Geno Smith led West Virginia to a 70-63 victory over Baylor in a record-scoring game in the Big 12.

Smith threw eight touchdown passes for 656 yards.

Smith finished 45 of 51 and continued the 2012 season without an interception.

Wide receiver Stedman Bailey had 303 yards receiving and five touchdowns.

By Jeff Risdon

The draft order here reflects my personal power ranking as of Sept. 27. It is not technically possible to have this order come April because it does not follow how conferences and/or playoffs could possibly play out; get over it. 

I left out a few usual underclassmen suspects, namely Logan Thomas, William Gholston, and Taylor Lewan. At this point I would advise all three to return to school. I claim zero inside info on any declaration intentions of any underclassmen listed here, and anyone who does claim to know is lying. 

I expect this to dramatically change as the season plays out. Injuries, strong finishes, workouts, agents, and many other factors will shake things up. This is just one conceptualization of how things might play out if the draft was today. 

1. Cleveland Browns: Barkevious Mingo, DE, LSU. Mingo has the highest potential impact of any defensive player in this draft, the talent to step right in as a premium pass rusher. With a new owner perhaps (probably?) bringing in a new regime, they are an unpredictable wild card this far out. Could be a QB, could be a pass rusher, could be a wideout if they don’t pick in the top-3, which seems unlikely barring trades. 

2. Indianapolis Colts: Jonathan Hankins, DT, Ohio State. The Colts are continuing the switch to the 3-4 front and they need an impact player up front. Hankins is the active, agile wide body that will remind head coach Chuck Pagano of Haloti Ngata. Hankins’ upside is absolutely that high. 

3. New Orleans Saints: Jarvis Jones, LB, Georgia. Upgrading the pass rush and general toughness of the defensive front must be an early priority. Jones is a matchup nightmare that can play all over the formation, using his speed and ability to jolt blockers and shut down outside runs. 

4. Kansas City Chiefs: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. Smith has demonstrated improved mechanics, accuracy, and decision making as a senior and that vaults him to the top of the QB heap. Much like Robert Griffin III a year ago, Smith’s athleticism when factored with his development as a passer make him a viable #1 overall pick. 

5. St. Louis Rams: Jake Matthews, T, Texas A&M. If they are truly committed to Sam Bradford at quarterback, and it seems they are at this point, they have to get him help. They got him some greenhorn wideouts in 2012, and 2013 is about upgrading his protection up front. Matthews’ pedigree will vault him to the top of the tackle class even if others have better athleticism. Jeff Fisher coached his dad Bruce and also coached with him. 

6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State. The Jaguars have never been shy about making picks that raise eyebrows, and taking Banks would do that to the casual fan. A draftnik favorite with great natural talent to go with impressive measurables, Banks figures to play his way into the top 10. Note that in this scenario the two teams directly behind them desperately need corners. Just sayin’… 

7. St. Louis Rams (from Washington Redskins): Luke Joeckel, T, Texas A&M. He can be slow off the snap at times and isn’t super quick, but Joeckel blocks well in space and plays with malice in his muscular build. 

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bjoern Werner, DE, Florida State. I know the Bucs have devoted an inordinate amount of draft value to their defensive line in recent times, but injuries and whiffs keep it high amongst team needs. Werner is a NFL-ready LDE who can set the edge and rush the passer, and his attitude will fit nicely with Greg Schiano. Assuming he survives for year two… 

9. Oakland Raiders: Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah. Two reasons why I slotted Star here. First, they need a more reliable up-the-gut impact player than T. Kelly, whom I cannot see Dennis Allen tolerating long-term. Second, he’s going to test athletically off the charts and even with Al Davis resting in peace, it’s still the Raiders way. 

10. Tennessee Titans: Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama. The one thing that stands out in the first three games is how badly the Titans miss Cortland Finnegan’s playmaking ability and confidence at corner. Milliner brings both those qualities, even if his tackling needs some work. 

11. Carolina Panthers: Justin Hunter, WR, Tennessee. There is going to be fierce debate about the ordination of wideouts in this draft class as we progress towards April. Of the top tier, Hunter plays with the style that best fits what the Panthers need: physical but able to get down the field and create after the catch. 

12. Miami Dolphins: Keenan Allen, WR, California. Of the aforementioned top tier of WRs, Allen is probably the safest pick thanks to his polished routes and natural hands. Miami needs to get Ryan Tannehill better weapons that don’t force the young QB to do so much on his own. 

13. Detroit Lions: Eric Reid, S, LSU. If you have watched the Lions for even one drive this year, you know why they go secondary here. Reid is positionally responsible but also able to make big plays. Relying on Louis Delmas to finally stay healthy is just not a viable option anymore. 

