Dave's Power Ten: NFL and College Players

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.