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Defenders earn four of top five spots in first 2009 mock draft

The 2008 NFL draft is in the books, so now it's time to look ahead to 2009.

Obviously, there are plenty of variables here, starting with the draft order. Scouts Inc.'s NFL team looked at 2008 schedules, draft order and personnel -- including 2008 draft classes and free-agent moves -- and put together its initial 2008 power rankings to determine the order of this mock draft.

As for the prospects, the talent pool includes every draft-eligible player. Yes, we know some of the top '08 juniors might not come out early, but if they're technically eligible for the draft, they're definitely eligible for the 2009 mock draft. An asterisk denotes draft-eligible underclassmen, including those who redshirted or spent a year in prep school.