CFB watch list for week 9 / 2011 NFL Draft open thread (Eric Dickerson/WR edition)

  What a great weekend for college football last week (how did that QB at Auburn do?).  Of course, it's too late for nostalgia as this week's already begun, thanks to an increase in funkdoobieism by Boise St.  Can't these guys do anything right?  Blue field, wacky overtime playcalling, Tuesday college football...  Some kids just get off on being different.

  On to this week's prospects and news with a heavy tilt toward WRs for Ram-iness.  Here's my week 9 watch list; I've been told it makes great bathroom companion reading.  Just don't flush it when you're done.

  - This week's BCS standings have been Cam Newtonized for your convenience.  Auburn's victory over LSU catapults them to the top spot, but more important for Rams fans may be the disappearance of Terrence Toliver.  Once upon a time, he was the golden prospect out of the LSU WR pipeline (Dwayne Bowe>Brandon LaFell>Toliver>Reuben Randle & Russell Shepard).  No more.  He resurfaced against Florida only to bow out against Auburn when a big day could have made all the difference.  I've got him as 3rd round material and dropping.  Keep an eye out for him in LSU's bowl game and the combine.

 - Justin Blackmon, he being the studly redshirt soph WR from Oklahoma St., was pulled over for driving under the influence/while intoxicated whlie heading home to Oklahoma after going to the Dallas Cowboys' Monday Night Football disaster.  Blackmon is one of three WRs in my top tier of wideouts from the 2013 class (including South Carolina's Alshon Jeffery and Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu).  Jeffery and Sanu are both true sophs, so they won't be draft eligible until the 2012 Draft, but Blackmon would have been.  I say would have because I would be surprised if he opts to declare for the draft with this being his biggest moment of the 2010 season.

  Now for the watch list games:

- The Thursday night game features Florida State heading north to face North Carolina St. in Raleigh.  On the Seminoles' side, look for Bert Reed.  He's incredibly fast (sub-4.4?) and incredibly small (sub-170 lbs.).  He's a late round option for teams looking to get a smaller player to stretch the field - think a smaller version of ex-Clemosn burner and now-Raider Jacoby Ford.  And Florida St.'s Rodney Hudson is one of the premier interior linemen in this year's class, but I don't know if the Rams want to overlook OLB, D-line help, WR and backup RB to bring on a guard or center in the first two rounds.  North Carolina St. has two receivers that could crack the back end of this year's draft in Jarvis Williams and Owen Spencer.  A big game with the national spotlight would do them a world of good.  Of course, with James Laurinaitis, the Rams aren't in need of a MLB, but the Wolfpack's Nate Irving is playing lights out these days.  If you watch this game, you'll hear his name often.

 - I know this is a WR edition, but the Connecticut-West Virginia game on Saturday could showcase Steven Jackson's right hand man for 2011.  The question is which team's RB will it be.  Noel Devine is a pretty well-known commodity across the nation having played on some high-visibility West Virginia teams.  Don't be surprised, however, if Connecticut's junior RB Jordan Todman goes first in the draft.  Todman has gotten it done for a team that is lacking in offensive line talent (though G Zach Hurd should get his name called in this year's draft).  He can tear up a field like very few can, and has great patience for a runner of his size - 5'9", 195.  And if you're looking for more small speedy WRs, West Virginia has a pair in senior Jock Sanders and true sophomore Tavon Austin.

 - Michigan St. tries to stay undefeated against Iowa on Saturday; the Hawkeyes just try to stay derp.  There are plenty of prospects from the Hawkeyes, but with all the Adrian Clayborn love, you might have skipped over DT Christian Ballard.  Also, keep an eye on senior WR Derrell Johnson-Koulianos.  He's a mid-round prospect that I don't want to see on the Rams, but will get some love for his hands and awareness.  From the Spartans, senior WR Mark Dell looks like a late-round option at this point, but a valuable one for teams who could use depth from possession type on their roster.

 - The Georgia-Florida contest is prospect overload, so I'll just suggest you check out the watch list for this one.  And yes, A.J. Green is the truth.

 - Lastly, my late game on the list is USC-Oregon, probably the toughest game remaining on the undefeated Ducks' schedule.  And I know we've got some USC fans here, so let me be honest: I have no reservations in putting an early bust tag on senior wideout Ronald Johnson.  He's not nearly the receiver freshman Robert Woods is.  Still, Johnson will likely go on day 2, based largely on production and program value.  But for a depth guy, you can get the same value at a much cheaper price on day 3.  And if you're just hoping to see Trojans make their way into blue and gold, hold out for Woods.  Rams fans will thank you.

  So what draft-related stuff is on your mind?  I'll tell you what's on mind.  An upcoming interview with Rams legend Eric Dickerson.  That's right - your boy 3k will be interviewing the #2 all-time rushing leader for the Rams (man, it feels weird typing those words in that order...) next week, so stay tuned.

  But back to the modern - what's on your mind in reference to future Rams?  What positions intrigue you?  What names are bouncing around your head?  Holler