ESPN College Football

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend!

• Cincinnati athletic director Whit Babcock saw unity at the Big East spring meetings.
• Louisville has offered class of 2014 athlete DeShone Kizer.
• The Big East pins its hopes on a TV deal.
• You can read more of Todd Graham's justifications for leaving Pitt. His story gets a little different every time he tells it, doesn't it?
• Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones signed with the Patriots.
• Big East expansion West is still in the works.

Anybody who has watched the Big East in recent years realizes this a much more defensive league, than offensive league.

Last season, seven of the eight teams ranked in the top half of the nation in total defense. The "worst" defense, Syracuse, ranked No. 64 -- just outside the top half. In 2010, six of eight teams ranked in the top half of the nation in the same category. The "worst" two defenses -- Cincinnati and Rutgers -- were ranked No. 61 and 63, respectively. In 2009, the worst defense, Cincinnati, ranked No. 67 in the nation.

I went back and looked at recent draft history to see how this translated to the next level.

Sure enough, defensive players were selected more than offensive players, and in higher rounds to boot.

In the past two drafts, 21 of the 34 players selected came from the defense. In the recently concluded NFL draft, eight of the 12 Big East players came from the defense. More pronounced, five of the seven players drafted in the first three rounds were defensive, and all played defensive line (Bruce Irvin, Chandler Jones, Derek Wolfe, Kendall Reyes and John Hughes).

Going back to the 2010 draft, 12 of the 16 players taken in the first three rounds were on defense.

We can continue looking a bit deeper to see defensive line has been an incredible strength, not just in the draft this year. In the past four drafts, the Big East has had at least one defensive lineman drafted in the first three rounds. Last year, two of the first four Big East picks were linemen. In 2010, Jason Pierre-Paul of USF went in the first round.

Coaches like Charlie Strong, Greg Schiano, Randy Edsall, Dave Wannstedt, Paul Pasqualoni and Jim Leavitt all have had a hand in the transformation, given their defensive backgrounds.

So will the trend hold for the 2013 draft?

In the super early mock drafts for next season, there are no Big East players listed in the first round. But CBS Sports already has a listing of the top draft prospects, by position. Eleven defensive players are listed among the Top 25 players at their respective positions, compared to five on offense.

However, there are more offensive players ranked among the Top 5 at their positions. Justin Pugh of Syracuse is listed as the No. 4 offensive tackle; Ray Graham of Pitt is listed as the No. 5 running back; and Ryan Griffin of UConn is listed as the No. 5 tight end.

The top-ranked defensive player is Khaseem Greene, at No. 6 among outside linebackers. Sio Moore of UConn also makes that list, at No. 9.

There is obviously an entire season of football to be played, and all these projections will change. But the way the Big East's defensive players have emerged is a trend worth noting.

There's a dinosaur knocking at my door.

• Cincinnati produces draft talent despite low recruiting rankings.
• UConn offensive tackle Mike Ryan talks about signing as a free agent with Cincinnati.
• A fan's take on Rutgers' spring game.
• Is Chandler Jones the next Jason Pierre-Paul?
• Several high school prospects in the Central Florida area have caught the eye of Big East schools. Another one, defensive end Devin Washington out of Orlando, lists USF as one of his top 10 schools.
• Here is an update on the top uncommitted defensive backs in the class of 2013, including Vernon Hargreaves III.

The NFL draft has come and gone. So how did the Big East fare?

Not great.

The Big East only had 12 players drafted -- the lowest total since 11 were selected in 2006. USF and Pitt did not have a player selected, breaking some pretty long streaks. At least one Pitt player had been selected in each of the last 12 NFL drafts headed into this year; USF had at least one player taken in five straight drafts.

In compiling the numbers, I did count West Virginia because the three players drafted -- Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode and Keith Tandy -- spent their entire careers playing in the Big East. Since Temple now lives in this blog, many of you will probably be happy to hear that the Owls also had three players drafted -- Bernard Pierce, Evan Rodriguez and Tahir Whitehead -- tying a school record.

For those interested in the new members entering the league in 2013 and how they stacked up against those leaving -- Boise State had a school-record six players drafted. SMU (four) and San Diego State (four) ended up with the same number of picks as Cincinnati, which led the Big East.

