The 2010 NFL Draft has been signed, sealed and delivered, and three Huskers - Ndamukong Suh (Detroit Lions), Phillip Dillard (New York Giants) and Larry Asante (Cleveland Browns) - were plucked within the seven rounds. Matt O’Hanlon and Barry Turner signed free agent contracts with Carolina and Chicago and it appears Chris Brooks will try out with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Menelik Holt will get his shot at making the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

Looking back on our prediction from last year, we foresaw neither Dillard nor Asante as being drafted. But, at the time, Dillard was buried on the depth chart, so it made sense, and Asante, well, we’re still not convinced he’ll stick in the NFL. We had Jacob Hickman getting drafted, but Hickman chose to quit football.

So now we look ahead to 2011 - which could be a bonanza for NU - and take a small peek at 2012 - presuming NFL owners and players have reached an agreement in time for the 2012 Draft. We suspect they’ll strike a deal, despite gloomy predictions to the contrary, next year.

2011

Defensive end Pierre Allen: Now healthy, Allen could show again the pass-rushing skills he flashed in 2008. Because the NFL wants guys who crash the pocket - not merely collapse it - Allen will have to display the ability to get around the corner on a tackle. The Big 12 has its share of good ones.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: Has the size, range and speed to be a first-rounder; now he’ll simply need to put that kind of senior season on tape. It’s hard not to love his 6-foot-1 frame. NFL teams took a run on corners in the 2010 Draft, so the pickings might be slimmer in 2011.

Cornerback Eric Hagg: More of a hybrid than a true cover corner, Hagg could be useful as an NFL specialist if he’s not too exposed in coverage. Solid in run support, an athletic blitzer - Hagg is the type of guy who could captivate one or two teams, and turn off ten others. He’ll get the call, but it’s a crapshoot as to when.

Guard Ricky Henry: Suited for a power running team. Good, compact body, strong as an ox, plays beyond the whistle. Could be a late-round bargain.

Running back Roy Helu: A home-run hitting talent often slowed by injuries, Helu has to show durability in his senior season to crack into the top three rounds. His pass blocking is a liability, but his hands aren’t bad. Helu has a knack for big runs. Those are rare in the NFL. Good running backs are a dime a dozen in the NFL; Helu will have to fight for a draft slot after an inconsistent 2009.

Kicker Alex Henery: NFL teams rarely draft kickers, but Henery, because of his sheer range - which extends to 60 yards - and relative accuracy, will get the call.

Safety Dejon Gomes: He’s played his way into the draft picture, that’s for sure. Gomes has strong ball skills, OK recovery speed and isn’t afraid to tackle. He may not be a perfect fit as a corner, but some team will recognize his skills as a playmaker.

Tackle D.J. Jones: Free agent type - if that - because of inconsistency. Seems to have put himself in position for a big senior season, however.

Kicker Adi Kunalic: No word on whether he’ll redshirt in 2010 or not, but, either next year or in 2011, he’s a free-agent prospect.

Quarterback Zac Lee: The UFL is a better bet. Lee’s elbow surgery will not be overlooked. Expect him to be coaching or making six figures selling real estate in five years.

Tight end Mike McNeill: His stock has dropped; once teams focused on taking him out of the game, McNeill was unable to create space in traffic. Good athlete, above-average hands, so-so blocker. Probably not fast enough to play slot receiver in the NFL. Comparing him to Dallas Clark, is, well, generous to McNeill.

Receiver Niles Paul: From a longshot to an intriguing prospect. Has straight-line speed, size, adjusts well to the ball, and will block the hell out of anyone. He needs to catch the ball consistently and hold on to it. As a returner, Paul is inconsistent but dangerous. Third or fourth round for now, but that stock could go up. You know he’ll run a respectable 40 time.

Tackle Mike Smith: Too many injuries and no true position.

Safety Rickey Thenarse: Free agent type who can make a team as a specialist. Wouldn’t you want him on your kickoff coverage squad?

Safety Anthony West: Free agent type for now. Needs to be more aggressive.

Left guard Keith Williams: More injury issues to contend with, but if he puts a healthy season in the books, he can be a third-day selection. Guards rarely get the call in the first or second round, and Williams has a checkered injury history.


2012:

Defensive tackle Jared Crick: More explosive pass rusher than Suh, if not the athlete. Lunch-pail mentality makes him a perfect fit for most defensive coordinator. Could declare in 2011, but he seems like a lifetime Husker to us. In 2012, mid-first round.

Linebacker Lavonte David: Talk to us in a year.

Cornerback Alfonzo Dennard: Great leaper, good instincts, often stifling in coverage. Good tackler. Gets fooled some by good quarterbacks. He’s on the radar, even at his diminutive height.

Tackle Yoshi Hardrick: Talk to us in a year.

