Looking at College Football Players Entering the NFL Draft

The draft class for the 2007 upcoming NFL draft has not yet been decided but there will be plenty of talented young players coming out of the draft and headed for the first round of the draft. Some juniors have declared that they will be leaving their college and will head to the National Football League. However, most juniors are still undecided.

The first player to take a close look at is the Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith. Heisman Trophy winners have not done well in the NFL draft in terms of getting drafted early and getting a contract worth millions. Often the success that player get on the college level does not translate to the professional level. Recent examples of Heisman winners who were busts in professional football include Chris Weinke and Ron Dayne. Troy Smith, the quarterback of Ohio State, is expected to go in the late first round or possibly the second or third round of the draft. His failures in the Bowl Championship Series did not fare well for a rise in his draft stock. He had a fumble and an interception and did not prove that he could beat a speedy and tested defense that Florida showed.

The quarterback who is most likely to be drafted in the top three and the first quarterback chosen overall will be Brady Quinn, the senior out of Notre Dame. Quinn finished third in the Heisman ballot and finished second last year in the poll. Quinn has arm strength and a good pocket presence and the Oakland Raiders who have the first pick in the NFL draft are most likely to draft Brady Quinn with the first pick because of their desperate need of a good quarterback. The Oakland Raiders offense was dead last in most statistical categories and Aaron Brooks will likely get cut from the team in the off-season.

The next quarterback likely to come off the board in the top 10 picks is Jamurcus Russell, from LSU. Russell is built like a linebacker with a height of 6'6 and a body weight over 250. He has a cannon for an arm and is hard to bring down. Draft scouts compare Russell to Daunte Culpepper who is also tall and hard to bring down but can run the ball if necessary and has a strong throwing arm.

Finally, there is the wild card which most scouts had not even thought about until the BCS championship game, and that is quarterback Chris Leak who is a senior and will most certainly declare himself for the NFL draft. Chris Leak put on an impressive performance against one of the nation's best defenses in Ohio State. Chris Leak put up 44 points against them and display great accuracy and an ability to throw the deep ball. He stood in the pocket when there was pressure and smartly threw the ball away when he was about to be sacked and no one was open. His stock is rising and could rise further at the scout combine for football players.

The running back group is not as strong as it has been in recent years. The best running back will be Darren McFadden but he too is a junior and his status for entering the draft is uncertain. If he does declare for the NFL draft, he will be chosen in the top 10 picks. He was one of the nation's leading rushers and has the speed, size and athleticism to compete in the next level.

The other running back that I'd like to mention is Antonio Pittman from Ohio State. He had over 1,000 yards rushing but his performance in the BCS championship game was poor, which may have hurt his draft stock. He will probably get drafted in the late first round or early second round of the draft. Adrian Peterson out of Oklahoma is the third running back that is still uncertain if he will be returning to school for his senior year. He will also go in the first round of the draft and had an outstanding game against Boise State in the Bowl game.

The receiving group is one of the strongest in recent years and the USC receivers Dwayne Jarret and Steve Smith lead them. Jarret is a junior who has not yet declared for the draft. Steve Smith is a senior who will be in the draft. He will definitely be chosen in the first round. However, it is Dwayne Jarret who could draft very early if he decides to enter the draft. Scouts love Dwayne Jarret and think that he has all of the tools to be a great NFL wide receiver. He has great hands and can make some of the most amazing catches. He can get by any cornerback and has great size and leaping ability. Mario Manningham, the wide receiver out of Michigan is also a junior and might declare himself for the NFL draft. Manningham will almost certainly be a top 10 pick as well.

James Larinitaus, the linebacker out of Ohio State has great potential and is a similar player to Ohio Sate linebacker and alumni, A.J. Hawk who was drafted 5th by the Packers. Larinitaus can tackle and can cover tight ends and receivers in the open field. He also will get drafted in the middle of the first round.