1. JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
Russell is a physical phenomenon and there is no question surrounding his potential upside in regard to where he will be selected in this year's NFL Draft.  He has the ability to throw a deep ball that few have ever had.  The scouts are going to pay close attention to his 40 time to make sure he is not immobile and if he can make plays with his legs in order to keep drives alive. Most importantly however, scouts should pay close to attention to his delivery and ensure he has enough zip on the ball to throw the deep out on time and to dissect an NFL Zone coverage scheme. Russell is being highly touted as the favorite to become the #1 overall selection at this year's draft, and it would be an extreme longshot, if he does not get selected in the top 3 overall, so his individual workouts will not result in much of a flux in regards to his draft status, however, we are still talking about probable #1 selection at the 2007 NFL Draft at the most important position in the entire league.  So, the #1 story to watch going into and coming out of the combine in Indianapolis will be JaMarcus Russell.

2.  Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
Jarrett had several remarkable performances for the Southern Cal Trojans in his junior campaign, none of which left an as much of a long lasting impression with scouts as his 2007 Rose Bowl performance over Michigan where he ripped apart Michigan's secondary repeatedly as if he was making a point to the NFL scouts watching the game saying simply, that he is ready for the next level, and he is ready now. Jarrett has all the physical tools to get a very high grade, however, the most important single workout for any player in this draft will most likely be the 40 yard dash for Jarrett.  Some view Jarrett as a player in the similar mode as former USC WR Mike Williams who has yet to produce at the next level. Most contribute the lackluster beginning to Williamss' career to lack of work ethic and the inability to separate from NFL caliber CBs. While Jarrett appears to have the work ethic, some feel that he might share the unfortunate similarity with Williams, the inability to separate and get open in the NFL.  A time of 4.55 or under 40 time at the combine or individual workouts will help elevate this concern from dropping his status, and Jarrett would be a prime choice for a team selecting in the bottom half of the top 10 with a need at WR.  If his time is closer to that of a 4.6 than his stock could drop to the mid-late portion of Round One.

3. Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
Here we have another case of where an athletes performance at the combine or individual workouts will not have a dramatic effect on his overall draft status.  Johnson will be a the #1 WR taken in this years draft and a Top 5 pick overall, case closed.  In Johnson's case I believe we are looking at a prospect where his athleticism and overwhelming potential need to be analyzed in a historical perspective.  With Johnson's unbelievably rare combination of height, size, speed, hands, and route running, we are most assuredly looking at one of the best WR prospects the game has ever seen.  After the combine, Calvin Johnson's name will be listed up there with the likes of Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald when forecasting the future of WRs in the NFL and comparing them to the great prospects of the past.

4. Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State
Three WRs in the top four to watch, as there is that much emphasis at the WR position in this year's draft.  Ginn Jr. has gone from a highly touted recruit coming out of the high school ranks to a Heisman Trophy candidate in his junior season at the Ohio State University.  Some question Ginn's route running and hands, but there is no denying that he has first class speed.  Speed kills in the NFL and scouts salivate over 40 times, so how high can the stock of Ginn Jr. climb?  The 40 yard dash makes another appearance on the list, and again has a huge amount of importance in relation to the future of Ted Ginn Jr.  If he runs just a good time in the mid-high 4.4s than Ginn could go anywhere from 10-20 looking for a WR that is a deep threat.  However, if he runs a sub 4.4 40 time and knocks the socks off of the GMs and personal departments in Indianapolis, it would be easy to project Ted Ginn Jr. hearing his name called in the top 10 on Draft weekend.

Ohio State WR Ted Ginn is one of the players to watch at the 2007 NFL Combine

5. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Peterson has been viewed as one of the best "pure-running" back prospects since he broke onto the national spotlight as the #1 incoming recruit at the University of Oklahoma. Peterson immediately showed football fans everywhere what all the fuss was about as he was a Heisman Finalist in his Freshman season.  After injury riddled sophomore and junior campaigns some scouts are becoming more and more concerned with the durability question marks surrounding Peterson.  At the end of the day, Peterson will open up some eyes during these drills and will stun scouts with his amazing athleticism and will cement his place in the top 10 names being called on draft day.

