While any Penn Stater can tell you all about his leadership qualities and other intangibles, his actual measurables don’t make Hill a desirable pick in the early rounds. The 6’1″ Hill, from Steelton, PA, is reported to weigh anywhere from 292 to 303 pounds; both measurements make him undersized at the position. Hill’s strengths lie with his quickness and agility. Although his 40 yard dash time was a disappointing 5.17, scouts were impressed with his 10 yard dash time of 1.78 seconds. With that acceleration and his excellent footwork, Hill is able to get upfield quickly after the snap. However, he lacks the strength needed to be an impact player if he can’t get the first step.

In addition to his size concerns, there are whispers about the his health as well. Hill sprained his right knee against Purdue in early November but toughed it out and played the reason of the year. In the season finale against Wisconsin, it was the left knee that bothered Hill and resulted in arthroscopic surgery a week later. That left knee swelled up during the combine and Hill admitted that he wasn’t yet at 100%. While neither injuries are considered serious, when combined with his lack of size it has raised concerns over his durability to stay on the field.

Most scouts have him ranked in the top 20 at his position, and Hill should be drafted in the middle rounds. Any team that drafts Hill is most likely getting a rotational player, but don’t write him off just yet. Hill was only a 2-star recruit out of high school and used his work ethic and on-the-field motor to earn his place on a NFL roster. There is no doubt in anyone who watched him over the past four years he could continue to prove the experts wrong at the next level. I’m looking forward to seeing Jordan Hill playing on Sunday for many years.

CBS Sports – Position rank: 13 – Overall Rank: 149 – Projected Round: 4-5

ESPN – Position rank: 12 – Overall Rank: 118 – Projected Round: 4

Optimum Scouting - Position rank: 17 – Projected Round: 6

RotoWorld – Overall Rank: 89

November 24, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive tackle Jordan Hill (47) looks on prior to the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

The annual NFL Scouting Combine officially kicked off in Indianapolis yesterday.  The week-long event is a chance for hundreds of draft eligible players to get in front of scouts, coaches, and management from all 32 teams in the league both on the field, and perhaps just as importantly, off of it in individual meetings.  The Nittany Lions will have 4 representatives, linebackers Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges, center Matt Stankiewitch, and defensive tackle Jordan Hill.

Hill and Hodges are virtual locks to be drafted.  Both are currently projected in the 3rd to 4th rounds, depending on the service you trust.  Mauti and Stankiewitch are borderline late round/free agents, but could certainly make a move up teams draft boards with a strong showing in Indy.  Here’s a quick summary of what to expect, and keep an eye on for each player over the next few days.

JORDAN HILL

Jordan was the anchor of a dominant PSU defensive line this year, but lacks the prototypical size for a DT that would likely push him up into the earlier rounds.  Hill is listed at 6’2″, 294 lbs, with 32″ arm length.  I’ll tell you why that matters to the NFL in a minute.  But first, the positives.  Jordan’s smaller stature compared to other tackles makes him a much quicker player, and very good 1 on 1, or in space.  The NFL loves his motor and “never quit” attitude.  Unfortunately for him, those 32″ arms are seen as short, and he is not viewed as being exceptionally strong in the upper body.  Both of those cause him to be overpowered at times.  It will be key for Jordan to show that quickness that helps make up for his lack of size and elite strength, while maybe throwing up a few more reps on the bench press than is expected. He is also sure to impress in interviews with teams.

Next: Gerald Hodges

Jack’s story is fairly well known by most Penn State fans. Jack was in England during high school and moved to America to play basketball. When arriving, he took up football and fell in love with the sport. After just two years of experience in high school, Jack was recruited by Penn State to play football at the next level. He would go on to play every game as a true freshman and take extensive snaps throughout his career.

Jack has always had the physical ability and has always looked the part, but has never seemed able to take that next step and put it all together. At 6’5″ 275 pounds, Jack will be a bit of a project, but his athletic ability is unquestioned. Despite his 6.5 sacks last year, one has to wonder how much higher his ceiling is, fundamentally, after being coached for for four years by one of the top DL coaches (Larry Johnson) in the country. It’s quite possible that a new style of coaching might be what helps things “click” for him. At the very least, Oakland got a guy who can probably be a  player that they slide into their defensive line rotation pretty soon.

