2012 NFL Draft: Top Five Big East Players on the Big Board

Published: 16^th Jan 12 5:45 pm

by Alex Callos
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With the NFL draft now only three months away there are certainly more than enough mock drafts for fans to dive into. Many college fans will root for players from their respective schools, and others will root for players form their conference. This is certainly a down year as far as draft prospects for the Big East go, but there are certainly going to be a few selected from the conference, just not as high as players from other leagues. Here are the top five Big East draft prospects.

1. Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)-Wide Receiver: Sanu is the only Big East player with a shot at being selected in the first round and as it looks right now he is nearly a virtual lock to do so. He is currently in a three-way battle with Michael Floyd from Notre Dame and Alshon Jeffery for the number two wide receiver slot behind Justin Blackmon. With a good combine Sanu could find himself in the mid first round.

2. Brandon Lindsey (Pittsburgh)-Defensive End: Lindsey is a bit undersized at 6’2″ and 250 pounds, but is a fast pass-rushing defensive end who will probably play linebacker at the next level. As of right now, Lindsey has a chance to be selected toward the end of the second-round with a chance to move up if he has a good showing at the East-West Shrine game Saturday.

3. Chandler Jones (Syracuse)-Defensive End: At 6’5″ and 265 pounds, Jones is an early entry into the draft and is likely a late second or early third round selection. He has the size to play at the next level and he has the bloodlines. His older brother Arthur plays defensive tackle for the Ravens.

4. Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)-Linebacker: Irvin is also likely to be slotted in the third round, probably somewhere in the middle. He was a second-team all-Big East selection in 2010 and a first team selection last season. At 6’2″ and 245 pounds he played some defensive end in college, but will be an outside linebacker at the next level.

5. Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati)-Running Back: Isaiah Pead was the Big East offensive player of the year and one of the most explosive players in the country. He has excellent vision and is a mixture of speed and power. The combine will be huge for Pead as he could go anywhere from the middle of the third round to the end of the fourth.

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