Given the style of running back that Ball is and his ability to pick up the blitz he looks like the replacement for Willis McGahee.  Ronnie Hillman figures to see the change of pace touches leaving Knowshon Moreno, Lance Ball (the other testicle), Mario Fannin and Jeremiah Johnson to fight for the back up roles and practice squad spot.  Montee Ball is also a good receiver out of the backfield which was never a big strength for McGahee, although he did snag 26 passes in 2012.  It’s also a good sign that Peyton Manning was quick to start texting Ball about learning the playbook, although Peyton probably texts the 3rd string team chef about working on his spaghetti sauce (detailed would be an understatement when describing the sheriff).

From his 2nd round selection to the bringing in of Gibbs it looks very much like Ball was brought in to be the Terrell Davis to Peyton Manning’s John Elway.  What says you?  Is Ball the final piece to the Broncos Super Bowl XLVIII puzzle?

Oct 6, 2012; Austin, TX, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Tavon Austin (1) scores a touchdown during the first quarter against the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Guys who play on Saturdays hope to become stars on Sundays, starting Thursday night when college and pro football collide at the 2013 NFL draft.

OK, maybe “collide” isn’t the best choice of words given the leagues’ concussion issues. Speaking of concussions and bad word choices, I’m brain dead from looking at mock drafts and reading the latest rumors of teams supposedly hoping to trade up or down. I’m not bothering with a mock draft because this stuff is impossible to forecast and this year presents a deep and particularly unpredictable draft.

We’re obsessed with the NFL draft because we’re obsessed with the NFL. And the best and easiest way to win in the NFL is to be able to predict which players will be great, so now we’re obsessed with mock drafts (even if it’s pointless to attempt predicting this stuff). On Grantland, NFL guru Bill Barnwell’s pre-draft column basically said the whole thing’s a crap shoot and NFL teams may or may not know how to draft any better than you or I do, and the best thing I read about the draft all week was by Rolling Stone political writer Matt Taibbi.

The most exciting thing about the 2013 NFL draft, for me, is the fact that two West Virginia Mountaineers will likely be the keys to how the first round of the draft will play out. Geno Smith, the concensus top-ranked QB, has been speculated to go as high as somewhere in the top 5 or to perhaps slip and slide all the way down to a team with an established starter (like Aaron Rodgers fell to the Packers in 2005).

WR Tavon Austin is one of the most electrifying game-changers available and, despite all the offensive and defensive line talent at the top of this draft (and teams always looking for those big, safe first-round picks), every team should consider drafting Austin or trading up to get into position to do so. Why? THE GUY SCORES TOUCHDOWNS. Give him the ball, on a quick slant or bubble screen, on a reverse or even delayed-draw hand off, or on kick/punt returns, and he can take it to the house. Herm Edwards famously reminded us that “You play to win the game,” and many awful announcers have said the team that scores the most points will win. Tavon Austin will score points in bunches, and that’s the only thing I know I’m sure of heading into the 2013 NFL draft.

As for the things we don’t know… here are a few bold predictions sure to go wrong:

• The Cleveland Browns will pick QB Geno Smith with the sixth overall pick, and trade Brandon Weeden for a mid-round pick. Too soon to give up on Weeden? Maybe, but there’s a whole new regime in Cleveland, and they’ve already brought in veteran QB Jason Campbell who can either play well until Smith is ready and/or mentor Smith as a solid backup (and he’s a mature pro who will accept either role). And Weeden turns 30 in October.
• Eddie Lacy and Montee Ball might be the top two RB’s drafted, but UCLA’s Jonathan Franklin (the 8^th-ranked RB on NFL.com) will be a superstar and easily have the best pro career of any RB in this class.
• During ESPN’s draft telecast, Jon Gruden will say “I love this guy” 14,682 times. And the corpse of Chris Berman will undoubtedly attempt some form of “Star Lotulelei is sure to be a star in this league” joke.
• Whichever blue-chip offensive lineman falls to the Eagles at number 4 will end up the best of this class and they’ll land QB E.J. Manuel in the 2^nd or 3^rd round.
• Tavon Austin will not go to the Jets, Panthers, Saints,or Rams (picks 13-16) because the Dolphins will beat them to the punch by taking Austin at number 12.
• No matter if they pick for offense or defense, if they make a great pick or a questionable one, the Jets and Bills fans will be shown on TV booing. Actually, that’s the only sure thing at the NFL Draft.

