Juron Criner was the only all-conference player for Arizona from its 2008 recruiting class. Photo by Chris Morrison-USA Today Sports

The Arizona Wildcats football recruiting class of 2008 is in the books.

Arizona was coming off a 5-7 season in coach Mike Stoops fourth season and hadn’t had a winning record in nine seasons.

The Cats weren’t operating from a position of strength and finished 39th nationally in the recruiting rankings of Rivals.com and Scout.com, which put Arizona slightly below average among BCS conference teams.

So, how did Arizona do with its 2008 recruiting class?

Somewhere around average sounds about right.

The Cats hit on about half of the class, with “hit” defined as a starting player, but there wasn’t a lot of star power and not nearly enough defense.

Let’s take a look …

Good: You wouldn’t have known it at the time, but the eventual headliner of the 23-player class was three-star receiver Juron Criner (who was rated as only as two-star recruit by Scout.com). Criner was the only first-team All-Pac-10/12 player in this class, becoming one of the most prolific receivers in school history.

“We knew in high school he was pretty special,” Stoops said in 2010.

“He was a big, strong, physical guy. Played basketball. Could jump. I don’t know … we didn’t see anything that showed us he wasn’t going to be a very talented player.”

Good: The class was heavy on offensive linemen; seven signed with the Cats and six proved to be starters, including a pair who helped lead the 2012 line as fifth-year seniors — center Kyle Quinn and guard Trace Biskin.

Bad: Three of the offensive linemen were junior college transfers, so Arizona filled a need but didn’t get much lasting benefit. And the career of promising guard Vaughn Dotsy was cut short because of injury.

Bad: The best offensive lineman of the group — junior college transfer J’Marcus Webb — never made it to Arizona but has gone on to be a three-year starter for the Chicago Bears.

Good: Defensive back Robert Golden was one of the top-rated players in Arizona’s class and became a three-year starter and a NFL player last season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Criner, Golden and wide receiver David Douglas (who appeared in one game with Tampa Bay late in the season) all made the NFL from this class.

Good: Not included here is a player Arizona landed in the spring of 2008 — Michigan State transfer quarterback Nick Foles.

Good: Quarterback Matt Scott, able to redshirt in 2011 behind Foles, was a fifth-year senior last season. He earned second-team All-Pac-12 team and was the foremost reason why the Cats posted a surprising 8-5 mark in coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season.

Bad: With a class that featured six junior college transfers, five players who never played a down for the Cats, injuries, and guys who simply weren’t good enough, Arizona got useful play from only three fifth-year seniors: Scott, Quinn and Biskin. Lack of depth from the upperclassmen was a huge hurdle for Rodriguez in 2012.

Bad: Arizona went 0 for 5 in defensive linemen in this class, a huge reason why the Cats failed to have a suitable pass rush in 2011 and 2012. UA also went 0 for 2 on high school linebackers. The alarming lack of enduring defensive talent in this class helps explain Arizona’s woeful stats in the past two seasons.

Here is a player-by-player look at the 2008 class, with ratings by Rivals.com:

Keola Antolin, RB, Las Vegas, Bishop Gorman HS (3 stars)
He gave Arizona steady production for four seasons, finishing with 2,398 rushing yards, 508 receiving yards and 26 total touchdowns.

Dominique Austin, DE, La Puente, Calif., Bishop Amat HS (3 stars)
He was little-used before this year. He started the first five games before being sidelined with an injury, able to return briefly in the New Mexico Bowl.

Kenny Barnes, DE, Glendale, Raymond S Kellis HS (2 stars)
Never played. Quit the team in the summer of 2009 after redshirting.

Trace Biskin, OL, Westlake Village, Calif. Oaks Christian HS (3 stars)
Started 17 games over the past two seasons, including seven in 2012, when he battled a toe injury.

Juron Criner, WR, North Las Vegas, Canyon Springs HS (3 stars)
With excellent body control and leaping ability, Criner excelled at catching the deep pass from Nick Foles. He finished with 209 catches for 2,859 yards and a school-record 32 touchdown receptions, going on to play for the Oakland Raiders as a rookie.

Mike Diaz, OL, Cerritos, Calif., Cerritos CC (3 stars)
He started 20 games in two years, including 11 at left tackle in 2009.

Vaughn Dotsy, OL, Ventura, Calif., St. Bonaventure HS (3 stars)
He started two games as a junior early in the 2010 season before being sidelined by a back injury that forced him to give up football after the year.

