Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore lead list of members
of 2012 UConn defense who are playing pro football

The adage is that defense wins championships but during the 2012 season, a plethora of professional prospects on the defensive side of the ball wasn't enough to keep UConn from limping to a 5-7 final record.

When Byron Jones will be the seventh member of that defensive squad to be taken in the NFL Draft. B.J. McBryde has put himself in position to get into an NFL training camp as well. If that happens, 15 defensive players from that team would have had a taste of professional football. Perhaps safety Andrew Adams, defensive end Kenton Adeyemi and defensive tackle Julian Campenni, who will be seniors on the '15 UConn squad, can add to that list that is if Angelo Pruitt doesn't find his way into an NFL training camp this year.

It started in the 2013 NFL Draft when cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh Wilson and linebacker Sio Moore were all taken in the third round. Defensive end Trevardo Williams went in the fourth round.

Here's a breakdown of the defensive players from the 2012 team

Player                        2012 statistics           Pro team
Yawin Smallwood    120 tackles, 15 TFL  7th round pick by Atlanta Falcons, on Tennessee roster
Jory Johnson             95 tackles                  Leads Bemidji of IFL in interceptions and tackles for loss
Sio Moore                 78 tackles, 8 sacks    140 tackles, 7.5 sacks in 26 games with Oakland Raiders
Dwayne Gratz           53 tackles, 3 INTs    3 interceptions in two seasons with Jacksonville Jaguars
Ryan Wirth               51 tackles, 10 TFL    Was in rookie camp with Baltimore Ravens
Blidi Wreh-Wilson   47 tackles                  11 passes defended in 24 games with Tennessee Titans
Trevardo Williams    11/5 sacks                 5 tackles and sack in 3 games with Washington Redskins
Taylor Mack              28 tackles                 Signed by CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats on April 14
Shamar Stephen        26 tackles                  23 tackles in 16 games as rookie for Minnesota Vikings
Tim Willman            18 tackles, 3 sacks    Was in rookie camp with Jacksonville Jaguars
Jesse Joseph              12 tackles                  Drafted by CFL's Montreal Alouettes, took part in Chicago Bears rookie camp
Ryan Donohue           5 tackles                  Was in rookie camp with Philadelphia Eagles
Teddy Jennings          1 tackle                    Set Arena Football League's Philadelphia Soul record with 11 sacks during 2014 season

MUELLER NAMED TO HAMPSHIRE SOCIETY HONOR SOCIETY
Adam Mueller, a three-year starting long snapper, earned spots on the conference's all-academic teams in each of his four seasons at UConn. Now comes an even more impressive honor.

Mueller was the lone UConn player named to the National Football Foundation's Hampshire Honor Society which is limited to players who attained at least a 3.2 grade-point average throughout their college careers. Mueller was one of 817 players to be honored by the NFF.

There are also 11 players from Yale, seven from Wesleyan and three from Trinity College on the list including 2014 NFF National Scholar-Athletes Tyler Varga from Yale and Trinity's Mike Mancini from Rocky Hill. Looking very quickly at the list, I also saw Cheshire's Rob Bowman from UNH (the one in New Hampshire) and Wallingford's Brett Biestek from Fordham.

There haven't been many positives for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season but the play of former UConn linebacker Danny Lansanah has been a revelation. Lansanah had an interception in Sunday's 27-7 win over Washington. It was his third interception this season, the most for any linebacker in the league.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson had his best game of the season according to the Pro Football Focus site. He was targeted nine times and gave up just three catches for 22 yards. It was the second time this season Wreh-Wilson allowed less than 50 percent of the targets against him to be completed.

Robert McClain, who had just six tackles in the previous four games, moved back into a prominent role on the Atlanta Falcons' defense after Robert Alford was knocked out of Sunday's game against Carolina with a wrist injury. McClain had four tackles in the game and with Alford expected to miss 2-4 weeks, McClain is expected to start for the Falcons.

However, the former Husky making the most news this week is Dwayne Gratz. With the Jacksonville Jaguars have a bye Gratz was in Miami and his arrest for allegedly causing a disturbance after his attempt to pay for items with bubble gum was rebuffed made national headlines. According to multiple media reports, he was arrested after refusing to leave the store.