Penn State has been churning out linebackers (particularly outside LBs) at a strong clip as of late, including 10 linebackers drafted since 2005, including Nate, who was number 10. Nate sat behind a few of them, plus Bani Gbadyu, who the Raiders signed as a free agent following last year’s draft. Along with those players, Stupar shared a roster with OLBs Gerald Hodges and Mike Mauti, who will both undoubtedly be drafted a year from now.

Nate capitalized on an unfortunate injury to Mauti last year, allowing him to get noticed by scouts and ultimately drafted by the Raiders with the 230th pick in the NFL Draft.

I think, without a doubt, that Nate Stupar has NFL talent and I’m glad that the Raiders gave him a chance to prove just that. Nobody outworks Nate and I expect him to contribute on special teams early, landing him a spot on the gameday roster.

Other Penn State Players Who Were Drafted in 2012 NFL Draft:

DT Devon Still, 2nd Round, Cincinnati Bengals

Johnnie Troutman, 5th Round, San Diego Chargers

Jack Crawford, 5th Round, Oakland Raiders

Penn State Players Who Signed On NFL Rosters as Free Agents:

DB D’Antonn Lynn     New York Jets

WR Derek Moye          Miami Dolphins

DB Chaz Powell            Oakland Raiders

TE Andrew Szcrerba  Dallas Cowboys

OL Quinn Barham        Detroit Lions

DE Eric Lattimore       Minnesota Vikings

OL DeOn’Tae Pannell  New Orleans Saints

DB Nick Sukay               Buffalo Bills

RB Stephfon Green     New York Jets  (not confirmed)

The SEC led all conferences with 42 draft picks, while the Big Ten was next with 41.

Below you can see the Pulse of the Nittany Lions that are in the NFL draft.

1. Indianapolis Colts

QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins
QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor

3. Cleveland Browns

RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

4. Minnesota Vikings

OT Matt Kalil, USC

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

WR Justin Blackmon, Okla State

6. Dallas Cowboys

CB Morris Claiborne, LSU

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

S Mark Barron, Alabama

8. Miami Dolphins

QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

9. Carolina Panthers

LB Luke Kuechly, BC

10. Buffalo Bills

 CB Stephon Gilmore, South Carolina

11. Kansas City Chiefs

DT Dontari Poe, Memphis

12. Philadelphia Eagles

DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State

13. Arizona Cardinals

WR Michael Floyd, ND

14. St. Louis Rams

DT Michael Brockers, LSU

15. Seattle Seahawks

DE/OLB Bruce Irvin, WVU

16. New York Jets

DE Quinton Coples, UNC

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland)

CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers

DE/OLB Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

19. Chicago Bears

OLB Shea McClellin, Boise State

20. Tennessee Titans

WR Kendall Wright, Baylor

21. New England Patriots (from New Orleans)

DE Chandler Jones, Syracuse

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta)

QB Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

23. Detroit Lions

OT Riley Reiff, Iowa

24. Pittsburgh Steelers

OG David DeCastro, Stanford

25. New England Patriots

LB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama

26. Houston Texans

OLB/DE Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

27. Cincinnati Bengals

OG Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

28. Green Bay Packers

DE/OLB Nick Perry USC

29. Minnesota Vikings

DB Harrison Smith, ND

30. San Francisco 49ers

WR AJ Jenkins, Illinois

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RB Doug Martin, Boise St.

32. New York Giants

RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

Since then, Devon admitted that he had some injury issues late last season, including a back issue and a bout with turf toe. Some combination of that information and the typical pre-draft scrutiny has lowered Still’s predicted draft position.

In January, Devon seemed to be a consensus top 15 pick, if not top 10. Last year’s draft saw two defensive tackles taken in the top 7 and if this year’s draft had a similar demand, Devon could have really made a splash. Now, there are reports that Devon Still may not be drafted tonight. There are some who believe that Devon could slide from the 1st round to the top of the 2nd round. I would personally be shocked if that happens, but the draft has shown that it can be a strange animal. (Christian Ponder…)

In order for Devon to fall from the 1st round, he would likely have to be the 4th or 5th DT drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft. Now, I don’t watch EVERY college football game, but I’m pretty sure that in the ones I did see, there were not many defensive linemen that affected the game more than Devon Still did.

Devon is confident that he won’t make it out of the 1st round, as he has accepted his invite to New York for the draft. He will be sitting at Radio City Music Hall tonight, waiting on his name to be called. In my latest mock draft, I had Devon landing in Philadelphia with the 15th pick. If I’m right, I’ll be sure to remind you over and over again.