David Douglas, WR, McKinney, Texas, McKinney North HS (2 stars)
Douglas caught 151 passes for 1,542 yards and 11 touchdowns at Arizona. He was on the New York Giants practice squad for most of last season before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him up late in the season.

Zander Fabbri, LB, Bakersfield, Calif., Centennial HS (3 stars)
He suffered a concussion in 2008 fall camp and eventually had to give up football.

Phillip Garcia, OL, Cerritos, Calif., Cerritos CC (3 stars)
Redshirted in 2008 because of a knee injury, made a couple of spot starts in 2009 and then started every game in 2010 at right tackle.

Robert Golden, DB, Fresno, Calif., Edison HS (4 stars)
He started two seasons at safety and one at cornerback for the Cats before sticking with the Pittsburgh Steelers last season as an undrafted free agent.

Herman Hall, OL, Brenham, Texas, Blinn CC (2 stars)
He started 11 games as a senior in 2009, playing both guard spots.

Solomon Koehler, DT, Kaneohe, Hawaii, Castle HS (4 stars)
Plenty of recruiting hype but didn’t have the quickness needed at defensive tackle and was moved to the offensive line late in his redshirt freshman season. He was gone a year later.

Sterling Lewis, LB, Brenham, Texas, Blinn CC (3 stars)
Was a solid player, starting 15 games in two seasons and making 97 tackles.

Chris Merrill, DT, Scottsdale, Saguaro HS (3 stars)
He merely saw spot duty through his career, coming up with 15 tackles, including five in 2012.

Greg Nwoko, RB, Pflugerville, Texas, Pflugerville HS (2 stars)
Had a role in 2009 and 2010 as a bigger running back, but he lost 2011 to a knee injury and 2012 to a hip injury after moving to linebacker in fall camp.

Kyle Quinn, OL, Brentwood, Calif., Liberty Union HS (3 stars)
Quinn was a two-year starter at center, extending the program’s stability at the position after taking over for Colin Baxter. Worked out for scouts at the Casino Del Sol College All-Star Game and the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.

Matt Scott, QB, Corona, Calif., Centennial HS (4 stars)
Got his chance to be the full-time starter as a senior, completing 301 of 499 passes for 3,620 yards, with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Scott has the potential to be a mid-round NFL draft pick in April.

Vuna Tuihalamaka, LB, Torrance, Calif., El Camino CC (4 stars)
He was productive as an every-game starter in 2009, with 72 tackles, including 5.5 for loss.

Jowyn Ward, DT, Katy, Texas, Mayde Creek HS (2 stars)
Only saw spot duty (11 tackles) for three years before being moved to backup offensive guard during the 2012 season.

Mark Watley, DB, Encino, Calif., Crespi HS (2 stars)
He seemed to be in line to be a contributor in 2012, but he made only four tackles as he slipped on the depth chart after making 27 stops in 2011.

J’Marcus Webb, OL, Corsicana, Texas, Navarro JC (4 stars)
He was the only member of Arizona’s recruiting class who failed to qualify, landing at lower-division West Texas. Webb, who began his career at the University of Texas, was a seventh-round pick of the Bears in 2010.

R.J. Young, LB, DeSoto, Texas, DeSoto HS (3 stars)
After making 25 career tackles at Arizona, Young transferred after the 2010 season to Louisiana-Monroe, where he led the team in tackles in 2012 with 94, including 11 for loss.

Rob Gronkowski was injured while blocking on an extra-point attempt. Photo by Greg M. Cooper-US PRESSWIRE

It was the most eventful Sunday of the season for former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL.

Let’s start with New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The All-Pro, near the end of a brilliant game in which he had seven catches for 137 yards and two touchdowns, suffered a broken left forearm while blocking for an extra point.

He is expected to be out 4-to-6 weeks, which should put him back in time for the playoffs, at the latest.

Gronkowski has 53 receptions for 748 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games this season.

It also was an unhappy day for rookie quarterback Nick Foles, making his first start with the Philadelphia Eagles, replacing Michael Vick (concussion). Foles was intercepted on his first two possessions and struggled through a 31-6 loss to the Washington Redskins.

Foles completed 21 of 46 passes for 204 yards, with no touchdowns.

“I didn’t play well at all. I know it,” he told reporters after the game (video here).

“Tomorrow is another day and an opportunity to get better. … I’ve played bad games before. This is one of them.”

