Spartans Doing Well at NFL Scouting Combines

So far so good at the NFL scouting combines.  The Spartans are killing it.  Here's a list of items:

- Kirk Cousins may be performing his way into the late first round.  Both the Sporting News and SI listed Cousins as rising.

- BJ Cunningham has also impressed.  He ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds and his vertical jump was 31.5 inches.  According to NFL.com, his combine grade is a 73.5, which is good enough to make him a 2nd or 3rd round pick.

- Keyshawn Martin has also impressed.  He ran the 40 in 4.45 seconds and his vertical was 39.5 inches.  According to NFL.com, his combine grade is 69.7, which is just on the cusp of making him a 2nd or 3rd round pick.  SI's Tony Pauline listed Martin as rising and was impressed with his route running.

- Edwin Baker has been less impressive.  He ran the 40 in 4.53 seconds and his vertical was 35 inches.  His combine grade was 49, which just puts him out of "draftable" status.

- Jerel Worthy's combine results are in and they don't look so good.  He officially ran the 40 in 5.08.  His combine grade, according to NFL.com, is 79.5, which is supposedly good enough to make him a second round pick but not a first round pick.  Russ Lande at Sporting News seems to corroborate that score.  He thinks Worthy performed poorly and may have dropped all the way to a third round pick.  I watched Worthy's performance and I felt that he was not particularly impressive but he also didn't do much to hurt himself.  He was definitely surpassed by Memphis' Dontari Poe, but nobody else really looked any better.

- Trenton Robinson's results are in.  He ran the 40 in 4.52 seconds, which appears to be the best time among safeties.  That's a solid result but probably disappointing for Robinson, who before the combine was hoping to run the 40 in the 4.3s.  He was also the top performer in the broad jump, with an excellent 10.5 feet jump.  It's hard to know how his overall performance will affect his draft stock.  SI's Tony Pauline was impressed and said "he was quick-footed in every direction and showed a terrific burst to the ball in every direction."  On the other hand, NFL.com's grade of 68.2 makes him likely to go in the 4th-7th rounds.  Robinson's biggest problem is simply his size.  He is slightly less than 5'10", and that's relatively small for a safety.

- Brian Linthicum was not invited to the combine, so info is limited on him.  Still, there is some good news for him.  ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. considers Linthicum the 5th best tight end in the draft.

At this point it's safe to say that the Spartans should do well in the NFL draft.  At least 6 our guys look set to be drafted, including Cousins, Worthy, Martin, Cunningham, Robinson, and Linthicum.  There's also a small chance that Baker could get drafted, and an even smaller chance that Joel Foreman could get drafted.  We'll have to wait to see how these latter 2 guys do in various other combines (e.g., MSU's pro-day and regional combines).

I will be trying to update this post as frequently as possible, instead of creating a new post every time new info rolls in.

Spartans to the NFL and Recruiting

Folks, I've been obsessively checking the news for any info on how our guys are doing at the combines and there just isn't much up to this point.  Nonetheless, this lull in the flow of information does provide an opportunity to reflect on why it's important that our guys do well at the combine and ultimately in the draft.

Of course, we all want the guys to do well because we want them to fulfill their dreams and because it's fun to watch Spartans playing on Sundays.  But their success is also critical because it does translate into recruiting prowess.  You can bet that coaches use the line: "well, son, you should come to MSU because we placed "X" in the NFL and we think you have the same kind of potential."  Of course, the higher a player goes in the draft, the more power that line has.

I hate to say it, but one reason why Nick Saban gets good recruiting classes is because he gets all kinds of guys into the NFL.  And you can bet that Saban is fully aware of that.  He doesn't go to the first day of the draft and sit next to guys like Mark Ingram for a few hours just because he cares.  Maybe he cares a little, but he knows full-well that all the high school kids are watching and he knows the thought crosses their minds: "wow, that Nick Saban really cares about his players, and look at all those guys he's sending to the NFL."

Anyway, this may be the year where NFL draft success pays some big dividends on the recruiting trail for the Spartans.  If Worthy goes in the first round, I wouldn't be surprised to see one or two big time DTs committing to the Spartans this year.  Likewise, if Kirk Cousins goes as high as the second round, don't be surprised to see the Spartans having more luck with some top-rated quarterbacks.  Better yet, if the Spartans can get as many as 7 guys drafted, don't be surprised to see them start catching up to UM and OSU on the recruiting trail, by next signing day.

