The 2001 NFL draft is slated for April 21-22. With less than a month to go, here's how draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. rates the available seniors and underclassmen:
 

1. Michael Vick, QB, Virginia Tech -- Hangs on to the top spot for now, with his lofty grade based more on potential than production or consistency throwing the football. 
 
 

TOP FIVE BY POSITION

Mel Kiper Jr.'s breakdown of the top prospects by position (updated Friday, March 23): Quarterbacks 1. Michael Vick, Va. Tech 2. Drew Brees, Purdue 3. Chris Weinke, Florida St. 4. Jesse Palmer, Florida 5. Mike McMahon, Rutgers Running Backs 1. Deuce McAllister, Miss. 2. LaDainian Tomlinson, TCU 3. Michael Bennett, Wisc. 4. Lamont Jordan, Maryland 4. Kevan Barlow, Pittsburgh 5a. Anthony Thomas, Michigan Fullbacks 1. Heath Evans, Auburn 2. Moran Norris, Kansas 3. Darvel Bivens, NW St. (La.) 4. R.J. Bowers, Grove City (Pa.) 5. George Layne, TCU Wide Receivers 1. Koren Robinson, N.C. State 2. Rod Gardner, Clemson 3. David Terrell, Michigan 4. Chad Johnson, Oregon State 5. Chris Chambers, Wisconsin 5a. Freddie Mitchell, UCLA 5b. Santana Moss, Miami Tight Ends 1. Todd Heap, Arizona St. 2. Alge Crumpler, N. Carolina 3. Arther Love, So. Carolina St. 4. Billy Baber, Virginia 5. Tony Stewart, Penn St. 5a. Shad Meier, Kansas St. Offensive Tackles 1. Kenyatta Walker, Florida 2. Leonard Davis, Texas 3. Jeff Backus, Michigan 4. Maurice Williams, Michigan 5. Kareem McKenzie, Penn St. Offensive Guards 1. Steve Hutchinson, Michigan 2. Mike Gandy, Notre Dame 3. Matt Lehr, Va. Tech 4. Bill Ferrario, Wisconsin 5. Ryan Diem, N. Illinois Centers 1. Dominic Raiola, Nebraska 2. Robert Garza, Texas A&M-Kingsville 3. Casey Rabach, Wisconsin 4. Ben Hamilton, Minnesota 5. Chukky Okobi, Purdue Defensive Ends 1. Justin Smith, Missouri 2. Andre Carter, California 3. Jamal Reynolds, Florida St. 4. Aaron Schobel, TCU 5. Kyle Vanden Bosch, Nebraska Defensive Tackles 1. Gerard Warren, Florida 2. Richard Seymour, Georgia 3. Damione Lewis, Miami 4. Willie Howard, Stanford 5. Marcus Stroud, Georgia 5a. Shawn Rogers, Texas 5b. Kris Jenkins, Maryland 5c. Casey Hampton, Texas Inside Linebackers 1. Dan Morgan, Miami 2. Kendrell Bell, Georgia 3. Jamie Winborn, Vanderbilt 4. Edgerton Hartwell, W. Illinois 5. Torrence Marshall, Okla. Outside Linebackers 1. Quinton Caver, Arkansas 2. Tommy Polley, Florida St. 3. Sedrick Hodge, N. Carolina 4. Morlon Greenwood, Syra. 5. Eric Westmoreland, Tenn. Cornerbacks 1. Fred Smoot, Miss. St. 2. Nate Clements, Ohio State 3. Will Allen, Syracuse 4. Ken Lucas, Mississippi 5. Jamar Fletcher, Wisconsin 5a. Andre Dyson, Utah 5b. Willie Middlebrooks, Minn. Safeties 1. Adam Archuleta, Arizona St. 2. Derrick Gibson, Florida St. 3. Hakim Akbar, Washington 4. Adrian Wilson, NC State 5. Idrees Bashir, Memphis 5a. James Boyd, Penn State Placekickers 1. Bill Gramatica, So. Florida 2. Owen Pochman, BYU 3. Vitaly Piseteky, Wisconsin 4. Jamie Rheem, Kansas St. 5. Chris Kaylakie, TCU Punters 1. Nick Harris, California 2. Dan Hadenfeldt, Nebraska 3. David Leaverton, Tenn. 4. Matt Allen, Troy State 5. Jason Baker, Iowa

2. Gerard Warren, DT, Florida -- His recent workout was good, not great, with Warren running in the 5.09 range at 320 pounds. Warren maintained his position at the top part of the draft board, still figuring to prove difficult to pass up for the Arizona Cardinals, who are in desperate need of help at the DT spot.

3. Justin Smith, DE, Missouri -- Not only is he a gifted athlete, but his productivity matched all that talent over a three-year period with the Tigers.

4. Kenyatta Walker, OT, Florida -- While he played RT with the Gators, the skill level Walker possesses makes him an ideal candidate for duty at the critical LT spot. That's why he is carrying such a lofty rating.

5. Koren Robinson, WR, N.C. State -- Explosive athlete with the talent level to reach Pro Bowl status early in his NFL career.

