The NFL Announces the Finalists to Host the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft

The NFL announced the finalists to host the 2019 or 2020 NFL Draft this week. The finalists are Cleveland/Canton, Denver, Kansas City, Tennessee and Las Vegas. The winning city to host those events will be announced at the Spring League Meeting in May. Any winning city cannot host the draft in both years.

Four of the above cities are home to NFL franchises. Canton is the home of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Las Vegas will become the home of the Oakland Raiders who will move and start  there for the start of the NFL 2020 season.

The upcoming NFL Draft will take place April 26-28 and will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The draft was held in New York City from 1965 through 2014, mainly at Madison Square Garden and Radio City Hall. Since 2015, the league decided to moved the three day event to different NFL locations around from year to year, holding the annual event in Chicago in two seasons and Philadelphia for one year last spring.

QB Jimmy Garoppolo Signs Record NFL Extension with Niners

Frank Coyle 

San Francisco signed QB Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year contract worth up to $137.5 million, the richest in NFL history. The 49ers acquired Garoppolo in a 2017 mid-season trade with the New England Patriots. He was set to become a free agent this March. The 49ers were 1-10 prior to acquiring Garoppolo and started him the final five games of the year where he went 5-0 after taking over team leadership. He was the leading free agent QB ready to hit the open market in March. The 49ers made him the top paid NFL player only weeks before he become a free agent. His short 5-0 record and excellent performance made him the highest priority for the 49ers who have struggled annually for a return to the NFL playoffs. The 49ers surrendered a second round pick (#47) for the young veteran. He has a perfect 7-0 record as a starter after going 2-0 in his only action as a starter backing up veteran Tom Brady in New England. He was a potential high profile player in a strong free agent market that has seen both Garoppolo and veteran Alex Smith change teams in the past few months. Smith had one year remaining on his contract before signing a new contract with the Washington Redskins for a #3 pick in April and corner Kendall Fuller.

Photo – QB Jimmy Garoppolo – 49ers

The Niners reintroduced Garoppolo to the media and fan base as the NFL’s highest-paid player in terms of average annual value. Both general manager John Lynch and head coach Kyle Shanahan were excited to land a cornerstone QB just entering his prime after a four year playoff drought in San Francisco. They were intent of getting Garoppolo into the fold to address their biggest pending issue this postseason. He signed a five-year extension for $137.5 million, including a record $86.4 million guaranteed in the first three years. The total payout of $42.6 million in the first year if he hits all roster and workouts bonuses ($37 million of which will count against the 2018 salary cap) and $48.7 million fully guaranteed at signing.

His huge deal impacts the league’s remaining free agent QBs, including Kirk Cousins, and three Viking QBs, Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. With Garoppolo’s contract a done deal, the 49ers well-positioned to build around him with salary cap space that they can still be aggressive in the free agency market. They hold five top 75 selections in April, including three #3 picks after the trade. They will draft either 9^th or 10^th overall after the coin flip with the Raiders at the NFL Combine in a few weeks.

“Once we first got Jimmy, we knew exactly how we felt about him,” Shanahan said. “But where we were as a team at that time, where Jimmy was in his situation, I thought it was going to be hard for him to go in there and really get enough time to where he could show us and himself a deal where we would be comfortable. We didn’t really think about it too much because you always had that franchise tag.

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com has updates & in depth Senior Bowl Game & Practice info are in the early Feb Newsletter (15 pgs) along with East- West Game – Top 100 Prospects and 2 Round Mock Draft – Available Now – NFL Combine 2018 List available this week

“We knew Jimmy was a guy we wanted here badly. When he did get his opportunity and how he started out versus Chicago then versus Houston, Tennessee to Jacksonville to the Rams, each week kind of got better. The more Jimmy was here, the more comfortable he was, the better he played and I thought the guys around him played better. I think our team got tighter.

“We always felt very strongly about his talent, but when you get to be with a guy for that long and you have that success and the guy is the same every single day, you get a better idea of how he will be long term and how he would be with a bunch of money and things like that. It always starts with talent, but when it comes to things like this, character and who he is as a man is everything.”

With Kirk Cousins expected to be in high demand, Garoppolo’s highest paid NFL designation may be short lived with both the Broncos and Jets expected to be among the top players for the veteran QB who has worked the past three years on one year deals with the Franchise label.

