Projecting which college superstars turn into NFL standouts can be difficult (see Leaf, Ryan; Smith, Akili; Salaam, Rashaan, to name a few).

In the case of this year’s crop of Big 12 talent, it’s the same sort of deal. Who knows if Michael Crabtree will obliterate NFL secondaries like he did at Texas Tech? Will Jeremy Maclin turn into a Devin Hester-type of playmaker, or will the NFL destroy his football career?

Crabtree and Maclin, along with Jason Smith, Brian Orakpo, Brandon Pettigrew and maybe Josh Freeman, could form one of the Big 12’s best first-round draft classes in conference history.

We’ll have to wait a few years. Until this 2009 class proves it, 2003 Big 12 first-rounders Terence Newman, Kevin Williams, Ty Warren, Andre Woolfolk, Sammy Davis and Tyler Brayton should hold that honor. Honorable selection would be the 2007 class of Adrian Peterson, Adam Carriker, Michael Griffin and Aaron Ross.

Before too long, though, it wouldn’t surprise me if 2009 was remembered as the best.