It’s been announced that USC junior running back Joe McKnight has decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2010 NFL Draft. McKnight, who has been compared to former Trojan Reggie Bush, carried the ball 164 times for 1,014 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.

McKnight enters the draft as one of the most talented players in the country. I’d expect to see him workout well, as his strengths are his speed, quickness, and explosive play. With recent controversy surrounding McKnight and how he ended up at USC, it’s no surprise that he decided to jump to the NFL as soon as he could. I have McKnight rated as a late-first to early-second round pick.

I’ve updated my rankings at the running back position where I have McKnight ranked third, behind Cal’s Jahvid Best and ahead of Fresno State’s Ryan Mathews. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for updated information on the 2010 NFL Draft!

Central Michigan junior wide receiver Antonio Brown has declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Brown is a smaller wideout who is explosive and excels at playing in the slot. He also offers the team that drafts him value as a returner.

I have Brown ranked as a mid-round pick. Coming from Central Michigan won’t help for exposure purposes, however, NFL scouts certainly have their eye on him. The Combine is going to be key; he has the chance to impress scouts with his great speed and athleticism, which is exactly what will get him drafted. At the next level, he’ll be a playmaker out of the slot.

I’ve updated my receiver rankings to show the change. I have Brown ranked 18th, behind Michigan State’s Blair White and ahead of Kansas’ Kerry Meier. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for more updated news and notes.

Virginia Tech junior defensive end Jason Worilds has declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Worilds, who finished the year with 49 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4½ sacks, is the third underclassman to declare at the defensive end position.

Worilds is a talented player who has the combination of size and speed that could make him versatile at the next level. He could play end or outside linebacker in the NFL. I have Worilds rated as a second-to-third round pick. The Combine will be key for him this offseason.

I’ve updated my player rankings with Worilds slotted behind Ole Miss’ Greg Hardy and ahead of N.C. State’s Willie Young, as my seventh-ranked defensive end. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for updated news and notes surrounding the 2010 NFL Draft.

In a very surprising turn of events, Ole Miss junior quarterback Jevan Snead has made his intentions known that he will enter the 2010 NFL Draft. Snead, who threw for 2,632 yards, 20 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions, was expected by most to return for his senior year after having a junior season that fell short of high expectations.

If you’ve been following my site since the beginning of the season, you’d know that I had Snead rated as my top quarterback heading into the year. Snead, in my opinion, still is a top quarterback, talent-wise. Mentally, he has taken a major step back and has lost confidence in himself as a quarterback. His lack of confidence is shown in his 20 interceptions thrown this year. His lack of elite success also has something to do with a shaky offensive line and a receiving core that lacks an elite wideout.

With no elite option at the quarterback position this year, Snead must have felt that he had a better chance of going high in 2010 than he would in 2011, when he would have to compete with Washington’s Jake Locker and Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett. I personally think that Snead could definitely use another year in school and I’d be shocked if the team that drafted him even considered starting him next year. He has the tools of a first round pick, but there’s no doubt that he needs to sit on the bench for at least one year as he develops at the next level.

I’ve updated my player rankings where I have Snead ranked behind Texas’ Colt McCoy and ahead of Florida’s Tim Tebow. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for more news and notes!

It’s being reported that both Iowa offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga and South Florida defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul have both declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Bulaga is a large, powerful tackle who reminds some scouts of former Wisconsin offensive tackle Joe Thomas. He ranks as one of the top tackles in this year’s draft and he has the tools and skills needed to develop into a franchise left tackle at the next level.

Pierre-Paul is a talented, but very raw junior who lacks experience, having entered the draft after just one year of play in college. Pierre-Paul has the talent to play at the next level, however with the amount of question marks that he has, he has a chance to be a bust if he is drafted higher than he should go. I have him rated as maybe a late-first rounder, but more likely as a second-round pick.

I’ve updated my position rankings at the offensive tackle and defensive end positions. I have Bulaga ranked second behind Oklahoma State’s Russell Okung and ahead of Rutgers’ Anthony Davis. At end, I also have Pierre-Paul ranked second, behind USC’s Everson Griffen and ahead of Michigan’s Brandon Graham. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for updated declarations!

It’s been announced that Ohio State junior defensive end/outside linebacker Thaddeus Gibson and Oklahoma junior cornerback Dominique Franks have both declared for the 2010 NFL Draft.

Gibson is a natural athlete on defense who has experience playing both defensive end and outside linebacker in college. He’s still a bit raw as a prospect and I believe that he could have used another year in college. However, I’d expect to see Gibson work out well at the Combine. His best fit at the next level will very likely come as an outside linebacker in either the 4-3 or 3-4. At just 240 lbs, he isn’t quite big enough to play defensive end. I have Gibson rated as a third-or-fourth round pick.

