nebraska team capsule for the conference-wide preview piece in conjunction with CBS Sports.

Expect the Blackshirt defense to be much improved in Bo Pelini's season. They should carry Nebraska to a Big 12 North win this season. Photo by Dennis Hubbard

The Outlook

Anything less than winning the Big 12 North will be a disappointment. The success of the 2009 Husker offense will depend on Nebraska establishing a firm ground attack, providing time for Lee and the receiving corps to develop into a balanced attack. If the Huskers find themselves one-dimensional, they'll have to rely on their defense to carry them to the Big 12 Championship game, but the margin for error will be very thin.

Offense

In 2009, the offense begins with I-backs Roy Helu Jr. and Quentin Castille. In 2008, Helu was bothered by a shoulder injury at the start of the season, but emerged as a star in November, rushing for 510 yards and five touchdowns in the final four games. For the season, he averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which is the highest of any returning back in the North division. Castille was the third back most of the season, but rushed for 125 yards in the Gator Bowl.

Replacing Joe Ganz at quarterback will be junior Zac Lee. Lee, who played sparingly last season, might be Nebraska's most talented quarterback since Eric Crouch. At San Francisco City College in 2006, Lee threw for over 3400 yards and 35 touchdowns. Lee is mobile as well, with 4.6 speed.

Nebraska's top returning receiver is tight end Mike McNeill, who'll probably be the best tight end in the conference not named Jermaine Gresham. Menelik Holt and Niles Paul look to be the top two wide receivers in 2009. Holt was hampered by a knee injury that caused him to miss most of four games last season. Paul's biggest contributions to date have been on kick returns, with an 85 yard touchdown return against San Jose State last season. A group of inexperienced but talented receivers will fight for playing time and to fill out the remaining positions.

Three starters return up front, including honorable mention all-Big XII center Jacob Hickman, who may move to guard this season. Juniors Keith Williams and Mike Smith return to anchor the left side of the line. If Hickman moves to right guard, sophomore Mike Caputo will take over at center. Other candidates for the right side include tackle Marcel Jones and guards D.J. Jones and Ricky Henry.

Defense

The defense is lead by pre-season All-American defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, who is also a top-ten NFL draft prospect. The defense will be dependent upon Suh to make plays or occupy enough blockers to make them better. Expect sophomore Jared Crick to start alongside Suh, with redshirt freshman Baker Steinkuhler in the rotation.

Defensive end Barry Turner returns this season after breaking his leg in early 2008. Pierre Allen did an excellent job filling in his position last season. Between Suh, Crick, Turner and Allen, Nebraska's defensive line should be one of the best in the conference this season.

At linebacker, no fewer than ten players are fighting for three starting positions. Phillip Dillard returns as the most experienced of the bunch, but after a lackluster spring must fight his way back into the starting rotation. Pelini has so far refused to name starters to keep the competition going, but you could expect redshirt freshmen Will Compton and Sean Fisher to win some starts, along with sophomore Matthew May.

The secondary returns with much more depth than the previous season. Prince Amukamara and Anthony West return as starters at the corners. Anthony Blue returns after sitting out 2008 with a knee injury. Lance Thorrell should reprise his role in the dime package. Larry Asante is the top returning starter at safety, and should make the All-Big 12 list by the end of the season. Eric Hagg should keep his spot as the other starting safety, splitting time with Matt O'Hanlon. Rickey Thenarse must have a good fall camp to fight off redshirt freshmen Courtney Osborne and P.J. Smith. The defensive secondary had too many break downs last season, but that should be much improved this year.

In a single season, Bo Pelini turned around a defense that finished near the bottom of the nation in several categories, and had them playing well enough to finish as one of the top defenses in the Big 12 by season's end. With a year of understanding Pelini's system behind them, expect the Blackshirt defense to become the bright spot for Husker fans this season.

Special Teams

Alex Henery returns as one of the most accurate kickers in the nation. In 2008, Henery went 18-21 in field goals and made 56 of 57 PATs. The Huskers will have to replace holder Jake Wesch and long snapper T.J. O'Leary, who have handled those duties over the past three seasons.

Kickoff specialist Adi Kunalic returns after finishing fifth the nation in touchbacks last season, giving the Huskers a formidable weapon in the kicking game. Henery may pull double duty and handle punting duty, a task for which he was originally recruited.

Nate Swift was the team's primary punter last season and must be replaced after having moved on this season. Niles Paul showed some promise returning punts, and should be more consistent this season. Newcomers Rex Burkhead and Antonio Bell will be considered as will redshirt freshman Tim Marlowe.

Niles Paul looks likely to replay his role as a kick returner after having a decent year in 2008. Two of the top five plays last season were Paul kick returns, including a 85-yard touchdown return against San Jose State. Alfonzo Dennard was one of only three true freshman to play last season and should handle return duties again this season. Sophomore Curenski Gilleylen and newcomers Burkhead and Antonio Bell may get their chance as well.

Kickoff coverage must get better as Nebraska finished 105th in the nation in last season. Watch for Bo Pelini to include some talented newcomers to the coverage team this season as the Huskers look for every edge possible to win the Big 12 North.

Key Losses

Joe Ganz, QB - The former bench warmer that nobody believed in until Sam Keller injured his collarbone. He came in and promptly put up three straight 400 yard games and showed a gritty resolve that endeared him to Husker fans. He leaves after setting 23 school records, including season records for passing yardage.

Nate Swift, WR - Departs as the Huskers record holder for career receptions, and ranks second for yards receiving all-time. Some might consider him a "possession" receiver, but he also had decent speed. In his senior season, he ranked 2nd in the Big XII and eighth nationally in punt returns.

Todd Peterson, WR - Along with Swift, gave Joe Ganz two dependable receivers. The pair combined for 125 receptions and over 1,700 yards.

Marlon Lucky, IB - The former five-star recruit never quite lived up to the hype from his high school days, but was a versatile weapon in all facets of the passing game.

