In tonight's Allstate Sugar Bowl, the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Ohio St. Buckeyes will feature a good number of NFL draft prospects, though not all of them will be in this year's draft. The highest rated player in this game, according to Mocking the Draft's Top 200 Prospects, is Ohio State's Cameron Heyward at No. 11. He is a 6-foot-6, 288-pound defensive end who had 42 tackles (9.5 for a loss) and 2.5 sacks. SB Nation's latest 2011 NFL mock draft has Heyward going 17th overall to the New England Patriots. Unless he wows scouts during his workouts, Heyward won't be high on the Denver Broncos' draft board.
Two other Buckeyes who will be worth keeping an eye on for the 2012 draft are quarterback Terrelle Pryor and wide receiver DeVier Posey. Both are underclassmen who will return next season and miss the first five games to serve a suspension for receiving preferential treatment.
For Arkansas, quarterback Ryan Mallett is Mocking the Draft's No. 19 prospect and is selected 21st overall in SB Nation mock draft (links above). At 6-foot-7, 238-pounds, Mallett stands above most of his peers. Also, he threw for 3,592 yards and 30 touchdowns entering tonight's game. Mallett's tight end, D.J. Williams, is MTD's 49th overall prospect and racked up 589 yards and four touchdowns in 2010.
Visit Mocking the Draft for more on players in the Sugar Bowl as well the draft in general.