UK's Lindley, Locke, others to test NFL Draft & making it to next level

by Andrew Hardison

As the 2009 college football season comes to a close, there are several Kentucky Wildcats players that stand the chance of making it to the NFL. Most are seniors, with Derrick Locke being the lone underclassmen. All of them have developed under the tutolgy of head coach Rich Brooks and have the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of several other former UK standouts. Here’s a rundown of the NFL prospects:

Zipp Duncan (Offensive Tackle)-Heralded for being underrated during his career at Kentucky, Duncan was a stalwart for the Wildcats offensive line during the 2009 season. Duncan was part of an offensive line unit that produced some of the nation’s best rushing numbers, as well as protecting the team’s quarterback. Despite injuries to UK’s starting quarterback and inexperience from another one, Duncan and teammates paved the way for guys like Derrick Locke and Randall Cobb to be successful this season.

Duncan has good footwork moving to his left, something offensive coordinator Joker Phillips did quite often throughout the season. He could probably afford to pack on some muscle to be affective in the NFL, a trait he’ll have to work on in the off-season. Duncan won’t go as high as some other Kentucky teammates headed to the NFL Draft next year, but could end up filling the void for a team through free agency if he goes undrafted.

Corey Peters (Defensive Tackle)-Peters was honored with being named to the ALL-SEC 2nd team for the 2009 season, a much deserved award for the senior from Louisville. Out of all the Kentucky seniors, Peters may have the most potential in the NFL. Rich Brooks has gotten several players of similar talent to Peters in recent years, boosting Kentucky’s 4-3 base defense.

In terms of NFL stock, he’s projected as a 5th-6th round selection. That isn’t bad considering Patriots rookie and former defensive lineman Myron Pryor went around the same time last year. Both possess similar skill sets as well. Surprising quickness, the ability to get to the quarterback, and sound tackling. Peters stands in a long line of defensive linemen from UK that have gotten a chance to play in the NFL.

Micah Johnson (Linebacker)-Johnson’s past two seasons have solidified his career at UK that looked to be a bust after his first two. His abilities are unquestionable, but it eventually came down to how much Johnson wanted to dominate during games. Johnson and fellow teammate Sam Maxwell created one of the better linebacker duos in the SEC by mid-season and started to showcase his NFL potential.

He did miss some time due to injuries in ’09, but that shouldn’t deter teams from taking a look at him in the second day of the NFL Draft. Third or fourth round is projected for Johnson which would be a testament to not only Rich Brooks’ recruiting abilities, but his ability to develop players who aren’t as heralded coming out of high-school. Johnson’s future looks promising.

Trevard Lindley (Cornerback)-The quintessential college cornerback, Lindley was garnering All-American type praise before the season started, high praise for a player coming from Rich Brooks’ program. He was selected to the All-SEC 2nd team and like Johnson, dealt with injuries throughout the season which set him back quite a bit.

Kentucky’s game against Miami (OH) saw what Lindley could do on the football field and really created some buzz on the national college football scene. His football awareness came alive as he had three deflections in the game, one of them being an interception returned for a touchdown. Lindley can create a lot of problems for quarterbacks because of his stick-like-glue mentality as a defensive back. At one point Lindley was a potential first-round draft pick. That was last year however and this year is a little different. Because of ankle injuries suffered during the season, his stock has gone down somewhat, projected now as a 2nd round choice. Once again, a testament to head coach Rich Brooks’ recruiting and development abilities.

John Conner (Fullback)-Conner may be one of the more unheralded Kentucky players in recent memory. Conner’s game was never jaw-dropping, but Rich Brooks never needed him to be. He had other players to do that for him, but guys like Locke and Cobb would never have their success without a guy like Conner. The fullback isn’t expected to go very high in next year’s draft, but that doesn’t diminish what he did for UK during his time in Lexington. Conner, along with solid offensive line play allowed Kentucky to rack up some impressive rushing totals this season, along with protecting quarterbacks Mike Hartline, Will Fidler, and Morgan Newton. Whenever Conner was out on plays, things didn’t look to run as smoothly. Whatever his future may be, an NFL might look at his willingness to solely play fullback as a positive going forward.

Sam Maxwell (Linebacker)-Maxwell is most poignantly known for his senior season heroics and ability to make statement plays in games. His versatility reminds me of current Denver Broncos standout Wesley Woodyard, in that he does many things well on the football field. Maxwell was awarded by being named to the SEC’s 2nd team and had some pretty standout numbers on the year.

He isn’t projected to move onto the NFL, but with what he did this season, his draft stock is never higher. If Maxwell can have a good Pro-Day for NFL scouts, he may begin to appear on some drafts boards being selected in the later rounds of the second day. His production this year has to have some teams looking his way.

Alfonso Smith (Running Back)-Never as prolific as former running back Rafael Little, Smith has been overshadowed by the recent play of Derrick Locke this season and an ineffective season in 2008. His numbers weren’t outstanding but he does boast some good running back qualities. He’s got the speed and size, but so do many other talented running backs coming out. The position itself is one of the harder to make a name inand Smith will have to do just that to make an impact in the NFL. Little is out of work at the moment, but has seen what it is like to get to the NFL and try and stay there. Smith could be in a similar situation, signing on with a team via free agency.

Derrick Locke (Running Back)-Rated around the 20th overall running back by most experts, Locke has submitted paperwork for the 2010 NFL Draft despite not being a senior and will decide to test the draft process. Much like Maxwell, Locke’s draft status has never been higher and he wants to utilize that fact to see where he might land in the NFL. Locke is small, but has got tremendous speed and quickness. His best sport may not even be football, where he boasts impressive numbers in track and field.

Many may question Locke’s decision, but it comes down to what’s best for him and his family. He does have a daughter and has to look into making sure a financially secure situation is available for that aspect of his life. The NFL would certainly provide that opportunity. At 5’9” and 190 lbs. Locke isn’t the biggest running back out there, but as said earlier his quickness is something to rave about. He was able to burn a lot of teams on draw plays and bubble screens, which utilized his speed to beat opponents to the sideline. If that was the case, Locke was usually gone, down the field for a touchdown. Some have said his kick returning abilities are what NFL teams would be looking at, something he excelled at while at Kentucky. No matter what happens, Locke still has the opportunity to come back for his senior season if he decides to do so.

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