Declared Underclassmen
Defense
DE
Calais Campbell, 6’8, 280, Miami
2007 stats: 50 tackles (30 solo, 20 assists), 12.5 tackles for loss, six sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, INT
+/-: After a monster sophomore season, when he recorded 84 tackles (49 solo, 35 assists, 20.5 for loss), 10.5 sacks, 17 QB hurries, and three forced fumbles, Campbell was projected to go very, very early in the 2008 draft, and though his numbers dropped in 2007, his size, speed, and ability to be an absolute disrupter make him a definite first-rounder.
Vernon Gholston, 6’4, 260, Ohio St.
2007 stats: 37 tackles (25 solo, 12 assists), 15.5 TFL, 14 sacks, one fumble recovery
+/-: Gholston set an single-season school record for sacks, besting current New England Patriots star Mike Vrabel’s record by one. Gholston was recruited as a linebacker and moved to end in Columbus, but he could very well end up back at linebacker and be a difference-maker from the outside with his size, speed, and strength.
Derrick Harvey, 6’5, 250, Florida
2007 stats: 49 tackles (31 solo, 18 assists), 17 TFL, 8 sacks, five pass breakups, FF
+/-: Harvey made a huge impact in 2006 despite not being a full-time starter, making 35 tackles, 13 TFL, and 11 sacks for the national champs in 14 games (five starts). After another impressive season as a junior, Harvey is penciled in as a first-round pick come draft day.
Phillip Merling, 6’5, 270, Clemson
2007 stats: 78 tackles (51 solo, 27 assists), 17 TFL, 7 sacks, 21 QB hurries, two forced fumbles
+/-: This guy is a real QB harasser. In the last two seasons, Merling racked up 10 sacks and an astounding 37 QB hurries. Whether or not he’ll jump into the first round remains to be seen, but he’ll be off the board no later than the second.
DT
Letroy Guion, 6’4, 295, Florida St.
2007 stats: 31 tackles (17 solo, 14 assists), 6.5 TFL, one sack
+/-: Guion was one of the multitude of Seminoles who was reportedly suspended for the cheating mess at FSU, and that may have affected his decision to go pro, because in terms of his stock, he isn’t really on high on anyone’s radar.
Pat Sims, 6’4, 310, Auburn
2007 stats: 37 tackles (29 solo, 8 assists), 11.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks, 12 QB hurries, 2 FF, FR
+/-: Sims could have stayed in school for his senior year, and would have likely been a top-10 or 15 pick in 2009, but with his size and great agility and speed, he’s ready for the next level.
LB
Geno Hayes, 6’2, 220, Florida St.
2007 stats: 80 tackles (49 solo, 31 assists), 17 TFL, five sacks, two FF, INT
+/-: Hayes has talent, no doubt about that, but projects as a late first-day/early second-day pick at best.
He also was part of one of the many negative headlines for the Florida State athletic program in the last several months. In September, he was on the wrong end of a Taser after a late-night altercation at an establishment in Tallahassee.
Erin Henderson, 6’3, 242, Maryland
2007 stats: 133 tackles (59 solo, 74 assists), 11 TFL, 4 FR, FF, INT, sack
+/-: Henderson’s certainly got the pedigree - his older brother, E.J., was a two-time first-team All-American linebacker at Maryland and won the Butkus and Bednarik awards in 2002, was drafted in the second round by Minnesota, and is well on his way to being one of the league’s premier linebackers, if he isn’t already. His little brother has the talent to follow in his footsteps, and should fall somewhere in the second round, or at worst, early in the third.
Curtis Lofton, 6’0, 238, Oklahoma
2007 stats: 157 tackles (94 solo, 63 assists), 10.5 TFL, 4 FF, 3 INT, sack, FR, 2 TD (one INT, one fumble)
+/-: Lofton isn’t the fastest or biggest guy, but he just makes plays, and that will make him a high pick in April.
Jerod Mayo, 6’2, 230, Tennessee
2007 stats: 140 tackles (79 solo, 61 assists), 8.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, INT, FF
+/-: Mayo finished the season on a tear, and improved his stock quite a lot in the final several games, which included a 15-tackle performance against LSU in the SEC title game, 19 against Kentucky, and 13 against Wisconsin in the Outback Bowl. Mayo had a big year at outside linebacker in 2006, but moved to the middle in ‘07, and wound up having an even bigger junior season.