Philly fans had hoped Foles was the savior … but, hey, it was just one game. The Eagles are a mess right now at 3-7, having lost six in a row. They have a ton of issues other than quarterback and could soon (OK, almost certainly) be looking for a new coach.

Meanwhile, Foles’ favorite target at Arizona, the Oakland Raiders’ Juron Criner, made the first touchdown catch of his NFL career. The rookie fifth-rounder, who routinely made difficult catches in the end zone at Arizona, made an over-the-shoulder catch along the sideline for a 3-yard score (video here).

Criner has seven catches this season — five in the past two weeks.

In other ex-Cat news, the Cleveland Browns added defensive end Ricky Elmore to their practice squad last week. Elmore, a sixth-round pick of Green Bay in 2011, was released from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad in September.

This is Elmore’s fifth team.

Here is the list of former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL:

Active
–Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago
–Eben Britton, OL, Jacksonville
–Antoine Cason, CB, San Diego
–Juron Criner, WR, Oakland
–Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia
–Nick Folk, PK, New York Jets
–Robert Golden, DB, Pittsburgh
–Chris Gronkowski, FB, Denver
–Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England
–Earl Mitchell, DT, Houston
–Brooks Reed, OLB, Houston
–D’Aundre Reed, DE, Minnesota
–Mike Thomas, WR, Detroit
–Trevin Wade, CB, Cleveland

Practice squad
–WR David Douglas (New York Giants)
–OLB Ricky Elmore (Cleveland)

Waived
–C Colin Baxter (San Diego)
–WR Gino Crump (Arizona)
–DE Lionel Dotson (Buffalo)
–OL Adam Grant (Denver)
–TE Fendi Onobun (Buffalo)
–LB Paul Vassallo (Arizona)

Injured reserve
–LB Spencer Larsen (New England)
–DB Nate Ness (Carolina)

Juron Criner (right) celebrates his touchdown catch with Oakland Raiders receiver Rod Streater. Photo by Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

Trevin Wade is one of four rookies from Arizona to make the NFL. Photo by Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

UPDATE: WR David Douglas was added to the New York Giants’ practice squad Saturday after being cut by the team, while Ricky Elmore landed on the practice squad of the Arizona Cardinals on Monday after being waived by San Diego.

NFL teams have made their final roster cuts, and there are 14 former Arizona Wildcats still standing.

Undrafted rookie free agent safety Robert Golden beat the odds and earned a spot on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster. Golden had an impressive camp at free safety, including an interception.

Four players from last year’s Arizona team made rosters, the most prominent of whom is quarterback Nick Foles of the Philadelphia Eagles. The third-round pick had the third-highest passing efficiency rating (110.1) of any NFL quarterback in the preseason, earning the backup role to Michael Vick.

Fifth-round receiver Juron Criner is solidly in the Oakland Raiders’ plan as a backup, and seventh-round cornerback Trevin Wade stuck with Cleveland, impressing the coaches as part of the team’s nickel package.

Four former Wildcats were cut as teams made their final cuts Friday. They were: second-year center Colin Baxter (San Diego), undrafted rookie free agent receiver David Douglas (New York Giants), second-year offensive lineman Adam Grant (Denver) and second-year outside linebacker Ricky Elmore (San Diego).

They could be added to practice squads, or signed by other teams, starting Saturday.

When I say God is good!! He is too Good!!! Thank You Lord!!! Thank You Lord!!!!! Made the 53Man Roster!! Thank You Lord!

— Robert Golden (@R0bG0lden) August 31, 2012

Here is a look at the ex-Cats in the NFL:

Active
–Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago
–Eben Britton, OT, Jacksonville
–Antoine Cason, CB, San Diego
–Juron Criner, WR, Oakland
–Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia
–Nick Folk, PK, New York Jets
–Robert Golden, DB, Pittsburgh
–Chris Gronkowski, FB, Denver
–Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England
–Earl Mitchell, DT, Houston
–Brooks Reed, OLB, Houston
–D’Aundre Reed, DE, Minnesota
–Mike Thomas, WR, Jacksonville
–Trevin Wade, CB, Cleveland

Practice squad
–WR David Douglas (New York Giants)
–OLB Ricky Elmore (Arizona)

Waived
–C Colin Baxter (San Diego)
–WR Gino Crump (Arizona)
–DE Lionel Dotson (Buffalo)
–OL Adam Grant (Denver)
–TE Fendi Onobun (Buffalo)
–LB Paul Vassallo (Arizona)

Injured reserve
–LB Spencer Larsen (New England)
–DB Nate Ness (Carolina)

Juron Criner scores his first touchdown of the game, despite interference from Lions cornerback Alphonso Smith. Photo by Cary Edmondson-US PRESSWIRE

We know former Arizona Wildcats quarterback Nick Foles is opening eyes in the preseason. His favorite college target is earning some notice, too.

