Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o. Photo by Brian Carriveau.

Prior to the NFL Draft, Brian Carriveau made the rounds on the Wisconsin sports talk radio circuit to preview April’s big event. If you’re the type that can’t listen to enough podcasts, try these on for size…

Madison: The Big 1070

Green Bay: 107.5 The Fan

Milwaukee: 1250 AM WSSP

Appleton: WSCO 95.3 FM

Eau Claire: 1400 AM WBIZ

Fond du Lac: K107

Former LSU cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. Photo by Brian Carriveau.

LSU safety Eric Reid

Mock Draft

Seven Round Packers Mock Draft

Quarterback

Matt Scott, Arizona

If Packers Need Read-Option Prep Work, Matt Scott Is Possibility

Running back

Eddie Lacy, Alabama

Eddie Lacy Sees Advantages of Playing in Green Bay, Namely Aaron Rodgers

Montee Ball, Wisconsin

Ted Thompson Looks on as Montee Ball Improves 40 Time at Wisconsin Pro Day

Zac Stacy, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt Running Back Learns the Ropes from Former Packers Assistant

Kerwynn Williams, Utah State

Kerwynn Williams Looks to Be Next NFL Running Back Produced Under Gary Andersen

Tommy Bohanon, Wake Forest

Packers Keep Tabs on Top Fullback Prospect

Wide Receiver

Robert Woods, USC

Robert Woods Flying Under the Radar Heading into NFL Draft

Keenan Allen, California

Injuries, Character Concerns Could Drop Keenan Allen to Packers at No. 26 or Later

Tavon Austin, West Virginia; Corey Fuller, Marcus Davis, Virginia Tech

Former Packer Antonio Freeman Prepares Tavon Austin Among Trio of Wide Receivers for NFL Draft

Kenny Stills, Oklahoma

Like Father, Like Son: Kenny Stills Looking to Follow Dad’s Lead in the NFL

Ace Sanders, South Carolina

South Carolina Wide Receiver Looks to Avoid the Pitfalls of Tori Gurley

Tight End

Tyler Eifert, Notre Dame; Zach Ertz, Stanford

Eifert, Ertz Are First-Round Possibilities if Finley Departs

Joseph Fauria, UCLA

UCLA Tight End Prepares for NFL Draft with Rodgers’ Brother

Levine Toilolo, Stanford

Stanford’s Toilolo Watched Film on Finley in His Football Preparations

Offensive Line

D.J. Fluker, Alabama

Selecting Fluker Would Expedite Fluker’s Move to Left Tackle

Travis Frederick, Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s Frederick Hoping to Make His Mark in the NFL

Larry Warford, Kentucky

Packers Inquire About Warford’s Center Experience

Brian Schwenke, Cal

Schwenke Views Rodgers as Inspirational, Sees Playing with Him as Possibility

Jordan Mills, Louisiana Tech

Tramon Williams’ Cousin Attempting to Follow in the Cornerback’s Footsteps to the NFL

J.C. Tretter, Cornell

Like Van Roten, Tretter Looking to Become Next Ivy League Lineman in the NFL

Reid Fragel, Ohio State

T.J. Lang Finds an Admirer at the NFL Combine

Defensive Line

Datone Jones, UCLA

Datone Jones an Enigma as 3-4 Defensive Line Prospect

Sylvester Williams, North Carolina

Sylvester Williams Wanted Life “Always Going Uphill”

Jesse Williams, Alabama

Knee Injury Could Cause Packers to Pass on Jesse Williams in NFL Draft

Montori Hughes, Tennessee-Martin

Montori Hughes Provides Ideal Size but Off-Field Concerns

Abry Jones, Georgia

Military Upbringing Work in NFL Prospect’s Favor

Linebacker

Arthur Brown, Kansas State

Arthur Brown Comes Into Focus as Packers Release D.J. Smith

Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery, LSU

Montgomery Has $5K Bet with Mingo on Who Gets Drafted Higher

Secondary

Jonathan Cyprien, Florida International

Cyprien Overcomes Small-School and Speed Concerns to Become Top Safety Prospect

D.J. Swearinger, South Carolina

D.J. Swearinger’s Positive Qualities Mask Slow 40 Time

Matt Elam, Florida; Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse

Elam, Thomas Will Have Packers Second-Guessing Size Requirements in the Secondary

