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National Football League
Draft King Analysis
September 7, 2009
Lou Pickney, DraftKing.com
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Happy Labor Day to my readers in the United States. Just like many Americans may make a confused face at the concept of Boxing Day or a bank holiday, I've been abroad enough to know that second-tier American holidays don't necessarily hold the attention or interest of the rest of the world -- especially not when they have to work. When I was a senior at Harlaxton College in Grantham, England in the fall 1998, we had class on Thanksgiving Day, which (if you think about it) is quite logical since the holiday is rather meaningless to the UK (and the rest of the non-U.S. world for that matter).
 | Sam Bradford suffered a separated right shoulder on Saturday. (Icon SMI)
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The big story coming out of the first weekend of college football is the separated right shoulder suffered by Sam Bradford in Saturday night's 14-13 upset win by BYU over Oklahoma. This article from College Football Talk explains details about the injury, but the short of it is this: it's not a mild shoulder separation.
My girlfriend Stacy winced when she saw the injury. She suffered a separated shoulder in high school playing basketball (she's her high school's all-time leading hoops scorer) and said that her shoulder injury hurt her for the next seven months.
Bradford has shown that he is adept at learning how to run an offense quickly, that he makes smart decisions, and that (prior to the injury) he was likely the top QB prospect in the nation -- and he's still just a redshirt junior. He'll be out of action for one-to-two weeks, but it's not as if the pain will be gone when he returns. Bradford has been strong and brave in the pocket before, but overcoming this type of pain will test his mental toughness in an entirely different way.
Had he left Oklahoma after last season, he could have potentially battled Matt Stafford for the #1 overall pick slot and likely would have been ahead of Mark Sanchez in the pecking order of QBs in the last draft. Now? Stafford and Sanchez will both be opening-day NFL starters and already have guaranteed millions locked in, whereas Bradford is now recovering from an injury sustained while merely playing for a scholarship.
The ankle injury that sidelined WR Arrelious Benn during Illinois' loss to Missouri doesn't look to be severe, which has to be a relief for both Benn and the Illini coaching staff. Benn has remaining college eligibility beyond this year, but if he declares for the 2010 NFL Draft he could end up as a first-round selection. Benn is 6'2" 215 and can run a sub 4.5 40, which naturally makes him an appealing prospect for many teams in the NFL.
Tonight it's Florida State vs. Miami in a primetime showdown. There are some players on the Seminole defense worth a careful look, particularly OLB Willie Young and CB Patrick Robinson. It will be a challenge for Miami, and the Hurricanes will need a strong game from senior RB Javarris James to be in position to win.
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