Matt Slauson, OL - The anchor of the Husker offensive line the last few years, Slauson was drafted in the 6th round by the New York Jets, where he'll be reunited with Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan.

Lydon Murtha, OL - Murtha was an enigma for the Huskers, as he had all of the measurables to be an impressive offensive line prospect, but never developed the consistency to be that dominant lineman that some projected. The Detroit Lions were impressed enough to take him in the seventh round of the NFL draft.

Zach Potter, DE - Potter became a dominant end in his final two seasons, showing a knack for deflecting passes and kicks. Last season, he blocked three kicks and deflected two passes to Ndamukong Suh, who returned both for touchdowns.

Ty Steinkuhler, DT - Steinkuhler was a bit of an unsung hero until the Gator Bowl last season. His presence prevented offenses from double-teaming Ndamukong Suh, as Clemson quickly learned.

Armando Murillo, CB - Nebraska's lone loss in the secondary, he was the Huskers most consistent performer in the secondary.

Dan Titchener, P - Three year starter who averaged 39.9 yards per punt in his career.

Newcomers

Pelini has already shown his penchant for retaining redshirts, so you shouldn't expect to see a lot of brand new faces this year.

Baker Steinkuhler, DT - Another Steinkuhler, the departing Ty's little brother. Should see plenty of playing time this season.

Will Compton, LB - the most likely middle linebacker of the future for the Blackshirt defense.

Sean Fisher, LB - having a break-out fall camp, should be expected to get a lot of starts this season.

Rex Burkhead, RB/KR/PR/? - Burkhead was a ‘do everything' guy in in high school, playing running back, quarterback, receiver, returning punts and kicks, along with taking out the trash. Truly a versatile player, probably too skilled to remain on the sideline this season as a true freshman.

Antonio Bell & Brandon Kinnie, WR - A pair of young wide receivers that should make some contributions and break into the starting rotation by the end of the season.

Big 12 Projected Order Of Finish:

North

Nebraska
Kansas
Colorado
Missouri
Iowa State
Kansas State

South
Oklahoma
Texas
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
Baylor
Texas A&M

2009 Opponent Previews

Atlantic Owls
Arkansas St. Red Wolves
Virginia Tech Hokies
Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin Cajuns
Missouri Tigers
Texas Tech Red Raiders owa St. Cyclones
Baylor Bears
Oklahoma Sooners
Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas St. Wildcats
Colorado Buffaloes

What Worries You Most About the 2009 Husker Football Season?

Jon Johnston — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 12:00:34 -0000

More photos » by DAVE WEAVER - AP

Nebraska's Zac Lee throws during football practice - are you more worried about Lee's performance than anything else this coming season? If so, you're probably in the majority.

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I did an interview last night at 8:45 pm,with Lane Grindle on KFAB. It's kind of weird doing these things because I never know what questions they're going to ask ahead of time. There's nothing wrong with that - obviously I was on the radio to talk about the Nebraska yearbook and the upcoming season - two subjects I'd better know something about, eh?

Anyway, during the interview, Grindle asked me what I thought was the biggest issue for the 2009 season, basically, what should Husker fans be most concerned about?

My answer wasn't all that stunning, I'm sure 95% of Husker fans would come up with the same answer (the other 5% being stoned on allergy medicine might say something weird involving Bob Devaney and hats).

I'm sure that most people are worried about the quarterback position, about Zac Lee, but that's not what I'm most concerned about. I'm worried about the offensive line. You get a good enough offensive line and your quarterback doesn't have to do all that much, the greatest proof of that being that Trent Dilfer has a Super Bowl ring while Dan Marino doesn't.

We lost two right tackles from last season, Lydon Murtha and Jaivorio Burkes. That's not a good thing because we really need to find two right tackles to replace them. The right guard position isn't settled, the hope being that Ricky Henry can get his stuff together and assume the position. If he doesn't, we'll see Jacob Hickman move to right guard, and Mike Caputo take over center. Maybe that's not such a bad mix, but what it does is point out the weakness in the overall rotation.

I didn't sound this articulate while on the radio - that's the beauty of writing - you can go back and edit yourself and make yourself sound a lot better. However, that is what I'm most worried about this season - can Barney Cotton get his line unit together for the season?

Maybe others are more concerned about the quarterback. Actually, I'm guessing most are, in fact, way more people are concerned about the quarterback, like I'm part of that 5% group that's stoned on allergy medicine. Is that the case? What are you worried most about?

What Will The 2009 Nebraska Offense Look Like?

Jon Johnston — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:15:08 -0000

More photos » by DAVE WEAVER - AP

Nebraska's Kyler Reed (25), and J.T. Kerr work on blocking drills Saturday, Aug. 8, 2009, during the first day of fall football practice camp in Lincoln, Neb. What do you want out of your tight ends - better pass receiving skills or better blocking?

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I keep trying to get a handle on what this year's Husker offense might look like. It's troublesome because the assets that we have - running backs and tight ends - lead one to believe that we should move into double tight end sets and run the ball. Putting the offense into this type of formation also requires that you have a great offensive line that can run the ball when they need to.

And that's the other quandary. I mean no offense to our current group of linemen, the fact is that Nebraska's offensive line is nowhere near the powerhouse lines we had in the Osborne era. (Well, the fact is that no one has the offensive lines that Osborne had, largely because the defensive players have gotten that much better just like the six million dollar man - stronger and faster.)

Barney Cotton is still looking for someone to fill the right guard position, and losing both Lydon Murtha and Jaivorio Burkes at the right tackle position leaves that right side suspect. It doesn't give much confidence that we can rely on a tight set-based run game, but then there are the tight ends, Mike McNeill, Dreu Young, Ben Cotton and Kyler Reed. Surely there's a boost of confidence with such good depth and athleticism. Maybe get the running game going and then play-action to them like in the old days. McNeill and Reed have the speed to get behind defenses, while Young and Cotton have the size and strength to muscle up for the ball.

That's it, right? That's the offense we can expect to see. Right? Right?