David Amerson, North Carolina State

Outside-the-Box Thinking: David Amerson as Packers’ First Pick

J.J. Wilcox, Georgia Southern

Wilcox Brings Experience in Stopping Option Attack

Josh Evans, Florida

Florida’s Josh Evans on the Radar of the Packers

Brandon McGee, Miami

For Miami Cornerback Who’s Already Overcome Adversity, NFL Comes Next

Ryan McWethy, Wisconsin-Platteville

Platteville’s McWethy Catches Eye of Packers, Other NFL Teams

Special Teams

Caleb Sturgis, Florida

Florida’ Sturgis Looking Forward to Cold-Weather Challenge

Videos

Tyler Wilson, quarterback, Arkansas

Conner Vernon, wide receiver, Duke

Chris Jones, defensive lineman, Bowling Green

Keelan Johnson, safety, Arizona State

For the third consecutive year, Brian Carriveau is the editor of Pro Football Draft Preview, which can be purchased for digital download at CheeseheadTV.com. Here’s the letter from the editor in the 2013 edition of the publication…

Dear NFL Draft fans,

It’s hard to believe how far Pro Football Draft Preview has come in just three years. Since its humble beginnings in 2011, our publication has quickly become a respected publication among Green Bay Packers fans as a source for their NFL Draft information.

My first debt of gratitude goes out to you, the reader, for making this all possible. Without you, there would be no magazine put out by Cheesehead TV. My second set of thanks goes out to all the talented contributors. Hours upon hours go into analyzing these prospects as well as the graphic design.

For the first time ever, we will exceed 100 pages of everything you’ve come to expect: over 300 players ranked and analyzed by position, a Top 100 list regardless of position, an entire three-round mock draft, needs for every NFL team, columns and feature articles.

Where we think we beat the competition is that we rank prospects based upon their fit in a 3-4 defense in general and the Packers’ 3-4 defense in specific. The same goes for the Packers’ spread-heavy offense. Our writers put themselves in the shoes of Packers general manager Ted Thompson, ranking players where we think the Packers organization would rank them.

The Packers will be approaching the 2013 Draft with a different mindset than they did a year ago when it seemed like a foregone conclusion they’d have to address the defensive side the football and in particular, outside linebacker. They did just that by taking USC’s Nick Perry in the first round and then spending their first six selections all on defense, trading up three times in the process of doing so.

One year later, the Packers still need help on defense as evidenced by their divisional round playoff loss to the San Francisco when they gave up 581 yards. But Green Bay also doesn’t want to lose any ground on offense either. Surrounding quarterback Aaron Rodgers with talent is important too.

The deepest positions on the current Packers roster are cornerback, guard, quarterback and inside linebacker. It would be a surprise to see the Packers address any of these positions in the early rounds of the Draft, but that won’t necessarily prevent them from adding depth at these spots later on.

As far as the first round goes, it would also be unexpected to see the Packers take any players at either offensive tackle or outside linebacker, the same positions where their last three first-round picks have been spent on Bryan Bulaga, Derek Sherrod and Perry.

By that logic, the Packers figure to address one of only a few places in the first round: safety, defensive line, running back, wide receiver, tight end, or center. Some of those positions make more sense than others, but those are the spots presenting the most pressing needs.

Might I be wrong? Maybe. It’s impossible to get inside the brain of Ted Thompson, but that’s also what makes him good at his job. Other NFL GMs can’t predict what he’s going to do either, at least with any certainty.

With that, please enjoy the rest of Pro Football Draft Preview. I’m confident there are a lot of nuggets and knowledge bombs that you’re not going to find in any other Draft magazines.

