The Red Zone Report

Not too long ago, Oklahoma receiver Malcolm Kelly appeared to be on the verge of locking down a place as the first receiver to be taken in the upcoming NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft is less than a week away, and I’ll be updating my mock draft within the next day or two to include a third round, but for now, you can still check out my current mock.

There are several defensive stars from the lower ranks of college football that could be drafted in less than three weeks, and have the talent to make an impact in some way on the next level.

Much of the talk in the past few months when it comes to talented prospects below the I-A level has revolved around Tennessee St. cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, who could be a top-10 pick in three weeks, and Delaware QB Joe Flacco, who is a virtual lock to go in the first two rounds.

All four teams in the NFC South have their share of holes to fill in three weeks to make the division as competitive in 2008 as it was supposed to be before injuries, inconsistency, and idiocy made the division an afterthought in 2007.

Newberry College offensive lineman Heath Benedict was found dead in his Jacksonville home on Wednesday evening.

The NFC West, at least in its current incarnation, has never produced a Super Bowl champion, and the last team in the division to win the Big Game was the St. Louis Rams in 2000. Needless to say, the division has been fighting for respectability for nearly a decade.

Already in arguably the toughest division in professional football, teams from the NFC East are hoping to make it a little tougher after Draft Day by adding top-notch talent to their teams.

The AFC North didn’t quite go as planned in 2007. The Cleveland Browns, expected to be doormats, contended for the division title and for a playoff berth down to the wire, and the Baltimore Ravens, expected to be in the hunt in the AFC, found itself in the cellar, with everyone in the division [...]

Attention citizens of the Bay Area: It’s raining cash in Oakland, so get out your umbrellas and turn them upside down.