[LUnpretty11]

Brown almost returned 2 kicks back for a TD against WVU in '09. Opening kickoff was one of them actually... If memory serves me correctly to busted that out back to our own 45 or so... only had 1 guy to beat then the kicker.

[BJWilliams]

I don't think comparing Brown to Randle El is the best comparison. I would look more at Brad Smith b/c of size and the way they play. Randle El is smaller and a little more shifty.

If Brown could show that he could return kicks then that would certainly be a benefit. He obviously won't do it during the season b/c of injury risk, but I would expect if he has a season similar to what we have come to expect then he'll get a East-West Shrine Bowl invite and those practices will be CRUCIAL. He would get reps at QB, WR, and maybe could show some KR skills if he's comfortable.

I believe Nate Kaeding was a Groza winner too, could be wrong.

He was...I had forgotten about him. My point there was that you dont get a ton of kickers (even among the award winners) who are a) drafted or b) do well in the NFL and establish themselves for a long time

[RVAparks]

Brown almost returned 2 kicks back for a TD against WVU in '09. Opening kickoff was one of them actually... If memory serves me correctly to busted that out back to our own 45 or so... only had 1 guy to beat then the kicker.

That is definitely promising for Brown, especially since it will be on tape versus such a high level school.

[WinterIsComing]

These are just opinions based off of theoretical solid Senior seasons;

Summers- Will be drafted, and could go just about any round other than 1 and 2. I'm thinking somewhere between rounds 5-7 (cause of an NFL bias against FCS players), but I believe he is good enough to go in the 4th round (3rd round I think would be a reach for most teams at the WR position)...4th round Jacksonville Jaguars anyone? They love small school players, and it's working for them.

Brown- I think if the Armanti Edwards experiment gets off the ground, I could see a 6th or 7th round pick on Brown at WR. Brown was electric his Soph year as a KR/PR/WR

Bevins- 1st call by five teams of UD Free-Agency

Chapman- Gotta believe he'll go UD and may make a Practice Squad. I can't really see him getting drafted, but who knows? An exceptional senior year could change that.

It's gonna be more about being a good football players than their stats, that's gonna get these guys noticed and drafted though.

[jenkins]

MB was explosive in the return game. Maybe more so than at WR or QB in my opinion. He had a great ability to find the seam, that was always fun watching him in the return game.

[Chris Lang]

It's gonna be more about being a good football players than their stats, that's gonna get these guys noticed and drafted though.

You nailed it right there.

Senior season stats are almost immaterial to what the various scouts see coming through the facility during the year and what occurs on pro day and in the combine.

[RVAparks]

That's a good point Chris but its a doubled edged sword. Think about Cam Newton the only reason he was #1 overall was b/c of his senior season. He was just as talented at Blinn but it was the crazy #s he put up on the national stage that helped him overall.

What you're saying makes total sense and its not even close to apples to apples, but some of these guys need to have a great statistical year to get noticed. I would use a guy like Taiwan Jones as another example, he got drafted and noticed b/c he put up 1,700 at EWU this past year. Say Jones only puts up 700 yds similar to a Da'Rel Scott at UMD (who was drafted), then does Jones get drafted?

You can get away w/o having a good stat line in FBS, but it is rare that a guy in FCS can get away with leaning on intangibles and having a average statistical year. (I think Rashad Jennings would be another good example).

[Chris Lang]

I agree with that point, RVA. Newton's Auburn season helped tremendously because no one is going straight from JUCO to the NFL. You've got to prove it on a bigger stage.

It helps that Summers put up the numbers he did last season. That's put him firmly on the radar. I don't think he has to have a 100-1,500-20 season to get drafted because the scouts that were in the building last year (and all 32 teams visited at some point) are well aware of him because of what he did as a junior. Now if he's healthy all year and goes 40-700-6, there will be some questions about his ability to handle double teams, top-notch corners, etc.

The biggest game for Summers in terms of his draft stock is the N.C. State game, because it will be the one chance for him to show what he can do against FBS competition. If he has a stinker in Raleigh, that certainly can be used against him.

[BJWilliams]

I agree on the magnitude of teh NC State game Chris...if he puts up the kind of number that Pat Kelly did in the last game of the year against Stony Brook or has a day like Mike Brown did against WVU, he has a chance to move up a lot of boards (course if he has a day like PK had, his stock is gonna rocket up faster than the dotcoms in the late 90s-early 2000s)

[LUnpretty11]

If he has a day like Pat Kelly....? Against NCSU? Are you kidding? The game Pat Kelly had won't ever be duplicated. Especially not against an FBS opponent.

If he has 5-8 receptions, 100+ yards, 1+TD/s then he'll be all good. I don't think 1 game makes or breaks Summers' draft status. It can help, that is for sure, but it won't ruin him if he underperforms. It will be the first game of the year... He'll be fine.

[BJWilliams]

Thats what I was kinda getting at with the parentheses...PK caught lightning in a bottle that day...I think in the postmortem for the SBU game I called it his "coming out party". I think that if Chris has solid day like you describe pretty, itll look good to the scouts because that could be the toughest competition he'll face all year...according to their roster they have all but 2 DBs that are 5-11 or taller.

[RVAparks]

In talking about Summers and the NCSU game, how does everyone think our Oline will hold up against NCSU's front seven? That could, of course, play a major factor in getting Summers the ball, although Brown can obviously get outside of the pocket and make some plays.