The Big East departed: Offense

The Big East (including Temple and Notre Dame) had seven offensive players taken in the 2012 NFL Draft that will now have to be replaced. Here they are, in order of when they were drafted, and how each team will fill the void.

By Evan Hilbert

Aug 2, 2012 at 9:19 am ET • 2 min read

Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame (13th pick, Arizona Cardinals)

Floyd leaves a tough hole to fill. Perhaps the greatest receiver in Irish history, Floyd finished his career with 38 touchdowns. Notre Dame will employ a group of receivers to replace Floyd, and tight end Tyler Eifert, who finished last season with 803 receiving yards, will have to carry the load. It will be a challenge replacing Floyd, especially since the quarterback issue in South Bend remains muddy.

Isaiah Peed, RB, Cincinnati (50th pick, St. Louis Rams)

Peed, the Big East offensive player of the year a season ago, didn't exactly have an effective backup last season. The Bearcats' second-leading rusher was quarterback Zach Collaros, who is also gone. Senior George Winn will likely get the starting nod, but incoming QB Munchie Legaux will also help pick up the slack on the ground.

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers (83rd pick, Cincinnati Bengals)

Like Cincinnati, Rutgers will struggle to replace Sanu's output last season. The leading returning receiver, Brandon Coleman, had just 17 catches in 2011. However, Coleman broke out in the last game of the season, catching six balls for 223 yards. Rutgers, too, is mired in a quarterback battle that will probably not be decided for weeks.

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple (84th pick, Baltimore Ravens)

Unlike the others thus far, Temple does have the luxury of a worthy replacement for the departed Pierce. Matt Brown, a senior, was almost a 1,000-yard rusher in 2011. Though defenses will be more stout than what the 5-foot-5, 165-pound Brown saw in the MAC, it's a definite positive that the cupboard isn't bare in the Temple backfield.

Evan Rodriguez, TE, Temple (111th pick, Chicago Bears)

Rodriguez, however, may be more difficult for the Owls to replace. Though Temple is not looking to rely on its passing game, Rodriguez provided a big target that will be missed in definite passing downs. Rodriguez was also the team's leading receiver in 2011, though he accounted for just 479 yards.

Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati (127th pick, New York Giants)

Though it's never exactly easy to replace players lost to the NFL, Cincinnati has a bevy of pass-catchers to soften the blow -- including TE Travis Kelce, who actually finished the season with more catches than Robinson. Of all the players listed, Robinson is probably the easiest to replace.

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse (179th pick, New Orleans Saints)

It wouldn't really be too much of an issue to replace Tiller, but with OL Justin Pugh possibly missing time, the Orange may be hurting on the offensive line. As a unit, the line should still be strong enough to protect senior QB Ryan Nassib, who looks to improve on a 2011 season that saw him throw for 2,685 yards and 22 touchdowns.

For more up-to-the-minute news and analysis on the Big East and Notre Dame, follow bloggers Evan Hilbert and Matt Rybaltowski @CBSBigEast.