NFL Combine 2011: 15 Prospects That Should Post Impressive Wonderlic Scores

The NFL Combine is only a week away, and we will finally get to see many prospects that may have fallen under the radar.

We will also get to take a closer look at those who have remained near the top of the draft board, and this will determine whether they are NFL ready or just another Andre Smith.

The Wonderlic Test will also be given to each player, which can either be beneficial in determining awareness and problem-solving, particularly in quarterbacks, or entirely useless, depending on your point of view.

If you agree with the former, then you'll be watching to see which players get high scores on the exam and who does not.

Here are 15 players that could boost their draft stock by scoring well on the test.

15. Anthony Castonzo, OT, Boston College

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CHESTNUT HILL, MA - OCTOBER 03: Anthony Castonzo #74 of the Boston College Eagles congratulates teammate Montel Harris #2 after Harris scored a touchdown in the first quarter against the Florida State Seminoles on October 3, 2009 at Alumni Stadium in Che

Castonzo spent four years as part of a solid offensive line at Boston College, and is holding onto a first-round pick. Offensive linemen tend to score the highest overall on the Wonderlic, so he has that going for him.

It also helps that Boston College is not exactly a blow-off school. It's a tough university, and even if you're a football player you have to show up in the classroom as well.

That makes me believe that he will do well.

14. Cecil Shorts III, WR, Mount Union

Division III schools do not give up scholarships. To get on the football team there, you have to get accepted into the school, which can be difficult depending on the college.

Cecil Shorts III got through Mount Union without any trouble, and his education should translate into a very good Wonderlic score, even if wide receivers don't typically get very high marks there.

13. Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

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PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Andy Dalton #14 of the TCU Horned Frogs throws a pass against the Wisconsin Badgers in the 97th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2011 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

The one position where people seem to really look at Wonderlic scores is the quarterback spot. Then again, people look at every possible statistic that can be measured for quarterbacks.

The first quarterback I expect to get a good score is Andy Dalton of TCU. If he does, he passes the "26-27-60" rule, which could greatly increase his draft stock. He ran an intelligent team this past season, and threw to Academic All-American Bart Johnson, so I could see him doing very well.

12. Cheta Ozougwu, DE, Rice

Cheta Ozougwu is most likely not going to be drafted, and no matter now good a score he gets here, he probably won't be selected, except possibly as an undrafted free agent.

Why is he on this list then?

Aside from being invited to the combine, he attended Rice, one of the best academic universities in the country, top 20 according to the U.S. News rankings.

11. Kealoha Pilares, WR, Hawaii

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HONOLULU - SEPTEMBER 02: Kealoha Pilares #21 of the University of Hawaii Warriors carries the ball during second half action second half action at Aloha Stadium September 2, 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)

When you think of Hawaii, you think of offense. When Kealoha Pilares is done taking the Wonderlic exam, it may also be known for creating some smart wideouts.

Like Ozougwu, he will likely go undrafted, but has the chance to turn a few heads at the combine. He was also a first-team Academic All-American with a degree in Kinesiology.

If you're not sure what that is, neither did I until I looked just now.

10. Cameron Jordan, DE, California

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MOBILE, AL - JANUARY 29:Defensive lineman Cameron Jordan #97 of the North Team during the Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 29, 2011 at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images for Under Armour)

Moving from undrafted to first-rounder, Cameron Jordan is best known for having an amazing Senior Bowl, and he will be one of the most-watched defensive linemen at the combine.

Aside from his athletic ability, I see him doing very well on the Wonderlic. California is short for University of California, Berkeley, so you know you're going to get someone with a good head on their shoulders.

9. Kyle Rudolph, TE, Notre Dame

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SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 03: Kyle Rudolph #9 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish runs after making a catch against the Washington Huskies on October 3, 2009 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Washington 37-30 in overtime. (Pho

Kyle Rudolph is another player who's on the first/second round cusp and is trying to make his way into the first round. A great Wonderlic score might be exactly what he needs to do so.

Tight ends have done fairly well on this exam, at least more so than other offensive weapons. Also, Rudolph is a Notre Dame graduate, and it's usually a safe bet that multiple Notre Dame players are on an Academic All-American list.

While Rudolph isn't, someone else is who will appear later on.

8. Joe Lefeged, SS, Rutgers

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EAST HARTFORD, CT - OCTOBER 31: Joe Lefeged #26 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights returns a punt in the second half against the Connecticut Huskies on October 31, 2009 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. Rutgers defeated Connecticut 28-24. (

Lefeged is currently firmly in the middle of the draft pack. He is expected to go in the fourth round, and it doesn't look like there will be much movement one way or the other.

