Colorado Buffaloes All-Time Mock Draft

In Part V of CU History Week, six writers have gathered together to draft the best ever Colorado Buffaloes. The goal is to build the best team possible — no messing with fantasy stats or whatever, just build a team that would beat up the others. After going round-by-round, each writer has written an explanation about why their team is the best.

The roster includes the following on offense: quarterback, running back, two wide receivers, tight end, all-purpose, and one offensive lineman to be the whole line. Each team was free to use one of their WR spots on a RB, in case they wanted to run the wishbone offense.

The defense is: one defensive lineman to be the entire d-line, one linebacker to be the whole linebacking corps, one cornerback to play both sides of the field, one safety to play both spots, plus two all-purpose defenders to play whatever you what (e.g. edge rusher or slot corner). We were going to have more defenders, but Anthony thought it would be too convoluted to understand.

There is also one special teamer. Jeff, who is a crazy person, drafted the best one before Matt Russell or Cliff Branch were selected.

Last thing: there is a poll at the end of the article where you need to vote on which team is best.

Round 1

1. Rashaan Salaam, RB — Jeff Hauser

2. Alfred Williams, LB — Anthony Kazmierczak

3. Darian Hagan, QB — Jack Barsch

4. Byron “Whizzer” White, RB — Ted Chalfen

5. Kordell Stewart, QB — Sam Metivier

6. Herb Orvis, DL — Jon Woods

Round 2

7. Stan/Pete Brock, OL — Jon

8. Eric Bieniemy, RB — Sam

9. Laviska Shenault, Jr., WR — Ted

10. Andre Gurode, OL — Jack

11. Phillip Lindsay, RB (AP) — Anthony

12. Chris Naeole, OL — Jeff

Round 3

13. Mike Pritchard, WR — Jeff

14. Deon Figures, CB — Anthony

15. Chris Brown, RB — Jack

16. Daniel Graham, TE — Ted

17. Joel Steed, DL — Sam

18. Rodney Stewart, RB — Jon

Round 4

19. Michael Westbrook, WR — Jon

20. Michael Lewis, S — Sam

21. David Bakhtiari, OL — Ted

22. Kanavis McGhee, LB — Jack

23. Sal Aunese, QB — Anthony

24. Joel Klatt, QB — Jeff

Round 5

25. Mason Crosby, K — Jeff

26. John Stearns, S — Anthony

27. Lawrence Vickers, FB (AP) — Jack

28. Chad Brown, LB — Ted

29. Jordon Dizon, LB — Sam

30. Ted Johnson, LB — Jon

Round 6

31. Chidobe Awuzie, S — Jon

32. Cliff Branch, WR — Sam

33. Paul Richardson, WR — Ted

34. Chris Hudson, CB — Jack

35. Nelson Spruce, WR — Anthony

36. Dick Anderson, S — Jeff

Round 7

37. Terrence Wheatley, CB — Jeff

38. Greg Biekert, LB (AP) — Anthony

39. Matt Russell, LB (AP) — Jack

40. Tedric Thompson, S — Ted

41. Charles E. Johnson, WR — Sam

42. Jimmy Smith, CB — Jon

Round 8

43. Jeremy Bloom, WR (AP) — Jon

44. Mark Haynes, CB — Sam

45. Bobby Anderson, QB — Ted

46. Justin Bannan, DL — Jack

47. Bobby Purify, RB — Anthony

48. Bill Brundige, DL — Jeff

Round 9

49. Frank Clarke, WR — Jeff

50. Leonard Renfro, DL — Anthony

51. Christian Fauria, TE — Jack

52. Mickey Pruitt, CB — Ted

53. Ben Kelly, CB (AP) — Sam

54. Sefo Liufau, QB — Jon

Round 10

55. Shay Fields, WR — Jon

56. J.V. Cain, TE — Sam

57. J.J. Flannigan, RB (AP) — Ted

58. Phil Savoy, WR — Jack

59. Nate Solder, OL — Anthony

60. Joe Romig, LB — Jeff

Round 11

61. Dave Logan, WR (AP) — Jeff

62. Joel Klopfenstein, TE — Anthony

63. D.J. Hackett, WR — Jack

64. Tom Rouen, P — Ted

65. Darragh O’Neill, P — Sam

66. Jon Embree, TE — Jon

Round 12

67. Laval Short, DL — Jon

68. Rae Carruth, WR (AP) — Sam