Tackle Marcel Jones: Too early to tell. He could be another Lydon Murtha - or something much more. Needs to get stronger.

Receiver Brandon Kinnie: Talk to us in year.

Defensive tackle Terrence Moore: Talk to us in a year.


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Two more members of Nebraska's stellar 2009 defense were plucked in the 2010 NFL Draft Saturday - with Phillip Dillard capping a riches-to-rags-back-to-riches story when the New York Giants picked him in the fourth round with the 115th overall pick.

One year ago, Dillard was buried on the depth chart at linebacker after showing up to spring camp overweight. He shaved the weight during the summer, won his starting job back by game three, and helped anchor one of the nation's best defense, often as the lone linebacker on the field.

"So all I had to do was work and not complain and not moan, knock the attitude, show great character, be happy, and not be a cancer in the locker room," Dillard said. "And not be mad because things don't go my way because that is just how life goes."

The Giants rewarded that attitude with the draft pick. After years of being one of the NFL's most intimidating, playmaking defenses, New York took a slide last year, missing the playoffs. Middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, a centerpiece of the Giants' defense for years, was released in February, clearing the way for a pick like Dillard.

"I expect to come in and make an impact on the team regardless of what they ask me to do," Dillard said. "Whether it is to play special teams, learn the playbook, master the playbook, get the playbook down, then earn a spot, that is what I am willing to do."

Later in the day, the Cleveland Browns picked NU safety Larry Asante with the 160th overall pick in the sixth round. Asante slipped a bit in the Draft because of his lapses in pass coverage, but he's a top-flight defender against the run, and his hitting skills could come in handy on special teams. Asante's speed allows him to grow into the NFL safety role, or he could be moved down, conceivably, to linebacker.

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Welcome to Husker Heartbeat - a sampling of links and quick wit to start your morning! Keep checking each morning, Monday-Friday, for new links! We look for the offbeat as well as the straightforward - so don’t just think of us as a typical link farm!

A quick abbreviation key FYI: OWH=Omaha World-Herald, LJS=Lincoln Journal-Star, CN=Corn Nation, BRN=Big Red Network, HI=Huskers Illustrated, BRR=Big Red Report. If we need to add more - we will. Others, like ESPN, are self-explanatory.

Cool? Cool!

*All About Suh, with Detroit Free Press columns from The Mitch and Drew Sharp. The Lions’ fans react happily, as do the coaches. Now it’s on to the other Husker players - who will likely wait until Saturday for the call-up.

*Doc Sadler welcomes back Ray Gallegos to the team. Gallegos doesn’t really explain why he left, or why, other than the Big 12, he’s returning. Discuss!

*The LJS explores one of the silver linings in the black cloud of Nebraska baseball’s season in Kale Kiser.

*You want a picture of how college football has changed in the last two years? Nary a Notre Dame, USC or Ohio State football player taken in the first round of the NFL Draft. What’s surprising, of course, is that OSU had a pretty darn good season anyway - and is our favorite for the national title in 2011.

*Tommie Frazier makes the all-snub list in NFL Draft history.

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He spent a long time on the phone with a grim, determined look.

Then he said “I’m looking forward to it,” smiled, shook the hands of his two agents, embraced his dad Michael, high-fived his sister Ngum and got a hug from biggest - but friendly - rival in Gerald McCoy. Finally, a long hug from his mom, Bernadette.

Then Nerbraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh grabbed a Detroit Lions jersey, put on a sharp-looking cap, stepped on the stage of New York City’s Radio Music Hall and officially started the professional portion of his career as the second pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.

“It’s amazing,” Suh told ESPN just a minute after his selection. “It feels good to have those tingles come down your body.”

In an interview with the NFL Network, Suh said he wanted to bring the Lions to “promised land.” After a successful decade in the 1990s behind Barry Sanders, Detroit hasn’t been to the playoffs in a decade. Hasn’t been close, frankly.

“I definitely one of those guys who doesn’t like to disappoint,” Suh said. “I went to the University of Nebraska, and I believe I didn’t disappoint and I’m looking forward to doing the same in Detroit…the great Detroit fans are looking forward to me and I’m looking forward to them.”

Lions head coach Jim Schwartz called Suh's selection "an easy pick."

"He's not just a one-year wonder," Schwartz said. "He’s strong; he’s good versus the run, good versus the pass; he’s tough; he’s got good character. Those are all of the things that we liked – and he’s very intelligent. He played at a high level; was very productive. “One thing that falls in a little bit: he has a little bit of the ‘it-factor.’"

Which is?

"He’s good against the run, he’s good against the pass, he’s incredibly productive, he’s incredibly consistent, and he has a long track record of success," Schwartz said. "I think that if had come out last year, I’m fairly certain he would have been the top defensive lineman chosen last year also."