Will Beatty, OT New York Giants: Started in 16-10 loss to San Francisco
Donald Brown, RB San Diego: Had one carry for no yards and a 4-yard catch in 13-6 win over Oakland
Darius Butler, CB Indianapolis: Had two tackles in 42-20 loss to New England
Marcus Easley, WR Buffalo: Returned to action for first time in nearly two months but did not have catch or tackle in 22-9 loss to Miami
Dwayne Gratz, CB Jacksonville: Bye week
Ryan Griffin, TE Houston: Did not have catch in 23-7 win over Cleveland
Danny Lansanah, LB Tampa Bay: Had two tackles and interception in 27-7 win over Washington
Robert McClain, CB Atlanta: Had four tackles including tackle for loss in 19-17 win over Carolina
Sio Moore, LB Oakland: Had nine tackles in 13-6 loss to San Diego
Dan Orlovsky, QB, Detroit: Did not play in 14-6 loss to Arizona
Kendall Reyes, DT San Diego: Had one tackle in 13-6 win over Oakland
Anthony Sherman, FB Kansas City: Had a 13-yard catch and two tackles in 24-20 win over Seattle
Shamar Stephen, DT Minnesota: Had one tackle in 21-13 loss to Chicago
Jordan Todman, RB Jacksonville: Bye week
Blidi Wreh-Wilson, CB Tennessee: Had three tackles and two pass breakups in 27-24 loss to Pittsburgh

Former UConn cornerback Dwayne Gratz finished with a team-high six tackles while playing the first and second quarters in the Jacksonville Jaguars' 20-19 loss to Chicago in Thursday night's preseason game.

Gratz did get flagged for a couple of pass interference calls (one that was declined due to the result of the play) but he still looked pretty good for Jacksonville.

It was a different deal for former Husky Jordan Todman who only gained 18 yards on eight carries. He did have a 29-yard kickoff return and caught three passes for 24 yards.

In two preseason games Todman has carried the ball 13 times for 23 yards which is not the way to make a case for being the No. 2 tailback behind Toby Gerhart. There have been reports that former Central Florida running back Storm Johnson is pushing Todman for the No. 2 job although the rookie only had 35 yards on 14 carries. Former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson is the running back putting up the best numbers in the preseason with 70 yards in the games against Tampa Bay and Chicago.

While his former UConn teammates Yawin Smallwood and Shamar Stephen will be waiting to see where they will be drafted later this week, Dwayne Gratz will be appearing at an event on behalf of the Jacksonville Jaguars in England.

Gratz and fellow second-year Jaguars Denard Robinson and John Cyprien will take part in NFL Draft related events in London,

A year ago Dwayne Gratz got a baptism by fire into the NFL while dealing with a couple of ankle injuries forcing him to miss six games during his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Gratz, the first of the five UConn players taken in the 2013 NFL Draft, told the Florida Times-Union that he is looking to improve his footwork as well making better use of his hands in his second season.

Gratz started eight games as a rookie as he finished with 32 tackles and two interceptions. Jacksonville was 2-0 in games when Gratz had an interception and 2-6 in games when he failed to come up with a turnover.

Defensive end Jesse Joseph became the third member of the 2013 UConn football team to accept an invitation to play in a postseason all-star game.

Joseph, who had 40 tackles including six tackles for loss as a senior and finished his career with 15 sacks, will be playing in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in Carson, Calif. on Jan. 18.

While Joseph is hoping to open the eyes of NFL scouts during the practice sessions and in the game, he does have the option of playing in the CFL as the native of  Laval, Quebec was takeb by Montreal with the 23rd overall pick in May's CFL Draft.

Offensive tackle Jimmy Bennett will be playing in the Medal of Honor Bowl and defensive tackle Shamar Stephen has been selected to play in the Senior Bowl.

The news is not all good for former UConn defensive standouts as cornerback Dwayne Gratz, a rookie cornerback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, is not expected to play in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Colts due to an ankle injury. With the Jaguars already being eliminated from playoff contention, Gratz will finish his rookie season with 32 tackles and two interceptions as he started eight of the 10 games he played in.

It's hard to imagine there has been a day where so many different UConn products made splash plays on the same NFL weekend.

Jordan Todman had a 5-yard touchdown run, his second of the season, and Dwayne Gratz had five tackles and an interception in his return to the starting lineup as the Jacksonville Jaguars defeated Tennessee for their first win of the season. Todman also had a 2-yard catch and returned three kickoffs for 99 yards including a 46 yarder.

Donald Brown scored the Indianapolis Colts' only touchdown on a 13-yard reception and finished with 64 yards on five receptions in a 38-8 loss to St. Louis.

Ryan Griffin caught a 2-yard touchdown pass, the first of his NFL career, in the Houston Texans' 27-24 loss to Arizona. It was his first catch in nearly a month as Griffin had his first two career catches in an Oct. 13 loss to St. Louis.

Sio Moore had a sack, a forced fumble and a team-high nine tackles in Oakland's 24-20 loss to the New York Giants. There aren't any stats for offensive lineman but Giants left tackle Will Beatty started and helped the Giants' Andre Brown run for 115 yards.

Also, Marcus Easley had his first two career receptions as he had 13 yards on a pair of catches in Buffalo's 23-10 loss to Pittsburgh.

