NFL Draft 2011: The Top 10 Under the Radar Prospects in This Year's Draft

There are always diamonds in the rough each NFL Draft: the players that have definite talent, but for some reason or another, haven't been able to draw attention from the masses.

In this article I will let you know about 10 prospects who are flying way too low under the radar and could one day turn into big time NFL talents.

As always, let me know your comments (good or bad) and thoughts regarding these prospects and their NFL Draft futures.

10. Cecil Shorts III, Wide Receiver (Mount Union)

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 08: Pierre Garcon #85 of the Indianapolis Colts runs for yards after the catch against the New York Jets during their 2011 AFC wild card playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium on January 8, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Jets wo

Shorts had a wildly successful career while playing at tiny Mount Union College, and his draft buzz is finally starting to build up.

Shorts runs a 4.43 40 yard dash according to NFLdraftscout, and it’s this blazing speed that is making scouts take notice of this division three standout.

Cecil had his third straight 1,000 yard receiving season last year and caught an amazing 63 passes on the year.

Cecil Shorts III won’t be taken in the first or second round, but this young man definitely has talent and could be a late round pick to remember in a few years.

Finally, before you begin saying that NFL talent can’t come out of Mount Union, remember that Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Pierre Garcon is a former alumni of the school.

9. Pat Devlin, Quarterback (Delaware)

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COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 25: Quarterback Pat Devlin #7 of the Penn State Nittany Lions hands off the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes on October 25, 2008 at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Pat Devlin was a highly regarded high school prospect and signed with Penn State, but eventually left Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lions and transferred to Delaware.

While playing at Delaware, Devlin has impressed scouts with his solid play on the football field. Pat threw 21 touchdowns as a senior and is showing why he was so highly thought of coming out of high school.

Devlin isn’t near the top of the pecking order as far as quarterbacks are concerned, but he would be a good value pick for a later round. Teams can only hope that Devlin might turn out to be as talented as his predecessor, Joe Flacco.  

8. Greg Salas, Wide Receiver (Hawaii)

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HONOLULU - DECEMBER 2: Viliami Nauahi #36 (right), Greg Salas #36 (center), Keoni Steinhoff #78 (left) and other players of the Hawaii Warriors perform the Warrior dance, the Haka, before the game against the Washington Huskies on December 1, 2007 at Alo

Salas recorded 4,345 receiving yards and caught 26 touchdowns throughout his four years at Hawaii. Now, it must be stated that Hawaii is notorious for constantly passing the ball, and subsequently, their quarterbacks and receivers end up with slightly inflated statistics.

Nevertheless, there definitely is steak to go with the sizzle regarding this wide receiver. Salas has good size at 6’2 210 lbs and has shown ability to get open in space and make plays. Greg isn’t jostling for position with fellow wide receivers A.J. Green and Julio Jones for a first round selection, but he is a good selection for a team looking for a quality wide out in a later round.

There is a lot of skepticism surrounding Salas because of the system he played in, but Greg has the potential to prove his doubters wrong and have a successful NFL career.

7. Taiwan Jones, Running Back (Eastern Washington)

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BERKELEY, CA - SEPTEMBER 12: Mychal Kendricks #30 of the California Golden Bears returns a fumble for 45 yards against Taiwan Jones #22 of the Eastern Washington Eagles at Memorial Stadium on September 12, 2009 in Berkeley, California. (Photo by Jed Jacob

Taiwan Jones doesn’t have a big school pedigree behind, but his production speaks for itself. Jones averaged 7.4 yards per rush and 201.8 all purpose yards per game and is projected as a fourth or fifth round selection according to NFLdfraftscout.

The coaches at Eastern Washington even played Jones at cornerback some during his college career. Taiwan also projects to be a kick returner in the NFL as well. Once again, no one will confuse Taiwan Jones for Mark Ingram, but there definitely appears to be value here later in the draft.

6. Jerrel Jernigan, Wide Receiver (Troy)

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 18: Jerrel Jernigan #3 of the Troy University Trojans scores a touchdown over Donovan Fletcher #29 of the Ohio University Bobcats during the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on December 18, 2010 in New O

Jernigan recorded an amazing 23 career touchdowns as a Troy Trojan and was just as deadly catching the football as he was rushing the football.

Jernigan has blistering speed and could be used as a kick/pass returner early in his NFL career. Scouts are starting to take notice of this prospect, and he is projected as a second round pick, but the name Jerrel Jernigan is hardly a household name...yet.

