The 2010 NFL Draft Underdogs

When you look at an NFL roster take note of what schools are represented there. Sure you will see a lot of Ohio States, Floridas, and USC’s, but you may also see a few Marshalls, South Dakotas, or Winston-Salem States as well. These small, non-Bowl Championship Series schools do get an influx of quality high school talent and often turn them into professional athletes. It is just the matter of getting the attention of NFL scouts enough to get the player an invite to the NFL Scouting Combing where he can put his skills on display.

There are also players who played for a prestigious college program but get lost in the shuffle on a very talented roster. There just aren’t enough balls to go around when you have very highly touted recruits running three deep at every position. Remember, Kansas City Chief’s quarterback Matt Cassel didn’t even start at USC.

I have put together a list of guys here that may or may not get invited to workout at the scouting combine but should get a chance to display their skills in one capacity or another within the next few months. If given a chance, they may just make enough of an impression to get selected or picked up as a free agent and taken to an NFL training camp next summer.

Some of these guys you may have already heard about as they may have already been on the radar, putting up big numbers in a non-BCS conference or playing for your favorite school. All they need now is a good off-season showing to raise their stock and entice just one NFL team to take a chance on them.

Running Back:

• Reggie Arnold 5’9” 219 lbs. Arkansas State – Arnold is no secret by any means, being one of the most prolific runners in Sun Belt Conference history. He is not a fast guy but he is extremely strong (450 Bench) and tough, often playing through injuries. Over the course of his career he has averaged 5.3 yards per carry while rushing for over 4,000 yards and 32 TD’s.
• Brandon West 5’10” 188 lbs. Western Michigan – Rushed for 3671 yards as Bronco and accounted for 33 all-purpose touchdowns (25 rushing, six receiving, one passing, and one returning). He has averaged 5.2 yards per carry and leaves as the NCAA Division I FBS career kick return yards (3,118) and all-purpose yards (7,764) record holder.

Wide Receiver:

• Freddie Barnes 6’0” 212 lbs. Bowling Green – Barnes did not put up very impressive numbers his first three seasons but had a healthy, productive senior campaign, catching a whopping 155 balls for 1770 yards and 19 touchdowns. Needless to say, he led the nation in receiving. As a result, he may have jumped up from being a potentially undrafted free agent all the way to looking like a possible day one selection.
• Jeremy Williams 6’1” 201 lbs. Tulane – Has been in the coach’s doghouse in the past and has battled injuries. Averaged over 14 yards per catch and over 24 yards per kick return in four seasons with the Green Wave.
• Andre’ Roberts 5’10” 190 lbs. Citadel – Small but tough and productive player who has caught 286 passes for 3743 yards and 36 TD’s in his career.
• Ricardo Lockette 6’2” 205 lbs. Fort Valley State – Every year some team falls in love with a guy because of his speed. Rumor has it that Lockette can run a 4.36. If that is true the Raiders’ Al Davis might already have him on speed dial.

Tight End:

• Jake Ballard 6’6” 256 lbs. Ohio State – Did not get the ball thrown to him very much over the course of his career. He split a lot of time with Rory Nicol his first couple years and then spent most of his time run-blocking. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has struggled somewhat at getting the ball to his receivers so all their numbers have been down. Ballard has played in 45 games for the Buckeyes, catching 34 passes for 337 yards and three TD’s. He came up with a big third down reception late in the Rose Bowl win over Oregon. An NFL club will give him a chance to prove he can play.
• Clay Harbor 6’3” 240 lbs. Missouri State – Had 59 catches for 729 yards in 2009. He is a good athlete who could soar up draft boards with a great workout.
• Scott Sicko 6’3” 230 lbs. New Hampshire – Caught 160 passes in four seasons as a Wildcat, accounting for 2023 receiving yards and 22 TD’s. He is not an elite prospect but could fill in as a fullback, H-back, or tight end.

Quarterback:

• Sean Canfield 6’4” 220 lbs. Oregon State – Could not grab any national attention playing for the Beavers, getting injured in ’07 and splitting time with Lyle Moevao in ‘08. Put up some good numbers overall, including completing 60% of his passes his first three years and then completed 68% of his passes for 3271 yards, 21 TD’s, and only seven INT’s in 2009 for the Beavers. Do not be surprised if he comes off the board on the first day of the draft.
• Rusty Smith 6’5” 212 lbs. Florida Atlantic – With a lot of work Smith could eventually become a capable starter in the NFL. In four years playing for the Owls he completed 56% of his passes for 10,112 yards, 76 touchdowns, and 36 interceptions.
• Tim Hiller 6’5” 228 lbs. Western Michigan – No stranger to national attention, Tiller has been considered amongst the NCAA’s top quarterbacks the last two years. He finished his career in Kalamazoo with 11329 yards and 99 TD’s, with a 63% completion rate. He also made the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American Team.

