THE FUTURE IS NOW
They used to call the NFL draft the lifeblood of the game, a device that provided a steady flow of talent into the league in a manner that preserved the parity of the system. It still works that way but for a much more limited time than in the past. Teams invest huge sums in untested draft selections. Payroll budgets are pressed, often to the point where reliable veterans are cut and replaced by lower-cost rookies.
In the past, a solid franchise could be built over a period of years but that has all changed since the advent of free agency. The old theory of developing prospects over time must now be done on a very tight schedule.
The causative issue would seem to be free agency but that is not necessarily true. Free agency is, in general, a fair arrangement intended to share the wealth with employees (the players) without disrupting the efficient operation of the organization. It does not allow the employees to control the organization.
The NFL does better than other team sports in preserving the vital parity that keeps fans interested and feeds the economics. They accomplish this by sharing more income with their franchises than other leagues. They also have a cap, a limit that each team may spend. To continue this level of competition, they must successfully negotiate the upcoming union contract.
What can be done? How much of the income should go to the players? What about a rookie pay scale? Should the time limit to reach free agency be changed? These are a few of the complicated issues.
A rookie pay scale would be a good start. The union argument is that the current high rookie salaries lead to higher salaries for all. That may be true but it takes away money from dependable veterans who have already paid their dues. No matter how its figured, its simple math. When one guy takes a big piece, it makes the pie smaller for everyone else.
Regular player contracts are another item of consideration. All contracts should be honored. No more I dont want to play here anymore or X gets more money than me, I want more money now. Players should honor the contracts they signed or be willing to return percentages of bonuses and perks they received to have their contracts rewritten.
Some continued form of a salary cap must be negotiated to maintain parity. If the cap disappears, it shouldnt be long until the NFL falls into the situation of Major League Baseball where its all about the money and the wealthier teams (and bigger markets) are the only real survivors. Unlike baseball, the NFL cap emphasizes a successful use of more-equal shares of money.
A recent article contained a union statement that NFL franchises should not worry about the costs because of the high possible sale values of their teams. There was no mention of the high investments of the owners and their cities.
If future value potential is part of the equation, would the players be willing to accept stock shares in their teams as part of their pay? Stock-sharing has been a benchmark of many successful corporations.
The National Football League is the most successful sports league that has ever existed. It would be a shame to see it deteriorate because of greed.
THE 2008 DRAFT BY THE NUMBERS
The annual talent lotto is over. Heres a breakdown by a variety of factors:
BY POSITION:
Quarterbacks (13), Halfbacks (23), Fullbacks (4), Wide Receivers (35), Tight Ends (16), Centers (7), Offensive Guards (13), Offensive Tackles (21).
Defensive Ends (23), Defensive Tackles (18), Inside Linebackers (7), Outside Linebackers (23), Cornerbacks (29), Safeties (17).
Placekickers (2), Punters (1).
There were 132 offensive picks, 117 defensive picks and 3 kickers.
BY SCHOOLS:
U.S.C. (10), Virginia Tech (8), L.S.U. (7), Arkansas, California, Michigan (6), Arizona St., Auburn, Louisville, Texas, Texas A&M (5), Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, San Diego St., Wisconsin (4).
These 19 schools accounted for 100 (almost 40%) of the 252 draft selections.
For subscribers familiar with the DSL College Value Index, the top raters for the year were:
U.S.C. (37), Virginia Tech (22), L.S.U. (19), Michigan (18), Arkansas (17), Auburn, California (14), Texas (13), Boston College, Louisville, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Virginia (12), Arizona St., Miiami, FL (11).
This index assigns values to the selection point of draftees.The above schools produced seven of the top ten picks, 30 of the top 60 and 47 of the top 100.
BY CONFERENCE:
SEC (41), Big 10 (32), ACC (31), Big 12 (28), Pac-10 (28), Big East (16), WAC (17, Mountain West (9), Conference USA (8), MAC (8), Sunbelt (5), Independent (Notre Dame) (7).