6. Leon Hall, CB, Michigan vs. Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh vs. Daymeion Hughes, CB, California
At this point in the scouting process it is a three-way race to see who will be the first CB coming off the board in the 2007 NFL Draft. Normally by this point in the process, there is a general consensus to who the top CB is, or at the very least we have a coin-flip situation where teams have a preference of one guy over another.  Rarely do we have three guys vying for the potential top selection.  Their shuttle exercises and 40 yard dash times are going to be particularly essential since one sparkling performance or one devastating one could alter the order in which these three are drafted.  The first one drafted could very well hear his name called in the top 10 selections, the one that hears his name called last could wait until the end of Round One to do so, and in the process would cost himself a lot of money.

7. Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
It has been an eerily reoccurring theme in recent drafts where pre-season consensus #1 overall picks see their stock fall as the season progresses and watch another QB leap over them and garner a higher selection at the Draft.  It occurred in '05 where Alex Smith passed Aaron Rodgers, '06 where Vince Young passed Matt Leinart, and it appears to have taken place yet again in '07 where JaMarcus Russell, at the moment, appears to have passed Brady Quinn by in the eyes of the scouts. Quinn must have a good showing during his individual workouts and show that he has the arm strength and mental toughness to succeed at the next level and was not just a product of Charlie Weis's QB friendly offensive approach. If the Lions pass on Quinn with the #2 pick and decide to go in a different route, Quinn could watch his stock take a precipitous plunge to #9 to the Miami Dolphins, or even further.

8. Reggie Nelson, S, Florida vs. LaRon Landry, S, LSU
The choice between Nelson and Landry may come down to what teams prefer to select when they choose a safety to join their defensive team. Nelson has the versatility and the instincts to make plays all over the field that few safeties can make. He is a good tackler, but he is more of your "ball hawking" safety where he can change a game by causing a turnover. Landry is a more solid selection and is less of a gamble. Teams know what they are getting in regards to Landry and he could start right now for virtually every team in the NFL from Day One. What is intriguing about these two players is that they seem to be known commodities at this point, but after the individual workouts are complete one may have tipped the scales in their favor and elevated their stock to the clear-cut #1 safety in this years draft and possibly highest ranked defensive back over all.

9. Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
The last time any of us saw Michael Bush on a football field, he was being carted off the field in the Louisville Cardinals 2006 season opener.  Prior to the severe injury, Bush displayed amazing speed for a RB his size and his potential for the NFL game to run between the tackles and wear down a defense as the game progressed was immense.  Now questions abound about what kind of shape will he be in come Indianapolis?  April's draft?  Mini-camp?  If Bush can once again win over talent scouts with his vast potential than he still has a shot at being a late 1st round selection, if the questions still are around and his speed and over all shape is not what it once was then his stock will fall tremendously.

10. Lamar Woodley, DE/OLB, Michigan
Woodley may become the poster boy for the term "tweener" in the 2007 NFL Draft.  Woodley was impressive all season long as a Wolverine, but many players before him have made a big impact at the college level, never to duplicate their success at the NFL. Woodley who played primarily as a down lineman DE at Michigan is viewed by many as "too small" to play at DE on a every down basis at the next level. Several teams are using the thought process that he might be best suited to play OLB in a 3-4 scheme.  While this might be a sound strategy it has been rumored that he runs a 40 time in the 4.7 range, and if this is the case, than his prospects for playing OLB in the NFL are not bright. If Woodley can show at the individual workouts that he does have the necessary combination of speed and agility to switch to this position than he could be selected in the end of Round One by a team that is in need to fill LB positions in their 3-4 scheme.  If not, he will have to wait for a team to take him as an "undersized" DE, and that wait will probably last until early-mid round 2.