Delmas
Louis Delmas
5'11"  196 lbs.
Western Michigan  FS

While I consider myself to watch as much college football as most fans, I must admit I didn't catch any Western Michigan games this year.  Typically this fact wouldn't bother me much, but after learning about Louis Delmas, I wish I had paid more attention to the team.  He's been drawing a lot of attention to himself at the Senior Bowl practices, and most scouts are naming him and Chung the best safeties on the field.  SI had this so say about Delmas:

Louis Delmas/S/Western Michigan: Delmas has been the best safety on the field and the feisty defender consistently put himself in a position to make plays on the ball all day. He throws his body around the field in an effort to stop ball handlers and delivered a number of blows that made scouts take notice. Delmas was effective in run defense and against the pass.

 Although a little on the light side, Delmas is said to have the frame to add 20 - 30 pounds, without sacrificing much speed.  His forty time is said to be 4.5, and scouts say he plays even faster on the field.  New Era Scouting calls him an outspoken leader, with rock-solid character, never tires and is relentless on plays.  They go on to say that his coverage skills are that of a corner back, and call him a play maker in every sense of the word.  New Era's link to him is here.

Delmas has an incredible story, and the more I learn about him, the more I like him.  I think he would fit in great with the "high character" movement going on at Dove Valley.  Please read the story on him in this link, it is worth your time.  Here.  Any more information on Mr. Delmas would be appreciated, and as always, so is your opinion. 

via cache.daylife.com

Safety/Rover - UO Ducks
5'11" - 210lbs.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Patrick Chung has taken a different road to the NFL draft than most players.  He is the son of a Jamaican reggae singer, Sophia George, and Ronald Chung, her half-Chinese, half-Jamaican, producer, husband.  Soccer was the sport of choice in Jamaica, and he played it until the family moved to southern California when Chung was near high school age.  Chung's parents urged him to play football at Rancho Cucamonga HS, and he proved to be a quick study.

Because children in Jamaica often start school a year earlier than their American counterparts, Chung was younger than most kids in his grade once he got to the U.S., which is why he was still a few days shy of his 17th birthday when he began college... He has traveled a long way in another sense as well, developing from a self-described clueless 16-year-old freshman into an experienced, seen-it-all senior and second-team All-America. "He's a leader not just of the secondary but of the entire defense," says coach Mike Bellotti. "He's been a starter since he was a redshirt freshman, so there's not much other teams can throw at him that he hasn't had a look at. I think the other 10 guys on the field can all draw on his experience."  SI Vault

His entering a major college football program at the age of sixteen, I think says a lot about Chung.  Not just of his natural athletic ability, but also his "coach-ability".  This was a twelve year old kid who had never played the game, and in four years, became a good enough prospect to earn a scholarship to UO.  Upon getting to Eugene, he did nothing but become one of the greatest Duck defenders of all time.

via media.collegepublisher.com

OREGON — As the heart of the Oregon defense, the fourth-year starter and three-time all-conference honoree is in position to be as good as anyone in the country. The pre-season All-American has been included on the national watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy (nation’s top collegiate defensive player). First stepping onto the collegiate practice field at the age of 16, he has matured into one of the program’s best defensive backs in the history of the school...Combines the instincts and the physical gifts that allow him to cover receivers one-on-one over the middle or bounce outside to help double a receiving threat deep, as well as force the run like a linebacker. Begins his senior season 30 career tackles shy of becoming only the school’s second player to break into the top-10 in career tackles this decade, and 45 tackles from becoming the top defensive back tackler in school history. The tireless worker and special player not only has earned the distinction as one of the Ducks’ greatest tacklers ever but also as one of the most unselfish. Despite his status bordering on irreplaceable, he is one of those players who craves added duty on special teams, and would play every snap from scrimmage as well as all four special teams if coaches would allow it. Faring no worse than the team’s third-leading tackler in any one season, missed on only seven tackles his entire junior campaign by his coaches’ count. Has evolved into an exceptional leader by mastering the mental aspects of the game and grasping an understanding of the team’s defensive objectives. One of Oregon strongest defensive backs, posted the program’s second-best bench press (345 lbs.) in this year’s winter testing, in addition to the Ducks’ fifth-best power clean lift (324 lbs.) of all time (324 lbs.) among players in the secondary in 2007. goducks.com

Chung may not have the prototypical build for an NFL safety, but he is a cerebral player, that imposes his will on ball carriers, and plays with a lot of passion.  In this since he reminds me of John Lynch, with his tween-er type build, but natural understanding of the game, leadership abilities, and huge hits. 

