Spring football practices are over. The summer prediction magazines haven’t come out yet. It’s a relatively quiet time on the Big 12 football front.
Which, come to think of it, is kind of dangerous because the down time gave three KUSports.com staff members a chance to put their drafting skills to the ultimate test.
It seems spring is the time for all kinds of drafts: The NFL Draft wrapped up in April. I had my fantasy baseball draft not so long ago (please don’t get hurt, Evan Longoria). Pretty soon, the NBA Draft will take place on June 24.
I wanted to add one more draft to the list: Let’s call it the KUSports.com Big 12 football draft, 2010 edition.
The basics: Three staff members — KU football beat writer Matt Tait, KUSports.com online editor Jesse Newell and myself — held a seven-round Big 12 draft on Wednesday.
We drafted players based on the impact we see them having on their respective squads in 2010. Not based on future potential, and not solely based on statistics. Basically, if you were starting a Big 12 team of skill positions for next fall, who would you want the most?
http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2010/May/05/ku_fbc_ut_09.jpg
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photo: KU’s Bradley McDougald, right, makes a move against Texas last season.
Each team had to draft the following positions: Two quarterbacks, two running backs and three receivers.
Results are posted below from the Big 12 North draft. We also held a Big 12 South football draft, [which you can view here][1].
**Round 1**
**1. Jesse** — MU QB Blaine Gabbert
**2. Matt** — KSU RB Daniel Thomas
**3. Eric** — NU RB Roy Helu Jr.
**Round 2**
**4. Eric** — ISU RB Alexander Robinson
**5. Matt** — MU RB Derrick Washington
**6. Jesse** — MU WR Jerrell Jackson
**Round 3**
**7. Jesse** — ISU QB Austen Arnaud
**8. Matt **- CU WR Scotty McKnight
**9. Eric** — NU WR Niles Paul
**Round 4**
**10. Eric** — KU WR Bradley McDougald
**11. Matt** — MU WR Wes Kemp
**12. Jesse** — KSU WR Brodrick Smith
**Round 5**
**13. Jesse **- ISU WR Sedrick Johnson
**14. Matt** — KU QB Kale Pick
**15. Eric** — CU QB Tyler Hansen
**Round 6**
**16. Eric** — KSU QB Carson Coffman
**17. Matt** — NU QB Zac Lee
**18. Jesse** — CU RB Rodney Stewart
**Round 7**
**19. Eric** — CU WR Markques Simas
**20. Matt** — KU WR Chris Omigie
**21. Jesse** — KU RB Toben Opurum
Who do you think drafted the best team? Be sure to share your opinion in the comments section below and [vote in our latest poll][2].
Listed below in parentheses is what pick the player was taken overall.
**Jesse Newell (selected first overall)**
QB: Blaine Gabbert, Missouri (1st pick overall)
http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2010/May/05/ku_fbc_mu_nk_05.jpg
Nick Krug/J-W Photo
QB: Austen Arnaud, Iowa State (7)
RB: Rodney Stewart, Colorado (18)
RB: Toben Opurum, Kansas (21)
WR: Jerrell Jackson, Missouri (6)
WR: Brodrick Smith, Kansas State (12)
WR: Sedrick Johnson, Iowa State (13)
**Favorite pick:** I really liked being able to get Missouri’s Jerrell Jackson at No. 6. I think he will probably end up being the best receiver in the North next season. And his one-handed grab against Colorado was ridiculous last season:
**Least favorite pick:** Austen Arnaud isn’t the seventh-best player in this draft, so taking him there might have seemed like a little bit of a reach. Still, I’m glad I got him, because the dropoff after him at QB was severe. That pick was based more on position scarcity than talent.
**Overall likes:** I have the two best quarterbacks in a North division that is extremely thin at signal-caller. I went in wanting to get two of the top three QBs (Carson Coffman was third-ranked on my list), and I accomplished that goal.
**Overall dislikes**: I have the worst running-back pairing of any team. Still, I feel there is better depth at that position, and Rodney Stewart and Toben Opurum aren’t a huge dropoff from the backs selected before them.
**Team sleeper:** Getting Kansas State’s Brodrick Smith with the 12th pick. The Wildcats are expecting big things out of the transfer from Minnesota this season, and he was impressive in the Spring Game with a 12-catch, 167-yard performance.
**Matt Tait (selected second overall)**
QB: Zac Lee, Nebraska (17th overall)
QB: Kale Pick, Kansas (14)
RB: Daniel Thomas, Kansas State (2)
http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2010/May/05/AP10042403717.jpg
AP Photo
RB: Derrick Washington, Missouri (5)
WR: Scotty McKnight, Colorado (8)
WR: Wes Kemp, Missouri (11)
WR: Chris Omigie, Kansas (20)
**Favorite pick:** Thomas. Going in, I wanted Thomas on my team. I would’ve taken him at No. 1 overall if I had drawn that. As it stood, I was thrilled to get him at No. 2.
**Least favorite pick:** Kemp. I think Kemp has some nice skills and I’m happy with where I picked him. I just wasn’t overly excited about taking him.
**Overall likes:** I’m completely in love with this team’s running backs. Thomas has a chance to be the conference player of the year, and Washington is a great mix of speed and toughness who should put up some great numbers while people try to key on Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert.
**Overall dislikes:** My quarterbacks aren’t the strongest, especially when you consider there’s a chance one or both might not even start.
**Team sleeper:** Omigie. He could very well be the next big-time receiver at Kansas. He’s talented, big and physical, confident and fast. Red-shirting a season ago did wonders
for his development. Now it’s time for him to shine.
**Eric Sorrentino**
QB: Tyler Hansen, Colorado (15th overall)
QB: Carson Coffman, Kansas State (16)
RB: Roy Helu, Jr., Nebraska (3)
http://worldonline.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/blogs/entry_img/2010/May/05/AP091205024689.jpg
AP Photo
RB: Alexander Robinson, Iowa State (4)
WR: Niles Paul, Nebraska (9)
WR: Bradley McDougald, Kansas (10)
WR: Markques Simas, Colorado (19)
**Favorite pick:** Niles Paul. I think the senior from Omaha, Neb., could be a first-team All-Big 12 receiver this season. He showed serious big-play potential last year, averaging 20 yards per catch. It was pretty sweet to grab him at No. 9.
**Least favorite pick:** Simas. Had to fill that third receiver spot with someone. Simas showed flashes last season with 43 catches, 585 yards and three touchdowns as the Buffaloes’ second receiving option. There’s just no depth at receiver in the Big 12 North this year.
**Overall likes:** We’d be a team that pounds the football on the ground. Seems like a trend in the North these days. Love Helu Jr. and Robinson, who combined for more than 2,300 yards and 16 rushing touchdowns last year. Both are experienced Big 12 backs who will be seniors in 2010.
**Overall dislikes:** Quarterbacks. Not the best collection of signal callers on this team. Aside from Gabbert, however, the options were limited.
**Team sleeper:** McDougald. If the sophomore from Dublin, Ohio, steps into the No. 1 WR role at KU and produces, this could be a dynamite receiving corps.
[1]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/conference_chatter/2010/may/06/2010-kusportscom-big-12-draft-south-edition/
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/polls/2010/may/who-drafted-best-big-12-north-team/