Fifth-round pick Juron Criner made two highlight touchdown catches to help the Oakland Raiders defeat the Detroit Lions 31-20 in a preseason game Saturday night.

The first one — a 39-yarder in which Criner came back for an underthrown ball and reached over cornerback Alphonso Smith — was reminiscent of the touchdown catch he made last season, when he grabbed a ball behind the helmet of UCLA’s Aaron Hester (see photo below).

Criner going up and getting the ball … yeah, Arizona fans saw that plenty over the past few years. He is the school’s career leader in touchdown receptions with 32.

“You have to have that instinct — when the ball is in the air it belongs to me and it is all about making the 50/50 plays,” Criner told reporters after the game. “I was just blessed enough to come down with that one.”

The second one covered 76 yards, as quarterback Terrelle Pryor threw on the run to his right and found Criner crossing the field. Criner made a fingertip catch and then headed to paydirt.

“He put the right amount of touch on it and I just barely got to it,” Criner said.

Here is a link to video of the first touchdown catch (which Criner made even though Smith was flagged for interference on the play).

And here is video of the second scoring grab.

Those were Criner’s only two catches of the game. He has four catches for 146 yards in three preseason games.

Juron Criner makes a touchdown catch vs. UCLA’s Aaron Hester last season. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Rob Gronkowski had a good time on the ESPYs red carpet with tennis player Daniela Hantuchova. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

NFL camps have started … do you know where your former Arizona Wildcats are?

Offseason news has been dominated by ex-UA tight end Rob Gronkowski, who followed up his record-setting second season with the New England Patriots with what is widely referred to as the “Summer of Gronk.”

Let the Boston Globe describe it:

“Gronkowski, in no particular order, won a celebrity home run derby at the Triple-A All-Star Game (reportedly hitting one 325 feet), appeared on The Choice, a dating show, co-hosted Access Hollywood Live, judged a celebrity bikini contest in Las Vegas and walked the ESPY’s red carpet. He also attended the premier of the movie “Ted,” hung out with Kim Kardashian, was one of the naked cover boys for ESPN The Magazine, and ran a viral video campaign trying to land on the cover of the Madden video game.

Oh, and he also signed a six-year contract extension worth $54 million – the richest deal ever given to a tight end. It includes $18.17 million in guaranteed money.”

Oh, to be Gronk.

Gronk is the headliner among the former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL, with 22 players on camp rosters.

Here is a look at who is where:

Colin Baxter, C, San Diego
Baxter, who started an Arizona Wildcats record 48 consecutive games, bounced between the Chargers and the New York Jets as a rookie. The former undrafted free agent is battling for a backup spot in camp with San Diego.

Recent story: Baxter, Molk at center of Chargers competition (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Lance Briggs, LB, Chicago
Briggs is the most-decorated of the former Wildcats in the NFL, a stalwart on the Bears’ defense for the past nine seasons, recording 969 tackles. Being selected to seven consecutive Pro Bowls puts him in unbelievable company in franchise history; Bill George, Dick Butkus and Mike Singletary are the only other Bears to accomplish that. He is still going strong at 31, and he signed a contract extension in the spring to take him through the 2014 season.

Eben Britton, OT, Jacksonville
Britton started 15 games at right tackle as a rookie in 2009, but injuries have limited him to 11 games over the past two seasons. The Jags hope he can lock down the right tackle position, again, in camp.

Antoine Cason, CB, San Diego
Cason, the 2007 Jim Thorpe Award winner and the brightest defensive star of the Mike Stoops era, has started the past two seasons for the Chargers, breaking up 17 passes each year. The former first-round pick has 10 career interceptions in four NFL seasons.

Juron Criner could be quite a catch for the Raiders. Photo by Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Juron Criner, WR, Oakland
One of the most prolific receivers in school history (209 catches for 2,859 yards and a UA-record 32 touchdowns), Criner drew rave reviews in Raiders’ OTAs and minicamps after being selected in the fifth round. Could be a steal.

