Late-breaking rumors as the first round of the NFL Draft is finally underway at Radio City Music Hall in New York: Rumblings out of Dallas suggest the Cowboys are suddenly in the mix for the top player in the NFL Draft, forcing us to update our mock draft accordingly:

"Jerry Jones loves to make a splash, and there would be no bigger splash than taking Reid Forrest at No. 9," one NFL scout told CougCenter. "It's no secret the Cowboys have a lot of needs on offense, and Jones believes Forrest could fill all of them ... simultaneously."

What is it that Jones loves so much about Forrest?

"Jones envisions forcing through a rule change where kicking the football over the giant scoreboard results in an automatic first down," the scout said. "And goodness knows, if anyone can do that, Forrest can."

Meanwhile, Jones played it close to the vest when approached by CougCenter.com.

"You don't get rich and famous and good looking like me by spilling all your secrets," Jones said. "Let's just say I've got a trick or two up my sleeve tonight."

Here is our updated mock draft with the new information:

1. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton, QB
2. Denver Broncos: Von Miller, LB
3. Buffalo Bills: Marcel Dareus, DT
4. Cincinnati Bengals: A.J. Green, WR
5. Arizona Cardinals: Patrick Peterson, DB
6. Cleveland Browns: Robert Quinn, DE
7. San Francisco 49ers: Prince Amakamura, DB
8. Tennessee Titans: Blaine Gabbert, QB
9. Dallas Cowboys: REID FORREST, P/QB/WR/RB

With the draft actually happening tomorrow, this will be the final installment of the 2011 CougCenter NFL Mock Draft. If you for some reason haven't read the first two parts of this three part epic mini-series, then I urge you to go back and read them here and here.

Today we finish off the first round, and look at picks 21-32. We will also see what the Seahawks will do with the 25th overall selection. Fear not my friends, there are no more Reid Forrest jokes from here on out. I promise.

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With the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft just about 30 hours away, the time has come to try and predict which city will get the honor of watching WSU's Reid Forrest earn his multimillion dollar paychecks on Sundays next year.

Three clear front-runners have emerged for Forrest's services, all of which have an extreme need at punter: the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins. Here's a look at how Forrest might fit into each team's plans.

Carolina Panthers (No. 1 overall): Taking a punter first overall would be unprecedented in the history of the NFL, but as we've already established, Forrest is an unprecedented talent. The Panthers were the fifth-worst team in the league in punting last year by DVOA, which would be bad enough on its own. But when you consider the Panthers were also the worst offensive team in the league, their need for a dynamic performer such as Forrest is magnified. All signs point to Cam Newton here, but that ignores the elephant in the room: Can Newton punt? Unlikely.

Odds the Panthers draft Forrest: 10-1. What direction the Panthers will go is a bit of a mystery, given their new, defensive-minded head coach, Ron Rivera.

Denver Broncos (No. 2 overall): After a decade of stability under Mike Shanahan, the Broncos again are a franchise in transition. Out is Josh McDaniels, in is John Fox who, coincidentally, was fired by the Panthers. Where McDaniels was somewhat of an offensive mad scientist who would likely see the value of Forrest's versatility, Fox is a conservative defensive coach. However, that just might play into Forrest's favor; nothing like a spectacular punter to make a conservative coach feel good.

Odds the Broncos draft Forrest: 8-1. That roster might not be big enough for both Tim Tebow and Reid Forrest.

Washington Redskins (No. 10 overall): Without a doubt, this is the most intriguing destination for Forrest. Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has tried everything in his tenure as owner to field a winner. Everything, that is, but draft a spectacular punter with one of his myriad high draft picks. It's a strategy just crazy enough that crazy Snyder might actually pull the trigger.

Odds the Redskins draft Forrest: 3-1. From Washington State to Washington, D.C. A natural fit for a man who will someday turn his punting prowess into a presidential bid.

