The NFL announced Tuesday the names of 53 players who have been granted special eligibility for the 2010 NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 22-24 in New York.
The NFL Draft will start in primetime for the first time in 2010. The first round will be held on Thursday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The second and third rounds are set for Friday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m. ET. Rounds 4-7 will be held on Saturday, April 24 at 10:00 a.m. ET.
The entire NFL Draft will be televised by NFL Network and ESPN.
Each of the 53 players has met the league's three-year eligibility rule, and each has submitted a written application in which he renounced his remaining college football eligibility. The deadline for receiving applications was Jan. 15.
The 53 players this year match the total number that was granted special eligibility in 2008. Last year, special eligibility was granted to 46 players.
| 2010 NFL Draft early entrants | |||
| Player | Position | College | |
| Kevin Basped | DE | Nevada | |
| Arrelious Benn | WR | Illinois | |
| Eric Berry | DB | Tennessee | |
| Jahvid Best | RB | California | |
| Navorro Bowman | LB | Penn State | |
| Sam Bradford | QB | Oklahoma | |
| Dezmon Briscoe | WR | Kansas | |
| Antonio Brown | WR | Central Michigan | |
| Dez Bryant | WR | Oklahoma State | |
| Bryan Bulaga | OT | Iowa | |
| Morgan Burnett | DB | Georgia Tech | |
| Bruce Campbell | OT | Maryland | |
| Jimmy Clausen | QB | Notre Dame | |
| Rennie Curran | LB | Georgia | |
| Anthony Davis | T | Rutgers | |
| Carlos Dunlap | DE | Florida | |
| Jonathan Dwyer | RB | Georgia Tech | |
| Dominique Franks | DB | Oklahoma | |
| Clifton Geathers | DE | South Carolina | |
| Thaddeus Gibson | DE | Ohio State | |
| Jermaine Gresham | TE | Oklahoma | |
| Everson Griffen | DE | Southern California | |
| Rob Gronkowski | TE | Arizona | |
| Joe Haden | DB | Florida | |
| Aaron Hernandez | TE | Florida | |
| Kareem Jackson | DB | Alabama | |
| Chad Jones | DB | Louisiana State | |
| Reshad Jones | DB | Georgia | |
| Linval Joseph | DT | East Carolina | |
| Darius Marshall | RB | Marshall | |
| Ryan Mathews | RB | Fresno State | |
| Rolando McClain | LB | Alabama | |
| Gerald McCoy | DT | Oklahoma | |
| Joe McKnight | RB | Southern California | |
| Shawnbrey McNeal | RB | Southern Methodist | |
| Carlton Mitchell | WR | South Florida | |
| Joshua Moore | DB | Kansas State | |
| Derrick Morgan | DE | Georgia Tech | |
| Jerell Norton | DB | Arkansas | |
| Jason Pierre-Paul | DE | South Florida | |
| Maurkice Pouncey | C | Florida | |
| Brian Price | DT | UCLA | |
| Dennis Rogan | DB | Tennessee | |
| Jevan Snead | QB | Mississippi | |
| Amari Spievey | DB | Iowa | |
| Golden Tate | WR | Notre Dame | |
| Demaryius Thomas | WR | Georgia Tech | |
| Earl Thomas | DB | Texas | |
| Donovan Warren | DB | Michigan | |
| Damian Williams | WR | Southern California | |
| Mike Williams | WR | Syracuse | |
| Jason Worilds | DE | Virginia Tech | |
| Major Wright | DB | Florida | |
