Prospects to Watch

[Aloysius]

Wake Forest vs. Navy
Saturday, December 20th - 11 AM (ET), ESPN

Wake Forest Prospects

• Aaron Curry, LB, #59
  
  • 6'2", 246 lbs., 4.62 40 (estimated)
  • Projected: Round 1
  • I think Nolan Nawrocki's scouting report of Curry puts it best:
    
    

    A thickly built, strong, physical, hard-hitting ’backer with the size, instincts and overall athletic ability to line up at any position in a 3-4 or a 4-3 front. Curry’s value in large part stems from his versatility, as few linebackers possess the skill set to be effective at any position in either system. Might not have the overall length desired in a rush linebacker but has been extremely productive playing over the tight end, and his strength at the point of attack and ability to shed blockers is rare. With knuckle-breaking hand strength, he ragdolls blockers and plays a big man’s game with power. The most complete ’backer to come out in a long time, Curry has few deficiencies in his game and easily could fit into the top five. Scouts love his physical skill set.

    
    Called "the ultimate package" by Mike Mayock, Curry would be an excellent choice for us at the top of Round 1.
  
  
• Alphonso Smith, CB, #2
  
  • 5'9", 190 lbs., 4.45 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 1/early Round 2
  • Smith's one of those guys you have to love: he pukes before every game & never shuts up once he gets on the field. But unlike fat Shaun, Alphonso backs up his talk by making plays. He's a ballhawk in the secondary; with one more pick, he'll tie the ACC record for career INT's. And despite his diminutive size, Smith lays the lumber. In the BC game earlier this year, Smith forced two fumbles by absolutely laying out BC's backup QB (Aaron Curry had knocked their starting QB out of the game).
    
    Add in Smith's ability as a returner on a specials, and you've got a borderline elite prospect. Were he three inches taller, Smith would be an early Round 1 pick. But because he's 5'9", there's a small chance he could slide into Round 2, where he'd be a great value pick for us.
    
    
  
  
• Chip Vaughn, SS, #9
  
  • 6'2", 214 lbs., 4.52 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 3/early Round 4
  • With studs like Curry and Smith getting all the attention, Chip Vaughn has flown a little under the radar. At 6'2", 214 lbs., Vaughn is both able to stop the run and make plays in coverage. If that sounds to you like one our safeties, you're right: nfldraftscout compares Vaughn to (a healthy) Sean Jones.
    
    If we end up re-signing Jones to a short-term deal, Vaughn could be a guy to bring in as a potential long-term replacement for Jones.
  
  
• Boo Robinson, DT, #96 (rJunior)
  
  • 6'2", 325 lbs., 5.24 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 6
  • A big NT with good athleticism, Robinson would be a great value late in the draft. However, I think he may be more of a 4-3 NT: he may not be athletic enough to play 3-4 DE or strong enough to play 3-4 NT.
    
    If we switch to a 4-3 defense, Robinson could be a serviceable backup to Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams.
  
  
• D.J. Boldin, WR, #4
  
  • 5'11", 220 lbs., 4.60 40 (e)
  • Projected: UDFA
  • Anquan's little brother is having a breakout season (77 receptions, 782 yards). He's earned for himself a UDFA contract, but I'm not sure he has much of a future in the NFL. His lack of speed probably limits his potential to develop into a pro receiver.

Navy Prospect(s)

• Eric Kettani, FB, Navy
  
  • 6'0", 242 lbs., 4.59 40 (e)
  • Projected: UDFA

• Probably the only Navy player with bigtime potential, Kettani ran for close to 1,000 yards this season. He should have a future as an H-back in the NFL.

[Riffer X]

Ah, good thread. I will have to DVR this game to see Curry.

Excellent idea, Al.

[Aloysius]

I definitely recommend the DVR approach. When I watch Wake Forest, I usually fast forward through Wake's offensive series. Their offense is inconsistent & usually bad...not very fun to watch.

[Aloysius]

New Mexico Bowl
Colorado State vs. Fresno State
Saturday, December 20th - 2:30 PM (ET), ESPN

Colorado State Prospect(s):

• Gartrell Johnson, RB-FB, #5
  • 5'10", 225 lbs., 4.67 40 (e)
  • Projected: UDFA
  • Stocky back has rushed for over 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons. Kind of a RB-FB hybrid: doesn't have the speed (4.67 40) to be a halfback, doesn't have the size (225 lbs.) to be a fullback. Still, Johnson's tough running style should lead to him getting an opportunity to showcase his skills as a short-yardage back in the NFL.

