Pitt Spring Game Mock Draft

We divide up the Pitt Panthers in to blue and gold teams for the Spring Game.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will not draft one another to divide up teams for their annual Spring Game this year and that left players and coaches alike wondering who would go off the board first if the Panthers were to make selections as they had in the past. 

Reality has bent one way but that doesn't mean Inside the Panthers can't dream, so we will go through the exercise for the real Panthers and take a stab at drafting the Blue and Gold teams. The rules were simple - draft a team that has the best chance of winning the game, each position is drafted at the same time and you only get a certain number of players at each spot. I didn't create a full two-deep for either side, but picked a first line plus a little more for both sides of the ball.

Coaches

Blue	Gold
Cignetti	Bates
Partridge	Borbley
Powell	Manalac
Collins	Sanders
Underwood	Salem

For the sake of this exercise, I've assigned offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti to the Blue team and defensive coordinator Randy Bates to the Gold team completely at random. 

I assigned Blue team the first pick because it comes first in "Blue and Gold", so Cignetti took defensive line coach Charlie Partridge, hopeful he can help lead the defensive line to some game-wrecking plays against a make-shift offensive line. Bates then took offensive line coach Dave Borbley to balance it out. 

Andre Powell, Archie Collins and Tiquan Underwood round out the Blue staff, which has a special teams ace, passing game coordinator and long-time leader of the defensive secondary in its ranks. Meanwhile, Bates will work with linebackers coach Ryan Manalac, safeties coach Corey Sanders and tight ends coach Tim Salem. 

Quarterbacks

Blue	Gold
Yarnell	Jurkovec
Dieffenbach	Veilleux

Gold gets the first pick and takes the assumed opening day starter in Phil Jurkovec and, after Blue takes Nate Yarnell in a surprise No. 2 pick, lands fellow transfer Christian Veilleux. Ty Dieffenbach joins Yarnell in a young Blue team quarterback room, but they have the advantage of getting coached up by their offensive coordinator and position coach in Frank Cignetti. 

Offensive Line

Blue 	Gold
Kradel	Taylor
Goncalves	Zubovic
Jacoby	Baer
Collier	Williams
Ford	Moore

With the top selection in this round, Blue team lands a centerpiece in Jake Kradel, plus stud tackles in the veteran Matt Goncalves and the up-and-comer Ryan Jacoby. Redshirt senior Jason Collier brings experience and Dorien Ford, a recent convert from the defensive line, brings some athleticism that will come in handy as a pulling guard. 

Meanwhile, Jurkovec and Veilleux will have their blindsided protected well by rising star Branson Taylor. Super senior Blake Zubovic anchors the line from his guard spot, while the young, but massive Ryan Baer takes another tackle spot. B.J. Williams becomes the first freshman off the board after earning rave reviews during spring ball and Terrance Moore provides some versatility to take on the center spot.  

Wide Receivers

Blue	Gold
Means	Mumpfield
Polk	Reynolds
Seymore	McConnachie

Bub Means and Konata Mumpfield are, unsurprisingly, the first two wideouts off the board. Florida transfer Daejon Reynolds goes next and freshman Israel "Izzy" Polk goes next. Blue team reaches for another freshman in Lamar Seymore, a burner from Miami, with their next pick after walk-on Jake McConnachie, who's had a great spring by all accounts, is snatched up by the Gold squad.

Running Backs

Blue	Gold
Hammond	Flemmister
Carter	Davis

Sun Bowl MVP Rodney Hammond was a no-brainer to go first to the Blue team and C'Bo Flemmister, the most proven of the remaining backs, gets picked next by Gold. Hammond gets a lead blocker and Cignetti drafts a versatile threat in last year's spring game MVP, Daniel Carter, while Derrick Davis Jr. falls to Bates and the Gold team. 

Tight Ends

Blue	Gold
Johnson	Bartholomew

Karter Johnson joins the Blue team, giving them two mauling blockers in front of Hammond alongside Carter, while Salem gets to work with Gavin Bartholomew. 

Defensive Ends

Blue	Gold
Temple	Hayes
Okunlola	Johnson

Dayon Hayes, the only player with starting experience left at his position, is a clear-cut No. 1 pick to the Gold team. Veteran Nate Temple goes second to the Blue team, followed by rising star Nhaki Johnson to Gold and redshirt freshman Sam Okunlola narrowly beats out Jimmy Scott for the final ends spot.  

Linebackers

Blue	Gold
Simon	Kamara
DeSheilds	George
Lovelace	Lapi

The backers are a thin group, but the top is very strong. Bangally Kamara (Gold) and Shayne Simon (Blue) are taken first. Solomon DeShields, poised to take a step forward this season, and fast-rising freshman Braylan Lovelace follow Simon to the Blue team. Meanwhile, Gold gets two veterans in Brandon George and Nick Lapi. 

Cornerbacks

Blue	Gold
Williams	Devonshire
Woods	Gandy

Marquis Williams may be short but he stands head and shoulders above the rest of his position as the most experienced and flat-out best corner on the team, so Cignetti has no choice but to bring him in to shut down Konata Mumpfield. A.J. Woods joins him to create a formidable, regular season starter-quality tandem. M.J. Devonshire goes second to Gold and will be paired with Ryland Gandy, a young but promising redshirt freshman. 

Safeties

Blue	Gold
O'Brien	McIntyre
McMillon	Hall

Javon McIntyre and P.J. O'Brien get deference as the longest-tenured members of the back end of the secondary, going to the Gold and Blue team in that order. Florida transfer Donovan McMillon gets paired up with O'Brien to create a hard-hitting, athletic safety grouping, while youngster Stephon Hall get to run with McIntyre, who gained some starting experience at the end of the year.