Spartans to the NFL

The NFL scouting combines have just begun (yesterday).  The information on how various Spartans are doing is limited, for now, but here are a few tidbits on that topic:

- Kirk Cousins received a lot of praise around the time of the Senior Bowl; some sports journalists even said he could go as high as the second round.  Well, it looks like the excitement may be moderating.  NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock recently gave Cousins a fourth-round grade.  Not bad, though I wouldn't be surprised to see Cousins' stock improve throughout the combines, if he can flash the kind of brilliance he showed at the B1G championship game.  He is currently training with former NFL quarterback Chris Weinke, who is impressed with Cousins.

- Mayock was a lot more positive about Jerel Worthy.  Like most draft analysts, Mayock considers Worthy a first-round pick.  Of all the evaluations I've of Worthy I've read, Mayock's seems the most positive; he regards Worthy as the number 2 defensive tackle in the draft.  As the combine draws near, Worthy's stock seems to be rising.  I am seeing more and more mock drafts putting Worthy as a definite first rounder -- many people seem to think he'll go to Denver or New England. 

- Brian Linthicum was not invited to the combine.  It's hard to know what's going on with Linthicum, considering that he received good reviews during the week of the Senior Bowl, and more recently sites like this one have rated him as a top 5 tight end.  Perhaps his trouble with the law in March of 2011 is coming back to haunt him.

- B.J. Cunningham, Keshawn Martin, Edwin Baker, and Trenton Robinson have all been invited to the combine, but these guys have not received as much attention from draft analysts.  There is a nice article on Robinson's preparations for the combine, which mentions that he is hoping to run the 40 in 4.35 seconds.  That's excellent speed for safety...check that, that's excellent speed for any player.  Too bad Al Davis isn't around to use the Raiders' first round pick on Robinson.

The combines started yesterday, so let's get ready for the news to start flowing.

Spartans and the NFL Draft

Folks, the Spartans that are leaving for this year’s NFL draft have already given MSU and its fans so much.  They gave us back to back 11-win seasons and so many memories, but now they have a chance to make one last contribution to the program – at the same time that they help themselves.  You see, if they do well in the draft, recruits will take notice of that, and that will only help make recruiting easier for Dantonio and the coaches.  It’s a little too early to do more than speculating, but then speculating can help us get ready to organize the information that comes in as various Spartans hit the NFL combines.  Here’s a list of Spartan seniors and early departures:

42            Todd Anderson        FB            6-2           265          SR            Napoleon, Mich. - Napoleon

85            Garrett Celek          TE            6-5           252          SR            Cincinnati, Ohio - LaSalle

8              Kirk Cousins             QB           6-3           205          SR            Holland, Mich. - Holland Christian

3              B.J. Cunningham     WR          6-2           215          SR            Westerville, Ohio - Westerville South

67            Joel Foreman          OG           6-4           315          SR            Highland, Mich. - Milford

88            Brian Linthicum      TE            6-5           245          SR            St. Louis, Mo. - Clemson

82            Keshawn Martin     WR          5-11         189          SR            Inkster, Mich. - John Glenn

75            Jared McGaha         OL            6-6           298          SR            Powell, Tenn. - Powell

7              Keith Nichol            WR          6-2           220          SR            Lowell, Mich. - Oklahoma

69            Blake Pacheco         DL            6-1           264          SR            Salinas, Calif. - Monterey (Calif.) Peninsula College

96            Kevin Pickelman      NT           6-4           288          SR            Marshall, Mich. - Marshall

73            Arthur Ray Jr.          OG           6-3           299          SR            Chicago, Ill. - Mount Carmel

39            Trenton Robinson   S              5-10         195          SR            Bay City, Mich. - Bay City Central

16            Chris D. Rucker        WR          5-9           178          SR            Detroit, Mich. - Detroit Country Day

20            Kyle Selden             P              6-5           199          SR            Waterford, Mich. - Our Lady of the Lakes

47            Adam Setterbo       FB            6-3           245          SR            Spring Lake, Mich. - Spring Lake Senior

81            Brad Sonntag          WR          5-8           176          SR            Saginaw, Mich. - Nouvel Catholic Central

