Jealousy!
Martin Solveig-Jealousy from Timmy Atkins on Vimeo.
UNC DOMINATING THE DRAFT
The video would have been Gin Blossoms, but this I find this much more entertaining and interesting.
Martin Solveig-Jealousy from Timmy Atkins on Vimeo.
Jealousy is the theme of today's post for several reasons.
(1) Be jealous of me! On Monday, I got to eat breakfast at Suttons and then got a chance to see and experience something that every Tar Heel fan would love to do. Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it was, but it was AWESOME!!! Kind of a dick move on my part, right? Bringing something up that I don't intend to give you details about even though it is a great story. I get it, but it didn't stop me. I'll give you a hint though. It required a special parking permit on campus. I didn't say it would be a good hint. Haha. Besides, if I told you, you might not believe me. All I can say is that it was an all-time day for a Tar Heel fan, so be jealous.
(2) UNC dominated the draft. With the most draftees, every school in the country (with the exception of USC) is jealous and scared. We are on the rise and it is only going to get better. Hey jealousy!
(3) UNC is projected to dominate the early rounds of the draft next year. We lost a lot of talent this year, but we have a lot coming back. Most head coaches would love to have the depth of talent we have. Hey jealousy!
UNC DOMINATING THE DRAFT
Congratulations to Da'Norris Searcy, Johnny White, T.J. Yates, Quan Sturdivant, and Ryan Taylor who capped of the 2011 NFL draft for which the
North Carolina Tar Heels had a record 9 players drafted.
The first was how far Sturdivant fell. Arizona got great value in the sixth round. Sturdivant was projected to go as early as the second round. It is unfortunate that he fell that far and, after the draft, he attributed his fall to an arrest from last summer for misdemeanor marijuana possession that was later dismissed once he agreed to enter a deferment program. That turned out to be a costly mistake as there is a significant difference between second round money and sixth round money.
The second thing that had me scratching my head was Kendric Burney going undrafted. Todd McShay said something akin to small and slow is not generally what you want in a corner in the NFL, but Burney is a football player and makes plays. Going undrafted might serve Burney well. Instead of being drafted to a team in the late rounds of the draft, Burney gets to have some control over his situation and who he signs with. Burney will make a roster and play on Sundays.
Zack Pianalto and Duenta Williams will also get a shot.
Obviously, UNC dominated the draft, but how did the ACC stack up against the mighty SEC?
The ACC = 35. The SEC = 38. While the SEC had three more guys drafted, the ACC had a better overall average draft position. Further, this is not an anomaly. Over the past five years (since expansion), the ACC has had 184 players drafted as compared to the SEC's 187. What can you take away from this? It is hard to say. Obviously, the ACC has talent. It just doesn't have respect, but that is coming. The coaching is getting better and the talent is here. UNC, FSU, UVA, and Miami are all teams that are attracting significant talent and have good if not great coaching staffs in place.
Time will tell if the SEC can maintain the perception of its dominance. I doubt they can. Personally, I don't think the national champion comes out of the SEC if we would have been able to field our full team. As Trey Wingo said, UNC was "the best team that never was." Well, while 2010 failed to live up to its potential, 2011 season is full of promise. If not for the available playing time and return of a few key guys whose eligibility would have run out last year, e.g. Charlie Brown, Zach Brown, and Ryan Houston, we probably wouldn't be poised to contend for the ACC Championship. What can I say? I am a glass half-full kind of guy, so I will focus on the positives from last season and not dwell on what could have been.
Looking Forward to the 2012 Draft -
What the Draftniks Are Saying Now
3. Quinton Coples/DE/North Carolina: Coples picked up the slack last season after the suspension of Robert Quinn and terrorized opponents with his pass rush skills. He's a phenomenal athlete with a large upside.
27. Donte Paige-Moss*/DE/North Carolina: Yet another defensive prospect from the UNC program, Paige-Moss is a developing pass rusher who will also get consideration as a 3-4 outside linebacker.
Quinton Coples - Number 1 Defensive End
Pick 2
Cincinnati Bengals: Quinton Coples, DE, UNC 
I had the Bengals as the No. 31 team in my 2011 NFL Power Rankings because their only option at quarterback was Jordan Palmer. They came away with a solid draft class, including Andy Dalton, so I may move them up a bit in next week's update.
The Bengals didn't obtain a defensive end in the 2011 NFL Draft, which indicates that they may be relying on Antwan Odom. Owed $5.3 million in 2012, Odom won't be back after this year if he doesn't produce.
At 6-6, 272 pounds, Quinton Coples registered 15.5 TFL and 10 sacks for the Tar Heels in 2010.
Pick 17
Houston Texans: Donte Paige-Moss, DE/OLB, UNC Scheme conversions are always tough to project. Connor Barwin seems like a good fit for the 3-4, but what if he struggles in Wade Phillips' system? I personally don't think he will, but it's definitely possible. If so, the Texans will look to address the rush linebacker position in the 2012 NFL Draft.
The athletic 245-pound Donte Paige-Moss had 13.5 TFL and seven sacks as a sophomore in 2010. It's pretty nuts that North Carolina has two pass-rushers projected in the top 20 of the 2012 NFL Draft. Butch Davis has done an incredible job in Chapel Hill.
Pick 21
St. Louis Rams: Zach Brown, OLB, UNC The combination of Larry Grant and Chris Chamberlain failed at weakside linebacker last year. The Rams didn't address the position in the 2011 NFL Draft, making Zach Brown a possibility in this spot.
Pick 29
New England Patriots: Tydreke Powell, DE/DT, UNC I'm tired of these Patriot selections because Bill Belichick either trades them or makes picks out of left field.
One of these days, Belichick will draft a five-technique. He has to, right?
Pick 48
Chicago Bears: Dwight Jones, WR, UNC I thought the Bears were going to take a receiver this April. I guess not. Maybe they'll do so in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Another dynamic wideout out of North Carolina, the 6-5, 210-pound Dwight Jones caught 62 balls for 946 yards and four touchdowns in 2010.
What Does This Mean For Recruiting?
What does it mean? It is too early to tell, but I can't imagine it is bad. Butch Davis' main recruiting pitch is preparation for the NFL. He has a long list of draft picks and Pro Bowlers. Unfortunately, most of those guys played at "da U." Well, now he can show a recruit that he is getting it done in Chapel Hill. I'll talk more about recruiting in a future post, but this is good, tangible proof that should spike interest in UNC among our targets.
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