Top 50 Pro Prospects for the NFL Draft 2018

* Declared Underclassmen – February, 2018 – Pre NFL Combine Rankings 

Pro Prospect  / Position / School /   Ht /Wt

1 * Saquon Barkley      RB                   Penn State        5-11      225

2 * Josh Rosen            QB                  UCLA                6-4        220

3 * Sam Darnold          QB                  Southern Cal     6-4        225

4 Bradley Chubb          DE                  NC State           6-4        275

5 * Minkah Fitzpatrick  S                     Alabama           6-1        205

6 * Quenton Nelson      OG                  Notre Dame      6-5        330

7 * Josh Allen              QB                  Wyoming          6-5        235

8 * Roquan Smith        LB                   Georgia            6-1        225

9 Baker Mayfield         QB                  Oklahoma         6-0        215

10 * Connor Williams     OT                   Texas               6-6        320

Photo – QB Josh Rosen – UCLA

11 * Derwin James        S                     Florida State     6-3        210

12 * Courtland Sutton    WR                  SMU                 6-4        215

13 * Tremaine Edmunds LB                   Virginia Tech     6-5        240

14 * Da’Ron Payne        DT                   Alabama           6-2        310

15 * Denzel Ward          CB                   Ohio State        5-10      190

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com was at the Senior Bowl for the week long practices. Scouting info including updates & in depth Senior Bowl Game & Practice info are in the early Feb Newsletter (15 pgs) along with East- West Game – Top 100 Prospects and 2 Round Mock Draft Available Now – NFL Combine 2018 List available this week

16 * Orlando Brown       OT                   Oklahoma         6-8        360

17 * Arden Key              DE                  LSU                  6-6        240

18 * Lamar Jackson      QB                  Louisville          6-3        200

19 * Calvin Ridley          WR                  Alabama           6-1        190

20 Vita Vea                   DT                   Washington       6-5        345

21 Marcus Davenport    DE                  UTSA                6-6        260

22 * Joshua Jackson     CB                   Iowa                 6-1        195

23 Rashaan Evans        LB                   Alabama           6-3        235

24 * Carlton Davis         CB                   Auburn              6-1        205

25 * Ronnie Harrison      S                     Alabama           6-3        215

26 * Sam Hubbard         DE                  Ohio State        6-5        265

27 Mike McGlinchey      OT                   Notre Dame      6-8        315

28 * Harrison Phillips     DT                   Stanford           6-4        285

29 Martinas Rankin        OT                   Mississippi St    6-5       305

30 * Derrius Guice         RB                   LSU                  5-11      215

31 * Isaiah Oliver           CB                   Colorado          6-1        190

32 * Taven Bryan           DT                   Florida              6-5        295

33 Chukwuma Okorafor OT                   Western Michigan 6-6    330

34 Maurice Hurst           DT                   Michigan           6-2        285

35 * Mark Andrews        TE                   Oklahoma         6-5        255

36 Christian Kirk            WR                  Texas A&M       5-11      200

37 Isaiah Wynn             OG                  Georgia            6-2        305

38 Mason Rudolph        QB                  Oklahoma St     6-5        230

39 Anthony Miller           WR                  Memphis           5-11      190

40 Uchenna Nwosu       LB                   USC                 6-2        240

41 Tyrell Crosby            OT                   Oregon             6-5        320

42 Harold Landry           LB                   Boston College 6-3        250

43 Billy Price                 C                     Ohio State        6-4        310

44 * DeShon Elliott        S                     Texas               6-2        205

45 * Ronald Jones II      RB                   Southern Cal     6-1        195

46 * James Daniels        OL                   Iowa                 6-4        300

47 * Equanimeous St. Brown  WR          Notre Dame      6-5        205

48 Ogbonnia Okoronkwo LB                  Oklahoma         6-1        240

49 Braden Smith            OG                 Auburn              6-6        305

50 * Malik Jefferson       LB                  Texas               6-3        240

NFL Draft 2018 – First Round Mock Draft

* Underclassmen –   Selection order prior to Super Bowl game

Pre NFL Combine – after East-West Shrine and Senior Bowl Games

x – Division winner / y – Wild card team / z – coin flip at NFL Combine determines order                      

