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The NFL Rookies have begun to pick their numbers, and it looks like Cal's two first rounders Tyson Alualu and Jahvid Best, have chosen theirs.
Tyson Alualu will be rocking #93, while Best will actually sport Alualu's number at Cal, #44. Remember that Best's number was 4 while playing for the Bears. This can only mean that Jahvid will be 11 times as awesome at Detroit (4 x 11). It's mathematical proof.
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After a spectacular Day One for the Bears, which saw two former Cal players get drafted in the first round, Day Two was a quiet one, with no Bears’ names getting called up in Rounds 2-4.
By the end of Day 3 however, it was our very own Syd’Quan Thompson getting drafted.
7th Round
18. (225 overall) Denver Broncos - Syd’Quan Thompson, CB
Hey, better late than never right?
As I kept up with the draft the past few days, I was absolutely shocked that Thompson’s name never appeared on the draft board as the rounds wore on. Heading into the 2009 season, Thompson, a pre-season All-American was considered a potential first or second round pick. By season’s end, I would have guessed that Thompson would probably be drafted anywhere from the third to the fifth round, based on his lack of gaudy stats at the end of the year (the result of opposing teams throwing away from his side of the field).
A disappointing pair of 40 times (due to his pulled hamstring injury) in the 4.6-4.7 range, and I knew Thompson was likely to get pegged somewhere in the fourth or fifth round. I really thought his consistency and physical skill set would make it hard to ignore his talent.
Whether it was the concerns about the lack of top end speed, or lacking the potential “it” factor, that is Thompson may have maxed out his play at the college level (which I disagree with), most NFL teams thought there were 29 other corners who were better than Thompson.
The Broncos knew they didn’t want to lose Thompson to free agency however, and traded back into the seventh round to pick up Thompson. In doing so, they got an absolute steal in the draft, as I sincerely believe Thompson was easily one of the ten best corners in the nation. How that translates at the pro level is anyone’s guess. But if college performance is any indication of pro productivity, Thompson will be a good one for years to come.
This is a player who has shown great mental and physical toughness, has started every single game of his college career, and has shown flashes of brilliance in pass defense. Oh and he also happens to be one of the best tackling corners I’ve seen at the college level. Denver is lucky to have him.
Congrats Syd! Have fun batting down Tebow passes in practice.
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Ahh, college sports talk in the Bay Area. Never heard of such words in sequence? Wouldn't blame you. In a market with six professional sports teams, it's difficult for college football to get a piece of the radio pie.
Hopefully, Damon Bruce is on to something as he pledges to get college sports a larger topic of conversation on his program. I've listened to Bruce for a few years now, and he's one of the better hosts in the area, and am excited to see where this goes.
Oh, now if those Cal sports fans would call in more often...
You can listen to the interview here.
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The first round of draft has come to close, and what a night it was. It was actually a pretty eventful and entertaining draft full of a fair share of surprises, some of which included our very own Cal players.
Tyson Alualu provided the first surprise pick of the evening, and Jahvid Best capped it off by squeezing into the first round.
A great night for these two gentlemen, and a noteworthy night for the Bears, with two first round selections (the first time since 2003). No other Pac-10 schools had players in the first round. Who woulda thunk it?
1st Round
(10th Overall) Jacksonville Jaguars – Tyson Alualu, DT
Wow. I’m nearly overcome right now by a combination of shock and absolute glee.
At the season’s end, I was nearly convinced that Tyson had established himself as a solid 3rd round pick, and would do now worse than the fourth round.
As Senior Bowl practices and Combine preparations progressed, Alualu’s name began to move up draft boards as scouts and NFL drafts loved his work ethic, nearly flawless technique and maturity. At one point, I began to accept the reality that Alualu might find himself somewhere in the second round, or hell, maybe even in the late first round with New England or New Orleans.
But 10th? Tenth!? The highest Cal Bear draft pick since Andre Carter (seventh overall) in 2001?
Hot diggity, I’m pumped.
Why? Part of it is that I love seeing the validation of Alualu as a player. I think he was in a lot of ways the most solid and consistent defensive player for the Bears in the past few years (next to Syd’Quan).
