Unheralded but Undeterred: Five Rookies Who Could Surprise in '09

Since the Giants released Plaxico Burress after he infamously shot himself in the leg (seriously, I'm still getting over how ridiculous that debacle is), the Giants have had a big hole at the wide receiver position, physically and metaphorically.

To try and fill some egregiously large shoes (or at least part of them), New York's blue half drafted the 6'6" Barden, a huge physical presence who figures to compete with positional compatriot Hakeem Nicks (1st round, UNC) to try and replace the massive Burress.

Although Nicks has the first-round pedigree, Barden shouldn't be ignored. He caught 18 TDs in both his junior and senior years in San Luis Obispo (not quite as catchy as Ann Arbor or Columbus, I know) and his final game was a two-touchdown, 108-yard game against Weber State, so the man has some skills.

And it's going to take more than one large man to replicate Plaxico's production, so we've got high hopes for the young man from California Polytechnic.

Honorable mentions: Patrick Turner, USC (4th round to Miami), Mike Wallace, Arizona (3rd round to Pittsburgh) and Johnny Knox, Abilene Christian (5th round to Chicago).

Oklahoma is a famous football college, but despite coming straight out of Sooner country, Nic Harris doesn't have the hype surrounding him that many of his fellow alumni have had in the past (though that Adrian Peterson guy turned out pretty good anyway).

Harris, seen here in a delightfully choreographed training camp photo, played safety in college and is moving to linebacker at the pro level, so he is at a disadvantage straightaway.

But don't be fooled, Harris can play. He was known for his ferocious hitting in college and he looked pretty comfortable playing at linebacker in the Senior Bowl practices, showing a tremendous work ethic and desire to improve.

Plus, at 6'2" and almost 240 pounds, he can really grow into his frame and maybe become a starting 'backer in this league.

Honorable mentions: Jasper Brinkley, South Carolina (5th round to Minnesota), Marcus Freeman, Ohio State (5th round to Chicago) and Jason Phillips, TCU (5th round to Baltimore).

Herman 'The House' Johnson is a seriously big dude. At 15 pounds, 14oz., he was the biggest baby ever born in the state of Louisiana, and his size continues to be extraordinary even today—at 6'7" and 382 poundss, he's one of the heftiest men in pro sports.

However, The House's talent has not always equaled his size. In his four-year college career he started 38 games but was always seen as unskilled technically, relying more on bulk than brains.

Big Herm may not be the most polished prospect, but he anchored an offensive line that led the Tigers to a national title and his freakish size makes him a quality project to work on. With some good coaching (which former NFL guard and current Arizona offensive line coach Russ Grimm is sure to provide), Johnson could easily become an elite interior lineman, and clear the way for fellow Cardinals draftee Chris Wells (RB, 1st round, Ohio State) for years to come.

Honorable mentions: Kraig Urbik, Wisconsin (3rd round to Pittsburgh), Duke Robinson, Oklahoma (5th round to Carolina) and George Bussey, Louisville (5th round to New England).

A.Q. Shipley won the Rimington Trophy as the country's best collegiate center in 2008. He was also the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. He was also an All-American selection. At a glance, it would seem that he would be the first center taken and a hot prospect. But that wasn't the case in the 2009 draft.

In fact, no-one seemed to want to touch the gifted blocker, as his small stature—he stands just six feet—caused him to tumble down the draft board. He was the last player at his position drafted.

However, more than a few people (myself included) cheered when the Steelers took a chance on him in round seven. Players do not have excellent college careers by accident.

Shipley beat out two first-rounders (Louisville's Eric Wood and California's Alex Mack) to the Rimington Trophy and is a tenacious blocker inside. He'll maul anyone who gets near him, and all he ever did at Penn State was block anybody in his eye-line.

So let's all stand up and give a big hand for the little guy!

Honorable mentions: Antoine Caldwell, Alabama (3rd round to Houston), Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas (4th round to Cincinnati) and Blake Schleuter, TCU (7th round to Denver).

Rashad Jennings is the ultimate late-round selection—small school, huge production, great work ethic.

The running back played eight games at Pittsburgh in his freshman year but transferred to Liberty College (go Flames!) for his final three years to see more of the field. That could turn out to be a very smart move indeed.

While at Liberty, Jennings led the Flames to back-to-back Big South Conference titles and ripped the conference to shreds, scoring a whopping 36 total TDs his final two seasons and amassing 4,051 rushing yards in three years. Needless to say, Jennings has got game.

Ranked by ESPN as their 7th best running back in the draft, Jennings was overlooked by many NFL franchises due to his program's obscurity, but the Jags may have gotten a huge steal at pick No. 250.

Late-round RBs seem the most prone to breakout years (see Washington, Leon amongst others) and Jennings could continue that trend. He may have been an afterthought for many front offices, but he's not been forgotten by this list.

Honorable mentions: Javon Ringer, Michigan State (5th round to Tennessee), Bernard Scott, Abilene Christian (6th round to Cincinnati) and Chris Ogbonnaya, Texas (7th round to St. Louis).

Read more by me at playactionpost.com (this post comes with a special Nacho Libre bonus!)