The NFL Draft begins on Thursday and the Panther Family will be keeping tabs on former standout Wide Receiver Albert Wilson to see if he gets the call on Draft Weekend. Wilson’s draft prep has been well documented by the PantherTalk staff, but there are other Sun Belt players with similar hopes of making it to the NFL.

Today, we're going to take a look around the conference and see what players are most likely to hear their named called this weekend and take a look at the last ten drafts to see where Sun Belt prospects have landed over the years.

The eight Sun Belt schools from 2013 have had a total of 24 selections in the last decade with the average selection sitting around 148, (early 5th rounder when you factor in compensatory picks). There have been two first round draft picks in that span both out of Troy.

Here Are The Picks

1st Round

DE DeMarcus Ware('05 – Troy), CB Leodis McKelvin (‘08 – Troy)

2nd Round

DB Sherrod Martin (’09 – Troy), FS Tyrell Johnson (‘08 – Ark. St.)

3rd Round

LB Demario Davis (‘12 – Ark. St.), CB Dwight Bentley (’12 – UL-Lafayette), WR Jerrel Jernigan (’11 – Troy), Alex Carrington (’10 – Ark. St.)

4th Round

TE Ladarius Green (’12 – UL-Lafayette), LB Cameron Sheffield (’10 – Troy), S Brannon Condren('07 – Troy)

5th Round

DE Quanterus Smith (’13 – Western Kentucky), DE Jonathan Massaquoi (’12 – Troy), DE Hall Davis (’10 – UL-Lafayette), S Kevin Payne (’07 – UL-Monroe)

6th Round

DT Christo Bilukidi (’12 – GSU), DB Jorrick Calvin (’10 – Troy), FB Oren O’Neal (’07 – Ark. St.), FS Chris Harris (’05 – UL-Monroe), SS C.C. Brown (’05 – UL-Lafayette), DT Corey Williams (’04 – Ark. St.)

7th Round

SS Don Jones (’13 – Ark. St.), T Derek Newton (’11 – Ark. St.), QB Levi Brown (’10 – Troy), TE David Johnson (’09 – Ark. St.), DT Fred Evans (’06 – Texas St.)

Troy and Arkansas State have combined to produce 15 of those 24 draftees and Christo Bilukidi made history for GSU when he was selected by the Oakland Raiders in the 6th round of the 2012 draft. Some of the players have gone on to make an impact in the league, like perennial Pro Bowler Demarcus Ware, Demario Davis from Arkansas State, Ladarius Green from Louisiana-Lafayette, and the aforementioned McKelvin who was an All-Pro in 2008.

*Among the four future Sun Belt members there have been an impressive 20 players drafted since 2004, with Appalachian State leading the way with nine – all since 2008.)

This year, there is a good crop from this year’s Sun Belt pool of players looking to be added to the this list, including five who were invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. Here are some names to watch and what they did against the Panthers this past season.

ILB Andrew Jackson – 6’1 254 lbs.

Western Kentucky

Stat line vs. GSU: DNP (Suspension)

Slipped to All-Sun Belt second team in 2013 after earning first team honors in 2011-12, but still recorded 95 tackles on the season. Jackson was a Combine invitee who ran a strong 4.8 40 time, but scouts worry about his length and some character issues, though he could still be a good fit in the right scheme and locker room. ESPN ranks Jackson as the 5th best ILB in the draft (Mel Kiper separately had him ranked 10th) while CBSSports ranks him at 12th.

Best Case: 4th Round Likely: 6th-7th Best Fits: Cardinals, Jaguars, Cowboys

DT Ryan Carrethers – 6’1 337 lbs.

Arkansas State

Stat line vs. GSU: 12 tackles, 0.5 sacks, 1.5 TFL, 2 QBH

Led the nation in tackles among interior linemen with 93 total, including 4 sacks, which earned him his second consecutive first team All-Sun Belt honor. Another Combine invitee, Carrethers impressed on the bench press with the third most reps among his position. He lacks ideal height for an interior nose tackle, but has great strength and could become a rotational lane-clogging tackle in the NFL. ESPN ranks him 22nd at his position and CBSSports ranks him at 23rd.

Best Case: 5th Round Likely: 7th Round Best Fits: Saints, Eagles, Steelers

S Jonathan Dowling – 6’3 190 lbs.

Western Kentucky

Stat line vs. GSU: 4 tackles, pass defended

The number five safety coming out of high school, Dowling was dismissed from Florida for violation of team rules and made his way to Bowling Green in 2011, and after playing two seasons at WKU he declared for the draft following his junior season. He earned first team All-Sun Belt honors in 2013 with three interceptions and six forced fumbles after intercepting six and forcing two fumbles in 2012. At the Combine he ran the fifth fastest 40 among safeties, but there are some concerns about his mental toughness. ESPN ranks him 13th at his position while CBSSports ranks him 12th.

Best Case: 7th Round Likely: Free Agent Best Fits: Chargers, Vikings, Patriots

ILB Justin Anderson – 6’2 231 lbs.

Louisiana-Lafeyette

Stat line vs. GSU: 8 tackles, 1 TFL

Another first team All-Sun Belt honoree, Anderson was a tackling machine with 132 on the season including eight in UL’s New Orleans Bowl win over Tulane. His impressive 2013 campaign earned him a roster spot in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL. ESPN ranks him 19th at ILB while CBSSports ranks him 36th.

Best Case: 7th Round Likely: Free Agent Best Fits: Cowboys, Rams, Jets

RB Antonio Andrews – 5’10 225 lbs.

Western Kentucky

Stat line vs. GSU: 22 carries for 110 yards

The 2013 Sun Belt Player of the Year was named to his second consecutive first team All-Sun Belt team and was also a finalist for the Doak Walker award. Andrews broke his own school record for rushing yards with 1,730 and led the nation in consecutive years in all-purpose yards with 2,619. Proved himself to be a fantastic mid-major running back but scouts worry about his transition to the pros. He has good, compact size but he is mostly viewed as a number two back at best in the NFL. ESPN ranks him 27th while CBS ranks him at 20th.

Best Case: 7th Round Likely: Free Agent Best Fits: Jets, Colts, Falcons

Hoping for a Flier:

ILB Enrique Williams – South Alabama

QB Kolton Browning – Louisiana-Monroe

ILB Xavius Boyd – Western Kentucky

C Josh Allen – Louisiana-Monroe

QB Corey Robinson - Troy

Now it's your turn: What draft eligible player impressed you the most this year?