Skip to main content

Plenty of first-round hopefuls among draft attendees

A record 26 prospects will be in attendance when the NFL holds its 77th Annual National Football League Player Selection Meeting.

Sorry ... the NFL draft.

Each attending player can conceivably go in the first round, which will add an extra level of intrigue to the proceedings. Nobody wants to be the awkwardly-sitting-in-the-green-room guy, making the journey to Radio City Music Hall a potential ego minefield.

Of course, let's not get too melodramatic about this. All 26 players are in great position to have long and lucrative NFL careers. They also get to have their really expensive suits shot in HD and aired live on NFL Network (shameless corporate plug).

No sign of Brock Osweiler, the polarizing ASU quarterback who told NFL.com two weeks ago he wasn't sure he'd accept an invite. Osweiler said he might want to stay home and be around friends and family (though we're sure the fact some draftniks have him sitting on the board until Saturday had something to do with his ultimate decision).

Who's a mortal lock to be shaking hands with Roger Goodell on Thursday night? Who will be all dressed up with nothing to do but sit? Check out the list below and tell us what you think.

(Free hint: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III will never know the pain of Brady Quinn.)

The complete list of attendees:

  1. Mark Barron, S, Alabama
    1. Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State
    2. Michael Brockers, DT, Louisiana State
    3. Morris Claiborne, CB, Louisiana State
    4. Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina
    5. Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi State
    6. Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford
    7. Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame
    8. Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina
    9. Cordy Glenn, OT, Georgia
    10. Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
    11. Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama
    12. Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech
    13. Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
    14. Matt Kalil, OT, Southern California
    15. Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
    16. Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
    17. Shea McClellin, LB, Boise State
    18. Nick Perry, DE, Southern California
    19. Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis
    20. Rueben Randle, WR, Louisiana State
    21. Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
    22. Devon Still, DT, Penn State
    23. Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M
    24. Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama
    25. Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor