Drafted

LB Arthur Brown; Baltimore Ravens – Brown was selected in the second round when Baltimore traded up to get its replacement for retiring future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis.

WR Chris Harper; Seattle Seahawks – Seattle selected Harper in the fourth round to bring toughness to a unit lacking an identity last year.

FB Braden Wilson; Kansas City Chiefs – Wilson was selected in the sixth round by Kansas City. The Chiefs were without a true fullback last year, and Wilson has an excellent shot at filling this spot on the roster.

Undrafted Free Agents

CB Nigel Malone; Indianapolis Colts: Malone was accused of being burned at times but was also expected to play aggressively against the best quarterback league in the nation the past two years while hauling in interception after interception. You can never have too many cornerbacks in the NFL, and with the Colts looking to upgrade last year’s lackluster defense, this could be an excellent fit.

QB(?) Collin Klein; Houston Texans: Numerous speculations around the league considered the prospect of a team ignoring Klein’s demands to be taken seriously as a quarterback and pick him up in the fourth round as the next breakout tight end. Instead, Klein fell out of the draft and will get his chance to prove himself as the signal caller to back up Matt Schaub.

RB Angelo Pease; Green Bay Packers: Pease was clearly the back up last year in receiving 60 carries while John Hubert ran the ball 180 times and Collin Klein 207 (he also had five receptions to Hubert’s 18). However, he still displayed the strength and speed to warrant a healthy look in the league and could easily land on someone’s practice squad in August.

LB Justin Tuggle; Houston Texans: Joining Klein in Houston will be Tuggle, the converted junior college quarterback to linebacker who became a household name across the state after helping demoralize and demolish Landry Jones and the Oklahoma Sooners’ passing attack last fall. He will be given a look at inside linebacker for the Texans.

CB Allen Chapman; Indianapolis Colts: While teammates on Saturday afternoon, Malone may be one of Chapman’s biggest competitors this summer as both vie for a spot on the Colts’ secondary. Chapman brings the same acumen to the table as Malone (strong, aggressive, risk-taker), indicating the Colts believe their defense was too passive last year and desire at least one of these players to enhance the physicality of the team.

K Anthony Cantele; Indianapolis Colts: Marking the third Wildcat making the drive north to Indiana, Cantele will be given a shot to replace Adam Vinatieri – one of the greatest kickers in NFL over the past 20 years. Vinatieri has been with the Colts since 2006, but at age 40 the team may be looking to acquire a fresher kicking leg.

TE Travis Tannahill; Cleveland Browns: Cleveland maintained four tight ends on the roster last year, which is absurd in its own right. They combined for 79 of the team’s 328 receptions and were led by Ben Watson, who accounted for 49 catches. The 6’4″ Tannahill was a beast over the middle last year and seemed to catch everything Klein threw his way, no matter how hard he was hit by opposing linebackers. It will be difficult to make Cleveland’s roster given the  depth already present, but expect to see his name on someone’s roster this fall.

LB Jarrell Childs; Oakland Raiders: The third piece of the three-headed monster known as K-State’s linebacker corps this year, Childs has been given the opportunity to give Kansas residents one reason to roots for the Raiders. Personally, the Jug will be rooting for Childs to make the team and record 14 sacks – one for every loss the team suffers. Nobody roots for the Raiders.

P Ryan Doerr; Denver Broncos: Doerr will be in Denver this summer to compete against the brother of Chiefs’ punter Dustin Colquitt – Britton Colquitt. Britton ranked third in the NFL last year with a net average of 42.1 yards/punt (although the thin Denver atmosphere gives the ball a slight boost). Denver’s intentions for Colquitt are unknown – they have discussed signing him to a multi-year deal before training camp in July, but also lowballed him with a low right of first refusal that allowed teams to bid on Colquitt without surrendering a draft pick should they make a better offer to him. At the end of the day, Doerr is in a tough spot here and the extremely talented punter will likely be forced to look elsewhere for a spot in the league.

The big name missing from this list of course is DE Meshak Williams. Although his name was not widely circulated following draft workouts, I half-expected him to go in the first seven rounds and certainly didn’t expect 12 Wildcats to be brought in without his name on the list. Obviously my expectations in January have since been tempered, but there’s no way he goes without an invitation from someone before the week is up.

Editor’s note: as of Monday Meshak Williams has joined Brown in Baltimore. More on that story here.