Brian Carriveau

Texas A&M tackle Luke Joeckel. Photo by Brian Carriveau.

Brian Carriveau is in Indianapolis covering the NFL Combine.

Reports filed from Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, previews included…

Railbird Central: NFL Combine Preview

Packers’ First-Round Draft Targets: The Baker’s Dozen

Schwenke Views Rodgers as Inspirational, Sees Playing with Him as Possibility

Wisconsin’s Frederick Hoping to Make His Mark in the NFL

Florida’s Sturgis Looking Forward to Cold-Weather Challenge

Thompson Loses Murderer’s Row of NFL Talent Evaluators, Difficult Road Lies Ahead

Point of Veau: McCarthy Doesn’t Regret Read-Option Preparation but Focuses on Fixing It

Tyler Wilson Addresses Brett Favre Comparisons

Tramon Williams’ Cousin Looking to Follow in the Cornerback’s Footsteps to the NFL

Eddie Lacy Sees Advantages of Playing for Green Bay, Namely Aaron Rodgers

Montgomery has $5K Bet with Mingo on Who Gets Drafted Higher

T.J. Lang Finds an Admirer at the NFL Combine

Railbird Central Podcast: Honey Badger Interview

Eifert, Ertz Are First-Round Possibilities If Finley Departs

Like Father, Like Son: Kenny Stills Looking to Follow Dad’s Lead in the NFL

Elam, Thomas Will Have the Packers Second-Guessing Size Requirements in Secondary

Former Packer Antonio Freeman Prepares Tavon Austin Among Trio of Receivers for the NFL Draft

Reports filed from the Big Easy…

Super Bowl Assists New Orleans in Continuing Recovery Efforts From Katrina

What’s the Future of Fullbacks in the NFL? “Hopefully Just Around,” Says Miller

A Good NFL Center is a Thinking Man’s Lineman, Says Birk

President Obama’s Comments on Safety in Football Meet Response from Super Bowl Coaches

Packers Lacking Playmakers at Linebacker, Unlike 49ers

Cox: Niners’ Gameplan for Cobb, Finley Worked

Staley Stymies Matthews in Playoff Rematch Citing Better Preparation

Like Ed Reed, Charles Woodson Must Determine Future

Harbaugh Sibling Rivalry has Roots on Ice

Unlike Favre, Driver Says He Won’t Play for Another Team

Moss Respects Driver But Says He’s Not Among Best Receivers

Beyonce Will Sing Live at Super Bowl Halftime Show

49ers Wide Receiver Recalls Driver’s Touchdown vs. San Francisco

From Packers to Pro Bowl, Leach Now in the Super Bowl

Driver Says Packers Wide Receivers Will Be Fine Without Him, Jennings

Fourth-and-26 Behind Him, Ed Donatell on Cusp of Becoming a Coordinator Once Again

Fantasy Football: 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick Briefly Lived in Fond du Lac. What if He Never Left?

Lambeau Field Record Holder Tries to Keep His Kicks and His Head on Straight

Railbird Central Podcast: Super Bowl Power Surge

It’s Just a Game is listed in the bookshelf section of the winter edition of On Wisconsin magazine and here’s what they had to say:

They say it’s just a game, but sports are about so much more — which Brian Carriveau ’02 concludes after observing adult amateur baseball in Wisconsin’s Home Talent League as a means to examine community dynamics in It’s Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America (Winners Success Network). “The connection between town and team is remarkable,” he says: it’s what helps people to both play the game and navigate life’s weightier issues. Carriveau, of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, is the editor of Pro Football Draft Preview and writes for CheeseheadTV.com.

Tour dates are as follows with additional appearances to be added.

