2011 NFL Draft: Small-School Prospects to Watch

Now that the NFL combine is underway, many of the headlines revolve around Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and how he presents himself to the league’s decision-makers.

While Newton continues to garner significant attention, there are a number of under-the-radar players, including some from smaller schools, who might prove to be just as worthy of playing at the professional level.

Pat Devlin, QB, Delaware

Devlin had a big senior season, throwing for 3,032 yards with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes.

So that he could be at Delaware for spring practice, Devlin transferred from Penn State when his sophomore season ended and before the Nittany Lions met the USC Trojans in the 2009 Rose Bowl.

Devlin has the size (6’4”, 227 pounds) and the arm strength that NFL scouts love. The comparisons to Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, a fellow Blue Hen, are almost too obvious.

Flacco was a first-round pick in 2008 and, although Devlin is not as highly regarded at this point in time, a solid showing at the NFL combine could make him an early-round pick in late April.

Edmund Gates, WR, Abilene Christian

Gates had a productive senior season, with 66 receptions for 1,182 yards and 13 touchdowns, and is ESPN’s NFL draft expert Todd McShay’s pick to run the fastest 40-yard dash at this week’s combine.

His career average of 18.3 yards per catch definitely suggests he has good game speed. At one time, Gates play basketball at Tyler (TX) Junior College before he was kicked off the team in 2006. Now 25, Gates’ age is one cause for concern. 

There are also questions about his hands and route running, as he tended to drop routine passes in college. Gates is definitely a raw prospect who has not played a lot of football, but his basketball skills show in his ability to adjust to the ball in jump-ball situations. 

He was a college teammate of Chicago Bears wide receiver Johnny Knox and his cousin is Cincinnati Bengals running back Bernard Scott, so he may prove to have an NFL pedigree if given time to develop.

Gates could go off the board sometime in the middle rounds of the NFL draft.

Benjamin Ijalana, OG, Villanova

Ijalana missed the Senior Bowl due to a sports hernia, but his durability should not be a concern as he did not miss a game in his entire collegiate career. He played left tackle in college, but is likely to be a guard in the NFL, where his strength and skill as a run blocker can be maximized.

Villanova averaged nearly 200 rushing yards per game in 2010, and Ijalana was the only FCS player on the watch list for the Outland Trophy at the start of the season.

He is considered by some scouts to be a guard/tackle “tweener” and a strong showing in drills and workouts at the combine would help solidify Ijalana’s status as an early-round pick in April. If he shows enough agility to handle NFL speed rushers, perhaps he could play offensive tackle at the next level.

To read more NFL Combine Coverage Go Here:

Under-the-Radar Prospects

Scout Combine Preview

Day 1 Coverage

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Day 3 Coverage

Day 4 Coverage