Lamar Myles, 6’0, 220, Louisville
2007 stats: 128 tackles (76 solo, 52 assists), 8 TFL, 2 sacks, 3 FF, 3 FR
+/-: Myles was a bright spot on a struggling defense, and had a 22-tackle game against Kentucky. He is a little undersized, but might make up for it with his speed (he’s been timed as low as sub 4.5). He could have benefited from staying for his senior year, but coming off such a big season, maybe the timing was right for him to make the move.
CB
Brandon Flowers, 5’10, 190, Virginia Tech
2007 stats: 86 tackles (56 solo, 30 assists), 8 TFL, 5 INT, 9 pass breakups, FR
+/-: Flowers and Macho Harris made up one of the best corner duos in the country. Flowers is the more all-around defensive player than Harris, as he not only has hands for the ball, but a nose for it too. Harris also declared for the draft, but changed his mind before the deadline.
Jack Ikegwuonu, 6’1, 202, Wisconsin
2007 stats: 24 tackles (19 solo, 5 assists), INT, 15 PBU
+/-: Ikegwuonu is one of the top cover corners in the draft, and despite teams trying to throw away from his as much as possible, put up pretty good numbers in the last couple of seasons (three picks, 26 pass breakups). Unfortunately, there’s a big, big black eye on his scouting report, as he’s currently awaiting trial on residential burglary and trespassing charges for a November 2006 incident where he and his twin brother Bill allegedly broke into an apartment in DeKalb, Illinois and tried to steal an Xbox. Maybe he and his brother (a DB at Northern Illinois) just really had the itch to play as themselves on NCAA Football 07.
Justin King, 6’0, 186, Penn St.
2007 stats: 49 tackles (36 solo, 13 assists), 2 INT, 15 PBU
+/-: With 4.3 speed and great coverage skills, King, who already has his degree from Penn St., has first-round talent. But, he got burned quite a bit this past season.
Orlando Scandrick, 5’11, 188, Boise St.
2007 stats: 50 tackles (36 solo, 14 assists), 3 TFL, .5 sacks, 2 INT, 7 PBU, 2 FF, 4 blocked kicks
+/-: Scandrick and offensive tackle Ryan Clady, a projected first-rounder, are the first two Boise St. players to leave school early. While Clady’s decision is certainly a smart one based on his draft value, Scandrick projects as a mid-to-late round selection, if he is drafted. This isn’t to he lacks in talent, because he certainly doesn’t, judging by his numbers.
Reggie Smith, 6’1, 198, Oklahoma
2007 stats: 78 tackles (57 solo, 21 assists), 7 TFL, sack, 3 INT, 11 PBU, FR (returned 61 yards for a touchdown)
+/-: Smith is a playmaker on defense. He’s got terrific cover skills, and he loves to get into the backfield as well, which is a requirement for any OU defensive back. He could play either corner or safety on the next level, and he can also return punts. He missed the Fiesta Bowl due a broken toe, but that shouldn’t hurt his draft stock, as he rates pretty solidly as a mid-to-late first-rounder.
Aqib Talib, 6’2, 202, Kansas
2007 stats: 66 tackles (42 solo, 24 assists), 3.5 TFL, 5 INT (2 TD), 13 PBU, 8 catches, 182 yards, 4 TD
+/-: Talib might be the best shutdown corner in the country, and whenever the ball’s in his hands - may it be on interceptions, fumbles, catches, or kick returns - he can make something big happen. Talib does get beaten every now and then, but then again, that happens to even the best of the best.
S
DaJuan Morgan, 6’1, 205, North Carolina St.
2007 stats: 97 tackles (73 solo, 24 assists), two TFL, 3 INT
+/-: Morgan, who was a second-team All-ACC in 2007, projects as a middle-round selection, but it‘s a pretty light safety class, so he could be a big riser if he does well in pre-draft workouts.
Kenny Phillips, 6’2, 210, Miami
2007 stats: 82 tackles (54 solo, 28 assists), six TFL, two INT, three FF
+/-: Phillips is far and away the top-rated safety on the board, though he could also play corner in the NFL. He had three productive seasons at Miami, averaging 80 tackles a season, picking off seven passes (88 in 12 games in 2005, 71 in 10 games in 2006, 82 in 12 games in 2007), and he picked off seven passes and recorded 15 tackles for loss in his Miami career. His decision was a no-brainer, because he’s a top-10 or 15 pick right now.