After the St. Louis Rams selected Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the No. 1 pick - faint cheers of “Suh” could be heard on television - the Lions called Suh and conducted a conference call with all of Detroit’s owners, general managers and presidents.

“It was a collaboration,” Suh said.

Tampa Bay picked McCoy, OU defensive tackle and Suh’s friend, No. 3. It was the first time since 1967 that the first three picks all came from the same conference.

Said head coach Bo Pelini: "I am very happy for Ndamukong and his family. He is very deserving of the high selection in the draft, and the Lions are fortunate to have the opportunity to add him to their organization. Everyone has seen his ability on the field, but as I've said many times, Suh's maturity and character are just as important to making him a success. I think Detroit and the other teams he talked to recognized that as well."

More Coverage of Suh!

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At the appointed time tonight - likely when the Detroit Lions are on the proverbial clock - the sounds of “Suuuuuuh!” will echo through Radio City Music Hall in New York

It’ll mark the true end of Ndamukong Suh’s career at Nebraska.

And the true beginning of a far more daunting mission in the NFL. Believe it.

We told you, right after the Heisman Trophy ceremony, there would be a backlash against the best defensive player in recent college football history. And there was.

We told you how it would happen - through NFL Draft “experts” peddling “news” through a variety of “sources” that use these experts as tools to drive down the proverbial “price” on some draft picks . And it did.

And we told you why it happened - because Suh signed with a hardball agent, Eugene Parker; because the NFL wasn’t interested in the top pick potentially holding out and screwing up the slotting system; because the poor, sad St. Louis Rams, with feckless owners wanting to sell the franchise, are easily bullied by other NFL owners and not prepared for a contract fight; because Suh doesn’t fit the mold of the overweight tub plug who plays two downs, then heads to the sidelines.

Now we tell you this: No. 93, his own fierce, independent man, is about to enter a league designed to crush individuality and unique talents into fine dust. The players and teams that rise above the groupthink reset the standard and win championships. The ones who don’t get frustrated and trapped inside schemes and set beliefs passed down by portly men who spend 70 hours a week holed up in an office.

Suh has all the physical skills. What he’ll need now is mental toughness. Gumption. Guts. Savvy. The wisdom to know when to adapt his game, and the wisdom when to trust it.

Because the NFL, much as I love it, is about as ideologically flexible as your least favorite political party.

That’s how Suh, after sitting atop every major NFL Draft board for months in 2009, suddenly found himself in a neck-and-neck battle with Oklahoma’s Gerald McCoy for the best defensive tackle. Never mind McCoy’s stats. Never mind McCoy’s paltry bench press effort at the NFL Combine. Some scouts remain convinced McCoy is the superior player.

And McCoy is superior to Suh in one facet the NFL values quite a bit: McCoy will march to whatever beat his team sets for him. He’ll be a perfectly nice, one-dimensional defensive tackle who gets good push and occasionally lands a sack.

At Nebraska, Suh did so much more than that. He deflected passes. He picked off three, scored twice, forced fumbles and put Missouri’s offense out of commission for a month with that sack-and-strip of Blaine Gabbert. By my own personal count last year - it may be more - he saved five first downs by peeling back to make tackles downfield.

McCoy can’t do half of these things. But the NFL has rarely bothered to explore the kind of statistical analysis that now dominates baseball and basketball, so there isn’t even a theoretical quantitative appreciation for Suh’s overall talents. He’s viewed as a cog in a wheel, when in fact he’s capable of impacting a game much like Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu does.

And even still - Suh’s sack numbers dwarfed McCoy’s tally.

Most NFL coaches, smart as they are, hold their philosophical ground, results be damned. When the Miami Dolphins used a Wildcat offense to go from 1-15 to 11-5 in the following season, a good chunk of NFL coaches and pundits couldn’t get behind it. Called it a gimmick.

That’s how the Rams likely end up drafting a “franchise quarterback” - because that’s what the book says - even though Sam Bradford, a great kid, is about to get his Sooner rear end thumped up and down the football field, to become the next David Carr or Alex Smith - guys who played behind awful offensive lines and finally had all the talent knocked out of them.

Maybe St. Louis spits the bit and drafts Suh. Perhaps the Rams are truly daring, deliberately passing on the first pick so it falls to the Lions. It’s a stunt, a gimmick, and the media would lambaste the Rams for doing it - but it’d be a clever gambit.

But many pro teams would prefer to lose the “right” way than win the “wrong” way.

The NFL’s genius - and it is genius - is to cultivate mediocrity that looks like progress. Only the NFL could seriously threaten a 2011 lockout of America’s pastime and get away with it.

As complex as the league appears to be, it’s surprisingly uniform. Here’s a game that actually allows a forward pass, with relative freedom of movement and a gigantic end zone, and most NFL teams still settle the same formations, the same two standard defensive alignments, this slavish devotion to running the ball between the hash marks, a space about as wide as your bathroom.