57            Johnathan Strayhorn               DT            6-0           272          SR            Detroit, Mich. - Oak Park

4              Edwin Baker            RB           5-9           210          JR            Highland Park, Mich. - Oak Park

99            Jerel Worthy           DT            6-3           310          JR            Huber Heights, Ohio – Wayne

I think it’s safe to say that the Spartans should actually do pretty well in the NFL draft.  Jerel Worthy should have a shot at the first round, and possibly at becoming a top-20 pick – we’ve been hearing that all year.  Apart from Worthy, guys like Trenton Robinson, BJ Cunningham, Joel Foreman, and Kirk Cousins should all have a shot at going somewhere between the 3^rd and 5^th rounds.  These players are a great testament to MSU's ability to develop talent, considering that all these guys were 2-star recruits (except for Cunningham who was a 3-star recruit).

Then there are several other guys who didn’t have huge years (statistically) but who could perform well enough at the NFL combines to get drafted in the later rounds.  I’m talking about guys like Keyshawn Martin, Edwin Baker, Kevin Pickelman, Keith Nichol, Garret Celek, and Brian Linthicum.  In my opinion, Martin, Baker, and Linthicum have the athleticism and skill to perform well enough at the combines to even move up into 4^th and 5^th round territory.  Again though, it's interesting to note that Martin, Pickelman, and Celek were all 2-star recruits, and Linthicum was a 3-star recruit.

We're going to have to wait and see how these guys perform over the next couple of months, but one thing we can say for certain is that MSU is very good at developing NFL-level talent.  Makes you wonder what MSU could do with classes consistently full of 4-star recruits.  Perhaps if the Spartans pull off another 11-win season next year, we won't have to wonder much longer.  

NFL Calling Spartans

It looks like the NFL is not finished attracting Spartans.  Of course, several seniors are going, and we found out yesterday that Jerel Worthy is going.  And today we find out that Edwin Baker will be trying his luck in the draft.  Since the Spartans are loaded at running back, I don't think Baker's departure will hurt the Spartans much.  But I don't think it's such a good move for Baker, himself.

It's possible that Baker received good feedback from NFL talent folk, it's possible that he thinks he could perform well at the NFL combines, or it's possible that he's not happy about his diminished role (now that LeVeon Bell has emerged).  Whatever the reason, I think he's taking a risk in leaving early, particularly because I think he would've had a big year next year and thus improved his stock.

Oh well, I really hope he kicks butt at the combines and I hope he does go in the top 3 rounds.  It would be great for him and for MSU's image as an NFL factory.

Thanks for the memories, Edwin.

Now I just hope no more juniors leave, because it's really going to start affecting the talent level of the team.  Cornerback Johnny Adams is the next possible departure.  If he leaves, Tony Lippett would probably stay at cornerback, instead of moving permanently to receiver.  That would likely mean that the Spartans would be really interested in bringing in another receiver.  So I guess that's the bright side of this.  The Spartans likely will be able to take an additional 2 recruits, bringing the total 2012 recruiting class to about 19 or 20 players.  That would allow the Spartans to take a few more of those propects I listed in my last post.

Worthy to NFL

It's being widely reported that Jerel Worthy has decided to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft.  I won't add much other than that it makes perfect sense when you consider his family's health issues and the risk a player of his caliber takes when they elect to play an extra year in college.  Apart from his outstanding play on the field, Worthy showed the younger guys what hard work can lead to. Worthy was a 2-star recruit who worked to become an almost certain first-round pick in this upcoming NFL draft.

Now that the wide receiver concern is being resolved (with the commitment of DeAnthony Arnett), I think defensive tackle has become the main concern for next year's team. As we saw in the Outback Bowl, Anthony Rashad White looks set to become the next Worthy. But other than that, the Spartans will be looking to replace Kevin Pickelman and Johnathan Strayhorn with 3 redshirt freshmen (Ramondo, Scarpinato, and Clemons). They will probably also keep offensive lineman Micajah Reynolds at defensive tackle.  Hopefully, Reynolds and the freshmen will emerge as adequate replacements.

The last thing I want to say here is THANKS, JEREL.  And kick some butt at the NFL combines!

Thoughts about MSU's Talent and Recruiting

Well folks our recruiting class recently took a big blow as 4-star recruit Se'Von Pittman decommitted and went to that villainous Ohio State. Well I am here to point out some interesting facts that might make you feel slightly better about the future.

