Dave's Power Ten: NFL and College Players
Graphic By: Jenn Peterson

5 Players to watch out for in the NFL

1. Daunte Culpepper - Minnesota Vikings: quarterback
A linebacker playing quarterback at 6'3, 255 lbs...Culpepper is a one of a kind quarterback. His size allows him to dish out punishment for any opposing defender trying to tackle him. Don't think because of his size Culpepper lacks mobility. He has great speed and will kill you with his legs if you don't respect his scrambling ability. Combine that with a great arm and two extremely good receivers(Moss and Carter) and you've got a great second year for a young quarterback.

2. Champ Bailey - Washington Redskins: cornerback
WITHOUT A DOUBT THE NEXT BIG THING AT THE CORNERBACK POSITION!!!! Champ Bailey is quickly proving that he is in the elite class of cornerbacks in the NFL that are not to be thrown on...PERIOD!! Need proof? Deion Sanders(considered the best corner of all time) over his career has hardly ever been thrown on. To throw on Deion was against the law....so why are teams throwing on Deion all of a sudden? Because they don't want to throw on Champ. That's not all though. Besides being one of the leagues best young corners, Champ is also a serious threat at wide receiver. He was a star receiver and cornerback at the University of Georgia, and now that Michael Westbrook is out for the year, expect to see Champ line up as a receiver and utilize his 4.3 speed on offense.

3. Marshall Faulk - St. Louis Rams: running back
The best all-around running back in the NFL over the past 3 years. While most running backs are okay receivers, Faulk is an excellent receiver. He can catch the ball in the flats and kill you by making you miss. Faulk has tremendous speed, and playing on turf in St. Louis only makes him faster. He hits the holes created by his offensive line extremely fast. The ultimate double threat as a running back and receiver. Faulk is the key to St. Louis's offense. Simply put, if the Rams didn't have Marshall Faulk last year, they wouldn't have won the Super Bowl.

4. Jimmy Smith - Jacksonville Jaguars: wide receiver
Randy Moss may get all the praise, but Smith is not to be ignored. This guy is extremely underrated. He had over 100 catches each of the last 2 seasons. Maybe it's because the AFC Central has been weak for so long in terms of defense but had 291 yards receiving last week against the Ravens (one of the best defensive teams in the league). Always they has good games week in and week out.

5. Tiki Barber - New York Giants: running back
Maybe it's the fact that he's a free agent next year and he's playing for the big bucks, maybe it's the sweet new helmets...whatever the case Tiki Barber is playing great football. He's quickly establishing himself as a serious threat in the backfield. He can run inside and then cut outside, and he can break out for a huge gain at any time. Great running back with good speed who's finally proving his worth in the NFL.

5 guys to watch out for in college football

1. Michael Vick - Virginia Tech: quarterback
Well, duh. If you haven't heard about the man from Newport News, Virginia, then you either live in a cave or you just flat out don't watch football. What else is there to say about Michael Vick? He's one of the fastest players in college football.....period. But you already know that. While Vick's speed is what gets a lot of praise, the two things that stand out when I watch him play are his arm strength and balance. Vick has the strongest arm I've ever seen on a player. He can throw a ball 70 yards with ease. His release is so quick it can easily be compared to Dan Marino's. In terms of balance, getting a sack on Vick is like finding a four leaf clover. If you find it, enjoy it, because it's not going to happen often. Vick's balance is amazing. He's the best at using his non-throwing arm when falling to keep balance. If he doesn't win the Heisman then it'll be a controversy. He will make history in college and will revitalize the NFL. People say he's the next Steve Young. Wrong...he's the first Michael Vick. The NFL is not ready for Michael Vick. He will make history as the first black quarterback ever taken #1 overall. He is probably the future quarterback of the new Houston Texans franchise if he stays one more year.

2. Santana Moss - Miami(Fla): wide receiver
There are so many ways to describe Santana Moss. Let's see there's fast, fast, fast, uh...fast, fast and.......really fast. Santana is a one dimensional type of player. Man, that one dimension is deadly. A track star converted into a wide receiver, Moss is extremely good at getting open. He is very physical despite his size(5'10 175 lbs) and is very good at pushing off defensive backs. Combine that with great hands and you have the best receiver in college football. Think I'm joking? Ask the Florida State secondary. Miami lost that game, but it wasn't Moss's fault: he torched Florida State which always has the best defense in college football.

3. Deuce McAllister - Mississippi: running back
The top running back in college football. He has great size at 6'1, 221 lbs, and speed to boot: runs a 4.38 in the 40. Deuce is always a threat for a big run. He's a sure Heisman candidate, but he needs to be consistent every game. Also he is a good receiver out of the backfield. A sure 1st round pick in the draft next year.

4. Drew Brees - Purdue: quarterback
If Michael Vick didn't exist, Drew Brees is the best quarterback in college football. Michael Vick does exist, so Brees is number two. Another Heisman candidate, Brees is a great drop back quarterback. He's extremely good at sitting in the pocket and gunning the ball down field. He's got a great arm with descent speed, so he'll scramble if he has too. He lacks typical quarterback size (he's only 6'0) but is a smart quarterback and tough guy to boot. He's in an offensive system where he throws almost every down, so his numbers are always impressive. If Vick stays another year he'll most likely be the first quarterback taken in the draft.

5. Wayne Madkin - Mississippi State: quarterback
If I'm a pro scout, I would keep my eye on Wayne Madkin. Who's Wayne Madkin? you ask. I didn't know either until I saw him play against BYU. This guy really reminds me of Steve McNair(quarterback for the AFC champion Tennessee Titans). Against BYU he had 150 yards passing and 104 yards rushing. He's got a nice arm and very good scrambling ability. He's not blazing fast, but you have to respect his speed. He's not going to slide on a run; he's going to go for the end zone. Madkin's got a long way to go, but I really liked what I saw against BYU. He could be a sleeper.


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Enjoyed the write up on Madkin at MSU. We think they are others to watch. Again, Thanks