A.J. Green could be No. 1 overall pick in NFL draft
A.J. Green could be Georgia's second No. 1 overall NFL draft pick in the last three years, joining Matthew Stanford.
With Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck announcing that he’s returning to school for another season, there’s only one question: Does A.J. Green send him a thank you note?
If Green says he’s coming back to Georgia, it would be even more stunning than Luck’s decision. I follow this general rule: When a college player sells his Independence Bowl jersey for $1,000, he’s ready to make money.
By Luck staying in school, Green could be the first overall pick. That would give Georgia two first overall selections in the last three years (Matthew Stafford went No. 1 to Detroit in 2008.) It would be a nice honor for the school but there also could be a sense of, “Why didn’t we do more with them?”
Green is considered a lock top-five selection. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked Green as the fourth best prospect on his current “Big Board” (requires Insider subscription), behind Luck, Clemson defensive end Da’Quan Bowers and Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
With no other quarterback worthy of being drafted first overall, there’s no obvious No. 1 pick. But several mock drafts already have Green slotted in the No. 1 spot and going to the Carolina Panthers. Excerpts from a couple of them:
– The Orlando Sentinel: “Carolina has got to be upset that Andrew Luck, who was a lock here, is returning to Stanford. They could go with a defensive lineman here, but they are hurting bad at wide receiver and may take Green as an athletic, flashy pick to try and help Jimmy Clausen and pacify a restless fan base.”
– NFL Fanhouse: “So Andrew Luck won’t be the QB in Carolina next season. It’s a bad development for the Panthers, obviously, but what can you do? In this case, Carolina will either ride Jimmy Clausen or add a veteran QB (Vince Young? Donovan McNabb?) — either way, the Panthers need to give that quarterback some weapons. Green is an absolute stud.
Based on recent first overall picks and inflation, Luck left potentially $55 million of guaranteed salary on the table (pending changes in the next CBA that could cap rookie salaries). Two years ago, Stafford signed a contract worth up to $78 million, with $41.7 million guaranteed.
Maybe he and Green can build a library on campus or something.
– By Jeff Schultz
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698 comments Add your comment
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:14 pm
“Calvin was awesome but A J is better.”
What do you base this on?
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:15 pm
“Dude, you actually thought they were serious???”
Better question: Why do people who say things like that even have a job at ESPN?
THE CATHOLIC HAMMER
January 7th, 2011
12:15 pm
2010 SEC CHAMPS,
If you can’t accept *all* of the data available, you *will* end up with false conclusions.
By the way, this will be the first time EVER that the Pac-10 champ and SEC champ will play for the national championship. Also, the Pac-10 has an edge on the SEC in inter-conference play the past 10 or so years. This might be the nail in the “SEC Superiority” coffin.
Also, see this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowl_Challenge_Cup
UGAX
January 7th, 2011
12:16 pm
Bowers is going #1 or the QB from Mizzou. Green goes Cincy after they get rid of TO and Ocho.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:18 pm
“By the way, this will be the first time EVER that the Pac-10 champ and SEC champ will play for the national championship.”
You sure about that?
“Also, the Pac-10 has an edge on the SEC in inter-conference play the past 10 or so years.”
That has what to do with this game?
“This might be the nail in the “SEC Superiority” coffin.”
Might being the key word. Didn’t you predict that Auburn would lost to SC in the SEC Champ game?
papadawg
January 7th, 2011
12:20 pm
No way I’d pick a reciever #1 especially when you don’t have a QB
JSS
January 7th, 2011
12:20 pm
Trade that pick for multiple picks and serviceable QB to get you to the next season. What good is it to draft “Megatron Lite” when you already can’t get the ball to Steve Smith?
Vince Young
January 7th, 2011
12:21 pm
Hey, Cam Newton is me a few years ago… Look at me know…..
THE CATHOLIC HAMMER
January 7th, 2011
12:21 pm
I’ve been predicting for Auburn to lose all season, and I’ve been close almost all season. Especially against Clemson, where they tied.
And, yes, I’m sure this is the first #1 vs #2 head-to-head match-up of SEC and Pac-10 champions for the national championship. It has NEVER happened before.
Will you change your opinion if Oregon beats Auburn, or: do the facts really matter to people like you?
Paul in RDU
January 7th, 2011
12:22 pm
Another QB bust – Jeff George. Was supposed to be the 2nd coming of John Elway
SECWasteManagement
January 7th, 2011
12:23 pm
Paul in RDU wins. George was a straight bum!