Kendall Reyes had four tackles in San Diego's 28-20 loss to Denver.

Today is a huge one for former UConn players on the proverbial roster bubble as NFL teams have to get down to the regular-season maximum 53-player rosters.

While the list of cuts start trickling in, I figured I would post about where the UConn players finished in preseason stat lists.

Jordan Todman, who has made Jacksonville's 53-man roster, was the second-leading rusher in the preseason with 223 yards averaging an impressive 7.7 yards per carry.

Ryan Griffin, a sixth-round pick of the Houston Texans, finished second with 14 receptions while Buffalo's Marcus Easley was tied for seventh with 12 catches and second with 223 receiving yards.

Dwayne Gratz of Jacksonville was tied for second with two interceptions and Trevardo Williams of the Houston Texans was tied for fourth with 3.5 sacks.

It's not all good news as there are multiple reports out of Oakland that Raiders' rookie linebacker Sio Moore could miss the season opener with a toe injury. If that is the case it would only be a temporary setback with Moore, who is expecting to make a major impact for the Raiders.

With a wave of cuts on the horizon it is now or never for the former UConn stars who are fighting to make it onto the regular-season roster.

Running back Jordan Todman continues to make a statement that he belongs by ripping off a scintillating 63-yard TD run as part of an eight-carry, 105-yard rushing performance in the Jaguars' 31-24 loss to Philadelphia.

With injuries limiting the preseason work of the Jaguars' top running backs, Todman has had plenty of chances to show what he is capable of and he is making the best of his situation. He is currently ranks third with 163 rushing yards in the preseason.

"Any opportunity I get, my goal is to score and make a big play," Todman said in a post on the Jaguars official site. "I’m definitely trying to take advantage of every opportunity. I leave it on the field every day.”

In the same game rookie cornerback Dwayne Gratz intercepted his second pass of the preseason which ties him with three other players for the preseason lead.

As for other UConn products in action:

Donald Brown rushed five times for 35 yards and Darius Butler had two tackles in the Indianapolis Colts' 27-6 win over Cleveland

Danny Lansanah had three tackles in the New York Jets' 24-21 overtime win over the New York Giants.

Nick Williams had two catches for 19 yards during the final scoring drive in Washington's 30-7 win over Buffalo.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson had a tackle and pass breakup in Tennessee's 27-16 win over Atlanta. Robert McClain had solo tackles for the Falcons.

Kendall Reyes had a pair of solo tackles in San Diego's 24-7 win over Arizona.

Four more former Huskies could be in action when New Orleans plays Houston as Lawrence Wilson is a linebacker with the Saints and linebacker Trevardo Williams, tight end Ryan Griffin and receiver Michael Smith play for the Texans.

Also, up North former UConn TE John Delahunt had one catch for 18 yards as the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats defeated Winnipeg 37-14.

Danny Lansanah (47) celebrates with his New York Jets teammates
after making an interception against Jacksonville on Saturday.

On Friday it was Marcus Easley continuing to make a push for a roster spot with the Buffalo Bills and Saturday night fellow former Huskies Danny Lansanah certainly helped his chances of making the opening-day roster of the New York Jets with an impressive interception in a 37-14 win over Jacksonville. Lansanah also had a solo tackle in the game. For Jacksonville, Dwayne Gratz had three tackles while Jordan Todman ran six times for 13 yards.

Also, UConn's career sack leader Trevardo Williams recorded his first two quarterback sacks in Houston's 24-17 win over Miami. Ryan Griffin had three catches for 32 yards in the game for the Texans

Blidi Wreh-Wilson finished with two solo tackles in Tennessee's 27-19 loss to Cincinnati.

Also, in Canadian Football League action John Delahunt had his second touchdown catch of the season with a 1-yard TD grab in the first quarter in Hamilton's 37-18 win over Winnipeg and Larry Taylor had 166 all-purpose yards in Calgary's 26-22 loss to British Columbia.

Just the trace of a smile appeared on Byron Jones' face as he contemplated the odyssey he will embark on in his third year as a starter in the UConn secondary.

Jones has been a playmaker at safety since earning a starting position as a redshirt freshman back in 2011. He even got to dabble a bit as a cornerback when starter Blidi Wreh-Wilson missed four games. Now he will get a more extended turn as a corner as the coaches made the decision to have him change positions following the graduation of Wreh-Wilson and Gratz.

"I was a corner in high school my junior year and I moved to safety my senior year so I didn’t get a lot of time there," Jones said. "Before that I was a quarterback so I didn’t play defense until my junior year. I still have a little bit of experience from freshman year playing corner and I’ll try to use that to carry over to the position this year."

