FanHouse

A look at the 2007 junior class as players decide whether to enter the 2008 NFL draft.

University of Miami safety Kenny Phillips was the first junior in 2007 to say publicly that he would skip his senior season to declare for the 2008 NFL draft. Most players, even the ones who have already decided they're turning pro, wait until late December or early January to announce their intentions. But Phillips has been saying for several weeks that he's ready for the NFL.

And he's right: He is ready. Although the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Phillips is a little on the skinny side and could stand to get a little tougher against the run, there's little doubt that he'll be a first-round draft pick. He's got good instincts in coverage and good quickness at getting to the ball.

Phillips has been compared to a couple of other recent first-round Miami safeties, Sean Taylor and Ed Reed. I'm skeptical that he'll achieve that level of greatness in the NFL, but he'll be awfully good. He didn't need another year of college football to prove that.

See the full list of 2008 NFL draft early entries.