Unfortunately, tight sets are diametrically opposed to the one theme that's made offenses in the Big 12 as explosive as they are right now - the spread formations. Regardless of the offensive philosophy - spread to run or pass - it seems that an offense must incorporate some elements of the spread to be successful.

If we spread to pass, we'll have to find more than one playmaker amongst our group of receivers. If we spread to run, will Shawn Watson allow Zac Lee to keep the ball knowing full well that if Lee is injured the next two quarterbacks have never taken a snap in a college game?

One of last year's bread and butter plays was the wide receiver screen because Todd Peterson and Nate Swift complemented each other so well. With both of them gone, will we see much of the play this season? Can Menelik Holt and Niles Paul complement each other in the same way?

I'm curious as to what other Husker fans have to say about our offense this season. What will this year's offense look like? What do you think will work? What will be the bread and butter plays off which we feast?

So many questions. Husker football fans are the best football geeks I know, so what say ye?

Loss of Jaivorio Burkes Deals Blow to Husker Offensive Line - Linebacker Matt Holt to Sit Out 2009

Jon Johnston — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:25 -0000

More photos » by Donna McWilliam - AP

Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini is shown during Big 12 Media Day in Irving, Texas, Monday, July 27, 2009. Pelini announced that tackle Jaivorio Burkes was no longer with the Husker football team. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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Bo Pelini announced at Big 12 media days that Jaivorio Burkes was no longer with the Husker football team. It wasn't news as much as a confirmation of what was already suspected - that Burkes medical condition would keep him from playing this year. There was hope that things would work out for the best, but it just wasn't to be.

Unfortunately, the news leaves the Huskers looking for a right tackle, as Burkes had proved himself to be more of an adequate replacement for Lydon Murtha. Burkes' departure puts Marcel Jones in position to be the starting right tackle.

Right guard remains unsettled - in the spring, Jacob Hickman had moved to the right guard position with walk-on Mike Caputo playing well enough to take over center due to Hickman's move. Hickman stated that he'd start fall at the center position, meaning Ricky Henry must step up into the right guard spot. I wouldn't be surprised to see Hickman back at guard with Caputo starting at center.

As it stands now, the starting line would look like:

Left Tackle - Mike Smith
Left Guard - Keith Williams
Center - Jacob Hickman/Mike Caputo
Right Guard - Jacob Hickman/Ricky Henry
Right Tackle - Marcel Jones

Those would appear to be Barney Cotton's best five players at this point. Obviously more linemen are needed to provide time in rotation and to provide depth should there be more injuries. With a 12-game regular season, injuries are to be expected.

Fall practice will find the Cotton searching for the players who are going to step up and fill in the rotation. Ricky Henry needs to prove himself capable of playing a guard position, while DJ Jones can provide time at either guard or tackle. Derek Meyer, a transfer from Kansas State could fill in nicely here, and an added bonus would be Andy Christensen's return. Redshirt freshman Brandon Thompson should see more playing time should he get his act together in the fall.

It was also announced that linebacker Matt Holt would sit 2009 out and take a redshirt year due to a shoulder injury. Given the number of players vying for playing time at linebacker this isn't earth-shattering news, unless, of course, you're Matt Holt. Holt played well in 2008, getting a start against Texas Tech when he had a career-high nine tackles. Unfortunately, he was injured against Kansas and missed the rest of the 2008 season.

Unit Rankings: Big 12 North Offenses

Bill C. — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:00:18 -0000

Due to a number of factors--desire to use BTBS numbers right now for something other than Bowling Green analysis, annoyance at the quickly-forming "Nebraska is obviously almost back" consensus (how many times have we heard that since 2001?), etc.--I thought I'd take some time and lay out some North Division analysis based on the unit rankings* that I've been using for the BTBS previews the last two weeks.

As I've mentioned before, the unit rankings are a work in progress, but they're at least a place to start. Clearly I think Missouri's WR/TE corps was better than #25 in the country last year (meanwhile, their O-line was good, but probably not #5 in the country), but for the most part they seem like a good jumping-off point. Again, I can go into detail on this if I need to, but I'm working with the assumption that nobody cares that much about the methods. If I'm wrong, let me know.

Before we jump in, however, I'd like to post a graph. It represents each North team's point differential in their ten North division games in 2007-08. This should also be part of any jumping-off point for analysis of the North.

Mizzou went 9-1 versus the North in 2007-08, with only a last-second loss in a rivalry game marring a perfect record. Their per-game point differential was +25.8. Yes, they technically tied for North titles with Kansas in 2007 and Nebraska in 2008, but make no mistake: they destroyed the North. Kansas was 8-2, but with only a differential of +12.0. Nebraska: +1.4. Colorado: -14.4. Yes, Mizzou has lost a ton of talent, but...25 points' worth per game? 40?

Alright, with that out of the way, let's get started. Today, we look at offense. Tomorrow, defense. For each unit, I'll look at the 2008 unit rankings, try to perceive who has risen or fallen since last year, and come up with rough rankings for this year. And I'm going to try my best to keep my own personal biases out of the equation (for proof, simply look at the QB rankings).

OFFENSE

Quarterbacks

2008 Rankings

Missouri (#11 in the country)
Nebraska (#13)
Kansas (#27)
Kansas State (#65)
Iowa State (#92)
Colorado (#113)

Missouri, ~~Kansas~~ Nebraska and Kansas State lose their starters, leaving Todd Reesing a clear #1. Everybody can agree on that. But what about after that? Austen Arnaud and Cody Hawkins return, but they were ranked very low. Conservatively, let's rank Arnaud and Hawkins #2-3, simply because they are known quantities (in Hawkins' case, too known, I think). Who's #4 among MU's Blaine Gabbert, NU's Zac Lee, and KSU's Carson Coffman (or Grant Gregory)? Taking away the junk time work that Gabbert and Coffman/Gregory have gotten, the only other thing we have to go by is recruiting profile. Gabbert was a 5-star recruit, Lee a 4-star JUCO, Coffman a 2-star, and Gregory a 2-star. I like Coffman, but for this exercise I'm trying to take my own opinions out of the equation for now, simply because I'm biased. So we're going to rely totally on my own numbers and external factors like recruiting rankings. So despite the fact that my list would look different than this, here's what we come up with:

Tentative 2009 Rankings

Kansas
Iowa State
Colorado
Missouri
Nebraska
Kansas State

If another picture of Todd Reesing exists, I haven't seen it.

