Monday, April 10, 2000Warrick's drop is Bengals' gain
BY John Fay
The Cincinnati EnquirerThe slow 40-yard dash Peter Warrick ran a couple of weeks ago may have been a blessing for the Bengals.
Warrick ran the 40 in a workout for the Cleveland Browns. It dropped him from being the likely No.1 pick overall to fourth. That's where the Bengals pick, and the Bengals have a need at wide receiver because of the Carl Pickens situation.
TOP RECEIVERS • 1. Peter Warrick, Florida State. His subpar time in the 40-yard dash dropped him from No.1 overall in the draft. He had the off-the-field trouble, but he's a playmaker. Ran back three punts for TDs as a senior. ›2. Plaxico Burress, Michigan State. Has the height (6-foot-51/4) to give DBs fits. A versatile athlete, he starred in basketball in high school and was a national-class hurdler in track. Lacks burning speed.
›3. Travis Taylor, Florida. Fastest of the top-rated receivers; ran a 4.4 40. Missed three games last season with an ankle injury.
›4. Sylvester Morris, Jackson State. Big (6-3, 209) and fast (4.5). Averaged 20.3 yards a catch. Played at Division I-AA level, so there's some question whether he can step up in competition.
›5. Dez White, Georgia Tech. Size (6-11/4) and vertical leap (371/2) make him a matchup nightmare for smaller DBs. Averaged 19.5 yards on 44 catches and 23.8 yards on kickoff returns. — John Fay
Even if Pickens isn't traded, the Bengals may take Warrick.
“Nowadays, you need three receivers,” general manager Mike Brown said. “We can do more three- and four-receiver sets, and St.Louis just proved how effective that can be. Why shouldn't we look at that if that's going to help us?”
Warrick showed an incredible knack for making big plays at Florida State as a receiver and return man.
“Warrick is clearly the best wide receiver in the draft,” said Jerry Jones, publisher of the Drugstore List. “I like him a lot. But I don't think the Bengals should use that pick on him. The problem is no one wants to trade up. They'd do flips if Courtney Brown or Chris Samuels slipped to down to fourth. But it doesn't look like that's going to happen.”
Brown, the defensive tackle from Penn State, could go first in the draft to the Cleveland Browns. Washington, which has the second and third picks, probably will take Samuels, the left tackle from Alabama.
The Bengals think Warrick will be an impact player.
“I like what he does after he catches the ball,” said Jim Lippincott, the Bengals' director of college/pro personnel. “That's not to degrade his ability to catch the ball. When you watch him run the 40, he doesn't look like Torry Holt. But once he catches the ball, he is Torry Holt.”
Holt, out of North Carolina State, was the top receiver in last year's draft. He helped the Rams win the Super Bowl.
Warrick, at 5-foot-101/2 and 199 pounds, isn't a big receiver, like Pickens or Darnay Scott. But he's a polished player from a big-time program.
“He has good hands,” Lippincott said, “and he runs good routes.”
Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. raves about Warrick.
“He's a spectacular football player,” Kiper said. “He may lack ideal height and sprinter speed, but I doubt this will prevent him from taking over games at the pro level.”
The second- and third-rated receivers are Florida's Travis Taylor and Michigan State's Plaxico Burress.
“Today I like Taylor better than Burress,” Lippincott said. “If you ask me tomorrow, I might like Burress better than Taylor. They're very close.”
Taylor is more like Warrick. They are similar size — Taylor is 6-foot, 199 pounds — but Taylor is slightly faster. Burress is big — 6-51/4, 229 pounds. He is not a burner like Randy Moss, but he can overpower defensive backs.
Lippincott said wide receiver is one of the deeper positions in the draft.
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