LINCOLN — An NFL scouting service says one of college football's top few senior prospects will patrol the field's perimeter at cornerback for Nebraska this fall, and he'll face off against the nation's top senior receiver during practice.
Prince Amukamara earned a preseason grade of 7.3, a rating tied for the highest among more than 1,400 seniors evaluated by National, an organization that provides draft information to NFL teams. Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn also graded out at 7.3.
National rated NU receiver Niles Paul at 6.3, a score better than all other wide receivers and high enough to position the former Omaha North standout in the service's top 20 list of draftable seniors.
The ratings, even though they're released before the players' senior seasons, carry credibility in the eyes of the league's player evaluators, according to Gil Brandt, a longtime vice president of player personnel for the Dallas Cowboys.
“National does a very good job of evaluating players,” Brandt said. “It's a valuable source of information for these teams.”
National, which employs scouts across the country, charges NFL teams an annual fee for its detailed assessments of prospects. About half of the league gets its scouting briefing via National. Others rely on a similar company called BLESTO, or they just compile the facts themselves.
According to Sports Illustrated, National's highest grade possible is a 9.0, though it's rare for players to receive ratings better than 8.0.
“National's scouts, they're pros at what they do,” said Brandt, who's releasing his own top prospect list by position this week for NFL.com. “Like anything, nobody is foolproof. But they have been there, seen the players practice and watched game film. Their whole system is very, very good.”
Amukamara's score of 7.3 tells NFL franchises that he is, at worst, first-round caliber.
The Huskers' No. 1 cornerback last year recorded 64 total tackles in 2009, 41 of them solo. He also led the Huskers with 11 pass breakups and was second on the team with five interceptions, including one that he followed with a darting return to the 1-yard line to set up the only touchdown in a 10-3 win over Oklahoma.
Rated just as highly was Clayborn, the muscular and disruptive defensive end for the Hawkeyes who's already been named to multiple preseason All-America teams. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Clayborn had 70 total tackles, 11½ sacks and four forced fumbles as a junior.
NU's Paul caught a team-high 40 passes and averaged 19.9 yards per reception as a junior.
other Big 12 seniors among National's top 25 were Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller (6.9), Oklahoma defensive end Jeremy Beal (6.3), Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray (6.3) and Colorado cornerback Jimmy Smith (6.2).
Jake Locker, the Washington quarterback who'll face Nebraska in September, made the list with a grade of 6.7. So did Florida State QB Christian Ponder.
DraftInsider.net offered a more detailed breakout of National's grades for offensive players. Nebraska's Mike McNeill graded out at 5.4, fourth among senior tight ends. I-back Roy Helu got a 5.6, eighth among senior running backs. Keith Williams, who ranked among the top 20 guards, earned a 5.2. Fellow guard Ricky Henry scored 5.1.
High preseason grades often translate to high draft positions, but not always.
Before Ndamukong Suh's final college season, National graded him at 7.0, tops among that class, according to Sports Illustrated. But the two other players who also earned grades of 7.0 ultimately didn't have Suh's success come draft day.
Suh went second overall to Detroit. LSU receiver Brandon LaFell wasn't picked until the third round, while Ole Miss defensive lineman Greg Hardy slipped to Round 6.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com
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