Sports Betting Blog

‘This the season, football fans – every spring the NFL gathers for the draft, as the teams get to choose and trade players for the upcoming season. The two-day event takes place this year on April 25-26 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

The first three rounds take place on Saturday; rounds four through seven occur on Sunday. Each team – more or less – has one pick per round. The teams are ranked in the draft in the reverse of the team’s rank of the season. This year, the first three teams in the first round are the Detroit Lions, the St. Louis Rams, and the Kansas City Chiefs.

Who will be some of the top contenders on draft day? Here’s an analysis for some of the top picks in the draft according to position.

1. Quarterback

With several starters getting older and with teams like the Jets and 49ers lacking strong players for the position, quarterbacks will be in demand this year. That doesn’t mean, though, that quarterbacks won’t get picked after the first rounds. History has given the NFL top quarterbacks – like Tom Brady – who weren’t well-regarded after college but who more than proved themselves during their pro careers. In fact, more than half of the projected starting quarterbacks for 2009 weren’t drafted in the first or second rounds.

However, the top quarterback pick this year – and possibly the top pick altogether – definitely won’t have to wait after the first round. At 6’2” and 225 lbs, Matthew Stafford is a strong athlete with great arm strength, good footwork, and a quick delivery.

He began an outstanding career during high school, where he was rated as the best prep-passer in the nation by Rivals.com and ranked second in the country by ESPN and Scout.com. Prep Star Top 100 Honors ranked him third. He was thrice selected for the All-State, won Gatorade Player of the Year and EA Sports National Player of the Year as a senior.

Stafford enrolled in Georgia in 2005, but his 2006 performance was a disappointment: playing part-time, he threw seven touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Stafford improved in 2007, throwing 19 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions. In 13 starts during 2007, he had an 11-2 record. In a game against Florida, he threw an 84-yard touchdown that was the longest pass in the SEC that year. He broke season records for touchdown passes, yards per offensive play, and yards in total offense. He was also a finalist and semi-finalist for the Manning and Davey O’Brien Rewards, respectively.

In his junior year, he threw for 3,450 yards and 25 touchdowns – a solid, if not stellar, performance. His strength is in his arms – literally. With his ability to throw deep balls, scouts are sure to rank him at the top.

He may be taken first by Detroit, but San Francisco, Seattle, and Jacksonville may also have their eyes on him.

2. Running Backs

Last year’s trend for running backs found that splitting the work amongst two or more players increased the rewards. Of the 11 teams that had two plus running backs, seven qualified for the playoffs.

Running games is back in style.

Although there is no clear consensus about number one in this position, several names appear over and over again: Knowshon Moreno, Chris Wells, and LeSean McCoy.

At 5’11” and 217 lbs, Moreno sports a combination of size, speed, and athleticism that makes him one of the draft’s top picks as running back. He is a tough runner with strong instincts. As a freshman at Georgie, Moreno carried almost 250 times, gaining 14 touchdowns at Athens. He also caught some 20 passes from the backfield.

2008 wasn’t a good season for Georgia, and so not for Moreno either, although he did manage 1400 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Although he lacks super-speed, his running ability combined with his ability to receive out of the backfield makes him a top pick as a runner in the draft.

3. Wide Receiver

With the success of big receivers like Larry Fitzgerald and Andrew Johnson, the trend this year is to have pass catchers with the size and strength. With 70% of last season’s receivers reflecting this “big” trend, scouts this year are looking for more of the same. But scouts want more than size. With athletes such as Howard-Bey rushing up the charts, size isn’t the only thing that matters. Scouts will keep their eyes peeled for speed as well.

At 6’2” and 215 pounds, Michael Crabtree certainly has the “big” part of the equation down. With just over 25 games at university, Crabtree broke records for both the school and the Big 12 Conference. He was able to break the college record of 227 receptions with his 231 catches over two years. In the same time period, he also received the Fred Biletnikoff Award honors – the first time a freshman ever received the award – and set a collegiate record with 41 touchdown catches. With nearly 151 yards receiving per game and an average of 10.31 receptions, Crabtree also topped the major college ranks.

A great athlete with strong hands, Crabtree has been the top receiver in college football for two seasons, and his position as the draft’s top receiver is guaranteed.