Jones has been one of the most productive on the nationally-ranked UConn defense in the last two seasons. As a freshman he made 51 tackles and had two of the Huskies' 18 interceptions. He was third on the 2012 UConn team with 88 tackles so he will bring a physicality to the position. He is also an elite athlete as UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni said the only player he coached with a better vertical leap than Jones was former Syracuse receiver Rob Moore who posted three 1,000-yard receiving seasons in his 10 years in the NFL.

With the loss of six senior starters Jones is being asked to take on a larger leadership role as well.

"It is a position that I am happy to take and I have no problem with it so I am excited to get going," Jones said.

Jones believes he will benefit from being on the field with Gratz and Wreh-Wilson in the last two seasons as he saw how the two players, who were taken in the third round in April's NFL draft by Jacksonville and Tennessee respectively, not only played the cornerback position but also were able to shake off any lingering issues when they gave up a big play.

"Those guys were tough, physically tough, mentally tough, those guys didn’t break for anything," Jones said. "Corner, you are out there by yourself, you have your own island and you have to protect that island or else. That is one of the things I like about the position. There is a lot I need to do to be a good corner to put my name in the same sentence as Blidi and Gratz I have a lot to learn. I am excited for the work that is ahead of me."

The first steps will be taken tomorrow as UConn holds its first preseason practice.

I took a ride up to Worcester earlier today so I could catch up with former UConn kicker Dave Teggart who hosted the first camp as part of the Teggart Total Kicking program he recently started with his father. A story on how he decided to become a kicking coach will appear in tomorrow's edition of the Register.

However, don't think for a minute that this endeavor means that he is giving up on his aspirations to be a kicker in the NFL.

Teggart impressed at a kicking showcase in Arizona in March which resulted in a tryout with the Seattle Seahawks. Although he was not signed by Seattle, he is hoping he opened enough eyes there to be on the radar when a team needs a kicker.

He was signed as a free agent by Chicago coming out of UConn and made it to training camp but he was unable to unseat the Bears’ incumbent kicker Robbie Gould. He spent six months in Los Angeles working out under former NFL kicker Michael Husted that culminated with an impressive showing at a showcase in March.

“Robbie Gould he is a great kicker,” Teggart said. “He is a great guy to learn from but competing against a guy like that, I think he is pretty safe there. It was a great learning experience, I learned from the best. I went to California and trained. At a showcase in Arizona in March, won the field goal portion and I ended up they flew me to Seattle for a workout.

“Hopefully I keep getting these workouts,” Teggart said. “All I can control is staying ready and be ready when I get the call.

“There are so many kickers out there and so few spots. I have no illusions that it is easy. Obviously it is not the easiest position to make it, there are four quarterbacks, four linebackers for each position and for kickers there is only one. You have to get lucky and stay ready; you never know when the call is going to come. I will always stay in shape, always stay ready. I am still booming the ball. I am going to keep training forever, it is one of those things that I can use my abilities to help kids and keep myself in shape.”

Teggart said the biggest improvement he has made as a kicker has come on kickoffs since he knew that a kicker who struggled kicking the ball off has little chance to making it an NFL roster.

“I feel like I am kicking better than I ever have,” Teggart said. “At UConn I never really (kicked off) because we had Desi Cullen and he got it into the end zone every time and Chad (Christen) does very good kickoffs and I never really got the chance to showcase that ability. That is something I have improved upon; field goals have never been a problem for me it is just kickoffs. I am putting the kickoffs out of the end zone now and it is just a matter of getting into the right place at the right time, have somebody see me and take a chance on me.

Regardless of whether Teggart ever appears in an NFL regular-season game, his legacy in Connecticut was forever sealed when he blasted a 52-yard field goal against South Florida in the 2010 regular-season finale to kick the Huskies into a BCS game and showdown with Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.

“That was one of my favorite moments to be able to go to a BCS game like that,” Teggart said. “At the time when you are lining up you are not really thinking of all the things that go with it. You are like ‘man, I’ve got a kick here and I’ve got to treat it like an extra point. I have to put it through or we are going to lose.’ That whole experience, that whole Fiesta Bowl ride, that was something you will never forget.”

I also addressed some other UConn-related topics with Teggart including his take on seeing five of his former UConn teammates (Dwayne Gratz, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Sio Moore, Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin) taken in April's NFL draft.

"It goes to show everyone of those guys who were drafted are great people off the field as well," Teggart said. "I am really good friends with all of them and it just goes to show how much off the field matters as much as one the field. They are all great guys and they deserve everything they get. I wish them luck in the upcoming season."

When current UConn kicker Chad Christen missed four field goals in a loss to Temple, he told the media that Teggart was one of the first people to reach out to him.

