Campus Confidential

By Adam Abramson

I had a good chat with a friend who knows a lot of people in the league. The subject? Safety valves for quarterbacks.

The importance of having a reliable tight end is undervalued, especially with a young quarterback. Long gone are the days of a tight end's duty consisting of lining up next to a tackle and sending a running back his way. Teams are looking for guys who can run a 12-yard in on a critical third down and convert with a high success rate.

And there may not be a better guy at doing this than Purdue's Dustin Keller. He showed it at the Combine with a 4.53 40 and 38" vertical, both tops at his position.

Coming into the Combine, scouts were a little thrown by Keller's size (6'2, 242), but that's the whole give-and-take of the new tight end. While I'm sure every GM wants a Jason Witten (6'5, 265, 96 catches) or an Antonio Gates (6'4, 260, 75 catches), there just isn't a stockpile of humans that size who can move like Witten and Gates do.

But Keller's size isn't going to hurt him terribly in the NFL. Chris Cooley and Kellen Winslow, both Pro Bowl selections, aren't much bigger. And with legit 4.5 speed, he's moving faster than some wide receivers.

Watch the video. The first thing you will notice is the speed at the snap. He gets into his routes at a breakneck rate.

The more I look at this class, the more I begin to like the offensive side of things. Again, I see a lot of depth at the front end of this position. Looking over the list, I see 10 guys that I would draft as a GM. I'm sure there are a few surprises here and there, as well.

The last four years of the Draft have 54 tight ends drafted. In 2007, 13 had their name called (Greg Olsen being the only first rounder at 31). 2006 had 16 (two first rounders), 2005 had nine (one first rounder) and 2004 also had 16 (two in the first round).

But this isn't an essay about where all tight ends should be drafted, just where Dustin Keller should be drafted. I believe the Combine backed up what we all saw in college: The dude can get it done when he has the ball in his hands. Why did I know this before the Combine? Well, in Joe Tiller's pass-happy offense, Keller had 68 catches for 881 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Keller is right in the mix with names like Fred Davis (USC), Martellus Bennett (Texas A&M, athletic freak) and Brad Cottam (Tennessee, 6'8, 270). Teams with solid wide receiving corps might look to take a Bennett or Cottam before Keller, but if you're a team like Buffalo, Cincinnati or Denver, Keller might be a good option in the second round. Or if the Jets can snag him early in the third, you would be getting a steal.

He's exactly what a young quarterback (like Losman, Cutler or Clemens) needs.

Also, draft these guys:
Marcus Monk
Joe Flacco
Jeremy Zuttah
Ryan Mundy
Chevis Jackson

By Adam Abramson

Way back in 2003 there was a kid from Audubon, New Jersey who completed 83% of his passes his senior year. That's right, 83%.

The 6'6" kid, who received serious looks from baseball scouts according to his coach, chose the University of Pittsburgh over Rutgers.

That was just the beginning for Joe Flacco, who will likely be a first-day draft pick after a monster combine last weekend.

Flacco, who chose the Panthers largely because of former coach Walt Harris, spent two years hanging out in the city's Shadyside before leaving for the University of Delaware -- a popular landing spot for D-IA (or FBS) transfers. His first year at Pitt was spent with a redshirt, his second was spent behind Tyler Palko on the depth chart. There was no third year.

2005 was spent on the bench because of transfer rules (Flacco was not released from his scholarship in Pittsburgh, so he had to sit out a year, despite dropping down to the FCS). 2006 was a decent campaign, considering it was his first in three years. But 2007 is where he came into his own, leading the Blue Hens to a national title berth, only to fall against powerhouse Appalachian State. He lead the FCS in attempts and yards, while throwing just 5 INTs. Less than one percent of his attempts landed in the hands of a defender.

Flacco has the physical tools. He just needed some stages to display them. In a top-heavy class, Flacco is maybe No. 3 on my board and I don't think it would be crazy to take him in the first round. I only slot Brian Brohm ahead of him. I'd say guys like Matt Ryan and John David Booty are about even.