14. New York Jets: Marcus Lattimore, RB, South Carolina. I’m not saying Lattimore is Adrian Peterson, but I will say he has the same kind of ability to impact a defense. He takes the Jets' running game from standard ground chuck to choice ground sirloin. 

15. Minnesota Vikings: Robert Woods, WR, USC. Woods has the NFL polish and mentality to thrive outside Percy Harvin and give Christian Ponder a more viable down the field option. He’s also a very good blocker on the edge, which makes Adrian Peterson happy. 

16. Denver Broncos: Manti Te’o, LB, Notre Dame. A more stout and physical presence in the middle of the defense can only help the Broncos. Te’o is a downhill attacker with underrated savvy. He has improved his play recognition this season. 

17. Buffalo Bills: Matt Barkley, QB, USC. And the suspense ends here. Barkley unexpectedly falls in this scenario as much because almost every team picking so far has invested heavily in a quarterback in the last two years. The Bills did that with Ryan Fitzpatrick but are in a better position to move on with a new face of the franchise. 

18. Pittsburgh Steelers: Tony Jefferson, S, Oklahoma. This is a projection that will either look really prescient or foolish as the draft season plays out. Jefferson has great size and good range but doesn’t always appear dialed in. His stock is wildly variable going forward. He plays the way the Steelers like their safeties to attack. 

19. Cincinnati Bengals: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama. Every year the Bengals throw a bone to line coach Paul Alexander and a bone to defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer in the first three rounds. It’s Alexander’s turn to get the choice bone and he chooses Warmack, who is better at the same point than Mike Iupati. 

20. Dallas Cowboys: Barrett Jones, G/C, Alabama. One pick after his interior linemate, the versatile Jones heads to Dallas. The Cowboys need new starters at all three interior positions, and Jones is ready to step into one of them. I like him better at guard than center. 

21. Philadelphia Eagles: Dallas Thomas, T, Tennessee. This is another player I think will rise up in postseason workouts. Thomas can play guard or tackle and is a natural, agile pass protector with great length. He bears some resemblance to 2010 1st rounder James Carpenter. 

22. Seattle Seahawks: Oday Aboushi, T, Virginia. He gets lost in the shuffle on a middling team, but Aboushi was my top senior tackle prospect heading into the season and has played well enough to stick in the first round. He dominated Penn State. 

23. Green Bay Packers: Sam Montgomery, DE/OLB, LSU. Montgomery is physically quite similar to 2011 1st rounder Nick Perry, and this pick seems somewhat redundant until you consider Perry is the only linebacker on the roster signed beyond next year. The Packers typically draft for at least one year in advance, and Montgomery could be a top-15 talent. 

24. Chicago Bears: Alex Okafor, DE, Texas. Okafor has shown better leverage and more of a willingness to mix it up than teammate Jackson Jeffcoat, and I think that would appeal to Chicago. The Bears need to get someone with more juice into the DE rotation. 

25. New England Patriots: CJ Mosley, LB, Alabama. The Saban-to-Belichick pipeline continues with the rangy Mosley, a junior with the ability to play inside or strong side. As is their custom, the Pats will trade this pick for three later picks, two of which they will cut by the end of 2014. 

26. Arizona Cardinals: Tyler Wilson, QB, Arkansas. His pure talent level dictates he gets drafted much higher, and he might, but the concussion issues will scare teams. I rate Wilson higher than Barkley and I suspect many NFL teams will by April too. 

27. San Diego Chargers: Brennan Williams, T, North Carolina. Williams might have the biggest wingspan of any player this side of Jared Veldheer, and like Veldheer he’s going to be a pass blocking specialist left tackle. Chargers fans can only hope it isn’t AJ Smith making this pick. 

28. New York Giants: David Amerson, CB, North Carolina State. His flame-worthy outing against Tennessee notwithstanding, Amerson is a playmaking corner who can capably start for a zone coverage team. You have to think Jerry Reese sees the need to restock the corner with healthy bodies. 

29. San Francisco 49ers: John Jenkins, DT, Georgia. He will probably wind up going higher than this, and rightly so. The Niners have just one defensive front player under contract beyond 2014, so infusing some youth looks to be a priority. 

30. Baltimore Ravens: Tyler Bray, QB, Tennessee. Let’s just say that Joe Flacco gets franchise tagged and voices his displeasure about it, then goes out and doesn’t definitively prove he deserves being a top-five salaried QB. Suddenly this strange pick seems a little more cogent. Trust me, Ozzie Newsome will consider that very scenario. 

31. Houston Texans: Da’Rick Rogers, WR, Tennessee Tech. He was the SEC’s best WR in 2011 at Tennessee before some drug issues forced his transfer. Rogers has the physical abilities of Dez Bryant or a thicker Hakeem Nicks, and with Andre Johnson aging, GM Rick Smith rolls the dice that his strong locker room can control Rogers. 