Can’t be in front of a TV tonight for the draft? Check back here as I will be updating the draft pick-by-pick as they happen!

For all of the latest on the Penn State Nittany Lions, follow VBR Lead Editor Tim Tolley on Twitter.

With the 1st pick in the VBR 2012 NFL Mock Draft... photo by Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Welcome to the 2nd edition of the Victory Bell Rings 2012 Mock Draft.

Before the Pre-Combine Mock Draft, I was an optimistic Browns fan, expecting a big off-season. Now… Well, THAT isn’t happening.

(Previous Mock Draft predictions are in parenthesis.)

With the 1st pick in the Victory Bell Rings 2012 Mock Draft…

1. Indianapolis Colts
QB Andrew Luck, Stanford  (Andrew Luck)

Peyton Manning gets drafted by the worst franchise in the NFL. He rewards them by winning 10+ games for a decade and bringing a ring to the city. His success allows them to build a beautiful new stadium where they are now holding the Big Ten Championship games and hosted the last Super Bowl. Then, they cut him.

2. Washington Redskins
QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor  (Ryan Tannehill)

Dan Snyder and the Skins traded their next 3 1st round picks along with a 2nd round pick and Dan Snyder’s next born child for the rights to let Mike Shanahan ruin Griffin. Then they went out and snagged Josh Morgan to be the excuse for why RG3 isn’t any good. Genius!

3. Minnesota Vikings
OT Matt Kalil, USC  (Matt Kalil)

With all the movement around the Vikings, they’re content to stay put and select the closest thing to a sure thing in this draft.

4. Cleveland Browns
… (Griffin III)

Terrified to take anything resembling a chance, the Browns attempt to draft Matt Kalil just moments after the Vikings take him. Since the only good pick they’ve had in the last decade was LT Joe Thomas, they only feel confident drafting a player at THAT position.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

RB Trent Richardson, Alabama  (Morris Claiborne)

While the Browns scramble to find out if there are two Matt Kalils in the draft, the Bucs make a big move and take the best RB in the draft. They don’t need a running back, but the more players in that backfield who are NOT Josh Freeman, the better they can sleep at night.

The Browns jump in to draft Joe Thomas, only to be shot down again.

6. St. Louis Rams
WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State  (Justin Blackmon)

The rams trade down 4 spots, get the Skins future everything and still get their guy while the Browns are busy peeing on themselves. Well done, Jeff Fisher.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars
OT Riley Reiff, Iowa  (Riley Reiff)

I’m not as sure here as I was before. The Jags made a run at Tim Tebow, after drafting their “franchise QB” just a year ago. Fortunately for Gabbert, Jax wasn’t willing to give up the ever-so-valuable 4th round pick for his replacement, so they may protect him with this pick…or they may be hoping he gets hurt.

The Browns call St Louis, interested in trading down to the 6th pick…

8. Carolina Panthers
CB Morris Claiborne, LSU  (Michael Floyd)

I said that Cam Newton was going to be the biggest bust ever and I appear to have been wrong. I’ll let the Panthers off the hook here and eat some crow. The Panthers are thrilled to get a top 5 talent at 8 and decide to move offensive weapons to the back-burner.

9. Miami Dolphins
QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M (Quinton Coples)

With Jeff Ireland scaring away every other QB possibility and Tannehill’s stock rising, Miami does the predictable and reaches for the guy who was playing WR just 2 years ago. Luckily they have an elite WR in Brandon Marshall to help show him the… oh… that’s right, they traded him.

10. Buffalo Bills
CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama  (Courtney Upshaw)

Buffalo tricked Mario Williams into moving to there for $100,000,000. He’s gullible. That’s a lot of money, but he’s elite and at least they weren’t afraid to make a move. They have some options here but in a division with Tom Brady, DBs are always useful.

The Browns join the draft and select RT Mike Adams from Ohio State, releasing a statement later that “It’s insane to take a right tackle in the top 5 picks…” 

11. Kansas City Chiefs
NT Dontari Poe, Memphis  (Mike Adams)

The Chiefs have a lot of offensive talent returning from injury this year and signed running back, turned crazy-man Peyton Hillis. Poe had a big combine and raised his stock and is enormous enough to play nose tackle or take down Hillis when he goes postal.

