Utes That Have A NFL Future

I always enjoy watching college football and one of my favorite parts is trying to figure out what players have a future in the NFL. Last night there were a lot of good players on the field and we have already heard about Pitt and their prospects for the NFL but no one has mentioned the prospects on the Utes.

There were 2 players in my opinion that proved last night they have the talent to play on the next level.... Now as I say that it is important to point out that these players have to continue to consistent play at a high level to get there. Here are they are:

DeVonte Christopher #10, WR-

He played lights out against Pitt, posting: 8 catches for 155 yards and 1 TD. He played a complete game catching quick slants across the middle for 5 to 10 yards and also showing his big play ability with a 61 yard touchdown catch. Now I know it was only one game but let me make case before you start shaking your head.

First of all he has the ideal size for NFL receiver at 6'1" and 200 lbs. He showed flashes of his speed with every catch he had! Maybe the most telling thing from the Pitt game that makes me believe he has a future in the NFL is the play he made when Jordan Wynn under threw him on a long ball. The ball was throw at least 10 yards behind Christopher and required him to stop running and make a play on the ball. He timed his jump and out played the defender for the ball! That is what you call a PLAYMAKER! Someone that can go out and make something happen out of nothing. Oh and by the way he is only a sophomore!


Brandon Burton #27, CB-

If you watched this game on TV you would have seen number 27 breaking up a pass every defensive series. He absolutely shut down Jon Baldwin! If you look at the stats they will be miss leading on Baldwin. He had 4 catches for 71 yards and 1 TD.... but one of those catches was a 44 yard catch that occurred do to a break down in communication between the cornerback and the safety. Take that 1 lucky play away and he would have ended with 3 catches for 27 yards! Baldwin is consider one of the top 5 wide-outs in college football! With that being said now here is my case for why he will play in the NFL.

The Utes defense revolves around the CBs play man to man coverage. That means that each cornerback is left on an "island" meaning they are responsible for not allowing their man to get open... and if he does there is no help there to bail them out. Also it should be noted that this is a talent that has all but been abandoned in the NFL do to the difficulty of it... the NFL runs more zone coverage schemes to provide support to the cornerbacks. That being said Burton first reason for being a top NFL prospect is because he showed he has elite man to man coverage ability in this game. The second reason he his rare combination of size and speed... he is 6' and 185 lbs... and he has speed that scouts dream of with a 4.35 sec 40 yard dash!

Now those were they 2 players that I could not take my eyes off of in the Pitt game but I will continue to give you my opinion on this throughout the season. There are more prospects on the Utes roster but you will have to check back to see who they are another time!