"I have known Chad for a long time," Teggart said. "I have developed a great relationship with him over the time he was here, he was my holder for two years. He had a huge game winner against Louisville and believe me I was up on that screen watching. I was dying for him ‘hey, you’ve got to make it.’ When he did, I was going nuts. I was probably more excited than if it was me kicking it."

Finally here are Teggart's thoughts on his time at UConn.

"UConn was the best four years of my life," Teggart said. "It is indescribable what I think of that place, all the fans, everybody treated me great. Coach Edsall gave me a shot and Coach Pasqualoni when he came in he treated me very well. It has given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had any other place, I attempted more field goals than any other place in the country. UConn is a great place to be a field goal kicker, we were always in tight end games and we were always kicking field goals. I loved every minute at UConn."

Dwayne Gratz became the latest UConn product to sign his rookie NFL contract.

The Jacksonville Jaguars announced that Gratz and fellow rookie defensive back Johnathan Cyprien were signed by the team.

There have been reports that both Gratz and Cyprien could be opening-game starters for Jacksonville.

Gratz started 41 career games at UConn and recorded 189 tackles and eight interceptions. He was the first of the five former Huskies selected in April's NFL draft.

With a program-record five players drafted and three others heading into NFL training camps, it's been a rather productive few days for the UConn football program.

The question now is what are the draft prospects for UConn in 2014?

At first glance the answer is that it will be nowhere like it was this year.

Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, Trevardo Williams and Ryan Griffin came into their seniors seasons as known commodities since they have been making plays since they were freshmen or sophomores. It's not a huge shock that they caught the eyes of NFL scouts. Nick Williams, Michael Smith and Ryan Wirth, who are heading into training camps as undrafted signees, all had the talent and enough impactful moments to get invites from NFL teams.

Looking at the current group of UConn football seniors and it seems to be a different story.

Many of the seniors in line to start next season would be players like Taylor Mack, Tim Willman and Ryan Donohue who have been role players in the past. The most experienced seniors are defensive end Jesse Joseph and offensive linemen Jimmy Bennett, Kevin Friend and Steve Greene.

I took a look at the www.nfldraftscout.com site's 2014 NFL draft database and the players at the top of the positional rankings are Greene (the No. 61 rated offensive guard) and Cole Wagner (the 24th rated punter) which would make both of them free agents at best. Defensive end Tim Willman, defensive tackle Shamar Stephen, offensive linemen Friend and Tyler Bullock and running back Martin Hyppolite also are in the database. Obviously there's plenty of time for the UConn players to create waves but I would have to think that if the Huskies have a year similar to the one they just had that not too many scouts will be pursuing the veteran offensive linemen. However, if they turn the corner and emerge into a dominant offensive line, that will only help their chances to getting into NFL camps in 2014.

Recent history has shown that UConn's best showings in the NFL draft have come in odd numbered years with four players taken in both the 2009 and 2011 drafts and the five taken this season. That trend could be continuing in 2015.

I would have to think that linebacker Yawin Smallwood will be a sought after prospect with NFL prototype size. Defensive backs Ty-Meer Brown and Byron Jones and receivers Geremy Davis and Shakim Phillips could also emerge into NFL prospects.

On the surface it appears that all three of the former UConn players drafted on Friday night are walking into pretty good situations.

Dwayne Gratz was the first of the trio to go when Jacksonville selected him with the 64th pick. Jacksonville's first-year head coach is former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley who built an outstanding defense around the play of a pair of physical cornerbacks.

Gratz was known as a willing and capable hitter during his tenure with the Huskies and without established stars at cornerback ahead of him, he has a chance to compete for a significant role as a rookie.


“He has to compete to do it,” Jacksonville general manager David Caldwell said in an interview posted on the team's official site. “He has the skill set to do it and we hope that he comes in and does it. Obviously that’s going to go around through the OTAs, mini-camp and through training camp.

“The best guy’s going to start, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a third round, first round, second round, or college free agent. I think the best guy’s going to start.”

Moore, who went to Oakland with the 66th overall pick, is walking into a team which lost two of its best linebackers. Philip Wheeler, who led the Raiders with 109 tackles during the 2012 season, signed as a free agent with Miami while former first-round pick Rolando McClain was released after some off the field issues. He was signed by Baltimore but recently made the news for the wrong reasons with another off the field incident.

Wreh-Wilson may have the toughest competition if he wants to earn a starting job as a rookie as the Titans return starting corners Jason McCourty and Alterraun Verner but assistant secondary coach Steve Brown believes Wreh-Wilson has the potential to make an impact as a rookie.


"He is a very athletic, talented player," Brown said in a video interview on the Titans' official site. "They did a real fine job of coaching him at UConn both the corners, both him and Gratz are very similar. The nice thing about him is he is athletic, he can play the ball in the air, he can play press, he can play off. He has really good reaction skills and he can run so it is going to be great working with him plus he is a very right young man, a very personable guy and he has never missed class so I don't have to worry about him missing a meeting."

