The NFL Draft is my favorite time of the year. It is a special event where players realize their dreams of making it to the next level. Anyone who knows me will tell you that this is my Christmas.

Each year GMs, scouts, coaches, and I go out on search of the best players available for the draft. There are times where I disagree with many of them and times I don't. I take the averages of what I am told and make those my round projections. This year with my ratings I am including my notes on the top players and what I actually predict for their pro careers.

This year's draft will feature a very talented group of players who could land on a team in the first day. D2 has three players along who could be drafted on day one. Lane College WR Jacoby Jones, Missouri Southern State OT/OG Allen Barbre, and Western Oregon TE Kevin Boss are the only players who have a day one grade from any team. Expect them all to be gone by the late portion of round 4 and to possible go anywhere from the mid 2nd round on.

The FCS ranks, formerly I-AA, will feature many players who could land on the first day. There are potentially ten players who have a shot of going on the first day from what I have seen. Those names to keep an eye on are Hampton LB Justin Durant, Delaware TE Ben Patrick, Brown LB Zak DeOssie, Alabama State CB Michael Coe, Hampton CB Travarous Bain, Nicholls State OT Jacob Bender, and Maine S Daren Stone.

Coming Soon: list of the top 200 small school prospects, top 50 FCS players, top 30 D2 players, and much more.

FIRST DAY CANDIDATES

Here is a look at the small school players who are looking to be taken on the first day:

1. TE Ben Patrick, Delaware- Patrick attended Duke for four years before deciding to transfer. After earning All-American honors for his senior campaign he was invited to the Senior Bowl as an alternate and took advantage of the opportunity. He lacks ideal height but has the ideal look of an h-back with good hands. His big weakness is blocking and that is something he will have to work on to become a complete h-back type in the NFL. He also does not time well in the 40 (4.74) but he has all the tools to become an effective player at the next level.

2. OLB/ILB Justin Durant, Hampton- Durant has been one of the best players in the FCS over the last four years. He was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Year each of his last three years and named an All-American during all three seasons. Durant finished as high as third for the Buck Buchanan Award but fell some in the eyes of the media after what was considered an average senior season for his standards. Even at the Shrine Game he showed great speed but did not make the plays you would expect. He will need to put on weight at the next level but appears to be an ideal player for a cover-2 scheme. A move to safety is possible if he struggles at linebacker.

3. WR Jacoby Jones, Lane- Jones was one of the best kept secrets before the year. Besides being on the pro hopefuls list you rarely saw his name. Most had him as a free agent or late round type. However, his performances in post-season bowl games (North-South and Shrine) have forced teams to look at him again. He did very well at the combine and really put the icing on the cake in terms of being a day one selection. He has added the weight needed, shown he can not only be an effective receiver but also return kicks as well, and has the ability to standout on special teams as a rookie.

4. CB Michael Coe, Alabama State- Coe transferred from Arkansas after starting two years at Alabama to play for his father at Alabama State. He has shown good speed and the hands to come down with the interception. He has had fumbling issues in the past and struggled at times in SEC play. He did very well at Alabama State but never really faced a marquee prospect to judge his performance on. It will take him 2-3 years to develop more than likely but he has the raw physical tools to make it.

5. OT/OG Allen Barbre, Missouri Southern State- Barbre, a D2 All-American, is one of the most impressive athletes among offensive linemen in this draft. His 4.84 40 was the best among linemen at the combine and that athletic ability translates on the field with his quick feet. He lacks ideal size for tackle and that has some predicting a move to guard. He needs to work on picking up stunts and blitzes but has the quickness and explosiveness to make up for a slow reaction to them. He has all the physical tools but will just need to take time to learn the game more after playing a lower level of competition.

6. ILB/OLB Zak DeOssie, Brown- DeOssie was one of the most productive linebackers in the FCS and that was shown by being named a finalist for the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award as a senior. He has the blood lines as his father Steve played in the NFL for about 10 years. His versatility makes him able to play ILB, OLB, LS or even be a wedge buster on the kickoff team. He has been labeled as stiff by some in pass drops and so he might end up as a DE who plays LB in run situations. Either way you can expect him to make a team and contribute due to his ability to do so much on defense and even make plays on special teams. He could be a late 3rd round selection but the mid 4th-early 5th round range seems more likely.

