With the opening of free agency stealing the limelight, there isn’t much draft news to report this week, other than wrap-ups from the Combine. Here’s some news that I was able to gather up:

- Draft Guys TV did a great piece on Ohio cornerback Mark Parson and how he wasn’t invited to the Combine. Parson, who is training with Deion Sanders and Prime U, will, from what I’ve been told, be flying to Indianapolis on Tuesday for a private workout with the Colts.

- Tight end Kellen Winslow was traded from the Browns to the Buccaneers yesterday for undisclosed draft picks. However, from what I’ve heard, those picks are a second round pick in the 2009 draft and a fifth round pick in 2010.

- Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry talks about his lunch last week with the Detroit Lions.

- Penn State wide receiver Deon Butler talks about his outstanding workout at the Combine last weekend.

- LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson could be an option for the Chicago Bears with the No. 18 pick.

I’ve finished updating the rest of my rankings. The guards, centers, defensive tackles, ends, linebackers, defensive backs, and specialists have all been updated.

- One big newsworthy event in college football was that on Monday Syracuse defensive tackle Arthur Jones tore his pectoral muscle. Jones will be required to have surgery on the injury next week. Jones is one of the top defensive linemen who will be eligible for the 2010 draft. A senior next year, Jones was named All-Big East after his junior season.

- USC kicker David Buehler’s outstanding performance at the Combine could make him to be a lock to be drafted in April.

- Ohio State’s Donald Washington may have raised his draft stock more than any other defensive back at this year’s combine.

- Tom Brandstater is another player who had a successful workout in Indianapolis.

- San Jose State’s Coye Francies has learned from past mistakes in college.

Sorry for not updating last night. I had to catch a flight home right after the Combine and had no chance to spend a few minutes and update the site. I’ll begin with my thoughts from the d-backs yesterday and end with some news. Lastly, while I’d like to do it, I’m not going to update my mock draft yet. With free agency beginning on Friday, it’d be pointless to do a mock draft when everything will change in less than 48 hours.

Malcolm Jenkins – Don’t believe everything that you read in the media. Jenkins had a good workout yesterday. I expected him to run in the 4.5’s and according to my stopwatch, he was at a 4.53. He did well in the positional drills and even did better than Vontae Davis when they were head to head in the final drill of their workout. Obviously you’d like to see him run faster, but he’s not a burner at corner and never has been. He was a great college cornerback; you can’t just change into being a mediocre one in an offseason because half of the media reporting on it have no idea what they’re talking about. What bugs me is when football websites who have no history of scouting football players begin suggesting that he must move to safety. He’ll remain my top cornerback entering the draft. Even if he does move to safety, you think he’s not better than Louis Delmas or Rashad Johnson? Come on.

Vontae Davis had a very good workout as well. He showed great athleticism with excellent speed and quickness. His change of direction skills were also extremely impressive. Alphonso Smith is neck and neck with Davis for being the No. 2 corner off the board. There are some off the field questions that scouts have brought up with Davis which is why I still will have Smith rated No. 2.

A couple of corners who I thought looked great were Lardarious Webb of Nicholls State and Morgan Trent of Michigan. Both really impressed me and should be drafted on Day 2.

Now for some news:

- It turns out that Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin won’t need an MRI on his injured knee.

- Alabama’s Andre Smith will be under consideration by the 49ers if he makes it to the tenth overall pick.

- Weighing in at just 6′1 may have hurt Everette Brown’s stock a bit.

- Glen Coffee, who I said may be one of the most underrated players in the draft, had a very nice workout on Sunday and has helped to raise his draft stock.

Today is the last day of the Combine in Indianapolis. I’ll be heading home following this afternoon’s workouts and will be hitting the homestretch in my work of the 2009 Draft Preview.

Also, I’ve updated my quarterback, running back, fullback, wide receiver, tight end, and offensive tackle rankings. I’m hoping to finish the rest of them up later this week once I get back.