Dwayne Gratz moved his way up draft boards following the end of his college
career and ended up being the first UConn player taken in the 2013 NFL draft.

The first two rounds came and gone and none of UConn's NFL draft hopefuls heard their names called.

However, the hours of breathless anticipation ended in a flurry of activity with Dwayne Gratz, Sio Moore and Blidi Wreh-Wilson going within seven picks of each other early in the third round.

“I was nervous, anxious, everything,” Gratz said. “I was thinking about so much. I didn't where I was going to end up, what’s next chapter in my life. After watching a few cornerbacks got picked up it got even worse but once I got the call everything went away and I was excited.”

If Gratz was excited when his name was called, you could imagine his emotions when he saw Moore and Wreh-Wilson taken in rapid succession.

“It was exciting to see all of my teammates (drafted) because we all put in the hard work playing at UConn for five years and it was great to see them rewarded for their hard work,” Gratz said.

“We all wanted to see each other go high. It didn't matter who went first or who went last. We are all teammates and we all want to see each other do well. It felt good, I am not going to lie to you because I was always the underdog. A lot of people didn't know me, the type of player I was, the type of person I was and being able to be the first one it was an honor.”

When he wasn’t taken by the end of round two, Moore expressed his frustration on Twitter and vowed to play with a chip on his shoulder whenever he did get the call.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore went five picks apart in the third round in the NFL draft

“It is what I am used to, the whole process just reinforced that,” Moore said of being overlooked. “I’m glad I came to Oakland Raiders, they know they go the best linebacker in the class and I am glad to be a part of that organization."

Moore said he jumped out of his seat when he saw Gratz's name pop up on the television screen just minutes before he realized a lifelong dream by being drafted.


"I did jump out of my chair, he knows what I feel like," Moore said.  "He is not a friend, he is not a teammate, he is my brother."

Many draft experts thought Wreh-Wilson would be the first UConn player taken and there was even a thought that he may join Donald Brown (the 27th pick of the 2009 draft) and the only first rounders to come out of UConn. However, Wreh-Wilson's agent told him to expect to go in the range where he was selected.


"My agent gave me a range and it was within the range that he gave me so I kind of knew what was coming my way," Wreh-Wilson said. "When 3 (Moore) and 7 (Gratz) went, I knew 5 was coming soon."

He knew that Tennessee had significant interest in him thanks to a conversation with a Tennessee scout during UConn's pro day.


"Before the pro day I was supposed to have a workout with them and they came to the pro day," Wreh-Wilson said. "While everybody  was on the bench, I wasn't on the bench because I did it at the combine but the area scout had told me he was disappointed I didn't work for him because Dwayne and I were supposed to do a workout. He said 'it kind of makes you look bad, this and that.' and I said 'I left like the pro day would be the best opportunity for me to show what I could really do.' They obviously had some concerns that I didn't work out for them  but at the end of the day they ended up picking me so  I am just glad they did."



Trevardo Williams, UConn's career sacks leader, was also considered a possibility to go in the third round but he will have to wait until Saturday to see which team selects him.

Two other players with Connecticut ties went in the third round. Meriden’s John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of the University of Georgia, was taken with the 82nd pick by New Orleans while New London’s Jordan Reed, a tight end out of Florida, was taken by Washington with the 85th pick

Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore lead the list of former
UConn players expected to be taken in the NFL draft.

All the workouts and interviews are in the books, the countless hours of film study are also complete and now it is finally time for the NFL draft.

For a handful of former UConn players it is a couple of days they won't soon forget.

It's a foregone conclusion that cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson, linebacker Sio Moore and defensive end Trevardo Williams will heat their names called but the question is which day and by what team.

Donald Brown is the only UConn player to be taken in the first round when the Indianapolis Colts selected him with the 27th overall pick in the 2009. Will he have some company after all 32 first-round picks are announced tonight?

Wreh-Wilson figures to have the best shot of going in the first round although most of the pre-draft databases have him slated as a second rounder. There have been mock drafts with Wreh-Wilson going late in the first round so that means a long night of watching and wondering for the two-time UConn captain as the first round is held tonight. Tomorrow figures to be a special day in UConn football history with as many as four Huskies going by the end of the third round. The NFL draft marathon ends on Saturday with rounds 4-7.

The NFL Network's Mike Mayock, considered by many to be the best NFL draft analyst in the business, has Moore as his top-rated UConn prospect at No. 64 in his final pre-draft Big Board which is two spots ahead of Wreh-Wilson and eight ahead of Gratz.