69. Jimmie Gilbert, LB (AP) — Ted

70. Rashidi Barnes, S — Jack

71. Darrin Chiaverini, WR — Anthony

72. Donald Strickland, CB (AP) — Jeff

Round 13

73. James Kidd, TE — Jeff

74. Ronnie Bradford, CB (AP) — Anthony

75. Mustafa Johnson, DL (AP) — Jack

76. Troy Archer, DL — Ted

77. Joe Garten, OL — Sam

78. Ahkello Witherspoon, CB (AP) — Jon

Round 14

79. Will Oliver, K — Jon

80. Ron Woolfork, LB (AP) — Sam

81. Hale Irwin, S (AP) — Ted

82. Mike Mariscal, K — Jack

83. James Stefanou, K — Anthony

84. Jashon Sykes, LB (AP) — Jeff

---

And now, every writer will explain why his team is the best. The poll will follow the “best of the rest” team.

Jeff — Team TBE

QB — Joel Klatt

RB — Rashaan Salaam

WR — Mike Pritchard

WR — Frank Clarke

TE — James Kidd

AP — Dave Logan (WR)

OL — Chris Naeole

DL — Bill Brundige

LB — Joe Romig

CB — Terrence Wheatley

S — Dick Anderson

AP — Donald Strickland (CB)

AP — Jashon Sykes (LB)

ST — Mason Crosby

Right off the bat, one of the best teams assembled in CU history with field general quarterback Joel Klatt leading the charge. The outstanding one-two punch of the forever Heisman rusher Rashaan Salaam, along with receivers Mike Pritchard and Frank Clarke would provide tremendous offensive firepower. The weakness would be trying to find a perfect way for Klatt to distribute the ball to everyone equally.

On the other side of the ball, I have a stacked defensive core with Hall of Fame talents Bill Brundige and Joe Romig, as well as Jashon Sykes running all over the place. A secondary trio of Terrence Wheatley, Dick Anderson and Donald Strickland would be hard to throw against, especially with Anderson coming over the top — watch out. The cherry on top is Mason Crosby, the best special teamer in Buffs history.

Anthony — Guts & Balls

QB — Sal Aunese

RB — Bobby Purify

WR — Nelson Spruce

WR — Darrin Chiaverini

TE — Joel Klopfenstein

AP — Phillip Lindsay (RB)

OL — Nate Solder

DL — Leonard Renfro

LB — Alfred Williams

CB — Deon Figures

S — John Stearns

AP — Greg Biekert (LB)

AP — Ronnie Bradford (CB)

ST — James Stefanou

On the defensive side of the ball, my all-time Buffaloes team should be the best of the bunch. Linebacker Alfred Williams, a College Football Hall-of-Famer and the 1990 Butkus Award winner was an easy selection with the number two overall pick. Defensive tackle Leonard Renfro — a first-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1993 — and tackling-machine Greg Biekert solidify my front seven. 1992 Jim Thorpe Award winner Deon Figures anchors my secondary, alongside 1991 Orange Bowl hero Ronnie Bradford and the Buffaloes career interceptions leader John ‘Bad Dude’ Stearns.

Offensively, my squad might not be the best on paper, but damn they have heart. My second-round pick and all-purpose offensive player Phillip Lindsay, running back Bobby Purify, and both wide receivers, Nelson Spruce and Darrin Chiaverini were all Buffalo Heart Award winners. But perhaps no Colorado Buffaloes football player had more heart than my fourth-round pick, quarterback Sal Aunese. Protecting Aunese in my triple-option offense will be the steal of this draft, my 10th-round pick Nate Solder. Tight end Joel Klopfenstein was an added bonus with my 11th round selection. And because I’m the elder statesman of the Ralphie Report — and have been alive to see about 90 percent of these 84 draft picks play — rounding out my squad is the oldest player in college football today, kicker James Stefanou.