I'm totally one for taking college competition into consideration (see yesterday's piece about Marcus Monk), but it's not a make-or-break indicator. See Ben Rothleisberger, Tony Romo, David Garrard, Byron Leftwich, Tavaris Jackson, JP Losman, Jeff Garcia, etc.

Flacco didn't have a Sam Baker, Jake Long or Gosder Cherilus protecting his behind. He didn't have a Chauncey Washington, Joe McKnight or Mike Hart to give the ball to. And he certainly wasn't throwing to Mario Manningham, Patrick Turner or Vidal Hazelton. The dude made plays surrounded by talent that won't be making millions of dollars when their college days are over.

Watching his film, I see him throwing with a three-quarter motion on a lot of attempts (something I'm seeing more of). So that's obviously something to keep an eye on. But his passes have great zip and he leads receivers on every kind of route, including that challenging deep-out. He also won the deep ball contest, tossing the ball 74 yards during a skills competition. That's 74% of a football field (61% if you include both end zones).

Flacco can also make some things happen in space and he can move the pocket. He ran a 4.84, but claims he can run faster. You can watch some of his better runs in the video.

I don't know that a GM will jump at the gun to make Flacco their future centerpiece of the franchise, but I do like his chances of succeeding in the league.

Draft this guy early.

Also, draft these guys:
Marcus Monk
Dustin Keller
Jeremy Zuttah
Ryan Mundy
Chevis Jackson

By Adam Abramson

It's time for me to start combing through the 2008 NFL Draft Class to find value where other Web sites haven't...to this point. Now would be a good time for GMs to bookmark Campus Confidential.

I'm starting with Marcus Monk.

I said last week that I see a lot of value in the wide receiver crop, but that's not an opinion shared by all. It's because they're overlooking guys like Monk.

That might not be the case after the combine, because Marcus Monk turned in a solid Combine performance. He measured in at 6'4, 222 pounds (a little different from the 6'6" he was listed in college). He didn't dust anyone with a 4.59 40-time, but he was on par for receivers his height.

Monk is recovering from a knee injury that made him miss much of his senior year. He did return to play in team's final six games, but did little.

Where he didn't do little was his junior year. 50 catches, 962 yards and 11 touchdowns. His 19.2 yards per catch obviously makes him a home run hitter. He has big hands and posted an impressive vertical. What I'm saying is this: The guy's measurables are playmaker-like. Watch some of his runs after the catch in the video (set to a great song).

Remember this: Monk's career was heavily overshadowed because of Darren McFadden and Feilx Jones. The two will are first-round running backs and dominated the offense for three years in Fayetteville. The Razorbacks were among the lowest-ranked passing teams in the country the last three years (their best ranking was 108/119). Put it this way: Monk's 50 catches in 2006 were 1/3 of the team's completions. So you can imagine the kind of attention he received from opposing SEC secondaries.

Is Monk first-round talent? Well, he could be. But there are obvious risks. If you're looking for a tall receiver, guys like Malcolm Kelly (Oklahoma) and James Hardy (Indiana) will look like wiser picks early on. But before this weekend, Monk was buried on most mock drafts.

This is a guy that has first-day value.

Also, draft these guys:
Joe Flacco
Dustin Keller
Jeremy Zuttah
Ryan Mundy
Chevis Jackson

By Adam Abramson

I'm back. I've been going through some serious transitions here at the office that have chewed up my time, in addition to Spring Training and the Giants. But it's Combine time, which means it's almost Spring Football time, which means it's almost NFL Draft time.

I'll be snowboarding all day tomorrow, but I'll be back before the Combine is over to follow up. Here's to me not breaking anything!

I came across this from tfydraft.com:

De'Cody Fagg, the Florida State WR, was pretty candid about his Seminoles. He said Florida State's troubles can be linked to the lack of a family atmosphere. He did say it came back this past season. Some new blood in the form of Jimbo Fisher likely helped on that front. Fisher's reputation alone is enough to get the players believing again.

