A look at the 2007 junior class as players decide whether to enter the 2008 NFL draft.Texas tight end Jermichael Finley announced today that he's leaving school early to enter the draft.
Finley is a third-year sophomore with two more years of eligibility, but the announcement didn't come as a total surprise. Many people expected Finley to leave early because as a person, he's ready to make a living and support his wife and kids. But as a player, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Finley is a guy who could have improved his draft stock with another year on the college football field and in the Texas weight room.
Right now, Finley seems to be behind senior tight ends Fred Davis of USC and John Carlson of Notre Dame, as well as the other junior tight ends who have entered early, Martellus Bennett of Texas A&M and Cornelius Ingram of Florida. Finley is very unlikely to be a first-day pick.
Ultimately, this was more a family decision than a football decision. Finley has a wife and kids, and from that perspective, it makes sense that he wants to make a living. But from a football perspective, he would have been much better off getting another year of college under his belt.
See the full list of 2008 NFL draft early entries.
