NFL Draft 2011: Top Senior Prospects from Each BCS Bowl Team
The 10 teams in the BCS bowls this year are all led by many talented players. To succeed at such a high level, that has to be true.
In some cases, the talent comes along with experience, while in some cases it manifests itself in younger, more raw players. While schools like Oregon and Auburn don't rely on too many seniors, programs like Wisconsin do this year.
Read on to find out which seniors playing in BCS bowls this winter should go on to be selected in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Wisconsin: Gabe Carimi
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Gabe Carimi is one of the biggest human beings that I've ever seen, whether in real life or on the TV screen. This monster of a man is 6'7", 327 pounds.
Carimi is as powerful as he is big, but he could stand to improve both his technique and his athleticism. It might work at the college level to use brute force and push people around, but the same concept won't work quite as well at the next level. He needs to develop some.
They say that size can't be taught and technique can. Fortunately for Carimi, he only needs to work on the latter.
Carimi should be picked towards the end of the first round.
Wisconsin: Lance Kendricks
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Lance Kendricks is a senior tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers.
Standing 6'4" and weighing 241 pounds, the tight end is enjoying the most productive season of his four-year collegiate career.
Kendricks has caught 39 passes from Scott Tolzien this season, and they've gone for 627 yards, an average of over 16 yards per catch.
Additionally, five of those 39 receptions have resulted in touchdowns.
Kendricks should be picked in either the late second round or the early portion of the third.
Wisconsin: John Moffitt
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As if it wasn't enough to have one offensive lineman projected in the top three rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Wisconsin Badgers just had to have another.
John Moffitt, while not quite as big as Gabe Carimi, stands 6'4" and weighs 323 pounds.
This season he made the AP All-American team and was unanimously selected to the first team All-Big Ten.
Expect Moffitt to be drafted in the second half of the third round.
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TCU: Marcus Cannon
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Marcus Cannon is an absolute behemoth at 6'5", 350 pounds. The offensive tackle could pretty much make up an entire offensive line. While that may be an exaggeration, it is only a slight one.
Cannon last year was an All-MWC first team selection and was also named to ESPN's Top 10 Workout Warriors list.
He also had the benefit of learning while going against Jerry Hughes, a fellow Horned Frog.
Cannon should be a borderline first round pick.
Oklahoma: DeMarco Murray
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DeMarco Murray is just an unbelievable running back who should definitely succeed at the next level.
The senior has run the ball 257 times in 2010 and has picked up 1,121 yards on the ground to go along with his 14 touchdowns.
In addition, he's caught a career-high 69 passes this year for 595 yards and another five scores.
He's put together one highlight reel play after another in his 2010 campaign and will no doubt produce another against the Huskies of Connecticut.
Oklahoma: Quinton Carter
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Quinton Carter, Oklahoma's 6'1", 200-pound free safety, has recorded 93 tackles on the season. That's the third most of any player on Oklahoma's team.
Two-and-a-half of those tackles have gone for losses, resulting in seven yards of lost offense for opposing teams.
Carter has also caused havoc in the secondary, intercepting four passes so far in 2010. He's broken up an additional five passes.
Expect to see Carter drafted in the second round of the upcoming 2011 NFL Draft.
Oklahoma: Jeremy Beal
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The senior defensive end from Carrollton, Texas has recorded 65 tackles this season, the fourth most of any player on Oklahoma's team.
Jeremy Beal stands 6'3" and weighs 267 pounds. He's also proven to be quite adept at taking down opposing quarterbacks in 2010. Beal has recorded 8.5 sacks this season in addition to his 18 tackles for losses. Those 26.5 takedowns have resulted in losses of 155 yards for Oklahoma's opponents.
Beal has also forced three fumbles and broken up six passes this year.
Expect to see the defensive end drafted in the middle of the second round by a team hungry for some pass-rushing presence.
Connecticut: Lawrence Wilson
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Lawrence Wilson, the senior linebacker from Tuscaloosa, has become one of the best tacklers in the country. His 115 tackles in 2010 have easily paced the Huskies.
In addition to those takedowns, Wilson has brought down the opposing quarterback 3.5 times. He has another 10 tackles for losses, and the 13.5 bring-downs in the backfield have netted negative-66 yards for opposing offenses.
Wilson has also intercepted one pass this year, returning it 55 yards for a touchdown.
The 6'1", 226-pound linebacker should be drafted towards the end of the third round.
Virginia Tech: None
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The Virginia Tech Hokies don't have a single senior that should be selected in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Their best senior prospect is cornerback Rashad Carmichael. The speedy player should be selected towards the end of the fourth round or in the beginning of the fifth.
Stanford: Sione Fua
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Besides boasting an awesome name, Sione Fua also can claim a large body. He's 6'2" and 306 pounds.
The defensive tackle has been a huge part of Stanford's success, but he still has room for improvement.
Fua has recorded just 22 tackles in 2010, but six of them resulted in losses for Stanford's opponents. Fua also has 4.5 sacks and has forced two fumbles.
Expect him to be picked in the third round.
Arkansas: DeMarcus Love
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DeMarcus Love proved he could play at a high level when he was named the SEC Week 12 Offensive Lineman of the Week.
The 6'5", 315-pound offensive tackle has played great football all year, helping the Arkansas offensive attack become one of the best in the entire country.
He is definitely not lacking in size. Love is definitely big enough to play at the next level.
Love was also selected to the All-SEC team in 2010.
Expect to see him drafted either at the end of the first round or the beginning of the second.
Arkansas: D.J. Williams
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D.J. Williams, Arkansas' star tight end, possesses both size and speed.
Even at 6'2", 251 pounds, the senior is able to move down the field quickly. He also lays claim to an excellent set of hands.
Williams has hauled in 49 passes in 2010, resulting in 589 yards and four touchdowns. All four touchdowns came in the last five weeks of the regular season, so things appear to be clicking for the senior.
Expect to see Williams taken early in the second round.
Ohio State: Cameron Heyward
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Cameron Heyward is arguably the best defensive end in the country.
He is absolutely the most athletic. The one thing this senior from Ohio State still needs to work on is his technique. With that, he could become one of the best in the NFL.
This season, Heyward has recorded 42 tackles, 9.5 of which have occurred in opponents' backfields. He's recorded just 1.5 sacks on the season but does have an interception.
Expect him to go in the first round because of his ridiculous potential.
Ohio State: Chimdi Chekwa
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Chimdi Chekwa, Ohio State's 5'9", 190-pound cornerback, is one of the fastest players in college football.
The senior from Clermont, Florida has recorded 42 tackles on the season, three of which have resulted in losses.
He's also recorded a sack and forced two fumbles. Chekwa has picked off three passes on the season and returned them for a total of 22 yards. He's also broken up eight passes.
Expect to see the speedy cornerback taken at the end of the third round.
Oregon: None
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The Oregon Ducks don't have a single senior that should be selected in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Their best senior prospect is inside linebacker Casey Matthews. The talented tackler should be selected towards the end of the fourth round or at the beginning of the fifth.
Auburn: None
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The Auburn Tigers don't have a single senior that should be selected in the first three rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.
Their best senior prospect is offensive guard Lee Ziemba. The big blocker should be selected towards the end of the fourth round or at the beginning of the fifth.
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