Fagg went on to say he felt that FSU's quarterback situation really hurt the offense. While it's easy for me to say, and believe, that, it's another for a player just a season removed to say as much. With Xavier Lee out of the picture, things could be looking up on that front as well.

You have to think that things will get turned around in Tallahassee, especially considering the recruiting hasn't wavered any.

I'm standing by my belief that Brian Brohm will be the best QB in this class when we look back in 10 years. Brohm said in Indianapolis: "It is an NFL system based off Tom Coughlin's offense which Petrino learned in Jacksonville." The kid ran an impressive ship with a very talented pair of receivers.

Jehuu Culcrick, the Michigan State big back, said he had a good interview with the Bengals. He's actually bigger than Mike Alstott and could be very servicable for any NFL program. I do think Jonathan Stewart is going to be a great NFL player.

A lot of people are knocking this group of wide receivers, but I have to respectfully disagree. I see a lot of value in names like Limas Sweed, Marcus Monk (see 2006 stats) and Mario Urrutia. All check in at least 6'4", which has been a topic of discussion around the NFL lately.

Another 6'4" guy who could really boost his stock at the Combine is Justin Harper. I know, I know. Another Virginia Tech guy. But the dude can ball. He was on an offense that has made its bread and butter running the ball for the last decade, yet he still wowed everyone with his abilities. He runs a sub-4.5 and has great mitts. Just trust the kid on this one.

Can't leave without mentioning one more VT guy: Brandon Flowers. According to TFY, at least 10 GMs said Flowers is the best CB in the draft.

I read that after I had already told Bob Glauber that the Giants should draft Flowers instead of trade for DeAngelo Hall (another VT guy). Flowers is physical and is a great decision maker. In a class that has a solid set of DBs, Flowers could be indeed the best among them. I also think any team with a cornerback need would be foolish to pass on Aqib Talib from Kansas.

By Adam Abramson

LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux has been suspended again.

Another violation of team rules. No specifics, yet.

With Matt Flynn graduated, the kid is finally going to have the position all to himself, but now his status for spring ball is in the air because there's been no length assigned to the suspension. It's indefinite for now.

The first time it was the riverboat thing. Then it was the fight he was connected to. Who knows what it is this time. But Les Miles needs to be careful that Ryan Perrilloux's shortcomings off the field don't ruin any of the momentum he has after a national championship season.

Perrilloux better fix whatever he did this time, assuming it's fixable. He has two years to make his mark on a very successful program.

Being the No. 1 QB prospect coming out of high school only buys you so many straws before the camel's back breaks. While the options behind Perrilloux don't provide as much excitement, there are options.

And judging by Miles' decision-making track record, he's not afraid of taking a risk and parting ways Perrilloux.

A buddy of mine fired this link my way tonight: Mercer University recruiting predictor.

Interesting stuff. I do think it'll be wrong on Pryor. I'm sticking with the Michgian prediction. He's going to end up where he wants to go, despite his dad's efforts to push him elsewhere. It's funny, recruiting is getting so big. I've had about 500 Pryor conversations the last two weeks, with people I didn't even know followed college recruiting. Everyone's in the know nowadays...

In the meantime, I made another appearance on Internet TV land...The last time I hosted the N-Zone, it had its best ratings. I'm looking to break my own record. Spread the word.

By Adam Abramson

Last year's signing day was filled with videos from the various Tribune affiliates. This year...not so much. But then again, Signing Day has been a little more subdued than last year.

The Orlando Sentinel had several videos of prospects signing their letters of intent, but nothing worth posting on here. So the result is no videos.

Some highlights from the day:

-- Terrelle Pryor is going to hold off on signing. Rumors came out this week he was a "lock" to Ohio State, but Mike Farrell of Rivals says his father really likes Penn State, a campus he's yet to officially visit. When Rich Rodriguez went to Michigan, I said it wouldn't shock me to see him end up there, a stance I'll keep. I know, I'm flip flopping like Hillary Clinton on immigration.

