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The 2009 NFL Draft saw six Big 12 players (Jason Smith, Michael Crabtree, Brian Orakpo, Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Pettegrew & Evander Hood) from five teams (Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, Missouri & Oklahoma St.) go in round one, including four seniors. This year's crop looks even stronger with 10 potential first rounders spanning six different programs.
1. OT Russell Okung, Oklahoma State - Okung is a durable player. He carries a streak of 34 straight starts going into his senior season, and he started as a true freshman. Okung is considered by many as the top offensive lineman in the upcoming 2010 NFL draft. He is a good athlete, with good lateral mobility which allows him to be a very good pass protector. He has quick feet and fluid movement, and also possesses a mean streak that scouts look for in offensive linemen.
Coming from the spread offense that Oklahoma State runs, Okung will need to improve as a run blocker. He also needs to get stronger in the weight room.
2. OLB Sergio Kindle, Texas – When Kindle sent his paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory Board to see what type of draft grade he had, he was told he would be a second- or third-round choice. It was not what he had hoped to hear, so Kindle decided to return to Texas for his senior season.
Kindle is tougher against the run and a better blitzing linebacker than Aaron Curry, who was the number four overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Kindle is a very strong pass rusher who can be a great blitzing strong side linebacker or even defensive end on 3rd downs. He has great speed and aggressiveness, and always plays hard.
3. DT Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska – Suh is a great athlete for his size, and has a rare combination of strength, power, and speed. Has a very good football IQ, and plays the run and pass equally well. He can be a dominant run stopper even when double teamed because of his great quickness and ability to penetrate.
Because Suh is such a great athlete sometimes he gets too high with his pad level and can miss a tackle or two. He needs to improve his technique, because in the NFL he will be playing against the best offensive linemen in the world—athleticism alone won’t cut it.
4. TE Jermaine Gresham, Oklahoma – Gresham would have been a top-fifteen pick if he would have entered this year’s draft. He has the size and speed that teams look for in a receiving tight end. He is a better receiver than Brandon Pettigrew—a first round pick in the 2009 NFL draft—but not as good of a blocker, so he’ll have to improve that aspect of his game. He needs to add some bulk, which would help his blocking come along.
Last season Gresham had 66 catches for 950 yards, and led the team with 14 touchdowns. Those 14 touchdowns in a season were more than any TE in school history (a school that produced Keith Jackson).
 5. OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri – Weatherspoon is a good all-around linebacker and a very productive player in the Big 12. He had three interceptions and seven pass break-ups last season. His ability to play man to man as well as drop into zone coverage should translate well at the next level.
He isn’t as good of a pass rusher as Sergio Kindle of Texas, but he can get to the quarterback and is an effective blitzer. He had 18.5 tackles for loss last season as well as five sacks.
6. QB Colt McCoy, Texas – McCoy is a very effective quarterback who completes a high percentage of his passes because of his accuracy. He is a very smart player who doesn't get rattled easily, and always seems very poised in and outside of the pocket. He is a good overall athlete and has the ability to run with the football.
The question marks surround his arm strength and whether or not he’s a “system quarterback”—can he succeed outside the comfort of the spread offense? The answers to those questions will determine where he gets drafted.
7. OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma – Last season Williams was voted All-Big 12 first team by the coaches, and honorable mention by the AP. He started all 14 games, the first at left tackle and the remaining 13 at right tackle (2009 second round pick Phil Loadholt played the remaining games at left tackle). Williams is a very good athlete who has good size and strength. He has good feet, is agile for a big man, and plays with good pad level. What NFL scouts want to see out of Williams is consistency in both his run and pass blocking. If he can do that he will be a first day pick in next year’s draft.
 8. DT DeMarcus Granger, Oklahoma – NFL scouts have some concerns regarding Granger’s injury history and his off-the-field issues, but no one is questioning his football ability. Last season Granger played in 11 games (he missed two games following a foot injury suffered against Washington) and the national title game after undergoing back surgery. In 2007 Granger didn’t play in the Fiesta Bowl after being sent home following an arrest on a shoplifting charge.
In the past, when healthy and on the field, Granger has proved to be a quality run stuffer with the ability to get into the backfield and cause havoc. He is a good overall athlete with size, one who can be a force in the middle of the defensive line.
9. S Darrell Stuckey, Kansas – Stuckey was first team All-Big 12 last season. Stuckey led the Jayhawks with five interceptions and was second on the team with 98 tackles. He has good size at 6-1 205 pounds and although he excels at defending the pass, he will not hesitate to come up and support the run. He has good speed and is an aggressive, hard-hitting safety.
10. OT Adam Ulatoski, Texas – They say everything is bigger in Texas and Ulatoski certainly does his best to prove that correct at 6-8, 300-plus pounds. Ulatoski is a fifth-year lineman who has played in 36 games at offensive tackle, starting 30 of them. Last season he started all 13 games at left tackle after starting at right tackle the previous two seasons. Ulatoski is a smart player on and off the field—he graduated in December 2008, and was a two-time first-team Academic All-Big 12 selection.
He is a powerful offensive tackle with good feet and the ability to play left tackle in the NFL. However, he seems better suited for the right tackle position because he is a good athlete, but not a great athlete, and is a better run blocker then he is a pass blocker.
Click to see our Top 10 SEC Senior Prospects
Click to see our Top 10 Big XII Prospects
Click to see our Top 10 Pac 10 Prospects
Click to see our Top 10 Big Ten Prospects
Click to see our Top 10 Big East Prospects
Click to see our Top 10 ACC Prospects
Click to see our Top 10 Mid-Major Prospects
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Photo Credit: Mizzou Media Relations, OU Athletics Department
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