Mack
January 7th, 2011
12:24 pm
Pretty hard for a WR to go first but he is a top 5 draft. Sad dawg fan.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:26 pm
“I’ve been predicting for Auburn to lose all season, and I’ve been close almost all season.”
So you’re 0-13 in your predictions.
“Will you change your opinion if Oregon beats Auburn, or: do the facts really matter to people like you?”
If Oregon beats Auburn I will congratulate Oregon on a great win over a great SEC team. But, I don’t think Oregon can beat Auburn.
Oregon beat one good team this year that had a big bowl win over a team that lost to James Madison. Also, the ACC is a crappy football conference. VT has won how many BCS games? ZERO
Oregon has played more teams with losing records than they have with winning records.
Cal held Oregon to 15 points. Cal didn’t have a winning record.
Auburn beat the defending national champions in their own stadium in front of 100,000 Bama fans.
Auburn scored more points in the SEC Championship game than ANY other SEC school in history.
Auburn’s defense has faced speed in Arkansas, Alabama, USC etc….
Cam Newton weighs six pounds less than Oregons biggest defensive lineman.
Auburn has the best offensive line in college football.
He should stay...
January 7th, 2011
12:26 pm
…since he ruined the season along with the O-line, they owe the team. Plus he needs the degree to fall back on once he gets drilled by one of those NFL safeties. He needs to mentor the young receivers for one more season as well, Marlon apparently needs it.
girldawg
January 7th, 2011
12:28 pm
well we all know how successful Matthew Stafford has been for Detroit. NOT! AJ is not big enough for the NFL… he needs to find the weight room but I think he should go so that CMR does not have the silly AJ distraction and and maybe CMR will see he actually has other talent on the team he mssed it this year!
just a fan
January 7th, 2011
12:29 pm
On a totally different topic with Gus Malzahn staying with the burners for another year does anyone think there is a realistic chance he could be UGA’s next coach
RambleOn84
January 7th, 2011
12:30 pm
That crappy ACC is 2-0 against the SEC in bowl games this year.
Hankie Aron
January 7th, 2011
12:30 pm
Don’t know if UGA would ever run that spread option just a fan.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:31 pm
“That crappy ACC is 2-0 against the SEC in bowl games this year.”
Against teams that went 6-6 in the regular season. Try again.
just a fan
January 7th, 2011
12:31 pm
I am an SEC supporter but I don’t want the burners to win and then get the MNC stripped from them in a few years ala USCwest
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:31 pm
just a fan
No
THE CATHOLIC HAMMER
January 7th, 2011
12:31 pm
SEC CHAMP, you prove that you have no idea how the Pac-10’s round-robin schedule works. Cal, for example, had a losing record because they lost to Nevada, and had to play every other team in the Pac-10. Cal then went on to lose 6 games in the conference, to Arizona, Southern Cal, Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford, and Washington. Oh, and before conference play, Cal beat Colorado 52-7. That same Colorado team beat up on UGA. So there. Either deal in facts, or don’t deal at all.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:32 pm
just a fan
Don’t worry. Auburn won’t have anything stripped because the investigation is over.
just a fan
January 7th, 2011
12:32 pm
They wouldn’t under CMR but the guy is a winner EVERY where he has been
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:34 pm
“Cal, for example, had a losing record because they lost to Nevada, and had to play every other team in the Pac-10.”
Where is Nevada ranked?
“Cal then went on to lose 6 games in the conference, to Arizona, Southern Cal, Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford, and Washington.”
So they basically played two ranked teams.
“Cal beat Colorado 52-7.”
Where is Colorado ranked?
“That same Colorado team beat up on UGA.”
Yeah, Auburn beat up on UGA.
“Either deal in facts, or don’t deal at all.”
Fact: Auburn beat 7 bowl eligible teams. 6 top 25 teams.
Fact: Oregon beat 3 ranked teams and 3 bowl eligible teams.
You were saying?
JSS
January 7th, 2011
12:35 pm
Paul in RDU
January 7th, 2011
12:22 pm
“Another QB bust – Jeff George. Was supposed to be the 2nd coming of John Elway”
Not a bum, not a bust… But that dude was bat damn crazy!!! As socially incoherent of a person to grace professional sports since Marvin “Bad News” Barnes! George makes Manny Ramirez look mentally stable…
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:35 pm
THE CATHOLIC HAMMER
Besides Stanford, what good team did Oregon beat?
