Running Back
Michael Bennett, Wisconsin: The Badger running game certainly didn't miss a beat with Bennett taking over for Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne as the primary featured back. Bennett, at 5-foot-10 and 208 pounds, proved to be both a track star (Big 10 champ in the 100 and 200 meters) as well as an outstanding football player at Wisconsin. He rushed for nearly 1,700 yards this season, averaged 5.4 yards per carry and 152.8 yards per game, while scoring 11 TDs. He accomplished this despite missing the Cincinnati game due to a suspension and the Minnesota game with an ankle injury. Like Dayne, he wasn't factored into the equation as a pass-receiving option, finishing the campaign with just four catches for 123 yards. With his package of skills as a running threat, there is a chance that Bennett could ultimately end up right there with Deuce McAllister of Ole Miss as one of the elite running backs available in the draft.

Wide Receiver
David Terrell, Michigan: Combines ideal size with tremendous athletic ability as well as the desire to be the best football player possible. When Terrell steps on the field, his physical skills automatically create a matchup nightmare for the opposing defensive coordinators. With the wide-receiver position shaping up extremely well, especially at the top -- with players such as Terrell, N.C. State's Koren Robinson, UCLA's Freddie Mitchell, Clemson's Rod Gardner, Wisconsin's Chris Chambers and the Miami Hurricanes' tandem of Reggie Wayne and Santana Moss -- there figures to plenty of mixed opinion on how this group will shake down. In my opinion, Terrell has a chance to be at the head of the class. His primary competition could be Robinson.

Koren Robinson, N.C. State: Focused on the job at hand this season, the athletically gifted third-year sophomore proved to be one of the elite offensive performers in the ACC. In the 6-foot-2 range and about 195 pounds or so, Robinson has ideal size along with the fluidity, hand-eye coordination and athletic prowess of future Hall of Fame Baltimore Ravens DB Rod Woodson. With a strong workout, Robinson figures to battle Terrell to see who will be the first wide receiver off the board in April.

Freddie Mitchell, UCLA: This enthusiastic and energetic young man really enjoys playing the game. He'll talk a great deal leading up to game day, then has the capability to back it up with his performance with the pads on. Mitchell is lightning quick out of his cuts, then shows the necessary natural pass-receiving skills. And when the opportunity has presented itself, the 5-foot-11, 185-pounder has also proven to be effective throwing the football. With all the competition at wide receiver as far as the first round is concerned, whether he's in the mid-to-later portion of round one will boil down to his workout numbers.

Ronney Daniels, Auburn: Following his prep career back in '94, Daniels signed on with the Montreal Expos and was part of their minor league system for three years. He joined the Auburn Tigers in '99 and quickly emerged as one of the more effective wide-outs in the SEC, finishing with 56 catches for a 19.1 yard average and nine TDs. This past season however, saw his productivity drop. Daniels totaled just 34 catches for an 11.1 yard average and three TDs. In a few games he was practically a non-factor, although some of the drop in production can be traced to a left ankle injury he sustained Oct. 21 as well as the renewed emphasis the Tigers placed on the running game which featured talented JUCO transfer Rudi Johnson. Daniels, who will be a 25-year-old rookie in the NFL, does have a great deal of natural talent, with his 6-foot-1 (plus) and 215-pound frame creating problems for smaller cover men. However, since he failed to perform up to the level of the '99 season, Daniels will have to make up a lot of ground in the weeks and months leading up to the draft.

Offensive Line
Kenyatta Walker, OT, Florida: Experienced fourth-year junior who has benefited from a great deal of starting experience in high-profile matchups with the Gators. Walker moved in as the starter at RT during his redshirt freshman campaign in '98, showing the ability to perform at an All-American level when he's on top of his game. He's light on his feet, adjusts easily to the DE's secondary move and shows enough explosiveness in run-blocking situations. In a senior OT class that isn't up to the level of past years, it's entirely possible that Walker could ultimately solidify a spot as the top OT in the draft if he can move ahead of Texas' Leonard Davis.

Dominic Raiola, C, Nebraska: Heralded fourth-year junior who redshirted with the Huskers in '97, then gained some starting experience the following season. Over the last two years, he's been the top anchor in the Big 12. This year, with the projected top senior pivot man at the outset of the campaign, Arizona's Bruce Wiggins, missing five games with a high ankle sprain, there is an opening for Raiola to move to the head of the class.

Defensive Line
Justin Smith, DE, Missouri: The athletically gifted 6-foot-4 , 277-pounder, finished his three-year stay in Columbia as the Tigers' all-time sacks leader. This season, he led the Tigers with 97 tackles, set a Missouri single-season record with 11 sacks and recorded 24 stops behind the line of scrimmage. Smith closes on the QB with his outstanding speed, shows outstanding functional as well as weight-room strength and plays the game with a tremendous degree of hustle and determination. Don't be surprised if Smith ends up being the first or second DE taken off the board in April.

Ryan Pickett, DT, Ohio St.: Even though he was regarded as one of the more effective run-stopping DTs in the Big Ten, I was surprised Pickett opted to bypass his final season of eligibility. After recording 48 tackles, four sacks and nine stops behind the line as a sophomore, his production slipped some this season. He finished with 33 tackles, three sacks and six tackles for loss. In the 6-foot-2½ range and around 290 pounds, Pickett displays some natural explosion and has the necessary quickness for a player his dimensions. However, he still needs some work from a technical standpoint and wasn't able to take over games on a consistent basis like you would expect from a player moving on to the NFL after his junior campaign. While the physical potential is evident, in my opinion Pickett could have benefited from another year with the Buckeyes. You also have to keep in mind that the DT position in this year's draft shapes up to be fairly impressive at the top.

Linebacker
Jamie Winborn, Vanderbilt: The 6-foot, 235-pound MLB was a tackling machine with the Commodores, recording 131 tackles in '98, 141 in '99 and 105 this past season. He also recorded three sacks, seven tackles for loss, five QB pressures and five pass breakups as a junior in 2000. With his physical style, instincts to locate the ball and the incredible consistency he displayed in the talent-laden SEC, it's possible Winborn could end up being one of the first two or three MLBers selected.

Secondary
Willie Middlebrooks, CB, Minnesota: While it is surprising to see a junior who missed the last four games of the season with an ankle injury decide to bypass his final season, Middlebrooks is definitely a big-time athlete who could re-establish himself as a top-drawer prospect before the draft rolls around. At 6-foot-1½ to 6-foot-2 and 195 pounds, he has ideal size and outstanding recovery speed. Middlebrooks was considered the fastest player on the Golden Gophers. Check out how much he meant to their defense. In the three games prior to his season-ending ankle injury, Minnesota held Ohio State to 17 points, Penn State to 16 and Illinois to just 10. In the game he was injured, Indiana posted 51 points. Over the next two weeks, Northwestern and Wisconsin each rolled up 41 points against the Golden Gophers. After Iowa scored 24 points in the regular-season finale, Minnesota blew a 24-8 halftime lead, falling 38-30 to Koren Robinson and the N.C. State Wolfpack. In that game, it sure would have been great to see Middlebrooks battle Robinson the entire way.