Over the next few weeks leading up to the NFL Draft, Daniel Freer…Fantasy College Blitz’s “Minister of the Non-BCS”…will take a look at some of the small school prospects (those players at I-FCS level or lower schools) for the upcoming NFL Draft.  Then, hopefully, on Draft Day, you will not be going “duh….what?” when your favorite team(s) pick a player from a school you have never heard of before.

Those who follow college football probably heard of Cal-Poly WR Ramses Barden (video from AthletixNation) late in the 2008 season, when he caught an overtime TD pass at Wisconsin…which put his Mustangs in the lead over the Badgers. Check out this highlight video and my analysis after the jump.

Unfortunately, Cal-Poly struggled in their kicking game, and lost 36-35 at Wisconsin.

However, it was a rare loss for the Mustangs in the 2008 season, as Cal-Poly finished with 10 wins and an appearance in the Division I-FCS playoffs.

And, although the San Luis Obispo, CA, school ran the ball most of the time, its top offensive weapon was their big WR target, Ramses Barden.

Barden, a 6-6, 230 lb WR from La Canada-Flintridge, CA (Flintridge Prep HS), led the Mustangs in 2008 with 67 catches for 1257 yards and 18 TDs.  Barden’s numbers are even more astounding considering Cal-Poly only completed 119 passes as a team, had 1991 passing yards as a team, and threw 23 TD passes….most of the receptions, yards, and TDs went to Barden.

The NFL has taken notice of Barden…many teams like his size and good hands…as well as being an excellent blocker (which Barden did quite a bit for the Cal-Poly ground game).  The only minus on Barden is that he does not posses the speed and quickness most teams desire for the WR position…however his size (and potential to add bulk on his slender frame; possibly to move to TE) have piqued a lot of interest from the NFL.

Look for Barden to be taken somewhere between the late-third round and the early sixth-round.

Related posts:

1. NFL DRAFT…SMALL SCHOOL GEMS…Rashad Jennings, Liberty
2. NFL DRAFT…SMALL SCHOOL GEMS…QB Nathan Brown, Central Arkansas
3. NFL DRAFT…SMALL SCHOOL GEMS…A Trio Of Wildcats
4. New NFL Draft Videos from AthletixNation
5. NFL Draft: Late Round Finds vs. Undrafted Gems

Tags: NFL Draft, Senior Bowl, Small School Gems