7. TE Kevin Boss, Western Oregon- Boss has the ideal size at 6'7, 250 plus pounds. His size/speed combo, ability to make the catches you look for and being able to stretch the field make him an intriguing day one candidate. Boss had injury issues as a senior but he has finally gotten healthy and looks ready to step in and contribute from day one as a rookie. His athletic ability made him a solid basketball player in college as well but he does need some refining. Expect him to be labeled as one of the steals of this draft if he falls out of the first day. His stock is somewhere around the mid 3rd- late 4th round range.

8. CB Travarous Bain, Hampton- Bain is a former Miami Florida transfer who also ran track at Miami. He loves to play in man coverage because of his ability to shut down receivers one on one. He has the speed to stay with most any player and could even warrant a look as a return man. He does need to be more aggressive and work on tackling. If he can become more aggressive you can expect the total package out of him as a shutdown cover man, run stopping defender, and return specialist. He is close now, only lacking the ideal run support needed in today's game. Bain should get looks late in round 3 but expect him to end up going in the mid 4th-late 5th round range.

9. FS/SS Daren Stone, Maine- Stone has been one of the top defensive backs in the FCS ranks over the last three years. He has shown great versatility as he played every position in the secondary over his career. He projects to SS/OLB at the next level due to his size/speed combo. He is overaggressive at times and needs to work on being too high at times. However, he is the big, physical type player you look for and will want to take the time to teach him better mechanics due to the fact that he has never played one position for an extremely long time. Anyone who has not seen the video of him jumping over a car on www.youtube.com needs to check that out as well. Any player with that type of vertical could should be put on the field goal block and punt block team to use that ability. He has the athletic ability to make a big push to the first day but appears to be a 4th-5th round type at this point.

10. OT Jacob Bender, Nicholls State- Bender was possibly the best offensive tackle in the FCS last season and yet nobody gave him that label. He earned first team All-Southland honors each of his last three years and was nominated for offensive player of the year in the league as a senior. Bender is a great run blocker due to the fact he played for an option team in college so he will have to work on pass blocking at the next level. He does have the footwork and strength to give good reason he can do that. Bender is also smart and a very hard worker. He was dominant at the Magnolia Grid-Iron Classic and showed great athletic ability at his pro day. He has been one of the biggest risers of the post-season. He could go as early as the ladder portion of round 3 but expect him to come off the board in the 4th-5th round range.

RISERS

OT Jacob Bender, Nicholls State- Bender has great athletic ability and strength of which I fell in love with mid-way during this past season. Ever since then he has been climbing up my board and now sees himself as a potential top 100 selection. He posted great results at his pro day and has displayed the upside teams are looking for in a day two selection. More than likely he will be a 4th round or early 5th round selection, which is much higher than most would have felt back during the combine and before.

OT Jermon Bushrod, Towson- Bushrod ran a 4.9 at his pro day and earned all-league honors due to his play on the field this year. Expect him to possibly hear his name in the mid rounds but look for him to more than likely come off the board in the 6th-7th round range. His stock did not rise just because he ran a 4.9 but because he was a projected 5.15 type who has made great strides since last year.

CB David Jones, Wingate- Jones did not even make the preseason hopefuls list but found his way on during the all-star games. He has moved up the board after running in the 4.4 range at his pro day and teams looked at his tape more and saw the big, physical, shutdown cover type they are looking for.

DE Gregory Peterson, NC Central- Similar to Jones, Peterson was not on my preseason list of pro hopefuls. However, he earned his way onto the list after his performance at his pro day. He could play DE or even DT at the next level. Expect this physical freak to make a team early on due to special teams play but transform into a solid pass rush specialist after 1-2 years of coaching. He should come off the board in the 6th-7th round range.

CB Courtney Brown, Cal Poly- Brown was considered a late round type before the season but his decrease in production and the fact he was left out of the combine caused most to drop him. His pro day results highlighted by a 4.3 40 have caused teams to go back and re-evaluate him. Expect him to come off the board as high as the early 4th round.

DE Jonathan Hamm, Clark Atlanta- Hamm measured in at 6'6, 275lbs, and runs in the low 4.7 range. He earned 1st team All-SIAC honors this past year after transferring from Southern Illinois. He played two seasons at Coffeyville CC before playing basketball at Middle Georgia. His upside is tremendous due to the fact that he never played football until he got to Coffeyville. Expect him to receive a free agent contract and develop over time if given a chance to play in NFL Europe or be kept on as a practice squad player for a couple years.

OLB Kyle Shotwell, Cal Poly- The 2006 Buck Buchanan Award winner could come off the board as high as the 5th round. He was once considered a pure FA because teams questioned his speed but those questions were answered by a 4.5 clocking at his pro day.

