Tyler Eifert is a beast in traffic... (AP)

With the 2012 NFL season in the books, and the scouting combine in the rear-view, it's time to take a closer look at the 50 players we think will be the biggest difference-makers at the next level from this draft class. To that end, we're happy to continue this year's Shutdown 50 scouting reports (Hint: There may actually be more than 50). You can read last year's group here. The final 50 players were chosen and ranked based on game tape, combine and Pro Day results, overall positional value, and attributes and liabilities on and off the field.

#21: Tyler Eifert, TE, Notre Dame

We continue this year's series with Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert, the 2012 Mackey Award winner and one of the most productive players at his position in the nation. He enjoyed a breakout season in 2011, when he caught 63 passes for 803 yards and five touchdowns, and followed that up with 50 grabs for 685 yards and four touchdowns in 2012. This despite the fact that more and more, enemy defenses know that he was the man to contain. A 215-pound receiver in high school, Eifert bulked up to 250 pounds at 6-foot-6 during his time at Notre Dame, but he kept one aspect of his previous position intact -- the ability to line up all over the field and be productive. One point of focus during his 2012 season was an improvement in run-blocking which was evident on the game tape.

"That has been what everyone said I was lacking," Eifert said at the scouting combine. "So, I've spent a lot of time working on my blocking with coaches, working on the technique things, the little things, the footwork, hand placement. Just the little things, which make a big difference."

Little things which make a big difference? Sounds like a pretty good way to describe Eifert's overall game, and his easy status as the most well-rounded tight end in this draft class.

Pros: Comes off the snap with surprising burst for his size, and accelerates smoothly up to full speed. Does a great job of using head and foot fakes to dislodge coverage off the line. High-points the ball as well as anyone in this draft class, and as well as half the tight ends currently in the NFL -- can make life very difficult for defenders who try to jump with him. Plays boundaries well -- uses the sideline as an advantage. Has a good sense of route concepts from in-line or H-back. Dynamic receiver after the catch; Eifert will bull through arm and ankle tackles and is always looking to get upfield. Very agile for his size in space and will get open in little zones. Unfinished as a blocker, but will go out of his way to seal the edge or get upfield to deal with a defender. Knows how to ride the stem and will work to stay open when his quarterback is in trouble.

(Getty Images)

With the 2012 NFL season in the books, and the scouting combine in the rear-view, it's time to take a closer look at the 50 players we think will be the biggest difference-makers at the next level from this draft class. To that end, we're happy to continue this year's Shutdown 50 scouting reports (Hint: There may actually be more than 50). You can read last year's group here. The final 50 players were chosen and ranked based on game tape, combine and Pro Day results, overall positional value, and attributes and liabilities on and off the field.

#22 Keenan Allen, California

We continue this year's series with Cal receiver Keenan Allen, who has had quite the dramatic time since he injured his knee against Utah last Oct. 27. Until then, Allen was well on his way to following up his tremendous 2011 campaign, when he caught 98 passes for 1,348 yards and six touchdowns. He ended 2012 with 61 receptions for 737 yards and six more scores, but had to wait it out as other receiver prospects saw their names bandied about in the pre-draft process.

When Allen was finally able to run for NFL teams, he put up a 4.71 40-yard dash on April 10. There was some speculation that while his knee was 100 percent, the surrounding musculature wasn't fully recovered, leading to his slow time. Others hypothesized that Allen's time merely matched his field speed, and this was why he was likely a second-round pick.

[Watch: Why Geno Smith could slip in the NFL draft]

"Let me preface the whole 40-yard conversation with this," Mike Mayock o the NFL Network said at Allen's pro day after he ran that disappointing time. "Three months ago, I said -- if you watch this kid on tape -- if you like him, he's Anquan Boldin. If you don't like him, he's speed-deficient. So I don't really care what he runs in the 40. On tape, to me, he's a 4.55 guy all day long."

Allen is also extremely and consistently productive, an underrated attribute given his relative lack of splash-play ability. He's Cal's all-time leading receiver with 250 receptions, his 2,570 receiving yards ranks third in school annals, and his 17 touchdown catches ranks seventh. There are receivers who last a lot longer in the NFL than some of the purely explosive guys if they understand the fundamentals of the game, and Allen could be just such a player.

