2010 Draft may be One of Best Ever
Russ Lande - SportingNews.com
Oct 21, 2009
Sporting News draft expert Russ Lande and his team of former NFL scouts take a quick look at developing situations for the 2010 draft class:
*As scouts drive all over the country scouring for prospects, there is constant chatter about the 2010 draft potentially having one of the best ever classes of prospects. There is quality and quantity.
There are a lot of good seniors, but the big reason for optimism is that personnel men, based on conversations with players, agents and school officials, believe a record number of underclassmen will enter the '10 draft if there is no agreement on a new CBA by the mid-January deadline to declare for the draft.
With more elite prospects expected to be in the '10 draft, the NFL likely will expand the number of invitations it sends to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine, slated for Feb. 24-March 2 in Indianapolis. The league normally invites about 330 prospects to the Combine.
*Boise State is getting a lot of attention for becoming a football power, but less attention has been paid to CB Kyle Wilson. NFL scouts have the opposite reaction, being far more interested in Wilson's NFL potential than the team's success. To challenge big receivers, many NFL teams have been shying away from short cornerbacks, but those with elite athleticism and playmaking ability still get their due. Wilson (5-9 1/4, 185) has been compared to Alphonso Smith, a '09 second-round pick by Denver, in terms of his athleticism, instincts, competitiveness and playmaking ability.
Wilson also is a dangerous punt and kickoff returner, which adds to his value. Wilson, despite his height, also could go in the second round in April.
*Morehouse College is home to one of the most interesting prospects in the '10 class -- OT Ramon Harewood. He is from the Barbados and has limited football experience, but he is smart and an elite athlete who could become an NFL starting left tackle. Harewood (6-6 1/4, 359) is a developmental prospect, but he could rise up draft boards quickly this spring with good pre-draft workouts. The biggest knock on Harewood, oddly, is his intelligence. He is an outstanding student with an applied physics and engineering major, so some scouts wonder how important football is to him.
*Louisiana Tech S Antonio Baker is a good small-school player who currently projects as a late-round pick, but he has the potential to fly up draft boards in the spring. Baker (5-10 3/4, 207) has the elite athleticism to "wow" personnel men and coaches in the postseason all-star games and pre-draft workouts. He is a similar prospect to the Lions' Louis Delmas, whose stock rose sharply last spring to become the first player selected in the second round.
*No one expects Purdue DT Mike Neal to be a high draft choice, but he is making positive impressions in his senior season. Neal (6-2 3/4, 301) could be a mid-round pick but more likely will fall to the late rounds. He would be a perfect fit in a Tampa-2 defense and figures to be outstanding in the locker room and a guy who raises the level of play of the rest of the defensive linemen. Neal shows the leadership qualities, toughness, passion and intensity NFL coaches covet. He sounds a lot like the 2010 version of Texans DT Jeff Zgonina, who has carved out a 17-year NFL career as a quality backup and outstanding locker room guy.
*At the beginning of the '09 season, Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith was being talked up as a sleeper -- a guy who could come from nowhere and rocket up draft boards and into the third or fourth round. Smith (6-5, 230) has failed to live up to expectations, showing poor mechanics and accuracy. He now projects as an undrafted prospect unless some team takes a seventh-round flier on him.
*When Delaware DE/OLB Matt Marcorelle underwent ankle surgery that caused him to miss the '09 season, it was widely assumed he would take a medical redshirt season and return to school to improve his draft stock. Instead, Marcorelle is ahead of schedule and could be healthy enough to participate in the postseason all-star games and stay in the '10 draft. After breaking down his junior film, he obviously has a lot going for him. Even if undrafted, he certainly figures to make an NFL roster because he figures to be able to contribute early in his career.
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