When LSU takes the field against the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Allstate Sugar Bowl, more than 20 players will be playing their last games as members of the LSU football team. According to National Football League draft analyst Mike Detillier, several Tigers will have a chance to continue their football careers in the NFL. Detillier said as many as 10 Tigers could be taken by NFL teams, with as many as four going in the first round. “When you look at the number of potential first-rounders, this is unprecedented for LSU,” he said. Junior quarterback JaMarcus Russell is the player Detillier believes is the most impressive NFL prospect if he decides to forego his senior season and enter the NFL draft. “He’s going to go to the NFL advisory board, and they’re going to give him a first-round rating,” he said. “He could easily run up the boards much like Vince Young did last year and be a top-10 selection.” NFL draft expert and former NFL scout Chris Landry has Russell rated a 7.2, which classifies Russell as a player with superstar potential at the next level. Both Landry and Detillier also agreed Russell’s two top receivers, seniors Craig Davis and Dwayne Bowe, should hear their names called early on draft day. Bowe is listed as the No. 2 senior wide receiver on Detillier’s draft board, but he said Bowe might be the fifth receiver taken on draft day. “Dwayne’s biggest competition will come from the juniors who declare early,” he said. “Calvin Johnson from Georgia Tech and Ted Ginn Jr. from Ohio State and Dwayne Jarrett from USC can all bump him down a little bit, but Dwayne still will probably be a late first-round or early second-round selection.” ESPN.com NFL draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has Bowe listed as the No. 16 player on his list of the top players in the country. Detillier said Davis will be a late second-round selection or early third-round selection because teams like his punt-returning capabilities. Senior safety LaRon Landry is expected to be the first Tiger taken on defense. The senior safety is Kiper’s No. 8 rated player in the country and his No. 1 safety. Many people questioned LaRon Landry’s decision to play his senior season, but Detillier said he made the right move. “LaRon couldn’t declare last year, because he wasn’t healthy and couldn’t run for the scouts,” he said. “All of the people who say that he should have come out last year don’t understand the NFL.” Another player who could be taken very early if he decides to forego his senior season is junior defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey is currently listed by Kiper as the No. 1 junior defensive tackle in the country. Detillier said he agrees with Kiper’s assessment of Dorsey’s potential. “I’ve seen every defensive tackle in the country in college football, and he and Michigan’s Alan Branch are the two best,” he said. “I think that Glenn could be looking at being selected in the first 15 picks if he chooses to come out.” Like Russell, Dorsey also scored higher than 7.1 on Chris Landry’s rating system, placing him in the future superstar category. Several other players will be drafted in the late rounds, according to Detillier. Senior defensive end Chase Pittman is expected to be a late-round selection, but Detillier said he will be an impact player if he is drafted into the right system. “Chase is such a great effort player, like former Tiger Melvin Oliver,” he said. “He is solid against the run and is a solid pass rusher.” Senior safety Jessie Daniels is projected to go in the sixth or seventh round to be used primarily as a special teams defender. “[Jesse] got a tough break because of the injuries,” Detillier said. “I think he’ll run decent for the scouts, but he’s not a real big safety.” Senior running back Justin Vincent is a notable name not being mentioned. The 2003 National Championship game Most Valuable Player will likely have to sign as an undrafted free agent if he expects to make an NFL roster. “He’s an all-purpose player who can catch the ball well out of the backfield,” Detillier said. “For whatever reason, he just has never been quite the same since the big freshman season.”
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