It was about this time last season that the Illinois beat writers began hitting Rashard Mendenhall with questions about the NFL, although we didn’t get an answer until January. So, I would assume Vontae Davis is going to get queries sometime soon. Never hurts to ask. (See poll on Vontae at the bottom.)

Unlike Mendenhall, the junior cornerback already is a fixture in the first round in the multitude of mock drafts that have infiltrated football web sites. The assumption is that this is the end of his college career. Mendenhall’s stock skyrocketed as the 2007 season unfolded. Davis had made an impression before his junior season.

Davis pleaded ignorance in August when told he was being projected as a first-round pick. He said he didn’t look at that stuff. If that was true then, I’m guessing it’s not anymore. I’m sure he plans to file paperwork with the NFL’s draft advisory board, which offers feedback to players on their prospects for the draft.

And although we might not have an official answer for awhile, here are some of the projections for Davis — all in the first round – in mock drafts that include underclassmen and have been updated since the start of the season:

nfldraftblitz.com: No. 10

prodraftguide.com: No. 13

sportscity.com: No. 15

drafthq.com: No. 11

footballsfuture.com: No. 7

draftking.com: No. 22

cdsdraft.com: No. 14

nfldraftdog.com: No. 9

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