Fresno State Prospects

• Bear Pascoe, TE, #85
  • 6'6", 258 lbs., 4.86 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 4
  • Pascoe's a good run-blocking TE with very soft hands. Think Steve Heiden, only with a little more speed.
    And with Heiden suffering a serious knee injury, Pascoe could be the guy we draft to replace him. He'd contribute immediately as a blocking TE and as a special teams stud (he's blocked 6 kicks in his college career). A Rucker/Pascoe combo would be a good long-term solution at TE if Heiden doesn't recover well and Winslow ends up playing elsewhere.
  
  
• Tom Brandstater, QB, #7
  • 6'5", 225 lbs., 4.80 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 5
  • To be honest, I don't know much about this guy. His name gets bandied around a lot as a Day Two developmental QB prospect, so I'm planning on focusing on him more closely on Saturday.
  
  
• Ryan Mathews, RB, #21 (Sophomore)
  • 5'11", 215 lbs., 4.49 40
  • Mathews isn't draft-eligible, but he should be a top prospect next season. He's been hampered by a nagging foot injury, but he should blaze through a hole or two on Saturday.
    
    

[Earle]

i wouldnt waste my time watching Aaron Curry, Wake is only playing Navy.

the man to watch is Lauranitis! 1-5-2009

[Solon16]

@earle said:

i wouldnt waste my time watching Aaron Curry, Wake is only playing Navy.

the man to watch is Lauranitis! 1-5-2009

No thanks on JL...will be average in the Pro's IMO.....

ALOY ... watch the safety for Missouri... Morgan maybe...would be a great second rounder if he lasts that long...and if we don't go RB

[Aloysius]

Laurinaitis isn't a 3-4 guy. Curry is - on SportsCenter this morning, Todd McShay said that Curry's "a terror in the run game" & compared him to Patrick Willis. I think that's a good comparison.

@ Solon: William Moore's a pretty good, physical safety, but there are some concerns about his coverage skills. As Brent "SOBO" Sobleski put it:

When I look at Taylor Mays, I see a safety with the size and attitude of a LB. When I watch William Moore, I see a LB trying to play safety. Great in the box, but I question his overall coverage ability in centerfield.

nfldraftscout has Moore projected as a Round 1 prospect, but I could see those coverage deficiencies knocking him down into Round 2. Though it'd be nice to have him has an option then, you have to wonder: if he's that much of a liability in the passing game, would he really be a good fit for our defense?

[Aloysius]

Memphis vs. South Florida
Saturday, December 20th - 4:30 PM (ET), ESPN2

Memphis Prospect(s):

• Clinton McDonald, DT, #53
  • 6'2", 285 lbs., 4.76 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 5-6
  • A dynamic interior pass-rusher, McDonald notched 7 sacks this season. He would have had more, but a nagging ankle injury slowed him for most of the second half of the season.
    There's some debate online as to whether McDonald could play in a 3-4 defense. Scott Wright seems to think so, though other draft guys seem to think he's exclusively a one-gap 4-3 DT. But as a mid-Day Two prospect, it couldn't hurt to take a guy like McDonald. At worst, he'd give us another decent interior pass-rusher. And if he turns out well, he could be the athletic 3-4 DE WPB John and others have been calling for us to bring in.

South Florida Prospects:

• George Selvie, DE-OLB, #95
  • 6'4", 252 lbs., 4.72 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 1
  • Phenomenal pass-rusher with a wicked quick first step. Selvie's had a down year because of injuries and incessant double-teams, but he still looks to be one of the top DE-OLB prospects in this year's draft.
    Though many have him converting to 3-4 OLB in the pro's, my sense is that he may be a better fit as a Tampa 2 RDE. When USF has dropped him back into coverage, Selvie's looked a bit stiff and tentative. Maybe that's something coaching and experience can fix, but it makes me wonder whether he's really suited for converting to linebacker.
    And though he's very light for playing DE in the pro's, Selvie is deceptively strong. His success in the run game (31.5 TFL last year) signals that he may not be as big a liability as his physical profile would indicate. With a guy like Cliff Avril (6'3", 252 lbs.) looking like a stud in Detroit (4 sacks, 3 forced fumbles), I wouldn't be surprised if another Tampa 2 teams takes a hard look at Selvie in Round 1.
    
