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Record Setting 30 Total Players Invited to NFL Draft.


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NFL announces 30 players will attend the draft

Posted by Michael David Smith on April 22, 2014, 7:39 PM EDT
2229404deb30c0ffa94d5b2ef6be8b14.jpg?w=2Reuters

More players than ever before will attend this year’s NFL draft.

The league announced today that 30 prospects have confirmed they will attend, the most ever. That includes four quarterbacks — Blake Bortles (Central Florida), Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville), Jimmy Garoppolo (Eastern Illinois) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) — as well as top prospects like South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack, Auburn tackle Greg Robinson and Clemson receiverSammy Watkins. (It’s a sign of the times that no running backs were among the 30 players invited.)

The other players confirmed to attend this year’s NFL Draft: LSU receiver Odell Beckham, Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Oregon State receiver Brandin Cooks, Missouri defensive end Kony Ealy, North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, Texas A&M receiver Mike Evans, Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller, Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert, Minnesota defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, Florida State defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, Alabama tackleCyrus Kouandjio, Indiana receiver Cody Latimer, USC receiver Marqise Lee, Michigan tackle Taylor Lewan, Texas A&M tackle Jake Matthews, Vanderbilt receiver Jordan Matthews, Virginia tackle Morgan Moses, Alabama linebackerC.J. Mosley, Louisville safety Calvin Pryor, Ohio State cornerback Bradley Roby, Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier and Texas Christian cornerbackJason Verrett.

Bringing more players to the draft gives the NFL more opportunities to promote its stars of the future, but it also makes it more likely that several players will go through the awkward experience of remaining in the “green room” throughout the first round and into the second or third round. It’s even possible that a player among the 30 invited could drop all the way to Day Three of the draft.

But most of the players invited will hear Roger Goodell call their names during the first round. And as the NFL continues to grow the draft into not just the league’s biggest offseason event but one of the major parts of the sports year, more players than ever before will be there.

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I'm actually surprised there were so many guys projected as late first rounders (or worse) that were interested in doing this.  There's routinely been guys projected as top picks who are awkwardly sitting there for far too long, even back when they'd only invite a handful of players, never mind those who are barely on the cusp of first round status.

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I'm actually surprised there were so many guys projected as late first rounders (or worse) that were interested in doing this.  There's routinely been guys projected as top picks who are awkwardly sitting there for far too long, even back when they'd only invite a handful of players, never mind those who are barely on the cusp of first round status.

What surprised me was the invite issued to Cody Latimer. This guy must have really impressed at his pro day. I liked his tape a lot but at the time he wasn't even a mention. He went from not being talked about to being projected in the 2nd round and being invited to the draft. I guess this is what happens when you run a 4.38 at your pro day with an injured foot. He deserves it though, kid looks like he could be a beast in the league.

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