26) Michael Egnew, senior TE, Missouri
Coming out of Plainview, Texas, the 200-pound Egnew was considered a too-slow wide receiver, failing to gain interest from any of the four Texas-based Big 12 schools.
Four years and 45 pounds later, Egnew is a returning first-team All-American tight end, and the next link in the Tigers' tradition of popping out receiving threats at the position.
Looking back, it's difficult to see how he didn't attract more attention. At 6-foot-6, Egnew had a 40-yard dash time of 4.64 seconds, a time that while not fast, isn't usually slow enough to keep coaches from looking at a 6-6, 200-pound player. And he showed great overall athleticism, standing out at basketball and finishing second in the state Class 4A long jump. He also made first-team All-District as a junior — so it wasn't like he came out of nowhere — despite playing on a run-heavy team.
Still, for whatever reason, Egnew was one of those players who slipped through the cracks, and for Missouri's gain. After catching just seven passes for 47 yards in his first two seasons, he exploded as a junior, snagging 90 passes for 762 yards and five touchdowns. His 6.92 receptions per game ranked 10th nationally, putting him on par with many of the country's top receivers.
The key now will be to see whether he can stretch the field the way his predecessors Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman did. Because while his 90-catch number is staggering, his 8.5 yards per catch and five touchdowns are both numbers that can be improved.
But after the way things went four years ago, who is there left to doubt him?
2010 Stats: 90 catches, 762 yards, five touchdowns
No. 27: Texas A&M CB Coryell Judie
No. 28: Texas DB Kenny Vaccaro
No. 29: Oklahoma DE/LB Ronnell Lewis
No. 30: Texas A&M RB Christine Michael
No. 31: Kansas OL Jeremiah Hatch
No. 32: Texas Tech OL Lonnie Edwards
No. 33: Missouri DE Jacquies Smith
No. 34: Oklahoma WR Kenny Stills
No. 35: Texas WR Mike Davis
No. 36: Texas DE Jackson Jeffcoat
No. 37: Kansas State DB David Garrett
No. 38: Oklahoma OL Gabe Ikard
No. 39: Texas Tech RB Eric Stephens
No. 40: Baylor OL Philip Blake
No. 41: Missouri LB Zaviar Gooden
No. 42: Texas DL Alex Okafor
No. 43: Texas A&M DL Tony Jerod-Eddie
No. 44: Kansas RB James Sims
No. 45: Texas Tech S Cody Davis
No. 46: Iowa State CB Leonard Johnson
No. 47: Kansas State S Ty Zimmerman
No. 48: Baylor DE/LB Tevin Elliot
No. 49: Kansas State DE Brandon Harold
No. 50: Kansas DE Toben Opurum