    
  
  
• Tyrone McKenzie, OLB, #27
  • 6'2", 235, 4.64 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 2
  • I was very impressed with McKenzie when I watched USF earlier this year. He's not a good fit for the 3-4, but he'd be a solid choice for us in Round 2 if our new coaching staff switches to a 4-3. He could play either of our OLB spots, though he'd be a better fit on the strongside.
  
  
• Nate Allen, FS, #5 (Junior)
  • 6'2", 205, 4.47 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 3
  • Nicknamed "Golden Child" by an assistant coach, Allen is a solid all-around safety. That said, he probably could use another year of seasoning before leaving fo the NFL. I like his size and athleticism, but I haven't seen him be a playmaking force in the secondary. At this point, he wouldn't be an upgrade over Brodney Pool.
  
  
• Terrell McClain, DT, #97 (Sophomore)
  • 6'3", 306, 5.28 40 (e)
  • McClain's a guy to watch for the future. If you watch the bowl game, you'll notice him...and not just because he celebrates whenever he makes a tackle. McClain possesses a great combination of size, strength, and athleticism. This guy's going to be a solid 3-4 DE prospect some day.

[Aloysius]

BYU vs. Arizona
Saturday, December 20th - 8 PM (ET), ESPN

BYU Prospects:

• Dennis Pitta, TE, #32 (Junior)
  • 6'5", 250 lbs., 4.68 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 2
  • Athletic pass-catching TE caught 78 passes for 1,025 yards this season. May not be 100% after suffering an MCL sprain in late November, but he'll be looking to impress scouts in what's expected to be his final college game.
  
  
• Austin Collie, WR, #9 (Junior)
  • 6'2", 206 lbs., 4.56 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 2/early Round 3
  • Decent possession receiver who also brings value as a kick returner. Up in the air as to whether he'll declare for the draft.
  
  
• Jan Jorgensen, DE, #84 (rJunior)
  • 6'3", 272, 4.65 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 4/early Round 5
  • Jorgensen had a down year, only notching 5 sacks after having 14 in '07. Considered a high character leader of BYU's defense, Jorgensen's likely to stick around for another season & hope his draft stock rises.
  
  
• Travis Bright, OG, #74
  • 6'5", 318, 5.36 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 5/early Round 6
  • An athletic OG who may be able to play some RT in the pro's, Bright would be a good fit as a utility man on our o-line. Reports have his draft stock rising, but I expect injury concerns will knock it back down (he's suffered two serious leg injuries while at BYU).
  
  
• Dallas Reynold, C, #65
  • 6'5", 324, 5.37 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 7/UDFA
  • BIG and intelligent center played left tackle last year. May be an interesting guy to draft & develop.

Arizona Prospects:

• Eben Britton, OT, Arizona (rJunior)
  • 6'6", 310 lbs., 5.09 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 1
  • Projected a top 15 pick by Todd McShay, Britton is a virtual lock to declare for this year's draft. Could play either left or right tackle and would be a good fit on an o-line like Pittsburgh's. Hopefully, he'll be off the board before Pitt picks.
  
  
• Mike Thomas, WR, #10
  • 5'08", 195 lbs., 4.48 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 6
  • A very similar prospect to former WildDawg Syndric Steptoe, Thomas offers value as a slot receiver and kick returner.

[Aloysius]

Because they're facing Navy's option offense tomorrow, Wake's top defensive prospects probably won't get many chances to grab some picks.

To compensate for that, here's a clip showing Wake's 5 picks during the FSU game earlier this year. Alphonso Smith, Chip Vaughn, and Aaron Curry each had one INT.

[Earle]

And what is the ranking of all of Wake Forrest competition this year? Its the ACC and they Suck worse than the Big 12!

[D'Qwimbley]

Wake looks to be in a modified 34 a lot of times and Curry is lined up in a standing OLB position

[Herman M]

Curry is being ManHandled right Now!

But I like that DB whoever he is. He has 21 interceptions

[YtownBrownsBacker]

Aloysius said:

Laurinaitis isn't a 3-4 guy. Curry is - on SportsCenter this morning, Todd McShay said that Curry's "a terror in the run game" & compared him to Patrick Willis. I think that's a good comparison.