Recent story: Raiders’ Criner signs contract on eve of first practice (CBSSports.com)

Gino Crump, WR, Arizona Cardinals
The undrafted free agent had a good senior season (65 catches, 610 yards, two TDs) and was signed by the Cardinals on May 30. Before that, he attended the Buffalo Bills mini-camp, but was retained. Said Cardinals star WR Larry Fitzgerald in the Arizona Republic in June: “He’s explosive; he has really good hands, a good feel.”

David Douglas, WR, New York Giants
Douglas faces long odds as an undrafted free agent, but he showed great hands and route running at Arizona, and his athleticism was often underrated. He made 117 receptions in his final two seasons with the Cats.

Ricky Elmore, OLB, San Diego
He was a sixth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2011, but didn’t make it through camp while trying to transition from a prolific college defensive end to NFL outside linebacker. Elmore, who had 21.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Arizona, is getting another chance with the Chargers.

Nick Foles, QB, Philadelphia
An Arizona quarterback in the NFL? Foles, who rewrote the Wildcats passing records, will try to become the first former UA quarterback to throw a pass in an NFL game since Bill Demory in 1973. Foles, a third-round pick, could battle Mike Kafka for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind Michael Vick, according to some reports.

Recent story: Foles has strategy to attack Birds’ playbook (CSNPhilly.com)

Nick Folk, PK, New York Jets
Folk, who made the Pro Bowl as a rookie with the Dallas Cowboys in 2007, has connected on 49 of 64 field goals in his two seasons with the Jets and has hit from beyond 50 yards in each of his five NFL seasons. He and veteran kicker Josh Brown will compete in camp for a roster spot.

Robert Golden, DB, Pittsburgh
Golden, an undrafted free agent, started at cornerback and safety with Arizona. He’ll be trying to latch on with the Steelers at safety.

Adam Grant, OT, Denver
Undrafted after the 2010 season, Grant stuck with the Broncos’ practice squad all of last season and was invited back to camp.

Chris Gronkowski, FB, Denver
His favorable rookie season in Dallas in 2010 took a bad turn when he missed a block that got quarterback Tony Romo injured. Gronkowski played seven games for the Colts last season before being shut down because of a torn pectoral muscle. Perhaps he will get a chance to do this season what he didn’t last year with the Colts — protect Peyton Manning.

Rob Gronkowski, TE, New England
The NFL party boy is coming back from post-Super Bowl ankle surgery (he says it’s 100 percent) and he will try to continue his march toward being one of the great tight ends in NFL history. He caught 90 passes for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns last season (a record for tight ends).

Recent story: Bill Simmons tells three crazy Rob Gronkowski stories from the ESPYs (BusinessInsider.com)

Spencer Larsen, FB, New England
The former All-Pac-10 linebacker was a two-way player for his first two seasons in Denver, famously starting at fullback and at linebacker in the same game as a rookie. After four seasons with the Broncos, Larsen moved on to the Patriots in the offseason. He signed a two-year contract but will have to earn a roster spot in camp; his special teams ability will help.

Earl Mitchell, DT, Houston
Mitchell is a third-year pro who has been a solid contributor to the Texans, making 55 career tackles, and he’s back to battle Shaun Cody again for playing time at nose tackle. He might not be the traditional plugger in the middle of the 3-4 front, but he puts his athleticism to good use and should have a long NFL career.

Fendi Onobun, TE, Buffalo
The former Arizona basketball power forward, who played one season of football at the University of Houston, is on his fifth NFL team after being a sixth-round pick of the St. Louis Rams in 2010. He has played in four NFL games, making two catches.

Brooks Reed, OLB, Houston
Reed was excellent as a rookie last season, stepping into a starting role and making 45 tackles, including six sacks in the regular season. The former UA defensive end — a second-round pick — is quick with his pass-rushing first step, and Wildcats fans know all about his relentless motor.

Recent story: Texans LB coach: Sky’s the limit for Brooks Reed (Houston Chronicle)

D’Aundre Reed, DE, Minnesota
Reed, despite being a backup at Arizona, was intriguing enough as an athlete to be a seventh-round pick in 2011. He was not active for any game last season.