Running Backs

2008 Rankings

Missouri (#16)
Nebraska (#20)
Kansas (#69)
Iowa State (#90)
Colorado (#107)
Kansas State (#119)

The BTBS numbers do NOT like Lamark Brown and Logan Dold, apparently. Anyway, basically everybody returns most key contributors--Derrick Washington, Roy Helu, Jr., Jake Sharp, Alexander Robinson, Darrell Scott/Rodney Stewart, Lamark Brown/Keithen Valentine/Logan Dold (though Dold may have been moved to defense). Therefore, we won't change the rankings much. I could see moving CU ahead of ISU simply because Stewart and Scott were both hurt a bunch, but again...we're trying to deal as much as possible with known quantities.

Tentative 2009 Rankings

Missouri
Nebraska
Kansas
Iowa State
Colorado
Kansas State

From the Missourian. D-Wash: good.

Wide Receivers / Tight Ends

2008 Rankings

Kansas (#23)
Missouri (#25)
Nebraska (#27)
Kansas State (#48)
Iowa State (#96)
Colorado (#110)

Well, first things first: CU had one reliable weapon--Josh Smith--and he's gone. So it's safe to say they're staying #6. And with the return of Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier, KU stays #1. Missouri loses Maclin and Coffman, so they'll fall. Nebraska loses Swift and Peterson, so they'll fall. Iowa State returns everybody, but they don't make up enough ground. Really, I think KSU slides into the #2 spot here with Brandon Banks and Deon Murphy returning. So that leaves Mizzou vs Nebraska for #3.

Career stats for projected top three receivers and top tight end:

Missouri: Danario Alexander (78 catches, 997 yards, 8 TDs), Jared Perry (91 catches, 1148 yards, 7 TDs), Jerrell Jackson (9 catches, 98 yards), Andrew Jones (20 catches, 146 yards). Total = 198 catches, 2389 yards, 15 touchdowns, 12.1 yards per catch, one TD every 13.2 catches).
Nebraska: Menelik Holt (34 catches, 452 yards, 1 TD), Niles Paul (24 catches, 220 yards), Chris Brooks (3 catches, 31 yards, 1 TD), Mike McNeill (33 catches, 467 yards, 6 TDs). Total = 94 catches, 1170 yards, 8 touchdowns, 12.4 yards per catch, one TD every 11.8 catches).

The per-catch stats are extremely similar, with a slight advantage to NU, but Mizzou has by far the experience advantage. And if I'm giving Cody Hawkins an experience advantage...well...

Tentative 2009 Rankings

Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Nebraska
Iowa State
Colorado

What If...

Offensive Line

2008 Rankings

Missouri (#5)
Kansas State (#20)
Kansas (#25)
Iowa State (#60)
Nebraska (#61)
Colorado (#102)

Offensive line rankings are based on line yards and sack rates (adjusted, as always, for strength of schedule), in case you were wondering. Anyway, Mizzou was a clear #1 in the North last year, and with the return of Tim Barnes, Kurtis Gregory, and Elvis Fisher, and the seeming emergence of Dan Hoch this spring, they will stay #1. K-State's line, led by Nick Stringer and potential stars like Clyde Aufner and Colten Freeze, actually looks pretty solid as well. Iowa State returns four OL starters and a good blocking TE in Derrick Catlett--they have the most combined returning starts in the North. Nebraska does have to replace probably their best overall OL (to me, at least) in Lydon Murtha, but their experience level is solid. Colorado's line is full of good recruits, but they were so young, thin, and injury-prone last year that there's no telling what their ceiling is. But they were so far in last place here that they'll stay there.

So pretty much everybody stays in the same order...but what to do with Kansas? They were quite far ahead of ISU and NU, but they return a mere 26 career starts, easily the lowest in the conference as a whole. This could be the offense's Achilles Heel, and with improvement possible from ISU, I'll squeeze KU between the 'Clones and the Huskers.

Tentative 2009 Rankings

Missouri
Kansas State
Iowa State
Kansas
Nebraska
Colorado

Photo by Andrew Worrall, via The Columns

OFFENSE SUMMARY

Alright, so to get a general, reasonably unscientific way of judging the talent level here, let's simply add everybody's rankings together and see what happens. Lowest number = best, obviously.

Tentative 2009 Offensive Ranking

1T. Missouri (9)
1T. Kansas (9)
3. Iowa State (14)
4T. Nebraska (16)
4T. Kansas State (16)
6. Colorado (20)

I honestly didn't know how the numbers would play out when I started that exercise, but it does make some sense. For all the loss analysts mention when talking about Missouri, it only affects the passing game side of the equation. Missouri still has the division's best running back and best offensive line, and with the right approach and play-calling, those strengths can take a large load off of Blaine Gabbert's shoulders. Plus, Gabbert does have two extremely experienced, relatively proven quantities in Perry and Alexander at WR (assuming they're healthy). I'd still give a slight nod to Kansas overall*, but there is at least some cause for optimism for Mizzou this year.

* This is 90% honesty and a 10% attempt at a jinx of Kansas. Jinx...JINX...NOONAN!

Tomorrow we look at defenses. Does Nebraska have enough of a defensive advantage to make up for a lacking offense?

