Our countdown of the Pac-12's top 25 players in 2011 begins, but now with the benefit of hindsight!

You can see our preseason top 25 here.

25. David Paulson, TE, Oregon

2011 numbers: Paulson, the Ducks third-leading receiver, caught 31 passes for 438 yards with six touchdowns. He averaged 14.1 yards per reception.

Preseason ranking: No. 23

Making the case for Paulson: How valuable was Paulson to Oregon? “I would argue he’s our most valuable player on this entire team because of what he does in so many different roles,” coach Chip Kelly told the Eugene Register-Guard late in the season. Paulson, 6-foot-4, 241 pounds, earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors (behind Stanford's Coby Fleener) after getting a first-team nod in 2010. He has outstanding hands and also is a very good blocker. He likely will be a middle-round pick in the NFL draft this spring. Off the field, he was first-team all-academic in the conference for a third consecutive season, earning a business degree with a 3.7 GPA. It has been reported he will finish his MBA this summer. So add a big brain to his NFL resume.