FALLERS

WR David Ball, New Hampshire- Ball has had problems with his knee that kept him from running 40s at the combine and caused him to run a poor time at his pro day. He was once a 3rd-4th round type who is now considered a 6th-7th rounder by most. He is a player I still like and think he would be a solid 4th round pick for a team who is willing to give him a chance.

RB Germaine Race, Pittsburg State- Questions about his lateral movement and straight line speed put a serious red flag on him. At one point he was considered a 5th-6th round type but now has a free agent grade by most. There is a chance he gets drafted but the average ranking among teams has him just outside of the draft board. He could still surprise and be a 7th round pick if a team falls in love with his production.

DE/OLB Marques Murrell, Appalachian State- Murrell had a great season and actually had teams wanting to move him to OLB but average play at the Magnolia Grid-Iron Classic and a poor 40 time at his pro day have dropped him from draft consideration and into the free agent range.

RB Alvin Banks, James Madison- Injuries and a sub-par senior season have dropped him from a possible mid round selection to now falling off the draft board.

FIRST ANNUAL ALL-SMALL SCHOOL TEAM

OFFENSE
QB Matt Gutierrez, Idaho State
QB Justin Rascati, James Madison
RB Alonzo Coleman, Hampton
RB D.D. Terry, Sam Houston State
FB Gijon Robinson, Missouri Western State
WR Laurent Robinson, Illinois State
WR David Ball, New Hampshire
WR Aaron Fairooz, Central Arkansas
WR Jacoby Jones, Lane College
TE Ben Patrick, Delaware
TE Kevin Boss, Western Oregon
OT Jacob Bender, Nicholls State
OT Elliot Vallejo, UC Davis
OT Allen Barbre, Missouri Southern State
OG Corey Davis, James Madison
OG Tucker Peterson, New Hampshire
OG Nevin McCaskil, Hampton
C Christian Gaddis, Villanova
C Brent Pousson, McNeese State

DEFENSE
DE Jacob Ford, Central Arkansas
DE Jason Trusnik, Ohio Northern
DE Greg Peterson, NC Central
DT Mike DeVito, Maine
DT Trey Lewis, Washburn
DT Walter Thomas, NW Miss. CC
ILB Justin Durant, Hampton
ILB Zak DeOssie, Brown
OLB Adam Hayward, Portland State
OLB Kyle Shotwell, Cal Poly
OLB Cameron Siskowic, Illinois State
OLB John Baldwin, Alabama A&M
CB Michael Coe, Alabama State
CB Travarous Bain, Hampton
CB Courtney Brown, Cal Poly
CB Geoffrey Pope, Howard
S Rashad Barksdale, Albany NY
S Daren Stone, Maine
S Craig Dahl, North Dakota State
S Chad Nkang, Elon

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Brian Wingert, Northern Iowa
P David Simonhoff, Southeast Missouri State
LS Jake Weber, Illinois State
RT Corey Graham, New Hampshire

PIECE OF ADVICE
Listen to the right people, don't take in misinformation

Many players are told where they stand from scouts, coaches, and the insiders of the game. However, each year it seems that people get in the ear of players and give inaccurate information about where they stand. Don't listen to what anyone tells you and just sit down and listen to yourself Instead of listening to all of these sites who have never seen you play but rate you because a website they respect ranks you - take time out to focus on your dream and not worry about where you are selected. Many players I talk to are told they could be drafted in the first day when in fact they are going to be a free agent. Before anyone starts to worry that they will go undrafted just realize that no matter where you go teams are looking for players who can produce. If you are good enough and you work hard you will eventually make it. Just don't get caught up into where you go in the draft. Use the fact that you went too low for your standards as motivation and work hard to make it. Many players listen to the wrong people and expect to go in the 4th or 5th round and then end up as a free agent or a late round selection. The worst people to listen to are websites and message boards. So many people rate you based on what they hear and not what they saw of you in college. Many others rate you based on the fact they are a fan of your school. Just because you received a lot of interest does not mean you will get drafted. Many teams bring players in to cross check what they had before or to answer questions they have about you. They don't always bring in players or interview players who they plan on drafting for sure. In closing don't get your hopes up on draft day and just stay calm. This is a hectic day but also a day to remember. There are more crazy draft day stories out there than most people realize. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the day and don't listen to idiots on message boards or websites who have never even seen you play.