If you don’t think Suh is caught, to some extent, in that whirlwind of issues: Think again. Here’s the most impressive package of player and person in some time and that makes him a threat, to some extent. One’s inclination would be to build a defense around his talents, as Pittsburgh did Polamalu. But, even at Detroit - which has nothing to lose but more games - Suh will most likely be asked to dial down his prodigious talent and perfect a small range of skills.

That’s where the mental toughness comes in. He’ll have to fight the urge of anger and frustration. If contract negotiations drag - and I suspect they might - followed by a so-so season, position coaches may use that performance as leverage. And the job description gets narrower.

Maybe the Lions are just desperate enough to do it right. You hope. So much of success in the NFL is dependent on a coach daring to exploit his player’s strengths instead of fixating on weaknesses as a given scheme might define it.

In a sport like the NFL, the word “prototype” should anathema, especially when a guy like Suh shatters expectations of what a prototype can be. But the strongman of college football has a new weight to shoulder. He has break the mold - and yet function within it as the same time.

It’s not fair. But the great ones overcome it.

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Welcome to Husker Heartbeat - a sampling of links and quick wit to start your morning! Keep checking each morning, Monday-Friday, for new links! We look for the offbeat as well as the straightforward - so don’t just think of us as a typical link farm!

A quick abbreviation key FYI: OWH=Omaha World-Herald, LJS=Lincoln Journal-Star, CN=Corn Nation, BRN=Big Red Network, HI=Huskers Illustrated, BRR=Big Red Report. If we need to add more - we will. Others, like ESPN, are self-explanatory.

BRN knows it’s March…but they want to talk October, and whether Bo Pelini can tackle those midseason blues. It’s a fair question, but NU spent the midseasons of 2008 and 2009 tinkering with the defense and offense, respectively, You’d think, by 2010, the schemes and identities are in place. You’d hope.

The LJS crew talks Big 12 spring camps.

More tales of loyalty from the Nebraska women’s basketball team.

The prospects of Oregon’s 2011 season may hinge on whether head coach Chip Kelly boots or suspends several of his best players. He’ll announce his decision Friday. Here’s a primer.

Wonderlic quarterbacks scores are out…and Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford leads the way.

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Still not convinced Ndamukong Suh turned down millions and millions last year from the NFL to stay one more year in college?

Well, convince yourself.

You don't just vault from, say, the second round of the 2009 Draft to the top of the 2010 Draft because of chatter.

Suh was well-known by NFL folks back in January. The media is just now catching up.

Makes that All Big 12 second-team selection Suh got from the coaches last year look like a total joke. Wonder if one coach held out on him. Hmmm...who could that have been?

Oh yeah...six OU guys make the first round of this mock draft. Talented enough, huh?

Next year, Oklahoma's defense is gonna be the Javier Bardem character in "No Country For Old Men."

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It was the second straight season that zero Nebraska players were taken on the first day of the NFL Draft and only three were taken overall. It served as a death rattle for the Bill Callahan era.

Will the trend change in future years? We look at the potential Draft prospects of current Huskers:

2010 Draft

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: If Suh stays healthy and continues to improve his technique – whether or not his statistics are comparable to 2008 – he’s a sure-fire first-round pick, and possibly a top-ten or top-five pick, depending on team need. At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Suh probably isn’t a 3-4 nose guard – those guys are usually squatter and, well, fatter – but he fits into a 4-3 scheme as a 1, 2 or 3 technique, depending on how a defense chooses to play him. He already makes the flashy plays behind the line of scrimmage, and has since his sophomore year.

Defensive end Barry Turner: Teams will look over Turner’s broken leg injury, and since we’re not doctors or insurance specialists, we couldn’t say whether that would prevent Turner from getting selected. As an end, Turner has a good first step and can beat slower linemen to the corner. He’s not as adept at swim and rip moves as he should be. On the flip side, Turner’s received average coaching at best from John Blake. He’s got room to grow.

Center Jacob Hickman: He’ll be helped by his versatility to play either guard spot or center. Hickman, 6-4 and 290, is agile when pulling and skilled at getting to the second level. Probably not the nastiest guy on the planet, but he’s smart, and he knows a number of positions. You could see some team taking him with a late-round pick and developing him as a valuable reserve.

Strong safety Larry Asante: Depending on whether some NFL team thought they could put 20-30 pounds on Asante, he could play linebacker at the next level. Asante hits hard, and he’s generally decent in run support. Where’s he’s struggled is in the passing game. As a safety, we’d see him as a free agent; Clemson’s Michael Hamlin, a much better college player, lasted until well into the second day in the 2009 Draft.

