I know, I know. It’s waaaay to early to begin anointing the NFL’s Class of ’07 as the league’s best ever. Heck, they’ll have a hard time beating the Class of ’06, which featured at least three future Pro Bowl QBs (Vince Young, Matt Leinart and Jay Cutler), four running backs who started this season ( Reggie Bush, Joseph Addai and Laurence Maroney). That wasn’t all, as the draft produced Maurice Jones-Drew ) and numerous players who make key contributions and various positions (i.e. Cedric Griffin , Devin Hester and Mathias Kiwanuka)
But many of those players were relative unknowns to anyone not named Mel Kiper, Jr. . But The Draft of ’07 is making me drool. Today was the last day underclassmen could declare for paychecks, and the biggest player who added himself to the fray was Oklahoma RB Adrian Peterson, the man-child who carried the Sooners since the day he walked on campus as a freshman three years ago. He joined LSU’s Culpepper-like JaMarcus Russell, Georgia Tech WR Calvin Johnson, Ohio State WRs Ted Ginn, Jr. and Anthony Gonzales, Cal’s Marshawn Lynch, Michigan WR Allen Branch, Arkansas DE, Jamaal Anderson and USC game-burner Dwayne Jarrett and…stop me before I salivate.
College football has had a couple of magical seasons, yeays in which major stars have performed well and made names for themselves that transcend the draftniks. (The NBA used to enjoy this cheap marketing as well, but with more and more of the game’s to players going to the league either straight from high school or, with the new age limits, soon thereafter, fewer players enter the league with high Q ratings). The means just about every team will get someone of note. And whether they root for the respective teams or not, college football fans will follow their own teams’ former stars.
Let’s meet in 10 years. But right now, I’m saying 2007 will beat 2006 and every other year. Convince me otherwise.
Check it out: The Kiper’s ’07 Mock Draft
Ballers, Gamers and Scoundrels 
Hard to beat last years draft.
Just watch the rookies in the games being played in this final week before the Super Bowl.
Saints-Reggie Bush, Jahri Evans, Marques Colston
Bears-Devin Hester, Danieal Manning
Patriots-Maroney, James Sanders, Chad Jackson, David Thomas, Ryan O’Callaghan, Stephen Gostkowski
Colts- Addai, Antoine Bethea
All of these guys are solid contributors, if not, downright stars.
This year’s draft is going to be damn good too. Can’t wait!! Don’t know if it is going to have the defensive standouts in this year’s draft that there were last year however.
During the Gator Bowl, whoever was announcing said they thought Calvin Johnson was the best player in college football. My response was “then why is this the first time I’ve heard his name”. Well damn, that dude is as good as it gets. Randy Moss is the only WR I’ve seen better then him at the college level.
You’ve never heard of Calvin Johnson?
He’s been the talk of the town since his soph. year. Was on national tv a lot.
Vince Young? Heard of him?
At least he did not say, “I’ve never heard of him, he can’t be that good.”
I probably never heard of him because I don’t pay much attention to the ACC and all the garbage football that takes place there.
Calvin Johnson and Vince Young are on two different stratospheres as far as exposure goes by the way. That’s a pretty lame comparison.
Let’s not act like we’ve heard of every single player out there Juan Kiper Jr.
I watch all football. ACC, WAC, Mountain West, D1AA.. Whatever. Does not make the girlfriend happy, but I’m not really looking for approval at this stage in my life.
Calvin Johnson was on a hell of a lot.
Had a lot of print pieces on him this year.
Is Number one on Mel Kiper’s draft board.
I’m just saying.. there’s good football out there to be watched.
Calvin Johnson was a beast his freshman year. He wasn’t highly sought after in high school because Sandy Creek HS in Tyrone, GA ran the ball. Georgia Tech saw him at one of their summer camps and kept quiet on him. 6’5″ 235 lbs can create separation and catches the ball over the middle/over the defense and around the defense. He’s a playmaker.
This will be a very good draft for a lot of teams. But how good will the middle rounds be for teams shopping for depth?
Man 2007!, I’m already looking towards the 2009 Draft
I’m assuimg everyone from the H.S. class of 2006 will be leaving early
Taylor Mays
Tebow
Stafford
Harvin
CJ Spiller
Andre Smith
and those are just the guys who got PT this year, I think Hazleton on USC will do a fine job replacing Jarrett
The best rookie of this class is Mashawn Lynch ….. if he goes to the pack the pack will be un beatable ………..mark my words!!!!!!!!!!hahahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
even though adrian peterson is the best HB in the draft Vikes should be able to get him they would be good tooo (not really)
I coveered a few work outs and saw some good things from a few prospects. Great blog like the concept