1st Round   

  1 Cleveland – 0-16 – * Josh Rosen                     QB                  UCLA                6-4        220

  2 NY Giants – 3-13 – * Saquon Barkley               RB                  Penn State        5-11      225

  3 Indianapolis – 4-12 – * Quenton Nelson           OG                 Notre Dame      6-5        330   

  4 Cleveland (Hous) – 4-12 –* Minkah Fitzpatrick  S                   Alabama           6-1        205

  5 Denver – 5-11 – * Josh Allen                            QB                  Wyoming          6-5        235

  6 NY Jets – 5-11 –  * Sam Darnold                      QB                  Southern Cal     6-4        225

   Photo – RB Saquon Barkley – Penn St

7 Tampa Bay – 5-11 – Bradley Chubb                 DE                  NC State           6-4        275

  8 Chicago – 5-11 – * Connor Williams                 OT                  Texas               6-6        320

  9 z – San Francisco – 6-10 – * Arden Key            DE                  LSU                  6-6        240

10 z – Oakland – 6-10 – * Orlando Brown               OT                  Oklahoma         6-8        360

11 Miami – 6-9 – * Roquan Smith                          LB                  Georgia            6-1        225

12 Cincinnati – 7-9 – Baker Mayfield                    QB                  Oklahoma         6-0        215

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com has scouting info including updates and in depth Senior Bowl Game and Practice evaluation, Top 100 Prospects in the February Newsletter (19 pages) Available Now

13 Washington – 7-9 – * Derwin James                S                    Florida State     6-3        210

14 Green Bay – 7-9 – * Tremaine Edmunds           LB                  Virginia Tech     6-5        240

15 Arizona – 8-8 –  * Lamar Jackson                    QB                  Louisville          6-3        200

16 Baltimore – 9-7 – * Calvin Ridley                      WR                 Alabama           6-1        190

17 LA Chargers – 9-7 –  Mike McGlinchey             OT                  Notre Dame      6-8        315

18 Seattle – 9-7 – * Joshua Jackson                      CB                  Iowa                 6-1        195

19 Dallas – 9-7 –  * Courtland Sutton                     WR                 SMU                 6-4        215

20 Detroit – 9-7 – Marcus Davenport                    DE                  UTSA                6-7        255

21 y Buffalo – 9-7 – * Denzel Ward                       CB                  Ohio State        5-10      190

22 Buffalo (x Kan City) -10-6 – * Vita Vea            DT                  Washington       6-5        345

23 x LA Rams – 11-5 – * Ronnie Harrison              S                   Alabama           6-3        215

24 y Carolina – 11-5 –  * Carlton Davis                 CB                  Auburn              6-1        205

25 y Tennessee – 9-7 – * Isaiah Oliver                  CB                  Colorado          6-1        190

26 y Atlanta – 10-6 – * Harrison Phillips               DL                  Stanford           6-4        295      

27 x New Orleans – 11-5 – * Da’Ron Payne          DT                  Alabama           6-2        310

28 x Pittsburgh- 13-3 – Rashaan Evans              LB                  Alabama           6-3        235

29 x Jacksonville – 10-6 – Mason Rudolph           QB                  Oklahoma St     6-5        230

30 x Minnesota – 13-3 – Anthony Miller               WR                  Memphis           5-11      190

31 x New England – 13-3 – Martinas Rankin         OT                  Mississippi St    6-5       305

32 x Philadelphia – 13-3 – * Derrius Guice            RB                  LSU                  5-11      215

NFL 2018 Player Award Winners
Rams and Saints Win Double Player of the Year and Rookie Awards

Most Valuable Player: 
Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Oldest Player (40) ever to win the MVP Award

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year: 
J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

J.J. Watt raised over $37 million for Hurricane Harvey victims

Photo – DE J.J. Watt – Houston Texans

Offensive Player of the Year
Todd Gurley, RB, Los Angeles Rams

Defensive Player of the Year: 
Aaron Donald, DT, Los Angeles Rams
First time two players from same team won Player of Year awards

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com has scouting info including updates and in depth Senior Bowl Game and Practice evaluation, Top 100 Prospects in the February Newsletter (19 pages) Available Now

Offensive Rookie of the Year: 
Alvin Kamara, RB, New Orleans Saints

Defensive Rookie of the Year: 
Marshon Lattimore, CB, New Orleans Saints
First time since 1967 Lions that two Rookies from same team earned Awards

Comeback Player of the Year: 
Keenan Allen, WR, Los Angeles Chargers

Deacon Jones Award: 
Chandler Jones, LB, Arizona Cardinals

Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award: 
Luke Kuechly, LB, Carolina Panthers

Coach of the Year: 
Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams

Assistant Coach of the Year: 
Pat Shurmur, OC, Minnesota Vikings

Washington Trades for Chiefs’ QB Alex Smith – Kirk Cousins to Test Free Agent Market

In an unofficial trade due to the trading deadline starting March 14th, the Washington Redskins acquired veteran QB Alex Smith from Kansas City for their 3rd round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft (78th pick overall) and young corner Kendall Fuller.
The veteran Smith had one year left on his contract and will sign a four-year extension for $91 million with $71 million guaranteed with the Redskins on the opening of the NFL year and trading period.

