Buchsbaum's top 10
(as of March 10)

1. Courtney Brown
2. Corey Simon
3. John Abraham
4. Chris Hovan
5. Shaun Ellis
6. John Engelberger
7. Steve Warren
8. Darren Howard
9. Cornelius Griffin
10. Darwin Walker

Positives: A very good athlete. Has rare quickness off the ball and Jevon Kearse-type speed. Abraham comes off the ball as if he has been shot out of a cannon and has tremendous upfield explosion. At times he shows the ability to bend the corner and turn into the quarterback. Is willing and eager. As a "Sam" ’backer, can jam or run with the tight end. Could become an impact rusher if things click for him.

Negatives: While Abraham may run like Kearse, he is no Kearse in terms of size, wingspan and playing strength. As a pass rusher, Abraham is too much of a one-move pony who rushes wide and gets pushed past the quarterback too often because at times he is not powerful enough to turn inside. Has a hard time shedding blockers if he does not win with his first move and gets wired to the blocker a lot. Did not look like a natural outside ’backer in ’99 and was a late reactor much of the time.

Summary: Has some tremendous movement skills and could develop into a big-time pass rusher if he develops a good inside counter move and some team figures out the best way to use him. Seemed to be miscast in ’99.

Positives: Has above-average size and good size potential. Looks almost skinny at 270 pounds. Has very long arms; a big, 86-inch wingspan; and great intangibles. Competes hard and prepares to win. A top athlete with tremendous explosion off the ball and balance. More refined than most college players. Has great hand use and snatches and jerks like a top pro. Has tremendous coordination for someone his size. Works his hands and feet and does everything together. Hustles and pursues. Still moves like a linebacker. Is always working to improve when he is on the practice field. Mature beyond his years.

Negatives: Could be nastier. Not quite as big as scouts would like. Has some trouble when teams double-team him and run at him.

Summary: Has the ability, character and desire to go first overall in the draft and at the very least should go in the top four picks. Brown is a lot like Rams DE Kevin Carter is now and is much better than Carter was when he came out of Florida.

Positives: A very good athlete who has enough size and size potential to play the run and enough quickness and speed to rush the passer. Has a burst off the edge and can counter back inside. Will show flashes of good strength and explosion against the run when he stays low and plays with leverage. Shows chase-down speed to the outside at times.

Negatives: Was not a consistent player in college. Had a tendency to almost disappear for long stretches. Hip injury from his auto accident could be a problem.

Summary: Will be one of the top DL prospects in the draft, provided most clubs are not concerned about his hip.

Positives: Mean, tough and nasty. Rugged and stoic. Lets his playing do his talking. Has the type of disposition and intensity scouts look for in a defensive lineman. A workout warrior with exceptional timed speed. Has been clocked as fast as 4.55 seconds in the 40. Hustles and is at his best when he does not have to sit inside but is on the move making things happen as he goes. Can play end or tackle. Seems to have a knack for blocking kicks.

Negatives: Does not play to his timed speed. Does not have great quick twitch or burst like Hokies teammate Corey Moore. Engelberger lacks outstanding foot athleticism and has too many stops and starts in his play instead of doing everything together. Is not that nifty or flexible. Tends to play too upright at times, and that hurts his playing strength. May not weigh enough to play inside on the next level.

Summary: Plays hard and generally plays well but did not dominate the way Moore did.

Positives: An above-average athlete. Is very active for an inside player and runs better than most tackles. Quick off the ball. Versatile. Can play tackle, end or on the nose. Shows a little burst. Has a spin move and is learning how to set up an offensive lineman. Has shown improvement. Will compete pretty well. Had a very good week at the Senior Bowl and capped it off by playing well in the game. Also had a very impressive Combine workout. Has enough speed to play end and enough size to play inside.

Negatives: Tends to play a little bit too upright. Has just average strength at the point of attack. Is not a two-gap type of player. His instincts seem a little off at times.

Summary: Was considered a late-round tweener before the Senior Bowl but now is a solid prospect with an excellent chance to go on the first day of the draft.