Recapping Day Two of the 2009 NFL Draft

Sean Yuille — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 07:15:17 -0000

More photos » by Jason DeCrow - AP

8 months ago: Detroit Lions representatives work during the third round of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall Sunday, April 26, 2009, in New York. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)

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Like many teams, the Lions made multiple trades on day two of the 2009 NFL Draft to stock up on picks. The first trade was actually what started day two of the draft. The Lions exchanged third-round picks with the Jets and received a fourth-rounder and a seventh-rounder for making the swap. The Lions felt that they didn't need to pick at the top of the third-round, so it was a great move to trade down. The more picks you can get the better. The same goes for the move made in the sixth-round. The Lions traded their sixth-rounder to the Broncos for a seventh-rounder this year and a fifth-rounder in 2010. This type of strategy is one the Patriots have mastered, so I'm all for the Lions doing it. I think both trades were great moves.

Round 3 - Pick No. 76 - LB DeAndre Levy (Wisconsin)

The Lions' first pick of day two was more than a tad puzzling at first. Levy played outside linebacker at Wisconsin, and most of us were wondering why the Lions would pick an OLB when they had such a gaping hole on the inside. The explanation for that, as we now know, is that Levy is going to play middle linebacker for the Lions, at least initially. He will try out the MLB position at next weekend's rookie minicamp, which makes me understand this pick much more.

I'm still not a huge fan of this pick, though, as it seems like Levy was drafted on his potential to play MLB more than anything. While many draft picks are made based on potential at another position, I guess I just don't have a ton of confidence that a player can effectively play MLB in the NFL after not playing it in college. Some will probably ask why I wanted Aaron Curry, as he would have been switched to MLB. My response to that question is that Curry actually played some MLB in college. Levy, at least based on my initial research, didn't actually play that position very much at Wisconsin.

Grade: D+

Even though I'm going to take a wait and see approach with regards to this pick based on trusting Jim Schwartz and company, if I had to give it a grade it would only be a D+. Although Levy will play MLB for the Lions at the rookie camp, I just don't think he will be as effective -- at least not in year one -- as some of the true MLBs in the draft. Then again, most of the true MLBs fans wanted dropped big time, so hopefully the coaches and front office know something we don't. I hope that is the case, but for right now, anyways, my grade for the Levy pick is only a D+.

Round 3 - Pick No. 82 - WR Derrick Williams (Penn State)

The initial reaction to this pick was disgust, just because it was a wide receiver. With actual positions of need out there, why did the Lions decide to draft a WR so early on? Well, think of it more like they drafted a returner who can play receiver as well, because that is the type of player Williams is. He isn't a great receiver, but his return abilities make him very appealing, as does his athleticism. He is someone that could run the Wildcat for the Lions, as he did that many times at Penn State. The best description I can give you is that he is a more talented Kenneth Moore, the Wake Forest receiver drafted by the Lions on day two a year ago for his return abilities. Moore didn't make the team but ended up signing with the Panthers, so the hope obviously is that Williams will be good enough at WR to make the team and the active roster on game days. That way the Lions would actually have a decent returner for a change.

Grade: D+

While I understand the thinking behind this pick, I am not a huge fan of it. It is very important for the Lions to upgrade their return game next season, but Williams will only help with that matter if he makes the team and then the active roster for games. I'm not so sure that he will be able to do that, especially if the Lions only keep four receivers active for games. Considering the Lions are going to incorporate the tight end position more, it may not be necessary to have more than four receivers on the active roster. That's why I'm a bit skeptical that Williams' return abilities will even be utilized. Given that, I don't think it was worth spending a third-round pick on him.

Round 4 - Pick No. 115 - DT Sammie Lee Hill (Stillman)

This is my favorite pick of day two and maybe of the entire draft for the Lions. Sammie Lee Hill has amazing athleticism for being so big, and it seems like he could be a hidden gem. At the very least, he appears to be a great value pick, and beyond that, he actually fills a need. Defensive tackle was a position that needed to be addressed in the draft, so it's good to see that it actually was.

Grade: A

As stated, this was a great value pick and addressed need at the same time. It doesn't get much better than that on day two of the draft.

Round 6 - Pick No. 192 - RB Aaron Brown (TCU)

This was probably one of the most confusing picks of the day. Running back isn't exactly a position of need for the Lions, and Brown has lots of question marks surrounding him. For example, he had some injury problems in college and was suspended for the first three games of 2008 for violating a university policy. The upside for Brown is that he is also a returner, but as stated in my analysis of the Williams pick, that only means something if a player can make the active roster.

Grade: D

By the time the sixth-round in the draft rolls around, most picks are risks, but this one just seemed unnecessary. The Lions already have a couple players similar to Brown on the roster -- Aveion Cason and Brian Calhoun. Both Cason and Calhoun are nothing more than depth at the running back position, but their upside is that they can return kicks. Calhoun can't ever stay healthy and probably won't be a Lion for too much longer, but Cason is serviceable in my mind. If anything, Brown is a poor man's Cason.

Round 7 - Pick No. 228 - OT Lydon Murtha (Nebraska)

The Lions finally decided to pay attention to the offensive line in the seventh-round of the draft. The OT they picked, Lydon Murtha, has great size and athleticism. Like many players with that kind of makeup, his size and athleticism haven't translated too well to the football field. Even so, in the seventh-round there is no point not to pick someone like this. He has great potential, and better yet, he plays a position that is a need for the Lions.

Grade: B

Murtha certainly has all the potential in the world, but whether or not he will ever reach his potential is left to be seen. Regardless, the Lions only used a seventh-round pick on him, so it's not like the risk involved is that big.

Round 7 - Pick No. 235 - LB Zack Follett (California)

Zack Follett is an interesting character, to say the least. I'll expand on that in his scouting report, but it is obvious that he has a colorful personality. He also appears to have a mean streak on the football field, which is pretty important for a linebacker. Follett is listed as an outside linebacker, but he did play MLB in college. I actually like his potential in the middle more than Levy, the Lions' first third-round pick. Follett has a ton of potential, and it seems like he has a better chance of actually living up to it than others.

Grade: A

The more I read about Follett and the more video I watch, the more I like this pick. Follett can play both OLB and MLB, and he also will contribute on special teams. He's got the perfect mindset for a linebacker, and he seems like someone that could be viewed as a steal a few years from now.

