5. Ole Miss DE Greg Hardy
Hardy declared for the '09 draft, then pulled out with his sights set on proving durability after an injury-plagued junior year. He fell far short of expectations. Resigned to nickel-rushing duty early on due to ankle woes, Hardy broke a bone in his wrist after eight games and had surgery. He recovered in time for the Rebels' Cotton Bowl win over Oklahoma State, but didn't record a tackle. Hardy, who had 10 sacks as a sophomore and easily would've been a first-day pick had he stayed in last year's draft, is now trying to rebuild his stock at the East-West Shrine Game. Early practice reports have him struggling against 248-pound Penn State TE Andrew Quarless and Indiana OT Rodger Saffold.
7. Kentucky CB Trevard Lindley
Much like Greg Hardy, Lindley's surprise return for a senior year after he projected as high as the first round for the 2009 draft didn't go as planned. Lindley, a four-year starter and Lindy's No. 1 cornerback in the nation entering the season, missed four games with a high ankle sprain and wasn't even acknowledged by voters for the All-SEC first, second, or honorable mention teams. A decorated high school sprinter with ideal size for an NFL corner (6'0/180), Lindley will try rehabbing his stock at the Senior Bowl later this month and February's Combine. Should he fail to impress, Lindley could find himself on a career path similar to once-heralded Cincinnati CB Mike Mickens.
8. Georgia DT Geno Atkins
Atkins looked like a future star as a sophomore at Georgia, registering 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss while starting 7-of-13 games. He took over as a full-time player in 2008, but experienced a major drop in production (no sacks, 7.5 TFL) and lost his starting job as a senior to bulkier DT Kade Weston. Atkins, a gap-shooting prospect for a 4-3 scheme at 6'1/290, came off the bench in the Dogs' Independence Bowl win over Texas A&M to earn Defensive Player of the Game honors, but NFL decision makers will still frown upon his demotion as a senior. Atkins shuffled between end and tackle in his final season, displaying an inconsistent motor even as a rotational player.
News and Notes: Interested in a good look at pre-press conference drama? Witness the University of Tennessee press-room happenings prior to Lane Kiffin's "farewell" speech after just one year at the school. ... Former Florida State SS Myron Rolle, a Rhodes Scholar, sat out the 2009 season while studying at Oxford University to become a neurosurgeon. According to well-known performance trainer Tom Shaw, Rolle is running in the low-4.4.s at 6'2/215. At 6'2/217 as a Seminole, Rolle was timed at 4.55.
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