But more than anything, I’m thrilled for him as a person. Here’s a guy who has been nothing but the model student athlete, demonstrating incredible maturity and responsibility as both a father and husband. He’s been a quiet, but stoic leader for the Bears, and exhibited talent and skill without cockiness or flash. He was the rock and anchor for Cal’s defense in its best moments and one of the lone bright spots in the darkest days.
He definitely deserves every good thing coming his way.
Now as for the pick itself from an NFL fan standpoint, I do think it’s an interesting one, because I’m not sure every other team agreed with Jacksonville that Alualu was quite worth a tenth overall pick. I think most would have been happy to a grab at Alualu near the end of the first round, but I do think many would agree that it was a reach to pick Alualu so high.
I can’t imagine many Jacksonville fans are too thrilled right now, as it isn’t the sexiest pick. But I’m going to reiterate the same things I said when I talked about Cleveland taking Alex Mack last year in what many experts similarly referred to as being a reach. (Mack ended up playing every snap and has already established himself as one of the best offensive linemen for the Browns.)
It may not be the exciting pick, but trust me when I say that Alualu has the ability to play right away, and will be a stalwart on the line for years to come. You won’t have to worry much about Alualu out there on or off the field. It’s a safe and solid pick.
Congrats Tyson, you’ve represented the University of California well in so many ways, and I know you will continue to do so as you live out your dreams.
Oh, and enjoy that paycheck. :)
(30th Overall) Detroit Lions – Jahvid Best, RB
Whew! What a sigh of relief all around.
While it isn’t nearly as much of surprise, I’m certainly comforted to see Jahvid Best as a first round draft pick. It was just about as good as one could have hoped for, given the lack of need at runningback (save for a few teams) at the top of the draft which most signs points to an early second round pick for Jahvid the Jet.
But Jahvid was still invited to Day One of the Draft and enjoyed the spotlight of getting selected 30th overall by the Detroit Lions. The Lions actually moved up to ensure their second choice in the first round would land them their RB of the future.
For a pick standpoint, the Lions might have gotten one of the best values in the draft. While Jahvid was projected as a late first round, early second round pick, I certainly think he’s a special talent and a great get given where he was taken. He’ll have the chance to contribute right away, and if he can stay healthy, has a chance to easily give you a thousand all purpose yards in his rookie season.
I really think Best has the chance to make a Desean Jackson type of impact in his rookie season. But then again, I’m not going that far out on a limb here.
Look, what more is there to be said about Jahvid Best as a player? One of the most explosive players in the nation. As a person, he’s as humble as one you will find, which is amazing given his talent.
Best is probably one or two freak injuries away from having been one of the most decorated running backs in college football history. One can only imagine what he could have done (as if his spectacular college career weren’t enough already) had he managed to stay healthier.
With that said, I’m reminded of one of my first experiences watching Jahvid jog out to the field in his college career opener again Tennessee in ’07. I remember grabbing the shoulders of my friends around me and repeating, “Seriously. Pay attention. This guy is special. He’s going to bust one soon. Just watch.”
I know with full confidence I’ll be saying similar things come October when Jahvid steps onto the field decked out in Silver and Blue.
Congrats Jahvid. You’ve earned it.
[Oh, and let’s get over the fact that Jahvid is stuck with the lowly Lions. Case in point, here’s a text message with my brother and me:
Me: “Jahvid just got drafted to the Lions”
My brother: “That sucks…”
Yeah, well, it’s first round money and at least it isn’t the Raiders. Hey-o!”
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The NFL Draft kicks off this Thursday, and again, I find myself intrigued with where a number of Cal players might end up. This affects me both as a college and pro football fan, so I was amped up enough that I was actually considering trying to nab tickets to attend the draft in person on Thursday. After all my boy Jahvid will be there.
Then I thought, "What the hell would I do there for 4 hours?"
So I'll just grab a few beers and check the updates on my phone.
With that said, it's time to look back and see how former Cal players have fared in the draft. I've gone into a decent amount of depth in recent years to recap where our Golden Bears have been drafted, and how some of the players have done in the NFL since the time of the writing.
Again, much has changed obviously, with Boller a backup in Oakland, Marshawn possibly on his way out of Buffalo, and Aaron Rodgers emerging as an elite NFL quarterback.
So take a gander and review the NFL draft past, as I will hopefully have time to make some predictions about where our current class might go in the next few days.
