2011 NFL Mock Draft: No. 32) Green Bay Packers: Ryan Kerrigan (Purdue) - Bleacher Report

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The 2010 Super Bowl Champions round out the first round with Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan, though some would say it would be a tragedy for Kerrigan to go this late.

At 6'4" 255-pounds, Kerrigan has the size and strength to mix it up at the next level. A four-year player at Purdue, Kerrigan has sacked the quarterback 24 times in the past two seasons with the Boilermakers and has the perfect motor for a team like Green Bay.

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Top 11 Results and Top 9 Week

Finalists Naima Adedapo and Thia Megia were eliminated tonight on American Idol after they received the fewest of the record-setting more than 55 million votes. On Wednesday's performance show, the Top 11 performed the songs of Sir Elton John, and Adedapo, 26, from Milwaukee, WI, sang "I'm Still Standing," and Megia, 16, from Hayward, CA, sang "Daniel." Tonight's episode also featured performances by Season Three Idol winner Fantasia and a musical collaboration by will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas and Academy Award and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx.

On Wednesday, April 6 at 8/7c, the Top 9 finalists - Casey Abrams, Lauren Alaina, James Durbin, Stefano Langone, Jacob Lusk, read more

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Happy Birthday, Trenyce!

Season 2's Trenyce celebrates her birthday today. She was originally placed in Group 1 of the semifinals, which was a talented group that included Julia DeMato, Charles Grigsby, and Kimberly Caldwell among others. Thanks to the wild card round, Trenyce earned a spot in the Season 2 finals and made it all the way to fifth place!

Towards the end of 2008, Trenyce joined the national tour of Ain't Misbehavin' with her Season 2 pal and champ Ruben Studdard and Season 2 hopeful Frenchie Davis. The Tony-Award winning musical was nominated for a Grammy last year for "Best Musical Show Album," which Trenyce, Ruben, and Frenchie were a part of.

Happy Birthday, Trenyce!

See all the Season 2 contestants who hit the road on the summer tour in our new tour section:
http://www.americanidol.com/tour/season_2/

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Record-Breaking Votes and Compilation Album

Last night, after the Top 11 finalists performed the songs of Sir Elton John, more than 55 million votes were cast, setting a new American Idol voting record for this early in the competition.

During the most dramatic results show in Idol history, finalist Casey Abrams was saved from elimination last Thursday by the American Idol judges after he received the fewest of America's votes. Watch the final moments of the save. With the save no longer an option, two finalists will be sent home during the live results show tonight, Thursday, March 31 at 8/7c on FOX.

Also tonight, Season 3 Idol winner Fantasia will perform her latest hit, "Collard Greens & Cornbread," and will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas and Academy Award and Grammy winner Jamie Foxx will perform their first-ever musical collaboration on the Idol stage. The duo will sing "Hot Wings (I Wanna Party),"an original song written for the highly anticipated animated feature film "Rio."

While you wait for tonight's show, download the "American Idol Top 11 Redux Season 10" album compilation, which features the Top 11's Elton John songs.

Casey Abrams "Your Song" produced by Rodney Jerkins
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Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Draft countdown: Pick No. 29 - Pro Football Weekly

Posted March 30, 2011 @ 2:29 p.m. ET

Overview: The fact that all 10 players picked with the No. 29 selection over the past 10 years remain in the league shows just how valuable the spot can be. Packers DT Ryan Pickett, who was drafted all the way back in '01, started in Super Bowl XLV. PFW found that the 29th pick, held by the Bears in 2011, has been very good to the teams with the selection:

2010: Jets select Boise State CB Kyle Wilson
Wilson started the first three games of his NFL career, recording 14 tackles as the Jets got off to a 2-1 start. He made just three more starts the rest of the way, but likely will compete for a starting job in 2011 if Antonio Cromartie, who is due to become a free agent, does not return.

2009: Giants select North Carolina WR Hakeem Nicks
After a solid rookie season, Nicks broke through in 2010 with 79 receptions for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 13 games. On the field, he resembles Hall of Famer Michael Irvin and likely will become the Giants' top target for years to come.

2008: 49ers select North Carolina DE Kentwan Balmer
Balmer never played a major role in San Francisco during his first two seasons and was traded to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick after falling out of favor with head coach Mike Singletary. He started 11 games in Seattle last year, tallying 43 tackles.

