Forget me not

By Greg Tepper//TexasFootball.com

For players like Texas A&M do-it-all defender Von Miller and Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor, the weeks and months leading up to April 28-30 will be relatively comfortable. Both players project to be first-round picks when the NFL holds its draft.

Bigger questions abound for players like Texas High School product Ryan Mallett, the Arkansas quarterback who's faced character questions in the past weeks. But Mallett will ultimately be drafted; where, however, is anyone's guess.

The same goes with players like Texas DB (and McNeil graduate) Aaron Williams, Texas DE (and Dallas St. Mark's product) Sam Acho, Texas CB (and Gilmer alum) Curtis Brown, TCU guard (and pride of Odessa High) Marcus Cannon and Baylor guard Danny Watkins. Those guys are locks to get drafted.

But what about all the other talented players coming out of Texas colleges? Who are the players that fans will recognize when (and if) their name is called in the later rounds of the NFL Draft?

There are dozens of possible draft picks from Texas colleges, but here are five to look out for in the later rounds of the draft.

TCU QB Andy Dalton
Who would have ever thought that 6-foot-3 was short? But that's exactly what the Katy product Dalton faces. Depending on who you ask, Dalton is somewhere between the 7th and 10th best quarterback available in a draft without a legitimate QB lock. However, the numbers don't lie: Dalton's got pinpoint accuracy (66.1% completion in 2010) and while he doesn't have great speed, he's elusive enough to keep a play alive. Someone will take a chance on him despite not being 6-foot-6; the question is when.
When to start looking for him: late third round
Reasonable projection: late fourth round

TCU WR Jeremy Kerley
Another Skee-Lo Special ("I wish I was a little bit taller...), Kerley's got great speed but isn't the most polished route-runner in the world. Nobody's saying he should be the No. 1 overall pick, but drafted after players like Mount Union WR Cecil Shorts? It could happen. Kerley, the pride of Hutto, is hard to project because he has to find a team right for his services.
When to start looking for him: fourth round
Reasonable projection: fifth round

Rice DE Cheta Ozougwu
What do you get when you combine a 4.7 40-time, 16.5 tackles for loss in the last two seasons and a name that's difficult to spell? A late rounder, apparently. Part of the problem for Ozougwu, who lit the world on fire at Alief Taylor before moving on to Rice, is that he lacks the name recognition after starring for a 4-8 Rice squad. But Ozougwu's simply too explosive to not get selected, as Rice's opponents in Conference USA will certainly attest to.
When to start looking for him: late fifth round
Reasonable projection: late sixth round

Texas CB Chykie Brown
First, the bad news for North Shore's Brown: he's the third most draftable cornerback on his own team, let alone in the draft. The good news: teams are always looking for help in the secondary late in the draft, and with University of Texas on his resume, he's got instant credibility. Beyond that, being 6-foot is actually an asset when you're a cornerback, which probably irks Andy Dalton.
When to start looking for him: fifth round
Reasonable projection: early sixth round

Texas Tech LB Brian Duncan
Fair or not, NFL scouts don't exactly fight over one another trying to get to Texas Tech's defensive prospects. But Duncan, the leader of the Raider defense, logged a team-high 7 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in 2010 and plays a fiery brand of football. Unfortunately for Duncan, being about the 15th best linebacker on the board puts you squarely on the draft bubble. He'll likely be biting his fingernails late in the draft.
When to start looking for him: sixth round
Reasonable projection: seventh round or undrafted