WHILE most of the picks in the five-to-20 range remain fluid in the lead-up to next Thursday's NAB AFL Draft, there appears to be three locks at the bottom of that range.

The strongest whisper in the draft is that North Ballarat speedster Isaac Smith will go to Geelong at 15.

It's also reasonable to expect that Port Adelaide will select Port Magpies ruckman Scott Lycett at 16 and Carlton will go for Calder Cannons centre half-back Matt Watson at 18.

Lycett is a 202-centimetre player from Thevenard, about eight hours from Adelaide on South Australia's far west coast.

He moved to Adelaide this year to enable him to train and play with the Magpies, and his form under the Power's nose warrants his selection in an attempt to boost the club's ruck stocks.

Dean Brogan is 31, and it's unclear whether his young understudies Matthew Lobbe and Jarrad Redden will be able to step into his shoes.

At this year's NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, Lycett showed a strong competitive streak and a willingness to run into space to provide a link. His selection at 16 would surprise no one.

Watson is a 195-centimetre defender with a faultless left foot. In terms of kicking to position over long distances, he was the standout player at the under-18 championships.

Just as significantly, he managed to curtail such star opponents as Sam Day (SA), Jack Darling (WA) and Lucas Cook (Vic Country).

Carlton is in dire need of a key defender. Watson fits the bill.

Follow our complete coverage of the 2010 NAB AFL Draft on November 18. Join the AFL draft conversation on Twitter: use #AFLdraft in your tweets.