I had the distinct pleasure of sitting in for my esteemed colleague Gary Davenport on Tuesday night's edition of Kellogg's Komments where we had the extraordinary opportunity to interview three very intriguing 2013 NFL Draft prospects. California WR Keenan Allen, North, Carolina State CB David Amerson and Northern Illinois OLB Tyrone Clark were all kind enough to enlighten us on a variety of topics as they approach this new chapter in each of their respective careers. Keenan Allen, WR, California Keenan Allen If not for a late season PCL injury that caused him to miss the season's final three games Keenan Allen would be the number one wide receiver on every teams draft board. The injury would keep Allen from participating in the NFL Combine drills but he did attend the festivities and measured in at 6' 2" and 206 lbs. When asked what he anticipated his forty time would be at his upcoming pro day (April 9th), Allen responded that he thought he'd put up "...in the 4.4s or low 4.5s on a bad day'." Allen has been working out in Boca Raton, Florida with Tony Villani at XPE Sports five days a week in preparation for his Pro Day and stated that his concentration has been focused on his lower body strength and increasing his speed. Having played running back as a youngster when asked about some of his favorite players growing up Allen mentioned fantasy football icons Marshall Faulk and Terrell Davis. After making the transition to wide receiver Allen commented that some of his favorite players were Chad Johnson, Anquan Boldin and Calvin Johnson. Allen spoke very fondly of the support his family has given him throughout his football career, especially his stepfather whom he said that he would give the football from his first NFL touchdown to. He also mentioned the lasting impact that his coach in a ‘mites' league for 10-year olds had on his development over the years. When asked to elaborate on why an NFL team should draft him, you could hear the passion in his voice as Allen stated that he is a ‘football guy,' loves the game and has a dedication to becoming the best there is and a commitment to keep improving at his craft. When pressed to pick whom his toughest opponent was while at California and how he fared against him, he chose Washington CB Desmond Trufant. I guess that was a compliment but it was also the game that Allen chose as his most memorable while at Cal. Allen had 10 catches for 197 yards that included a 92-yard touchdown reception and another twenty yards on two carries. I'm assuming Trufant wouldn't consider it one of his favorite college memories. Allen also had the unique chance to play his final two years at Cal with his half-brother Zach Maynard as the starting quarterback. When pressed to reveal something about Zach that no one would know, it was touching to hear Keenan reveal that his older brother is ‘the toughest guy I know.' He spoke to not only the beating Zach took on the field as a starting college quarterback but also how he was tough outside of football as well when handling adversity off the field. Allen attributes his successful career at California, he's the all-time receptions leader (205), third in yards receiving (2,570) and seventh in TDs (17), to his work ethic, route running and commitment to always improving at his craft. As to what aspect of his multifaceted game got his juices flowing the most, Allen surprisingly answered that it was the chance to line up in the ‘wildcat' formation and throw the ball (he was 3/3/52 with one TD throwing the ball at Cal) and he loves to blow up a defender with a block to spring a teammate for a score. He attributed being a successful blocker to being "a want to" guy that is willing to make that block. He also feels that his rehab from the knee injury is on track to have him ready to post an impressive forty-yard dash time next month. In what little spare time he has these days he stated that he enjoys music as well as playing video games (mainly sports games with some Call of Duty thrown in) and hopes to pursue something in the music industry when his football days are over. Allen's advice to high school juniors who would like to make it in the college game was very simple and direct. Keep your priorities straight and remain dedicated and focused on what you are trying to accomplish and avoid distractions. DRAFT OUTLOOK: Allen's forty time may go a long way in establishing his place on some NFL teams' draft boards but even should it be slower than he anticipates I don't see him dropping out of the first round. He is a quality route runner with exceptional run-after-the catch skills who has been compared to Reggie Wayne. David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State David Amerson David Amerson had about the best possible season a CB could as a sophomore in 2011 for North Carolina State, winning the Jack Tatum award. In 13 games he posted 41 solos and 59 total tackles (1.5 for a loss), defended 16 passes and intercepted an amazing 