2011 NFL Draft: The Top 10 Players from BCS Bowl Teams
The best teams have players they can rely on to carry them to victory.
This was true for the Auburn Tigers, 2011 BCS National Champions. Auburn had Cam Newton on offense and Nick Fairley on defense and rode them to a perfect 14-0 season.
After the successful year, Newton and Fairley each declared for the NFL Draft.
The nine other teams that played in BCS Bowl games—Arkansas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, TCU, UConn, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin—also relied on senior leadership and talented players that have left for the draft.
Who are the top prospects from BCS Bowl teams? Read on to find out.
Honorable Mention — RB DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
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Murray had a successful career at Oklahoma, rushing for 3,685 yards and 50 touchdowns. During his senior year, he rushed for 1,214 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Despite this impressive resume, he is not considered a first-round prospect. Scouts are concerned by his supposed lack of explosiveness; he rushed for six and 5.6 yards per carry in his first two seasons respectively and 4.1 and 4.3 his junior and senior seasons respectively.
Murray appears to be a second to third-round pick.
10. TE D.J. Williams, Arkansas
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Williams has been a consistent contributor for Arkansas the past three seasons.
He had an excellent senior season, catching 54 passes for 627 yards and four touchdowns. For his efforts, he won the John Mackey Award as the nation's top tight end.
He seems to be a good influence off the field as well—he won the 2010 Disney Spirit Award as college football's most inspirational player.
9. OT Marcus Cannon, TCU
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At 6'6", 350 lb., Cannon is a big lineman. He is also versatile and can play either tackle position on the line.
In 2009, he played at right tackle and did not yield a single sack. He transitioned to left tackle in 2010.
Despite his stellar play, pundits think that Cannon projects to an NFL guard instead of tackle.
At any rate, he is a solid blocker and looks to be a second to third-round pick.
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8. RB Ryan Williams, Virginia Tech
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Williams had a monster freshman season, rushing for 1,655 yards and 21 touchdowns on 5.6 yards per carry.
His sophomore season didn't go as well—he injured his right hamstring and missed four games. As a consequence, his numbers dipped to 477 rushing yards and nine touchdowns.
Despite the injury, Williams is considered one of the top running backs and could sneak into the first round.
7. FS Quinton Carter, Oklahoma
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Some consider Carter to be the best FS in the 2011 draft.
It's hard to disagree—he had a strong collegiate career capped by an outstanding senior season in which he intercepted four passes and was named to the All-Big 12 team.
Carter could be a great safety at the next level and will be at least a second-round pick.
6. DE Cameron Heyward, Ohio State
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He has NFL-ready size and appears to be a good fit as a 3-4 defensive end.
In the most important games, Heyward came up big. Against Penn State in 2009, he made 11 tackles—three for loss—and two sacks in a dominating performance. In this year's Sugar Bowl, Heyward had 1.5 sacks on Ryan Mallett and arguably deserved to be named MVP.
However, Heyward pulled a disappearing act at times this year, something that could make NFL teams wary. Though a strong run-stopper, his pass rush could use improvement.
Heyward would be very successful on a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers where the main responsibility of linemen is run-stopping instead of pass rushing.
5. OT Gabe Carimi, Wisconsin
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Carimi is a talented offensive tackle. At 6'7", 327 lbs., he has more than adequate size.
He had an exemplary career at Wisconsin, starting all four years. He earned numerous awards including consensus All-American, Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year and Outland Trophy.
Carimi excels at run-blocking, but there are questions about his pass protection—especially against quick pass rushers off the edge.
He could go as early as mid-first round.
4. QB Ryan Mallett, Arkansas
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Quarterbacks are all the rage in the NFL, and Mallett is one of the position's best prospects.
At 6'6", 238 lbs., he has the size to make scouts drool. He also has the stats—two consecutive seasons with at least 3,500 yards and 30 touchdowns.
While he has the potential to be a very good NFL quarterback, he needs to improve his decision making. Against Alabama and Ohio State, he threw costly interceptions late in the game. Some have compared him to Brett Favre, who had a penchant for throwing game-ending interceptions.
Mallett received negative press for the way he conducted an interview session, but that shouldn't prevent him from being selected in the first round.
3. DE J.J. Watt, Wisconsin
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Watt is a tough player who can play anywhere on the line due his size (6'6", 292 lbs.).
He is also an adequate pass-rusher and run-stopper but is sometimes too aggressive and gets out of position.
Watt has the ability to take over games—just ask Ohio State. He played a huge role in Wisconsin's upset win over No. 1 Ohio State with four tackles—including two sacks.
2. QB Cam Newton, Auburn
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College football's most controversial player won the Heisman Trophy and directed Auburn to a National Championship.
Newton looks like a can't-miss prospect—he has size (6'6", 250 lbs.), speed (4.42 40-yard dash) and can throw for accuracy (66.1 percent completion percentage).
However, the picture isn't perfect for Newton. In addition to scouts questioning whether his play will translate to the next level, he has been unfavorably compared to Akili Smith by Mel Kiper—a player who like Newton only had one good season before bolting for the NFL.
Still, Newton's vast potential will earn him an early first-round selection.
1. DT Nick Fairley, Auburn
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Some people have pegged Fairley as the top prospect in the 2011 NFL draft.
He is a dominant player that can take over games; just look at his performance in the National Championship for proof—five tackles, three for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in an MVP performance.
At 6'5, 298 lbs., Fairley can play anywhere on the line. Due to his versatility and dominance in the trenches, he will be a top-five selection.
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