Joshua Gleason is going to be sharing his player interviews with us. His first one of this draft season is with wide receiver Duron Carter.

Duron Carter: Son of a Legend, His Fall from Grace, and How He Is Making Amends

Much has been made of the path of Duron Carter.

First, we all knew him as the son of NFL legend, future Hall of Famer, and Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter. Next, his legend began to grow due to what he was doing on the field – part of a St. Thomas Aquinas team that won back-to-back state championships in large part due to the 14 touchdown catches Duron reeled in as a senior – and he became a top high school recruit. Duron chose to follow his Dad’s footprints and go play for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Next, as a freshman in 2009, he Keep Reading…

The fact the 2013 NFL Draft doesn’t have a clear-cut No. 1 quarterback prospect makes this draft very interesting. Look for the last half of the first round to include a mad scramble of trades. This is what happens when a quarterback class features prospects so closely graded.

Let’s first look at the different quarterback prospects. West Virginia’s Geno Smith is the only quarterback I have with a solid first-round grade. He represents the most balance between NFL readiness and upside.

Smith is generating the most buzz as the potential No. 1 overall pick. The workouts and interviews will be key to where he lands. This is a good sign for Smith, as he boasts a high football IQ and displays leadership.

After Smith, the rest of the group is jumbled together as early second-round prospects. This group includes Matt Barkley, Tyler Wilson, Mike Glennon, and Ryan Nassib. Each Keep Reading…

The first round isn’t the only place to find a stud in the NFL Draft. Sometimes, players just fall right into a team’s lap. This is where a team can hit a homerun and get a difference maker much lower in the draft than they should have. In this year’s class, one player in particular stands out to me as a potential match for that description. That player is Illinois DE/OLB Michael Buchanan. My #2 overall prospect in this year’s class is Oregon DE Dion Jordan. When I was watching film over the summer, I felt as if based on his Junior season tape, Michael Buchanan was just a tick behind Jordan, and was potential more developed as a pure pass rusher. In the 2012 Draft, the other Illinois DE, Whitney Mercilus, went #26 overall to the Houston Texans, and I felt as if Buchanan was a vastly superior player. Keep Reading…

Yesterday, according to Joe Schad, Michigan State TE Dion Sims declared for the NFL Draft as many have long expected. Sims didn’t put up monster stats his Junior season, but he most likely realized that he was unlikely to see a massive increase in his production his Senior year with the Michigan State offense being far from a juggernaut. In fact, more often than one would expect of a TE in today’s game, Sims stayed in as a blocker on passing plays, which certainly hindered his potential production. Much of the intrigue that will come with Sims is due to the fact that he’s 6’6 and 285 pounds. While with that size, you definitely would expect him to be a mauling in-line blocker, Sims has also showcased soft hands and ability in the open field during this past season.

Despite his massive size, I was rather underwhelmed with Dion Keep Reading…

Just the other day, it was announced that Texas A&M DE Damontre Moore was going to declare for the 2013 NFL Draft. He adds even more depth to what looks like an extremely talented pass rushing class. Scouts are surely going to love the fact that Moore has tape at both OLB (which he played prior to the 2012 season) as well as at DE, which he predominately played this season. Moore impressed last year, but really shined this year, as he tallied 12.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. He also led the Aggies in total tackles with 80. This tackle number doesn’t come as a major surprise to me after watching him, because one of the things that stands out most about Moore is the fact that his motor is constantly running. He consistently shows open field range, and max effort in pursuit. As a result, Moore has Keep Reading…