Round 7 - Pick No. 255 - TE Dan Gronkowski (Maryland)

Teams that have one of the last picks of the draft have to figure out which player is going to be the toughest to sign as an undrafted free agent. That way they can simply draft him and not have to worry about competing with other teams to make a signing. For the Lions, they felt that player was TE Dan Gronkowski. This pick makes two things evident as we look ahead to next season: the Lions are going to utilize the tight end position more and the coaches aren't content with the TEs already on the roster. The latter point was obvious after Brandon Pettigrew was picked on Saturday, but this pick further echoed that notion.

Grade: D

It's tough to even give out a grade for a pick this late in the draft, but I decided on a D based on the fact that the Lions already drafted Brandon Pettigrew. I would have preferred to see depth added to the offensive or defensive line. Even so, I wouldn't put a whole lot of stock in any grade for the second-to-last pick of the draft. Like I said, at this point it is all about who will be the toughest to sign as an undrafted free agent, so I'm hoping the Lions knew that Gronkowski was going to end up somewhere else if he wasn't drafted.

Overall: C+

While there were a couple picks I really liked from the second day of the draft, there was still a lot of room for improvement, in my opinion. It really was hit or miss on Sunday, as it seems like fans either loved or hated the picks. There was more of a middle ground with the day one picks. Then again, I guess that should be expected to happen more with lesser-known players. People usually are going to flat out hate the pick or like it based on what they first read about the player. That is why draft grades are so tough to give out for second day picks. In a few years when you look back at draft grades, there's a good chance they will all be inaccurate. Even so, it's a good topic to discuss, so let's hear your grades for day two.

Poll

What grade do you give the Lions for day two of the draft?

A

47 votes

B

178 votes

C

167 votes

D

113 votes

E

10 votes

F

47 votes

562 votes | Poll has closed

Huskers Going Into the NFL Draft And Free Agent Signings

Jon Johnston — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 04:29:09 -0000

More photos » by Orlin Wagner - AP

Matt Slauson joins his old college coach, Bill Callahan with the New York Jets after being selected in the fifth round.

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In seven rounds, only three Huskers were taken in this weekend's NFL draft.

- Cody Glenn being the first Husker drafted was a big surprise. He went in the fifth round to the Washington Redskins. It’s a big surprise because Glenn only played linebacker for one season that was cut short due to his being suspended for ticket scalping.

One partial year, and he’s the highest Husker drafted. Maybe that says something about his desire. Maybe it says something about linebackers coach Mike Ekeler. Or maybe.… it’s because he’s the Husker I chose to put on the cover picture for “A Sea of Red” last season. Yeah, that’s it.

- Matt Slauson gets reunited with his old buddy New York Jets offensive line coach Bill Callahan after going in the sixth round. I don’t know if Slauson can ever get to be a high-paid NFL lineman, but the Jets need linemen pretty badly. I’m all for him, loved the face paint.

It’s easy for us as Husker fans to bash on Billy C, but maybe if Bill can focus on line coaching without all those other distractions like running a full offense, then there’s hope for Slauson. I certainly hope so.

- Lydon Murtha dropped all the way to the seventh round, going to the Detroit Lions. Not that surprising Murtha dropped as far as he did. He missed four games in 2007 and again in 2008 with injuries. In 2008, there was an indication that the injuries weren’t serious, leading one to speculate that Murtha is going to have to get a lot tougher to stay on a NFL roster. This didn't escape the NFL guys.

Although with the Lions, how good do you have to be, really?

Several Husker players were signed as undrafted free agents:

- Joe Ganz, Tamba Bay

- Marlon Lucky, Cinncinati Bengals

- Zach Potter, New York Jets

- Todd Peterson, Jacksonville Jaguars

- Nate Swift, Denver Broncos

Otherwise:

- Our buddy Chase Daniel signed with the Washington Redskins

Lions Draft OT Lydon Murtha and LB Zack Follett in Round Seven

Sean Yuille — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:50:33 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

In this Feb. 21, 2009 file photo, Nebraska offensive lineman Lydon Murtha works on a drill at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings, File)

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It took until the seventh-round, but the Lions finally drafted an offensive lineman. With the 228th pick of the draft, the Lions selected Nebraska offensive tackle Lydon Murtha. Here is some info on Murtha from NFL.com:

Positives: Prototypical height for right tackle spot. Short steps and quick set-up in pass protection. Uses his length and kick-slide to stone outside pass rush moves. Comes out of his stance adequately, and can get movement in short-yardage situations. Sustains blocks inside through the whistle. Latches onto defenders at second level. Can get the inside shoulder of tackles to keep them from run plays going away from him. Sells the bootleg.

Negatives: Stiff in the upper body. Lacks the foot speed to recover on inside moves. Inconsistent speed to get to the second level; lumbers on some plays and looks fluid on others. Overextends when pass rushers free themselves after the initial blow. Slow and ineffective on cut blocks, whether on the line or trying to reach a blitzer on the outside. Needs better second effort if quarterback scrambles away from him. Injury history is a major issue.

I wish the Lions wouldn't have waited so long to pick up an OL, but I'm just glad they did at all. I was seriously beginning to think that the Lions forgot about the O-line.

One position they haven't forgotten about is outside linebacker, as the Lions just drafted another one with the 235th pick. His name is Zack Follett and he played for Cal. It appears that he is a great special teams player based on this scouting report from NFL.com:

Compares To: LARRY IZZO, New York Jets -- Like Izzo, Follett plays like a UFC champion - packs a wallop, but boy can he get out of control. He will at least buy himself time in the NFL based on his stellar special teams play and also as a situational player to disrupt the backfield, but there are a lot of holes in his game, especially in pass coverage. He will likely be on the draft board much longer than most experts predict.

The Lions have one pick left in the '09 draft, the 255th overall selection.

ESPN NFL Mock Draft Has Murtha In Fourth, Slauson In Sixth

Jon Johnston — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 22:18:44 -0000

More photos » by Eric Gay - AP

Wooohooooo! Won't be seeing Michael Crabtree no more no more no more!

