Jeff Samardzija WR, SR, Notre Dame Before last season, Samardzija -- who doubles as the ace pitcher of Notre Dame?s baseball team -- most likely had plans to finish off his football career at Notre Dame so he could pursue a career in the Major Leagues. But 77 catches for 1,249 yards and 15 touchdowns can complicate things a bit. After the 2006 season, the 6-5, 220-pounder -- who only became a starter last year because Rhema McKnight went down with a knee injury -- should be a top-notch prospect for the NFL Draft. Marshawn Lynch RB, JR, Cal Isn?t Jeff Tedford supposed to be a quarterback guru and mastermind of the aerial assault? Cal finished in the top 10 nationally in rushing for its second consecutive season, and Lynch led the way with 1,246 (averaging 6.4 yards) and 10 touchdowns in 10 games. At 6-2, 215 pounds, Lynch uses his speed and relentless running style to make big plays. He and talented RB Justin Forcett should give Cal the best running duo in the nation next season. Calvin Johnson WR, JR, Georgia Tech Georgia Tech?s most highly touted recruit in recent years, Johnson immediately made his presence felt in 2004, grabbing 48 balls for 837 yards and seven TDs and proving unstoppable in single coverage. Although Tech fielded a very mediocre offense overall last season, making Johnson the No. 1 focus of opposing defenses, he still produced -- 54 catches for 888 yards and six scores. This physical specimen compliments a massive frame (6-4, 230 pounds) with burner speed (4.4 40-yard dash) and stellar acrobatics. Brian Brohm QB, JR, Louisville Brohm -- hailed as the top QB in his class coming out of high school -- passed up on offers from many of the nation?s elite programs to follow in the footsteps of his father and two older brothers by suiting up for Louisville. After earning significant time behind Stefan LeFors (and being named C-USA Freshman of the Year) during his freshman season, Brohm was crowned the Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2005, throwing for 2,883 yards for 19 TDs to just five interceptions in 10 games. Brohm tore his ACL in late November, so this ranking depends on his recovery, especially since his mobility has been an asset. But his size (6-4, 225 pounds), arm strength and wise-beyond-his-years poise scream Sunday. Troy Smith QB, SR, Ohio State A poor man?s Vince Young ? for now. Smith finished fourth in the nation in passing efficiency -- throwing for 2,282 yards and 16 touchdowns to just four interceptions -- and rushed for 611 yards and 11 touchdowns. Smith has a penchant for the big game, as evidenced by his combined stats the last two years against Michigan (541 yards passing with three touchdowns and 182 yards and two touchdowns on the ground) and his MVP performance in the Fiesta Bowl (342 yards passing and two touchdowns and another 82 yards on the ground). Paul Posluszny LB, SR Penn State A knee injury ? paritial tears of the PCL and MCL -- sustained in the Orange Bowl was probably the only thing that kept ?Poz? from taking his services to the NFL following his junior year, during which he earned the Butkus and Bednarik awards for the nation?s top linebacker and defensive player, respectively. A consummate leader with brute strength, pro size and deceptive speed, Posluszny is just the latest installment at ?Linebacker U.? Dwayne Jarrett WR, JR, USC Matt Leinart's roommate was also his favorite target for the past two years. After overcoming an early spell of homesickness in 2004, the 6-5, 205-pound New Jersey native immediately helped fans get over the loss of Mike Williams by compiling astonishing numbers in his first two seasons (146 catches for 2,123 yards and 29 TDs). With the mass exodus of talented offensive specialty players (Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LanDale White and Dominique Byrd), look for the Trojan offense to run through No. 8. Brady Quinn QB, SR, Notre Dame Just one year ago, Quinn was a mediocre quarterback in a downtrodden program. Oh, what a difference a Weis makes. Under the tutelidge of Charlie Weis, Quinn finished third in the nation in passing yards (3,919) and threw 32 touchdowns to just seven interceptions. While Quinn will be without two valuable ball-catchers next year in WR Maurice Stovall and TE Anthony Fasano, he?ll still have his favorite target, All-America WR Jeff Samardzija, and gets back WR Rhema McKnight, who took a medical redshirt after injuring his knee early last year. Adrian Peterson RB, JR, Oklahoma After bursting onto the scene in 2004 with the most prolific rushing season ever by a freshman (1,925 yards and 15 TDs) and finishing second in Heisman voting, Peterson's hype faded a bit in his sophomore campaign as he missed some time with a badly sprained ankle and Oklahoma fell from grace. But the player whom some thought could go straight to the pros out of high school still rushed for 1,108 yards and 14 TDs in limited action.