2007: Ravens select Auburn OG Ben Grubbs
Grubbs made his first career start for the Ravens in Week Five of the '07 season and has held on to his spot ever since. The 27-year-old is both strong and athletic, and he has become one of the NFL's more underrated guards.

2006: Jets select Ohio State C Nick Mangold
The three-time Pro Bowler has held his own in the middle of the Jets' O-line since Day One. Mangold has never missed a start in his five-year career and was rewarded with a lucrative contract extension last year.

2005: Colts select Michigan DB Marlin Jackson
Jackson showed the potential to be a productive NFL corner but has struggled to stay on the field. He played in just 11 games for the Colts from 2008-09 and missed all of last season with a torn ACL after signing with the Eagles.

2004: Falcons select Ohio State WR Michael Jenkins
Jenkins has been a steady and productive receiver over his seven-year NFL career, reeling in at least 436 yards and 36 receptions in each of the past six seasons. Jenkins' best year came in '08, when he produced 50-777-3. He's a solid No. 2 option to Pro Bowler Roddy White.

2003: Packers select Oregon State MLB Nick Barnett
The speedy Barnett recorded 105 or more tackles in each of his first five seasons in making himself a key part of the Green Bay defense. However, he has finished two of the past three seasons on injured reserve and the team adequately replaced him last season after he went down with a wrist injury in Week Four.

2002: Bears select Boston College OT Marc Colombo
After failing to impress in Chicago, Colombo has revamped his career with the Cowboys since arriving in Dallas in ’05. He has become a regular starter at right tackle, starting every game in which he has played since 2006.

2001: Rams select Ohio State DT Ryan Pickett
Pickett has been a serviceable defensive tackle over the past 10 years. Splitting his career between the Rams and Packers (five years apiece), Pickett has made 9½ sacks. He started in Super Bowl XLV and made two tackles in Green Bay's win.

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The Top 11 in 60 Seconds

The Top 11 sat down with us to answer some rapid-fire questions in just 60 seconds. Watch all eleven videos to find out fun facts like the one food each finalist can't live without, their favorite childhood toy, nicknames they may or may not want you to know, and more!

Click each name to watch:

Casey Abrams in 60 Seconds
Haley Reinhart in 60 Seconds
Jacob Lusk in 60 Seconds
James Durbin in 60 Seconds
Lauren Alaina in 60 Seconds
Naima Adedapo in 60 Seconds
Paul McDonald in 60 Seconds
Pia Toscano in 60 Seconds
Scotty McCreery in 60 Seconds
Stefano Langone in 60 Seconds
Thia Megia in 60 Seconds

<... read more

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Live Chat with Anthony Fedorov Tonight

Season 4 finalist Anthony Fedorov has had an unbelievable month. While in Japan to perform as Joseph in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, he experienced the devastating earthquake that struck the nation. Fortunately, he was unharmed and is back in the states. Tonight, Season 4's fourth place finalist will have a LIVE video chat with fans.

Currently, Anthony is working on his record. To ask him you questions and join the chat at 7pm EST, click here.

Read our interview with Anthony from last month.

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Karen Rodriguez Looks Ahead

Soon after Karen Rodriguez was eliminated from Season 10 in twelfth place, the bubbly American Idol finalist hopped on a press call. She opened up about being a bilingual singer, Jennifer Lopez, and the road ahead.

Karen's favorite moment of her Idol experience was the "fact that I got to record 'I Could Fall in Love' and it's selling on iTunes. Just to be able to look up my name and something comes up out of it. You know, 'I Could Fall in Love' is sung by my idol, Selena. She's the reason I began singing...I was five or six years old and she really inspired me. Her life was taken away so fast and she never got to see her song progress. And just to be able to perform it on live television and have people buy it off of iTunes and have people tweet me and tell me, 'I love your version. You're making Selena proud.' That's what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to keep her memory alive, and I wanted to just let people know that Latinos are back, basically. So I'm just very happy about that."

The 22-year-old made it known that she's a big fan of judge Jennifer Lopez, ... read more

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Idol Wrap-Up

Some of your favorite Idols spent the past couple of weeks making news and shaking up the music charts. Check it out!

American Idol Kelly Clarkson and country singer Jason Aldean's "Don't You Wanna Stay" was last week's most-played country single, putting it at #1 on USA Today's Country radio chart, as well as the USA Today American Idol airplay chart.Kelly announced that her yet-to-be-titled new album's release date has been pushed back to September.

