Stanford QB Ostrander leads 12 under-radar draft favorites
He also averaged 17.8 yards per reception, worked as a return specialist and was a member of Mount Union's national championship 4 x 100 relay team. He played in the Texas vs. the Nation postseason game and led the North in receiving. Mt. Union has never had a player drafted, but that streak should end with Garcon.
Brandon Barnes, G, Grand Valley State: The NFL loves durability, and Barnes has it: He started 51 times in his career at Grand Valley. The Lakers were 50-4 during his stay there. Barnes played a key role in Grand Valley's success. He was a two-time league offensive lineman of the year, a two-time first-team All-American and a three-time first-team All-GLIAC choice. He also won the Gene Upshaw Award, given annually to the top Division II lineman, and that could be significant. Jahri Evans won it in 2005, and he went on to be a fourth-round draft pick for New Orleans and a three-year starter.
Omar Cuff, RB/KR, Delaware: A first-team All-American choice, he ran for 1,984 yards last season and produced a nation-high 39 touchdowns -- including a CAA-record seven in one game. Good, huh? Now hear this: He had a team-record 73 scores while at Delaware, a school that recruited him as a defensive back.
The guy works hard, has decent speed, is elusive and is an effective receiver -- with 55 catches in 2007, including three games with seven each. Some people like to compare him to Brian Westbrook because of his Division 1-AA background, but Westbrook was a third-round draft choice. Cuff won't be as fortunate.
Danny Woodhead, RB, Chadron State: The size (5-8, 197) is a problem, but speed is not. Woodhead ran a 4.38 at his Pro Day. He also had a 38½-inch vertical jump and benched 225 pounds 20 times. Productivity is not a concern, either. All he did in four years at Chadron State (remember Don Beebe) was rush for 7,962 yards, produce 9,259 yards from scrimmage, score 109 times and have his No. 3 retired.
But talk about the two-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner (the Division II Heisman) usually gets back to his size, with pro teams scared off by someone who barely reaches 5-8. Despite his gaudy numbers he wasn't invited to the combine, which tells you somebody thinks he's not ready to make the next step. We'll see.
Cary Williams, CB, Washburn: There are two things that make Williams intriguing: 1) His size (6-1, 187); and 2) his ability to return kicks. Williams, a transfer from Fordham, averaged 28.6 yards per return and scored twice, including one TD of 100 yards. He also caught a 68-yard touchdown pass.
Then, of course, there's his cornerback play, and he was good enough to intercept seven passes during the season, with an eighth in the Cactus Bowl, and make the Division II All-American team. That will score him points with the pros; playing at a small-college level might not. Coaches might worry how his cornerback abilities translate to the next stage, but they can't question his ability to return kicks. "He's a little bit raw as a corner," said one GM, "but if we took him we'd make him a wide receiver. The guy's got great hands."