Wide receiver Menelik Holt: Longshot here, but one never knows. Holt has the speed, and he’s a good enough blocker. Nobody knows if he can catch balls and get open consistently, however. He’ll get only one year to prove it and he’d better have big-time numbers. Otherwise, he’ll be a free agent, if that.

For now, we don’t consider middle linebackers Phillip Dillard and Colton Koehler, free safeties Rickey Thenarse and Matt O’Hanlon or receiver Chris Brooks as likely selections, although they may sign as free agents.

2011

Left guard Keith Williams: At 6-5, 305, Williams has the size and strength to become a very good NFL guard. He needs to get more consistent, and cut out wasteful penalties. He’s quicker than recent draftee Matt Slauson and he’ll get two more years of coaching under Barney Cotton. Too hard to project a specific round right now, but Williams would be in the Draft.

Safety Eric Hagg: Could be a quality safety for some NFL team; his size and anticipatory skills are a good fit. Nebraska coaches finally seem set on putting Hagg at safety and letting him blossom there. Two years of good development puts him right in the crosshairs of being drafted. Sometimes, though, it seems like Hagg isn’t aware of how good he could be.

Running back Roy Helu: We fully expect Helu to play four years at NU, if he stays healthy. As a pure runner, Helu is instinctive, quick and hard to bring down. He’s a decent pass-catcher and should improve his blocking. If you were projecting way out, you could see Helu getting picked in the 3rd-4th rounds, maybe even the first day.

Tight end Mike McNeill: We could definitely see a guy like McNeill taking that Dallas Clark role with the Indianapolis Colts. McNeill is sure-handed and athletic, and pretty fast for a tight end. His best skill is open-field running. In two years, he’s a 4th-6th-round selection, and better if he improves his blocking.

Defensive end Pierre Allen: Very good sophomore campaign could lead to big things in 2009 and 2010. Allen needs to keep grinding away as a pass rusher so that he can fit into a 4-3 system, which requires good pass-rushing skills out of its ends. He’d need to gain 20-30 pounds to play end in a 3-4.

Kicker/punter Alex Henery: If he continues to kick like he did in 2008, he’ll be one of a handful of kickers selected in the Draft. Henery’s punting skills may also help him make a roster. The kid’s a bit of a kicking savant; many of his field goal tries are perfectly shaped into the middle of the goalposts, looking like a Phil Mickelson wedge shot.

Running back Quentin Castille: Credit where it’s due: Castille has lost enough weight to be a viable player in a one-back, one-cut outside zone NFL system. No the lead guy, necessarily, but a bruiser type. He gets downhill quickly, strides nicely for a big guy, and seems more comfortable in the open field than he does traffic. Blocks and catches pretty well. Hasn’t shown himself to be a great short-yardage back, but he could develop into one. Castille isn’t a fullback, and NFL teams will quickly notice that watching him on film. The right team with the right need could draft him.

Cornerback Prince Amukamara: If this kid picks up the red the courtesy phone and figures out the position, he’s as intriguing a prospect as any on NU’s team. Naturally gifted, huge vertical leap, tall and fast, not afraid to tackle. Amukamara’s stumbling block isn’t physical stuff. But can he play, drive after drive, without mental errors?

Cornerback Anthony West: Steadier than Amukamara, not quite as gifted, and not quite as big. Gambled and lost a couple times in 2008. Needs to close better and be more aggressive to the ball, as his allowed touchdown in the Red/White Spring Game showed.

Wide receiver Niles Paul: Needs to play more often, and more consistently. Paul would be a slot receiver in the NFL, so route-running, savvy and elusiveness would be important to develop.

Guard Ricky Henry: Strictly a project right now, but the clay is there to be molded. We’ll see.

Cornerback Dejon Gomes: See Ricky Henry.

Quarterback Zac Lee: Too early to tell. The skillset and height suggests he’ll fit into the Joe Ganz category.

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It's one of the questions on the tongues of just about every Husker fan since mid-November: Why was NU linebacker Cody Glenn suspended by head coach Bo Pelini for the rest of the season.

So you'd figure, when Glenn was asked the question by the Washington Post after he was selected in the fifth round of the NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins, he wouldn't be so confused by it as to accidentally indict himself for committing a minor, but still very real, NCAA violation by claiming he was shelved for ticket scalping.

But that's what Glenn is now claiming when he spoke to NU compliance officer Gary Bargen after, earlier in the day, Bargen told the Lincoln Journal-Star that if Glenn had scalped tickets, it was news to him.

Bargen said he reached Glenn by telephone Monday - the same morning the Washington Post story, with the quote “I got caught up selling some tickets that I wasn’t supposed to be doing," appeared - and said Glenn told him he hadn't sold any tickets, and apparently found the phone interview "very difficult to understand." Glenn also gave an interview to a Redskins team Web site and provided the same "scalping tickets" explanation for the suspension. He must have been confused by that interview, as well.