13 passes. He capped that stellar season with a two-interception performance against Louisville in the BELK Bowl returning one for a TD. At the combine in February Amerson measured in at 6'1" and 205-pounds while posting an impressive 4.44 in the forty yard dash. When asked what drills he considered the most important at the combine he stated that obviously the forty-yard dash is vital as speed is a necessity for corners. He went on to say that he felt that the position drills were very important and something he felt was one of the strengths of his combine performance. When asked what he felt were some of his overall strengths as a player Amerson said he believed that it was a combination of his instincts for the game and his ball skills. Amerson talked about his basketball background and how it helps him in coverage when looking to gain position and go up after the ball. While prepping for his March 20th Pro day at XPE sports in Florida, he has been concentrating more on preparing for position drills and increasing his strength. Getting back to actual football skills as opposed to the time spent increasing his speed in the forty as he had prior to the combine. When discussing his workouts Amerson stated that he believed the harder he works on strength, conditioning and preparation the confidence carries over into his performance on the field. Players he respects and hopes to emulate during his own career are Ed Reed for his play making skills as a DB and Charles Woodson and Darrelle Revis as having true shutdown abilities. Amerson was part of a North Carolina State team that went to three bowl games and won two. When choosing which victory was sweeter he broke it down into which game was more satisfying from a team standpoint and from an individual view. From a team standpoint he went with the victory over West Virginia in his freshman season as the Wolfpack were decided underdogs and pulled off a 23-7 upset in the Champs Sports Bowl. From an individual standpoint it was the 31-24 victory over Louisville to end the 2011 season. Amerson remembered fondly telling his boys that he felt he was going to get a pick-six against Louisville as he was riding a cloud of confidence entering the game. It all played out as he predicted in the end as he did get the TD as well as an extra interception to boot. A very revealing portion of the interview took place when Amerson spoke about studying film of opponents and how he goes about it. During his sophomore season and early in his junior year he talked about studying the tape from more of a route recognition/down and distance style. What routes did teams tend to lean on when faced with a third and seven, or what formations generally led to which route? After getting in trouble by guessing on certain routes due to down and distance or formation and missing some plays, Amerson stated that he decided to begin to study the actual receivers and their tendencies. Were they ‘choppy runners' when heading into a break? Do they go hard right from the snap on a ‘go route' or ease into the route off the line? He believes switching up his film studying style helped him to finish his junior season more effectively and he ended the year with five interceptions. Amerson's voice perked up when he was asked to pick a current NFL receiver that he would like to try and cover. To his credit he went right to the top and spoke to lining up over Calvin Johnson as his competitiveness drives him to face the best. He talked of the preparation it would take a rookie to get ready to face ‘Megatron' and how it would be a challenge to compete with him. When asked whom he would autograph and then give the game ball from his first pick-six as a professional he said his mom or brother (whom he credits with turning him on to the game of football). DRAFT OUTLOOK: After a junior season that could only pale in comparison to the outstanding sophomore year he had Amerson has seen his draft stock drop. Questions surrounding his flexibility and ability to turn and backpedal smoothly have some pundits thinking he may eventually be an NFL free safety. I see Amerson as a pure playmaker at the CB position with a ‘my ball' mentality and see him as an early day two selection in April's draft. He has the size, strength and, as he stated, the instincts to be an NFL corner that can help a team immediately. Tyrone Clark, OLB, Northern Illinois Tyrone Clark finished the 2012 season as the starting OLB for a Northern Illinois team that faced Florida State in the Orange Bowl. He'd post four combined stops in that game and bring to a close a college career that would see him finish with 177 total tackles, 4 1/2 sacks, and five interceptions. Even more impressive is that Clark amassed the totals he did while sitting out the entire 2011 season with a suspension. Despite their trip to a BCS Bowl in 2012 not a single Northern Illinois player was invited to the combine and they have already had a pro day where Clark measured in at...