NFL Draft 2009: Risers and Sliders

Week 11 in the college football season saw the surprises continue as yet another highly ranked team suffered its first loss. Away from the scoreboard, lesser known prospects, including several underclassmen, are starting to build a buzz based on terrific play. At the same time, skill players who came into the season with impressive credentials are watching their draft stock drop as they fail to meet expectations on the field.

Shonn Greene/RB/Iowa: He came out of nowhere this season and continues to impress scouts. Undeterred by an ankle injury, the junior was instrumental in Iowa's upset victory over Penn State, accounting for 117 yards rushing and a pair of touchdowns. His combination of size (5-10, 225) and ball-carrying skills will position him in the draft's initial two rounds when he leaves for the NFL.

Jared Cook/TE/South Carolina: The 6-4, 240-pound junior is establishing himself as one of the best tight ends Steve Spurrier has ever coached, which is saying a lot. If he opts for the draft, he could be a top 60 selection.

Rafael Priest/CB/TCU: The junior has watched his game take off the past two years and is one of the best kept secrets in the scouting community. Priest leads a secondary that ranks second in the Mountain West in pass defense. He has true shutdown skills and is poised to be a top 45 pick.

Corey Wootton/DE/Northwestern: An impressive 6-6 lineman, Wootton has improved by leaps and bounds this season. He's a relentless pass rusher that who amassed 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks through 10 games. The junior offers the skill and body type to be a first-round choice in the very near future.

Darius Passmore/WR/Marshall: The Thundering Herd has put a number of solid pass catchers in the NFL. Randy Moss among the most notable. Passmore will continue that tradition. Scouts, who graded Passmore as a late-round pick coming into the season, think the sure-handed wideout will likely be drafted in the middle rounds based on his sensational senior campaign.

Coye Francies/CB/San Jose State: He is making a successful return after sitting out last season after transferring from Oregon State. He's a well-sized cornerback who has team's throwing away from him. Francies is already on the list to attend several important postseason All-Star games.

Devin Moore/RB/Wyoming: The Cowboys primary ballcarrier is putting up career numbers. He has broken the century mark rushing for the first time, averaging 5.3 yards on 213 carries. Many in the scouting community have compared Moore, who is also the team's kick returner, to Leon Washington of the New York Jets.

SLEEPER ALERT:Corey Boudreaux/S/San Diego State: He has stood out for the Aztecs in what has been another dismal season. The former walk-on receiver leads the team in tackles., combining linebacker size with defensive back speed to intimidate ball handlers. He's perfectly suited to be a strong safety/special teams player in the NFL.

James Davis/RB/Clemson: Davis entered the season ranked as the top senior running back by NFL scouting services, but his play has been disappointing. He'll far short of the 1,000-yard rushing milestone that he achieved the two previous seasons. He's presenting himself as a one-speed, one-cut ball carrier who shows little in the way of creating his own yardage.

Gregg Carr/WR/Florida State: He was looked upon as a special talent after a terrific freshman season. Now the former potential early-round pick is in the midst of another disappointing season and may go undrafted.

Ian Johnson/RB/Boise State: His role has diminished this season, thus his draft stock is taking a beating. He's on pace to rush for 730 yards, far below the 1,040 from his junior season and the 1,714 yards his sophomore season. His measly 11 receptions are also disappointing.

DeAngelo Willingham/CB/Tennessee: He was initially rated as a potential top 100 pick because he has the size/speed numbers scouts desire in a starting corner. But he been beaten by opponents all year, his play resembling a practice squad player.

• Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo missed the Baylor game with a sprained knee he suffered against Texas Tech. As a result, NFL scouts missed out on a matchup they were looking forward to watching. Orakpo, who has done well against top competition this season, was set to face offensive tackle Jason Smith, which would've been the Longhorn's biggest test in 2008. Both are expected to be invited to the Senior Bowl, yet it remains to be seen if Orakpo accepts.

• I try not to be redundant with the names mentioned as risers and sliders each week and do my best to mention as many players as possible. These opinions are based on conversations with NFL scouts, league insiders as well as my own personal film observation. But I would be remiss if I did not mention Rashad Johnson of Alabama once again.

The safety was a Week 5 riser and he comes off a stunning performance against LSU. Johnson picked off three passes on Saturday and the Crimson Tide converted all his turnovers into points. This included Johnson returning one 54 yards for a touchdown. Given a mid-round grade at the season's start, Johnson is playing as well as any other safety in the nation. With his draft stock on fire, he is likely to end up in the initial 45 selections.