A look at the 2007 junior class as players decide whether to enter the 2008 NFL draft.Clemson running back James Davis said early this week that he was leaving school to declare for the 2008 NFL draft. But after giving it some thought, Davis -- who hadn't hired an agent -- pulled out of the draft just before the final deadline.
I think that's the right move. Davis says he was projected as a third-round draft choice, but my bet is that he would have gone lower than that, since there's such a glut of junior running backs turning pro. Darren McFadden and Felix Jones of Arkansas, Jonathan Stewart of Oregon and Rashard Mendenhall of Illinois all definitely would have gone ahead of Davis, and Jamaal Charles of Texas, Ray Rice of Rutgers, Kevin Smith of Central Florida and Steve Slaton of West Virginia could have, too.
Instead, Davis will wait until the 2009 draft. Assuming Chris Wells of Ohio State turns pro, I think he'll be the top running back prospect 15 months from now. But Davis could be next in line. If he has a good senior season at Clemson, he'll make himself millions.
See the full list of 2008 NFL draft early entries.