Jernigan put his game on full display against Arkansas State earlier this year when he compiled 240 all purpose yards and a touchdown in a 35-28 Troy victory.

Now some will say that Jernigan’s success is a product of the weak competition he played in, but the fact is that Jerrel has definite NFL speed and evasiveness that can’t be replicated.

5. Charles Clay, Fullback (Tulsa)

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ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 20: Fullback Charles Clay #9 of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane rushes upfield against the University of Central Florida Knights at Bright House Stadium on October 20, 2007 in Orlando, Florida. UCF won 44 - 23. (Photo by Al Messerschmid

At 6’3 235 lbs., the bruising Clay is a serviceable rusher, but it’s his pass catching ability that is driving his NFL dreams.

Clay caught 28 receiving touchdowns throughout his four years at Tulsa and was actually far more effective as a receiver than he was a runner. These soft hands and pass catching ability has forced scouts to take notice of Mr. Clay as an NFL prospect.

Charles also compiled over 750 rushing yards while at school, so he is an experienced ball carrier as well.

Clay will not be an early round selection, but this interesting dynamic of catching and passing coupled with good size makes Charles a late round sleeper.

4. Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback (Nevada)

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 09: Colin Kaepernick #10 of the Nevada Wolf Pack throws 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)

Kaepernick has a combination of speed and impressive arm strength that led many to think that he can have a successful NFL career. Kaepernick had 82 career touchdowns at Nevada and was especially impressive against Boise State last season, where he had over 300 all purpose yards.

Kaepernick runs a 4.53 40 yard dash according to NFLdraftscout and also has great accuracy. These two areas have become the catalysts for his growing NFL Draft buzz.

It's likely that Colin will slip to the mid to late rounds of the draft where he then has tremendous value as a selection.

3. Jordan Todman, Running Back (Connecticut)

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EAST HARTFORD, CT - NOVEMBER 27: Jordan Todman #23 of the Connecticut Huskies carries the ball around the Cincinnati Bearcats defense on November 27, 2010 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. The Huskies defeated the Bearcats 38-17. (Photo

Connecticut football doesn’t get nearly as much publicity as Connecticut basketball, and it's understandable how a player such as Todman could fall on a list like this.

Jordan finally started to gain notoriety after rushing for 121 yards against Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl last season. These performances are nothing new to UCONN fans who have been watching Todman do this for three years at Storrs.

He rushed for 3,179 yards and 31 touchdowns throughout his three seasons at UCONN.

Todman likely won’t be one of the first running backs taken, but whoever does get him will be receiving a highly capable running back.

2. Delone Carter, Running Back (Syracuse)

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CINCINNATI - OCTOBER 30: Delone Carter #3 of the Syracuse Orange runs with the ball during the Big East Conference game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium on October 30, 2010 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Delone Carter battled injuries and sat through suspensions during his time at Syracuse, but when he was on the field, he was impressive.

At 5’10" 215 lbs., Carter is on the small side regarding prototypical height for an NFL running back, and he has had some off the field issues, most notably an assault charge.

Delone is gaining draft buzz, though, because of an impressive senior season in which he rushed for 1,233 yards and nine touchdowns. Carter has also shown a tenacity and intensity on the field, which has impressed scouts.

Carter won’t be an early round selection, and there are injury and character questions, but if you can get past these concerns, then Delone might prove to be a surprisingly productive late round pickup.

1. DeAndre Brown, Wide Receiver (Southern Miss)

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NEW ORLEANS - DECEMBER 20: DeAndre Brown #5 of the Southern Miss Golden Eagles celebrates after catching a two point conversion pass against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders during the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on December

Brown missed seven games last season with a leg injury, and consequently, his draft stock has suffered as a result.

Brown came out of high school highly regarded and spurned a lot of the big schools in favor of Southern Miss.

Brown’s best season with the Golden Eagles was his freshman campaign in which he caught 67 passes for 1,117 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Since then, the wide out has failed to duplicate the success he had as a freshman.

DeAndre has a great build for a wide receiver at 6’6" 239 lbs. and has proven that he can be a highly productive pass catcher. There will obviously be questions about his durability, but the raw athleticism and talent are still there. Brown has dropped down to a lower round projected pick and could be a great value selection for a team looking to bolster their receiving core.