Meanwhile, Season 5 ninth place finalist Mandisa's "Stronger" is part of the Top 10 in the Christian AC. Season 6 Top 10 Finalist, Chris Sligh's "One" is new to the Idol airplay chart.

Season 10 judge Jennifer Lopez's "On The Floor" has reached #30 on the Top 40 chart and #31 on the Rhythmic chart this week. The single was last week's top-selling digital track, topping the half-million mark after just three weeks, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Last week, American Idol David Cook's cover of Simple Minds' "Don't You (Forget About Me)" makes its chart debut, selling almost 13,000 copies. You can hear the song each Thursday on the American Idol results show as the eliminated finalist watches their farewell package.

Season 8 runner-up read more

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

Happy Birthday, Michael Sarver!

Season 8's tenth place finalist, Michael Sarver, turns the big 3-0 today! The former oil rig worker and father of two has been busy working on his music since his time on American Idol.

Michael released his self-titled debut album in 2010 with Dream Records/Universal. The album includes the singles "You Are," "Cinderella Girl," and "Ferris Wheel." The winter before he released his album, he sang new music while on the "American Stars in Concert Tour" with fellow Season 8 alum Alexis Grace, Season 7's David Hernandez, and Season 6's Gina Glocksen.

Although Michael was eliminated during the Top 10's Motown week, this month Michael has been touring the country with "American Stars in Concert: Motown," where he's joined by David and Gina again, as well as Season 6's LaKisha Jones.

Happy 30^th Birthday, Michael!

Read our exclusive interview with Michael from August.

Source: "American Idol 10 Live Feed" via Glen in Google Reader

2011 NFL Draft: Ryan Williams, Jake Locker and 8 Other Potential Draft Steals - Bleacher Report

As the entire football world looks forward to the NFL Draft at the end of April, many teams are looking to the late rounds in order to fill team needs and find players that can turn their franchises into Super Bowl contenders.

Draft steals in the later rounds can make or break a franchise.

A player like Tom Brady does not come around every year, but when one does the lucky team that takes him can become a dynasty overnight.

This list counts down ten players that can be considered draft steals, as they will be taken later than the first round and make significant impacts within the first seasons with their new teams.

No. 10: Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

Greg McElroy may be one of the biggest question marks at the quarterback position in this entire draft class, but his college record and his score of 43/50 on the NFL Wonderlic Test may be encouraging signs of things to come.

McElroy won a BCS National Championship with Alabama in 2009-10 and has thrown for over 2,000 yards in the last two seasons.

In 2010, he led the Crimson Tide to a strong 9-3 record before a convincing victory over the Michigan State Spartans in the Capital One Bowl.

The biggest thing hindering McElroy's draft status is the fact that he will be coming off hand surgery next season. He suffered a broken metatarsal on his throwing hand in the Senior Bowl and it has limited his ability to showcase himself at both the NFL Combine and Alabama's pro day.

Draft Projection: Fourth-Sixth Round

No. 9: Casey Matthews, ILB, Oregon

It is reasonable to believe that much of Casey Matthews' draft hype stems from the successes that his brother Clay has had with the Green Bay Packers. Although there may be a strong comparison, Casey Matthews is an entirely different player and could even be the next great NFL star.

Matthews has a good frame to play linebacker in the National Football League, as he stands 6'2" and weighs in around 240 pounds.

Matthews compiled 229 tackles and four interceptions while also getting to the quarterback nine times.

Pass-rushing may not be a specialty of Matthews', which could cause teams to pass on him as an inside linebacker. Expect him to be a bit of a utility linebacker early in training camp but eventually work himself into a starting role.

Draft Projection: Third-Fourth Round

No. 8: Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech

Ryan Williams is considered by many to be the third-best running back in the entire 2011 NFL Draft class.

Injuries and missed playing time hindered his stats for much of the 2010 season, but that did not stop the sophomore from scoring nine touchdowns in just nine regular-season games.

Williams has scored a combined 30 touchdowns in only two seasons with Virginia Tech and rushed for over 2,000 yards on slightly above 400 attempts.

His college workload was relatively light compared to other runners in the class, which could bode well for him at the professional level. Expect teams to take a chance on Williams by either moving up to acquire him or taking him higher than expected.

Draft Projection: Late-First to Mid-Second Round

No. 7: Brian Burton, CB, Utah

Brandon Burton saw increasing success with every passing season with Utah but still does not have strong enough numbers to be taken in the top two rounds.