Pros: Big receiver who is able to break contact after the catch. Has a comprehensive route understanding and moves well in short spaces, allowing him to get free in zone coverages. Runs slants and drags underneath as a primary part of his route package and has surprising speed to move through intermediate defense. Hard player to bring down overall -- will spin and bull out of tackles. Not a burner in the open field, but does possess some breakaway speed. Gets his face to the quarterback quickly on cutting routes and turns upfield just as quickly. Is able to make catches in traffic and with bodies all around him.

Pat Summerall and John Madden before Super Bowl XXXVI, their last broadcast together, in Feb., 2002. (Getty Images)

When he retired as the Oakland Raiders' head coach after the 1978 NFL season, John Madden wasn't sure if he was going to be an NFL broadcaster. But Madden knew that when CBS paired him with Pat Summerall in 1981 to replace the late Tom Brookshier, his broadcasting career was about to ascend to new heights. Madden had done lower-level games for a few seasons, but the pairing of Madden and Summerall was perhaps the best ever in its prime, and replaced the Monday Night Football trio of Frank Gifford, Howard Cosell, and Don Meredith as the NFL's dominant collective television voice.

On Tuesday, Summerall died at the age of 82 at Dallas' Zale Lipshy hospital as he was recovering from surgery to repair a broken hip. Madden was quick to speak about his old partner, with whom he worked at CBS and FOX from 1981 through 2002.

"Pat was my broadcasting partner for a long time, but more than that he was my friend for all of these years," Madden said in a statement. "We never had one argument, and that was because of Pat. He was a great broadcaster and a great man.

"He always had a joke. Pat never complained and we never had an unhappy moment. He was something very special. Pat Summerall is the voice of football and always will be."

To Sam Farmer of the the Los Angeles Times, Madden remembered Summerall as "so solid and a good friend and a real pro."

(USAT Sports Images)It's fairly common knowledge that this draft class of quarterbacks hasn't wowed anyone in the same ways Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson did last year. Of course, one of the new kids could pop loose in the right system, but as for now, the results are inconclusive. You can now add the name of former NFL head coach and current ESPN analyst Jon Gruden to the list of those who aren't quite as ecstatic about these quarterbacks. On the heels of the most recent "Gruden's QB Camp" series, in which he sat down with most of the top draftable quarterbacks, as well as Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o and South Carolina running back Marcus Lattimore, Gruden talked quarterbacks with the media.

A few highlights:

On this quarterback class overall: "I think it depends on what kind of system you run. I think, obviously, with the game changing the way it is, the option coming into the NFL, we saw what [Colin] Kaepernick did, Russell Wilson, RG3, you see that going around the league. Chip Kelly coming to the Philadelphia Eagles. If you're in the NFC, the read option, the option itself is a prevalent part of the game. So guys like E.J. Manuel, Ryan Nassib at Syracuse, I think those are the two players in this draft that are equipped to run that style of offense.

"I like Nassib a lot as a sleeper in this draft because he can run the option. He did it at Syracuse. He managed the no‑huddle offense. He has size, athleticism, and he has an NFL pedigree of having played for Doug Marrone. And I like E.J. Manuel, obviously, because of his size and running ability. But outside of that, there are some very good pocket passers, if that's your cup of tea. Guys like Matt Barkley, Landry Jones have hung in the pocket and made a lot of completions during their career. Geno Smith, those three guys in particular throw the ball very well.

"I would say it depends on the kind of offense that you run and what you're looking for. There is a lot of, I think, interesting prospects that can help a team in this draft."

On Syracuse QB Ryan Nassib: "I really like this kid out of Syracuse. I like Ryan Nassib because he's an athletic kid. He's functioned in a couple of different offenses. What they did this year at Syracuse changing their offense two weeks before the regular season says a lot about this kid's ability to adapt, a former 400‑pound bench presser. They were 2‑4 trailing Stony Brook College at halftime, and I thought he was really good at the end of games and helped Syracuse go to a bowl game. I just like his body of work at Syracuse."