32. Atlanta Falcons: Corey Lemonier, DE, Auburn. Lemonier is a strong edge rusher with a nice up and under move and good ability to flatten around the edge. The Falcons can always use more pass rushing oomph, more of a priority as they continue to play from ahead.

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Bud Grant, longtime head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, advised Pete Carroll on the Seattle Seahawks selection of Russell Wilson.

Grant coached Fran Tarkenton, who was one of the NFL's best short quarterbacks in history.

Carroll worked for Grant in the mid-1980s.

“(Grant) relieved any concerns that I might have had, just because of the way he talked about what Fran was like,” said Carroll in a conference call with reporters in Green Bay on Thursday. “I know there’s not a lot of guys like this, but Russell’s that exceptional and that unique. So we thought we had a real good one, and it’s looking like he’s on his way to a good start to his career.”

The New York Giants' 2009 draft class was outstanding in their 36-7 victory over the Panthers on Thursday.

Andre Brown and Ramses Barden started their first NFL games, replacing Ahmad Bradshaw and Hakeem Nicks respectively.

Brown had 113 yards and two touchdowns, while Barden caught nine balls for 138 yards.

"One thing that Ernie Accorsi taught me, if I don't remember anything else, [is] you got to give guys a chance to fail," Reese said. "And if they fail, say 'Look, we made a mistake, let's move on.'"

Brown has been waived eight times in his career.

"Andre Brown had an injury when he was a rookie and bounced around a bit and circled back to us," Reese said. "We always liked him. We thought he was Derrick Ward-like but faster."

Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas has struggled to begin the 2012 season, as he acclimates himself with eight new starters.

Thomas rated by NFL scouts as one of the top quarterback prospects in the country.

“It hasn’t helped,” said head coach Frank Beamer. “There’s no question that when you’re playing freshmen tailbacks, and four new starters on the offensive line, a new starter at tight end, that affects your play. But again, what we need to do is become a more consistent, play-after-play offense.”

Jarvis Jones is Mel Kiper Jr.'s top overall prospect for the 2013 NFL Draft following a disappointing performance from Matt Barkley against Stanford.

Jones is a 6-3, 241 outside linebacker out of Georgia. Jones projects as an OLB in the 3-4 scheme.

Barkley is ranked second, followed by LSU defensive ends Barkevious Mingo and Sam Montgomery, Utah defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, Alabama guard Chance Warmack, Tennessee wide receiver Justin Hunter, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, Ohio State defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins and Texas A&M offensive tackle Luke Joeckel.

Virginia Tech quarterback Logan Thomas is ranked 21st, the only other QB listed in Kiper's top-25.

Collin Klein, a 6-foot-5, 226 pound quarterback at Kansas State, is an interesting prospect for NFL scouts to evaluate.

Klein is 43-for-59 for 609 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions this season. On the ground, Klein has 210 yards and four touchdowns on 46 attempts.

Klein rushed for 27 touchdowns on 317 attempts and 1,141 yards in 2011.

"No one's more valuable to his team in America," one scout said. "They play him like (Tim) Tebow. He's a big guy, he's not a passer, but look at his rushing numbers from last year. I don't think he's a great pro prospect, but if they keep winning, he's a Heisman candidate and we won't be able to ignore him. You could see him being used like Tebow, as a goal-line quarterback, Wildcat type of guy. He's fun to watch. And he is their offense. All his problems are related to passing, but he wasn't asked to throw a lot last year and didn't look natural when he did. But he does have a more traditional delivery than Tebow."

Logan Thomas struggled in Virginia Tech's loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Thomas, who is one of the most closely watched quarterbacks in college football by NFL scouts, went 14-for-31 and was intercepted three times.

"I think it was a little bit of Logan. I think it was a little bit the receivers not running proper routes at times," head coach Frank Beamer said. "Pittsburgh did a good job of putting pressure on our quarterback. But I’ll say this: Logan battled in there, and he competed and there’s no question about that. He showed some toughness."

There are 230 total colleges represented in Week 1 of the NFL, with USC having 44 former players.

Miami has 37 former players, followed by LSU with 36, as well as Georgia, Ohio State and Texas with 35 apiece.

Florida has 30 former players, while fellow SEC school Alabama has 26. California, Iowa and Michigan each have 25 players.

There were seven starting quarterbacks apiece that played at current Pac-12 and SEC schools, while there are 21 younger than 30.

Robert Griffin III is rated No. 1 in Matt Williamson's Rookie Watch, overtaking the top slot from Andrew Luck who comes in second after Week 1.

Chandler Jones of the New England Patriots moved up from four to three, while Morris Claiborne of the Dallas Cowboys and Derek Wolfe of the Broncos are fourth and fifth after not being ranked in the previous week.

Doug Martin, Coby Fleener, Lavonte David, Alfred Morris and Blair Walsh round out the top-10.