With the 2013 NFL Draft coming up, I decided to look into the crop of Wildcats that were invited to the Scouting Combine and see where they may go.

Arthur Brown – LB

Brown’s stock has seemed to rise after many were disappointed that Brown’s shoulder injury kept him out of the Senior Bowl and Scouting Combine.  But a strong Pro Day has pushed Brown anywhere from mid first to early second round.  I have always liked Brown’s pro potential and under the right coaching, think Brown could really excel.  Brown has already met with the Bears, Rams, Jaguars and Bengals.

Prediction: Bears – 1^st Round, 20^th pick.  The Bears add Brown to replace Urlacher.  Sounds easy right?

Chris Harper – WR

Harper possesses great speed and strength that should translate to the NFL level.  The type of possession receiver many teams look for, Harper has been Collin Klein’s safety value and led the team in receiving the past two seasons.  I have seen him going as early as the second round all the way to the fourth.

Prediction: Ravens – 3^rd Round, 94^th pick.  Ozzie Newsome looks to replace Anquan Boldin.

Collin Klein – QB

One of the most decorated Wildcats in recent memory; Klein hurt his stock by not working out as a tight end despite many teams interest.  We all know the knocks on Klein, bad mechanics, and inaccuracy, not an NFL arm.  You can’t knock his leadership and determination.  Most mock drafts and rumors have him going seventh round or undrafted.

Prediction: I think someone will give him a shot in the seventh, due to his work ethic and hopes they can move him to another position.

Nigel Malone – CB

A key contributor for the Wildcats had eleven interceptions in two seasons with the team.  Size will hurt Malone, who is short by NFL standards as a corner at 5’10”.  Good hands and reaction time help his cause.  Mock drafts have him going 6-7 round or undrafted.

Prediction:  It’s a passing league; someone will give him a flyer in the late rounds.  You can never have enough corners.

Braden Wilson – FB

Wilson had a pretty productive career at Kansas State, considering he was very limited in touches.  His production came in the form of blocking for former second rounder Daniel Thomas and Heisman Trophy candidate Collin Klein and teammate John Hubert.  Some see his athletic ability translating better for a tight end.  I think Wilson could be a FB/TE hybrid in the league, or at least a special teams player.

Prediction:  Undrafted.  Fullbacks usually don’t get drafted unless you’re Mike Alstott.  I do think that he will sign with the flurry of undrafted players after the draft and will be a contributor to a team.

Anthony Cantele – K

Cantele was a reliable place kicker during his tenure with Kansas State.  Cantele hit on 82 percent of kicks last year, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors.  Kickers usually don’t get drafted, but I have seen projections of Cantele possibly being taken in the seventh.  I would expect him to be one of the first kickers taken, if one is chosen.

Prediction:  Undrafted.  He should definitely earn a shot somewhere as a training camp leg, with the opportunity to maybe win a job.

Jeff Griffith-USA TODAY Sports

After being snubbed by the Senior Bowl, Collin Klein accepted an invitation to attend the East-West Shrine Bowl – viewing the spot as an opportunity to demonstrate his ability to thrive outside of Kansas State’s offensive scheme. However, his intentions of moving up the NFL draft board by demonstrating his abilities as a passer were impeded by a rough night, completing only five of 12 passes. Klein finished the night with only 43 yards and an interception, failing to allay fears that his motion is too exaggerated to complete the quick passes necessary in the NFL.

While Klein only recorded 3.6 yards per attempt, he demonstrated tremendous overall athletic ability. Klein led the East in rushing with 35 yards. Of the game’s six quarterbacks, he was the only threat to carry the ball and recorded his yards on five carries, averaging seven per carry. Also notable was that Klein’s longest run of the day was for eight yards – while never breaking a long run, he consistently gained yardage every time Klein tucked the ball and ran.

Klein also struggled due to an imbalance of talent in the game. His East team was defeated 28-13, and the East’s three quarterbacks combined to go 10/24 on the night, with no one completing more than 50 percent of their throws. Perhaps the worst statistic of the night was the East’s failure to convert a single third down in nine attempts. The team finished with 95 yards passing and three interceptions against a stingy West secondary that featured fellow Wildcat Nigel Malone. In fact, Malone was named the Most Outstanding Player on defense after returning an interception 30 yards for a touchdown and helping shut down the East’s passing attack all night.