He can contribute on special teams as well as defense, and should be a player that's very likely to do well on the Wonderlic. After all, he went to Rutgers, a school that's considered a "Public Ivy", where he certainly got a good education to go along with his football ability.

7. David Arkin, G, Missouri State

Who is David Arkin?

He is a guard out of Missouri State who is currently projected to be a sixth-round pick. If you're wondering why you haven't heard of him, he plays in the FCS, so it's likely that few have seen him play.

Arkin gets some extra credit because not only will he likely be fighting for a spot in the draft, he's also likely to do great on the Wonderlic as well. He's a second-team Academic All-American, and got his degree in construction management.

6. Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 09: Colin Kaepernick #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack looks to pass the ball against Boston College during the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park on January 9, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The next quarterback on the list is one who I think is far more under-the-radar than he should be. Colin Kaepernick seems to have everything that scouts look for in a quarterback, and had a great Senior Bowl on top of that.

Apparently, he has already taken the Wonderlic. According to his agent, he took it at the Senior Bowl and  received a 38. If that's true, it bodes very well for him as he continues to move up draft boards.

5. Ian Williams, DT, Notre Dame

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SOUTH BEND, IN - SEPTEMBER 04: Ian Williams #95 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish encourages the crowd during a game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Notre Dame Stadium on September 4, 2010 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Purdue 23-12. (Photo

The second player from Notre Dame on here is defensive tackle Ian Williams. Like Lefeged, he is projected to be a fourth-round selection, and will probably stay there unless his combine performance is either really great or really awful.

Aside from gaining a great education at Notre Dame, Williams is likely to score high on the Wonderlic because he has shown intelligence on the field, helping to anchor the defense at Notre Dame.

He may not be an Academic All-American like kicker David Ruffer, but he'll turn some heads.

4. Owen Marecic, FB, Stanford

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MIAMI, FL - JANUARY 03: (L-R) Jeremy Stewart #34 and Owen Marecic #48 of the Stanford Cardinal celebrate after Stewart scored a 60-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter against the Virginai Tech Hokies during the 2011 Discover Orange Bowl at Sun Li

The hybrid fullback/linebacker out of Stanford is one of the most surprising under-the-radar players to me. I would have expected him higher than a mid-round pick, especially since we've clearly seen that Stanford players do not go down easily.

Owen Marecic is a second-team Academic All-American out of Stanford. That's an intelligent person, no question. If he can play on both sides of the ball and still manage that, he can get a high Wonderlic score.

3. Stefen Wisniewski, G/C, Penn State

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 25: Stefen Wisniewski #61 and Andrew Dailey #13 of the Penn State Nittany Lions get congratulations from fans as they head to the locker room after defeating the Ohio State Buckeyes 13-6 on October 25, 2008 at Ohio Stadium in Columb

The final offensive lineman on this list is Penn State's Stefen Wisniewski.

He has been a key part of Penn State's offensive line during his college career and like others on this list, he is trying to make it into the first round.

What Wisniewski has going for him, and what keeps him near the top of this list, is his multiple Academic All-American wins. He was named first-team All-American in 2009 and 2010, and for someone with those accolades, I would expect a very impressive score.

2. Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

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ORLANDO, FL - JANUARY 01: Greg McElroy #12 of the Alabama Crimson Tide smiles after winning the Capitol One Bowl against the Michigan State Spartans at the Florida Citrus Bowl on January 1, 2011 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

If any teams are looking for a quarterback to post Ryan Fitzpatrick-type numbers in the Wonderlic, then they need look no further then Alabama's quarterback Greg McElroy.

While Mark Ingram and Julio Jones are getting the first-round selections, McElroy led the Tide to a National Championship, and on top of that, he was named the ESPN Academic All-American of the Year. If you need more proof of his intelligence, he was named a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship.

The only question that one might ask is who could possibly beat him in the Wonderlic.

1. Sam Acho, DE, Texas

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 5: Quarterback Zac Lee of the Nebraska Cornhuskers is sacked by Sam Acho #81 of the Texas Longhorns at Cowboys Stadium on December 5, 2009 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

Sam Acho is a second-round draft pick who might be a first-rounder if the defensive line class wasn't so deep.

More to the point, he's also a guy that makes my academic resume look like crap.

Aside from making two straight first-team Academic All-American teams, Acho tested out of 26 hours of class before even attending Texas, and also won the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is considered the academic Heisman. He beat Mcelroy for that honor, which gives him the edge here.

If you want more on his academic prowess, here is a good Fanhouse article on that.

Quite honestly, anything under 40 would be a shock to me. This guy's got a great head on his shoulders.