6. Steve Hutchinson, OG, Michigan -- With his versatility and dedicated approach, Hutchinson qualifies as one of the safest choices in the early portion of round one.

7. Rod Gardner, WR, Clemson -- One of the fastest risers in recent weeks, enjoying an excellent individual workout that saw Gardner run under 4.5. He's big, has Cris Carter-type natural pass-receiving skills, and his performances in the ACC over the last two years were outstanding.

8. David Terrell, WR, Michigan -- While he ran in the 4.45 range this past Friday and the stress fracture in his foot from last August doesn't figure to negatively affect his draft position, Terrell does appear to have lost some ground of late. With his skill level, though, I will more than likely move him back into the top 10 after all is said and done.

9. Leonard Davis, OT, Texas -- With his huge frame and the improvement he's shown as a pass-blocker, Davis is still battling Florida's Kenyatta Walker to see who will end up being the first OT taken off the board.

10. Deuce McAllister, RB, Mississippi -- Due to injury concerns, McAllister has lost some ground recently, but I still believe he has the ability to rank as a top-drawer, all-purpose feature back in the NFL.

11. LaDainian Tomlinson, RB, TCU -- I've had Tomlinson in the top 25 all year and even had him as high as No. 3 with the senior prospects. After a very productive career, followed by strong performances at the Senior Bowl practices, combine and individual workout, it's easy to see why he's viewed as a possibility for the Cleveland Browns who own the third pick overall.

12. Andre Carter, DE, California -- Reliable, hard-working football player with the ideal approach. 

13. Dan Morgan, MLB, Miami (Fla.) -- With the LB position so weak this year, both at the MLB spot as well as on the outside, a true warrior like Morgan figures to be taken off the board around the midpoint of round one. By the way, he now has his weight up to 247 pounds.

14. Chad Johnson, WR, Oregon State -- After running in the 4.58 range at the combine, Johnson needed to bounce back strong during his individual session. He did just that, running three 40s that were reported to be in the 4.43, 4.41 and 4.39 range. Johnson ran the 40s on an outdoor track. Based on his strong senior season with the Beavers and the fact that he was one of the best players on the field in Mobile during the Senior Bowl practices, the improved 40 time should allow Johnson to regain some of the lost momentum from the combine. 

15. Chris Chambers, WR, Wisconsin -- With his size and phenomenal athletic ability as well as his strong finish over the last four weeks of the regular season, Chambers has resurfaced as a probable mid-first rounder.

16. Richard Seymour, DT, Georgia -- Could figure a little higher if the run on DTs begins in the 10-15 area. 

17. Freddie Mitchell, WR, UCLA -- Has done all the right things since he decided to leave the Bruins with another year of eligibility still remaining.

18. Santana Moss, WR, Miami (Fla.) -- He's a dynamic playmaker but his lack of ideal size may allow some of the bigger wide-outs to move slightly ahead of Moss on the draft board. 

19. Todd Heap, TE, Arizona State -- Not many teams in the top 20 or so are looking closely at a TE as their major priority, which is why Heap could slide down a little further than my rating indicates, despite his impressive talent.

20. Fred Smoot, CB, Mississippi State -- Supremely confident cover man who thrives on the challenge of going one-on-one with the opposition's top wide-out.

21. Nate Clements, CB, Ohio State -- At a rock-solid 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, Clements posted an impressive 40 time of 4.37 during his individual workout. With his superior physical ability, Clements has a great opportunity to become the first CB selected on draft day. Over the last week, he's been on the rise up the draft board and could end up being an early-mid first rounder.

22. Jeff Backus, OT, Michigan -- Consistency is his forte, with Backus figuring to be a rock-solid LT in the NFL.

23. Jamal Reynolds, DE, Florida State -- Proven outside pass rusher, figuring to be a quality selection if he drops into the mid-later portion of the first round.

24. Damione Lewis, DT, Miami (Fla.) -- Outside of two games that he missed, Lewis played through the toe injury in his right foot this past season which was originally sustained against Washington in early September. When at full strength, he was a major force at DT since his redshirt freshman season in '97, when he led the Hurricanes' defensive linemen with 72 stops.

25. Michael Bennett, RB, Wisconsin -- Rushed for nearly 1,700 yards and scored 11 touchdowns last season. Bennett can go the distance with any carry (4.31 speed) and will bust through an arm tackle, but he needs to develop consistency as a pass-receiving option (caught just four passes in the 2000 season).

25a. Will Allen, CB, Syracuse -- Even though he didn't perform up to the superior level of his junior campaign with the Orangemen, Allen's a fundamentally sound, experienced cover man with 4.35 speed.

25b. Reggie Wayne, WR, Miami (Fla.) -- With Mitchell delivering such an impressive workout, the pressure now shifts to Robinson, Terrell, Moss, Wayne and Gardner to post the type of numbers that are expected during individual testing. As a true football player, Wayne is top-notch. He's a skilled route-runner, knows how to utilize positioning against the CB and has the strong hands necessary to just snatch the ball out of the air.