The performance will only boost Malone’s draft chances – being the best player in an All-Star game is never a bad thing – while Klein may have moved closer to being drafted for a different purpose in the NFL. For more information on the draft prospects of Nigel Malone and Collin Klein, please click the players’ names in this sentence, click here and here.

April 2012 only saw one player from K-State find a home through the NFL draft – and even that was a stretch, as Bryce Brown saw little playing time and quit the team his first year after transferring to Manhattan before conference play started. 2013 should be a much more profitable year for departing Wildcat players. Over the next two weeks, Jug of Snyder will be assessing the players entering 2012 with draft hopes and how they finished their careers with K-State. For our fourth installment we go to to the two-time semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back, Nigel Malone.

In a league designed to pick on defensive backs, JUCO transfer Nigel Malone hit the ground running in the Big 12 and picked off quarterbacks all year long, recording seven interceptions his junior year. This total led the conference, although Malone developed a reputation as a big risk/reward player by allowing several big catches in addition to his interceptions. He also finished 2011 with 58 tackles and 10 pass break-ups.

Malone continued to be an interception machine his senior year, hauling in another five. He also posted nine passes defended and 51 tackles. His play earned an invitation in to the East-West Shrine Bowl, the second Wildcat invited alongside QB Collin Klein. He was awarded with his second straight All-Big 12 First Team selection this year.

Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Malone’s tangible skills are not overly imposing, as he measures in at 5’10″ and 185 lbs. However, Malone has never shied from contact due to his like of size and willingly engages running backs in the open field. He also lacks a good 40 time, which has been clocked at 4.54 seconds. However, he plays with an awareness that allows him to come down with big plays – in only two years of play he worked his way to second on K-State’s all-time interception list with 12, placing him ahead of Pro Bowler Terrance Newman who spent four years in the system (although only two as a starter). Yet this success is tempered by the number of passing yards the Wildcats allowed against subpar offenses. Worst examples: the team allowed 323 passing yards against lower division Missouri State, while North Texas’s Derek Thompson went 25 of 28 for 208 yards and no interceptions. Games like this only enhanced Malone’s reputation as a high risk/high reward player.

In a talented secondary class, Malone may be on the outside looking on the third day of the draft – although a team may give him a look. Yet whether Malone is signed through the draft or as a rookie free agent, expect at least one team to give K-State’s most exciting defensive back a strong look. As more offenses adopt quicker, versatile passing attacks, a greater premium is being placed on smaller defenders that can rapidly react to plays with the capability of tackling in the open field. And as more defensive backs are being kept on scout teams in response, Malone is expected to have a place in the NFL for at least the next two years.

Previous Draft Stock articles:
Arthur Brown
Collin Klein
Chris Harper
Braden Wilson

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In the run up to the January 3 Fiesta Bowl between K-State and Oregon, The Jug will be running a series of potentially overlooked variables that should determine the game’s final outcome. Up next: interceptions.

One of the surest predictors of success is a team’s turnover ratio: can you force more than you give up? We know K-State has made a living off of turnovers all year, as Allen Chapman, Nigel Malone and Ty Zimmerman are all tied for ninth nationally with five interceptions apiece. The Wildcats recorded 18 interceptions overall, good enough for second in the Big 12 and tied for tenth nationally. When quarterbacks throw passes against K-State, the ball eventually finds its way into the hands of a defender.

However, as good as the Wildcats have gotten at shouting oskie!, the Ducks have been even better. While no Oregon player ranks in the top 25 in interceptions, the team leads the nation overall with 24. Both the Oregon secondary and the linebacking corps have proven capable of sniffing out the ball.

Oregon recorded six more interceptions than K-State, but don’t automatically expect that trend to hold  in the Fiesta Bowl. The Big 12 unquestionably showcases the best quarterback play in the nation. Every interception is earned, but K-State’s defenders have to try work just a little harder to pick off superior competition. Additionally, Oregon ran up scores quickly during the first half of the season, while the Wildcats were more methodical in their attacks. With Oregon’s opponents playing from behind earlier in the game, they were forced to throw downfield and take more chances while becoming 0ne-dimensional. It’s easier to pick off the deep ball when you know it’s coming.

The flip side of that last paragraph is that Oregon was good enough to jump out to devastating leads in the first place. That’s why they were ranked #1 at one point in the year. Yet K-State isn’t Washington State, and won’t roll over so easily. Something else to consider: Oregon threw nine interceptions on the season. K-State threw seven, but three of those were against Baylor when Collin Klein appeared to still be suffering a hangover from a concussion that knocked him out of the TCU game the night before. Klein will be fully healthy on January third. More than one bowl game has hinged on an unexpected interception, and with interception machine Ty Zimmerman back in uniform, there’s no reason the ball can’t bounce K-State’s way.

