The Football Diner Big Top 5
Assessing the Trends from the Weekend
by Jody Jamieson
17/10/2007
 
In this week's Top Fives we'll be having a look at the 5 guys from the 2007 NFL Draft who have caught my eye thus far through the first 6 weeks of their pro careers. I've decided to be fair and look at two on offense, two in the trenches, and a special teams standout.
 
5. Nick Folk, K, Dallas Cowboys. Round 6, 178th overall pick.
I always have a little love for the kickers in the NFL, and Folk has had a great start. The only field goal that hasn't gone between the posts for him was blocked. Currently 12 of 13 from the field. Perfect on extra points (23 of 23), and held his nerve excellently well last Monday Night in Buffalo to complete an unlikely comeback. More than impressive start for a rookie kicker.
 
4. Tony Ugoh, T, Indianapolis Colts. Round 2, 42nd overall pick.
When Peyton Manning gets time in the pocket, we all know what is going to happen. The Saints and Titans in the first two weeks seemed to target Ugoh as the weak link, but he held up strongly on Manning's blindside and has settled in perfectly to the Colts offense. Ugoh is one of the reasons Manning has gone largely untouched so far this season. Also one of the main jobs of a tackle is to help open up running lanes, and he is creating a lane for Joseph Addai and Kenton Keith to put up some serious yardage this season. All in all an extremely solid start by Ugoh in the NFL.
 
3. Amobi Okoye, DT, Houston Texas. Round 1, 10th overall pick.
Okoye certainly wasn't going to be under as much scrutiny as the Texans last 1st round defensive linemen, and in his first few games in the NFL, he's left himself open to very little criticism. 15 tackles, 4 sacks and a forced fumble. He and Mario Williams have teamed up well on the line to give the Texans pass rush some punch.
 
2. Dwayne Bowe, WR, Kansas City Chiefs. Round 1, 23rd overall pick.
With Calvin Johnson, and Ted Ginn Jr being named as the rookies to look out for at wide receiver, Dwayne Bowe slipped under the radar a little. However in an offense that hasn't always offered great options at wideout, Bowe is assisting tight end Tony Gonzalez very well. 3 touchdowns, with some circus catches thrown in for good measure, and this kid is looking excellent so far. Kansas City need to get something going in the air if only to save Larry Johnson from having to carry the ball another 400 times this season, and hopefully Bowe will be able to keep making plays to keep the trust in the passing game that sometimes you think the Chiefs are only using to open up the running game.
 
1. Adrian Peterson, HB, Minnesota Vikings. Round 1, 7th overall pick.
Peterson would be top of this list in my eyes even without a breakout day against the Bears. 224 yards on the ground with 3 touchdowns is a career day for most players, so to do it in your first couple of games is certainly a way to garner attention from opposition coaches. Peterson now leads the league in rushing yards with 607 yards. He's reminding me a lot of Brian Westbrook. A major receiving threat in the backfield who can run over a defensive back in the secondary. If he can stay healthy, which Westbrook has struggled to do over his NFL career, he could be a major threat. I like to look at records that could be broken or milestones that could be reached by young players one day. 1000 yards rushing and 1000 yards receiving is something you wouldn't be surprised to see Peterson reach at some point in his career.
 
Honourable mentions must go to Calvin Johnson, who was looking rather effective before his injury slowed him down a little. Also Trent Edwards who looked very assured in his first couple of games for the Bills.
 
Interesting Fact
How do you beat the Denver Broncos? Simple, you play to their defensive weaknesses. So when you play a team who leads in the league in pass defense, giving up only 145.6 yards per game, you run the ball. The Broncos rank 32nd in the league in run defense, giving up 187.5 yards per game. That's almost 20 yards more per game than the so far woeful Miami Dolphins, who rank 31st.
 
And Finally...
What can you say about Vinny Testaverde? If we're being honest and realistic, we know that it was a desperation call the Carolina Panthers made after Jake Delhomme and David Carr went down with injuries, but Vinny comes in and looks like he's never been away from the league. 20 of 33 for 206 yards and a TD is not a bad outing when you've only met your new team mates a few days prior. With all due respect to guys like Brady, Manning and Favre, I don't think any of them will be throwing touchdown passes at the age of 43. Will Testaverde be doing it when he turns 44? If he's still starting come Week 11 as he'll turn 44 on November 13th. You wouldn't bet against it either, as you can't keep a good veteran down!