NFL Draft Prospects: Eric Berry, Defensive Back, Tennessee E-mail
Written by MC3 Sports Media   
Friday, 12 February 2010 12:35

ericberry2The college football season is over; withdrawals, depression, misery. Before you slip into an apathetic stupor for eight months, remember that the NFL Draft is just around the corner! From now until April's NFL Draft, I will be profiling some of the more interesting prospects. I can't promise that I'll get to your favorite player, but if you'd like to see a certain player profiled, shoot us an email and let us know.

- 2010 NFL Draft Player Rankings by Position

According to Tennessee's official website, and confirmed on the NCAA's official website, Eric Berry entered his junior last season needing "just 15 interception return yards to break [the] NCAA record of 501 [yards] set by Florida State's Terrell Buckley from 1989-91."

This after a 2007 freshman campaign in which Berry picked off 5 passes and racked up 222 interception return yards (1 touchdown) and a 2008 sophomore campaign in which he picked off 7 passes and racked up 265 interception return yards (2 touchdowns). He also sacked the quarterback 3 times in 2008 for good measure.

In 2009, he picked off only 2 passes and accumulated just 7 interception return yards. While some may consider this a drop off in production, anybody who watched Berry's junior season knows that was far from the case.

There's a reason he was this year's Thorpe Award winner and a unanimous All-American. He was even named to the Sports Illustrated All-Decade Team. He's also a two time recipient of the Jack Tatum Award and was the 2008 SEC Defensive Player of the Year. This guy's got accolades.

Berry finished 2009 with 87 tackles, 3 quarterback hurries and 7 passes defended. One of his two interceptions came against Florida's Tim Tebow, one of the game's least interception-prone quarterbacks.

Berry is 5'11, 200 pounds and possesses incredible instincts, reflexes, toughness and speed. He's been constantly compared to future Hall of Famer Ed Reed and is considered one of the best safety prospects in quite some time. He has tremendous break on the ball, like Reed, and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

Many consider Berry the second best prospect in this year's draft behind Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh, while Draft Wizard Mel Kiper ranks him #3 on his Big Board behind Suh and Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy. The guy's unquestionably a top 5 pick.

Most mock drafts go like this: 1. St. Louis Rams, Ndamukong Suh; 2. Detroit Lions, Gerald McCoy; 3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Eric Berry. Winning teams are built along the line of scrimmage and the Lions need a big body on the defensive line, so expect McCoy to go to Detroit. But don't be too surprised if the Lions decide to take Berry despite the emergence of last year's second round pick, safety Louis Delmas, who was second on the team in tackles. His talent and potential is hard to pass up.

If Berry slips past Tampa Bay at #3, expect Washington to take him if they're not sold on any of this year's quarterbacks, or Kansas City who would love the upgrade at the position. - Danny Hobrock

Danny is a sports journalist primarily covering college football and professional baseball. His work for Xtra Point Football has garnered national attention and is critically acclaimed. Danny is the former editor of a political and current events website and the editor of our college football content.

  • For more player profiles and complete coverage of this Year's NFL Draft, visit our NFL Draft Prospects Home Page with new profiles being added each week.

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Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

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