However, Burton did gain a reputation as a strong tackler and good coverage player, as he recorded 51 tackles and seven pass deflections last season.

Burton only recorded three interceptions and one forced fumble with the Utes, but managed to become a reliable option covering many teams' second or third receiving options.

Burton will probably fall during the draft because of his poor catching ability. Only three interceptions for a player with multiple pass deflections sometimes worries scouts, and that could end up being the result here.

Draft Projection: Third Round

No. 6: Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

Andy Dalton is slightly undersized as a potential quarterback in the NFL, but that has not stopped the former TCU Horned Frog from having an accomplished collegiate career. Dalton is on top of the record books for wins by a TCU quarterback and has thrown for over 10,000 yards and 71 touchdowns in his college career.

Dalton is a quarterback who will be drafted more on his leadership ability and statistics rather than his physical size and strength. Dalton stands at 6'3" but has a slightly small build, at 220 pounds.

Dalton is also coming out of a college offense that has many different formations and schemes, as TCU runs more of a pro-style than many other schools.

Draft Projection: Third to Fourth Round

No. 5: Brian Rolle, LB, Ohio State

Brian Rolle can best be described as a speeding bullet coming out of Ohio State's backfield on Saturdays.

Rolle is a bit undersized at only 5'11", but makes up for it in speed and pure athletic ability.

According to his draft profile on NFL.com, Rolle will best be used as either a second-string linebacker or a special-teams player. Many people disagree with that assumption, as his work ethic and intelligence may result in him becoming a starter early on.

Over his four-year career with the Buckeyes, Rolle had a total of 206 tackles, four interceptions and four sacks.

Draft Projection: Sixth Round

No. 4: Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon State

Stephen Paea may have been a top-20 pick if he did not tear his lateral meniscus at the Senior Bowl a number of weeks ago.

Even though his injury is reportedly healing according to schedule, teams are questioning his durability and mobility once he returns to football.

If Paea can return healthy, he is a physical power unmatched by anyone else in the draft. Paea broke an NFL Combine record with 49 consecutive bench press repetitions with 225 pounds on the bar.

If those numbers weren't impressive enough, Paea weighed in at 295 pounds at the combine and recorded over 120 tackles in just three seasons with the Beavers.

Draft Projection: Mid-Second to Early Third Round

No. 3: Leonard Hankerson, WR, Miami

Leonard Hankerson has every intangible an NFL scout dreams about with his superior size and ability. Hankerson had a career year in 2010, as he caught 72 passes for 1,156 yards and 13 touchdowns, but struggled at times with dropped passes and separation.

Hankerson does not have great speed but is a significant talent when it comes to playmaking ability. Over his entire career with the Hurricanes, he had 134 receptions for 2,160 yards and 23 touchdowns.

Hankerson will not be a No. 1 receiver for an NFL team in the near future, but he will be a quality slot option and a good pass catcher in traffic.

Teams like the Cleveland Browns, St.Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers will be looking at Hankerson to help provide some depth at wide receiver.

Draft Projection: Second Round

No. 2: Jake Locker, QB, Washington

Jake Locker would have been a much higher draft pick if he had not decided to return for his senior season with the Washington Huskies.

Locker has a strong arm and the ability to be accurate, but played behind a poor offensive line throughout most of his career as he was sacked a total of 74 times in four seasons. Locker was also forced into some poor throws, which resulted in high interception totals.

Even though it's easy to make excuses for Locker's poor play, he will need to improve at the NFL level in order to become a starting quarterback.

In his four seasons with the Huskies, Locker threw for 53 touchdowns and 7,639 yards with a career-long pass of 98 yards in 2007-08.

Draft Projection: Mid-Second Round

No. 1: Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

The fact that Kyle Rudolph may fall out of the first round entirely should be astounding to NFL fans.

Rudolph is without a doubt one of the best tight ends in the entire draft class and has consistently played at a high level throughout his career.

Rudolph's 2010 season was cut short due to injury, which has resulted in a significant drop in his draft stock. However, teams know he is a game-changing tight end and that his talents deserve to be rewarded with a high draft pick.

Rudolph recorded only 28 receptions and three touchdowns last season, as he was limited to only six games. Throughout his career, he compiled over 1,000 yards receiving and 8 touchdowns.

Teams that run the West Coast offense or are looking to rebuild love drafting highly talented tight ends. Rudolph will more than likely go to a team that struggled last season, but he should make a significant impact early in his career.

Draft Projection: Early-Second Round

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