The Big 12 features 5 to 7 of the best NFL prospects in the nation. If all of these juniors decide to enter the 2010 NFL Draft, they will dominate the headlines. The Big 12 is in for one of the most exciting seasons in conference history. This list doesn’t even include some great college players like Kansas QB Todd Reesing and WR Kerry Meier. Here are the Big 12’s Top Ten NFL Prospects:

1. Sam Bradford 6′5″ 225 QB Oklahoma Junior

The second consecutive Heisman Trophy winner to return to college football, Bradford is far and away the best quarterback prospect in the nation. He combines great size with a cannon arm and was smart enough to return to Oklahoma after realizing he wasn’t ready for the NFL in 2009. It will be hard to put up better stats than Bradford did last season but there is no doubt Bradford has improved as an NFL prospect. He’ll be the #1 prospect in the 2010 NFL Draft.

2. Gerald McCoy 6′4″ 300 DT Oklahoma Junior

Bradford isn’t the only great NFL prospect on the Sooner roster. Actually, McCoy is probably one of his biggest threats to overtake him as the #1 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft depending on who gets the pick. McCoy has great size, but so does everybody in the Big 12. What separates McCoy is his ability to stuff the run and get to the passer with explosive movements and his powerful leg drive. NFL scouts love McCoy’s ability to clog the middle and see him as someone they can build a defense around.

3. Dez Bryant 6′2″ 220 WR Oklahoma State Junior

It is hard to determine how well a wide receiver’s skill set will translate in the NFL but Bryant gives us every reason to believe he will succeed at the next level. Bryant has tremendous leaping ability, catches the ball at its highest point and runs good enough routes to burn defensive backs with both his precision and speed. He is a dangerous return man as well, so any team looking to for an immediate return on their investment play him as a return man.

4. Ndamukong Suh 6′4″ 300 DT Nebraska Senior

With similar size as McCoy, Suh will give him a run as the best defensive tackle in the conference and the country in 2009. Suh explodes off the ball and protect against the run. He had 12 tackles against Kansas while fighting off double teams and made QB Todd Reesing uncomfortable all game long. He’ll make NFL QBs feel the same heat next season after being taken within the top 10 picks.

5. Colt McCoy 6′2″ 220 QB Texas Senior

Tremendous leadership skills. Underrated athletic ability. A strong arm. The willingness to put the team before himself. What’s not to like about Colt McCoy? If it wasn’t for Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy would be in a race as the top quarterback in the 2010 Draft class with Mississippi’s Jevan Snead. Scouts are still torn over McCoy’s ability to sit in the pocket and run an NFL offense. Texas’ offense won’t give him the best chance to proof it because they need him to do so much on the ground. When it’s all said and done, the scouts will believe in McCoy and give him a lot of money.

6. Travis Lewis 6′2″ 235 LB Oklahoma Sophomore

Lewis might not be a fixture on the national scene right now but when you wake up one Sunday this September you’re going to hear his name all over the highlights on ESPN. He combines raw power and tremendous athleticism to cover sideline to sideline. He’s the best young defensive prospect in the Big 12 and it will be interesting to watch him rise over the next three years.

7. Russell Okung 6′5″ 310 OT Oklahoma State Senior

Thought of by many as the best left tackle in the nation, Okung will be an anchor for one of the most lethal offensive teams in the country. His protection of QB Zac Robinson enabled him to lead the Cowboys to a program-changing season in 2008. Bigger things will come in 2009, as Okung cements himself as a high first round pick in April.

8. Jermaine Gresham 6′6″ 260 TE Oklahoma Senior

Gresham will battle to be the top tight end taken in a potentially great tight end class. If Florida’s Aaron Hernandez and Arizona’s Rob Gronkowski decide to come out, this will be one of the best tight end classes in the past decade. Gresham is a powerful blocker but his 4.7 will play up in the NFL when he finds himself on an island with a linebacker. If your team is drafting in the second half of the first round, you don’t have a chance at Gresham.

9. Trent Williams 6′5″ 320 OT Oklahoma Senior

Williams will battle Okung from now until April for the rights to be the first offensive tackle taken in the first round. Williams is another monster of a man that is nimble enough to protect the nation’s best quarterback. His production this season will go a long way to deciding how many figures his initial NFL check has in it. Our guess is eight.

10. Sean Weatherspoon 6′1″ 245 LB Missouri Senior

Weatherspoon has been lost in the success of the Missouri offense over the last few years but with the departure of Chase Daniels, the Tigers defense will need to step up big time. Weatherspoon will be the key to their rise. He takes on blockers better than anybody in the conference and uses his 4.5 speed to track down the best athletes in the Big 12. NFL scouts will love his motor and his fourth quarter persistence. He’s got first round written all over him.
Best of the Rest
Sergio Kindle LB Texas Sr
Dezmon Briscoe WR Kansas Jr
DeMarcus Granger DT Oklahoma Sr
Brandon Carter OG Texas Tech Sr
Darrell Stuckey SS Kansas Sr
Kendall Hunter RB Oklahoma St Jr
Robert Griffin QB Baylor So
Joe Pawelek LB Baylor Sr
Perish Cox CB Oklahoma State Sr
Dominique Franks CB Oklahoma Jr
DeMarco Murray RB Oklahoma Jr
Chris Brown RB Oklahoma Sr
Jordan Shipley WR Texas Sr

Zac Robinson QB Oklahoma St Sr