Oregon played more teams with losing records than they did teams with winning records.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:36 pm
THE CATHOLIC HAMMER
Also, it’s easy to score 50 points on teams with losing records.
Another Dawg
January 7th, 2011
12:36 pm
NO HE COULD NOT.
Carolina has way too many needs on both sides of the ball to draft him #1. No one is going to pay #1 overall money to a WR any more (so that rules out the “trade up to get him” crap.) Carolina would do better to draft Bowers, Fairley, Dareus, or Peterson, or trade down and wait for Mallett (or, laugh, Locker.) Carolina desperately needs to replace Julius Peppers’ production on defense.
I defy you to find a team that’s made solid strides forward who made a point of drafting early-first round WRs. The Cardinals may have been the exception with Fitzgerald a couple years ago, but I doubt anyone would support that now, considering they didn’t even have to go .500 to make the playoffs and failed. The Lions are probably the next best counterexample, and it took Stafford and Suh to make Megatron look like a worthwhile pick.
Unpleasant Truth
January 7th, 2011
12:38 pm
Green will fit right in with the other millionaire thugs in the NFL.
dawgfan
January 7th, 2011
12:39 pm
AJ will not need a degree to “fall back on” if he is the top 5 pick that everyone expects. He will have millions of dollars to fall back on. All of this romance about coming back for a degree and your teammates is very heartwarming and would make for an excellent Lifetime movie, but in the real world people get up every morning so that they can earn money. Football players are no different. AJ is a goner.
THE CATHOLIC HAMMER
January 7th, 2011
12:40 pm
Nevada is ranked #13, ahead of Alabama, South Carolina, and Miss State.
Once again, you don’t understand how a round-robin schedule can kill off teams that might have marginally been bowl-eligible.
Look at Sagarin’s schedule rankings: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/sagarin/fbt10.htm
Auburn is 15th, Oregon is 19th. Both are right there with one another. The toughest in the country was Oregon State, 2nd was Washington, followed by Washington State, and 4th was UCLA. And you wonder why these teams didn’t win a bunch of games? Because their out-of-conference schedule was tough, and then they had to play 9 in-conference games. That is how you end up with a bunch of un-ranked teams at 7-6, 6-6, and 5-7
Son, you need to do your research before you start spouting off…
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:41 pm
“Cal then went on to lose 6 games in the conference, to Arizona, Southern Cal, Oregon State, Oregon, Stanford, and Washington.”
Arizona: 7-6
Southern Cal: Probation: 8-5
Oregon St: 5-7
Washington: 7-6
Yeah, whoa Cal had a tough schedule! LOL
Bust QB's
January 7th, 2011
12:41 pm
Agree JSS, George had a decent NFL career not really a bust, but he was crazy as hell. His personality certainly held him back, would have been real interesting to see what he could have done with a sane person’s brain. Wasn’t he attempting a comeback here recently, like in the last two or three years? How did that turn out?
Garth
January 7th, 2011
12:42 pm
Jeff, Carolina doesn’t need a receiver. They need someone who can throw the ball. You see, the way it works is–you have to have someone who can throw the ball before someone is able to catch it. If they’re smart they’ll take a QB. Luck’s not the only good college QB. Besides, Green is already acting a little greedy and probably will be acting a little thugish before long.
just a fan
January 7th, 2011
12:42 pm
unpleasant truth
What makes Green a thug because he sold his jersey? In his time there he never got into trouble off the field and he didn’t miss any games because of academics (Caleb King)
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:43 pm
“Nevada is ranked #13, ahead of Alabama, South Carolina, and Miss State.”
Nevada played ONE ranked team all year. ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
“Because their out-of-conference schedule was tough”
Pac-10 has to play OOC games because the Pac-10 SUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:43 pm
“Son, you need to do your research before you start spouting off…”
Auburn beat 6 top 25 teams this year.
Oregon beat 3.
You were saying?
just saying
January 7th, 2011
12:44 pm
better question, will A J Green be selling his 6-7 plaque on Ebay? If not, how bout the 6 – 7 one? Bet that would go for millions, just saying
George
January 7th, 2011
12:44 pm
Yes 1,000 is gone but just think he is going to have millions. what about you?
ugaclassof2004
January 7th, 2011
12:44 pm
AJ is gone! Why would he stick around for this mess? Richt won’t be around after next year, and UGA’s problems will not be fixed until he’s gone. I’m not sure AJ will be the first pick, because I’m not sure Carolina would draft a WR when they have other needs. But I do think he’s an easy top 5 for sure. I think Stafford and Knowshon left a little early, even though I can’t fault either of them for taking the money. However, I can’t help but feel a little used as a fan when those guys let for the NFL. It just seemed like both of they both kind of held back a little bit in 2008, whereas in 2007 they were balls to the wall. AJ on the other hand gives 100% in every game he plays in regardless of the outcome. I have watched him singlehandily put the offense on his back in games. He’s one of the best WR’s I’ve ever seen. Not only is he ready to play at the next level, but I would actually think less of him if he stayed.
