As the NFL Draft approaches, the talk naturally centers around the big-name prospects. Names like Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, Arkansas running back Darren McFadden and Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan are on the minds of every analyst as athletes that entire franchises may someday be built around.

But as teams head deeper into the draft, the players selected may not hold the same resonance with NFL fans. Heads will be scratched, remotes will be thrown, and a collective cry of “WHO??” will rain down from the rooftops.

Unless he’s drafted by the 49ers, Raiders or Chargers, Stanford wide receiver Mark Bradford might elicit such a response. But before you knock over the drinks and splatter the salsa, let me present the case for the Cardinal receiver.

Every team will be in the market for a wideout that runs impeccable routes and has hands of glue. Too many receivers with sky-high potential fizzle out of the league because they can’t hold onto the ball or run the right play. But this simply isn’t a concern with Bradford — his mechanics have been thoroughly honed during his five years on the Farm.

Scouts also dissect jumping ability, and there are few who can leap as high or at so precisely the right instant as Bradford. His vertical jump was the fourth best among the 53 wide receivers who participated in the NFL Combine, the premiere pre-Draft scouting event held annually in Indianapolis, Ind.

His skills are already well known to Stanford fans, at least, and are nowhere better epitomized than in his now-iconic touchdown reception to propel the Cardinal over USC last October. Bradford’s leaping grab over a Trojan cornerback to win the game for Stanford could, perhaps, go down as the single greatest touchdown in the University’s history.

But enough nostalgia. Besides his hands, route running, hops and place in Stanford lore, why is Bradford right for your team?

Let’s look at his measurables, since draftniks around the country obsess over them from the moment they’re recorded until the end of a player’s entire career. Bradford’s are comparable with many of his peers. He is remarkably strong — he bench pressed 225 pounds 19 times at the Combine, to place seventh amongst all wideouts. A receiver’s strength is key to his success, as he will need to deal with coverage as soon as the ball is snapped, and, after the pigskin is in his hands, he will need the power to take on potential tacklers.

Bradford’s speed often comes into question. His critics say that he’s not fast enough to break away from defenders during routes or after he’s caught the ball. His poor running performance at the Combine helped reinforce this conception — his 4.69 40-yard dash and 4.47 short shuttle were amongst the worst for wide receivers. However, at Stanford’s pro day last month, Bradford may have alleviated those concerns by running a 4.49 40 and a 4.26 shuttle, both of which would have placed him near the top 10 at the Combine. A quick look at game tape shows that while Bradford may not be a burner, he has more than enough speed to create separation between him and his man.

In addition to mechanics and measurables, character has become of increasing importance to NFL scouts. As guys like Chris Henry and Pac-Man Jones squander their talent with arrest after arrest, teams are beginning to look past a player’s potential if their attitude and actions aren’t kept in check. And beyond law-breaking, general managers want cohesion; they’re willing to jettison stars such as Randy Moss on the cheap if they make too much of a scene.

Bradford not only has his head squarely on his shoulders, but has been a true team leader in his time on the Farm. His passion comes through in his play, and he’s rarely, if ever, temperamental. His teammates and coaches love him. He hasn’t gotten into any notable trouble and is smart enough to learn whatever playbook is presented to him. Character is too often a concern with prospects; with Bradford, it should be a plus.

There are few wideouts as well rounded as Bradford in the draft. Among the top receivers in the draft, Michigan State’s Devin Thomas runs sloppy routes; Oklahoma’s Malcolm Kelly has chronic knee and character issues; and Cal’s Desean Jackson’s strength is a concern.

But Bradford has very few problems to speak of — those that have been presented have fairly simple answers. The first is that Bradford didn’t produce enough in college. But the Cardinal had a revolving door of quarterbacks during his time on the Farm. Even worse, he played under three different coaches, all with different schemes. And still, Bradford had a record-setting freshman season, and, despite coming off a season-ending injury in 2006 — another concern for scouts — came full circle by leading the Cardinal in receiving in 2007.

NFL teams may be enticed by Thomas’s potential. They may be willing to look past Kelly’s attitude, James Hardy’s domestic abuse charges or Mario Manningham’s pot usage. But there is significant boom/bust potential with all of these receivers.

But Bradford? He’s too complete to fail.

Wyndam Makowsky is a freshman who really, really wants you to believe in the NFL future of Mark Bradford. Lend him your support at makowsky@stanford.edu.