Offensive Line:

• Zane Beadles 6’4” 305 lbs. Utah – A four year starter on a good offensive line and credited with lots of pancake blocks and knockdowns. He has played both guard and tackle for the Utes and was a 2009 First Team All-American selection by the Football Writer’s Association of America as a left tackle. Utah has been undefeated in bowl games during his career, playing Tulsa, Navy, Alabama, and California.
• Tony Washington 6’6” 305 lbs. Abilene Christian – A solid pass protector with good footwork, Washington will have to answer some questions about his strength. He may turn out to be a solid left tackle.
• Vladimir Ducasse 6’5” 328 lbs. Massachusetts – Could Ducasse be the second coming of Larry Allen? Allen was a little known prospect out of Sonoma State and went on to be one of the best offensive lineman ever! Ducasse possesses similar size and mauling ability. The big question is whether or not he will be a guard or tackle in the pros.
• Derek Hardman 6’5” 294 lbs. Eastern Kentucky – Another small college product looking to take advantage of a weak crop of offensive tackles this year, Hardman may have just enough skill to play left tackle in the NFL.
• Jim Cordle 6’4” 297 lbs. Ohio State – Although he is not built like a starting tackle or guard and does not appear to be an elite prospect, Cordle has extensive experience playing all three line positions for the Buckeyes. With a weak crop of centers in this year’s draft he could do a lot to improve his stock by working out at that position. At the very least, his versatility could prove to be very valuable and he could find himself a home on an NFL roster for the next decade.

Defensive End:

• Alex Carrington 6’5” 284 lbs. Arkansas State – He was the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Year in ’08, racking up 53 tackles, 10.5 sacks, and 8.5 tackles for a loss. In 2009 he had 28 solo tackles, 13 assists, and 9 sacks. NFL scouts are well aware of his size and abilities so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get a phone call very early in the 2010 draft.
• Austen Lane 6’6” 259 lbs. Murray State – A fast athlete who will be a project as he may still be growing into his body. Does he have the strength and leverage to compete against NFL offensive linemen?

Defensive Tackle:

• Mike Neal 6’4” 305 lbs. Purdue – Neal has the strength (450+ Bench), size, and experience, playing in 46 games for the Boilermakers, that many scouts look for in defensive tackle prospects. He doesn’t necessarily wreak havoc in backfields or tear apart double teams but with a lot of work on technique he will have the ability to plug up running lanes and apply pressure to the quarterback every now and then in the NFL. As a senior in 2009 he chipped in 35 tackles and 5.5 sacks.
• Alex Daniels 6’4” 259 lbs. Cincinnati – In 2009 Daniels virtually came out of nowhere to make 56 stops and get 8.5 sacks. He was a big reason the defense played well enough to help them get to the Sugar Bowl. He made a few nice plays against the Gators in the Sugar Bowl but the Bearcats were too outmatched. Daniels will try to make the transition from tackle to end in order to better utilize his size and quickness. Unless he is a real workout warrior, however, he may not get any attention until after the draft is over.

Linebacker:

• Blake Boyd 6’3” 250 lbs. Western Kentucky – Originally played for Louisville and transferred over in 2006. He was a big contributor on the Hilltoppers defense for three years. In ’08 Boyd had 67 tackles with 9.5 going for a loss. He seems right at home as a 3-4 outside linebacker. It may be too late for him though, as he missed his senior season due to academic issues. His intelligence and work ethic will continue to be a question mark until he can prove otherwise. At this point it will be hard for him to get a real shot.
• Aaron Morgan 6’4” 220 lbs. Louisiana Monroe – A two-time First Team Sun Belt Conference selection, Morgan played defensive end for the Warhawks but looks like he could get a shot as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the pros. He has racked up 138 tackles and 21.5 sacks while facing most of the opposition’s double team blocking schemes. He needs to look smooth in drills and run a good forty.
• JT Gilmore 6’4” 260 lbs. Western Oregon – This guy may not get invited to the combine and probably will not get drafted but he could get a shot somewhere. He possesses rare size for a guy of his abilities. Had 253 tackles in his career, with 98 in ’08 and 89 in ’09.

Cornerback:

• Akwasi Owusu-Ansah 6’0” 197 lbs. Indiana PA – With a weak crop of corners this is a good year to be great small college defensive back. Owusu-Ansah has real nice size and supposedly runs a 4.47 forty. If he works out well this off-season he’ll find himself high up on some NFL draft boards.
• Jorrick Calvin 5’11” 184 lbs. Troy – The Trojans have pumped some good talent into the NFL. Calvin was a junior college transfer that was a Second Team Sun Belt Conference selection his first year in Troy. Like Boyd, he was declared academically ineligible for his senior season. He could still get a chance impress some scouts enough to be given a shot at making a roster.

Safety:

• Da’mon Cromartie-Smith 6’2” 210 lbs. UTEP – A good athlete who played a hybrid safety/linebacker position and was an Honorable Mention Conference USA in ’07 and ’08. In ’09 he was a Football Coaches All-Conference First Team selection. He ended his career with 296 tackles to his credit, with 12 passes defended, four INT’s, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
• Van Eskridge 6’0” 200 lbs. East Carolina – Played in 54 games for the Pirates, making 363 tackles with 11 INT’s (1 TD), 18 passes defended, and five forced fumbles.

By Scot Acocks