Here is the breakdown of players selected by school:

• Cincinnati (4)
• West Virginia (3)
• Syracuse (2)
• UConn (1)
• Louisville (1)
• Rutgers (1)

Here are the players that were selected:

Round 1

West Virginia DE/LB Bruce Irvin, Seattle

Syracuse DE/LB Chandler Jones, New England

Round 2

Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe, Denver

UConn DT Kendall Reyes, San Diego

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, St. Louis

Round 3

Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati

Cincinnati DT John Hughes, Cleveland

Round 4

Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, New York Giants

Round 5

West Virginia LB Najee Goode, Tampa Bay

Round 6

West Virginia CB Keith Tandy, Tampa Bay

Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, New Orleans

Round 7

Louisville DE Greg Scruggs, Seattle

Here are a few of my thoughts:

• Eleven Big East players invited to the NFL combine went undrafted, which seems like a pretty large number to me. Generally, those invited to the combine have a decent shot of being drafted. Keep in mind only 20 total Big East players snagged invites to the combine. So the percentage of players drafted who attended the combine in February was less than 50 percent.
• USF running back Darrell Scott decided to leave school early to enter the draft. But he never got picked. Scott ended up signing as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He was one of 18 underclassmen who entered the draft but was not selected. Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas and receiver Dorian Graham also are underclassmen.
• Speaking of Thomas, I was surprised he went undrafted. I thought he was one of the most valuable players on the Syracuse defense last season before he ended up getting suspended for the final few games of the season for a violation of team rules. He obviously had some baggage because of that, but not any more than other players who have gotten into trouble. At one point, Mel Kiper had him listed as one of the top five safeties available in the draft.
• Other surprise undrafted players? I thought for sure Pitt offensive lineman Lucas Nix would get picked. NFL teams are always in the market for stocking up on quality offensive linemen, particularly ones listed as 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds. I would say he and Thomas were two players that went undrafted that I had penciled in as getting drafted. Nobody expected a Louisville player to go, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Scruggs come off the board.
• I watched the third round Friday night waiting and waiting for Sanu to come off the board. You guys know I guaranteed he would be picked in the first three rounds. What surprised me, though, were some of the receivers who were drafted ahead of him. I thought Houston might take him as a complementary receiver to Andre Johnson with the fifth pick in the round. But instead the Texans went with DeVier Posey of Ohio State, who was suspended for accepting cash and tattoos from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner. Posey played in three games all of last season. NC State receiver T.J. Graham was next to come off the board to the Bills. Sanu had a higher draft grade than those two players.

You saw him beat up on Big East quarterbacks the last two years, so you know what West Virginia defensive end Bruce Irvin can do when he is playing at his best.

And yet, Irvin turned out to be the biggest draft-day surprise Thursday, when Seattle took him with the No. 15 overall pick, eliciting a chorus of "Who?" among the uninitiated. Most experts had pegged another Big East player -- Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones -- to go to the Seahawks.

Jones did eventually go in the first round, at No. 21 to the New England Patriots. They were the only two players with Big East ties selected on the first day of the draft, which turns out to be more than most everybody expected. A few months ago, most wondered whether the Big East would even have one player taken in the first round.

A few months ago, most had Irvin pegged as a second or third-round pick. Scratch that. A mere 24 hours ago, most had Irvin pegged as a second or third-round pick. His measurables are undeniable. He can run like a cheetah, as he proved at the NFL combine with his blazing 4.41 in the 40-yard dash. He can take down quarterbacks like a possessed man-child, as evidence by his 23 sacks in two years with the Mountaineers.

The Seahawks called him the best pure pass-rusher available in the draft, which is why they made him the first defensive end selected Thursday night. So why all the shock? The doubters? The haters?

For one, Irvin is a raw talent, having only played two years on the highest level in college football. He played in a defensive formation that nobody uses in the NFL. He struggled on non-passing downs, so much so that West Virginia took him out of the starting lineup after five games so he could return to his duties as a pass-rush specialist.

Listen to him when he says, "I've heard I'm a one-trick pony. But the crazy thing is I got 23 sacks in two years and I've never been coached. If I get a little coaching, just imagine what I can do."