12. Seattle Seahawks
OG David DeCastro, Stanford  (Dre Kirkpatrick)

The Seahawks were the high bidder for QB Matt Flynn and had a pretty solid defense last year. DeCastro will help initiate Beast Mode and protect the new semi-franchise QB.

13. Arizona Cardinals
DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina  (Melvin Ingram)

Nothing much has changed for Arizona. They’ll make the same pick I predicted 6 weeks ago and will draft in the top 15 again 11 months from now. The more things change…

14. Dallas Cowboys
S Mark Barron, Alabama  (Luke Kuechly)

The Cowboys went out and got another Penn State LB to join Sean Lee in Dan Connor and will look to fill a different void. Since courage for their QB isn’t available, they’ll grab a DB. Not a terrible idea with RG3, Eli and Vick in the division.

15. Philadelphia Eagles
DT Devon Still, Penn State  (Devon Still)

I really think Devon could go much higher than this, I just don’t know if there’s a spot. I also think the Eagles could take LB Luke Kuechly here, but I’m not dropping Devon Still any farther than 15.

16. New York Jets
DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama (Trent Richardson)

Let’s be honest, who cares! I just can’t wait until the Jet fans turn on Mark Sanchez and start pretending that Tim Tebow is a quality QB. This is going to get fun by mid-September, at the latest. What a terrible move.

CLICK BELOW FOR PICKS 17-32

]]> http://victorybellrings.com/2012/04/25/vbr-2012-nfl-mock-draft-hate-edition/feed/ 0 http://victorybellrings.com/2012/02/25/penn-state-players-embark-on-indy-for-nfl-combine/ http://victorybellrings.com/2012/02/25/penn-state-players-embark-on-indy-for-nfl-combine/#comments Sat, 25 Feb 2012 16:32:48 +0000 Tim Tolley http://victorybellrings.com/?p=5768 We’re going to take a quick look at the SEVEN (4th most in the country) PSU players who are moving on and attending the NFL Combine this weekend. Most of them need to prove something in order to get on some teams’ draft boards; we’ll find out what those things are. DE Jack Crawford Jack [...]

Penn State players embark on Indy for NFL Combine - Victory Bell Rings - Victory Bell Rings - A Penn State Nittany Lions News Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

With the 1st pick in the Victory Bell Rings 2012 Mock Draft…

1. Indianapolis Colts
QB Andrew Luck, Stanford

I generally cheer for the Colts once my Browns are eliminated (in October) but Indy going from Peyton Manning to Andrew Luck will make me hate them. That’s not fair.

2. St. Louis Rams
WR Justin Blackmon, Oklahoma State

Time to get the franchise quarteback an explosive weapon. It’s unlikely that Brandon Lloyd is back, so Blackmon becomes the top WR in St. Louis.

3. Minnesota Vikings
OT Matt Kalil, USC

The Vikings told Christian Ponder that he will be the starting QB entering next season. It’s time to protect his blind side.

4. Cleveland Browns
QB Robert Griffin lll, Baylor

Cleveland has had 137 QBs since returning in 1999, but they finally lock up a coveted, athletic, Hall of Fame, franchise QB.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
CB Morris Clayborn, LSU

With Talib’s off-field nonsense and Tiki’s brother being ancient, Tampa Bay will be looking at CBs very carefully in the first round. Claiborne is the top CB in this draft and winds up as a perfect fit for the 5^th pick.

6. Washington Redskins
QB Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

Dan Snyder and the Skins make the first crazy move of the draft. Desperate for a QB and armed with senile leadership, Washington reaches and prays for a franchise quarterback.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars
OT Riley Reiff, Iowa

Drafted their franchise QB last year, this year they protect his blind side. Is Gabbert right handed? No matter, Jax has other needs, but at this pick, Reiff has the value.

8. Carolina Panthers
WR Michael FLoyd, Notre Dame

The Panthers think that Cam Newton has what it takes to be elite and they snag him the best available receiving weapon. 

9. Miami Dolphins
DE Quinton Coples North Carolina

Sad that the Redskins didn’t leave Tannenhill on the board, the Dolphins remember that they’re switching to a 4-3 and they address that instead. Coples, opposite of Wake with Odrick in between gives the Dolphins a formidable unit up front. 

10. Buffalo Bills
DE/OLB Courtney Upshaw, Alabama

Buffalo has needs all over their defense and a versatile, hybrid pass rusher could help them immediately.

