ESPN College Football

Now that the NFL draft is over, I thought it'd be fun to take a look at how last year's first-round predictions turned out.

Shortly after the 2010 NFL draft, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay predicted the SEC would have eight selections in the first round in his first 2011 mock draft . He ended up being pretty close as the SEC had 10 players go in the first round.

He also had Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck going first, which probably would have been the case if he had decided to enter the draft. Instead, he opted to stay in school and Auburn's Cam Newton was taken by the Carolina Panthers with the first pick.

McShay was close with his Marcell Dareus pick. He wrote that the Alabama defensive tackle would go second to the St. Louis Rams, but Dareus went third to the Buffalo Bills.

He also had Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallet going 15th to the San Francisco 49ers and Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe landing with the Denver Broncos at No. 13. Mallett was taken by the New England Patriots in the third round, while Powe was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in sixth.

Making these predictions isn't easy, so it's pretty impressive that he was able to predict six of his eight players to go in the first round.

Here's what McShay predicted in 2010:

• No. 2, St. Louis Rams: Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 7, New England Patriots: Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green
• No. 13, Denver Broncos: Ole Miss defensive tackle Jerrell Powe
• No. 15, San Francisco 49ers: Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett
• No. 19, New York Giants: Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 24, Cincinnati Bengals: Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones
• No. 27, Baltimore Ravens: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 31, Indianapolis Colts: Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey

And here's how the first round turned out:

• No. 1, Carolina Panthers: Auburn quarterback Cam Newton
• No. 3, Buffalo Bills: Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 4, Cincinnati Bengals: Georgia receiver A.J. Green
• No. 5, Arizona Cardinals: LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 6, Atlanta Falcons: Alabama receiver Julio Jones
• No. 13, Detroit Lions: Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley
• No. 15, Miami Dolphins: Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey
• No. 25, Seattle Seahawks: Alabama offensive guard James Carpenter
• No. 28, New Orleans Saints: Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 32, Green Bay Packers: Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod

The first round of the 2011 NFL draft on Thursday night had a definitive SEC flavor to it.

It opened with an SEC player being selected and then closed several hours later with an SEC player being selected.

All told, there were 10 players from the SEC taken in the first round, which was one shy of the league record set in 2007.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton was the No. 1 pick overall and went to the Carolina Panthers. It’s the third time in the past five drafts that the SEC has produced the top overall pick. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford went No. 1 overall to the Detroit Lions in 2009, and LSU quarterback JaMarcus Russell went No. 1 overall to the Oakland Raiders in 2007.

Here’s a quick rundown of the 10 SEC first-round selections:

• No. 1, Carolina Panthers – Auburn quarterback Cam Newton
• No. 3, Buffalo Bills – Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
• No. 4, Cincinnati Bengals – Georgia receiver A.J. Green
• No. 5, Arizona Cardinals – LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• No. 6, Atlanta Falcons – Alabama receiver Julio Jones
• No. 13, Detroit Lions – Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley
• No. 15, Miami Dolphins – Florida offensive guard/center Mike Pouncey
• No. 25, Seattle Seahawks – Alabama offensive guard James Carpenter
• No. 28, New Orleans Saints – Alabama running back Mark Ingram
• No. 32, Green Bay Packers – Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod

The SEC has had five picks in the top 20 of the first round five straight years now.

Newton became the eighth SEC quarterback to be drafted in the first round in the past 10 years.

One of the biggest surprises of the first round was Carpenter going 25^th to the Seahawks. Carpenter played left tackle at Alabama the past two seasons and was thought to be more of a second-round selection. But he helped himself at the Senior Bowl by showing that he could also play guard.

Fairley, the No. 5 prospect on ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s Big Board, dropped to 13^th and was taken by the Lions. Fairley will be paired in Detroit with 2010 rookie of the year Ndamukong Suh.

Sherrod had to wait until the final pick of the first round to hear his name called. But in going 32^nd overall to the Packers, he ended a long drought for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs had gone 14 straight years without a first-round pick.

Alabama became the first team in the SEC to produce four first-round NFL draft selections since Auburn did it in 2005.

Over the past three years, Alabama has produced seven first-rounders, the most in the SEC. That’s after going eight years in a row without any first-round selections.

Nick Saban has now recruited and signed 15 players during his nine seasons as an SEC head coach who’ve gone on to become first-round selections. He was responsible for signing all nine of LSU’s first-round choices from 2004-09 and signed six of Alabama’s seven first-rounders over the past three years.