Mike Thomas, WR, Jacksonville
Thomas, a fourth-round pick in 2009, set a franchise rookie record with 48 catches for 453 yards. He followed up with team-highs in catches in each of the past two seasons, although the Jags’ aerial attack was rather anemic last year with rookie QB Blaine Gabbert. Thomas, who caught 44 passes for 415 yards last season, will have a new running mate this season to spark the passing game — two-time Biletnikoff winner Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State.

Paul Vassallo, LB, Arizona
Vassallo, signed as an undrafted rookie free agent, made 172 tackles, including 13 for loss, in his two seasons with the Wildcats after transferring from junior college.

Trevin Wade, CB, Cleveland
The seventh-round rookie had a solid senior season, bouncing back from junior struggles, and looked good in various offseason activities. “I think he’s got a feel for playing the game at corner,” Browns coach Pat Shurmer recently told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Waived
–DE Lionel Dotson (Buffalo)

NOTE: Former UA returner/receiver Travis Cobb, an undrafted free agent after the 2010 season, worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday.

Brooks Reed will be looking to build off a productive rookie season. Photo by Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Dan Buckner runs after a catch against Oregon last season. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Arizona Wildcats wide receiver Dan Buckner is wearing a new number to honor his grandfather.

Buckner has switched from No. 15 to No. 4.

“My grandma died last year and my grandfather had a heart attack. His number was always No. 44. That’s why I used to wear 4, because I didn’t want to wear No. 44 playing football,” Buckner said.

“We had some talks and I wanted my old number back and he wanted me to wear it.”

Buckner said his grandfather was a high school basketball player in Mississippi, although he never played in college.

“He was pretty good, though,” Buckner said. “Back in the day.”

Buckner wore No. 4 at the University of Texas before his transfer to Arizona after his sophomore season. He is the team’s leading returning receiver after catching 42 passes for 606 yards and two touchdowns last season.

“He’s a senior and we’re expecting an awful lot out of him,” coach Rich Rodriguez said.

“We’re going to push Dan as hard or harder than any of the receivers because we expect so much out of him. He has to have a big year for us. I think he will.”

Buckner, along with sophomores Austin Hill and Tyler Slavin, figure to lead the receiving corps after the Wildcats sustained heavy personnel losses at the position — Juron Criner (75 catches, 956 yards, 11 TDs), David Douglas (65 catches for 666 yards), Gino Crump (65 catches for 610 yards) and David Roberts (39 catches, 413 yards).

* * *

Pat Kirwan, an NFL insider for CBSSports.com, had an interesting and positive take on Criner, whose draft projections have been all over the board.

Kirwan had a retired defensive back/coach evaluate this draft class at receiver, and that scout pegged Criner as a “diamond in the rough.”

Wrote Kirwan:

The former scout/coach came to me for discussion with the following report: The wide receiver has good hands, good open field skills, quick feet, plays hard, gets open, competes for the ball and is more than a willing blocker. He is a good fit as a ‘Z’ in a west coast system. I had my old scout also evaluate Justin Blackmon and Michael Floyd during the same session and he was still high on the mystery man.

The receiver’s name is Juron Criner from Arizona, and his draft status ranges from the 10th-best receiver to not even in the top 20 according to some draft analysts. Some describe him as a guy with subpar straight line speed, relies too heavily on his size down field and inconsistent hands. Go back and look at the report on Marques Colston of the Saints from 2006 and it’s similar. That report was wrong and damaged Colston enough that he went in the seventh round. Eighty-six games later Colston has 449 receptions and 48 touchdowns.

Finally, if your team happens to be looking for a big receiver with production and a great attitude then Criner could be your man in the early fourth round. What a bargain!

* * *

Rodriguez is working without a depth chart and cautions to not read too much into scrimmage lineups, but junior Sione Tuihalamaka has started both scrimmages at nose guard in the new 3-3-5 scheme.

What does Rodriguez and coordinator Jeff Casteel look for in a nose guard?

“There is probably an assumption that the nose needs to be a big plugger,” Rodriguez said. “We like big guys. There is no question.”

Tuihalamaka, who is listed at 6-2 and 275 pounds, doesn’t exactly fit the plugger prototype, but that’s OK, too, Rodriguez said.

“The nose just needs to be big enough and active enough to force a double team,” he said.

One of the ends in the three-man front is traditionally more the size of a defensive tackle, with the other end being the speed rush guy.

* * *

Junior walk-on kicker Jake Smith, who has played at Syracuse and Youngstown State, has split placekicking duties with John Bonano in the two scrimmages.