11. Kansas City Chiefs
OT Mike Adams, Ohio State

The Chiefs actually have a lot of talent, but were devastated by injuries last season. Romeo uses his first pick as the head coach to solidify his offensive line. 

12. Seattle Seahawks
CB Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama

With no real option here at QB, Pete Carroll grabs a young cover man to put in his secondary with Earl Thomas.

13. Arizona Cardinals
DE Melvin Ingram, South Carolina

Much like last year’s draft, the 2012 version sees several teams looking for elite pass rushers to combat the constantly spreading offenses. With their offensive weapons in place, Arizona backs up their Patrick Peterson pick from 2011 with another defensive cornerstone…they hope.

14. Dallas Cowboys
LB Luke Kuechly, Boston College

Kuechly is a tackling machine and will team up with Sean Lee and DeMarcus Ware to form an elite group of LBs.

15. Philadelphia Eagles
DT Devon Still, Penn State

After a monster senior season at Penn State, Devon doesn’t have to move too far and the Eagles get a steal with the best interior D-lineman in the draft.

16. New York Jets
RB Trent Richardson, Alabama

The Jets are ecstatic to get on of the 5 or 6 best players in the draft at 16. That plus their current running backs are not good. 

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland)
CB Janoris Jenkins, Northern Alabama

Cincinnati hasn’t drafted a guy with a criminal record in a few minutes…Oh look, there’s Janoris Jenkins! Perfect!

18. San Diego Chargers
S Mark Barron, Alabama

San Diego could use some pass rushing help, but with a weak safety class this year, they take the best one available here.

19. Chicago Bears
WR Alshon Jefferey, South Carolina

The Bears finally realize that they haven’t had a good wide receiver since forever and take a shot at Jeffery. Alshon may end up being a bit slow, but there’s no denying his production in the SEC.

20. Tennessee Titans
C Peter Konz, Wisconsin

This is a good situation for the Titans- Konz is still on the board and he fills a need for their team. They just gave Chris Johnson too much money and now they need somebody to make him look like he was worth it.

21. Cincinnati Bengals
RB David Wilson, Virginia Tech

With the convict quota filled, Cincinnati takes an offensive weapon to help Andy Dalton and AJ Green. Think, “the triplets” but with a red haired QB.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Atlanta)
WR Kendall Wright, Baylor

With their new All-World QB in the fold and no play-making receivers to help him, the Browns go for the best wideout on the board, who happens to be RG3′s college teammate.

23. Detroit Lions
CB Alfonzo Dennard, Nebraska

Detroit’s secondary is probably their biggest weakness. When Matt Stafford and Megatron are having problems outscoring opponents, something is wrong. The Lions make an attempt to fix it.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers
ILB Dont’a Hightower, Alabama

Hightower is one of the best players available. Pittsburgh needs some youth at their interior linebacker spots. It’s an ideal match.

25. Denver Broncos
DT Michael Brockers, LSU

Some thought that the Broncos would take a DT with the 2^nd pick last year but they hit a homerun with LB Von Miller. They still need a DT though.

26. Houston Texans
NT Dontari Poe, Memphis

The Texans will be looking to upgrade the nose tackle position this off season and the 26^th pick isn’t a bad place to take a shot at the wide-bodied NT.

27. New England Patriots (from New Orleans)
CB Chase Minnifield, Virginia

The Pats secondary strengthened late in the season but at points they were using slot WR Julian Edelman as a defensive back. They use this pick, acquired from the Saints, to at least add some depth to the unit.

28. Green Bay Packers
DE/OLB Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

The Packers need a pass rusher opposite of Clay Matthews Jr. and they get great value late in the first round.

29. Baltimore Ravens
DE/OLB Nick Perry, USC

The Ravens are in a good spot to draft the best player available and I think Nick Perry is that guy.

30. San Francisco 49ers
DT Fletcher Cox, Mississippi State

Cox has some motivation issues. Accused of disappearing at times in games. Jim Harbaugh will fix all that.

31. New England Patriots
LB Zach Brown North Carolina

An extremely athletic and versatile LB, Zach Brown could be an immediate contributor on a soft defense.

32. New York Giants
OT Cordie Glenn, Georgia

Kareem McKenzie is a free agent and the Giants could have a chance to replace him with the last pick in the first round. Makes too much sense not to take the best Right Tackle prospect on the board.

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