The NFL draft, UConn style

Pro football's annual meat market is set to begin this weekend with the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. It's the time of year when draft talk begins to heat up, right before the start of free agency, when NFL prospects show off their bodies and characters in a grueling and important job interview with millions of dollars at stake.

UConn will have four prospects heading to the Combine, all of whom can expect to hear their names called within the first four rounds of the draft. The nation's leading rusher from last season, Donald Brown, and teammates Will Beatty, Darius Butler and Cody Brown will all be in Indianapolis.

Donald Brown's production and amazing balance are impossible to overlook, but what scouts want to see is his straightaway speed, which some question. If Brown posts a 40-yard dash time in the 4.4-second range, he will vault into the very early portion of round two. If he is somewhere in the 4.5-second range, he can probably expect to hear his name called later in the second round or early third. Anything above that, and he may begin to slide. Either way, Brown should hit a home run in the interview process with his humble, genuine demeanor.

Beatty is a hot name entering the festivities in Indianapolis. He is seen as a potential stud at left tackle because of his tremendously quick feet, and he was part of the line that helped spring Brown to so many rushing yards. The biggest question is whether Beatty can hold up at the point of attack since he last weighed in at less than 300 pounds at the Senior Bowl.

If Beatty can show up at or above the 300-mark, put up a good number on the bench press and interview well, there are some scouts who think he can vault all the way into the bottom of round one. A more likely scenario, though, is that he'll be drafted somewhere in the second round.

Butler is another guy scouts will love because of his raw ability, which he is expected to show when he works out in Indianapolis. Some scouts question his willingness to support the run, but if you watched any UConn games over the last few years, Butler is not afraid to fly up and make a tackle. His size is a concern, in terms of both height and weight, but if he runs the 40-yard dash in under 4.4 seconds, there will be a lot of buzz surrounding him. He could hear his name early in the second with a good workout, or mid-third with an average showing.

Cody Brown is intriguing because he is somewhat undersized to play a 4-3 defensive end in the NFL, so many teams are envisioning a transition to end/outside linebacker hybrid, by playing outside in a 3-4 defense. With so many teams using the 3-4, it is probably better for Cody Brown, who can show his outside pass-rushing moves; he will, however, have to show he is committed to the move in interviews. Cody Brown is expected to put up excellent numbers for a guy his size. If he runs in the 4.6 range and benches well, he could be moving up boards into the early part of round three, but a more likely spot for him is in the fourth round.

Outside of Storrs, here are three guys with the most to prove in Indianapolis:

1) James Laurinaitis, linebacker, Ohio State - Laurinaitis inexcusably skipped the Senior Bowl, when all three USC linebackers (Rey Maualuga, Brian Cushins and Clay Matthews) participated. This helped their draft stock and possibly caused them all to move ahead of him in the rankings. Now Laurinaitis must explain to front office members why he chose that route. In his workouts, he must run a good 40-yard dash time to prove that the speed he shows in coverage is legitimate and that he has the strength to hold up in the running game. He still projects as a late first-rounder, but a big showing in Indianapolis could put him back into the discussion in the middle of round one.

2) Chris Wells, running back, Ohio State - Another Buckeye, Wells is expected to flash tremendous physical skills and run a blistering 40-time for a man that's 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds. It's the interview and health process that will be most important for him, since some scouts question his toughness and durability, which have been a big problem throughout his career. If he can prove through his medical records that none of those injuries were serious or will affect him from here on, and show that he has a real passion for the game during interviews, while performing in drills the way that is expected, his name may start to be mentioned in the top-10 picks.

3) Mark Sanchez, quarterback, USC - This is another guy whose interviews will be a deciding factor. Interviews will focus on Sanchez's decision to leave USC early without the support of head coach Pete Carroll. Sanchez is a good scrambling quarterback but his 40-time won't mean much. Scouts want to see him throw to gauge his arm strength. If he has a solid week, he could go from being rumored around picks 17-19, to pick No. 10 with the 49ers or maybe even with the Lions at No. 1, if they are really impressed with him.