Coming off a fantastic junior campaign that landed him among the nation's leaders in sacks and tackles for loss, Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry is Draft Headquarters' Sleeper of the Year for the 2011 season. Following Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams and Idaho quarterback Nathan Enderle as the top sleeper prospects for their classes, Curry enters the 2011 season with high expectations.

Sixth in the country with 12 sacks and tied for 14th with 18 tackles for loss in 2011, Curry is a prototypical end prospect for the 4-3 defense. At 6'4, 252 lbs, Curry flashes the explosion as well as the combination of size and strength that scouts desire in a defensive end prospect. Still raw from a technical standpoint, Vinny's upside and potential are both high enough that with another season like he recorded in 2010, the first round is not out of the question for the stud from Marshall.

One thing that I like most about Curry is his ability to step up when his team needs him. Despite playing in the Conference USA, Vinny's most productive games of the 2010 season came when he was playing against top competition: Ohio State (two sacks), West Virginia (two sacks), Southern Miss (two sacks). A high-motor performer with very good quickness off the ball, Curry projects as an ideal right or left end for a team that runs the 4-3 defense in the NFL.

Although his pass rush repertoire needs development and his leverage is inconsistent at times, Vinny is more than capable of beating the offensive tackle to the outside as a speed rusher off the edge. Another thing that impresses me about Curry is his ability to play the run. Not often do you see the second-leading tackler (94 tackles) on the team being a defensive end. Give credit to his motor as well as his instinctive ability to read the play in the backfield and work down the line to reach the ball carrier as he's going through the hole.

A complete prospect at the defensive end position for Marshall, Curry has everything that you look for in an up-and-coming prospect for the 2011 season, and because of this, he is Draft Headquarters' 2011 Sleeper of the Year.