@ Solon: William Moore's a pretty good, physical safety, but there are some concerns about his coverage skills. As Brent "SOBO" Soblieski put it:

nfldraftscout has Moore projected as a Round 1 prospect, but I could see those coverage deficiencies knocking him down into Round 2. Though it'd be nice to have him has an option then, you have to wonder: if he's that much of a liability in the passing game, would he really be a good fit for our defense?

Laurinaitis may be a better fit in the 3-4 then the 4-3. He is a very good cover ILB which you need as your Strongside ILB in the 3-4. He gets off of blocks well and is very physical. If you watched a lot of OSU this year you shuld realize that the way they used him (in coverage a lot) made his stats look not overly impressive. He wasn't used like Maulauga, who was a pass rush ILB and still didn't have the stats of JL.

JL might just supprise a lot of people at the next level and won't make it past pick #10.

What a lot of people don't take into consideration is the scheme players play in and how that influenced their play. That is the toughest job of scouts and the reason why we hae high draft picks that are busts and late picks that prosper at the next level.

[Aloysius]

Just to prove that I'm a real college football guru, here's what I wrote about Colorado State's Gartrell Johnson:

Stocky back has rushed for over 1,000 yards in two consecutive seasons. Kind of a RB-FB hybrid: doesn't have the speed (4.67 40) to be a halfback, doesn't have the size (225 lbs.) to be a fullback. Still, Johnson's tough running style should lead to him getting an opportunity to showcase his skills as a short-yardage back in the NFL.

And here's his stat line from today's game:

27 carries, 285 yards, 2 TD's; 5 catches, 90 yards

Just a short-yardage back, huh?

On a more serious note, Johnson looked phenomenal today. He displayed great vision and did a good job of following his blockers for very long gains. That said, it was obvious that he lacks the long-speed to take it to the house in the NFL.

After today's performance, he may end up getting drafted & playing more than a short-yardage role. But he'll still get caught from behind by NFL DB's and linebackers.

[Aloysius]

Troy State vs. Southern Mississippi
Sunday, December 21st - 8:15 PM, ESPN

Troy State Prospects:

• Brandon Lang, DE, #91 (Junior)
  • 6'4", 250 lbs., 4.68 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 2
  • If you want to see speed, watch Brandon play Sunday night. Despite suffering a serious knee injury last season, Lang plays with a freakish combination of speed and athleticism.
    And he'll be a perfect fit as a 3-4 OLB. When the coaches drop him back into coverage, he looks like he's been playing linebacker his entire life.
    
    However, it's clear that Lang could use another year of seasoning before jumping to the NFL. Though he may weigh 250 lbs., he has a very wiry frame that needs to be developed. Right now, he looks like a skinnier version of Alex Hall. And though he's quite accomplished as a speed rusher, he doesn't seem to have the strength to effectively bull-rush OT's. He'll be fairly one-dimensional until he develops that part of his game.
  
  
• Sherrod Martin, CB-S, #6
  • 6'1", 193 lbs., 4.46 40
  • Projected: Round 5
  • Versatile defensive back has been a leader of Troy's defense, notching a team high 80 tackles this season. Though he played free safety this season, scouts think he may be athletic enough to play cornerback in the NFL; he's expected to take reps at that position at the Senior Bowl.
    If he proves capable at that position, his draft stock could rise.

Southern Mississippi Prospects:

• Gerald McRath, LB, #24 (rJunior)
  • 6'3", 220 lbs., 4.59 40
  • Projected: Round 2
  • Tackling machine made 126 tackles this season. Not big enough to play 3-4 ILB, but he could play OLB for us if we switch to a 4-3 defense.
  
  
• Shawn Nelson, TE, #1
  • 6'5", 242 lbs., 4.65 40
  • Projected: Round 4
  • Receiving TE had back to back 100 yard games this season. Don't think he'll be on our draft radar - we already drafted a receiving TE with this year's 3rd (Martin Rucker) - but it should be interesting to see him try to block & run by Brandon Lang.

[Aloysius]

Quick hits on some of the prospects I've mentioned in this thread:

• Boo Robinson, DT, Wake Forest (rJunior): Showed enough athleticism for me to think he could play 3-4 DE, though he doesn't fit the typical physical profile (6'2", 325 lbs.). If he declares, he could be an interesting Day Two option.
• Gartrell Johnson, RB, Colorado State: Gartrell looked phenomenal in his bowl game. He displayed great vision and did a good job of following his blockers for very long gains. That said, it was obvious that he lacks the long-speed to take it to the house in the NFL.