- Of all the players working out today, the player with the most to lose and gain is Ohio State’s Malcolm Jenkins. He’s the one player that I’ll be keeping an eye on. I’m also interested in seeing what Vontae Davis and Alphonso Smith run in the 40.

- With Aaron Curry’s outstanding workout yesterday, he’s now one of the favorites to be the first player selected. A few months ago I suggested that this could happen, however that was also when Andre Smith was at the peak of his game. As the safest pick in this year’s draft, it’d be tough to pass on him when your team didn’t win a single game last season.

- According to SI.com’s Tony Pauline, “there’s a lot of concern in Indianapolis regarding [Rey] Maualuga’s well-being and some of the decisions he’s made in the past few months. He was once considered a top 10pick but is falling to the end portion of round one.”

- On Sunday, Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin suffered what is thought to be a hyper extended left knee.

- Miami could look at receiver with the No. 25 pick in the draft.

Today featured three exciting workouts. The defensive linemen had a few players who really did a good job of raising their draft stock. Here are my thoughts from today’s workouts:

It’s going to be a very close race at defensive end between Everette Brown, Aaron Maybin, and Brian Orakpo. Maybin had an outstanding performance today and really looked like a “man among boys.” Brown showed off his athleticism with one of the best 40’s of the day, as well as showing excellent explosiveness and quickness. Orakpo looked good, but not great in drills, but then was lost for the rest of the workout with an injury.

Connor Barwin, the converted tight end, was one of the top defensive lineman in workouts today. His 40 was excellent and he continued his great workout into the positional drills. Between the Senior Bowl and today’s workout, he could be in the conversation once the second round starts up.

Cody Brown from UConn and Victor Butler from Oregon State both really impressed me today. They are both athletic defensive ends who could make the jump to linebacker at the next level.

Larry English looked good, but he didn’t do anything to “wow” me. I have him graded as a second round pick.

Jarron Gilbert’s workout was good. He’s big guy at 6′5, 280. For him to run in the 4.7’s is terrific! His stock is as high as anyone’s and he’s got to be looked at in the late-first to early-second round now.

Lawrence Sidbury blew the scouts away when he ran in the 4.5’s today. A very good pass rusher, Sidbury has clearly raised his stock and could be in the conversation towards the beginning of Day 2.

My unofficial results from today’s first group:

Robert Ayers – 4.81, 4.85
Chris Baker – 4.94, 4.97
Connor Barwin – 4.59, 4.60
Michael Bennett – 5.00, 5.00
Demonte Bolden – 4.88, 5.04
Ron Brace – 5.44, 5.57
Cody Brown – 4.75, 4.75
Everette Brown – 4.63, 4.62
Victor Butler – 4.75
Rulon Davis – 4.97, 4.94
Will Davis – 4.81, 4.87
Pannel Egboh – 4.90, 4.87
Larry English – 4.84, 4.82
Maurice Evans – 5.00, 5.06
Jarron Gilbert – 4.75, 4.91
Adrian Grady – 5.16, 5.19
Sonny Harris – 5.09, 4.94
Sammie Hill – 5.09, 5.13
Ziggy Hood – 4.87, 4.88
Corey Irvin – 4.97, 4.94
Tyson Jackson – 4.88, 4.90
Tim Jamison – 5.03, 5.03

Today’s workouts will feature the two groups of defensive linemen and the one group of linebackers. I’ll also head downstairs to the bench press room where the defensive backs will be lifting. Now for some news:

- 49ers beat writer Matt Maiocco feels that Michael Oher and Rey Maualuga could be two options for San Francisco with the tenth pick in the draft.

- Darrius Heyward-Bey could be an option for the Bears at No. 18.

- Matthew Stafford, Eugene Monroe, and Jason Smith are the three most likely options with the first pick in the draft.

- Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill shed an impressive 15 lbs leading up to the Combine.

- Derrick Williams toughed it out and ran the 40 yesterday despite having the flu.

- Boston College’s B.J. Raji talks about being a game changer.

- Like I’ve said before, Aaron Curry would be a safe pick for the Lions at No. 1 overall.

