53 non-seniors on list equal '08 total

Topdawg13 · Jan 20, 2010

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The expected heavy influx of non-seniors applying for this year's NFL draft did not happen despite looming labor unrest in the league.

Although a record-tying 53 players declared for early entry, that number released Tuesday by the NFL was short of most projections.

Six All-Americans did apply for the draft: defensive backs Eric Berry of Tennessee and Joe Haden of Florida; defensive end Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech; tight end Aaron Hernandez of Florida; linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama; and wide receiver Golden Tate of Notre Dame.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner, also declared for April's draft, along with Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead; Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen; Southern California running back Joe McKnight; Cal running back Jahvid Best; Florida defensive end Carlos Dunlap; and Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman.

Fresno State tailback Ryan Mathews, the nation's leading rusher, applied. So did tackles Bryan Bulaga of Iowa and Anthony Davis of Rutgers, who are projected to go high in the draft.

The 53 players match the previous high in 2008; last year, 46 declared.

"I think this is a normal amount of players that applied," player agent Peter Schaffer said. "I think a lot of players made informed and educated decisions. There still will be some players who made mistake and stayed or who made a mistake and came out.

With the NFL and the players union in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and the potential for a rookie wage scale being implemented, more juniors were expected to declare for this year's draft.

"I think the league has stated publicly that they didn't have to come out because there won't be a wage scale," Condon said of the non-seniors. "But a wage scale was in the league's proposals to the union in their negotiations.

"And obviously there is certainly the potential for a work stoppage in 2011" without a new collective bargaining agreement.

Yet the projections of as many as 100 players seeking early entry to the draft didn't occur.
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