First off, for all of you that think Michigan and OSU are going to dominate the big ten from here on out with their top ten recruiting classes I'd like you to look at teams like Florida and Texas that are absolutely stacked with five and four star recruits.  Florida managed a total of six wins this year and Texas was destroyed by RG3 and Baylor. So top recruiting classes don't always translate into successful teams.

Next off, take a deep breath and consider that MSU is great at uncovering diamonds-in-the-rough and or developing talent. Take a look at some of MSU's previous recruiting classes on Scout.com. Look at some of the big name players this year and look at how they were once rated. Jerel Worthy was a 2-star recruit, Trenton Robinson was a 2-star, Keshawn Martin 2-star, Cousins was a 2-star, Cunningham a 3-star, LeVeon Bell a 2-star, Denicos Allen (2-star), Kevin Pikelman (2-star), and Joel Foreman (2-star). Clearly, Michigan State has done very well with lower-rated recruits. Dantonio and MSU have developed all of these guys into NFL-level players and that is a big part of why MSU is now a consistent contender for the Big Ten Championship.

If you are still worried about the number of stars recruits are given, then consider that since 2007 (Dantonio's first recruiting class) recruiting classes have gotten better and better each year. Last year, MSU had no 2-star recruits in the class, and it looks like this year's class will also not have any 2-star recruits.

So, let's take a deep breath and put everything into perspective.  MSU already has lots of good talent and I trust they will continue to bring in and develop excellent talent.

Let's Appreciate What We Have

The Big Ten Championship Game (BTCG) was a blow to the stomach, but ladies and gentlemen, let's clear our minds for a moment to appreciate what a great season this has been and how lucky we are as Spartan fans.  The Spartan players and coaches had their ups and downs this season, but in the end, the body of work they delivered for our pleasure was remarkable.  We don't have a perfect program (who does?), but we do have a program that has achieved heights not seen in East Lansing, in many, many years. 

Let me start with the coaches.  Spartan nation, we are blessed.  Mark Dantonio is truly an elite coach.  In just 5 years, he has taken a program that could not even win 50% of its games and turned it into a program that now consistently contends for the Big Ten title.  And folks, this is just the start.  I am convinced that he will take MSU to the point where we are consistently able to compete for national championships.  As for the coordinators, I had my share of complaints with their play calling throughout the year, but at the end of the regular season I can honestly say that Pat Narduzzi and Dan Roushar exceeded expectations.  I felt like they called a masterful game in the BTCG.  I hope to see both of them back next year.

As for the players, I hate to single out any of them for praise because this whole team deserves to be celebrated.  But since I don't have time to write about all of them (perhaps in a few months I will), I will mention a few that stood out in the BTCG and who will be leaving or are likely to be leaving after this year.  I will also mention Le'Veon Bell because he just stood out too much.   

Kirk Cousins -- learned so much throughout the year and learned to stay cool under pressure.  In the Notre Dame game I thought he was exposed as a quarterback that was too nervous to be really good.  But in the BTCG he really looked like an NFL quarterback.  He showed great poise and accuracy.  In one of my first posts I predicted that he would become a first-round talent.  His performance in the BTCG made me believe that he still could do that.  I expect him to impress the scouts at the NFL combines.

B.J. Cunningham -- played like a wide receiver that will be taken in the first 3 rounds all year long.  In the BTCG he played his best, perhaps 2nd round good.

Keyshawn Martin -- was inconsistent most of the year, but in the BTCG he looked like a 2nd round talent.

Jerel Worthy -- led by example in the BTCG and looked every bit like a player that deserves to be taken in the top 15 of the NFL draft.

Trenton Robinson -- made big hit after big hit in the BTCG.  He may not go in the first 3 rounds but I think he will be drafted.

Le'Veon Bell -- have you ever seen anyone run with as much heart and power as Bell ran with in the BTCG?  This guy is a superstar in the making.  MSU's O-line will improve next year and Bell will become a household name next year.

In the future, I will write a post about guys that are coming back next year and what next year will look like for the Spartans.  For now, let's just appreciate the great talents that have donned the Spartan uniform.  And let's appreciate that none of these guys was a rated particularly high by any recruiting sites.  Appreciate that MSU does a great job of discovering and developing talent.