Bonano was a steadying force after he took over in midseason last year, but he was only 3 of 5 in the team’s first scrimmage, including one that was blocked and another that was tipped (although it still went in).

Smith has a big leg but he also has suffered from having attempts tipped or blocked in the scrimmages.

“I don’t want to say he has been a pleasant surprise because we thought he had some ability from watching some highlights of him,” Rodriguez said of Smith last week. “But I think he’s having an outstanding spring. I think John Bonano has a great leg and he’s a good, solid kicker, but we need another one.”

Running away from defenders hasn't been Nick Foles' strength. Photo by Ron Chenoy-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats Nick Foles and Juron Criner weren’t blazers in the 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine on Sunday.

Foles was timed in 5.14 seconds for 40 yards, according to NFL.com, the worst of the 14 quarterbacks who participated in the 40-yard dash. Foles isn’t noted for his speed, so the poor time doesn’t come as a huge surprise, although he had been hoping to dispel his “lumbering” image.

One of the other critiques of his game has been his accuracy on down-field passing.

NFLDraftScout.com’s Rob Rang wrote on CBSSports.com that Foles struggled when throwing longer routes in drills on Sunday, but added that “Foles has good enough tape to withstand the disappointing workout.”

ESPN.com’s Mike Sando wrote that “Foles obviously struggled with his longer passes. …. Foles struggled with his throws, particularly on post-corner routes. Coaches appeared to advise him on his deep-ball trajectory after Foles overthrew Arizona teammate Juron Criner on an early deep pass. Foles put too much air under subsequent deep passes. He did not hit receivers in stride on those balls. Foles did elicit a ‘good throw’ commendation from one coach after connecting with Michigan’s Kenneth Hemingway on a 10-yard out route.”

Foles (6-5, 243 pounds) was the biggest of the quarterbacks competing in drills Sunday. ASU’s Brock Osweiler, who was measured at 6-6 7/8, did not participate.

Criner needed to run fast at the NFL Combine to boost his draft stock, but his time in the 40-yard dash was 4.68 seconds, according to NFL.com. Earlier, Criner’s reported times for his two attempts — on hand-held stopwatches — were 4.59 seconds and 4.63 seconds.

Georgia Tech’s Stephen Hill, Stanford’s Chris Owusu and Miami’s Travis Benjamin led the receivers with times of 4.36.

In a best-case scenario, Criner would have run something close to 4.5 seconds to be seen as something more than a possession receiver leading up to the draft.

Draft analyst Wes Bunting of NationalFootballPost.com, wrote:

“I still have questions about Arizona WR Juron Criner and his ability to quickly separate at the next level consistently out his breaks. He ran in the 4.6 range Sunday and just isn’t a real dynamic self-starter. He looked coordinated during positional drills however. But, I still see him more as a reserve only in the NFL.”

Heading into the combine, Foles was listed as the 77th-best prospect in the draft and Criner was No. 96, according to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt.

Foles and Criner, and many more Wildcats, will get another chance in front of the scouts at Arizona Pro Day on campus on March 19.

Go to NFL.com’s Combine tracker to see how Foles and Criner did in other drills.

Nick Foles attempts one of his 15 passes at the Senior Bowl. Photo by Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

Three former Arizona Wildcats have been officially invited to the NFL Combine: Quarterback Nick Foles, wide receiver Juron Criner and cornerback Trevin Wade.

Those three were on an initial list last month, but no other ex-Cat was included in the final list of 328 draft prospects. Six former Arizona State players are on the list.

Criner helped himself at workouts for the Senior Bowl last month, likely moving into the second- or third-round range. A good time in the 40-yard dash would improve or further second his place as a top 100 pick.

Foles received mixed reviews for his week at the Senior Bowl, although he played well in the game, including a touchdown pass to Criner. Foles can use the Combine — held Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis — to separate from a pack of “second-tier” quarterbacks behind Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and, perhaps, Ryan Tannehill.

Wade, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection as a senior, is generally seen as a late-round pick (perhaps middle-round pick, if all goes well).

“The reality is he played better as a senior than he did as a junior, and scouts are looking for that,” NFLDraftScout.com senior writer Rob Rang told me last month. “Scouts are looking for that mental toughness to come back after a tough year.”

Arizona’s next-best draft prospect likely is defensive back Robert Golden, who recently did a Q&A with New Era Scouting. NFLDraftScout.com rates Golden as a seventh-round or free agent prospect.