Eatonton Dawg
January 7th, 2011
12:45 pm
Green may make one season in the NFL before they figure out that he’s just an overhyped jerkoff.
just saying
January 7th, 2011
12:45 pm
or the 7-6 one
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:46 pm
Nevadas schedule:
Eastern Washington
Colorado State
Cal
BYU
UNLV
San Jose St.
Hawaii
Utah State
Idaho
Fresno St.
New Mexico St.
Boise St. ONLY RANKED TEAM ON THE SCHEDULE
LA St.
What were you saying?
ugaclassof2004
January 7th, 2011
12:46 pm
AJ is gone! Why would he stick around for this mess? Richt won’t be around after next year, and UGA’s problems will not be fixed until he’s gone. I’m not sure AJ will be the first pick, because I’m not sure Carolina would draft a WR when they have other needs. But I do think he’s an easy top 5 for sure. I think Stafford and Knowshon left a little early, even though I can’t fault either of them for taking the money. However, I couldn’t help but feel a little used as a fan when those guys let for the NFL. It just seemed like they both kind of held back a little bit in 2008, whereas in 2007 they were balls to the wall. AJ on the other hand gives 100% in every game he plays in regardless of the outcome. I have watched him singlehandily put the offense on his back in games. He’s one of the best WR’s I’ve ever seen. Not only is he ready to play at the next level, but I would actually think less of him if he stayed.
Alphare
January 7th, 2011
12:50 pm
Andrew Luck is David Greene with Stafford’s arm.
Stafford is Luck minus Greene’s touch, and Greene is Luck minus Stafford’s arm.
2010 SEC CHAMPS
January 7th, 2011
12:51 pm
Oregon’s schedule:
New Mexico – 1-11
TN – 6-7
Portland St. – 2-9
Arizona St. – 6-6
Stanford – 12-1
Washington St. – 2-10
UCLA – 4-8
USC – PROBATION – 8-5
Washington – 7-6
Cal – 5-7
Arizona – 7-6
Oregon St – 5-7
Teams with winning records: FOUR
Teams with losing records: SEVEN
Teams that went 6-6: ONE
So, what were you saying?
Tom Brady's Hair Cut
January 7th, 2011
12:52 pm
NCAA is suspending AJ the first 5 games of the season next year.
Virginia DAWG
January 7th, 2011
12:52 pm
I am sure AJ is gone because that it is the general consensus that you should “take the money” and if you don’t you are a “fool”.. Is that all there is in life….money? Sure it is important but, trust me, as someone who has done well financially while raising 6 kids I see first hand where there are a number of other issues that really determine someones true happiness in life. Personal accomplishments, other than just making money, actually give greater and longer lasting pleasure. Money can come and go easily, but things you have done in the past & relationships you have made cannot be taken away. As much as many of the UGA players would like to make a lot of money they have experienced something I will never get to do…run onto the field at Sanford Stadium with the Georgia “G” on the side of your helmet. How much is that worth?
I applaud Andrew Luck for his decision. Those that say he can “afford” this decision more than someone from a less fortunate childhood are not dealing with reality. My success was shared with my children as long as they were living in my house and under my direction. As soon as they left for college they were “weened” off until graduation when they now must make their own financial success.
AJ can set new records while endearing himself forever to the Bulldog Nation by making the decision to come back next year. Fans love it when players let them know they love the team as much as they do. As I stated in the beginning I doubt seriously that AJ will stay, but if he does he will always be remembered as a damn good dog by the faithful. Either way, I think AJ is a quality person, although I am a bit upset with him for the jersey incident, and I wish him the best.
RambleOn84
January 7th, 2011
12:52 pm
Why would I expect anything else but an excuse?
Two ACC teams beat evenly matched SEC teams in the bowl games, but yeah the ACC is so crappy.
The top teams in the SEC are great and would easily beat the top teams in the ACC, but everywhere else the conferences are equal.
It is a myth that every game in the SEC is brutal.