This draft is intriguing on a variety of levels for the UConn prospects. Of course you have the story line surrounding whether Wreh-Wilson or perhaps even Moore could sneak into the end of the first round and then will four Huskies be gone by the end of day two or will one of them have to wait. Finally, you have players like tight end Ryan Griffin and linebacker Jory Johnson would have a chance to hear their names called late in the draft or at least will get signed as free agents. They could have company as receivers Michael Smith and Nick Williams, tight end John Delahunt and offensive guard Adam Masters are in some draft prospect databases.

Barring a stunning development, there will be a player from Connecticut taken in the first round tonight - kind of. Bjoern Werner out of Florida State is one of the top defensive ends available in the draft and his football career began at Salisbury. As for the former Connecticut public school stars, I would guess that Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins, who played at Maloney High in Meriden, will be the first one taken. Jenkins' situation is similar to that of Wreh-Wilson as he figures to go either late in the first round or in the second round. Other Connecticut natives to keep an eye on are Florida tight end Jordan Reed out of New London and Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison from Stratford who are projected to go between rounds 3-5.

                                                                                                                          (Associated Press photo)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Sio Moore could be taken in second round in the upcoming NFL draft

I reached out to Senior Bowl Executive Director Phil Savage, the former general manager of the Cleveland Browns for a couple of NFL Draft preview stories I am working on and I thought I would share some of his thoughts on the UConn players expected to be taken in the NFL draft.

Savage got to see cornerbacks Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson and linebacker Sio Moore as they all played in the Senior Bowl. Defensive end Trevardo Williams was also selected to play in the Senior Bowl before an ankle injury sidelined him but Savage was at the NFL scouting combine so he was able to see Williams put on an impressive show there.


"I was impressed with UConn’s prospects with those two (Gratz and Wreh-Wilson) and then Sio Moore who was a late add to our game and Trevardo Williams fits and he draws interest from teams who runs a 3-4 and the kid from Mobile Jory Johnson who actually played (in the Raycom Classic) who will probably end up being a free agent or a late-round pick at most. They are a good team to watch because they play a pro-style system under Paul (Pasqualoni). Most teams have one defensive back in the whole group that is a possibility of being drafted and they are going to have two corners and maybe even three linebackers too.

                                                                                          (Associated Press photo)
Dwayne Gratz, seen during the NFL combine, is one of four former UConn
players who could be taken in the first four rounds in the NFL draft.

"I thought Sio really elevated himself. He was a late addition to the game. He came in, was vocal, played with a lot of energy and really showed up in the game itself. He filled up the stat line. There were times when the tape of the season doesn’t match up with what we saw at the Senior Bowl practices and in the game. The positive is he definitely has the capability and I think he can fit in either scheme. I think he is scheme friendly as a 4-3 Mike (middle linebacker) or Will (weakside linebacker) or in a 3-4. I personally don’t see him as a pass rusher. I think he is a better blitzer than rusher but he will play on special teams and I think he is a good worthwhile prospect and I would venture to guess somewhere in the third or fourth round area as well based on what he did at the Senior Bowl and he had a good combine too, he tested well there. The tapes didn’t always reveal the ability he had but at the combine he stood out.

"He is 240 so he is big enough to play inside the box, he has enough quickness to blitz, he uses his hands well and he seems to have a nose for the ball. He has a knack for showing up around the ball and I think he drew quite a bit of attention this spring."

Williams was only able to go through one day's worth of drills before his ankle injury sidelined him. Ironically, Moore was brought in to take his spot on the roster.

"Unfortunately for him, he came in and had a little bit of a bum ankle before he got here and was only able to practice one day," Savage said. "I did watch a bit of tape on him during the season. He plays defensive end there and I think he projects well as a 3-4 outside linebacker. I don’t think he can be a full time defensive end in the NFL, he is not big enough but as a 3-4 outside backer he’s got some good qualities. He has good acceleration, good first step off the edge, he plays hard especially when he gets a whiff of the quarterback he seems to be able to finish the deal. I am not sure how he has worked out this offseason. I wasn’t privy to how his workouts went in terms of position drills went as an on his feet linebacker but based on his pass rush skill and the fact that he does look like he moves around pretty well I would think that he is going to be a mid-round guy for somebody looking for a 3-4 outside backer that might be a good developmental candidate."

Savage sees Wreh-Wilson as the better prospect among the two UConn corners although he is impressed with Gratz as well.


"I think with Blidi he has height, he has long arms, I think he is a good athlete but I think at times he can get a little leggy in terms of his change of direction. He is going to be attractive to those teams looking for the taller corner with long arms. My impression of him based on conversations with scouts in the league is that he is somewhere in the second or third round area. I know in some of the mock drafts, at least early on, they were putting him in the first round but I don’t think he is going to go in the first round. I think he is more of a second-round corner that will play on the outside. I don’t think he is necessarily a nickel or slot corner, I think he is more of an outside, cover 2 zone style corner.