Since Glenn gave the interview to the Post, he has not returned phone calls, nor did he appear for a scheduled interview on the Omaha radio talk show "Unsportsmanlike Conduct."

Bargen told the LJS that Glenn would come in Tuesday to further clarify the matter.

We'll see what tomorrow brings.

UPDATE: Talked to Gary Bargen out of NU's compliance office. Bargen said he met personally with Glenn Tuesday morning and concluded that Glenn hadn't scalped any tickets, and hadn't committed any NCAA violation.

"As to why he said that, you'd have to ask him," Bargen said. Ditto for why the Redskins are publicly saying Glenn scalped tickets.

Ased whether Glenn clarified why he might have been confused in his phone interview with the Washington Post, Bargen said "it was one of those deals where a bunch of reporters were around a speakerphone and Cody was on his cell phone."

The NCAA has not contacted NU regarding the issue, Bargen said, but compliance has a file ready to provide the governing body if it should.

"Ticket scalping may be called a minor violation, but it's a pretty big deal," Bargen said. "That's why we addressed this so quickly."

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If you had any doubt – the slightest bit, doubt the size of a single fish egg – about the utter failure of the Bill Callahan era at Nebraska, this weekend should have washed it away like the tide drags abandoned crab shells out to sea.

In 2009 NFL Draft, only three members Callahan’s vaunted recruiting classes were selected. Three. San Jose State had that many. New Mexico and Abliene Christian had two. And no Huskers higher than midway through the fifth round. You might have to go back to the 1969 NFL Draft to find such a meager NU class, although the 2008 bunch is right in there.

And the first of the 2009 picks – linebacker Cody Glenn – was stuck at fourth-string running back for much of the 2007 season, his career resurrected only by Callahan’s firing and the hiring of head coach Bo Pelini and linebackers coach Mike Ekeler, who gave Glenn a good enough crash course to eeld his skills to one of the more difficult positions on the defense.

Meanwhile, Callahan’s preferred back, Marlon Lucky, didn’t even get to be Mr. Irrelevant.

Maybe If Callahan hadn’t wasted Lucky’s first year on campus. Or burned Zach Potter’s redshirt. Or buried Joe Ganz underneath the depth chart rubble, only to be forced into giving him a shot when he was the only one left standing.

If only.

Does that mean Potter, Lucky, Ganz or others won’t play in the NFL? Of course not. There are some advantages, in fact, to becoming a priority free agent instead of a draft pick, and NFL teams sometimes use late-round draft picks on projects who flame out two weeks into training camp. NU has a number of players good enough for the NFL. They need the right fit and the right attitude, but they’ll get their chance.

What the 2009 class means is that Callahan’s pitch - which revolved around his NFL experience, around his ability to recognize talent, recruit it with fierce diligence and organization and turn it into a professional product – was akin to oceanfront property in Grand Island. His “talent” was more upside than finished product, and he and his staff didn’t take enough pains to finish it. Often, they rushed the talent into service before they were ready and snatched a crucial redshirt year away from guys like Glenn, Niles Paul and Prince Amukamara.

Now - had Callahan landed that gilded, magic quarterback he always pined for, like Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, I don’t doubt he would have produced, consequences be damned, the kind of player Freeman became: A big, sturdy stiff with enough intelligence and arm strength to con some poor NFL franchise, like the reeling Tampa Bay Buccaneers, into drafting him.

Ron Prince ran Kansas State into the ground that way, protecting “his” QB to the point where, when KSU’s offensive line seemingly refused to block for Freeman, or Freeman temporarily lost his faculties, Prince pulled Freeman from the Nebraska game. Freeman sat on the bench, staring into dead space, while Ganz pounded the Wildcats’ defense with the zone read. Freeman walks away from Manhattan with a fat contract. Prince got his old job back at Virginia. KSU fans, meanwhile, must curse their twin presence for the next decade; that’s how quickly they ruined what Bill Snyder had built.

Callahan, forced to work with the chopped ham of Zac Taylor and Ganz, who often performed like the delectable pieces of Spanish jamon, didn’t get the Princely opportunity to sacrifice a whole team for one man.

But he did make sure Lucky got rushed through the system, Potter received dubious coaching from a recruiting mercenary, Andre Jones disappeared into the ether and Matt Slauson, who was selected this year, wasted 2007 at his “Chipotle” weight, far above where he belonged.

You may counter: Isn’t Ndamukong Suh headed for a first-day pick in 2010? Sure. Did Callahan recruit him? Yep. Callahan also left behind guys like Keith Williams, Mike McNeill, Eric Hagg, Roy Helu and Jacob Hickman. I forsee all of them being drafted in the next two years.

