Top 10 Favorite 2009 NFL Draft Prospects
by Michael Abromowitz
NFL Draft Director
1/11/09

This is the fourth year I have done this list and for those first time readers this is not a list of the top 10 NFL Draft prospects, but rather a list of MY top 10 favorite players.  Players I would want on my team, not necessarily just for their skills, but also for their passion, brains, and heart.  This list will include likely first rounders, but also players that will likely get drafted in the later rounds.  I am a big proponent of college athletics being used as an academic tool to succeed in life, and when a player earns a college degree, it speaks high of his character so every prospect on my list is a senior except for one, and that prospect has a reason.  Devin Hester was my only underclassman on my previous 3 lists because his athleticism and wow factor was too much for me not to be on the list.  Another reminder, this is NOT my top 10 prospects, but rather my favorite prospects.  A Michigan newspaper a few years back thought Dan Bazuin was one of my top 10 prospects so I wanted to clarify that.  Before I go any further, MY top ten players:


1.  Michael Oher, OT, Ole Miss.
To many of you, this pick comes as no surprise.  Yes, I am fascinated by the dominance that Michael Oher has displayed at the college level, but after reading The Blind Side two years ago, I became fascinated with Michael Oher the person and I believe many other fans have as well.  His story is truly written out of a Disney film.  He has gone from basically homeless to an adopted son into an affluent familty to an All-American football player.  To add to the storybook ending, he chose to stay in school for his senior year instead of going early to the NFL despite being a sure handed first round pick last year.  This past season was special for Oher as he led his Rebels to a victory over the national champs and a victory in the Cotton Bowl against Texas Tech.  And what makes this story so great is it is just the beginning.  I can't wait to follow his career, and of course buy a ticket to the Michael Oher movie. 

2.  James Casey, TE/ATH, Rice
Casey is the only underclassmen on this list, but he very well could be the smartest of the bunch.  He is an Academic All-American with a 3.84 GPA and is a triple major.  At 24, Casey is actually a true sophomore.  He spent four years playing professional baseball before enrolling into Rice.  Casey's main reason for declaring for the draft was because of his age, but he still expects to graduate.  Oh, for your information, Casey is one impressive athlete on the football field.  I say athlete because he really doesn't have a position.  At Rice, he was usually referred to as an "utilityback."  In one game, he even played seven positions.  In the NFL, expect him to be primary a tight end, who could be utilized in many other positions, including short yardage quarterback.  He seems to be a hybrid of Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin.  This past season, Casey's stats were off the charts:  111 receptions, 1,349 receiving yards, and 13 touchdowns.  He also ran for 241 yards, with 6 touchdowns.  At 6-4, 245 lbs, and 4.6 speed, NFL offensive coordinators should be already planning ways to utilize him. 

3. Chase Coffman, TE, Missouri
Another thing many readers know about me is my love for tight ends.  I love the position and think so many NFL teams underutilize them.  What better target for a quarterback than a 6-6, 245 catching machine because that is just what Chase Coffman is.  In his Missouri career, Coffman posted 247 receptions, 2,659 receiving yards, and 30 touchdowns.  He also had 0 fumbles in his four year career.  Coffman creates mismatches on the field, and was a major reason for Chase Daniel's success.  He could have been a 2nd round pick last year if he had declared.  This past season, he was awarded the John Mackey Awarded, given to the top tight end.  Coffman has a great pedigree, as his father, Paul Coffman, was a tight end for the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs.

4.  Connor Barwin, DE, Cincinnati
Barwin not only was a former tight end, but he was a former basketball player on Cincinnati's basketball player.  Barwin was off the NFL radar prior to this season, but a switch from tight end to defensive end has been a gold mine for him.  After posting 10 sacks and leading the Bearcats to their first BCS game, he is not only expected to get drafted, but should be drafted in the top 2 rounds.  Barwin brought his speed and hands to the defensive side, which has made him a havoc to mess with for offensive tackles.  At the Combine, Barwin very well could run the fastest 40 for a DE.  Could he do 4.5?  After his past season, nothing would surprise me.

5.  Pat White, ATH, West Virginia
103!  The number of touchdowns Pat White accounted for in his career at West Virginia.  In his 4 years at WVU, White set some amazing records and was probably one of the most entertaining college players to ever watch.  White is expected to play another position in the NFL, probably wide receiver and return specialist, but he did pass for 6,051 yards with 56 touchdowns in his career, not too bad for a "run first" quarterback.  I see a lot of Antwan Randle-El, but unlike Randle El, White is 6 feet tall.  Whatever position he plays in the NFL, White is a winner, and the only NCAA QB to say he won all 4 of the bowl games he started.  With a sub 4.40, he could be drafted in the 2nd round.  I am looking forward to how he is utilized.