Positives: A great competitor with super intangibles. Has an outstanding ability to read and react. Has exceptional eyes and feel inside and very good initial quickness. Also has very quick hands. Can penetrate and disrupt. Plays with great hustle and determination. Has been durable and productive for four consecutive years and improved every season. Big on the weights. Has great weight-room numbers and strength. Can be explosive. Keeps getting bigger, stronger and faster. Had an excellent Combine workout. Bench-pressed 225 pounds 35 times, ran the 40 in less than or right about 5.0 seconds, vertical-jumped 30 inches and did the 20-yard agility drill in 4.19 seconds, which is a defensive back’s time.

Negatives: Is not a naturally huge man but is sort of pumped-up and self-made. Is much more effective in a one-gap scheme where he can shoot gaps. Will struggle at times when he goes against a man with great size and some athleticism (such as a younger Nate Newton). Has a hard time coming off blocks unless he beats the blocker with his first move. In some ways reminds me of Mike Ruth, a great college player with super workout numbers who was all pumped-up coming into the pros and never really made it as an NFL player, although Hovan is a much bigger man.

Summary: An overachiever with great intangibles who can be a very solid starter in the right defense but may not fit into every scheme and be effective.

Positives: A very good athlete with fine initial quickness and excellent hand quickness. Uses his hands well. Can bend his knees and play with leverage. Has the agility to change directions and turn in toward the quarterback. Is an effective inside rusher when he moves to play against the guard, as he did vs. Texas A&M. Makes big plays and has pretty good instincts, especially as a pass rusher.

Negatives: Does not always play hard. May not be as competitive as scouts would like. Is not a physical run defender and lacks consistency against the run. May be a better rusher when he plays inside over the guard than he is outside because he lacks great upfield explosion off the edge and speed.

Summary: Has the ability to play on the next level but must show that he will step it up and play hard on every down, not just some downs. However, because he is a pass rusher and plays a position of such need, Howard could go as high as the first round if he works out well and runs much better and the law of supply and demand takes over.

Positives: Has excellent intangibles. Hard worker who is receptive to coaching. Has a huge, powerful lower body which lets him play bigger than his size. Has exceptional athletic ability for size. Moves around like a linebacker and will drop into coverage at times. Has excellent movement skills and both explosive quickness and explosive strength. Very instinctive. Can come off blocks and find the ball quickly. Is a good power rusher who can push the pocket yet also has the speed to get wide. Very disruptive. Makes things happen and forces the offense’s hand. Must be accounted for. At times will split the double team.

Negatives: Possible medical concerns. Has had five surgeries (two to each shoulder and one on his left knee) as well as a cervical neck sprain. Lacks great size and upper-body size and development. Does not have a sculptured body. On the short side.

Summary: The best interior defensive lineman in the draft if he gets a clean bill of health.

Positives: A great worker with excellent intangibles. Is very dedicated about his studies and about football. Works in the classroom, the film room and the weight room. Can bench-press more than 500 pounds and squat more than 700 and has a vertical jump of more than 30 inches as well as a 40-time of less than 5.0 seconds on the school’s timing surface. Plays hard, competes and understands his role in the defense. Is quick and mobile with above-average functional football strength for a man with a 275-pound frame who has pumped up to 293 in the weight room. Despite the fact that he has pumped up on the weights, Walker has very little body fat. One test showed him as having less than 7 percent body fat.

Negatives: More of a self-made athlete than a natural one. Does not play the with type of dominating strength and explosion scouts would expect to find in a 60-foot-plus shotputter. More of a one-gap player who has a hard time squaring up and playing in a two-gap scheme. Unless he beats his man early, Walker has a hard time coming off blocks.

Summary: A good, solid player, but not a great one. But if he could make his weight-room numbers functional numbers, he could be special. In some ways Walker will remind scouts of Rams DT Ray Agnew.

Positives: Has a massive, wide body. A good athlete. Can play with leverage and bend. Is naturally strong and has initial explosion. Can bull rush or get into gaps with his newfound quickness. Has really improved quickness and agility by improving flexibility and getting into much better shape, and it really shows in terms of play and health. Uses his hands well. Can react off blocks and find the ball. Can play nose tackle in a three-man front or tackle in a four-man front.

Negatives: Durability, weight, stamina and conditioning all have been problems in the past. Short. Does not have long arms for someone his size. Has short arms by NFL standards, which could be a much bigger factor on the next level, especially when it comes to shedding blockers and rushing the passer.

Summary: If Warren continues to work hard and stay healthy, he can become a starter and disruptive inside player on the next level despite his lack of height.