Tennessee was shut out of the first round for the first time since 2005. The Vols were the only team in the SEC that had produced a first-rounder each of the past five years prior to Thursday night’s festivities.

The draft resumes on Friday night with the second and third rounds.

Among those SEC players expected to get a call Friday are Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb, Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston, Georgia inside linebacker Akeem Dent, Georgia offensive guard Clint Boling, LSU inside linebacker Kelvin Sheppard, Auburn offensive tackle Lee Ziemba, Florida offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert and Tennessee tight end Luke Stocker.

Despite the lockout, the NFL announced Monday that a record 25 players will attend the first round of the NFL draft festivities on Thursday night at Radio Music City Hall in New York City.

Of those 25 players scheduled to attend, nine are from the SEC -- Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus, Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Alabama receiver Julio Jones, Auburn quarterback Cam Newton, Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, Florida offensive center/guard Mike Pouncey, Georgia receiver A.J. Green, Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb and LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Here's the entire list:

Nebraska cornerback Prince Amukamara
UCLA linebacker Akeem Ayers
Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn
Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb
Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus
Auburn DT Nick Fairley
Missouri quarterback Blaine Gabbert
Georgia receiver A.J. Green
Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich
Alabama running back Mark Ingram
California defensive end Cameron Jordan
Alabama WR Julio Jones
Purdue DE Ryan Kerrigan
Illinois DT Corey Liuget
Texas A&M LB Von Miller
UCLA safety Rahim Moore
Auburn QB Cam Newton
LSU CB Patrick Peterson
Florida offensive lineman Mike Pouncey
Missouri DE Aldon Smith
USC offensive tackle Tyron Smith
Baylor DT Phil Taylor
Baylor guard Danny Watkins
Wisconsin DE J.J. Watt
Virginia Tech RB Ryan Williams

Both ESPN draft analysts, Mel Kiper and Todd McShay, have Auburn quarterback Cam Newton going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers in their latest mock NFL drafts this week.

Six SEC players will go among the top 10 picks, according to both Kiper and McShay.

Here's a look at the SEC players in Kiper's three-round mock draft:

First round

• Auburn QB Cam Newton, No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers
• Alabama DT Marcell Dareus, No. 2 overall to the Denver Broncos
• Georgia WR A.J. Green, No. 4 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals
• Alabama WR Julio Jones, No. 6 overall to the Cleveland Browns
• LSU CB Patrick Peterson, No. 7 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
• Auburn DT Nick Fairley, No. 8 overall to the Tennessee Titans
• Alabama RB Mark Ingram, No. 15 overall to the Miami Dolphins
• Florida OG Mike Pouncey, No. 19 overall to the New York Giants
• Georgia OLB Justin Houston, No. 28 overall to the New England Patriots
• Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod, No. 32 overall to the Green Bay Packers

Second round

• Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, No. 39 overall to the Tennessee Titans
• Georgia OG Clint Boling, No. 48 overall to the Oakland Raiders
• Kentucky WR Randall Cobb, No. 50 overall to the San Diego Chargers

Third round

• Alabama OT James Carpenter, No. 69 overall to the Arizona Cardinals
• Florida OT Marcus Gilbert, No. 75 overall to the Detroit Lions
• LSU DT Drake Nevis, No. 87 overall to the Indianapolis Colts
• Georgia LB Akeem Dent, No. 89 overall to the San Diego Chargers

Here's a look at the SEC players in McShay's three-round mock draft:

• Auburn QB Cam Newton, No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers
• Alabama DT Marcell Dareus, No. 2 overall to the Denver Broncos
• Georgia WR A.J. Green, No. 4 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals
• LSU CB Patrick Peterson, No. 7 overall to the San Francisco 49ers
• Auburn DT Nick Fairley, No. 8 overall to the Tennessee Titans
• Alabama WR Julio Jones. No. 10 overall to the Washington Redskins
• Florida OG Mike Pouncey, No. 15 overall to the Miami Dolphins
• Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod, No. 23 overall to the Philadelphia Eagles
• Alabama RB Mark Ingram, No. 28 overall to the New England Patriots

Second round

• Georgia OG Clint Boling, No. 33 overall to the New England Patriots
• Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, No. 39 overall to the Tennessee Titans
• Georgia OLB Justin Houston, No. 42 overall to the Houston Texans
• Kentucky WR Randall Cobb, No. 47 overall to the St. Louis Rams
• LSU LB Kelvin Sheppard, No. 55 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs
• Alabama OT James Carpenter, No. 60 overall to the New England Patriots

Third round

• Florida OT Marcus Gilbert, No. 69 overall to the Arizona Cardinals
• Auburn OT Lee Ziemba, No. 82 overall to the San Diego Chargers
• Tennessee TE Luke Stocker, No. 95 overall to the Pittsburgh Steelers

The 2010 postseason countdown of the SEC’s 25 best players is in the books, and as usual, I’m sure everybody is completely onboard with all of my selections.

