Fun season begins for NFL Network's Burmeister

If you're an NFL draft junkie (you know you are), your season starts Saturday.

That's when the East-West Shrine Game kicks off on the NFL Network (3 p.m.). It gets better the next week, when the network plays host to game and practice coverage of the Senior Bowl, the grand daddy of senior all-star games.

The NFL Network's coverage Senior Bowl begins Jan. 24 and runs through Jan. 29 with the game from Mobile, Ala.

There are Hawkeyes involved.

Defensive tackle Karl Klug and punter Ryan Donahue will play in the East-West Shrine. They began practice this week, and it looks as though Klug (who measured 6-2 1/2 and weighed in at 273) might make a switch to defensive end.

In the Senior Bowl, defensive linemen Adrian Clayborn and Christian Ballard will be joined by quarterback Ricky Stanzi.

There also will be a former Hawkeye in the broadcast booth.

Former Iowa quarterback and Iowa City native Paul Burmeister will do play-by-play for the Shrine game and will host the network's Senior Bowl practice coverage and do sideline reports for the game.

The difference between the Shrine game and the Senior Bowl is talent, said Burmeister, who's in his seventh season as a studio host and reporter with NFL Network. He is in his second season as host of NFL.com/LIVE: Thursday Night Football. He also works on Sunday afternoons as host of NFL GameDay Scoreboard and is a regular host of Around the League and NFL Total Access.

The Shrine game is mid- to late-rounders and free agents. The Senior Bowl is double-digit first-round picks and more than half second- and third-rounders.

This also is when you start to see blemishes on the players you cheered in college. That's what the college all-star circuit is all about. Sure, there's a game and a giftbag, but mostly it's a chance for NFL personnel people to see if your college all-star is worth millions.

"The process isn't set up to praise a kid," Burmeister said. "It's more to find out what's wrong with him? What are their weaknesses? That's a big part of the next three months. It's not only to praise, but the criticisms as well.

"Millions of dollars are going to be invested in these kids in a serious business. NFL people want to know what the weaknesses are for the next level. That's what the next three months are about."

Burmeister admitted he didn't know much about Donahue, who'll punt for the East squad in the Shrine game, but he did talk about the other four Hawkeyes involved in the all-star games.

Defensive end Adrian Clayborn

Watch for Clayborn, an all-American at Iowa who saw more triple-teams than sacks this season, to be a major storyline for the NFL Network during Senior Bowl coverage.

Clayborn is a unanimous first-round pick, Burmeister said, but where?

"He'll be one of the most-watched players at the Senior Bowl," Burmeister said. "There's a lot at stake for him. When he goes against offensive linemen in full pads on Wednesday and Thursday, it's going to go a long way into deciding if he's picked No. 28 or No. 8."

Burmeister calls the strongest part of this senior college class is the offensive line, including Wisconsin offensive tackle and Outland Trophy winner Gabe Carimi.

"There is going to be a handful of first-round offensive linemen that he'll be going against," Burmeister said. "Not every group gets to go against such highly respected group every day in practice at full speed in one-on-one drills. Adrian is going to get that opportunity. [Wednesday and Thursday] are going to be a huge two days for him."

Defensive tackle Karl Klug

Klug is considered a middle-round pick, Burmeister said. NFL Network draft expert Mike Mayock has compared Klug to Dan Klecko, who played everything from defensive line to linebacker to fullback during a nine-year NFL career.

"He's a self-made overachieving-kind-of-guy who's earned a look at the next level," Burmeister said. "A lot of guys who are labled overachiever don't get the opportunity to play at the next level. Karl built himself into a very good college player who's also going to get drafted."

Klug played defensive tackle at Iowa. In the NFL, he's probably looking at a position change.

"What exactly is he? We like what he's made himself into, but what is he?" Burmeister said. "He's probably undersized to be an every-down interior defensive lineman, but is he quick enough to be an every-down defensive end? He's earned respect, but there are some questions about what he is."

Defensive lineman Christian Ballard

Ballard's size (6-5, 297) make him an intriguing athlete, but it also brings up the same question, what is he? Defensive end or defensive tackle.

"Size will be a bit of a concern for him," Burmeister said. "He's in a better position than Karl, but not quite as good as Adrian [Clayborn]."

Ballard isn't seen as a first-rounder, Burmeister said, but more of a second or third.

Quarterback Ricky Stanzi

Stanzi will play on the same Senior Bowl squad with Washington quarterback Jake Locker, a sure-fire first-round pick and maybe top 10. This should help Stanzi, Burmeister said, because scouts will have their eyes trained on Locker, who has something to prove after a blah year at UW.

"Ricky has earned the right to be watched on what he did alone, but he's going to be doing it right next to, probably, the No. 1 most-intriguing prospect in the entire game," Burmeister said. "What he does is going to be seen by everybody wanting a quarterback."

Stanzi cleaned his statistics up nicely as a senior, going from 15 interceptions to just six with 25 TD passes. His performance has improved where he might be picked, Burmeister said.

"He's a middle-round guy and that's a real compliment to his senior year," Burmeister said. "After last year, he was a guy who was going to get an opportunity, in the late rounds or as a free agent. It was all up to him to have a great senior year. The way he took care of the ball this year and made tough throws in big games, jumped him up a level."

Senior Bowl questions for Stanzi include arm strength and how he fits in an NFL offense. Stanzi will be playing on a squad coached by the Cincinnati Bengals staff. Buffalo coaches have the other team.

"NFL people want to get down on field level and watch his arm strength and see where it fits in terms of an NFL arm," Burmeister said. "They want to see him make NFL reads. It's huge for him to show adequate arm strength and the anticipation and accuracy will be so much different for him."