  I wouldn't mind us expending a late-round choice on this guy. He could be the third, short-yardage back in a RBBC rotation.

• Clinton McDonald, DT, Memphis: Scott Wright was wrong about McDonald being a 3-4 guy. Not only does Clinton look shorter than 6'2", he doesn't appear to have the strength to take on double teams. I was also expected the interior pass-rusher (7 sacks) to be a little quicker - I guess there's a reason why McDonald's a late Round 5/early Round 6 prospect.
• Nate Allen, FS, USF (Junior): I mentioned in my pre-game report that I hadn't seen Allen make a lot of plays. Unfortunately, Allen didn't do anything to change that perception on Saturday. He even missed a few tackles.

  Allen needs to spend another year refining his skills before entering the NFL. If he declares, I hope the Browns pass on him.

• Dennis Pitta, TE, BYU (Junior): The athletic pass-catching TE will have a tough decision to make. He's been projected to be drafted as high as Round 2, but an MCL sprain has hobbled him for much of the second half of the season, possibly dropping his draft stock.

  Pitta barely played in his bowl game. If he's not healthy enough to play now, then he probably will have trouble running through the training regimen necessary to look good at the Combine. My guess: Pitta returns for his senior season.

• Austin Collie, WR, BYU (Junior): Collie made one of the best catches I've ever seen, only for the refs to overturn it upon review. The sure-handed receiver did a lot to impress scouts in the first half, but he was far less impressive in the second half. He made what would have been costly fumble deep in BYU's own territory (it was turned into an incompletion on review), dropped a deep ball when his vision was temporarily blocked by a DB, and - most importantly - he waited on what could have been a TD pass instead of fighting for it, therereby resulting in an INT.

  Collie's got great hands, but I'm a little skeptical about his NFL upside. He's Hines Ward without the physical style of play.

• Eben Britton, LT, Arizona (rJunior): I was wrong to call Britton a mauling-style OT. After watching him closely last night, I'd say he's more a finesse blocking type, albeit with elite skills. I saw him compared on another board to Joe Thomas - that's a fairly good comparison. Britton's got a wider base and may not have feet as good as JT's, but he's a great pass-blocker; BYU's Jan Jorgensen never got close to Arizona's QB. However, Britton won't be dominant in the run game, and he may benefit from spending another year in college bulking up.

  If he declares, Britton should be a 1st Round pick. And considering that he played RT last season, I can think of crazier things than us trading down in Round 1, finding our defensive targets all taken, and taking Britton to solidify our o-line.

• Mike Thomas, WR, Arizona: I hate this kid. Really. He started the game by dropping an easy catch, getting stripped of the ball (though the refs whistled the play dead), and botching a punt return. And when his coach got in his face about it, he pushed his coach away. This small receiver's got a Steve Smith mentality, but he's not nearly good enough for us to have to put up with his crap. Fortunately, we've already got a guy with a similar skillset (Syndric Steptoe), so we probably won't be taking a flier on this guy late in the draft.

[Aloysius]

Here's a Brandon Lang draft prospect dialogue, courtesy of the game thread from last night:

Aloysius said:

Troy's junior DE Brandon Lang could be a top-flight 3-4 OLB prospect, either this year or next. He's #91 and lines up at LE (opposite the right tackle).

He hasn't done much as a pass rusher in this game, but he's shown great athleticism dropping back into coverage.

@jewdago said:

you're right about lang being a natural in coverage. he's dropped from a three-point stance, bumped a TE and then covered him down the field. kid's great in coverage.

Aloysius said:

Lang finally got a sack...in OT

@jewdago said:

it was a garbage sack, though. the QB stepped up to avoid pressure and ran into lang, who was on the turf after being flattened when he tried a spin move, a move that he'd tried before and looked quite ineffective doing.

he looked good in coverage but terrible rushing the passer. he picked a bad time to get handled all game.

After last night's game, I expect Lang will return to Troy for his senior season. That's what he was saying he'd do last week, and he didn't really do anything last night to change that.

I look forward to watching this guy next year.