6.  Alex Mack, C, California
Every year, there is one prospect we analysts like to deem, "the safest pick."  Well this year, my safest pick is Alex Mack.  The center is the least sexiest position, but when you have a good one, you have your guy for the next 10 years.  Nick Mangold was the last first round center, and he has been indeed a good one, but Mack looks to be better.  Mack also is the 2008 winner of the Draddy Award, given to the top football scholar-athlete.  Take that Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford.  Will be an instant starter wherever he is drafted.

7.  Louie Sakoda, K/P, Utah
A kicker?  What am I thinking?  Sakoda is the first kicker/punter to ever make this list which speaks volume about him.  I don't know what I like about him.  Maybe it is that he went 22-24 this past year or that he has never missed a field goal less than 40 yards.  It could be that he also happens to be a gifted punter.  It also could be that I am enamored with student-athletes and Sakoda happens to be another 1st team Academic All-American.  It must be one of those things for me to put a 5'9 kicker on this list.  I was tempted to also add K/P Graham Gano to this list too,

8.  Brian Robiskie, WR, Ohio State
Robiskie, coincidentally, happens to be another 1st team Academic All-American.  Besides being a very smart guy, he also has great hands to go with that great frame of his.  At 6'3, 200 lbs, Robiskie has the protypical size quarterbacks want for their wide receivers.  Scouts may say he is too slow, but he just happened to be part of Ohio State’s Big Ten runner-up and NCAA qualifying 4x100 relay in outdoor track, so he must have some speed.  Robiskie's stats took a drop this past season because of the more run oriented Terrelle Pryor at quarterback, but he still was able to have 42 receptions, for 8 catches.  Instead of complaining about the lack of balls thrown his way, he took it and stride and help lead OSU to another BCS game.  His father is the Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver coach, which explains his solid fundamentals and football intelligence.  Robiskie will probably never be a number 1 receiver in the NFL, but he will be an asset to any team on and off the field.

9.  Scott McKillop, ILB, Pittsburgh
The most important thing any defender needs to know is how to tackle and Scott McKillop may know that better than anybody.  After posting 137 tackles this past season and 151 tackles the year before, McKillop is truly a tackling machine.  Every time I watched Pitt on defense, one player always seemed to be in the play, and that was McKillop.  McKillop is probably my J Leman prospect of this year.  The guy who always seems to make plays, but plays much faster than he really is.  At the Combine, McKillop may only have a 4.8 40, but as I have stated before, I think that is meaningless.  Lofa Tatupu ran a 4.82 and he turned out pretty well.   Interesting fact about McKillop: Already graduated in marketing and interned with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the special events department.   Unlike Leman, look for McKillop to get drafted and put his marketing career on the backburner. 

10.  Sammie Stroughter, WR, Oregon St.
I may be familiar with Stroughter more than any of these prospects because I was already doing analysis for him for the 2008 NFL Draft.  But Stroughter was granted a medical hardship and granted eligibility to play in 2008.  Stroughter's story is different, he suffered from something more than just a torn ACL, depression.  Last year, his career looked to be in question, with loved ones more worried about his health than Stroughter ever playing football again.  A great article on his comeback is here.  Stroughter ended up battling back and did indeed play this past season and what a great season it was.  He finished with 70 receptions, for 1,040 yards, and 7 touchdowns.  He was also 1st team Pac-10 Conference  and 1st team Pac-10 Conference All-Academic.  Stroughter is expected to get drafted in the later rounds of the NFL, but a strong 40 could push him up the draft boards.  I think Stroughter is just happy though to be in the position that he is in.


Abromowitz's 2009 NFL Mock Draft
MockDraftDatabase.com (our mock draft database)

2008 Favorite NFL Draft Prospects Wesley Woodyard, LB, Kentucky Mark Bradford, WR, Stanford Martin Rucker, TE, Missouri Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU Harry Douglas, WR, Louisville Chris Long, DE, Virginia Josh Barrett, S, Arizona St. J Leman, ILB, Illinois Kory Lichtensteiger, C, Bowling Green 2007 Favorite NFL Draft Prospects Patrick Willis, WR, Ole. Miss Eric Weddle, S, Utah Joe Newton, TE, Oregon St. Brian Leonard, FB, Rutgers Jarvis Moss, DE, Florida Joe Staley, OT, Central Michigan Marcus Hamilton, CB, Virginia Garrett Wolfe, RB, Northern Illinois Johnnie Lee Higgins, WR, UTEP Dan Bazuin, DE, Central Michigan 2006 Favorite NFL Draft Prospects Joe Klopfenstein, TE, Colorado Mike Kudla DE/LB, Ohio State D’Brickashaw Ferguson, OT, Virginia Mike Hass, WR, Oregon St. Elvis Dumervil, DE, Louisville Manny Lawson, DE/LB, NC State Garrett Mills, H-Back, Tulsa Thomas Howard, OLB, UTEP Max Jean-Gilles, G, Georgia Devin Hester, ATH, Miami