Read opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Sports Geek about who they believe is the best underclassman coming out of college in the NFL draft.
Today’s version of the NFL is clearly one that favors a strong passing offense. For proof, look no further than the four teams that will be competing for their respective conference championships this weekend. Of those four teams, three are led by arguably the best passers in the game today – Drew Brees (New Orleans Saints), Peyton Manning (Indianapolis Colts), and Brett Favre (Minnesota Vikings). In fact, of the 12 teams who reached the playoffs this season, only two (the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets) did NOT feature a high-powered passing offense.
The undeniable fact is that success in the NFL today comes from prolific passing.
What, then, was so special about the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets that it enabled them to buck the trend? Neither possesses a “great” quarterback, and neither has an elite wide receiver (although Braylon Edwards likes to THINK he is).
The answer lies with the defense.
What Baltimore and New York have that enabled them to compete as two of the best teams in the NFL (with the Jets only 60 short minutes away from the Super Bowl) is the kryptonite to a prolific passing offense – a disruptive player in the secondary that can neutralize a passing threat. For the Jets, that player is Pro Bowl defensive back Darrelle Revis, and for the Ravens it is Pro Bowl free safety Ed Reed.
The Jets will be playing on Sunday instead of the Chargers for one simple reason – Revis intercepted a pass from another of the NFL’s passing stars, Philip Rivers, late in the game. The Jets were able to capitalize on Revis’ pick, turning it into seven points and swinging momentum into their favor. As for the Ravens, Ed Reed picked Peyton Manning off twice during their playoff game against the Colts, but neither turnover counted. On the first, Reed had the ball stripped from his hands as he attempted to gain return yards after intercepting the ball, and the second was overturned due to a Ravens’ penalty. Who knows what would have happened if those interceptions had not been overturned.
Revis and Reed are examples of how much impact one single player can have for a team on defense. It is not often that a player comes into the league with the potential to have game-changing impact for their team. But, when they do, that player deserves immediate attention. There just happens to be a player of that caliber who will be available in the 2010 NFL Draft – Tennessee free safety Eric Berry.
Berry has made the decision to take forgo his final year as a safety for the Tennessee Volunteers and instead try his hand at the NFL, which is bad news for a lot of quarterbacks! Not only is Berry going to be the best underclassman of the 2010 NFL Draft, but he might be the best out of the entire Draft pool!
Berry has already drawn comparisons to Ed Reed, and Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Troy Polamalu, for his game changing capability. A two-time unanimous All-American, and winner of the 2009 Jim Thorpe and Jack Tatum Awards (both in recognition as the nation’s top defensive back), Berry quickly earned a reputation as the best defensive back in the NCAA.
Like Polamalu and Reed, Berry can play anywhere within the secondary, which makes him exceptionally dangerous in pass coverage. What makes Berry so special is that his combination of lightning speed with very hard hitting makes him just as dangerous in defending the run as he is against the pass. He seems to be everywhere on the field at the same time. In fact, six of his 83 tackles on the 2009 season were for a loss – not bad for a guy who’s supposed to be in the secondary!
He has an uncanny nose for the ball, and he possesses the ability to do very bad things to his opponents when he gets his hands on the ball. His career total of 494 interception return yards is second in NCAA history, and is only seven yards shy of the all-time mark (a number he would have surely passed if he were to return for his final season of college eligibility).
Adding to his resume comes the support of his former college defensive coach, Lane Kiffin, who knows a thing or two about NFL talent himself. Kiffin praised Berry for his versatility on the field, and agrees that Berry will likely be a top-five pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
In a league where pass-happy offenses and elite quarterbacks get all the headlines, Eric Berry will be an invaluable addition to one lucky team on defense. My only hope is that he falls to the seventh pick. Berry has already proven that he looks good in orange, and my Browns could sure use the help!
Posted by Bleacher Fan 
