At some point, during the seven rounds of this weekend’s 2009 NFL Draft, Dannell Ellerbe is hoping to be selected by one of the 32 teams.

According to Ellerbe, his agent James “Butch” Williams Jr. believes he could be picked by a team somewhere between the third and fifth round of the draft.

The first and second rounds of the draft will begin at 4 p.m. Saturday in New York. The remaining five rounds start at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Ellerbe plans to be around his family in Hamlet this weekend, but doesn’t plan to spend his time in front of the TV keeping up with the draft proceedings.

“I’m not going to sit in front of the television and watch much of it,” Ellerbe said. “On Sunday, my family plans to throw a cook out. I’m just hoping we all have a good time together.”

Ellerbe added that the Oakland Raiders were the only team which invited him for a pre-draft work out. Ellerbe said the Raiders would be a good fit for him because they play a similar style of defense he played as a linebacker for the University of Georgia.

“As everybody knows, teams aren’t going to really tell you if they’re going to draft you,” Ellerbe said. “I feel like things went well with Oakland and they play a defense that I feel comfortable in. But I have no favorite team in particular, whatever team takes me, I will be happy.”

As a junior, Ellerbe finished with a team-high 93 tackles and was named second-team All-Southeastern Conference.

However, his senior season failed to live up to expectations. Ellerbe appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s college football preview. After that, the season turned upside down for the former Richmond Raider.

Ellerbe suffered a sprained knee which sidelined him for three games. The injury’s lingering effects caused Ellerbe's production to drop and he finished with only 33 tackles.

“Having a chance to be drafted is exciting, but what is a little disappointing is that I felt like I was a first-round talent before my knee injury," Ellerbe said.

Ellerbe said his knee is back to 100 percent, but admitted he has been hampered by a strained pectoral muscle and a jammed toe. Ellerbe said those injuries limited his effectiveness during the NFL’s Rookie Combine and at Georgia's Pro Day.

Despite his toe injury, Ellerbe was clocked in the 40--yard-dash at Georgia’s Pro Day in a time of 4.6 seconds.

According to several scouting reports, Ellerbe's speed and athleticism are his biggest strengths on the field along with his versatility and experience at all three linebacker positions.

But the biggest concern about Ellerbe, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 236 pounds, is he is undersized for the traditional inside linebacker position. If Ellerbe is indeed drafted, he is determined to use any slight as a means of motivation.

“I know if I'm fortunate to be picked that would be the start a new beginning, and the hard work to get to this point has paid off," Ellerbe said. "But I'm going to always play with a chip on my shoulder and try to make the best of my opportunity once I'm in the league."

n Contact sports reporter Corey Davis at 997-3111, ext. 44; e-mail cdavis@yourdailyjournal.com