2009 NFL Draft: Early Entries

[silentsam74]

North Carolina receiver Hakeem Nicks has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. Nicks said he didn't decide until after the bowl game. "I was still in the process of praying about it and thinking about it and still had to talk with coach Davis," Nicks said. "I was just focused on playing in the bowl game and being with my teammates." Nicks set school records for career receptions (181), career receiving yards (2,580) and career touchdowns (21). He is the only player in UNC history with more than 1,000 yards receiving in a season. Nicks surpassed the 100-yard receiving mark five times in 2008 and 10 times in his career, both UNC records. He led the ACC and ranks 12th in the country with 94.0 yards per game.

We have our first retraction....
South Carolina linebacker Eric Norwood, who led the Southeastern Conference in sacks, said Monday he has changed his mind and will return to school. "I've been looking at some of the guys from last year who increased their draft stock by returning," Norwood, a 6-foot-1, 253-pound junior, said. "So I changed my mind. I like the security that returning to school will provide."

 

[silentsam74]

Rice sophomore utility back James Casey announced Monday that he’ll forgo his final two seasons of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. Casey, 24, signed with Rice in January 2007 after spending four seasons playing professional baseball. Casey joined the Owls as a free safety but spent his first spring practices working at defensive end before later shifting to offense. Rice coach David Bailiff utilized Casey in multiple roles in 2007, going so far as to play him at seven different positions against Southern Miss. In 2008, Casey made his greatest contributions as a hybrid tight end, setting a Conference USA single-season record for receptions (111) while also breaking the school mark for receiving yards with 1,329. Casey posted 13 touchdown receptions, rushed for six touchdowns, and passed for two additional scores.

 

[silentsam74]

Defensive back Jerraud Powers has decided to forgo his senior season at Auburn and enter the NFL draft. A freshman all-SEC selection in 2006, he led the team with four interceptions and had 63 tackles in 2007 while starting all 13 games. This season he had 47 tackles and two interceptions while starting 10 games.

 

[SimCastilleFan3]

Defensive back Jerraud Powers has decided to forgo his senior season at Auburn and enter the NFL draft. A freshman all-SEC selection in 2006, he led the team with four interceptions and had 63 tackles in 2007 while starting all 13 games. This season he had 47 tackles and two interceptions while starting 10 games.

TERRIBLE DECISION!!! I had to put emphasis on it lol!!

 

[PDL]

TERRIBLE DECISION!!! I had to put emphasis on it lol!!

Don't you mean "turrible"? It is AU after all.

 

[silentsam74]

Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, who led the SEC in passing this season, announced Wednesday afternoon that he will enter April's NFL draft. Stafford, a junior from Highland Park, Texas, might be the first player selected in the draft, according to Todd McShay, director of college football scouting for Scouts Inc. who also does NFL draft analysis for ESPN. The strong-armed passer set a Georgia single-season record with 25 touchdown passes this season. He threw for 3,459 yards this season, the second-best total in school history, and ranked 15th nationally in pass efficiency.

Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno, who led the SEC in rushing this season, announced Wednesday afternoon that he will enter April's NFL draft. Moreno, a sophomore from Bedford, N.J., ran for 1,338 yards and 16 touchdowns before the Bulldogs' 24-12 win over Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl. He became the first Georgia player since 1982 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker to run for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons.

Florida State junior defensive end Everette Brown told ESPN on Wednesday that he will enter the NFL draft. Brown, 6-foot-4 and 252 pounds, had 13½ sacks this season and 21½ tackles for losses, ranking among the nation's leaders. Brown will be one of the top speed rushers in the NFL draft. Scouts Inc. draft expert Todd McShay has Brown rated as the ninth player in his Top 32. Brown already has graduated from Florida State. He is a Walter Camp All-American and first-team All-ACC selection.

Maryland wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey will skip his senior season and enter the 2009 NFL draft. Heyward-Bey ranks second in school history in career receiving yards (2,089), is third in receptions (138) and tied for third in touchdown catches (13). "After the bowl game I sat down with my mom, my aunt and coach [Ralph] Friedgen to explore my options and felt like the time is right to take my game to the next level," Heyward-Bey said Wednesday. "It was a very difficult decision. I love the University of Maryland and everything people have done for me the last four years. Not only the coaches, but also the players and support staff." This year, Heyward-Bey led the Terrapins with 42 catches for 609 yards and five touchdowns.

