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West Virginia junior safety Robert Sands will forgo his senior season and enter the 2011 NFL Draft, per ESPN's Joe Schad.

"This is a great opportunity for me," Sands said. "I can cover receivers or tight ends. I consider myself a ballhawk."

Before the Champs Bowl, Sands said he'd go pro if he were projected to go in the first two rounds of the draft and return if he were projected to go in the third round or later.

"Third round and beyond, I'll stay," Sands said, per Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail. "Second round, I've got to weigh my options on that. There's a lot of stuff to consider."

Sands, who was named first-team All-American by the Sporting News, has six interceptions, three sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in his collegiate career.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 12:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

After last night's blowout loss to Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, UConn running back Jordan Todman has announced that he will enter the 2011 NFL Draft, per Zac Boyer of the Hartford Courant.

"I felt like it was the right time for me," Todman said. "I stand pretty good with the competition … me and my family decided it's the right decision for me."

After a three-year career at UConn, Todman ranks second all-time in rushing yards (3,179) and rushing attempts (616) in school history.

Per the San Jose Mercury News, another running back to declare himself eligible for the 2011 NFL Draft was California's Shane Vereen, who graduated one month ago.

“Over the past month my family and I have been discussing a very tough decision,” said Vereen in a statement released by the school . “After much thought and deliberation we decided that this was the best time for us to move forward and enter the 2011 NFL Draft. I cherish my time at Cal and wouldn’t trade it for anything. This was one of the toughest decisions I have made, but feel like I will always be a part of the Cal family. I leave Cal with a degree and great memories. Go Bears!”

Vereen, who backed up Detroit's Jahvid Best for his first two seasons, rushed for 1,167 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

MockingTheDraft.com ranks Vereen and Todman as their 76th and 91st overall prospects in this year's draft.

The four running backs they rank higher are Mark Ingram (Alabama), Mikel Leshoure (Illinois), LaMichael James (Oregon) and Ryan Williams (Virginia Tech).

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the 27th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots select Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty.

McCourty was a great special teams player at Rutgers and was a physical cornerback, especially given his size (5-foot-11, 193 pounds).

In the Fanball Sports Network Mock Draft, I selected him for the Baltimore Ravens (who traded down tonight in the real draft from pick 25) at FootBaltimore.com.

Now the Miami Dolphins are the on the clock with the 28th overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 10:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the 15th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New York Giants select South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

Pierre-Paul, who claims he can do 23 back flips in a row, played only one year of major college football.

In that one season, he finished with 45 tackles, 16.5 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks.

Now the Tennessee Titans are the on the clock with the 16th overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 09:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With the 11th pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the San Francisco 49ers, who traded with the Denver Broncos to move up to this spot, select Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis.

Davis, who was a second-team All-American in 2009, becomes the third offensive lineman drafted.

Many project Iowa's Bryan Bulaga, who's still available, ahead of Davis.

Now the San Diego Chargers, who traded with the Miami Dolphins, are the on the clock with the 12th overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)