NFL Draft look

Here is a quick rundown on what's in store the next two days.

Donald Brown
Position: Running back
School: UConn
Hometown: Atlantic Highlands, N.J.
Draft projections: Late first round to early second round.
Comment: Brown is considered one of the top three backs in the NFL
Draft slotted third behind Chris Wells of Ohio State and Knowsho
Moreno on Georgia. Brown is a strong candidate to get taken in the
20s. Possible landing spots include the Patriots at 21, the Eagles at
23 and potentially Cardinals at 31. If he isn’t a first round pick,
he isn’t expected to last long in the second round. Brown rushed for
2,083 yards this season and is the Huskies’ all-time leading rusher
with 3,800 yards.

Darius Butler
Position: Cornerback
School: UConn
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Draft projections: First round to high second round.
Comment: Butler possess great speed and closing ability and could be
the first UConn player drafted in the mid first round. Projections
have Butler as high as teens to a low of the early rounds. May be the
best pure athlete UConn has produced. Generally listed as one of the
top five cornerbacks in the draft. Cousin of Ravens running back
Willis McGahee. Patriots watched intently at pro day and he recently
visited the Vikings.

Cody Brown
Position: Defensive end-Linebacker
School: UConn
Hometown: Coral Springs, Fla.
Draft projections: late second round to late third round.
Comment: Brown was a defensive end for the Huskies and had 10 ½ sacks
as a senior, but he projects as a pass rushing outside linebacker in
a 3-4 scheme at 6-3 250 pounds. Brown has explosive ability to get to
the quarterback and has shown an ability to drop into coverage. With
more teams moving to 3-4 fronts on defense. Outside
linebackers/defensive end hybrids like Brown are in much higher
demand.

Will Beatty
Position: Left tackle
School: UConn
Hometown: York, Pa.
Draft projections: second round.
Comment: Beatty is a late bloomer who had only one other college
offer coming out of high school. He has excellent size at 6-7, 290
pounds, but it is his athletic ability and footwork that has caught
scouts’ attention. Beatty has to improve his upper body strength, but
has the footwork and athletic ability to become a franchise caliber
left tackle. Left tackles are in high demand. Eight were taken in the
first round last year and five are expected this year. Beatty would
follow soon thereafter.

Julius Williams
Position: Defensive end-linebacker
School: UConn
Hometown: Decator, Ga.
Draft projections: sixth round to seventh round.
Comment: Williams is a major riser in the draft after a stunning
workout at UConn’s pro day. Williams, a converted linebacker, figures
to mirror Brown, 6-2 260 pounds benched press 225 pounds 36 times at
the pro day and had a 42 inch vertical leap. He may have moved
himself into late round consideration and could be converted back to
linebacker in a 3-4 system.

Dahna Deleston
Position: Strong safety-linebacker
School: UConn
Hometown: East Hartford
Draft projections: Late sixth and seventh round to priority free agent
Comment: Deleston has come on with his workouts and at 6-1 217 pounds
with 4.45 speed is a big, fast and athletic hard-hitting safety. He
is best when he is in run support and teams like his versatility and
ability to play special teams. He is more of a hybrid between safety
and outside linebacker and his best bet to make a team will be
special teams. Deleston has talked extensively with the Jaguars who
hold four picks in the sixth and seventh rounds. The Patriots also
have 11 picks in the seven round draft and are interested.

Area players

Kory Sheets
Position: Running back
School: Purdue
Hometown: Manchester
Draft projections: Middle round draft pick.
Comment: Sheets had a productive senior season with the Boilermakers
with 1,131 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also was a threat out of the
backfield with 37 catches. Sheets is 5-11 and had the third fastest
time among running backs at the combine. Sheets can be used as a kick
returner and has speed and game-breaking ability. He could be
anywhere from a third round pick to late in the draft.

Chris Baker
Position: Defensive lineman
School: Hampton
Hometown: Windsor
Draft projections: middle to late round draft pick
Comment: Baker, 6-3 320 pounds, had a stellar season at Hampton after
transferring in from Penn St in the fall. At Hampton, Baker had 69
tackles and 8½ sacks with 16½ tackles for a loss. He projects as a
3-4 defensive end or a defensive tackle in a 4-3 system. Baker came
out a year early from the draft.

Terrance Knighton
Position: NT
School: Temple
Hometown: Windsor
Draft projections: Seventh round pick to priority free agent
Comment: Knighton had a solid career at Temple, but is still raw and
has plenty of room to develop. Knighton is 6-4 at 307 pounds and is
projected to play the nose tackle in a 3-4 defense. Knighton has
tremendous strength and athletic ability and with his combination of
size and strength could turn into a steal late. Knighton had 54
tackles last year for the Owls.