BCS schools accounted for 182 (72%) of all draft selections and 81 of the top 100 selections.
BY SCHOOL DIVISION:
Division 1-A provided 221 (88%) draftees, 24 (10%) came from Division 1-AA (FCS), 7 (3%) were from smaller schools. 92 of the top 100 selections came from 1-A schools.
Two prospects from 1-AA (FCS) were selected in round one, Tennessee St. CB Dom. Rodgers-Cromartie (Ariz # 16) and Delaware QB Joe Flacco (Balt # 18).
Grand Valley CB-S Brandon Carr was the earliest section from a small school program (KC round 5 # 140).
BY THE COMBINE:
A total of 332 eligible prospects were invited to the Indianapolis combine. 216 (65%) were drafted. They made up 86% of all draftees. 36 draftees (14% of the total) were not invited to the Indianapolis combine.
These numbers are very close to previous averages.
All draftees in the first three rounds were combine invitees. There were three round four selections who were not invited to the combine:
#103 Tenn DE William Hayes (Winston-Salem)
#114 Buff CB Reggie Corner (Akron)
#135 GB G-T Josh Sitton (Central Florida)
The long-term history of combine invitees continues to show that those invited have a much higher chance to be drafted and to be drafted earlier.
GRADING THE DRAFT
Who won? Who lost? We dont grade drafts. It takes a lot of ego to say that ones opinions are superior to the careful selections of the professionals in NFL scouting departments. It will be about three years before anyone can fairly assess the value of a draft pick.
We do not grade the draft success of individual teams. For the present, the best theory is a simple one. The team that drafts most and drafts earliest usually ranks near the top in success.
We do owe our subscribers a statement of our own performance. That follows below.
CREDIBILITY CHECK
The 2008 FINAL issue of THE DRUGSTORE LIST was completed and sent to our printer on March 20, 2008, 39 days before the actual draft. The results were as follows:
Of our top 50 prospects, 37 (74%) were selected in the top 50, 50 (100%) were drafted.
Of our top 100 prospects, 76 (76%) were selected in the top 100, 94 (94%) were drafted.
Of our top 150 prospects, 109 (73%) were selected in the top 150, 132 (92%) were drafted.
Of our top 200 prospects, 162 (81%) were selected in the top 200, 173 (87%) were drafted.
Overall, 247 (98%) of the 252 draftees appeared in the FINAL issue of THE DRUGSTORE LIST.
LOOKING AHEAD
Since we will be taking a break for a couple months, we decided we would leave readers with 150 or so names to consider for the next draft. Enjoy!
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Po.
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SENIORS
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School
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QB
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Todd Boeckman
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Ohio St.
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QB
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Curtis Painter
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Purdue
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QB
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Cullen Harper
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Clemson
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QB
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Hunter Cantwell
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Louisville
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QB
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Chase Daniel
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Missouri
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QB
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Graham Harrell
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Texas Tech
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QB
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Pat White (WR)
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West Virginia
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QB
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Rudy Carpenter
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Arizona St.
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HB
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James Davis
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Clemson
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HB
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Javon Ringer
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Michigan St.
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HB
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Arian Foster
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Tennessee
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HB
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Marlon Lucky
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Nebraska
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HB
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Branden Ore
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Virginia Tech
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HB
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Ian Johnson
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Boise St.
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HB
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Andre Brown
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No. Carol. St.
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HB
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Jeremiah Johnson
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Oregon
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HB
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Keegan Herring
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Arizona St.
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WR
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Brian Robiskie
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Ohio St.
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WR
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Demetrius Byrd
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L.S.U.
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WR
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Aaron Kelly
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Clemson
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WR
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Greg Carr
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Florida St.
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WR
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Michael Jones
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Arizona St.
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WR
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Mike Thomas
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Arizona
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WR
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Jarrett Dillard
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Rice
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WR
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Derrick Williams (KR)
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Penn St.
