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| Ben Liebenberg / NFL.com |
| Mark Sanchez has moved ahead of Matthew Stafford in Mike Mayock's list of the best QB prospects. |
With 46 underclassmen having been granted special eligibility, here's a breakdown of the top five college football players at each position heading into the 2009 NFL Draft:
» Mayock's top 20 prospects
| Mike Mayock's top prospects by position for the 2009 NFL Draft | |||
| Rank | Player | School | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quarterbacks | |||
| 1 | *Mark Sanchez | USC | Tremendous skills, 16 college starts |
| 2 | *Matthew Stafford | Georgia | Elite arm, inconsistent in pocket |
| 3 | *Josh Freeman | Kansas State | Tremendous arm/athletic, speed-up process |
| 4 | Pat White | West Virginia | Excellent arm/accuracy, the new 'slash'? |
| 5 | Stephen McGee | Texas A&M | Physical/athletic, injured as a senior |
| Running backs | |||
| 1 | *Knowshon Moreno | Georgia | Lateral quickness, love his finish |
| 2 | *Chris "Beanie" Wells | Ohio State | Downhill runner, inconsistent durability |
| 3 | *Donald Brown | Connecticut | Great quickness, makes people miss, patient |
| 4 | *LeSean McCoy | Pittsburgh | Vision and cutback ability, questionable long speed |
| 5 | *Shonn Greene | North Carolina State | Fast riser, durability issues |
| Fullback | |||
| 1 | Tony Fiammetta | Syracuase | Old-school blocker, robotic-but-able receiver |
| 2 | Quinn Johnson | LSU | Lead blocker/special teams, 5 career catches |
| 3 | Brannan Southerland | Georgia | Versatile blocker and receiver, durability issues |
| Wide receivers | |||
| 1 | *Michael Crabtree | Texas Tech | Great ball skills/competitor, questionable long speed |
| 2 | *Percy Harvin | Florida | Big-play ability, durability/usage |
| 3 | *Jeremy Maclin | Missouri | Explosive R.A.C., production/added value RS |
| 4 | *Darrius Heyward-Bey | Maryland | H-W-S specimen, inconsistent hands |
| 5 | *Brian Robiskie | Ohio State | Best route-runner, great value |
| Tight ends | |||
| 1 | Brandon Pettigrew | Oklahoma State | Old-school TE like Jason Witten, not a blazer |
| 2 | Cornelius Ingram | Florida | Gifted athlete, missed '08 (torn ACL) |
| 3 | Shawn Nelson | Southern Miss | Gifted vertical receiver, willing blocker |
| 4 | Jared Cook | South Carolina | Tremendous measurables, vertical threat |
| 5 | *James Casey | Rice | Natural ball skills, not a blocker |
| Centers | |||
| 1 | Max Unger | Oregon | 4-position OL, will struggle with speed |
| 2 | Eric Wood | Louisville | Tough guy/finishes well, struggles to redirect feet |
| 3 | Alex Mack | California | Intelligent/great technique, on ground too much |
| 4 | A.Q. Shipley | Penn State | Short arms/good player, understands technique/leverage |
| 5 | Antoine Caldwell | Alabama | Can play all 3 interior OL spots, tough guy |
| Guards | |||
| 1 | Andy Levitre | Oregon State | Former LT, must kick inside |
| 2 | Duke Robinson | Oklahoma | Massive brawler, will struggle with speed |
| 3 | Kraig Urbik | Wisconsin | 4-position OL, solid technician/long career |
| 4 | Tyronne Green | Auburn | Tremendous Senior Bowl week, great initial pop/must sustain |
| 5 | Herman Johnson | LSU | Largest baby in La. history, scheme-specific player |
| Offensive tackles | |||
| 1 | Eugene Monroe | Virginia | Kept Branden Albert at guard, gifted pass protector |
| 2 | Jason Smith | Baylor | Think Ryan Clady, needs run-game improvement |
| 3 | *Andre Smith | Alabama | Surprisingly nimble feet, beware weight fluctuation |
| 4 | Michael Oher | Mississippi | Naturally gifted LT, highly inconsistent |
| 5 | *Eben Britton | Arizona | Solid technician, needs more sand in pants |
| Defensive ends | |||
| Rk | Player | School | Comment |
| 1 | Robert Ayers | Tennessee | Great burst at Senior Bowl, one-year wonder? |
| 2 | Tyson Jackson | LSU | Scheme diverse, might kick inside |
| 3 | Everette Brown | Florida State | Right DE or rush LB, significant upside |
| 4 | Paul Kruger | Utah | Great motor/stacks edge, not an elite edge burst |
| 5 | Michael Johnson | Georgia Tech | Physical specimen, Too much bad tape |
| Defensive tackles | |||
| 1 | B.J. Raji | Boston College | Run stuffer can push pocket, stay at 328 pounds!!! |
| 2 | Peria Jerry | Mississippi | 1-gap penetrator, must stay healthy |
| 3 | Evander "Ziggy" Hood | Missouri | Energizer Bunny, scheme will be crucial |
| 4 | Ron Brace | Boston College | Gifted run defender, limited pass-rush ability |
| 5 | Fili Moala | USC | Physical specimen, must be more consistent |
| Inside linebackers | |||
| 1 | Rey Maualuga | USC | Explosive point of attack, can struggle in space |
| 2 | James Laurinaitis | Ohio State | Consistent technician, clean off the field |
| 3 | Jasper Brinkley | South Carolina | No comment |
| 4 | Darry Beckwith | LSU | Athletic and solid tackler, engulfed by big bodies |
| 5 | Jason Phillips | TCU | Productive/hard-nosed, had postseason knee surgery |
| Outside linebackers | |||
| 1 | Aaron Curry | Wake Forest | Scheme diverse/high-level performer, safest pick in draft |
| 2 | Brian Orakpo | Texas | Talented conversion guy, explosive off edge |
| 3 | Brian Cushing | USC | Love attitude/passion, 4-3 SAM/3-4 ILB? |
| 4 | Clay Matthews | USC | Special talent, Nickel OLB |
| T-5th | Larry English | Northern Illinois | Can run the arc, level of competition |
| T-5th | Aaron Maybin | Penn State | Can he sustain 250 pounds or stop the run? |
| Cornerbacks | |||
| 1 | Malcolm Jenkins | Ohio State | Great length/very physical, CB or FS? |
| 2 | Vontae Davis | Illinois | Highly gifted skill-set, inconsistent on/off field |
| 3 | Darius Butler | Connecticut | Best feet/C.O.D. at Senior Bowl, must tackle consistently |
| 4 | Alphonso Smith | Wake Forest | Great instincts/ball skills, size/speed questions |
| 5 | *Jairus Byrd | Vanderbilt | Quick feet/thin frame, loves to compete |
| Safeties | |||
| 1 | Louis Delmas | Western Michigan | Aggressive vs. run/good tackler, average in man-to-man |
| 2 | Patrick Chung | Oregon | Very solid box safety, likes press/dislikes off-man |
| 3 | William Moore | Missouri | Jekyll or Hyde, physically gifted |
| 4 | Rashad Johnson | Alabama | Made 11 INTs in two years, CB body |
| 5 | Chip Vaugn | Wake Forest | Good size/speed, special teams gunner |
* -- underclassman granted special eligibility
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