Smith will now be under contract for five years at $111 million. He led the NFL in passing efficiency this past season, but became expendable with the Chiefs after they moved up in the first round last April to select QB Patrick Mahomes. The trade cost them both last year and this year’s #1 picks in a deal with the Bills. The Redskins traded for Smith to replace free agent veteran Kirk Cousins who has been franchised the past three years and will test NFL Free agency this March. Negotiations with Cousins have been stagnant during his franchise label period with no progress related to any long term deal. He will be in high demand by several clubs including the Broncos, Jets, Jaguars and Bills.

The Chiefs added two year cornerback Kendall Fuller who had a breakout 2017 season and has the talent to win the corner spot opposite Pro Bowl corner Marcus Peters. It addresses a major need on the Chiefs defense. The Chiefs now have their own #2 and #3 picks, in addition to the Redskins #3 selection this April

Senior Bowl – QB Prospects, Kyle Lauletta and Mike White Outshine Top Prospects Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield

The Senior Bowl 2018 in Mobile, Alabama are a setting for two highly regarded QBs, Josh Allen of Wyoming and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma. Both players are ascending prospects and are considered potentially top 5-10 overall selections with strong postseasons. They were outshined by two South QBs, Kyle Lauletta and Mike White who engineered a dominated 45-16 South victory. Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta earned Player-of-the-Game honors, along with receivers D.J. Chark of LSU and Central Florida’s Tre’quan Smith. Lauletta put on a strong performance that moved him into the middle tier of QB prospects in this deep class. Lauletta displayed a strong arm with accurate throws including 3 TD passes.

Photo – QB Mike White – Western Kentucky

Western Kentucky QB Mike White looked like an emerging pro prospect off a strong performance after a consistently good week of practices. He has fine size, touch and arm strength with the ability to sit in the pocket and deliver strikes. He is a rising prospect with the talent to surprise. Josh Allen actually played for two shifts of the game after an erratic week of practices. After a subpar start of the game in the first quarter, he came back in the 2nd half and had a strong finish going 9 of 13 passes for 2 TDs. He shows a tenacity NFL clubs look for in a leader. Baker Mayfield went only 3 of 7 before calling it a day. He had a solid week of practices and impressive interviews with a few clubs. His overall showing has him earmarked for the first half of the 1st round.

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com was at the Senior Bowl for the week long practices. Scouting info including updates and in depth Senior Bowl Game and Practice evaluation will be in the early February Newsletter (19 pages) Available this week.

San Diego St RB Rashaad Penny was our #1 Player to Watch for the Senior Bowl and he did not disappoint. He was one of the main reasons why the South blew out the North. He had an impressive 34-yard run along with a 73-yard TD reception. Penny displayed the speed to run away from defenders at over 220 lbs. with the soft hands to be a three-down pro back. His NFL Combine performance will be watched closely as he continues to ascend the draft charts.

Texas San Antonio DE Marcus Davenport: Davenport came to the Senior Bowl as a rising prospect who scouts wanted to see vs big tackle prospects. He impressed at time, though had a few disappointing periods. He looked to impress in the game on Saturday and made a strong showing. He was very disruptive off the edge and pressured the passer continuously. Though he needs to be more explosion off the snap, he uses his long reach well to separate from blockers and be disruptive with fine closing speed to the passer. He was still able to penetrate despite double teaming at times. He has risen to the first round of the NFL Draft and maybe a top 101-5 selection with a strong NFL Combine.