South Carolina tight end Jared Cook is leaving USC for the NFL. Cook will forego his final season and enter the April draft, Cook’s father told The State on Wednesday. The decision seemed to be a formality, especially after Cook received the highest projection of any of the Gamecocks’ underclassmen who asked the NFL’s advisory committee for an evaluation. Cook, a redshirt junior from Suwanee, Ga., was the Gamecocks’ second-leading receiver (behind Kenny McKinley) this past season with 37 catches for 573 yards and 3 TDs. He led the team in yards per catch at 15.5, an average helped by a pair of 60-yard-plus receptions. But numbers only tell part of the story with Cook. At 6-5, 240 pounds with a 4.37 40 time under his belt, Cook could vault up the draft boards if he runs a similar time at the combine or his individual workouts.

 

[silentsam74]

Virginia receiver Kevin Ogletree, who led the Cavaliers with 58 catches in 2008, will forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft, the school announced this afternoon. Ogletree is one of only 26 players in ACC history with two-50 catch seasons in a career. He ranks seventh in school history with 117 career receptions and 13th with 1332 receiving yards. Ogletree returned in 2008 after missing the 2007 season because of a knee injury. His 58 receptions are tied for fifth in a season in Virginia history, while his 723 yards are 12th.

 

[BamaLuver]

My Dawg hubby is going to have a fit over both Moreno and Stafford leaving. Sure hate to see Moreno (or any player) leave as a sophomore. Hopefully, he'll go ahead and pursue his degree somewhere.

 

[Crimson Speed]

Scout.com has Mount Cody listed on their mock draft as a first rounder. I thought Cody had decided to stay for his final season. Has something changed?
[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9032992?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002[/URL]

 

[silentsam74]

Scout.com has Mount Cody listed on their mock draft as a first rounder. I thought Cody had decided to stay for his final season. Has something changed?
[url]http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/9032992?MSNHPHCP&GT1=39002[/URL]

No. That link has several prospects that haven't declared yet. I think the people that compiled that list rated the seniors and then added juniors and sophomores that they considered the most likely to declare for the draft.

 

[wishbonesooner]

I won't be shocked if you have Sam Bradford on your list soon.

 

[silentsam74]

I won't be shocked if you have Sam Bradford on your list soon.

Alright then. Obviously far from a done deal though....

Sources close to the National Football Post have told us that Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, barring an injury in Thursday night’s BCS National Championship game against Florida, will declare for the NFL Draft. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound sophomore and Heisman Trophy winner threw for 4,464 yards and 48 touchdowns with only 6 interceptions in leading the Sooners to the Big 12 championship and a 12-1 record.

 

[silentsam74]

Defensive end Chris Baker's one year at Hampton University will be his last. Baker, who had 69 tackles, 16 1/2 tackles for loss and 8 1/2 sacks in 2008 after transferring from Penn State, has decided to make himself eligible for the NFL draft, Hampton coach Jerry Holmes said Wednesday.

 

[BigEasyTider]

Ohio State tailback Beanie Wells will enter the 2009 NFL Draft.

I tell you, with Bradford, Wells, Stafford, and Moreno going pro, it's going to be near unanimous going into next season that either Florida, USC, or Texas wins the national title.

 

[silentsam74]

Wisconsin junior running back P.J. Hill will enter the NFL draft. Hill, 5 feet 11 and 236 pounds, has already begun training for February's NFL scouting combine. Hill ranks third on Wisconsin's career rushing list with 3,996 yards and 42 touchdowns. Hill averaged 5.2 yards per carry throughout his career, often playing through injuries that occurred because of his bruising style of play.

University of Pittsburgh star tailback LeSean McCoy is expected to announce Friday he will turn professional. Two family sources confirmed that McCoy is scheduled to meet with Pitt head coach Dave Wannstedt tomorrow and, barring a last-minute change of heart, plans to declare hardship to enter the April 25-26 draft. The application deadline for underclassmen is Jan. 15. McCoy rushed for 1,488 yards and 21 touchdowns on 308 carries this past season, ranking 10th in the NCAA in rushing and tied for second in scoring. He became Pitt's first back-to-back 1,000-yard rusher since Curtis Martin in 1988-89. McCoy's 2,816 rushing yards topped the 2,690 yards gained by Pitt legend Tony Dorsett in 1973-74.