He has a background that no doubt scared some teams off, when in fact, they probably should have taken a much harder look to see how the adversity he overcame built his character and gave him an unparalleled work ethic. Irvin could very well be homeless in Atlanta today, had he not accepted help and made the conscious decision to change his life. There are many others who have failed given the same opportunities.

Granted, Irvin did not help his situation when he was arrested last month and charged with destruction of property and disorderly conduct. Those charges have since been dropped. Was it a reminder to some teams to throw up a red flag?

That hardly matters now. Seattle coach Pete Carroll is fully aware of what Irvin has gone through, having recruited him out of Mt. San Antonio Junior College while still coaching USC. Most of all, he is fully aware of the incredible potential Irvin has to fill a need that the Seahawks sorely need.

Coaches often say players succeed or fail in the NFL based on the organization that drafts them, and whether or not they have NFL coaches who believe in them. Drafting Irvin so high is a huge risk. But every team takes a risk of some kind in the NFL draft, so that should not make this pick any more shocking than Miami drafting a quarterback who went 7-6 last year at perennial underachiever Texas A&M.

Drafting is all about projecting, same as in recruiting. There is no complete player in the draft. Every pick is a guess. Seattle is guessing Irvin will be worth the risk.

The spotlight is firmly on Irvin and the Seahawks now. He has the potential to be great. Now in addition to learning a new system and accepting the coaching, he will have to deal with expectations that come with being a first-round pick. Folks will want him to live up to some preconceived notion of what first-round picks should do. If Irvin is as ferocious rushing the passer in the NFL as he was in college, I believe he will not only meet those expectations.

He will exceed them.

NFL draft begins tonight. If only the Dolphins could get RG3.

• Cincinnati coach Butch Jones is in favor of keeping the bowl system. Derek Wolfe is set to become the first player ever drafted from his high school.
• For UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes, getting to the next level is all that matters.
• Former Louisville receiver Deion Branch is running to raise money for his foundation, which helps children with special needs like his son.
• Paul Zeise gives you an update on Pitt recruiting.
• Experts weigh in on whether Rutgers is a title contender with Greg Schiano gone.
• Will USF have a player picked in the draft?
• The draft will be a family affair for Chandler Jones. Marcus Sales leads the Syracuse receivers.
• Temple running back Bernard Pierce awaits his fate. The game between Temple and Army will kick off at noon.

Chandler Jones made the decision to leave Syracuse after the NFL draft advisory board told him he would be a third-round pick.

Four months later, third round seems way too low. Jones has seen his stock rise perhaps more than any other prospect, with ESPN expert Mel Kiper pegging Jones to go No. 12 overall to the Seattle Seahawks as the NFL draft begins tonight.

So how has Jones balanced preparations for the next level, along with growing expectations among many that he has found a place in the first round?

"My mom always gets mad at me when I say this, but I'm going into the draft with the impression that I'm going in the third round," Jones said in a recent phone interview. "Whenever I do get picked, it's going to be shocking to me. I just want to play football again and be an impact player, but as far as going in the first round it would be a dream come true."

Jones is well aware of the way his stock has risen. He believes there are two factors that have helped him. First, he had a terrific performance at the combine, where he ranked in the Top 10 among defensive linemen in the vertical jump (35 inches) and broad jump (10 feet).

Then came his interviews.

"I stay humble through it all, but I feel like what raised my stock was the way I interviewed," he said. "I met with 14 different teams, talked to the head coach, general managers, talked to coordinators and position coaches. I felt like I carried myself very well. I came to every single interview like it was a job interview. I sat down with a coach, told him what I know, and all the coaches were impressed with how much I know, and were very intrigued with me. We watched film, and I explained what went on. They were impressed with my football knowledge."

None of that should come as a surprise. Jones has a gregarious personality, enough to leave a big impression about his character. He also has an older brother, Arthur, who plays for the Baltimore Ravens and has been a mentor in the sport. Another brother, Jon "Bones" Jones, is the UFC light heavyweight champion -- adding to the family's sporting bloodlines.

Jones played defensive end at Syracuse, but he may play more as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL, depending on where he gets drafted.