NEWCASTLE, Wash. -- Lloyd and Constance Trufant have three sons -- Marcus, Isaiah, and Desmond. All have been high-school football stars in Tacoma, Wash., about 30 miles south of Seattle. All have played for colleges in their home states -- Marcus at Washington State, Isaiah at Eastern Washington, and Desmond at Washington. And when Desmond, the youngest, hears his name called in the NFL draft on Thursday, April 25 (because he's projected as a first-round pick), his mother and father will be able to experience a very rare gift -- they'll have three sons in the NFL, with different teams, but playing the same position of cornerback. There have been five different sibling trios playing in the NFL at the same time throughout the league's long history, but we're about to see the first threesome of cornerbacks playing in the NFL all at the same time.

Marcus Trufant has played in the NFL since little brother Desmond was 13. (Getty Images)

Marcus, taken with the 11th overall pick in the 2003 NFL draft, has played for the Seahawks all this time. Isaiah, who came up to the NFL through arena football as an undrafted free agent, has played in 23 games for the New York Jets since 2010. Desmond, who started 45 games for the Huskies, has replicated Marcus' status as one of the best cornerbacks in his draft class.

[Also: Teams probe trashed hotel room at NFL combine]

But for Lloyd and Constance Trufant, it's not about where their sons are rated on any board; it's about how they've all been able to intersect the family through the game of football. There was already one unusual occurrence last year, when the Seahawks welcomed the Jets to Seattle's CenturyLink Field on Nov. 11,just one day after Desmond's Huskies beat Utah, 34-15, in that same stadium.

"It's not that different," Lloyd Trufant said about the emotions surrounding Desmond's imminent NFL adventure. "To me, it had just subsided -- all that excitement. But now, it's kind of bringing back memories of what we did with Marcus, when he went in the league. It's like deja vu -- it's just as exciting, and I'm feeling the same way I felt back then.

"I guess after 10 years of football, it's just ... 'Next!'"

Well, for most families, it isn't quite that simple.

Joe Andruzzi carries an injured woman away from the Boston Marathon bombing. (Getty Images)

Joe Andruzzi played for the New England Patriots from 2000 through 2004, and in the NFL from 1997 through 2006. He was an undrafted guard out of Southern Connecticut State, and his NFL career was cut short when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins' lymphoma. Andruzzi won three Super Bowls and an Ed Block Courage award during his time as a football player, but his most notable and admirable challenges were yet to come.

After football, he formed the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, which provides financial assistance to cancer patients. Andruzzi's foundation is also heavily involved in the Boston Marathon through the John Hancock Non-Profit Marathon Foundation, which put Andruzzi squarely in the middle of the bombing that happened on Monday afternoon. At this time, three are reported dead and over 130 injured.

[Photos: Explosions near Boston Marathon's finish line]

And as you would expect from a man whose three brothers were all first responders as New York City firefighters during the 9/11 tragedy, Andruzzi flew into action by helping those affected by the Boston Marathon bombing. As you can see in the picture above, he was involved in carrying those who needed help away from the scene so that they could receive medical attention. You can see a brief video of Andruzzi coming to the woman's aid here. She's clearly injured and is struggling to right herself, those around her are calling for help, and Andruzzi rushes to the rescue.

"Marathon Monday should be about uplifting stories, personal challenges and fundraising milestones, but today's bombings irrevocably changed that," Andruzzi said in a statement.

In space or in the slot, Desmond Trufant knows how to cover his man. (Getty Images)

With the 2012 NFL season in the books, and the scouting combine in the rear-view, it's time to take a closer look at the 50 players we think will be the biggest difference-makers at the next level from this draft class. To that end, we're happy to continue this year's Shutdown 50 scouting reports (Hint: There may actually be more than 50). You can read last year's group here. The final 50 players were chosen and ranked based on game tape, combine and Pro Day results, overall positional value, and attributes and liabilities on and off the field.

#23: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington

We continue this year's series with Washington cornerback Desmond Trufant, who will soon likely give his parents, Lloyd and Constance, the unusual distinction of having two first-round cornerbacks, and three cornerbacks overall, in the NFL at the same time. Marcus has played with the Seattle Seahawks since he was taken 11th overall in the 2003 NFL draft, and Isaiah has played for the Jets since 2010, when he came up as an undrafted free agent. While Marcus went to Washington State and Isaiah went to Eastern Washington, Desmond chose to make his bones closer to his Tacoma, Wash. home. As a result, he played on defenses that were constantly in transition as the program tried to move on from the Tyrone Willingham era. This was especially true of the 2011 dumpster-fire version under defensive coordinator Nick Holt, who "led" his charges to a ranking of 97th in Football Outsiders' NCAA defensive efficiency metrics, and watched his defense give up 482 rushing yards to Baylor in an Alamo Bowl loss.