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WR
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Patrick Turner
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U.S.C.
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WR
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Jaison Williams
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Oregon
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WR
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Brandon Gibson
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Washington St.
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WR
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Ramses Barden
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Cal Poly-SLO
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WR
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Juaquin Iglesias
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Oklahoma
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WR
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Kenny McKinley
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South Carolina
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WR
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Tiquan Underwood
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Rutgers
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WR
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Lucas Taylor
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Tennessee
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TE
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Brandon Pettigrew
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Oklahoma St.
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TE
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Travis Beckum
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Wisconsin
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TE
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Chase Coffman
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Missouri
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TE
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Darius Hill
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Ball St.
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TE
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Cornelius Ingram
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Florida
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TE
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Bear Pascoe
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Fresno St.
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TE
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Ryan Purvis
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Boston College
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TE
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Shawn Nelson
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Southern Miss.
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TE
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Kory Sperry
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Colorado St.
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C
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Max Unger (T)
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Oregon
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C
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Alex Mack
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California
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C
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Jonathan Luigs
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Arkansas
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C
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A.Q. Shipley
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Penn St.
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C
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Antoine Caldwell (G)
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Alabama
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G
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George "Duke" Robinson
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Oklahoma
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G
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Jeremy Perry
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Oregon St.
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G
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Herman Johnson
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L.S.U.
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G
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Kraig Urbik (T)
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Wisconsin
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G
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Matt Slauson (T)
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Nebraska
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G
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Cedric Dockery
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Texas
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G
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Steve Rehring
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Ohio St.
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G
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Anthony Parker
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Tennessee
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T
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Michael Oher
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Mississippi
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T
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Alex Boone
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Ohio St.
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T
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Phil Loadholt
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Oklahoma
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T
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Eugene Monroe
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Virginia
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T
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Andrew Gardner
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Georgia Tech
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T
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Ryan Stanchek (G)
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West Virginia
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T
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Dace Richardson
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Iowa
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T
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Lydon Murtha
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Nebraska
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T
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George Bussey
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Louisville
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DE
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Michael Johnson
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Georgia Tech
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DE
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Tyson Jackson
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L.S.U.
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DE
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Brian Orakpo
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Texas
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DE
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Antwain Robinson
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Arkansas
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DE
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Mitch King (DT)
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Iowa
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DE
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Matt Shaughnessy
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Wisconsin
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DE
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Pannel Egboh
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Stanford
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DE
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Brandon Swain
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W. Texas A&M
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DE
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Jamaal Westerman
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Rutgers
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DE
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Nick Reed
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Oregon
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DT
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Fili Moala
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U.S.C.
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DT
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Jeff Owens
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Georgia
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DT
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Terrance Taylor
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Michigan
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DT
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Peria Jerry
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Mississippi
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DT
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George Hypolite
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Colorado
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DT
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Vance Walker
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Georgia Tech
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DT
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Terrill Byrd
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Cincinnati
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DT
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Marlon Favorite
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L.S.U.
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DT
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B.J. Raji
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Boston College
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DT
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Demonte Bolden
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Tennessee
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ILB
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James Laurinaitis
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Ohio St.
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ILB
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Rey Maualuga
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U.S.C.
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ILB
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Darry Beckwith
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L.S.U.
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ILB
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Scott McKillop (OLB)
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Pittsburgh
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ILB
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Dave Philistin
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Maryland
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ILB
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Jasper Brinkley
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South Carolina
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OLB
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Brian Cushing
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U.S.C.
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OLB
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Sean Lee INJ RS
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Penn St.
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OLB
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Marcus Freeman
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Ohio St.
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OLB
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Tim Jamison (DE)
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Michigan
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OLB
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Anthony Heygood
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Purdue
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OLB
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Aaron Curry
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Wake Forest
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OLB
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Clint Sintim
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Virginia
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OLB
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Ian Campbell (DE)
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Kansas St.