Today was a pretty eventful day at the Combine. With the quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs working out, and the defensive linemen and linebackers lifting, it was a pretty busy day. Here are my notes and thoughts:

When you take a look at which quarterbacks had the best day, you have to start with West Virginia’s Pat White. White clearly has worked on his throwing skills as a quarterback this offseason. He looked better today throwing the ball than I’ve ever seen him and was considerably improved from the Senior Bowl. With his athleticism (4.50 second 40) and improved throwing skills, White could be in the conversation at the end of Day 1. He’s a perfect fit for the wildcat offense at the next level.

USC’s Mark Sanchez and Kansas State’s Josh Freeman were both under close eye today. They both looked good, but didn’t do anything to “wow” the scouts. Neither made me think that they are a Top 5 pick either, specifically Sanchez. The former Trojan quarterback has excellent footwork with great mechanics and accuracy. His arm strength was good, but not great on the deeper throws today. This is the exact opposite of Freeman. The Kansas State quarterback looked outstanding today when launching the ball 50-yards down the field. He has excellent size and he stands tall when he throws the ball. Freeman remains a late-first round to early-second round talent.

Graham Harrell was disappointing today. His accuracy was inconsistent and he continued his bad play from the Senior Bowl. Lastly, Hartwick’s Jason Boltus, a Division-III quarterback, proved why he was playing at that level. His accuracy was some of the worst that I’ve seen among draft prospects in the past couple of years. He may have been nervous today, but he sure wasn’t impressive.

The running backs clearly aren’t as fast this year as they were last year. Among them, Mike Goodson showed great quickness and hands in a few of the drills. Ian Johnson has some of the best hands among running backs that I’ve seen in the past few years. Beanie Wells is a lot bigger in person when you see him up close. I was on the field for his and Knowshon Moreno’s 40-yard dash, but neither of them impressed me like Darren McFadden did when I was on the field for his 40 last year. I’m telling you, Glen Coffee may be one of the most underrated players in this year’s draft.

For the wide receivers, there were three smaller guys that looked good today: Mike Thomas, Mike Wallace, and Johnny Knox. Each of them should be drafted after their workouts today. Thomas and Wallace both carried over their excellent performances from the Senior Bowl last month. I’m a big fan of Cal-Poly’s Ramses Barden. This kid is a legit 6-6 and he ran the 40 in 4.59 seconds on my unofficial time. He has some of the longest arms and biggest hands of any player at the Combine too. I feel that he’s a third round prospect, maybe even a second round player, but he may not go that high come April. Whoever takes him is going to get a steal. Kenny Britt from Rutgers and Darrius Heyward-Bey solidified their status as late-first round picks, whereas Jeremy Maclin did nothing to impress me today and he sure isn’t the Top 10 pick that some people have him labeled as. Percy Harvin ran a good 40, but didn’t do any drills.

Brian Cushing, as I predicted this morning, tied with Kaluka Maiava and Marcus Freeman for the most reps among the linebackers. He actually had 32, but they took two reps away for not locking out and for bouncing the bar off his chest. Among the defensive linemen, Terrance Taylor led the pack with 38 reps. Ziggy Hood put up a legit 34 reps and Ron Brace’s 32 were very solid. Brace’s teammate B.J. Raji looked good with 33 reps as well. Roy Miller from Texas is a built defensive tackle and he put up 36. One of my most impressive players of the weekend so far is Hawaii defensive end David Veikune who put up 35 reps on the bench. At just 257 lbs, his 35 reps were outstanding.

I can already promise that my rankings and mock draft are both going to be changed pretty significantly come next week. Continue to check back for more information.

As the wide receivers in Group 1 were running fly routes, Missori’s Jeremy Maclin tripped and went down to the turf. From where I’m sitting it looked like a knee injury. It didn’t look serious, but he was walking very gingerly and needed two trainers to help assist him off the field.

Update: Maclin is up and fine and has continued his workout with the other receivers.