Because of Washington's defensive inefficiencies under head coach Steve Sarkisian, and while the Huskies have made a bowl game in each of the last three seasons, some have been late to the party on Desmond Trufant, despite his bloodlines and 45 NCAA starts. That started to change when he made himself into one of the defensive stars at Senior Bowl week, and tore up the scouting combine with a 4.38 40-yard dash (third-fastest among all defensive backs), as well as excellent performances in the agility and positional drills.

"Really, he just told me to be myself," Desmond said at the scouting combine, when asked if big brother Marcus had helped him to prepare for the pre-draft process. Do what I have been doing, and just take it to another level. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, and just let it come to you naturally."

That's now happening for the youngest of the three Trufant brothers. Desmond doesn't have the run-stopping ability Marcus had in his prime, but when it comes to coverage skills, he may wind up with the family bragging rights over time.

Pros: Outstanding route-jumper who times his "interventions" well -- this may be his best attribute, and he really showed it off during Senior Bowl week. Shows good timing in close coverages to bait quarterbacks into making the throws to receivers he's covering. Mechanically sound player with a smooth backpedal and efficient hip turn. Can play outside or in the slot/flex in coverage. Played a lot of off coverage in college, but has enough experience playing press to man up against receivers and affect timing off the line. Has the height and leaping ability to cover tight ends. Closes to tackle on swing and screen passes. Goes from quick to fast when defending the deep seam and long sideline passes; Trufant will stick with speed receivers on vertical routes. Understands angles well enough to establish inside and outside position.

D.J. Fluker tends to envelop people. (Getty Images)

With the 2012 NFL season in the books, and the scouting combine in the rear-view, it's time to take a closer look at the 50 players we think will be the biggest difference-makers at the next level from this draft class. To that end, we're happy to continue this year's Shutdown 50 scouting reports (Hint: There may actually be more than 50). You can read last year's group here. The final 50 players were chosen and ranked based on game tape, combine and Pro Day results, overall positional value, and attributes and liabilities on and off the field.

#24: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama

We continue this year's series with Alabama offensive tackle D.J. Fluker, a 6-foot-5, 340-pound midrise apartment building of a man who has started 35 total games on the right side for Nick Saban's power-driving offensive line. That line may have been personified more by sure-fire top 10 pick Chance Warmack at left guard, but there's no question who keeps things humming on the right edge. He was one of the pointmen when the Crimson tile unraveled Notre Dame's defense in the BCS Championship game, but Fluker was an SEC star long before that.

After an impressive collegiate career, Fluker's pre-draft process got off to a bit of a clang when he weighed in at 355 pounds at the Senior Bowl. The fourth-year junior graduate was the second non-senior to ever be invited to the Senior Bowl -- Justin Pugh of Syracuse was the other. Fluker was unable to participate in the game due to a groin injury, and he had to wait until the scouting combine in late February to get over the weight issue (he clocked in at 339 there) and show NFL teams that he was really ready for the grind.

"My passion. My passion for the game," he said in Indianapolis, when asked what he'll bring to his NFL team. "I bring energy to the table every day, every practice, weekends, on game day -- that's what I do. My strengths are run-blocking, but I'm trying to fine-tune every technique of my game."

Some fine-tuning will be necessary before Fluker can take his place as one of the league's best pure power blockers, but based on his college tape, and the opponents he regularly schooled in college, it's safe to say that he's well on his way already.

Pros: Big, powerful man with an exceptionally wide base and a wingspan (36 3/8"-inch reach) that makes him nearly impossible to get around once he sets his feet and gets his hands going. Has struggled with weight at times, but can carry 330-340 pounds with his massive frame. Monstrously powerful player who can demolish defenders for long stretches at a time. Understands leverage and drives with outstanding force. Absolutely explodes underneath his opponent's pads at times and makes said opponents look pretty silly. Surprisingly agile in his kick-step and pass set. Opens huge rushing lanes when he engages, commits and sets the edge.