NFL Draft '09: The 10 Seventh Round Picks Who Could Make NFL Teams

A lot of attention has been focused on the early round draft picks, and deservedly so.

Those are your All-Americans, your 4.3 Runners, your franchise guys. What about the late rounds, does anyone even care? I do, because there just might be the next Tom Brady (sixth round), Shannon Sharpe (seventh round), or Donald Driver (seventh round) in there waiting.

Which 10 seventh round players have a shot to hit it big?

1. Chris Ogbonnaya RB Texas (211) Team: St. Louis Rams

This north-south running back saw a major increase in yards his senior year. He averaged 5 yards per carry on an explosive Texas team. He also had 46 catches. When have you known Mack Brown to not recruit someone with raw talent?

2. Taufui Vakapuna RB Brigham Young (215) Team: Cincinnati Bengals

This running back runs well and can pick up yards after contact. He also is a fierce blocker with a lot of strength. Vakapuna is a little under 6' and 250lbs. He posted an impressive 34” Vertical and completed 29 bench press reps in the combine. Vakapuna could have a long career as an NFL Fullback.

3. Captain Munnerlyn CB South Carolina (216) Team: Carolina Panthers

This guy has hands down the best name in the draft. How could you not pick someone named Captain? Munnerlyn has shown an aptitude for special teams and he was one of the SEC’s better return specialists last year. At 5'9" Munnerlyn is on the smallish side, but the Panthers have had good success with small guys. Can you say Steve Smith?

4. Brad Jones OLB Colorado (218) Team: Green Bay Packers

The “silver surfer,” as Brad Jones is known in Colorado racked up 78 tackles and 7 sacks his senior year. This lone draftee from Colorado can run a 4.6 and could be a real steal for Green Bay.

5. Troy Nolan S Arizona State (223) Team: Houston Texans

Nolan played two years for the Sun Devils. He started all 25 games. A second team All Pac-10 member, and the team captain for 2008. Nolan had 10 interceptions his last two years at Arizona St. and scored five touchdowns on defense. Obviously he has the ability to make the big defensive play, but may need to work on tackling.

6. Demetrius Byrd WR LSU (224) Team: San Diego Chargers

An LSU standout, Demetrius has great speed. In his two year career at LSU he collected 11 touchdowns and over 1000 yards. Some felt Byrd was a slight disappointment at LSU, but there's potential to be an NFL receiver.

7. Mike Mickens CB Cincinnati (227) Team: Dallas Cowboys

Mickens led a ferocious Bearcats defense in interceptions. He was a steal in the late rounds, as he had the ability to be a mid round pick. Could be injury prone as he did miss three games his senior year with some torn cartilage in his knee, and that might have scared some teams off.

8. Manuel Johnson WR Oklahoma (229) Team: Dallas Cowboys

Has an outstanding work ethic and NFL caliber toughness. An underrated WR that's not afraid to go over the middle. Like his contemporary Mack Brown at Texas, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has an eye for raw talent.

9. Rickey Jean-Francois DT LSU (244) Team: San Francisco 49ers

An early entry into this year’s draft, it seems that he may have been better served to wait another year. He was defensive MVP of the 2008 BCS national championship game. He is a very athletic player with great size. It might take a couple of years of development, but the 49ers might have "THE STEAL" of the seventh round. Francois may have as much raw talent as anyone drafted outside the first round.

10. Freddie Brown WR Utah (252) Team: Cincinnati Bengals

Brown had a wonderful season at Utah, finishing the year with 77 catches for 900 yards. Freddie played a big role in keeping the Utah Utes undefeated. He has the maturity and a work ethic that will serve him well in the NFL. Route running needs works, but Brown's work ethic will take care of that.