Chung is the emotional leader, a throwback. He is the guy who would play every down of every game if coaches let him. He will look you in the eye, give you a firm handshake and then knock you on your back to make a point. When he senses the team's toughness dissipating in practice, he will do 20 pushups -- and his teammates follow suit.   Oregonlive.com

via www.portlandtribune.com

Patrick returned kickoffs in three of his four years with Oregon, and posted an average of nearly 26 yards per, last year.  In those four years, he has also never missed a game due to injury, which is no small feat considering the intensity he plays with.   Versatility and durability are two valuable traits, as fate made so painfully obvious to the Broncos last year, and I hope the new staff puts as much emphasis on them as well as character this year.

via cache.gettyimages.com

Chung's most impressive highlight, however, isn't a tackle, or an interception, or a kick return.  No, the real essence of Patrick Chung comes through in the game against Michigan in 2007, and a teammate comes up with an interception.  Chung did the only thing he knew how to do, he kept playing like it was his last play.  He started blocking for the interception return, and put two of Michigan's offensive linemen on the turf.  A six foot nothing, two hundred pound d-back against some corn fed good-ole-boys who outweighed him by a 100+.

EUGENE, Ore. — You can see it for yourself, on YouTube.

Oregon defensive back Matt Harper makes an end-zone interception at Michigan last year, and here come several Oregon Ducks, hellbent on interference.

At the Oregon 34, rover Patrick Chung confronts Michigan's 6-foot-5, 313-pound Alex Mitchell, throws a shoulder and drops Mitchell to his duff. Continuing 13 yards downfield, Chung comes upon 6-foot-6, 296-pound Adam Kraus and puts him down, too, without leaving his feet.

Finally, Harper gets tackled, leaving the 6-foot, 210-pound Chung only 9 yards shy of felling the entire Michigan offense.

"I call him the ultimate warrior," says Oregon defensive coordinator Nick Aliotti.

You don't have to convince a Web site called www.theloveofsports.com. It found a place for Chung on its list of the eight "baddest" college football players in the country, company that includes linebackers James Laurinaitis of Ohio State and Rey Maualuga of USC.  The Seattle Times

 Watch number 15 at the top of the screen in this link. 

With Mays going back to school, this safety class became considerably weaker, and Chung may have moved into the top three area in his position.  Just because the position is weakened, however, I don't think we should reach for any one player, and I hope that Chung is there in the second round, if we don't go after another safety in the first.  At this point Moore is the only safety that most people are giving a first round grade to, but in my opinion he would be a reach at #12.  Although I'd much rather have a true FS like Moore or Mays, I think Chung would have a lot of value to us if he lasts until the second round.  Kevin Ellison would be another fine choice if we go with a SS, and should also be there in the second or possibly third round.

Spencer Larsen's incredible performance in Atlanta has gotten everyone talking.  From the talking heads on the networks, to the common fan on MHR, everyone has been talking about the job he did, and wondering how long he can keep it up.  What if this kid is as good as we all have hoped?  What if, in the words of the great orator Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were"?  This got me wondering, let's say he plays lights out for the rest of the year, and secures the starting middle linebacker position.  What does this mean for our rebuilding process on the defensive side of the ball? 

Most people could agree that the Broncos were going to have to spend an early pick in next years draft on a middle linebacker, to shore up the defense.  A pick in the first or second round on a stud MLB would have been welcomed by most.  What if we already have that stud on the team in the form of a sixth rounder from last year?  A pick who we originally drafted to be a FB, and becomes our starting MLB.  Wouldn't that make Larsen's greatest contribution to this team a sort of 'free' first round pick?  Maybe that pick is packaged with another to move up and get the franchise RB some people around here want.  (Beanie Wells, Knowshon Moreno?)  Or a shot at getting the stud saftey that has been missing from the Bronco defense since a certain other #27 roamed the backfield.  I understand this is all contingent on Larsen becoming the everyday starter, which is yet to be seen when Nate Webster returns from injury.  But if so, and we have a luxury pick to use on first round talent in another position of need, where would you like to see that pick go? 

This is my first post, and I usually keep the comments to a minimum, but this scenario was exciting to me, and just wanted to get the thoughts from the rest of you guys on this.