"Teams love that I'm versatile," Jones said. "Throughout my college career, I played nose tackle, I played defensive tackle and I played defensive end. With the body frame I have, 6-5, 265 pounds, I can play the 5 technique or stay where I am and play outside linebacker. I have not played in a 3-4 scheme, but there were different looks at Syracuse University where we would shift into a 3-4, and I felt comfortable. I can come off the edge real fast, so I do not think it would be too foreign. Dropping into coverage is something I will have to get used to, and it's a challenge I'm ready to tackle."

Jones also has bulked up in the time he left Syracuse, putting on 13 pounds during his time at API Performance in Pensacola, Fla. That obviously helps as well. Jones will watch the draft from the media room at the new home his brother, Jon, bought in Ithaca, N.Y.

But, it hardly matters when his name will be called.

The NFL draft is almost here. With the first round set to begin Thursday night on ESPN, I now present to you the final big board and mock drafts for ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones continues to shoot up the rankings. In his final mock draft , Kiper has Jones going No. 12 overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Kiper says:

The Seahawks need a pass-rusher, and I really like the fit. Pete Carroll can use a player with Jones' length and athleticism in a "Leo" role, and create an added dimension to the rush. The Seahawks will have built a pretty formidable defense if they can add a final piece or two up front. Jones makes sense here.

Jones ends up at No. 20 on Kiper's Big Board , a ranking of the top 25 prospects in the draft.

Meanwhile, McShay has Jones listed as No. 11 on his ranking of the top 32 players , moving up five spots. McShay says, "Jones' versatility and long frame make him an attractive prospect. He's risen steadily in recent weeks, from underrated prospect to the top half of the first round."

McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl did a complete mock draft, rounds one through seven. Here is where they have the Big East prospects:

• Jones, No. 12 overall, Seattle
• UConn DT Kendall Reyes, second round, New England
• Cincinnati DT, Derek Wolfe, second round, Atlanta
• Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, third round, Pittsburgh
• Temple RB Bernard Pierce, fourth round, Denver
• Syracuse S Phillip Thomas, fourth round, Green Bay
• Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, fourth round, Minnesota
• Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, fifth round, Cincinnati
• Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, sixth round, Arizona
• Pitt OG Lucas Nix, sixth round, Oakland
• Temple TE Evan Rodriguez, sixth round, Indianapolis
• Rutgers OG Desmond Wynn, seventh round, Buffalo
• Pitt LB Brandon Lindsey, seventh round, Green Bay

Can't wait to see where everybody ends up!

We are now just days away from the NFL draft, so the guessing games and mock picks are multiplying at quite a rapid rate.

Based on what has been written in the last month, it seems pretty certain the Big East will have at least one player taken in the first round Thursday. But who will it be?

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones, UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes and Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe have all been mentioned as first-round candidates in several mock drafts. But the opinions on the three vary wildly.

Take a look at the most recent information from ESPN NFL draft experts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper. McShay has Jones listed at No. 16 in his latest list of the Top 32 prospects in the draft. That is six spots higher than the last time McShay did his rankings. The analysis:

Jones' versatility and long frame make him an attractive prospect. He's risen steadily in recent weeks, shedding the "underrated" label and making a case to be picked as high as No. 16 overall by the New York Jets.

Kiper also has Jones listed as the only Big East player on his Big Board , at No. 19.

In addition, Kiper did a mock draft of the first three rounds for every AFC and NFC team , based on a combination of where players are valued and a team's top needs, among other criteria. Here is where he had Big East players going:

Jones, first round (No. 18), San Diego

Wolfe, first round (No. 25), Denver

Reyes, second round: St. Louis

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, third round, San Diego

Once again, Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu is nowhere to be found. I will have my own take on Sanu this week, along with some other draft coverage leading up to Thursday, so stay tuned to the blog.

You can bank on plenty of content from our NFL draft experts now that the big three-day extravaganza is two weeks away.

So what is the latest?

Mel Kiper has updated his Big Board , Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones is the only Big East player represented. Jones has seen his stock soar in the last two months, as teams began to see his true potential. When Jones made the decision to enter the draft, he was initially projected as a second- or third-round pick.