Nick Foles attempts one of his 15 passes at the Senior Bowl. Photo by Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats Nick Foles and Juron Criner showed in the Senior Bowl what UA fans saw many times in the past few years — a touchdown connection.

Foles’ 20-yard pass down the middle to Criner, just over the goal line, gave the South team its only touchdown in Saturday’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The North won 23-13.

Foles completed 11 of 15 passes for 136 yards and a touchdowns. None of his attempts were intercepted. Criner caught six passes for 77 yards.

The next big event for each is the NFL Combine from Feb. 22-28 in Indianapolis.

Foles tied the UA record for career passing touchdowns with 67 in his three-year career. Criner set the school record with 32 touchdown receptions — all but one came in the past three seasons.

Here are stories I wrote about each after their week of practice in front of scouts:

Foles: Lukewarm reviews at Senior Bowl

Criner: Draft stock rising

Nick Foles (left) and Juron Criner might be celebrating again as South teammates at the Senior Bowl on Saturday. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats receiver Juron Criner boosted his draft stock during the week of Senior Bowl practices — not just for making the kind of difficult catches UA fans fondly recall but for quieting some of chatter about him off the field.

“I was impressed by Criner,” said NFLDraftScout.com senior analyst Rob Rang.

“I thought he had a heck of an opportunity here, and I never saw him drop a ball. I saw him make some spectacular plays. I don’t know if I would say he was the best receiver there, but he would definitely be in the conversation.”

Criner’s draft stock took a hit in the preseason when a report surfaced in the summer that his 2011 season was in jeopardy for “undisclosed medical reasons.” That the UA didn’t immediately comment made it all the more mysterious.

It turns out that Criner was fine for the start of fall camp, and his summer absence was explained by coach Mike Stoops as being for “personal and family issues,” including his mom’s illness. Stoops also said Criner hasn’t always had the best support system around him.

Whether there is more to Criner’s off-field story or not, it appears NFL scouts seem initially satisfied with what they see and hear.

“Everybody I talked to — NFL guys, not agents or other media members — basically said unless there is something else out there they don’t know about, the off-field stuff isn’t going to dramatically impact his stock,” Rang said.

“From everybody I talked to, he’s a good kid, he’s just a private kid. I don’t know if he trusted a lot of people around him.”

Largely because of those potential off-field concerns, NFLDraftScout.com and other draft sites had Criner as a late-round prospect heading into the week of practices in Mobile, Ala. He didn’t measure up at the weigh-in — he is 6-2 1/8, not the 6-4 as listed by UA — but then went out and made all the catches.

Yeah, Juron Criner can make the difficult catch. Photo by Chris Morrison-US PRESSWIRE

Even more impressive, Rang said, was that Criner was working about the South team’s cornerbacks, which might be the strongest position group at the Senior Bowl.

“He was one of the few receivers to consistently make plays about them,” Rang said.

“He goes up and gets the football so well and knows how to use his body to shield defenders from the ball. He turned some heads. A lot of the receivers here who had bigger names struggled. He did not.”

Criner needed to show at Senior Bowl practices that he had the ability to get off the line against press coverage — which he rarely saw at Arizona — and that he had the kind of separation speed that scouts want to see in an NFL wideout.

That latter part is still an issue. Criner’s 40-time at the NFL Combine next month could still sway his stock either way.

For now, Rang said, he would upgrade Criner to a second- or third-round pick — definitely a top 100 prospect, like his former teammate, quarterback Nick Foles. Foles, who has been throwing passes to Criner all week, has received more modest reviews at the Senior Bowl.

(Criner is at No. 96 and Foles at 64 on Gil Brandt’s Hot 100 on NFL.com.)

Another opinion:

Mike Tanier, of Shutdown Corner, a Yahoo! Sports blog:

Criner, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound possession receiver from the University of Arizona, has probably helped his stock more than any other player during Senior Bowl practices this week. He was projected as a late-round pick by most experts before practices started. He has probably worked his way up to the middle rounds.

Criner does not have breakaway speed, but he appears to have the rest of the package. “I’m very agile for a man my size,” Criner said after Thursday’s practice. That agility was evident earlier in the week, when he made smooth cuts and adjusted to poorly thrown balls in live practices. Criner has also been demonstrating good hands and pass-catching technique, and he looks more fluid and comfortable running routes than some of the other big receivers on the South squad.