"Dwayne Gratz he is physically built, he has some explosiveness in his body. For a vertical standpoint, he is a little tight in terms of the change of direction stuff. The good news is he is big enough and physical enough of being a safety if it doesn’t turn out at corner. I think he is another prospect who fits a bigger corner who plays predominantly cover two. He is a willing run supporter. He is a good prospect. I think he is rated a little lower than Blidi based on the conversations I’ve had and based what he did in the Senior Bowl game because he is a little tighter athletically. I think he is probably a third or fourth round."

Finally, I asked him about Meriden's John Jenkins, a defensive tackle out of Georgia, who could very well be the top Connecticut native taken in the draft.

"I like John," Savage said. "I went during training camp in August and watched all of their practice reps and pass rush because Georgia would take him out when it was a passing situation his junior year and even a lot his senior year. He was kind of an early down run defender and when I watched those practice videos, the one on ones in the pass rush and based on what he did at the Senior Bowl in the pass rush drill, I think he has a chance and I think he offers more than maybe what he has gotten credit for by some of the scouts. An obvious comparison is Terrence Cody who played at Alabama and ended up in the second round to the Ravens (with the 57th pick in the 2010 draft). I do the broadcasts for Alabama and I know Cody well but personally I like John Jenkins more. I think he is a better athlete, I think he has a better body. I think he gives you more potential in pass rush. I think he will go a little earlier than that (57th pick). I will be disappointed if he doesn’t. He is an ideal 3-4 nose candidate."

                                                                                  (Associated Press photo)
Ryan Griffin, seen making a catch against South Florida as a senior, moved
up 10 spots to be rated as the No. 17 tight end by the NFL Draft Bible site.

The NFL Draft Bible site released its final "Big Board" for the upcoming NFL draft and of the 10 UConn products on the list nobody made a bigger jump than Ryan Griffin who moved up 10 spots and was ranked as the 17th best tight end in the draft. Grffin's jump enabled him to go from being a projected free agent to be a seventh rounder.

Sio Moore is the highest rated UConn player as he is the No. 5 outside linebacker (up one spot from the most recent list) and Adam Masters moved from No. 83 to 81 among offensive guards.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Trevardo Williams held steady as they came in as the No. 8 cornerback and No. 9 outside linebacker while Dwayne Gratz fell two spots to the No. 16 CB and receivers Michael Smith (from 78 to 80) and Nick Williams (112 to 113) fell slightly.

Among the non-UConn in-state natives, the player to make the biggest jump going from being the No. 20 to No. 15 wide receiver.

The site ranks players by position and projects which round the player will go in. Moore leads the way as a projected second rounder, Williams and Wreh-Wilson are second or third rounders with Gratz going in the fourth round.

The NFL Network's Mike Mayock released his top 100 prospects recently and three Huskies made the list.

Moore checks in at No. 64, two spots ahead of Wreh-Wilson with Gratz rated No. 72 overall. Georgia defensive tackle John Jenkins out of Georgia is rated as a potential second-round pick by the NFL Draft Bible site and is Mayock's No. 71 overall prospect.

                                                                     (Associated Press photo)
Blidi Wreh-Wilson (left) and Sio Moore are both projected to be second-round
 selections in the NFL Draft Bible database which was released on Thursday.

The NFL Draft Bible site released one of the largest databases of draft prospects with 10 members of the 2012 UConn team among those prospects listed.

The list of more than 1,500 players is done by position. Sio Moore, who was the No. 6 outside linebacker Blidi Wreh-Wilson (No. 8 CB) and Trevardo Williams (No. 9 OLB) were the only UConn products to crack the top 10 at their position. A total of 10 Huskies are on the list (actually the number is 11 but Jesse Joseph is listed as the No. 69 defensive end and he is still a member of the Huskies).

Here's the list:
Rank Player Position  Projected round
6 Sio Moore OLB                   2
8 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB          2
9 Trevardo Williams OLB      2/3
14 Dwayne Gratz CB            2/3
27 Ryan Griffin TE                 FA
45 Jory Johnson OLB           FA
68 John Delahunt  TE            FA
78 Michael Smith WR           FA
83 Adam Masters OG           FA
112 Nick Williams WR          FA

Also listed is former UConn safety Jerome Junior is the No. 50 listed strong safety, the University of New Haven has three players listed as Ryan Osiecki is the 68th quarterback, Kameel Lashley is the 70th rated tight end and Jason Thompson is 159th at the wide receiver position. New Haven native Jeremy Moore out of Georgetown is the 95th rated cornerback sack, Meriden's John Jenkins out of Georgia is No. 5 defensive tackle while Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison out of Stratford is 20th at his position.