ESPN College Football

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.

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.

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.

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!

Fill in the blank: ___ will be the first Big East player taken in the NFL draft.

• Mel Kiper talks about why he likes Cincinnati defensive tackle Derek Wolfe.
• Michigan has every intention of playing UConn at the Rent in 2013, unless the Huskies decide to move the game to a bigger venue. Excellent profile on former UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes and his roots in New Hampshire.
• Former Louisville coach John L. Smith is headed to Arkansas.
• Pitt has picked up a commitment on defense.
• Rutgers receiver Miles Shuler tries to find his role.
• There are options for Syracuse at running back.
• USF coach Skip Holtz is over the moon with the signing of Aaron Lynch. Greg Auman of The Tampa Bay Times has a great breakdown of where you can spot USF players during Jon Gruden's QB Camp Show, airing on ESPN.
• NFL Draft Bible gives you its list of the Top 850 players available for the draft.

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.

Let's take a spin through the Big East.

• Paul Dehner gives you plenty of comprehensive news and notes from Cincinnati's spring.
• Could UConn have an all-Connecticut backfield? Video: UConn draft prospect Kendall Reyes.
• Teddy Bridgewater was honored as one of the top freshmen at Louisville.
• Lay off Tino Sunseri! (More on this later today.)
• New Rutgers president Robert Barchi says the football program should be "balanced" to reflect the needs of the university.
• How does losing Cory Grissom impact USF?
• Was the Syracuse Post-Standard editorial criticizing athletic director Daryl Gross over the line?
• Athlon Sports now ranks the quarterbacks in the Big East. Bridgewater over B.J. Daniels?

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.

Former UConn standout Kendall Reyes will be chatting today at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.com. Reyes is being projected as a late first-round or second-round pick in the upcoming draft, and he just completed his pro day workout at UConn on Wednesday.

Plenty to ask him, so be sure to be first in line. Added bonus -- Reyes is one of the nicest players in the Big East, so I am sure the chat will be worth your time. Even if you join mine (also at 4 p.m.) a little late.

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.

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.

ESPN.com NFL draft experts Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have released their latest mock drafts as we inch closer to draft day.

Kiper still has one Big East player in his first round; McShay has none . In his mock draft 3.0 , Kiper moved UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes up to the first selection the Patriots have, at No. 27 overall. Kiper writes:

The Patriots know they have to get better along the defensive front, and that could come via free agency (Mario Williams?). Still, I'd be surprised if they don't target it in the draft, even though Bill Belichick never fails to make moves and surprise during the draft. Reyes provides an active run-stuffer up front, a guy that can eat up blocks and free up rushers.

Kiper also lists Reyes as the No. 4 defensive tackle available in the draft, in his updated look at the top 5 players by position. Shamarko Thomas of Syracuse is also listed as the No. 5 safety available. Kiper also updated his big board, though there are no Big East players on it.

We have spent a lot of time talking about who did what at the NFL combine. For one final look at a few standouts, we turn to the ESPN NFL draft experts.

Mel Kiper has put together his revised list of the top five players at each position, following the combine. Kiper now lists Kendall Reyes from UConn as the No. 4 defensive tackle available. Kiper says Reyes is a first-round option (he does have Reyes in his latest big board) and says he intrigues a lot of NFL teams.

Among safeties, Phillip Thomas from Syracuse is also ranked No. 4 even though he struggled during combine workouts.

Now on to Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones, a player Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. profiled as one of five players who could play more than one position. Though Jones could be an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme, Muench believes Jones is a better fit at defensive end:

Jones laid down a quick 10-yard split (1.63) and showed good bend during drills, and there's also a lot to like about his arm length (35.4 inches) and upper-body strength. His 22 reps on the bench press are slightly below the four-year average for ends, but given his arm length it's a noteworthy number. Jones is on the fringe of the first round, where the New England Patriots (Nos. 27 and 31) could be looking for help along the line. The Jacksonville Jaguars are another possible fit early in the second round.