Jan 1, 2013; Pasadena, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) during a touchdown run against the Stanford Cardinal during the 2013 Rose Bowl game at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

In my first mock draft I had Montee Ball barely getting picked in the first round, by the Atlanta Falcons with the 29th pick. Hard to believe for someone with such an accomplished college career. He had one of the best careers of all time. He ran for 83 touchdowns and 5,140 yards.

That is more touchdowns than anyone in history. Another IMG client, he spoke about those doubting how he’ll fare in the NFL.

“They say I’m not special,” Ball said, via Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com. “They say I’m not especially fast. They say I’m not especially big. Well, fine, I’ll take that as a compliment. They’re not tearing me apart. They’re just saying that I don’t do one thing special. So what? If you’re pretty good all the way around, then you can be a very good running back.”

But if we know anything about the draft it is that even the experts get it wrong with some sort of relative frequency. I mean Ryan Leaf #1, and Tom Brady #199? You can find hundreds of stories like that in the NFL. And Montee Ball thinks he is one who is going to be overlooked because he isn’t fast enough and doesn’t have a glamorous 40 time at the scouting combine.

“Curtis Martin and Terrell Davis,’’ Ball said. “People said the same thing about them. They didn’t do anything special. Well, they both ended up having pretty good careers.’’

But the benefit of not being a high draft pick is that you can get picked up by a better team, the ones that draft last. It would also give you a better chance of landing up with a team you prefer. I mean who really wants to get drafted by Kansas City in the first round for any other reason than #1 pick money.

“I don’t have any dream scenario of what team I want to go to or what kind of offense I want to be a part of,’’ Ball said. “I just want to go somewhere and get a chance to be a three-down back and show what I can do.’’

Just give the kid a shot, he could tear up the NFL.

New to NFLSpinZone.com is the latest feature, “Scout’s Corner.”

Every week on Tuesday and Thursday, we will focus on one of the draft eligible prospects for the 2013 NFL Draft. At season’s end, we will have compiled a healthy stockpile of scouting reports for you all to use as you gear up for the draft. Scout’s Corner will feature in-depth scouting report that will be updated with regularity. You will be able to find all of the scouting reports in one spot by just CLICKING HERE.

If you would like to request a scouting report, simply send a reply to me on Twitter at @jnsanchez.

This week, we take a look at Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball, who received numerous accolades last season while leading his team to a berth in the Rose Bowl. Ball was named the Big Ten’s top running back, along with Offensive Player of the Year but that is just the beginning of Ball’s accomplishments.

After rushing for 39 touchdowns in 2011 — which tied the NCAA single-season touchdown record — Ball was named one of the five finalists for the Heisman Trophy. While he fell short in Heisman voting, he was named a consensus All-American.

There is no doubt that Ball is an extraordinarily talented back who will be looking to keep rolling along with his impressive numbers. Unfortunately for Ball, four offensive lineman have departed from last season’s starting line-up so he will be rushing behind an unproven group.

Dec 3, 2011; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball (28) celebrates with teammates after the game against the Michigan State Spartans at the Lucas Oil Stadium. The Badgers defeated the Spartans 42-39. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-US PRESSWIRE

To get the scoop on Wisconsin’s star running back, continue on for the latest edition of Scout’s Corner.

NOTE: All measurables taken from Ball’s athletic bio.

Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 212-pounds

Strengths: Ball is a very powerful back who will fight through arm tacklers and roll to the endzone. As you can see from his numbers, Ball is a very productive rusher and a touchdown machine. Ball will pick up yards after initial contact as a result of his excellent pad level. Ball has great vision and will always find the open holes.

He is a one-cut runner and that is what NFL scouts like to see from a college back.

He is an every down back that will also produce in the passing game and contribute as a pass blocker. Ball is a very hard-worker and uses his resilience to finish runs falling forward. His physicality will translate well to the NFL game.

Weaknesses: Ball has the power but he lacks the long speed. He is able to hit the hole hard but he needs to show that he has the second gear that would allow him to pull away from defenders. Ball also needs to prove that he is not just a product of an outstanding Wisconsin offensive line. While he is solid in multiple aspects of his game, there is still plenty of room for Ball to improve.

Overview: Ball is the best Wisconsin running back prospect in the past few years. He has benefited from playing behind a dominant offensive line but don’t let that take away from what he has achieved. Ball’s vision allows him to be a one-cut runner and that is what NFL scouts like to see. It is just up to him to prove that he is not a product of the Wisconsin line. With four new starters along the unit, he will be given every opportunity this season to prove that he is the real deal.

Currently, Ball looks like a third-round prospect with the ability to jump into the high second-round.

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