• Sunday Apr. 29, Monona––Home Talent League Opening Day, Marshall at Monona, 1:00 p.m.
• Thursday May 3, Fort Atkinson––It’s Just a Game Release Party, Fat Boyz, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday May 6, Verona––Home Talent League Western Section Opening Day, Wiota at Verona, 1:00 p.m.
• Friday May 11, Crivitz––Book Talk, Crivitz Public Library, 10:00 a.m.
• Friday May 11, Crivitz––It’s Just a Game Release Party, Dan and Tim’s Riverside, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Sunday May 13, Lake Mills––Mother’s Day, Orfordville at Lake Mills, 1:00 p.m.
• Saturday May 19, Stoughton––Syttende Mai Festival, Utica at Stoughton, 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday May 19, Richland Center––Home Opener, Middleton at Richland Center, 6:00 p.m.
• Sunday May 20, Beloit––Home Opener, Evansville at Orfordville at Town of Beloit Youth Complex, 1:00 p.m.
• Friday June 8, Madison––Madison Mallards host Green Bay Bullfrogs in Northwoods League game
• Sunday June 10, Deerfield––Deerfield Fireman’s Festival, Cambridge at Deerfield, 2:00 p.m.
• Saturday June 16, Cottage Grove––Cottage Grove Fireman’s Festival, DeForest at Cottage Grove, 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday June 17, Blanchardville––Father’s Day Chicken Barbecue, 1:00 p.m.
• Sunday July 1, Verona––Monroe at Verona, Western Section Showdown, 1:00 p.m.
• Wednesday July 4, Waterloo––Independence Day Festival, 2:00 p.m.
• Sunday July 22, Ashton––Ashton Fan Appreciation, Old-Timers Game, Middleton at Ashton, 2:00 p.m.
• Friday August 3, Madison––Home Talent League 2012 All-Star Game, Warner Park, Former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jim Gantner joins author Brian Carriveau for book signing, 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
• Sunday August 12, Fort Atkinson––Southeast Section Semifinal Game, Orfordville at Fort Atksinson
• Sunday August 19, Albion––Southeast Sectional Final Game, Orfordville at Albion

Former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jim Gantner and author Brian Carriveau would like to thank everyone who came out to the Home Talent League All-Star game and book signing on Aug. 3 to support our cause.

In addition to a terrific game on the field, which was won by the North-West 5-4 over the South-East in walk-off fashion, money was raised and donated to the American Red Cross through book and autograph sales.

Gantner and Carriveau will be signing copies of It’s Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America about Wisconsin’s Home Talent League released earlier this year. Books will be available for $20 and will include autographs. Pictures with Gantner will be free.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the American Red Cross Badger Chapter in Madison.

Game time starts at 7:05 p.m. with the gates opening at 6:05 p.m.

“What makes the Home Talent League so great is it’s baseball the way it was meant to be played,” said Gantner. “These players hit with wood bats and don’t expect glory, only bragging rights. That’s something the men who play the game and the towns that support them can embrace.”

Former Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Jim Gantner and author Brian Carriveau.

Released shortly before the Tour de France, Aili and Andres McConnon expertly capitalized on interest in the world-renowned bicycle race in their book Road to Valor: A True Story of World War II Italy, the Nazis, and the Cyclist Who Inspired a Nation.

It’s a biographical account of the life of Gino Bartali, a two-time winner of the Tour and the only athlete who’s gone as many as ten years between triumphs.

As amazing as what Bartali does on his bicycle, it pales in comparison to his contributions to society, making him a hero beyond his native Italy.

In a sense, Bartali used his bicycle as a weapon, covertly transporting documents that would save Jewish citizens from the Holocaust. Bartali risked his life, his athletic career and his family’s well-being to fight against the racist policies of Fascist Italy and Nazi-led Germany.

The heroics of Bartali conjure images of another literary hero, Louis Zamperini, an American of Italian heritage whose exploits were brought to life in Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken.

Like Bartali, Zamperini was a world-class athlete, an Olympic distance runner who also played a remarkable role in World War II. Both of them left the world a better place in their battle for human rights in the face of terror.

Exhaustively researched, Road to Valor is a superb contribution to narrative nonfiction sports literature. It does what the best books in the genre do, and that’s transcend sports.