The Russell Hustle

Today's topic is JaMarcus Russell's NFL draft status.

JaMarcus' raw talent and ability already had him on some team's draft boards but his 332 passing yards and two TDs and his rushing mobility on the side (5 rushes for 30 yards, TD) in the Sugar Bowl skyrocketed him into the Top 10. Players leave final lasting impressions in their bowl games, which will hurt Ohio State's Troy Smith.

The fact that Russell handily outperformed Notre Dame's Brady Quinn in that game may help him jump Quinn in the draft order come late April. Quinn was the preseason Heisman favorite for many but struggled in some high-profile games (no thanks to his offensive line, helping Quinn become the fifteenth-most-sacked QB in the nation). His 148 yd, 2 TD, 2 INT performance paled to Russell's and Quinn was chased all night long by the LSU pass rush.

In addition to Quinn, the other QB who is a potential first-rounder is Louisville's Brian Brohm, pending his decision to declare for the draft or return to school. With a coaching change going on, he may choose to opt out sooner. Smith is unlikely to go this high, and Florida's Chris Leak, National Championship MVP, is a sleeper candidate to sneak into the first round, but not into the Top 10.

The top 10 picks of the NFL draft are in the following order: Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland/Tampa Bay (coin flip), Arizona, Washington, Minnesota, Houston, Miami and Atlanta. Of these teams, Oakland, Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota and Miami could choose to address their QB situations.

There's no doubt in my mind Oakland will use the top pick on a QB if they keep it. Aaron Brooks is not the guy you want to rebuild a franchise around. Just ask any Saints fan. They have positive outlooks on their defense, so their immediate focus is the offense. Detroit has a plethora of good young receivers and Jon Kitna at QB. Kitna did well this season while also throwing many interceptions. Cleveland had a promising rookie QB in Charlie Frye, but he got chased around the field all season before becoming injured. Minnesota has golden oldie Brad Johnson and perennial backup Brooks Bollinger at the helm, and Miami doesn't know what to do with damaged goods Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington.

The cutoff point for our focus should be at Cleveland's pick. Only one of Russell or Quinn should be available after this pick, and Minnesota would be thrilled to take whichever is left. I fully expect both to be gone after Cleveland picks.

So it's time to compare for Oakland. Quinn is your prototypical QB with ability to move around out of the pocket and leadership mentality (shades of John Elway perhaps, but I won't dare go there). Russell has clear size and power advantages, able to throw around 80 yards and plow through defenses on the run. Russell fits the typical Raider scheme of launching balls down the field, and don't think Randy Moss wouldn't love to see Russell's name called on draft day.

I'd think Detroit would prefer to have Quinn's route-reading ability to hit the trio of Roy Williams, Charles Rogers and Mike Williams on the run to Russell's rocket launcher. I think if Oakland takes Quinn first, Detroit will definitely consider Russell, though they may look to trade down or consider defensive help (they ranked near the bottom of the NFL in defense this season).

Cleveland will snatch up whichever prospect is left, barring a free agent deal or a pick trade. That said, Minnesota should again take whichever pick is left. The next team outside of the Top 10 that might take a QB is Carolina, with Jake Delhomme becoming a question mark at the end of this season. I sincerely doubt Russell will fall this far, though Brohm might.

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has Russell ranked fourth on his Top 25 Prospects list behind Georgia Tech's stellar wideout Calvin Johnson, Wisconsin's DT Joe Thomas and Quinn. But this list is ranking pure talent, not the expected pick order.

My prediction is that, given time to think about the raw growth and potential of each prospect, Oakland will take Russell with the first pick in the draft. Quinn is at the top of many leaderboards at this stage, but with time to think about this pick, Oakland will continue looking back to the Sugar Bowl and see how Quinn reacted to the LSU pass rush. Note that Oakland plays San Diego and Denver twice a year, and they have excellent pass defenses both. I say Russell's track record this season wins him top pick money, and I couldn't be more stoked to see an LSU Tiger picked No. 1.

Let me close by tossing a huge "WHO DAT?!" out there in anticipation of tomorrow night's NFC Division Playoff between the Philadelphia Eagles and our New Orleans Saints! The Drew Brees jersey I got for Christmas came in ahead of schedule and I'll be sporting it until the Saints win the Super Bowl (hopefully). I pick the vaunted New Orleans Saints offense supported by a spirited defensive performance by Shanle, Simoneaux and Fujita (Saints LBs), over the Eagles 27-21. My next topic will probably be the draft status of the remaining eligible Tigers.