I know the big debate will be about Alabama’s Mark Ingram, a great player who didn’t necessarily have a great season for a number of different reasons.

Ingram finished tied for seventh in the SEC in rushing, averaging 79.5 yards per game. Missing the first two games after having knee surgery didn’t help him, and there were points during the season where he was having to get his knee drained. So, no, he wasn’t 100 percent healthy.

What’s more, the Crimson Tide weren’t as good in the offensive line as they were during their national championship season, and Ingram didn’t have near the impact he did during his Heisman Trophy sophomore season.

After his 157-yard game against Arkansas in his second game back, he never rushed for 100 yards again. Granted, he was sharing time with Trent Richardson, who was also less than 100 percent, but Ingram averaged just 63 rushing yards per game in his last nine contests.

And if you take Georgia State out of the equation, Ingram finished the season by averaging just 4.2 yards per carry in his last eight games.

I realize Ingram’s impact extends well beyond his rushing totals, and he’s one of those guys who will play 10 years in the NFL and be a great pro. But he simply didn’t have the kind of season that warrants his being included among the top 25 players in the league.

As a trusted colleague of mine said, “If Ingram’s name were John Jones and he put up those same numbers, would you even be considering him as a top 25 player based on the 2010 season?”

My honest answer: No.

In addition to Ingram, there were five others who just missed the cut. These are guys who probably deserve to be in there. But, again, there are only 25 spots. They’re listed alphabetically:

Mike Dyer, RB, Fr., Auburn: He really didn’t get started until midway through the season, but Dyer was the league’s fifth leading rusher against SEC defenses, and his 5.9 yards-per-carry average topped the leaders. He wasn’t shabby in the BCS National Championship Game, either.

Casey Hayward, CB, Jr., Vanderbilt: The Commodores have had some premier cornerbacks over the past few years, and Hayward might end up being the best yet. He led the league with 17 passes defended and was second with six interceptions.

Robert Lester, S, So., Alabama: He led the SEC with eight interceptions, and five of those came in league play. Lester also tied for second with 12 passes defended and provided some stability in an inexperienced Alabama secondary.

Denarius Moore, WR, Sr., Tennessee: His nine touchdown catches tied for the SEC lead, and he proved to be one of the best big-play receivers in the league, averaging 20.9 yards per catch. Moore had a pair of 200-yard receiving games last season.

Mike Pouncey, C, Sr., Florida: His problems snapping the ball, particularly early, were well-documented. But from a physical standpoint, Pouncey was still one of the more dominant interior offensive linemen in the league.

ESPN's Todd McShay has unveiled a new mock NFL draft, which includes the first two rounds, and he has Alabama defensive tackle Marcell Dareus going No. 1 overall to the Carolina Panthers.

In this latest mock draft, McShay has Auburn quarterback Cam Newton going higher than Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley. McShay has Newton going No. 5 to the Arizona Cardinals and Fairley No. 8 to the Tennessee Titans. According to McShay, Fairley is falling because some teams are worried about his football character, and there are also concerns about the way he's interviewed.

I go back to what I said several weeks ago. The tape doesn't lie, and if too many people pass on Fairley, they're going to be sorry.

McShay has six SEC players going in the top 10 picks and 10 SEC players going in the first round. Here's a rundown:

No. 1 (Panthers) -- Alabama DT Marcell Dareus
No. 4 (Bengals) -- Georgia WR A.J. Green
No. 5 (Cardinals) -- Auburn QB Cam Newton
No. 7 (49ers) -- LSU CB Patrick Peterson
No. 8 (Titans) -- Auburn DT Nick Fairley
No. 10 (Redskins) -- Alabama WR Julio Jones
No. 15 (Dolphins) -- Alabama RB Mark Ingram
No. 19 (Giants) -- Florida C/OG Mike Pouncey
No. 27 (Falcons) -- Georgia OLB Justin Houston
No. 29 (Bears) -- Mississippi State OT Derek Sherrod

In the second round, McShay has Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett going No. 39 overall to the Tennessee Titans, Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb going No. 47 to the St. Louis Rams and Georgia offensive guard Clint Boling going No. 57 to the Seattle Seahawks.