Suffice to say it's not going to help quiet the Vince Young debate one bit that the Texas quarterback reportedly scored a painfully low 6 (of a possible 50) on the Wonderlic intelligence test that the league administers to all combine participants. Is a shoddy Wonderlic showing a death knell for a prospect? Not one with Young's special athletic skills and proven track record of production. But it may give some teams near the top of the draft pause, if they think taking Young means they'll have to bring him along even slower than your typical first-round quarterback. As one longtime NFL personnel man told me this weekend: "I don't take him, because with 18 teams changing coaches in the past three years [56 percent of the league], if you draft him, somebody else might be coaching him by the time he's ready to play. He's going to be a bit of a process. Teams are a little wary of him, and that's why I think [Vanderbilt quarterback Jay] Cutler is passing him up.'' Said one veteran defensive coordinator: "The way these agents have their guys preparing for the Wonderlic and taking it twice a day, just imagine if he got a 6 on it after preparing for it. What would he have gotten if he had walked in cold and taken it? That's the thing you have to think about.'' ? Speaking of Cutler, teams absolutely loved that he jumped in and reeled off 23 reps in the bench press, an almost unheard of number for a quarterback. That was more than any running back did other than Utah's Quinton Ganther (29). If Cutler were a publicly traded stock, I'd be buying as much of him as I could about now. I've got him locked in at No. 3 to Tennessee in my mock draft, ahead of the falling Young, and he's looking better all the time. His 4.77 time in the 40 on Sunday showed he has solid athleticism in his favor. "The thing you like about Cutler is when he shows up you know he's the quarterback,'' said one AFC defensive coordinator. "He's got the hair hanging down in his eyes, and he likes to lift because he's just one of the guys. He sort of reminds me of Tom Brady that way. Brady's not afraid to get his hands dirty and be one of the guys. His teammates love that about him.'' ? Impressive bench-pressing isn't a ticket to NFL stardom, but if it were, look out for Ohio State defensive lineman Mike Kudla, who tied the combine's bench record with an eye-popping 45 reps. Then again, that's the same number turned in by 49ers defensive tackle Jesse Sopoaga in 2004, and the University of Hawaii product hasn't exactly redefined the nose tackle position in his first two NFL seasons. "It's not a P.R. [personal record],'' said Kudla, who said he made it to 52 reps of 225 pounds last June. "I didn't know I tied the record. I've always been gifted when it comes to weight lifting. I think it kind of shows my ability to go out there and do what I can do. Everyone thought I could go out there and put up a big number. And I just went in there and did it. My agent said anything over 40 would be great.'' Said Kudla's Ohio State teammate, highly regarded linebacker A.J. Hawk: "Forty-five's a bad day for Kudla. He'll probably break that at our pro day.'' ? Who else helped himself this weekend? You have to put Florida junior receiver Chad Jackson, who ran a combine-best (so far) 4.32 in his 40-yard dash on Sunday, with some watches having him as quick as 4.29. Jackson was considered a second or even third-round choice coming into the combine, but now receiver-needy teams such as No. 29 Denver, No. 31 Seattle and No. 32 Pittsburgh might have him on their radar screens. The Gators' desultory track record of sending underachieving receivers into the NFL may hurt Jackson's first-round chances, but that trend shouldn't be given too much attention in Seattle, where the Seahawks have gotten plenty from former Florida star Darrell Jackson (no relation).
