If you had to hold your breath until I started unveiling my defensive watch lists, you would have died 523890324089 times over. I apologize but the plate has been full.
Let's dive into the defensive line. I think admire the athleticism of a defensive lineman the most. The combined skill set of strength, speed, explosiveness, awareness and technique is truly fun to watch.
I'll never forget the time I told a good friend (who has a great defensive end in his day) to line up opposite of me. He got down in a three point stance, I lined up as a tackle would and I gave off the cadence. I never thought a 230-pound man could move from 0-60 in .034 seconds. Great story, right?
Much respect:
Glenn Dorsey, LSU - I don't know what else to say besides he's probably the best player in this class. I'm not the only one saying this. But this mountain of a man can be the sole reason a team has to abandon the run. I'm excited at the prospect of seeing him in person in September. My favorite stat about him is that he finished third on the team in tackles last year as a defensive tackle with 64 (2nd had 65 and 1st had 74). I can't imagine he'd go No. 1 overall, but he's going to be up there in the Draft order come next spring. His DT partner, Marlon Favorite, is no slouch along the line either. It's no surprise to see LSU's defense among the best because they always have a guy like Dorsey to anchor everything.
Frank Okam, Texas - I was surprised when he didn't come out for the Draft. He's good enough. But, more power to him. Texas has a legitimate chance to make a run at the title and, as arguably their best player, why not stick around for some more history? I bet Matthew McConaughey's biggest Longhorn man crush is on Okam - figuratively and literally - the dude is 6'5, 315.
Bruce Davis, UCLA - This dude is the man. He had 12.5 sacks off the edge last year and was one of the main reasons the Bruin defense was so tough and will be again this year. He's a pretty slender dude for a defensive end, but he has a swagger which only helps. Plus he had a great moment on TV last year after UCLA knocked off USC.
Quentin Groves, Auburn - Think speed. Groves runs about a 4.65 in the 40. I'm about two inches shorter and 65 pounds lighter than Groves and he could probably dust me. He's one of these guys at 6'3, 255, that could easily play outside linebacker in the NFL as well as defensive end. Expect him to play both as the Tigers tinker with the 3-4 this year. Want to see how disruptive he can be? Go back and look at the tape of when Auburn beat Alabama last year. Groves deserved a Gatorade bath after that one.
Eric Foster, Rutgers - It's easy to remember Rutgers' fantastic run last season and point to Ray Rice. While he was phenomenal, it was the Scarlet Knight defense that turned my head. It's a shame not many people know about Foster. The All-American voters didn't overlook him, but it's easy for most to. Type in "Eric Foster" on Google and you'll get info about a guy on "The Wonder Years" for three episodes as "Neal." With 14 tackles behind the line last year, Foster made plays when his team needed him most. He's going to garner a lot of attention from offensive lines this year, and I think he'll respond well.
Other names to watch for: Sedrick Ellis, USC, Keilen Dykes, West Virginia, Ian Campbell, Kansas State and Tommy Blake, TCU.
One last thing. If you feel like I left an important name off, leave a comment instead of emailing. We gotta embrace the comment system! I'm off to go play in the Newsday.com softball game vs. Advertising.