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Todd McShay at ESPN did a full seven-round NFL mock draft, apparently showing that he's willing to outwork just about anybody (ahem... Mel Kiper Jr) else on the subject.

The first 16 choices are available here. The full mock draft requires that you be an ESPN Insider $$$, but at KUSports.com we found a rundown of the Big 12 players projected to be taken.

McShay has only two Huskers projected to be drafted, Lydon Murtha going in the fourth round, and Matt Slauson going in the sixth.

With regards to the Big 12 - Baylor's offensive tackle Jason Smith goes to St Louis with the second overall pick. Then he has Missouri's Jeremy Maclin going at seventh to the Oakland Raiders, right in front of Tech's Michael Crabtree at eighth, going to Jacksonville.

At #17, he has the New York Jets picking Kansas State's Josh Freeman. Say what you will about Freeman, like him or not, but the guy is a physical specimen. I can see why a NFL team would want him because of his size and arm strength.

Other 2009 Nebraska opponents:

- Missouri DT Evander "Ziggy' Hood, S Wiliam Moore, second round

- Missouri TE Chase Coffman, Texas Tech DE Brandon Williams - third round

- Texas Tech S Darcel McBath - fourth round

- Texas Tech OG Louis Vasquez - fifth round

- Colorado DT George Hypolite - sixth round

The best part of seeing all these names listed as NFL draft picks is that they are a reminder that we don't have to face any of these guys next season, particularly Maclin and Crabtree. Both of them are wonderful players who did their share of damage to us, and I wish them the best of luck whether they get drafted by a team I hate or not.

It's nice seeing Missouri lose a bunch of talent, with a double whammy to them being that Chase Daniel is nowhere on the list. Gee, come to think of it, Graham Harrell isn't listed either. That's a darned shame.

Freeman never had much of a surrounding cast, and by the time we played Kansas State last season, they were done as a team.

So long, gentlemen! Good luck with your pursuit of fame and fortune!

NFL Draft Day Two: Diamonds In The Rough

Jake — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:28:11 -0000

The Draft has been the spark for the rebuilding process of the Houston Texans. Since Gary Kubiak took the reigns in 2006, the Texans have shown adeptness at finding talent to fit their needs that few other teams have matched in that time period. Some credit the fact that Kubiak was heavily involved in scouting while an assistant coach in Denver, while others feel that it is because Rick Smith values the opinions of the assistants that have a multitude of experience at their specialties, like Alex Gibbs and Frank Bush. Whatever the cause, it is encouraging to see results in the draft after several years of disappointments prior to the current regime.

It isn’t just the Texans’ ability to identify talent in the first two rounds that has led to success though; it’s also their keen eye for talent in rounds three through seven. Every year since 2006, there have been key players that had their names called on Day Two of the proceedings, such as Owen Daniels, Eric Winston, Fred Bennett, Xavier Adibi, and Zac Diles, all of whom have been productive starters for Houston at one point or another.

The Texans have held their cards pretty close to their vest this year, so we have little to no word on what players they are interested in, even in the first two rounds. All we know is the Texans’ overall needs. Based off these needs, I’ve tried to peruse the second day draft talent to find players that I think would look great in Steel Blue. I included the round in which I feel they may be available, but that round is also the earliest I would want the Texans to select them.

Offense

Andre Brown/RB/NC State – 3rd Round – Brown would likely be a first round pick if it wasn’t for the multiple injuries he suffered in college. Brown wowed coaches and scouts at the Senior Bowl, and then absolutely astonished them at the Combine with his 4.37 40 despite weighing 224 pounds. His rare blend of size and speed would be a perfect match for Slaton’s speed and quickness. Unfortunately, wishing for Brown in the 3rd might be a pipe dream, yet I wouldn’t want to take him before then.

Rashad Jennings/RB/Liberty – 3rd Round – Jennings is a beast. He doesn’t possess Brown’s top-end speed, but he has more power. Jennings also has considerable character. Often times transfers such as the one he conducted (Pitt to Liberty) are done for selfish reasons, but Jennings did it because his father was sick. He’s definitely not blazing, but we don’t need a track star; we only need a goal line back.

Antoine Caldwell/C/Alabama – 4th Round – Caldwell fared well against SEC DTs throughout his career. If he is able to put his hands on opposing lineman he fares well, but speed can sometimes beat him, keeping him from being dominant. Caldwell is also known as a smart player, which will help him adapt to Alex Gibbs’ zone blocking scheme.

Patrick Turner/WR/USC – 4th Round – The Texans had the 3rd best yardage offense in the league, but only the 17th ranked scoring offense. The offensive players that Houston needs are ones that will help in the red zone, and Turner can do just that. How high is someone that is 6’5” that can jump 34.5”? High enough. Also, Turner isn’t just a big oaf. He could be a decent possession receiver in the NFL, especially under the tutelage of our offensive staff.

Lydon Murtha/OT-G/Nebraska – 5th Round – Murtha was by far the most athletic OT at the Combine, as evidenced by his 4.82 40 and his 35” vertical jump. Murtha is on the lighter side at 306 pounds, but at 6’7” he can stand to add some weight, even at the risk of losing some speed, and still be impressive.

Quan Cosby/WR/Texas – 5th Round – This may garner me an accusation of being a homer, but I assure you that I try my best to disassociate myself with Texas players as soon as they are done playing in Austin. I think that Cosby is going to be a great NFL player cut from the same cloth as Wes Welker. Nothing on paper about Cosby is that astonishing; he ran a 4.5 40, and he is already 26 because of a stint playing professional baseball. If you watch Cosby play though, there is no doubt that he can play football.

Gartrell Johnson/RB-FB/Colorado State – 6th Round – Johnson attends the same school that Gary Kubiak’s sons attend, which happens to employ a zone blocking scheme. Even though Johnson is only 220 pounds, at 5’10” he’s built more like a FB than a RB, which is probably a good thing. Kubiak has stated before that he prefers having two FBs on the roster, and right now we only have the Human Coke Machine. Johnson will likely last until the 6th though, because he probably won’t be good for more than 10 carries a game in the NFL.