? Some teams find it difficult to justify spending a first-round pick on a center, but Ohio State's Nick Mangold is name that many expect to surface late in the opening round. Mangold ran a 5.05 40 this weekend, and scouts love his toughness and leadership skills. ? That's a pretty fair pro team USC put on the field last season. There are a combine-high 14 Trojans here, and I'm convinced they could organize and beat the Texans right now. There could be five Trojans drafted in the first round: Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, LenDale White, Winston Justice, and Darnell Bing; with tight end Dominique Byrd and guard Taitusi Lutui going early in the second round. Overall, Southern Cal could have 12-14 players drafted this year. "Those USC guys, they're all impressive,'' an NFC personnel man said. "The backs, the linemen, the safety, the tight end. Those guys can all play.'' ? Give USC's White high marks for honesty. White weighed in at 238 this week, within five pounds of his playing weight in college. But he also admitted he played in the Rose Bowl at a hefty 253, looking like the next Jerome Bettis. The reason? The holidays. Who among us can't relate? "At Thankgiving, I ate the whole turkey and the whole can of macaroni and cheese that my mom made,'' White said. ? Oregon defensive tackle Haloti Ngata measured 6-4, 338 pounds, and looks like the NFL's next dominant run-stuffer. Ngata is a near consensus top 10 pick, and scouts believe he could play in either a 4-3 or a 3-4 formation. "I don't mind playing the nose [in a 3-4],'' Ngata said. "It's something I love to do. I'm a run stopper. I'm not bad at pass rushing. I'm quick, but I need to work on my balance in pass rushing. But personally I like playing in the 4-3 the most, because you can stop the run more.'' ? Alabama linebacker DeMeco Ryans had been in something of a pre-combine free fall, but there are those defensive coaches in the league who are praying he tumbles all the way to them in the second round. "He's pretty darn good,'' one defensive coordinator said. "I hope he keeps falling, right to us in the second round. I've liked what I've seen of him so far.'' ? I guess we should have seen this coming, but the new label for the worst character-issue prospect at the combine is the invoking of Maurice Clarett. As in, are you this year's Maurice Clarett? Virginia Tech quarterback Marcus Vick got the treatment this year, and deservedly so. "I really wouldn't compare myself to Maurice Clarett,'' Vick said. "I heard he came here and did the drills that he wanted to do, and sometimes he'll walk out of a drill. I'm not that kind of person. I'm going to finish my drills, and I'm going to do everything, whatever they want to see.'' After the suspensions, the arrests, and all the trouble you found yourself in as a Hokie, working out is the very least you could do, Mr. Vick. ? D'Brickashaw Ferguson has the correct mentality to be a prototypical left offensive tackle in the NFL. Ferguson is considered a top five pick, and I do believe I'd want him guarding my backside. Or blind side for that matter. Asked to describe what he's like on the field, the 6-6, 312-pound Virginia standout said: "I'm a beast. I see myself as a bodyguard. I'm personally responsible for the health and welfare of my quarterback, and I'll do anything in my mean to protect him.'' ? Miami receiver Sinorice Moss measured 5-8, 185 pounds at the combine, but it helps that his older brother, Pro Bowl Redskins receiver Santana Moss (along with Carolina's Steve Smith), has helped turn NFL scouts back on to the advantages of smaller, quicker pass-catchers. Santana Moss is generously listed as 5-10, 190 pounds. The curious thing? There's a third Moss brother, Lloyd, a receiver at Florida International University in Miami. Lloyd Moss got the height and size in the family. He's 6-1, 215. Go figure. ? Where's Adam Vinatieri kicking in 2006? Word is the Patriots are resigned to losing him in free agency after opting not to franchise him again, and the smart money says either Green Bay or Dallas will make him their top free-agent priority. ? Wouldn't it be funny if you could trace the origins of exactly when the term "the next level'' become synonymous with taking the step into the NFL? Or NBA? Or whatever professional sports league that might be appropriate for the player at hand? I heard dozens of combine prospects this week talk of their desire to play in Paul Tagliabue's league, but next to no one referred to it as the NFL. It was all about reaching "the next level.''
