Alabama's Rolando McClain Leads a Stable of Talent into the 2010 NFL Draft

As the college football season comes to an end, inevitable draft speculation begins. You cant go to any major sports website without seeing the latest "experts" mock drafts, but if last years interesting first round picks were any indication, look for this years draft to be just as full of surprises.

One major difference between this year and last will be the number of underclassmen who declare. With the rookie salary cap idea gaining support, it appears that anyone with even a small chance of making the cut will be forgoing their Senior seasons. Among those names is that of Alabama standout linebacker Rolando McClain, a lock to be swept up early in the first round.

How the tide has turned in Bama's favor over the past few years; a 13th national championship, their first Heisman trophy winner and a slew of predicted early round picks in 2010. Quite a contrast from just two years ago when they were snubbed completely by the NFL. While teams jumped to pick up talent from schools such as Furman, St. Augustine, Nicholls State and Wheaton, Alabama was left without even a single selection. This year is sure to be different.

Early Round Locks -
Joining McClain in the draft this year will be fellow defensive standouts Terrence Cody (NT) and Javier Arenas (CB) as well as offensive guard Mike Johnson. All four of these players are all but guaranteed to go in the first three rounds. There are a number of others who will declare as well but none of them are likely to garner as much attention as the previously mentioned four.

Potential Surprises -
Eryk Anders has been working under the radar since he was in high school. Labeled by many major recruiting services as a one star recruit, Anders was brought into Alabama without very high expectations. Ignoring the doubters he hit the ground running from day one and managed to work his way up the depth chart. With Rolando McClain getting most of the press, Anders still made significant contributions in his junior and senior seasons and has shown great pass rushing ability off the edge. His major downside comes from his lack of any significant experience dropping into coverage.

Marquis Johnson makes big plays in big games, plain and simple. His most notable contribution of 2009 came against South Carolina when he denied QB Stephen Garcia in the end zone on three consecutive pass plays. He has the ability to cause problems for receivers in college but may lack the top end speed to stick with guys in the NFL.

Marquis Johnson - RollTide.com