Jack — Barnett Fever Dream

QB — Darian Hagan

RB — Chris Brown

WR — Phil Savoy

WR — D.J. Hackett

TE — Christian Fauria

AP — Lawrence Vickers (FB)

OL — Andre Gurode

DL — Justin Bannan

LB — Kanavis McGhee

CB — Chris Hudson

S — Rashidi Barnes

AP — Matt Russell (LB)

AP — Mustafa Johnson (DL)

ST — Mike Marsical

The “first off the bus” team.

Listen, football is a big boy’s game. At the end of the day, the more people you have on your team that hit real good, the better you’re going to do. It just so happens that these happen to be my favorite players.

I took Darian Hagan in the first round because any time you can get a top 3 option QB all time on your team, you do it. The rest of my picks had a clear emphasis on being big and mean. In this weird I-formation option, Lawrence Vickers is frothing at the mouth a few steps between Hagan and the thoroughbred Chris Brown. Christian Fauria is arguably the best receiver and blocker, and Andre Gurode is going to pave some cobblestone roads to the end zone. D.J. Hackett and Phil Savoy are two huge WRs that are great blockers. There will be almost no huge plays, but these Buffs are going to break wills.

On defense, I just wanted badasses. Matt Russell and Kanavis McGhee are scary dudes, and Chris Hudson simply can’t be thrown to. Mustafa Johnson is a great, versatile DE and Justin Bannan is going to completely stuff the middle. Rashidi Barnes is the solid cover guy we need on the back end, because if anyone can throw the ball past McGhee, it’s not looking good. This team is gigantic, mean, and definitely not sustainable

Ted — Buff Justice

QB — Bobby Anderson

RB — Byron “Whizzer” White

WR — Laviska Shenault, Jr.

WR — Paul Richardson

TE — Daniel Graham

AP — J.J. Flannigan (RB)

OL — David Bakhtiari

DL — Troy Archer

LB — Chad Brown

CB — Mickey Pruitt

S — Tedric Thompson

AP — Jimmie Gilbert (LB)

AP — Hale Irwin (S)

ST — Tom Rouen

My squad boasts an offensive attack the likes of which has never been seen on a football field. It will take a genius offensive mind to bring out the very best in this group, but they could be nearly unstoppable with the right coach. You’re never going to know what to expect. I can run the single wing, the triple option, or even the wildcat. Bobby might throw, or hand off to Whizzer, who’s a threat to throw as well. Maybe Bobby will run it himself for 20 yards before pitching it to JJ. Or maybe Whizzer decides to take the snap himself, which opens up even more possibilities. And on short yardage situations, I have Viska in the wildcat formation. I also have the best tight end in program history and David freakin’ Bakhtiari blocking for me. If I get tired of running over you, I can throw a deep ball to P-Rich (who I can also use as a quarterback on a gadget play if I want to). Both Bobby and Whizzer were very good passing quarterbacks for their day, and I’ll bet they never had a target who could get as open as Richardson will. If you double team him, I’ve got Shenault and Graham underneath. And you can never, ever sell out for the pass when I have a rushing attack like this. It’s an embarrassment of weapons.

When you’re facing my defense, you’re never going to have good field position because I have Tom Rouen pinning you deep on every possession. With a secondary led by Mickey Pruitt and Tedric Thompson, your receivers won’t be catching many balls and they’ll be paying the price if they do. If you throw away from them, two-time All-Big 8 safety Hale Irwin would be more than happy to intercept your passes instead. Your quarterback also won’t have much time to throw with Jimmie Gilbert and Troy Archer, a 1975 All-American and first round draft choice, bearing down on him every time he drops back. If you try running the ball (which you will after passing doesn’t work) and you get past the line, you’ll come face to face with Chad Brown, and you won’t be going much further after that. This team may be headlined by its offense, but I’d go to war with this defense any day.