But Callahan hardly developed those guys. Indeed, Suh was backsliding in his last year under Kevin Cosgrove. Their draft positions will be small credit to Callahan recruiting them, and large credit to Pelini, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson (who, to be fair, is a Callahan disciple) and position coaches developing them.

Finally, coaches told Nebraska players why they were doing something. Coaches corrected mistakes on the field, instead of in a film session. Finally, players were treated like the kids they still remain, instead of cogs in a wheel. Finally, they developed the down-in, down-out technique that makes good NFL players.

You know, it’s interesting. ESPN’s Tim Griffin reviewed the NFL Draft picks of each Big 12 team since the inception of the league and NU, unbelievably, remains on top in terms of number of players drafted (59 in all), and the relative quality of those players. Although Oklahoma and Texas have dominated the Big 12 over the last seven years, Nebraska is close to both programs when it comes to players selected in the first three rounds of the draft.

It’s now been two years since any Husker was picked in the first four rounds.

Since Callahan took over in 2004, just one of his scholarship recruits, Brandon Jackson, was drafted in the top three rounds. And Jackson left NU after his junior season in 2006, with the legitimate concern that, if he returned, he would have been buried on the depth chart like he had been the beginning of that year, when he was fourth. Behind a guy named Cody Glenn. Who, one year later, was fourth on the depth chart.

You figure it out.

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He played all of nine games at linebacker, and he spent the last month of his career at Nebraska serving a suspension.

And yet, NU's Cody Glenn flashed enough potential in that short time span to become the first Cornhusker selected in the 2009 NFL Draft. Glenn went in the fifth round, with the 158th pick to Washington. There - he'll join, aside from highly paid and highly productive London Fletcher - one of the most undistinguished linebacker corps in the league.

Overall, Nebraska had three players drafted by NFL teams. Offensive guard Matt Slauson was picked up by the New York Jets in the sixth round with the 193rd overall pick. Moribund Detroit selected tackle Lydon Murtha with the 228th pick in the seventh round.

Glenn is a 6-foot, 244 pounder who spent three years at running back, where he briefly ascended to the top the depth chart midway through the 2006 season before getting hurt on a two-yard touchdown run at Texas A&M. Glenn played sparingly in 2007, relegated by head coach Bill Callahan to fourth string behind Marlon Lucky, Roy Helu and Quentin Castille.

Glenn approached head coach Bo Pelini about switching positions before spring practice in 2008. He moved to weakside linebacker and picked up the position well enough to play nine games and make 51 tackles.

Two days after a 45-35 win over Kansas, Pelini suspended Glenn indefinitely for a violation of team rules. It turned out to be for the rest of the season. Local reports never determined the reason for Glenn suspension - Glenn told the Washington Post "I got caught up selling some tickets that I wasn't supposed to be doing." - but he remained on the team roster and appeared, with other graduated seniors, at a charity basketball game and on the sidelines Red/White Spring Game.

Glenn was tabbed by many analysts as a priority free agent.

The 6-4, 315-pound Slauson, meanwhile, will reunite with former NU head coach Bill Callahan, the Jets’ offensive line and associate head coach. It was Callahan who offered Slauson the chance at a scholarship out of an Air Force preparatory school when Colorado wouldn’t take the plunge.

At 6-7, 306, Murtha wowed scouts with impressive physical test scores at NFL Combine, which helped calm fears about an up-and-down career at Nebraska that included two nagging injuries. His new team, the Lions, are sorely in need of a solid offensive line to protect No. 1 overall pick, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, who is destined to start the first game for Detroit next fall.

Potential draftees Zach Potter, Marlon Lucky, Joe Ganz, Nate Swift and others were not selected.

Ganz signed a free agent contract with Tampa Bay, which drafted Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman with its first-round selection. Ganz twice outdueled Freeman in NU wins in 2007 and 2008. Potter signed a free agent contract with the Jets, while Lucky signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. Swift signed with Denver and Todd Peterson signed with Jacksonville.

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The NFL Draft is set to begin Saturday in New York at 2 p.m.; the first two rounds should take the long day’s journey into late night, while Sunday brings rounds 3-7.

While a number of Huskers could be selected in the Draft, none are expected to land on that first day; it could be argued that tackle Lydon Murtha or defensive end Zach Potter stand a rare outside chance of it, be we doubt it. But NU should be well-represented on day two, with as many as five or six players getting drafted, and several more finding free agent contracts, if the chips fall the right way.