The offensive linemen and tight ends were some of the first players to get measured and weighed at the NFL combine, and four of the largest guys there were from the SEC.

According to Todd McShay and Kevin Weidl's combine report, Florida offensive guard Carl Johnson (361 pounds), Arkansas offensive tackle Ray Dominguez (334), Georgia offensive tackle Josh Davis (331) and Florida offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert (330) were four of the five heaviest offensive linemen at the combine. Davis also measured 6-foot-7 1/8, making him the third-tallest offensive lineman on hand.

Florida's Mike Pouncey (6-5, 303) and Georgia's Clint Boling (6-4 5/8, 308) looked especially fit during weigh-ins, according to the Scouts Inc. guys.

The heaviest tight end was South Carolina's Weslye Saunders, who was suspended and didn't play this past season. Saunders checked in at 6-5 and 270 pounds. He also had the longest arms of the tight ends (35 5/8 inches) and the second biggest hands (10 5/8).

Before his suspension, the Scouts Inc. guys had Saunders ranked as the second best tight end in the draft. The interview process will be huge for Saunders if he's going to move back up into the top part of the draft.

Arkansas' D.J. Williams was one of the smallest tight ends at 6-2 and 245 pounds.

ESPN analyst Todd McShay has former Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb going in the first round of McShay's latest mock NFL draft.

McShay predicts that Cobb, who scored touchdowns last season passing, rushing, receiving and on a punt return, will go No. 26 overall to the Baltimore Ravens.

Cobb is one of 10 SEC players McShay has going in the first round, including three from Alabama. He has defensive tackle Marcell Dareus going No. 6 to the Cleveland Browns, receiver Julio Jones going No. 14 to the St. Louis Rams and running back Mark Ingram going No. 15 to the Miami Dolphins.

Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley will be the No. 2 overall selection, going to the Denver Broncos, according to McShay. He has five SEC players being taken in the top 10 picks. The others are Georgia receiver A.J. Green going No. 4 to the Cincinnati Bengals, LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson going No. 7 to the San Francisco 49ers and Auburn quarterback Cam Newton going No. 10 to the Washington Redskins.

Also, McShay has Georgia outside linebacker Justin Houston going No. 24 to the New Orleans Saints and Florida center/guard Mike Pouncey No. 27 to the Atlanta Falcons.

A couple of SEC players missing in this latest mock draft who were earlier thought to be first-round picks were Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett, LSU defensive tackle Drake Nevis and Mississippi State offensive tackle Derek Sherrod.

Of course, a lot can happen between now and draft time. The NFL combine is coming up later this month.

Some SEC linkage for your viewing pleasure:

• Auburn coach Gene Chizik's use of profanity, the 'D' word, is wrong, writes Kevin Scarbinsky of The Birmingham News.
• Linebacker C.J. Johnson, one of the state of Mississippi's top prospects, says he plans to sign with Ole Miss. Johnson is rated by ESPN as the No. 9 inside linebacker prospect in the country.
• A healthy Georgia offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant is dreaming about spring practice.
• Florida center Mike Pouncey has decided not to play in the Senior Bowl.
• Senior Bowl veteran Preston Dial is playing this year and not watching.
• Former Tennessee linebacker Nick Reveiz prepares for his shot at the NFL.
• Mississippi State lands a commitment from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy running back Derrick Milton.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.-- The local Auburn beat writers do a neat thing every year by selecting an Auburn player as the “Good Guy Award” winner.

This year, senior middle linebacker Josh Bynes won the award, which is meant to recognize a player who is consistently congenial and professional in his interactions with the media.

I couldn’t agree more. Bynes is always willing to do interviews. He has fun doing them and gives good, honest, insightful answers. He’s represented Auburn University extremely well during his career.

We in the media too often get hung up on those athletes who aren’t cooperative or go out of their way to be distant or boring in interviews. And in some cases, guys simply don’t like doing it, which is perfectly understandable.

But why not recognize those guys who are really good interviews, guys who always have something interesting to say and genuinely enjoy the banter with the media?

I agree with the Auburn beat writers that Bynes is certainly one of those guys in the SEC.

Here are 10 others, listed alphabetically, that I would put at the top of my list this season:

• Kentucky receiver Randall Cobb
• Alabama offensive guard Barrett Jones
• Tennessee receiver Gerald Jones
• Ole Miss defensive end Kentrell Lockett
• Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy
• LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson
• Florida center Mike Pouncey
• LSU receiver Russell Shepard
• Vanderbilt linebacker John Stokes
• Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams

Andrea Adelson talks with Florida’s Mike Pouncey about the win in the Outback Bowl.

