Starting Thursday, 337 college prospects will convene at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis for the annual NFL Scouting Combine. Of them, 14 percent are underclassmen.

While the jump for them can be risky, almost all prospects who declare early for April's NFL draft were strongly recommended by an exploratory committee responsible for thoroughly researching the draft buzz surrounding each athlete.

Many of them are informed they will be among the top 100 players selected, a distinction that guarantees them a long-term contract with a hefty signing bonus. But by forgoing their final year of eligibility of college football they also hamstring the 32 NFL teams in charge of scouting them.

Compared to their senior counterparts, there is less game footage to evaluate most underclassmen. Limited playing time also raises questions about their ability to compete professionally.

"We've always said that we'd rather have these guys stay in school just for that reason alone, that they don't have as much [experience]," Eagles general manager Tom Heckert said Tuesday. "We'd like to see them another year and, to be honest with you, most of these guys need another year just because of the experience factor."

Of the 40 underclassmen who applied for last year's draft, 29 were selected. Four of them, including the No. 1 overall pick, went in the top 10.

The Eagles have typically strayed from using a first- or second-round pick on an underclassman. Since Andy Reid became head coach in 1999, the Eagles have spent one of their eight first-round picks on a junior. Lito Sheppard, a cornerback from the University of Florida, was taken 26th overall in the 2002 draft.

But there was no shortage of film on Sheppard, who started 23 of his 36 games at Florida and was involved in more than 1,500 plays, according to the school's sports information department.

The Eagles pick 19th overall in April's draft, where underclassmen are some of the top prospects projected in the mid-to-low first-round range. Mike Mayock, the NFL Network's top draft analyst, lists nine of his top 20 overall prospects as juniors.

"You're going to get an infusion of 20 to 30 juniors that will have an impact at the top end of the draft," Mayock said.

Florida defensive end Derrick Harvey started just 18 collegiate games but ranks 14th on Mayock's list. Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling, ranked ninth on Mayock's list, only started two years.

While seniors can be scouted all throughout the college season, underclassmen have until Jan. 15 to declare for the draft, leaving NFL organizations a little more than one month to compile enough background information and scouting reports on each prospect before the Combine.

"This is all brand-new stuff for us as well," Heckert said. "We've talked to the coaches, on the phone, and the strength coaches and everything, but it is a little bit different."

Occasionally, Heckert said, NFL teams must be skeptical about the information they receive about a prospect from a coach who's upset about the early departure of a standout athlete.

Last year, the Eagles gambled on Clemson junior defensive back C.J. Gaddis in the fifth round. Gaddis had left despite urges from the Tigers coaching staff to return for his senior season.

Gaddis struggled in minicamp, fell down the depth chart by training camp and was released on the final days of cuts before the regular season. But Heckert said he doesn't worry about the information he receives from college coaches.

"We know coaches pretty well, but we get honest information," he said.

After the Combine, the Eagles are allowed to bring 30 draft candidates from around the country to their headquarters for follow-up interviews. A quirky NFL rule also allows each team an unlimited number of visit from or with players tied to their major metropolitan region -- as defined by Rand McNally maps, according to Heckert, per the NFL.

Under those rules, there is no maximum number of visits University of Pittsburgh lineman Jeff Otah, a New Castle native, can make to the NovaCare Complex. Otah, a former William Penn standout, is a projected first-round pick.

Notes

Heckert reiterated the Eagles' stance that cornerback Lito Sheppard does not have permission to seek a trade. "Lito's signed and Lito's here and he does not have permission to do anything. Lito's a member of our team and that's it. There's nothing else to talk about."

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