'Tis the Season: Underclassmen
by MattMiller on Dec 4, 2007 1:25 PM EST
in 2008 NFL Draft
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PrintUnderclassmen are taking the time between the end of the regular season and their bowl game to file paperwork with the NFL Advisory Committee. This committee consists of NFL GMs, scouts and independent analysts that provide underclassmen with an idea of where they could expect to be drafted should they enter the NFL Draft. This is not always accurate though. Just last season, Notre Dame running back Darius Walker received a third round grade, only to go undrafted. It happens every year, some player decides to enter too soon. Here's a list of players that we can confirm have filed papers seeking the advice of the committee:
Arkansas RB Darren McFadden
Arkansas RB Felix Jones
Boise State RB Ian Johnson
Boise State OT Ryan Clady
California WR DeSean Jackson
Central Florida RB Kevin Smith
Clemson QB Cullen Harper
Clemson RB James Davis
Florida TE Cornelius Ingram
Florida DE Derrick Harvey
FSU LB Geno Hayes
Illinois RB Rashad Mendenhall
Indiana WR James Hardy
Kansas OT Anthony Collins
Kansas CB Aqib Talib
LSU DT Marlon Favorite
Maryland LB Erin Henderson
Miami (FL) DE Calais Campbell
Miami (FL) S Kenny Phillips
Michigan WR Mario Manningham
Michigan State WR Devin Thomas
Missouri QB Chase Daniel
Missouri TE Chase Coffman
Mississippi OT Michael Oher
Ohio State QB Todd Boeckman
Ohio State WR Brian Robiskie
Ohio State WR Brian Hartline
Ohio State OT Alex Boone
Ohio State DE Vhernon Gholston
Ohio State LB James Lauranitis
Ohio State LB Marcus Freeman
Ohio State CB Malcolm Jenkins
Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly
Oklahoma OG Duke Robinson
Oklahoma LB Curtis Lofton
Oklahoma CB Reggie Smith
Oregon RB Jonathan Stewart
Penn State CB Justin King
Rutgers RB Ray Rice
Texas A&M TE Martellus Bennett
Vanderbilt WR Earl Bennett
Virginia Tech CB Brandon Flowers
Virginia Tech CB Victor Harris
West Virginia RB Steve Slaton
Wisconsin TE Travis Beckum
Wisconsin CB Jack Ikewguono
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Pittman
He was drafted by the Saints in the fourth round and cut after camp.
by Sunil @ Mocking The Draft on Dec 4, 2007 2:54 PM EST reply actions
Typo...
Thanks, I was thinking Pittman but meant Walker. My brain needs coffee.
Mendenhall
Saw him play a few games (Penn State, Wisconsin) and came away very impressed. What's your take, Matt?
by Sunil @ Mocking The Draft on Dec 4, 2007 4:28 PM EST up reply actions
Mendenhall
I'm a huge fan of his. I think he's one of the most complete backs in the country. He has great vision, run-away speed and the athleticism to be a contributor as a receiver out of the backfield.
The knock on him is going to be that he has played primarily in an option offense and his carries are coming from a shotgun set at times. He doesn't have much straight hand-off experience. But most running backs have done this since PeeWee football, so it's not much of a concern.
Breaking News
I have yet to see this anywhere else on the internet so it's interesting to see the actual list of underclassmen that have already filed papers, some of them still have bowl games and others finished their seasons only days ago.
Given, I follow Cal football, I just don't think Jackson is NFL ready. It's one thing to be short, it's another that he's extraordinarily thin. For the most part, Jackson keeps his game to the sidelines, he rarely goes over the middle. Moreover, while I do think he has great route running technique and has shown great burst in open field, he rarely beats a guy on seam routes - some of that could be due to the fact that the ball is often udnerthrown. As for his kick returning skills, at Cal he has been limited to only punts, which at any level is much easier for opposing teams to avoid than on kickoffs.
by CalGuru on Dec 5, 2007 11:51 PM EST reply actions
I still doubt he comes back
Desean and Tedford do not like each other. His plan all along was to leave in the 3 years, and unless his draft stock drafts horribly far or he gets hurt, I have a hard time seeing him back. He does have things he needs to work on though, and you pretty much covered them.
by AndrewC on Dec 6, 2007 5:16 AM EST up reply actions
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