The SEC bowl bonanza begins today. Happy bowling! Here are a few links to get you started:

• A thrilling ride is coming to an end for Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy.
• Auburn's defense prepares for Oregon's blistering offensive pace.
• Georgia backup linebacker/safety Nick Williams has been given permission to speak with other schools about transferring.
• Georgia's players know going up against UCF won't be a "walk in the park."
• North Carolina and Tennessee look to end tough seasons with a Music City Bowl win.
• With a win over Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, can this South Carolina team stake its claim as the best ever in school history?
• Florida senior center Mike Pouncey expects juniors Janoris Jenkins and Will Hill to join him in April's NFL draft.
• Vick Ballard and LaDarius Perkins pick up where Anthony Dixon left off last season in Mississippi State's running game.
• LSU loses a commitment from punter Dalton Botts, but picks up a commitment from kicker James Hairston.

The midway point of the SEC season has given us reason to look at the best offensive players, the best defensive players, even the best coaches.

But what about those guys who never get any publicity (unless they get caught holding) and those guys who are typically the backbone of your team?

Name the last team to win an SEC championship with a bad offensive line. For that matter, name me a team that won an SEC title with an average offensive line.

Honoring the big uglies up front, here are my top 5 offensive linemen in the SEC through the first half of the season. They’re listed alphabetically:

Alabama sophomore offensive guard Barrett Jones: Alabama has a bunch of guys who’ve played well on the offensive line this season. Jones has been a staple at his right guard position and is as consistent as the day is long.

Arkansas senior offensive tackle DeMarcus Love: He’s been Ryan Mallett's protector on the blind side. The Hogs had some problems with the rush in the Alabama game, but Love remains one of the better left tackles in college football.

Florida senior center Mike Pouncey: The snap problems earlier in the season marred what has otherwise been a dominant stretch of football for Pouncey. His natural position is probably guard, which is where he played last season.

Mississippi State senior offensive tackle Derek Sherrod: The Bulldogs’ left tackle has been named the SEC’s Offensive Lineman of the Week twice in the last three weeks. He’s a big reason Mississippi State is third in the SEC in rushing (211.8 yards per game) and has only given up eight sacks in six games.

Auburn senior offensive tackle Lee Ziemba: It’s hard to imagine Auburn playing a game and Ziemba not being at left tackle. He’s made 44 consecutive starts for the Tigers, who are leading the SEC in total offense with an average of 483 yards per game.

Here are five others who just missed the cut:

• Georgia senior offensive tackle Clint Boling
• Florida senior offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert
• Auburn senior offensive guard Byron Isom
• Ole Miss junior offensive tackle Bradley Sowell
• Alabama junior center William Vlachos

Making the rounds in the SEC on hump day:

• LSU's offense has become a time share between junior quarterbacks Jordan Jefferson and Jarrett Lee.
• The return of senior receiver Gerald Jones has made a difference for Tennessee on third down.
• South Carolina gets a rare shot to take down a No. 1 team at home.
• Florida's coaches and players are firmly behind Mike Pouncey at center despite some of the snap problems.
• Ole Miss defensive coordinator Tyrone Nix is mulling a change at defensive end and replacing Wayne Dorsey.
• Mississippi State quarterback Chris Relf has played well the last two weeks, but has continued to put the ball on the ground.
• After taking some big shots in the Florida game, Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy decides it's time to start sliding.
• The chemistry between Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and quarterback Cameron Newton is paying big dividends for the Tigers.
• Arkansas is focusing on the running game this week, and sophomore Knile Davis may be a guy to watch this Saturday against Texas A&M.
• Georgia coach Mark Richt regrets that the Bulldogs weren't more physical during the preseason.

Florida teammate Mike Pouncey thinks junior slot receiver Chris Rainey will return to the team at some point this season.

Rainey was arrested last week and charged with felony aggravated stalking after allegedly sending a woman he had dated a text message that said: "Time to Die (expletive)." The woman has said she didn't want Rainey arrested. The state attorney's office is still reviewing the charges.

All Florida coach Urban Meyer has said about Rainey is that he is "not with the team." Meyer wouldn't say how long Rainey would be sidelined. He missed last week's Tennessee game and isn't expected to play this week against Kentucky.

Part of the decision on when and if Rainey returns will likely be tied to what happens in the legal process and whether or not the charges are reduced or dropped.

It's difficult to imagine Rainey being allowed to return to the team in any capacity with a felony charge hanging over his head.