Other potential dark horse suitors: San Diego Chargers (No. 18 overall, 12-1 odds), New York Giants (No. 19 overall, 14-1 odds)

CougCenter's Prediction

This is a tough one to nail down because, as we said, this isn't exactly a common situation. Forrest is a once-in-a-lifetime player, which we think will demand a once-in-a-lifetime move on the NFL's part. In a move that will bring to mind the NBA rigging the lottery to send Patrick Ewing to the New York Knicks, Roger Goodell will stop the NFL Draft before it begins to make an announcement:

"As one sworn to protect the shield of the NFL, I recognize what a special opportunity this league has in front of it. Reid Forrest isn't just a punter; he's a cornerstone player.That's why I'm invoking my power as the commissioner of the NFL and hereby declare that Reid Forrest has been removed from this draft and allocated to the future Los Angeles franchise, which will begin play in the 2012 season.

"Reid Forrest and his golden leg is just the player to lead the league back into the country's second-largest market. Is it fair? No. But neither is Forrest's talent, which is exactly why we've chosen to stack the deck in favor of the Los Angeles ... Forrests? Reids? Ah, heck, who cares. We'll figure that out later."

Stick with CougCenter for all the latest Reid Forrest draft news as we head toward the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, which starts at 5 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, April 28. SB Nation has everything you need to prepare: NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it out at SB Nation's NFL Draft page and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking the Draft.

We noted on Monday that WSU's all-everything punter Reid Forrest was unlikely to slip past the Washington Redskins and their No. 10 pick in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, a line of thinking that was only bolstered with today's rumor that the San Diego Chargers are strongly considering a push for the game-changing athlete.

However, some continue to express skepticism at the idea of a punter being selected so highly.

"He's just a punter, for cripes sake," Miami Dolphins consultant Bill Parcells said. "Do you know how many punters I've had over the years? Me either. Because they're freaking punters. I might have listed Tom Tupa as my No. 2 quarterback once upon a time, but c'mon -- you'd do the same thing if Rick Mirer was the alternative."

Savvy general managers, though, have discovered what Cougar fans have known for some time: Forrest isn't just a punter. He's a transcendent talent who rates with the best prospects in this draft by any objective measure.

First off, there's this little-known study on "awesomeness" conducted during Forrest's junior season:

FACT: Reid Forrest outpaces Tim Tebow in awesomeness. FACT: Tim Tebow was a first round pick. When you consider that Forrest is likely even more awesome now than he was in 2009, you can draw your own conclusion about what that ought to mean for Forrest's draft stock.

Of course, the evidence doesn't end there.

In order to justify a punter being taken so highly, a general manager is going to have to be able to sell him as a multiple-threat option. Forrest has that covered, too. From a 2010 CougCenter scouting report by world-renowned talent evaluator Craig Powers:

Reid's rushing attack got off to a pretty slow start. The battle for his starting job as a freshman seemed to really take its toll. By the end of the season, Forrest was left with a meager 2.0 yards per attempt. With the weight of a position battle off his shoulders, his sophomore and junior seasons saw a great rise in effectiveness, as he posted a ridiculous TWENTY-EIGHT yards an attempt in 2008 and a still awesome 15.0 yards per carry in 2009.

Those numbers are literally impossible to argue with. Over his last two years, Reid Forrest is putting up an astonishing 21.5 YPC. No running back, not LaMichael James, Jacquizz Rodgers, Noel Devine, or even Mark Ingram, can compare to Reid's accomplishments (And lets not forget the historically bad offensive line Forrest has had to work with). He is the best player in the nation at not only one position, but TWO.

"Just a punter" indeed, Mr. Parcells!

But if, like Parcells, you remain unconvinced by these indisputable facts -- FACTS -- proving Forrest's multi-dimensional talent and prefer to still pigeonhole him into punting duties, Forrest's otherworldly punting skills should be enough on their own merit. How many punters do you know who can kick a football 300 miles over some mountains and kill it on the one-yard-line?

When you take all of this together with the tremendous need at punter among top 10 teams in the draft, it's easy to see why Forrest's stock is skyrocketing heading into Thursday night. The teams expected to vie for Forrest's services include the Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers. Tomorrow, we'll try to project just where Forrest is going to end up.