Yes, Arthur Brown also flies.. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-US PRESSWIRE

K-State defenders earn their second preseason honor of the week

K-STATE SPORTS INFORMATION

Nigel Malone. Mandatory Credit: Scott Sewell-US PRESSWIRE

Second-year Wildcats are up for the award that honors the nation’s top defensive player

July 9, 2012

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State linebacker Arthur Brown and defensive back Nigel Malone were named to the watch list for the 2012 Bednarik Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s top defensive player, the Maxwell Football Club announced Monday.

Brown was a semifinalist for the award last season, while Malone is in contention for the award for the first time in his career. It is the third and fourth time a Wildcat has been up for the Bednarik Award as defensive back Chris Canty was a finalist in 1996.

A product of Wichita, Kan., Brown led the Wildcats with 101 tackles in 2011 to become the first K-State defender to reach the 100-tackle plateau in five seasons. A former transfer from the University of Miami, Brown registered 9.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception against No. 15 Baylor, which was the only second-half interception off Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III last year and led to the eventual game-winning field goal.

Brown earned honorable mention All-America honors as a junior from Sports Illustrated, while he was named the Big 12 Defensive Newcomer of the Year by the league’s coaches, Associated Press, Kansas City Star, Fort Worth Star-Telegram and ESPN.com. Brown was also on the watch lists for the 2011 Bronco Nagurski and Butkus Awards.

A former community-college transfer, Malone was stellar during his first season in Manhattan as he led the Big 12 and tied for third nationally with seven interceptions, a mark that ranked second in school history and fifth in conference history. The Manteca, Calif., product was one of only four players nationally to record two or more picks in multiple games as he came away with a pair of interceptions against both Eastern Kentucky and Oklahoma. He finished his junior campaign fifth on the team with 58 tackles.

Malone was a semifinalist for the 2011 Jim Thorpe Award and was a Second Team Walter Camp All-American to go along with First Team All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches, ESPN.com and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Semifinalists for the 2012 Bednarik Award will be announced on October 29, while three finalists will be selected on November 19. The winner of the 18th annual Bednarik Award will be announced as part of the Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards Show on December 6.

K-State opens the 2012 season September 1 with the fourth annual K-State Family Reunion against Missouri State. Tickets for the opener remain available for as little as $15, while a four-pack can also be purchased by August 1 for $75. Tickets for the highly-anticipated matchup with Miami on September 8 are also going fast but remain available for $75 (bench) and $85 (premium bench). For more information regarding season or single-game tickets, contact the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-221-CATS or visit www.k-statesports.com.

Quotes from both sides of the final Big 12 game of the season. Most of what was said basically relates to the entirety of every game played by Kansas State this year. It’s been incredible to watch this team exceed even the most optimistic of Wildcat fans and now there a few weeks left to enjoy the ride.

“We just refused to lose.” David Garrett (That seems to be the summary of this season) (more…)

Beast Hubert at your service. (si.com)

For the final time in conference battles this season, Kansas State figured out a way to get it done. Farmageddon was closer than anyone would have wished for, but really what game hasn’t been that way this season? Nine victories of 2011 came by 7 points or less. It was the usual mix of gritty play, limited mistakes, and holding on for dear life and with the win the Wildcats completed their first 10-win season since 2003. The reward for their efforts is a trip to the Cotton Bowl to take on a tough Arkansas team who has only lost to the two teams playing for the BCS National Championship. Be watching for plenty of breakdown on that match-up over the next couple of weeks but until then, continue reading for the good, the bad, and the ugly of the Iowa State game. (more…)

An all too common sight on Saturday. (si.com)

There’s no way around it, that was horrible. Every K-State fan went from rationalizing a huge blowout loss, to getting all excited about coming back and taking the lead, to feeling good at the half, to complete disbelieve as the second half unfolded. Oklahoma went on a tear of scores while Kansas State basically sat and watched. While the media is going to play this as K-State being exposed, I think rational fans understand that this should not have been unexpected. That doesn’t make what took place Saturday any easier to swallow but let’s not go jumping off buildings quite yet. (More on that this week.) For now, continue reading and get the good, bad, and ugly of the game. (more…)