Senior Bowl Statistics
Quarterbacks 
Comp/Att / Yards/ TDs/ Int.
5 LAULETTA,KYLE 8-12 198 3 0
14 WHITE,MIKE 8-11 128 1 0
17 ALLEN,JOSH 9-13 158 2 0
6 MAYFIELD,BAKER 3-7 9 0 0

Running Backs 
Carries/ Yards/ TDs / Long/ Avg
20 PENNY,RASHAAD 9 64 0 34 7.1
25 SMITH,ITO 9 35 0 11 3.9
7A BALLAGE,KALEN 10 57 0 16 5.7
25 WADLEY,AKRUM 8 38 0 15 4.8
21 SAMUELS,JAYLEN 10 37 0 8 3.7

Receivers
Receptions / Yards / TDs / Long
7 CHARK,DJ 5 160 1 75
4 SMITH,TRE’QUAN 5 79 1 42
84 GALLUP,MICHAEL 3 60 0 31
80 SMYTHE,DURHAM 3 48 1 27
88 GESICKI,MIKE 3 39 0 22
83 CONKLIN,TYLER 2 20 1 16
88 AKINS,JORDAN 2 31 0 19

Senior Bowl 2018 – Game Day
Players to Watch – NFL Draft

The premier All-star game, the Senior Bowl is today with updated rosters for their 2018 games and the official Weigh-in and practices. This All-star game has been cornerstone during the postseason where hundreds of scouts evaluate the nation’s top pro prospects for the NFL Draft. Th Senior bowl roster annually dominates the NFL Draft seven rounds and has a long legacy of alumni with many of them having gone to the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Houston Texans and Denver Broncos have been selected to coach the 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl. The Texans, led by recently resigned fourth-year head coach Bill O’Brien, will guide the South team, while Vance Joseph who finished his first year as head coach of the Broncos, will guide the North.

Both the NFL Network and ESPN will televise the practices during the week and NFL Network will carry the game live on Saturday.

Senior Bowl 2018 – Sat, January 27, 2018 –
NFL Network – 2:30 pm EST

Senior Bowl Players to Watch – NFL Draft 2018
Quarterbacks
Baker Mayfield – Oklahoma
Josh Allen – Wyoming
Luke Falk – Washington St
Mike White – Western Kentucky

Running Backs
Ito Smith – Southern Miss
Kevin Ballage – Arizona St
Rashaad Penny – San Diego St
Arum Wadley – Iowa

Wide Receivers
Michael Gallup – Colorado St
D.J. Chark – LSU
Allen Lazard – Iowa St
Jaleel Scott – New Mexico St
J’Mon Moore – Missouri
Tre’Quan Smith – Central Florida

Tight Ends
Mike Gesicki – Penn St
Ian Thomas – Indiana
Troy Fumagalli – Wisconsin
Adam Breneman – UMASS
Durham Smythe – Notre Dame

Offensive Linemen
Isaiah Wynn – Georgia
Will Hernandez – Texas-El Paso
Tyrell Crosby – Oregon
Brandon Parker – North Carolina A&T
Alex Cappa – Humboldt St
Cole Madison – Washington St

Defensive Ends
Emolo Turay – Rutgers
Marcus Davenport – Texas-San Antonio
Tyquan Lewis – Ohio St
Jalyn Holmes – Ohio St

Tackles
Harrison Phillips – Stanford
B.J. Hill – N. C. St
JUSTIN JONES – N. C. St
Poona Ford – Texas

Linebackers
Shaqem Griffin – Central Florida
Marquis Haynes – Ole Miss
Fred Warner – BYU
Darius Leonard – South Carolina St
Mike McCray – Michigan
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo – Oklahoma

Cornerbacks
Levi Wallace – Alabama
Michael Joseph – Dubuque
Danny Johnson – Southern
Duke Dawson – Florida
Siran Neal – Jacksonville St

Safeties
Marcus Allen – Penn St
Armani Watts – Texas A&M
Kameron Kelly – San Diego St
Quin Blanding – Virginia

Senior Bowl – Top QB Prospects, Josh Allen and Baker Mayfield Looking To Shine This Week

The Senior Bowl 2018 in Mobile, Alabama is the setting for two highly regarded QBs, Josh Allen of Wyoming and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma. Both players are ascending prospects and are considered potentially top 5-10 overall selections with strong postseasons. The two highest rated QB prospects currently are Sam Darnold of USC and Josh Rosen of UCLA, both underclassmen and not eligible for any All-Star postseason play.

Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield is coming off a Heisman Trophy season and a terrific performance in the Sooners’ semi-final loss to Georgia. He was a late arrival in Mobile that was delayed because of a family illness matter. He missed the official weigh-in session where scouts were hoping to finally find out how tall he actually is and if he measures in over 6’. After the Tuesday afternoon Senior Bowl practice, he measured in at 6-0 3/8” and 216 lbs. to finally put to rest this drama. He will practice this week and hopefully play in the Senior Bowl classic on Saturday.