-- Julio Jones is headed to Alabama, with the rest of every other good prospect south of the Mason-Dixon line. That's no real surprise. Bama ended up with seven of Rivals' top 100 players. Today was a huge day for Nick Saban and his staff, locking up Jones, Jerrell Harris (LB) and Marcel Dareus (DT) and holding on to Tyler Love (one of the nation's top OL prospects).

-- All of that action by Alabama crushed Auburn's Signing Day spirit. The Tigers still have a pretty impressive boat, but they scored only one four-star prospect from a very talented senior Alabama prep class. Call me crazy, but the Iron Bowl just became revitalized today (not htat it needed a revitalization).

-- The big action of the day was Colorado scoring Darrell Scott, the nation's top running back. Scott had wavered between Texas and the Buffs like crazy. But on Wednesday he chose his path: "Dan Hawkins has a vision and I want to be a part of the vision he has. Hopefully, we can pull in a national championship." This is a huge score for Hawkins, who already coaches Scott's uncle, Josh Smith, a freshman wide receiver. As for Texas, they scored a solid class, but it's the first time they're out of the top 10 in a few years. I wouldn't expect much of a dropoff, however.

-- Clemson was a big winner on Signing Day, landing Dwayne Allen. The tight end, a South Carolina native, had originally locked on with Georgia early in the process, but kept his options open. Some thought Allen would end up a Dawg when it was all said and done, but he's a Tiger. Couple him with DaQuan Bowers, Andre Ellington, Brandon Thompson or any other of the 10-or-so four-stars they ended up with, and you have one impressive class.

-- Rutgers had another solid recruiting effort with a class led by Long Island product Scott Vallone (DT). Art Frost, coupled with Anthony Davis from last year's class, will give the Scarlet Knights a lot of talent up front for years to come. And Keith Stroud will be a home run hitter for Greg Schiano, averaging over 20 yards per catch while prepping at Fork Union this year.

-- Sam McGuffie, a YouTube legend, had long been a verbal commit to Michigan. The Texas running back did not sign an LOI today and is considering Cal. Watch this kid's video. He has some moves, but I don't know if those moves would work on James Laurinaitis or Sean Lee.

-- Lastly, did you hear about this? If someone duped this kid, what a shame (although it's kind of funny). If he wanted to pull a stunt, then it's pretty funny, but I'd imagine some repercussions.

By Adam Abramson

We're fast approaching Signing Day and the Giants just don't want me to get involved up to my eyes, like I was last year.

But here's some of the latest.

-- Terrelle Pryor: The nation's top prospect will likely end up at Ohio State. An AP story came out today talking about how he doesn't fully understand the depth of the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry -- two of his finalists. We talked about this not too long ago (Memory Lane). I thought Rich Rodriguez was going to reel in his QB of the future right away, but part of me feels like all the drama with RichRod could have turned him off. With Charlie Batch advising him throughout the process, anything is possible. But it's less likely he's going to make irrational decisions, like many 17-year olds do this time of year.

-- Julio Jones: I think he'll sign with Nick Saban when it's all said and done, but my Florida State guy thinks the 'Noles have a great chance. With Saban being the salesman he is and Jones being an Alabama prep product, it just makes sense. The Tide need a homerun hitter like Jones, at 6'4, 215 lbs., he'd be the perfect target for Star Jackson, the QB of the future in Tuscaloosa. I watched some film of Jones and his breakaway speed is incredible. He can break away from just about anyone after five steps. Speaking of the Noles, we'll catch up with them soon.

-- North Carolina: This is Butch Davis' second go-round at the recruiting gig in Chapel Hill and he has a decent class. It's tough, because he pulled in such a fantastic class last year. But as far as needs go, Davis should be pleased if he can finish with several defensive line prospects. Dwight Jones -- who verballed last year and prepped for a year -- and Jamal Womble have the chance to come in and punch up the Tar Heel offense right away.

-- Virginia Tech, Auburn & Minnesota: Each will have other 30 verbals by the end of the recruiting season and each have a fantastic core of guys. Definitely three major winners come signing day.

Back to Giants. We'll be talking more before and on Wednesday.

And, it's not related, but go out and vote if you can on Tuesday. I'm joining the Vote or Die movement.