Huskers in the NFL Draft (Top Three Players)

The 2012 NFL Draft begins Thursday with the first round, followed by subsequent rounds Friday and Saturday. Husker Corner breaks down the likely rounds former Huskers will be drafted. We begin with Nebraska’s elite pro prospects.

• Lavonte David – OLB
  Unlike most Nebraska players, David is rocketing up draft charts. Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr., both of ESPN, each have David listed as their fastest riser in the draft. David’s awareness and ability to fly seemingly all over the field make him an intriguing prospect. Teams are beginning to move past his size, which is undersized for an NFL linebacker, and focus on his on-the-field play. Still, his size will keep him at the bottom of the first round or the beginning of the second round.
  Projection: Late 1st Round
• Jared Crick – DE
  Although he played defensive tackle at Nebraska, Crick is being billed as an NFL defensive end, with a preference to a 3-4 scheme. Crick has shown that he can be a dominant run-stopper and an effective pass rusher at times. Unfortunately for Crick, his best days came his sophomore and junior seasons. A lackluster senior year, paired with a torn pectoral muscle, damaged his draft stock. The homegrown Husker, who once was billed as a late first round pick, now figures to come in around the fourth round in this weekend’s draft.
  Projection: Early-4th Round
• Alfonzo Dennard – CB
  Dennard raised some red flags at the worst possible time. One week before this weekend’s draft, Dennard was involved in a fight in downtown Lincoln that resulted in his arrest and charges for felony assault of a police officer. This has caused his draft stock to draft by as much as a round and a half, according to some estimations. Once he gets on the field, however, Dennard can hang with the best of them. He shut down BJ Cunningham and Marvin McNutt, two of the best receivers in the Big Ten, last season. Questions marks began to raise about his turning ability and ability to keep up with receivers at the NFL Combine, however. Dennard garnered an early-second round distinction just a month or two ago, but now he sits between the third and sixth rounds, depending on how sensitive teams are to his off-the-field issues.
  Projection: Mid-4th Round

By Chris Peters

Contact the writer at ChrisHuskerCorner@gmail.com or on Twitter @_ChrisPeters

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