[Aloysius]

TCU vs. Boise State
Tuesday, December 23rd - 8PM (ET), ESPN

TCU Prospects:

• Jerry Hughes, DE-OLB, #98 (Junior)
  • 6'2", 248 lbs., 4.67 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 2
  • Hughes led the nation with 14 sacks this season, also adding 18.5 tackles for loss. A classic hybrid prospect, Hughes likely will play 3-4 OLB in the NFL. If he declares to the draft, he could be one of our targets in the 2nd Round.
  
  
• Jason Phillips, ILB, #39
  • 6'1", 235 lbs., 4.58 40 (e)
  • The redshirt senior led TCU in tackles three of his four years in school. Phillips could fill in at any of the linebacker spots in a 4-3, but he's exclusively an ILB in the 3-4. Could be the kind of guy we bring in to be D'Qwell's backup. nfldraftscout compares him to former Brown Ben Taylor.
  
  
• Rafael Priest, CB #10
  • 5'10", 168 lbs., 4.44 40 (e)
  • Projected: UDFA (though some sources say he'll be a Day One pick)
  • Priest is an undersized ballhawk who may make a break for the NFL after this season. Not sure we're in the market for another small CB, but he's another guy to take note of.

Boise State Prospects:

• Kyle Wilson, CB-FS, #1 (rJunior)
  • 5'10", 190 lbs., 4.48 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 2
  • Last year, Wilson received a list of things he needed to improve in order to become a complete cornerback. What did he do with it? Hang it up in his locker.
    With another Boise CB (Orlando Scandrick) achieving some success in Dallas, Wilson likely will get drafted on the first day. Though he could use another year of development, he's got all the physical tools to be a starting CB in the NFL.
  
  
• Jeremy Childs, WR, #9 (rJunior)
  • 6'0", 196 lbs., 4.48 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 4/early Round 5
  • Junior receiver's number were slightly down from last year, when he had over 1,000 yards receiving and scored 9 TD's. Part of that drop may have been due to struggles adjusting to a new QB, freshman Kellen Moore. Scouts expect Childs to return for his senior season, though he did submit his name to the NFL advisory committee for feedback about his NFL status.
  
  
• Ian Johnson, RB, #41
  • 5'11", 198 lbs., 4.53 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 6
  • One of the main characters in Boise State's storybook bowl victory two years ago, Johnson's college career has declined since that big game (& marriage proposal). For the first time since his freshman year, Johnson was held under 1,000 yards this season, and he's likely looking at a Jason Wright-like backup role in the NFL.
    
    

[Aloysius]

Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
Wednesday, December 24th - 8PM (ET), ESPN

Hawaii Prospects:

• David Veikune, DE, #94
  • 6'2", 265 lbs., 4.89 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 4/early Round 5
  • Veikune caught on fire towards the end of this season, notching 5.5 sacks over a three game stretch. Also made 15 tackles for loss, indicating that he isn't a liability in the run game.
    
    My big question is whether he's athletic enough to play 3-4 OLB in the NFL. For what it's worth, nfldraftscout compares him to Brian Robison, a backup 4-3 DE for the Vikings who may be better served playing OLB in a 3-4 alignment.
  
  
• John Estes, OC-OG, #55 (rJunior)
  • 6'2", 295 lbs., 5.14 40 (e)
  • Projected: late Round 3/early Round 4
  • All-WAC first team center is strong and athletic enough to play any of the interior line spots. In his redshirt freshman season, he started 14 games at right guard.
    
    He probably won't declare for the draft this year. But if he does, he could be an interesting center prospect for us to consider taking in the middle rounds.

Notre Dame Prospects:

• David Bruton, S, #27
  • 6'2", 212 lbs., 4.55 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 5
  • Tough run-defender had a great year amidst Notre Dame's disastrous season, notching close to 100 tackles. Stiff hips and questions about his speed may make him a mid-Day Two pick, but he'll contribute wherever he goes: either as a starting safety or as a special teams demon - he serves as the Irish's gunner on specials.
  
  
• Maurice Crum Jr., LB, #40
  • 5'11", 235 lbs., 4.72 40 (e)
  • Projected: Round 7/UDFA
  • Undersized linebacker may have trouble getting drafted, but his combination of instincts and good character should earn him a spot on an NFL roster. Reminds me of Joe Mays, another small 'backer (5'11", 240 lbs.) who made the Eagles' roster this year after signing as a UDFA.