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Early Projections on 2008 Hokie Draftees
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

In the 2006 NFL draft, Virginia Tech had nine players selected by NFL teams, setting a school record. The current group of seniors have won more games than any class in school history, and appear to have decent shot of breaking the record set by the 2005 group.

Using NFLDraftScout.com, we'll take a look at this group of seniors and see where they are being projected in the 2008 NFL Draft. Keep in mind that it's early, and underclassmen declaring early are not included at this point.

Xavier Adibi is the highest ranking Hokie on the board. He is the #2 ranked outside linebacker prospect, behind only Keith Rivers of USC. He is the #11 prospect overall by NFLDraftScout, and is projected as a first round selection. Adibi will likely blow the scouts away at the NFL Combine in March.

Chris Ellis is the #2 defensive end prospect and is projected to go somewhere in the first two rounds of the draft. Ellis is behind UVA's Chris Long in the defensive end rankings. He is listed as the #30 overall prospect.

Wide receiver Eddie Royal has certainly improved his stock this year. Although he shares time with three other senior receivers, Royal returned two punts for touchdowns this season, and that always catches the eyes of the NFL scouts. He is projected to go in either the second or third round, and he is the #52 overall prospect.

Bud Foster says Vince Hall is the best linebacker he has ever coached. Hall's instincts and pure football ability are unmatched. Unfortunately, he'll likely be held back by a below average Combine performance. Hall doesn't put up great numbers in the weight room or on the track. He is projected to be selected in rounds four or five.

However, if Hall tests better than expect in Tech's Pro Days, or the NFL Combine in March, he could slide up and be selected on the first day of the draft. He is rated as the #8 inside linebacker of the draft.

Virginia Tech has gotten outstanding play from their defensive tackles this season. Carlton Powell is currently projected to be a fifth round selection, and he's listed as the #10 defensive tackle in the draft. Barry Booker is projected to come off the board in the sixth round, and he's rated #16 senior defensive tackle in the draft.

Kory Robertson is listed as the #25 defensive tackle, although he isn't currently projected to be drafted. Scouts are intrigued by his mix of size and athletic ability.

Offensive tackle Duane Brown is having an outstanding season, and probably deserved First Team All-ACC honors. Tech's offensive line performance as a whole probably held him back. He is rated the #13 offensive tackle prospect, and is projected to go in the fifth round.

The unsung hero of the defense is free safety D.J. Parker. He doesn't really stand out, good or bad. He's a solid, steady player who is the quarterback of the defense. He is a very good athlete, and he's currently projected to be a fifth round pick. He's rated as the #7 free safety prospect.

Wide receivers Justin Harper and Josh Morgan are thought to be seventh round picks or free agents. Harper is the #39 wide receiver prospect, and Morgan sits at #40.

Opportunity is Knocking! Will You Answer?

There are strong rumors that cornerbacks Brandon Flowers and Macho Harris will declare for the NFL Draft at the end of the season. Both are juniors, and NFLDraftScout lists them as 2009 NFL Draft Prospects. Flowers is projected to be a first round pick in 2009, while Harris is projected to come off the board in the second round.

You might also be wondering about tailback Branden Ore. Ore is listed as the #13 running back overall for the 2009 NFL Draft, and is projected as a third round pick. However, he is listed as a player whose stock is dropping, which reflects his disappointing junior season.

So how accurate has NFLDraftScout.com been in the past? Let's take a look back at those Hokies selected in the 2006 draft.

Some of the projections were very accurate, and some others were a little bit off. Jimmy Williams was projected as a first round pick, but he fell to the second round. Defensive end Darryl Tapp was thought to be a second round pick, and that's exactly where he was drafted. James Anderson was Tech's third first day selection that year. He was projected as a fourth or fifth round pick, so he was taken a little higher than expected.

Jeff King was Virginia Tech's fourth selection that year. He was rated as the #9 tight end prospect and projected as a fourth or fifth round pick. He came off the board in the fifth round, as expected. Defensive tackle Jonathan Lewis was thought to be a third or fourth round pick, but he dropped to the sixth round.

The Hokies had four players picked in the seventh round in 2006. Justin Hamilton's stock shot up in the pre-Draft workouts, and he projected as a sixth round pick. He was taken in the seventh round. Offensive tackle Jimmy Martin was also taken in the seventh round, and he was originally projected as a fifth or sixth round selection.

Will Montgomery was selected by Carolina in the seventh round. That matched his sixth or seventh round projection. Finally, running back Cedric Humes was drafted in the seventh round by Pittsburgh. He was projected to go in the third or fourth round by NFLDraftScout.com.

Overall, NFLDraftScout.com was pretty accurate with their projections for Tech players back in 2006. Depending upon their accuracy with 2008 projections, and whether or not Flowers and Macho Harris declare for the draft, the Hokies have a shot at having ten (or more) players drafted next April.


Orange Bowl Travel Packages

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Special "Hokie Games" Offer for TSL Readers

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