NEW YORK (AP) — The expected heavy influx of non-seniors applying for this year's NFL draft did not happen despite looming labor unrest in the league.

Although a record-tying 53 players, including Michigan cornerback Donovan Warren, declared for early entry, that number released Tuesday by the NFL was short of most projections.

"I think that the colleges have really done a good job of telling these young men how it is to their advantage to stay in school," said NFL draft consultant Gil Brandt, who helped build the Dallas Cowboys in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. "I thought there would be more and I was surprised."

Six All-Americans did apply for the draft: defensive backs Eric Berry of Tennessee and Joe Haden of Florida; defensive end Derrick Morgan of Georgia Tech; tight end Aaron Hernandez of Florida; linebacker Rolando McClain of Alabama; and wide receiver Golden Tate of Notre Dame.

Mississippi quarterback Jevan Snead, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen, Southern California running back Joe McKnight and Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman also declared early for April's draft.

The 53 players match the previous high in 2008; last year, 46 declared.

With the NFL and the players union in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and the potential for a rookie wage scale being implemented, more juniors were expected to declare for this year's draft.

"I tell a lot of them that it's short-term gain for long-term loss if you come out early," Brandt said. "I look at so many of these guys who stay and then wind up like Brian Cushing and Michael Oher, and look at the great rookie years they had."

Linebacker Cushing played four seasons at Southern Cal, then became Defensive Rookie of the Year with the Houston Texans. Oher, an offensive tackle at Ole Miss, became an instant starter with the Baltimore Ravens after spending the full four seasons in college.

"I had the father of a quarterback call me three times to ask about coming out," Brandt added. "I try to tell them the same thing, especially at that position: 'It's beneficial to get that extra year (in school).

"The agents are all whispering in their ears about labor (unrest) and the rookie wage scale. They've been telling them about a rookie wage scale since 1985. We haven't seen it yet."

But Tom Condon, whose clients include Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, notes that the rookie wage scale is being discussed by the NFL and the union.

"I think the league has stated publicly that they didn't have to come out because there won't be a wage scale," Condon said of the non-seniors. "But a wage scale was in the league's proposals to the union in their negotiations.

"And obviously there is certainly the potential for a work stoppage in 2011" without a new collective bargaining agreement.

Yet the projections of as many as 100 players seeking early entry to the draft didn't occur.

"I think players and the families of players look at it as, 'I am going to get money and a lot of it, and what is in my best interest, ' " Brandt said. 'And when they sit down and talk to an advisor like Cleve Bryant at Texas, where they do a very good job of informing the players, they find he has been honest with them and it kind of stems the 'leave and get the money' approach.

"If you are good enough, you will get it anyway. This way, you get to enjoy your senior year and get that diploma."

Players who have declared for early entry

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, t, Iowa

Morgan Burnett, db, Georgia Tech

Bruce Campbell, t, 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 Cal

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 Cal

Shawnbrey McNeal, rb, SMU

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 Cal

Mike Williams, wr, Syracuse

Jason Worilds, de, Virginia Tech

Major Wright, db, Florida