Stick with CougCenter for all the latest Reid Forrest draft news as we head toward the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, which starts at 5 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, April 28. SB Nation has everything you need to prepare: NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it out at SB Nation's NFL Draft page and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking the Draft.

The NFL community shook on Monday when news broke that Judge Susan Nelson had sided with the players and lifted the league's lockout just days before the 2011 NFL Draft. While the NFL's lawyers are readying their legal documentation for a potential stay of the ruling, teams were left scrambling to prepare for a scenario they hadn't envisioned.

The opportunity to wheel and deal for the draft's most coveted player, WSU punter Reid Forrest.

While it's true that teams were still able to swap draft picks even under lockout conditions, Nelson's ruling means that teams could now potentially be allowed to move players currently under contract in any deal, adding to teams' ammunition in the race to land the dynamic Forrest, who is expected to go early in the first round.

One scout told CougCenter that the San Diego Chargers, by far the worst punting team in the NFL last season, secretly covet Forrest's services and see him as the answer to their problems:

"(San Diego Chargers General Manager) A.J. Smith usually plays things pretty close to the vest, but he just can't stop running his mouth about Forrest," the scout said. "Smith has shown in the past that he's willing to pay a premium for players he views as game-changers, and Forrest falls into that category."

Of course, it seems unlikely that Forrest would fall past the Washington Redskins at No. 10, meaning the Chargers will have to figure out a way to jump up at least nine spots from their current No. 18 position, or convince the Redskins to trade down.

"You know Daniel Snyder," the scout said. "He's been looking for a quarterback for years, and if Smith wants to make a serious run at Forrest, draft picks might not be enough -- he just might have to put Phillip Rivers on the table."

While that seems like a steep price for the Chargers to pay, another scout told CougCenter that Smith would likely pull the trigger if given the opportunity.

"The guy drafted Philip Rivers to replace Drew Brees - he's got balls of steel," the scout said. "He sees Forrest not just as a punter, but as a multi-threat quarterback. I mean, did you see that fake punt against Washington in the 2008 Apple Cup? The kid can do it all."

Stick with CougCenter for all the latest Reid Forrest draft news as we head toward the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft, which starts at 5 p.m. (PDT) on Thursday, April 28. SB Nation has everything you need to prepare: NFL mock drafts, draft projections, scouting reports, the full NFL draft schedule and more. Check it out at SB Nation's NFL Draft page and our NFL Draft blog, Mocking the Draft.

In case you missed the Top 10 picks for the inaugural CougCenter NFL Mock Draft, you can go here to check them out. For those of you who were on the ball and read every fantastically written word, you get a pat on the back. If I had gold stars to hand out, you'd get them, too. Just take solace in the fact that you are now my favorite, and those who failed to read it are my not favorites.

Today we'll focus on picks 11-20. Onward!

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Given all the rumors and mock drafts that are floating around, it's time to take a quick look at the 2011 NFL Draft and try to project just where WSU's No. 1 NFL prospect, punter Reid Forrest, might be headed.

While projecting the NFL Draft is clearly an inexact science, there are some tried and true strategies that one can fall back on when trying to figure out where a particular player might land. The biggest, of course, is "need," and when we look at need, three clear front runners emerge.

Here are how the top 10 teams teams in the draft ranked according to Football Outsiders' punting DVOA metric. The farther away from zero you get in the negative direction, the worse you are:

When looked at that way, there are three obvious candidates for Forrest's services: The Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins. All three have pressing needs at punter after incredibly poor performances in 2010 -- particularly the Redskins, who were only kept out of last place by the woeful San Diego Chargers.

Tomorrow, we'll try to read the tea leaves a little bit and get a better handle on just where he might end up. But one thing seems fairly certain: Reid Forrest, with all of his dynamic abilities, will not slip out of the top 10 picks of the first round.

With the annual NFL Draft only days away, we here at CougCenter figured it was important to not only highlight a few Cougars potentially getting drafted, but what the Seahawks will do with the 25th overall selection. You may not think of frequenting CougCenter for all your NFL Draft needs, but we've got you covered.

Since the first round is so long, I'll be breaking it up into five different posts. Today's post?

The Top 10.

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