Now he seems destined to go on Day 1. Kiper has Jones listed as the No. 24 overall prospect, writing, "He's gotten bigger, but my guess is teams will still see him first as a 3-4 OLB. Jones has long arms and moves well, and the tape shows offensive linemen struggling to keep him engaged.

Kiper also has his underrated and overrated prospects . I am sure Cincinnati fans will like to know he has defensive tackle Derek Wolfe in the "underrated category." Kiper writes:

I love the versatility he can bring. I projected Wolfe as a surprise first-round pick by the Patriots because a scheme-versatile team can use a guy like him, who can be a one-gap guy in a 3-4 or easily flip to a 4-3 DT, up front. I've seen him on some boards as low as the third round. He should go higher.

Meanwhile, Todd McShay has a new mock draft , complete with different scenarios for each team in Round 1. McShay has Jones going to the Jets at No. 16 -- his highest spot to date. McShay envisions a scenario in which several of the players the Jets covet would be off the board, leaving them to pick Jones because he is versatile and one of the most underrated players in the class.

UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes goes at No. 30 to San Francisco.

ESPN NFL draft expert Todd McShay has broken down the top 100 prospects for the NFL draft into tiers , based on grades. Breakdowns like these are helpful for teams when they try to figure out when and how to draft a player and when trades come under consideration.

They also show depth at certain positions. Offensive tackle is lean this year; defensive tackle has plenty of depth.

Where do Big East players stack up?

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones is listed in Tier 4. McShay describes players in this group as having the tools to be good value picks in the late first round. Jones has steadily moved up the mock drafts of both Mel Kiper and McShay. In the latest version , Kiper has Jones going at No. 18 to San Diego, while McShay has Jones listed at No. 22 on his overall list of the top 32 prospects heading into the draft.

UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes is listed in Tier 5 as a player with a good value should he drop out of Round 1. Kiper has Reyes out of the first round in his latest mock draft, going to Indianapolis with the second pick in the second round. Rather than having Reyes in his first round, Kiper now has Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe going to New England at No. 31. Kiper and McShay differ wildly on their opinion of Wolfe.

McShay has Wolfe listed in Tier 6, as a player worthy of mid-to-late second-round consideration. Wolfe is listed as his No. 69 overall prospect.

Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead is listed in Tier 7 as a solid third-round prospect.

The biggest snub is that of Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu, not listed among McShay's top 100 players. Kiper also does not have Sanu going in the first two rounds.

Look, we all know Sanu is not the fastest guy in the world. But I really hope the 40 time he ran at the combine is not sinking his stock. Sanu has plenty of size and is incredibly reliable. He will go across the middle and make tough catches. He can make acrobatic catches. He will work hard and do whatever is asked. He has no character issues at all. Any team that discounts him because he doesn't run a 4.3 40-yard dash is just plain missing out on what Sanu can add to any team.

All eight Big East teams have completed their pro day workouts for NFL scouts.

Keep in mind that only a few Big East teams made times and performances available. Here are a few of the highlights:

Cincinnati: Running back Isaiah Pead clocked a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash. But it was probably tight end Adrien Robinson who turned the most heads, as he ran a 4.51 and 4.58 in the 40. Scouts Inc. analyst Kevin Weidl had praise for Robinson, whose only opportunity to impress scouts in person was at the school's pro day.

UConn: Kendall Reyes and Kashif Moore skipped doing the 40-yard dash and instead focused on position work. It's a smart move because both did outstanding at the NFL combine. More than 20 NFL teams were represented.

Louisville: The Cardinals did not have anybody invited to the NFL combine, so senior players had to rely on their pro day. It was receiver Josh Bellamy who stood out, after he ran a 4.42 in the 40. Bellamy also worked out at cornerback.

Pitt: Unheralded cornerback Buddy Jackson had a good showing, running somewhere in the 4.3 range, while defensive tackle Chas Alecxih improved on his performance at the combine. Alecxih apparently caught the stomach virus in Indianapolis, which affected his performance. Brandon Lindsey improved some of his numbers, too. Lucas Nix also showed well.