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OLB
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Tyrone McKenzie
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South Florida
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CB
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Malcolm Jenkins
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Ohio St.
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CB
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Victor (Macho) Harris
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Virginia Tech
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CB
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Mike Mickens
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Cincinnati
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CB
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Alphonso Smith
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Wake Forest
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CB
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Joe Burnett (KR)
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Central Florida
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CB
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DeAndre Wright (KR)
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New Mexico
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CB
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Ladarius Webb
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Nicholls St.
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CB
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Londen Fryar
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West. Michigan
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CB
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Christopher Owens
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San Jose St.
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CB
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Tony Carter
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Florida St.
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CB
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DeAngelo Smith
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Cincinnati
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CB
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Darren Banks
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West Liberty
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S
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William Moore
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Missouri
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S
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Nic Harris
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Oklahoma
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S
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Michael Hamlin
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Clemson
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S
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Courtney Greene
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Rutgers
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S
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Derek Pegues (CB)
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Mississippi St.
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S
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Kevin Ellison
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U.S.C.
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S
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Patrick Chung
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Oregon
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S
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Rashad Johnson
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Alabama
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S
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Curtis Taylor
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L.S.U.
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S
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Anthony Scirrotto
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Penn St.
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S
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Troy Nolan
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Arizona St.
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S
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Chris Clemons
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Clemson
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S
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Josh Pinkard
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U.S.C.
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S
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Reshard Langford
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Vanderbilt
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S
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Chip Vaughn
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Wake Forest
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Po.
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JUNIORS
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School
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QB
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Matthew Stafford
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Georgia
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QB
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Tim Tebow
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Florida
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HB
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Chris (Beanie) Wells
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Ohio St.
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HB
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C.J. Spiller
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Clemson
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HB
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P.J. Hill
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Wisconsin
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WR
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Percy Harvin |
Florida |
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WR
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Darrius Heyward-Bey |
Maryland |
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TE
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Jermaine Gresham |
Oklahoma |
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G
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Greg Isdaner |
West Virginia |
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T
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Andre Smith |
Alabama |
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T
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Ciron Black |
L.S.U. |
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DE
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Everette Brown |
Florida St. |
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DE
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Auston English |
Oklahoma |
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DE
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Willie Young |
No. Carol. St. |
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DE
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Maurice Evans |
Penn St. |
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DE
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George Selvie (OLB) |
South Florida |
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DE
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Greg Middleton |
Indiana |
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DE
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Greg Hardy |
Mississippi |
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DE
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Eric Norwood |
South Carolina |
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DE
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Kyle Moore |
U.S.C. |
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DT
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Sen'Derrick Marks (DE) |
Auburn |
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DT
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DeMarcus Granger |
Oklahoma |
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DT
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Al Woods |
L.S.U. |
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DT
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Geno Atkins |
Georgia |
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ILB
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Brandon Spikes |
Florida |
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OLB
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Gerald McRath |
Southern Miss. |
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CB
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Vontae Davis |
Illinois |
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S
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Taylor Mays |
U.S.C. |
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S
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Myron Rolle |
Florida St. |
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S
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Kam Chancellor |
Virginia Tech |
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Po.
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SOPHOMORES |
School |
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QB
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Sam Bradford |
Oklahoma |
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HB
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Knowshon Moreno |
Georgia |
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HB
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LeSean McCoy |
Pittsburgh |
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WR
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Michael Crabtree |
Texas Tech |
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WR
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Jeremy Maclin (KR) |
Missouri |
Thanks for checking us out - special thanks to the many subscribers who support our efforts.
This draft review concludes our efforts for this season. We will be back in a couple months with a more extensive early look at the talent for the 2009 draft.
A few copies of the 2008 FINAL edition of THE DRUGSTORE LIST are still available. If you wish to obtain one for review, please specify 2008 on your order.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN
THE DRUGSTORE LIST