So, to recap, my team has size, speed, versatility, a United States Supreme Court Justice and a three-time US Open golf champion. Who do you got?

Sam — Slash & Burn

QB — Kordell Stewart

RB — Eric Bieniemy

WR — Cliff Branch

WR — Charles E. Johnson

TE — J.V. Cain

AP — Rae Carruth (WR)

OL — Joe Garten

DL — Joel Steed

LB — Jordon Dizon

CB — Mark Haynes

S — Michael Lewis

AP — Ben Kelly (CB)

AP — Ron Woolfork (LB)

ST — Darragh O’Neill

There is zero argument against my team having the best QB-RB combo, as I have Kordell and Bieniemy. They would be an unstoppable read-option offense by themselves, but it’s even more difficult to stop because I have freak receivers Cliff Branch and Charles E. Johnson stretching the defense. Then underneath, I have Rae Carruth (who was a steal in round 12, because, uh, reasons) and the underappreciated tight end J.V. Cain (an all-timer). I waited until the end to pick a lineman because CU is stacked with powerhouses and there would still be elite talent in round 13. Regrettably, John Wooten went undrafted as I opted instead for Joe Garten, who led the 1990 offensive line. My offense is built to play fast and gain huge chunks at a time, but I’m confident I could control the clock if I wanted to.

Defensively, I’m not quite as stacked as Anthony’s team, but my team is built to stop the run. Joel Steed is the best d-lineman in history (imo) and will clear space for Jordon Dizon and Michael Lewis to fly around the field making plays. My biggest weakness is my secondary — Lewis is elite, while Haynes and Kelly are merely great — but that shouldn’t be an issue because CU’s best quarterbacks are all run-first. If I can sell out to stop Darian Hagan, I’m not going to worry about Joel Klatt or Sefo Liufau carving up my secondary, not with Ron Woolfork rushing the passer.

Jon — This is What Happens When You Don’t Know Things

QB — Sefo Liufau

RB — Rodney Stewart

WR — Michael Westbrook

WR — Shay Fields

TE — Jon Embree

AP — Jeremy Bloom (WR)

OL — Stan Brock

DL — Herb Orvis

LB — Ted Johnson

CB — Jimmy Smith

S — Chidobe Awuzie

AP — Laval Short (DL)

AP — Ahkello Witherspoon (CB)

ST — Will Oliver

What do you want from me? I know next to nothing about the Buffaloes prior to the year 2000 and not THAT much after. This is what happens when you try and be a casual fan who also runs the best Buffaloes website on the planet for ten years (shut up, nerds). On offense... well we’re going to struggle. I used my first two picks at the end of the first round on linemen without realizing that isn’t sexy and nobody cares and then didn’t pick again for 10+ picks. Speedy is amazing and Sefo will hook up plenty with Westbrook, Embree and (good season) Fields. Honestly, my best offense might be that my secondary is so damn much better than everyone else’s and I kept those players off their team.

My defense ain’t half bad. As I mentioned, my secondary is the best and if you don’t agree you’re clearly wrong and bad at fake fantasy drafting. Plus, with Orvis, Johnson and Short I have three tackling machines. Then throw in Jeremy Bloom returning kicks all over everyones faces and looking great in the process and I don’t really see a way I would lose.

Best of the Rest

QB — Koy Detmer

RB — Hugh Charles

WR — Scotty McKnight

WR — Derek McCoy

AP — Kayo Lam (RB)

TE — Matt Lepsis

OL — John Wooten

DL — Tyler Brayton

LB — Nate Landman

CB — Isaiah Oliver

S — Cullen Bryant

AP — Drew Wahlroos (LB)

AP — Bud Magrum (DL)

ST — Mitch Berger