Prisco's 2010 draft preview | 2010 mock draft
NEW YORK -- The NFL Draft isn't a year-round interest for only the most rabid fans -- I had two NFL executives ask for my top prospects for next year in the days leading up to the 2009 event.
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| USC's Taylor Mays might go in the top 10 in the 2010 draft, maybe even No. 1. (Getty Images) |
Scouts then head home to review film on prospects during June and July in order to discuss them with their personnel departments as they arrive for training camp. Scouts will eliminate some non-FBS prospects after coaches study tape and schedule fall visits to schools big and small based on what they've seen -- and heard.
College football fans know about Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks Sam Bradford from Oklahoma and Florida's Tim Tebow (who is already working on improving his mechanics for the next level), Texas signal-caller Colt McCoy and hard-hitting Southern California safety Taylor Mays. As we preview the 2010 class, many of the names on this list might be unfamiliar, but rest assured, you'll be hearing about them.
Defensive end C.J. Wilson from East Carolina is one of the most underrated pass rushers in the country. Boise State's Kyle Wilson might not be the biggest cornerback at 5-feet-10, but few can cover or return punts better (he ran three punts back for touchdowns in 2008). Troy's tradition of churning out highly rated defensive prospects will continue in 2010, as end Brandon Lang could have a DeMarcus Ware-type rise as a 3-4 linebacker prospect.
Quarterback Dan LeFevour's play at Central Michigan makes him a likely first-day selection. Hawaii center John Estes might follow former Warrior pivot man Samson Satele as a second-round pick. Elon wide receiver Terrell Hudgins is a three-time 1,000-yard receiver whose size and strength reminds some of another Terrell -- now known as T.O. -- coming from a small college.
And like every year, a number of the top prospects will be underclassmen. NFLDraftScout.com doesn't rate underclassmen with that year's draft class until they officially declare, but teams still need to be aware of the top potential players so they aren't blindsided when the declarations come out in January.
In all, 15 of the 32 first-round picks in 2009 were comprised of underclassmen.
Four young redshirt sophomores (wide receivers Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin, defensive end/linebacker Aaron Maybin and running back Knowshon Moreno) and one true sophomore (running back LeSean McCoy, who played one year at a prep school after high school) entered the 2009 NFL Draft. H-back/tight end James Casey (minor league baseball) and defensive end/linebacker Paul Kruger (two-year LDS mission) were also sophomores, but are a bit older.
The trend of leaving after just two seasons of collegiate play is likely to continue with Virginia Tech running back Darren Evans and Oklahoma linebacker Travis Lewis candidates to follow that path next year. They are not included below, however, because so many factors will come into play during the next nine months.
The senior prospects are generally ranked in order within a potential drafting group. Because underclassmen (listed below the seniors by position) tend to dominate the top two rounds of the draft, only five seniors are listed as top 10 picks, seven as mid-first-round picks, and so on.
Even these loose rankings are very preliminary; anyone on this list could make their way into the first round (or drop out of the draft's first day) depending on how they perform during the 2009 season, all-star games and/or scouting combine.
Keep in mind, Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper, who went undrafted over the weekend, was widely considered one of the country's top 2009 draft prospects this time last year.
Top 10 picks
FS Taylor Mays (USC) 6-3/230/4.47
OT Russell Okung (Oklahoma State) 6-5/300/5.26
OLB Sergio Kindle (Texas) 6-4/254/4.57
OLB Mark Herzlich (Boston College) 6-4/238/4.68
QB Colt McCoy (Texas) 6-3/216/4.67
Mid-first round
TE Jermaine Gresham (Oklahoma) 6-6/262/4.73
QB Tim Tebow (Florida) 6-3/238/4.58
DT Ndamukong Suh (Nebraska) 6-4/305/5.06
WR Brandon LaFell (LSU) 6-3/210/4.54
ILB Brandon Spikes (Florida) 6-3/245/4.69
DE Greg Hardy (Ole Miss) 6-4/265/4.73
CB Trevard Lindley (Kentucky) 6-0/178/4.48
Late first-early second
DT Terrence Cody (Alabama) 6-5/368/5.57
OLB Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri) 6-1/235/4.57
DE Brandon Lang (Troy) 6-4/250/4.68
RB C.J. Spiller (Clemson) 5-11/193/4.40
CB Javier Arenas (Alabama) 5-9/198/4.46
OT Adam Ulatoski (Texas) 6-8/310/5.26
DE Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech) 6-4/270/4.78
OLB Antonio Coleman (Auburn) 6-2/252/4.74
DE George Selvie (South Florida) 6-4/252/4.72
OT Trent Williams (Oklahoma) 6-5/309/5.35
Mid-late second
WR Marshwan Gilyard (Cincinnati) 6-0/185/4.48
OT Ciron Black (LSU) 6-5/328/5.29
CB Crezdon Butler (Clemson) 6-0/185/4.42
DT DeMarcus Granger (Oklahoma) 6-3/306/4.98
OLB Jerry Hughes (TCU) 6-2/248/4.67
OG Sergio Render (Virginia Tech) 6-3/314/5.22
DT Geno Atkins (Georgia) 6-1/290/4.92
RB Chris Brown (Oklahoma) 5-11/208/4.49
OLB Rico McCoy (Tennessee) 6-1/224/4.58
TE Dennis Pitta (BYU) 6-5/250/4.68
OT Sam Young (Notre Dame) 6-8/330/5.28
DT Arthur Jones (Syracuse) 6-4/296/5.12
OG Michael Johnson (Alabama) 6-6/305/5.22
WR Jordan Shipley (Texas) 6-0/192/4.47
C John Estes (Hawaii) 6-2/295/5.12
CB Kyle Wilson (Boise State) 5-9/185/4.48
DE C.J. Wilson (East Carolina) 6-4/269/4.84
QB Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan) 6-3/226/4.79
WR Terrell Hudgins (Elon) 6-3/234/4.63
Top 2010 underclassmen prospects
QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) 6-4/218/4.72
QB Jevan Snead (Ole Miss) 6-3/215/4.67
RB Jahvid Best (California) 5-10/195/4.42
RB Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech) 5-11/228/4.48
RB Joe McKnight (USC) 6-0/200/4.42
RB DeMarco Murray (Oklahoma) 6-0/205/4.46
RB Evan Royster (Penn State) 6-1/215/4.53
WR Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) 6-2/210/4.58
WR Arrelious Benn (Illinois) 6-2/214/4.50
WR Damian Williams (USC) 6-1/190/4.49
TE Rob Gronkowski (Arizona) 6-6/258/4.76
OG Michael Pouncey (Florida) 6-5/312/5.38
OT Bryan Bulaga (Iowa) 6-6/304/4.96
OT Anthony Davis (Rutgers) 6-6/330/5.28
DE Greg Romeus (Pittsburgh) 6-5/265/4.74
DE Carlos Dunlap (Florida) 6-6/286/4.82
DE Everson Griffen (USC) 6-3/265/4.64
DT Marvin Austin (North Carolina) 6-3/305/4.93
DT Gerald McCoy (Oklahoma) 6-4/295/5.05
ILB Rolando McClain (Alabama) 6-4/248/4.68
CB Joe Haden (Florida) 5-11/185/4.42
SS Eric Berry (Tennessee) 5-11/195/4.40
SS Chad Jones (LSU) 6-3/218/4.55
Chad Reuter is a Senior Analyst for NFLDraftScout.com, distributed by The Sports Xchange.