 

[PDL]

Thanks for all the info, Sam. Great job.

 

[silentsam74]

BYU wide receiver Austin Collie, who enjoyed a record-breaking 2008 season, will skip his senior year to enter the National Football League draft. The junior tied the NCAA single-season record with 11 consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards. He set the school record for single-season receiving yards with 1,538 and is BYU's all-time leading receiver with 3,255 career yards. He is also the Cougars' all-time leader in career receptions (215), career receiving touchdowns (30) and career 100-yard receiving games (17).

 

[silentsam74]

Alabama running back Glen Coffee will skip his senior season to enter the NFL draft after a breakout season with the Crimson Tide. The Fort Walton Beach, Fla., native told the Mobile Press-Register that the NFL draft advisory board projected him as a mid-round pick. Coffee ranked second in the SEC with 1,383 yards this season after starting only three games in his first two seasons. He gained 218 yards against Kentucky. Coffee's 117-yard average in league games was tops among SEC backs.

Outrunning defenses came easy for Missouri wide receiver and return specialist Jeremy Maclin. Saying goodbye was the hard part. The two-time All-American announced his widely expected decision to turn pro Friday -- but not before breaking down in tears at the microphone. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Maclin scored 17 touchdowns and caught 102 passes for Missouri this season while leading the nation in all-purpose yardage. He totaled 2,833 all-purpose yards this season -- fifth-most in NCAA history. Several mock drafts have rated Maclin as a first-round pick, some projecting him for the top 10.

Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree is expected to announce at a 3 p.m. ET news conference on Tuesday that he will enter the NFL draft, two people close to Crabtree said Friday. Leach has mentioned the possibility of the receiver returning to win a Heisman, but Crabtree, 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, has been told by multiple sources, including the NFL draft advisory committee, that he would be a first-round pick. Crabtree had 93 catches and 18 touchdowns in the regular season, averaging 94.6 yards per game. He won the prestigious Biletnikoff Award for the nation's top receiver. Crabtree, a draft-eligible sophomore, also won the award last season.

In a surprise move, West Virginia fourth-year junior guard Greg Isdaner -- who started but soon after gave way to senior John Bradshaw in the Mountaineers' bowl game two weeks ago -- declared today that he plans to skip his senior season and enter April's NFL draft. Isdaner, a 6-foot-4, 322-pound fellow from Gladwyne, Pa., started 36 career games for the Mountaineers. He was all-Big East last season as a sophomore, but failed to earn any all-star honors this year as both he and the Mountaineers' offense stumbled en route to a 9-4 finish and Meineke Car Care Bowl triumph. NFLDraftScout.com forecast him as a fourth-round pick in 2010.

Two Penn State websites are reporting this afternoon that All-American defensive end Aaron Maybin will declare for the NFL Draft. Both Fight On State magazine and Blue White Illustrated broke the news earlier today that Maybin, his family and the school will make a formal announcement next week. Maybin, who took over as a starting defensive end after Maurice Evans got into trouble off the field, posted a Big Ten leading 12 sacks in 2008 and finished with 19 tackles for loss in helping the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten title and berth in the Rose Bowl.

Linebacker Tray Blackmon has left Auburn and plans to sign contract to play in the Canadian Football League in an effort to support his family. Blackmon was a fan favorite, but injuries and suspensions limited his effectiveness. He missed 17 games in three years because of those issues. He is leaving Auburn with 84 tackles. He suffered a broken wrist midway through the 2008 season, and then left the team to support his three children.

 

[silentsam74]

Utah sophomore defensive end Paul Kruger will forego his final two years of college eligibility and enter the NFL draft. Kruger, who has already left the team to work out in Florida, made his decision official Sunday evening after receiving an evaluation from the NFL Advisory Committee. Kruger, an All-Mountain West Conference first-team selection, led the Utes with eight sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss, which ranked second in the Mountain West Conference. He also had 61 tackles and an interception.

 

[silentsam74]

Utah junior cornerback Sean Smith will declare for the NFL draft, a person close to Smith said Monday. Smith, 6-feet-3 and 210 pounds, is projected in the first two rounds. Smith hopes to run in the high 4.3 or low 4.4 40-yard dash at the combine in February.