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ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. breaks down the quality at the top of the draft.
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Wednesday, April 18

Book on LB Quinton Caver

Here's a rundown of what I've had to say about Arkansas LB QUINTON CAVER since the beginning of the college-football season.

Jan.12
Tremendous range along with a frame that can add size. Even though he was the one defensive player Razorbacks' opponents had to key on, he was still very productive. Caver had two games with over 20 tackles.

Jan. 4
The rangy 6-foot-4, 230-pounder was shifted around by the Razorbacks defensive staff in an effort to free him up. In several games, his performance was up to the level of just about any defensive player in the country.

Dec. 31
Registering over 20 tackles on several occasions, any linebacker prospect is sure to elicit some very favorable commentary. And when you combine the productivity with Caver's physical prowess, it's easy to see why he's gaining momentum as the draft evaluation process moves along.

Dec. 7
The Razorbacks' defensive staff shifted Caver around a great deal in an effort to free him up, knowing that he was the primary defender the opposition had to account for. Against Alabama he recorded 22 stops, which was the most by a Razorback since 1969. Caver has been a player on the rise, although due to his height there may be some concern as to how effective he'll be when it comes to staying on his feet and working through the interference.

Nov. 29
Stock continues to rise after his outstanding effort against LSU. Caver set the tone right away, intercepting a Josh Booty pass and racing 33 yards for a TD on the Bayou Bengals' first offensive play. Caver totaled six stops, earning him SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors for the third time this season. In the process, he also became the first player in the history of the award to earn it in back-to-back weeks.

Nov. 22
Caver was all over the field against Mississippi State last week, keying the Razorbacks' shocking 17-10 upset victory in overtime. He finished with 10 tackles and two sacks and performed his best during crunch time. Four of his tackles and one sack came during overtime. Caver stuffed the Bulldogs' Justin Griffith on third-and-goal from the one-yard line after Arkansas took a 17-10 lead. Then, on fourth down, he stopped Dicenzo Miller. Caver also blocked a 38-yard FG attempt in the fourth quarter with the Razorbacks down by a touchdown. For his efforts, Caver was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week.

Nov. 15
It's been a rough year for the banged-up Razorbacks, who fell to Tennessee last week 63-20. Caver, though, has come through with several eye-catching performances. Against Tennessee, in a game that was decided very early on, Caver finished with eight tackles.

Nov. 8
Caver was all over the field last week in the Razorbacks loss to Ole Miss, finishing with 10 tackles (seven solos), two stops behind the line of scrimmage, one pass breakup and a QB hurry.

Nov. 1
Even though he's not positioned within the framework of the Razorbacks' new defensive structure for statistical production, Caver has been very active throughout the 2000 season. This past week against Auburn, he totaled 11 stops, seven of which were solos.

Oct. 26
After a week off, the Razorbacks return to action Saturday, squaring off against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Through six games, Caver has registered 50 tackles, six stops behind the line of scrimmage, three pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble.

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