Louis Vasquez/G/Texas Tech – 6th Round – If you have a soft spot for big, bruising offensive lineman, look no further than Vasquez. Vasquez is 6’5” and weighs 333 pounds. As you can imagine, he’s not the quickest man in the world, but his 39 reps in the bench press were best in that category at the Combine this year. You can always find a use for a bruiser of his ilk.

Defense

Kaluka Maiava/OLB/USC – 3rd Round – Who is the loser in the Clay Matthews Cinderella story? A big bruising SLB Maiava is not, but he is a football player. Despite irregular playing time in his senior year, Maiava recorded the third most tackles for the Trojans and was the MVP of the Rose Bowl. Maiava is better suited to play WLB, but would be a great addition for depth and could play in the rotation immediately.

Chip Vaughn/SS/Wake Forrest – 3rd Round – Vaughn is the last of a dying breed--a true SS. At 6’2” 221 pounds, Vaughn has the size to play in the box but is quick enough (4.42 40) to cover some as well. Vaughn loves contact, and is responsible for 192 of Wake Forrest’s tackles in the last two years. If Vaughn didn’t start immediately, he would receive significant playing time.

Sherrod Martin/CB-FS/Troy – 3rd Round – Martin is my dark horse at FS this year. Martin is incredibly athletic, so much so that coaches played him as a CB in the Senior Bowl, something that he rarely did the majority of his collegiate career. So what you have is a guy that played almost exclusively at FS, but has the athleticism to play CB (4.43 40). At 6’1” 200 pounds, he’s more suited to play FS anyway, which happens to be one of our needs.

Michael Hamlin/SS/Clemson – 3rd Round – Hamlin isn’t the fastest guy in the world (4.57 40) and he’s not the strongest either (17 reps), but he performs on the field. He’s been productive since his redshirt freshman year, and in the last two years he has 177 tackles and 10 INT. That’s about 8 tackles a game and an INT almost every two games. I don’t like him as much as Vaughn or Martin, but if both of them are gone and we haven’t drafted a safety yet, I definitely wouldn’t mind Hamlin.

Darcel McBath/FS/Texas Tech – 4th Round – McBath has shown adeptness in coverage with his 12 career INT, 7 of those coming last year, but is lacking in run support. That deficiency means that he will probably only be suited to play FS in the NFL, a league in which teams prefer safeties to be interchangeable. That fact coupled with mediocre measurables (6’0”, 198 pounds, 4.58 40) has him slated to go in the middle of the draft. McBath does have an impressive 38” vertical, and a name that makes him sound like he was a Duck Tales character.

Dorell Scott/DT/Clemson – 4th Round – Scott isn’t the prototypical space eater yet, but he could be. Scott measured 6’3” 312 pounds at the Combine, so his frame appears to have some room left for a little more weight. Several 3-4 teams are looking at Scott to anchor their defensive line at NT, which means he’s big enough to play alongside Amobi.

Greg Toler/CB/St. Pauls – 4th Round – Kubiak and Smith love to take flyers on small school guys every once in a while. Well, is St. Paul’s College small enough for you? Toler at 5’11” 191 pounds is being compared to Domanique Rodgers-Cromartie. Toler ran the 40 in 4.45, and could be a steal in the 4th round.

John Gill/DT/Northwestern – 5th Round – Gill is the same type of DT that Amobi Okoye is--a smaller penetrating DT. I don’t think we should replace Amobi, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get more depth behind him. Despite being 6’3”/301 pounds, Gill ran the 40 in 4.92 and the all important 10-time used to determine a D lineman’s burst off the ball was 1.7, which is pretty good for a guy his size.

Zack Follet/OLB/California – 5th Round – Follet was originially brought to my attention by DieHard Chris, who is rather fond of him, and after reading up on Follet and watching videos, I jumped on the bandwagon as well. Follet had an amazing 51 tackles for loss in his career at Cal, which shows that he can get into the backfield and wreak havoc. Follet is undersized to play SLB at 6’3” 236 pounds, but could be a candidate to give depth at WLB.

Brandon Underwood/FS/Cincinnati – 5th Round – Underwood is slated to go late in the draft because he only started one year, but what a year it was. While playing both FS and CB in 2008, Underwood tallied 66 tackles, 4 INT, 2 forced two fumbles and recovered 3, all of which earned him all-conference honors. Underwood has good measureables as well at 6’1” 200 pounds, and ran 4.50 40 with a 36.5” vertical. Underwood would probably be a 3rd round prospect or better if he had more experience.

Russell Allen/OLB/San Diego State – 6th Round – Allen would definitely be a project, but what else would you expect in the 6th round? Allen is 6’3”/230 pounds, which shows that he has the frame to be bigger, and he ran a 4.65 50, which included a 1.58 10-yard time, which was equal to Clay Matthews III. Allen started all 48 games since his time started at SD St., and was a Dick Butkus award nominee twice.

Lardarius Webb/CB/Nicholls State – 6th Round – Webb is another small school prospect, but the difference with him is that he started at a bigger university (Southern Miss.) and transferred to the smaller institution. Webb is smaller at 5’10”/180 pounds, and would be a huge project as a CB, but what I love about him is his return ability. Webb ran a 4.35 40, and returned 16 kicks for 472 total yards (29.5 average) before teams simply quit kicking to him. For that kind of ability, I wouldn’t mind expending a 6th round pick.

There are other players that I feel will make good or even great players in the NFL that can be had in rounds three through seven, but I didn’t include them because I either felt they didn’t fulfill a need for the Texans or they would have to be taken too early for my liking. If you feel that I have any glaring omissions, you disagree with any of my picks or simply have a dark horse of your own, feel free to let me know. Who knows--maybe a couple of these players will be the newest members of the Houston Texans come Sunday.