Here’s where we at Husker Locker see the former Nebraska players fitting in over the weekend:

Position rankings, in order, are by NFLDraftScout, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated (out of a 6.0 scale)

Offensive tackle Lydon Murtha: 6-7, 309 4.78 40-yard
Ranked: No. 19, No. 14, and 3.39 (“fence player”)
Round Projection: 4th-7th

Our take: Murtha missed the equivalent of a whole season of football, and maybe more, to injuries and illnesses. For a tackle, he plays a little high in the running game, and is better chipping a defender and going to the next level than he is clearing out a single guy. Murtha’s draft workouts, especially at the NFL Combine, were terrific, showing off the athleticism and speed that made him a solid pass blocker at NU. It’s a tackle-heavy draft, which may cause Murtha slide into the middle part of day two. We think, by the end of the fourth round, he’ll be gone.

Defensive end Zach Potter: 6-7, 280, 4.79
Ranked: No. 15, No. 27, 3.39 (“fence player)
Round Projection: 3rd-7th

Our take: Potter is an intriguing prospect that could, one day, become a pretty good offensive tackle if he so wished. Potter’s biggest advantage – and in some ways a slight disadvantage – is his height, which helps him bat down passes and become a general backside nuisance for smallish quarterbacks. That height, though, could make it hard for him to play inside at a defensive tackle position in a 4-3 defense. Potter is plenty tough and technically sound against the run. He’s not a great pass rusher, but if he can keep contain, he collapses a pocket pretty well. We also imagine Potter interviewed well; he’s a natural leader with a good sense of humor, and he’d fit well in an NFL locker room. We think Potter may drop below Murtha, but the fourth or fifth round is a pretty good guess.

Running back Marlon Lucky: 6-0, 215, 4.52
Ranked: No. 26, No. 18, 3.34 (“fence player”)
Round Projection: 6th-7th

Our take: If used correctly, Lucky could make some NFL team pretty happy. He’s an NFL third-down back from the minute he enters the league, and arguably the most gifted pass-catching running back in the draft. Lucky makes tough catches, runs well in the open field, and generally doesn’t fumble in the open field, either. Lucky is also a polished enough pass-blocker to stay in for protection. Where Lucky struggles is the carry-for-carry grind that is running the football. He doesn’t attack holes, and in the NFL, you need to. He doesn’t break a lot of tackles. He can seem indifferent, as well, to his play on the field. He can get little, nagging injuries, too, like toe problems or chronic headaches. Lucky’s a bit too fine-tuned, sometimes. But when he’s plugged in, he’s pretty good, and we think a team could nab him as early at the fifth round, if the fit is right. Or he could go undrafted.

Offensive guard Matt Slauson: 6-6, 313, 5.14
Ranked: No. 19, No. 10, 3.21 (“practice squad”)
Round Projection: 6th-free agent

Our take: Whether or not Slauson gets drafted, we predict he’ll make a team’s final roster come fall, because he’s burly, aggressive and not afraid to mix it up. He can move earth on a short-yardage play, if nothing else, and had the versatility to fit in at guard or tackle. He’s not the fastest guard and probably isn’t your first pick to pull, but Slauson can fill in capably should a starter get hurt. The free agent route may suit Slauson better, for then he can pick his team.

Quarterback Joe Ganz: 6-0, 212, 4.84
Ranked: No. 44, No. 23, 2.80 (“free agent”)
Round Projection: Free Agent

Our take: Ganz doesn’t have a lot of the physical tools you’d like in an NFL QB, but he knows how the play the position, and for a short guy with only a decent arm, he makes quite a few big plays. Excellent leader, learns and knows the offense, rarely audibles into the wrong plays, and has a sixth sense when he’s scrambling outside the pocket. Ganz occasionally makes bad decisions when rolling to his right, and needs to find a rhythm early in the game, or he struggles. He could fit as a third quarterback somewhere. We think he’s better than Zac Taylor, though, for what it’s worth.

Linebacker Cody Glenn: 6-0, 244, 4.78
Ranked: No. 34, No. 27, 3.30 (“practice squad”)
Round Projection: 7th-Free Agent

Our take: Had Glenn been a linebacker under Bo Pelini for four years, he would possess the seasoning and smarts he’ll need to overcome his average speed and lack of height in the NFL. But Glenn only got one year, and that was cut short by injuries and a still-mysterious suspension. He’s a natural playmaker who instinctively plays the run pretty well, especially on outside edge plays. Decent pursuer of the ball. Likes playing defense. Glenn remains raw and unpolished, and will need to prove himself, for at least one year, on special teams.

Receiver Nate Swift: 6-2, 203, 4.64
Ranked: No. 62, No. 46, 3.10 (“free agent”)
Round Projection: Free Agent

Our take: With a couple years of learning some crafty moves on how to get open, Swift could become a decent NFL receiver, because he’s excellent after the catch and pretty comfortable making the tough grab, too. Swift runs solid routes and blocks well. His weakness is simple: As a slot receiver – and that’s what he’ll have to be in the NFL it’s all about slipping into space and getting open. Can Swift beat an NFL cornerback or linebacker doing that?

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