Rutgers: Receiver Mohamed Sanu helped himself, improving on his 40 time, with a 4.41. Sanu ran a 4.67 at the combine, and told local reporters after pro day last week he was drained in Indianapolis. Fullback Joe Martinek ran a 4.4 in the 40.

USF: New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was in attendance for the Bulls' pro day. Running back Darrell Scott, who decided to leave school early, was the only USF player invited to the combine, so it was an opportunity for his teammates to try to make an impression.

Syracuse: Defensive end Chandler Jones brought many more scouts to Syracuse pro day -- 37 in all. According to the Post-Standard, that was the biggest pro day turnout since 2002.

Temple: Running back Bernard Pierce was one of 17 Owls who worked out for 32 NFL scouts. Pierce reportedly improved on his already-terrific 40 time from the combine, with some clocking a time of 4.34. Evan Rodriguez did not run the 40.

Now that you have the quick recaps, here is an updated look at where Todd McShay and Mel Kiper have some of the Big East players.

McShay has his NFL mock draft 4.0 up, with Syracuse's Jones going at No. 27 overall to the New England Patriots. McShay says Jones is one of the most underrated prospects in the entire draft. UConn defensive tackle Reyes is in the first round, too, at No. 31, also to the Patriots. Future teammates, perhaps? McShay does not have anybody from the Big East in the second round.

Jones is the only player listed on McShay's top 32 . Kiper has no Big East players on his Big Board , which only ranks the top 25. Not much change in Kiper's top 5 players by position . It still features Reyes, Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas and Temple fullback Rodriguez.

We continue on in our series looking at the biggest shoes to fill across the Big East.

Up today: Syracuse.

Who's out: Chandler Jones. One of the most important things to know about Jones is this -- last season he missed five games with a knee injury, but he still made the Big East first-team, as selected by the league's head coaches. If that doesn't show how valuable he was to his team, what does? Jones finished the season with 4.5 sacks, 7.5 hurries and two forced fumbles in just seven games, and was essentially the only reliable lineman despite being out for so many games. Jones saw his upside and decided to leave school early for the NFL draft, where he is expected to be a late-first round or second-round selection.

Who's in: Brandon Sharpe or Micah Robinson. Defensive end is one area where depth has to be built, with the graduation of Jones, Mikhail Marinovich and Torrey Ball. This spring certainly provides a test, as Robinson is out with an injury. Sharpe really has a chance to elevate himself to the next level this spring, particularly if he is able to get many more reps than he has in the past. Donnie Simmons also will be in the mix. More help arrives in the summer, in the form of junior college transfer Markus Pierce-Brewster and two true freshmen, including Josh Manley.

So where do Big East players project in the draft?

Scouts Inc. expert Todd McShay has put together his own draft board , similar to what NFL teams use when they determine when to draft specific players. The chart lists players by position, and assigned to the round that corresponds to his draft grade. Here are where the Big East players stand on offense:

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse: first round

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn: second round

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: third round

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple: third round

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers: third round

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse: third round

Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati: fourth round

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati: fourth round

Brandon Lindsey, LB, Pitt: fifth round

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt: fifth round

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt: sixth round

Justin Francis, DL, Rutgers: sixth round

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse: sixth round

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers: sixth round

Darrell Scott, RB, USF: seventh round

Evan Rodriguez, RB, Temple: seventh round

Mike Ryan, OT, UConn: seventh round

Alex Hoffman, OT, Cincinnati: seventh round

Antwuan Reed, DB, Pitt: seventh round

Tahir Whitehead, LB, Temple: seventh round

ESPN NFL draft experts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have updated their draft boards and player rankings as we get closer to the big event.

There is only one major change to report. Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones has moved up six spots to No. 24 on McShay's list of the Top 32 players available in the draft. McShay says, "Jones flew under the radar in 2011 but is rising after more thorough film study, and his size, strength and length give him impressive potential as a pass-rusher. "

Jones is the only Big East player on that list.

Kiper Jr. doesn't have a new mock draft out, but he updated his big board and Top 5 player rankings by position. No changes to report there. He still has UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes among his Top 5 at that position, and Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas in the top five as well.

McShay has one more good read to check out on the running back class, and how ball security affects the way they are evaluated. Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead is included.