Most mock draft from mainstream media sites have had USF junior defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul projected somewhere between the 10th and 15th picks, so it's something of a shocker that ESPN.com draft analyst Todd McShay's newest mock draft has Pierre-Paul all the way up to No. 3, with the hometown Bucs.

"The Bucs will consider Tennessee S Eric Berry here, but they are in dire need of a speed rusher and Pierre-Paul is the most explosive one this draft class has to offer," McShay writes.

What's more, McShay now has a second USF player in his projected first round, with safety Nate Allen going 27th to the Cowboys, where he would be reunited with former Bulls teammate Mike Jenkins.

From a financial standpoint, there's a huge leap to be the No. 3 pick -- last year's No. 3, defensive end Tyson Jackson, got $31-million in guaranteed money from the Kansas City Chiefs. That would be the largest contract ever signed with a former USF player, bigger than the $25-million deal Anthony Henry got from the Cowboys in 2006.

What's more exciting for Bulls fans -- that Pierre-Paul would go so high, or that he'd stay in town with the Bucs? It's only one mock draft, but with the NFL combine coming up, it's a reminder that there's little ceiling to Pierre-Paul's draft potential right now ...