Josh Allen of Wyoming checked in at 6047 at 237 lbs., 33.5″ arm length and 10 1/8″ hands. His hands were the biggest of the Senior Bowl group of eight. He is a fourth-year junior who qualified for the Senior Bowl by graduating fall 2017.

He made it clear at Senior Bowl Media Day on Tuesday that, if selected first overall by the Cleveland Browns, he would relish being the leader for the pathetic franchise.

“It’s a tough situation obviously to come in as a rookie and expect to be perfect right away. I know that I have a lot of flaws as a quarterback,” he explained. “Given an opportunity of being able to go to Cleveland and help change the culture there and be a part of a really good team. They’re a young team, so they’re going to be really good in the next coming years. They’re doing the right things with their new GM.”

“To get the opportunity to go there and kind of be the guy would be special, but like I said, they’re going to do what’s best for the franchise.” The Browns hold multiple early selections including two first round choices, the 1st and 4th overall picks. They hold four of the top 35 overall selections plus a few multiple middle round selections, giving the Browns leverage to move up and down within the early rounds.

Allen impressed scouts with his weigh-in on Tuesday not only measuring 6-4 7/8” and 237 lbs., but his huge hand size of 10 1/8” and strong arm. He needs to impress this week vs top competition and working with NFL coaching staffs to address issues related to his level of competition and a few lackluster 2017 performances.

For Complete Senior Bowl info including updates and roster changes
Go to https://www.seniorbowl.com/

Allen is Frank Coyle’s 3rd QB currently after Darnold and Rosen. He hopes to make a case for the first overall selection. The Browns have young veteran QBs in DeShone Kizer and Cody Kessler who have struggled in their short careers with zero wins and poor passing statistics. In addition to Cleveland, clubs like the Giants, Colts, Broncos and Jets, all in the top 6 choices are interested in a young QB. The two selections in the top 4 picks puts the Browns in an interesting position to addition two positions with possible impact performers.

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com is at the Senior Bowl for the week long practices. Scouting info including updates and in depth Senior Bowl Game and Practice evaluation will be in the early February Newsletter. January Newsletter (19 pages) available now.

WR Daurice Fountain Named Shrine Game Offensive MVP

University of Northern Iowa wide receiver Daurice Fountain was named the 93rd annual East-West Shrine Game Offensive MVP after his impressive performance against some of the nation’s best competition on Saturday.

The honor marks the first time that a player from UNI has earned the MVP distinction for the game. Fountain joins the likes of Jimmy Garoppolo (2014), Steve Smith (2001), Jeff Garcia (1994) and Brett Favre (1991) who have won the Shrine Game’s coveted Offensive MVP award.

WR Daurice Fountain – Northern Iowa“It was truly a blessing,” Fountain said about his MVP honor. “You could’ve never told me at the beginning of the week that I was going to have this kind of production. I’m thankful for the opportunity and happy that I met so many great people this week. This whole experience was just surreal.”

Daurice Fountain was Frank Coyle’s #1 Sleeper at the East-West Game – posted on this site Thursday

The former Panther wideout caught three passes for 61 yards, while also racking up 40 yards on punt returns for the afternoon. Fountain ripped off two huge plays on Saturday, the first being a 38-yard catch and run that set up the East squad with a field goal, while the second big play came on a 30-yard punt return in the third quarter to set up his team with another scoring opportunity.

The West won Saturday’s game by a narrow margin of 14-10. The West’s Natrell Jamerson of Wisconsin won Defensive MVP honors after retuning a fumble 68 yards for Saturday’s first touchdown of the game.
Fountain finished his Panther career as just the sixth player to rank in the Top 10 for catches (150), yards (2,077) and touchdowns (23) at UNI. In 2017, Fountain hauled in 66 catches, racking up 943 yards and 12 touchdowns.

For Complete East-West Shrine All-start Game info including Game stats and in depth Game and Practice evaluation – Go to http://www.shrinegame.com/

Frank Coyle and staff of DraftInsiders.com will proceed to the Senior Bowl for the Monday weigh-in and practices. Scouting info including updates and in depth Game and Practice evaluation will be in the early February Newsletter. January Newsletter (19 pgs) available now.