Franks is another talented underclassman at the cornerback position who is taking advantage of the fact that the senior cornerback class is weak this year. Franks has the combination of size and athleticisim to develop into a shutdown cornerback at the next level. If he works out well, Franks could sneak into the late-first round, however I have him rated as a second-or-third round pick.

I’ve updated my position rankings at outside linebacker and cornerback. I have Gibson ranked behind South Carolina’s Eric Norwood and ahead of Florida State’s Dekoda Watson. At cornerback, I have Franks ranked behind Michigan’s Donovan Warren and ahead of Cal’s Syd’Quan Thompson. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for updated news and notes. With the deadline for underclassmen to declare just 10 days away, this is one of the busiest times of the year at Draft Headquarters!

I had the chance to get ahold of Georgia safety Reshad Jones and he told me that he plans on entering the 2010 NFL Draft and he also thinks his teammate, linebacker Rennie Curran, will as well. Media outlets are now reporting that Curran will indeed also enter the draft.

Reshad Jones is a talented and athletic safety who has played a few different roles in his career in Athens. He has experience as a free safety, playing a center-field type of position for them, whereas this year, he moved up closer to the line and played more strong safety for them. The Combine will be the biggest measuring point for Jones, who I have ranked as a second-or-third round safety who could go higher if he works out well.

Curran is the type of player who isn’t going to “wow” you with his measurables, but he’s scrappy and he gets the job done. At 5-11, Curran isn’t the biggest linebacker and that’s one thing that scouts at the next level are going to be concerned about. I also have Curran rated as a second-or-third round pick.

I’ve updated my position rankings for safety and outside linebacker. I have Jones rated behind USC’s Taylor Mays and ahead of South Florida’s Nate Allen. At linebacker, I have Curran rated behind Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon and ahead of South Carolina’s Eric Norwood. Continue to check back for the latest news regarding the 2010 NFL Draft.

I’ve received word that Penn State junior outside linebacker Navarro Bowman and Florida junior tight end Aaron Hernandez are submitting their names in the 2010 NFL Draft. Bowman has already declared, while Hernandez will be making the announcement very soon.

Bowman is an athletic linebacker who could potentially be the highest linebacker drafted from Penn State out of the number of recent high-profile players that they’ve sent to the NFL (Paul Posluszny, Dan Connor, Sean Lee this year). Bowman has excellent speed and is an extremely instinctive player. He has the chance to go in the first round if he works out well at the NFL Comine.

Hernandez is one of the most athletically-gifted players in the 2010 draft, and from sources that I’ve spoken with, they antipicate him putting on a show at the upcoming Combine. With that said, he is also coming from a spread offense and will need to adjust to a pro-style offense. However, on his talent and athleticism alone, Hernandez also has a chance of sneaking into the late-first round.

I’ve updated my position rankings at the outside linebacker and tight end positions. I currently have Bowman rated behind Texas’ Sergio Kindle and ahead of Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon. At tight end, I have Hernandez ranked behind Oklahoma’s Jermaine Gresham and ahead of USC’s Anthony McCoy. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for the most up-to-the-second coverage of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Florida junior cornerback Joe Haden has declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Haden, who is the top cornerback eligible for the 2010 draft, could go as high as the Top 10 in April’s draft. Haden is the second cornerback to declare for the draft, following the declaration made by Donovan Warren of Michigan.

Haden is a physical cornerback who shadows his receiver as well as any corner in the country. He’s an active player in the run game and he finished the 2009 season with 57 tackles, three sacks, and four interception.

I’ve updated my player rankings to show the change, where Joe Haden is occupying the top spot in my cornerback rankings. Continue to check back for updated news on which underclassmen are going to declare. The deadline for them to declare is just under two weeks away on January 15th.

It is being reported that California junior running back Jahvid Best has declared for the 2010 NFL Draft. Best, who missed the final four games of his team’s season with a concussion and neck injury, will be one of the top running backs on the board in the 2010 draft.

Best rushed for a total of 867 yards and 12 touchdowns on 141 carries good for a 6.1-yard average in just nine games this year. Best is an explosive back with outstanding speed and elusiveness and has the potential to be a starting running back in the NFL in the mold of Chris Johnson of the Tennessee Titans.

I’ve updated my player rankings at the running back position to show the change. I have Best ranked second at running back behind C.J. Spiller of Clemson and ahead of Ryan Mathews of Fresno State. Continue to check back at Draft Headquarters for updated declarations.