Saturday, April 20, 2002
Underclassmen changed tone of draft
By ERNIE PALLADINO
The (Westchester, N.Y.) Journal News
When Ernie Accorsi attended the fall meeting of the Blesto Scouting Combine, one of the two major scouting services NFL teams subscribe to, the overall talent appeared, well, so-so at best.
By the time Blesto met again in mid-January, the overview took on a significantly different shape thanks to the flock of juniors and the handful of sophomores declaring themselves draft eligible. Positions were stronger, and players Accorsi had never before considered had turned into potential picks. Value boards leaguewide grew deeper.
“What happens is you evaluate a position and you think it's not going to be a strong draft,” Accorsi said. “Then you realize it's going to be different by Jan. 10. It regenerates itself.”
It happens every year, but especially so this year. Some scouts predict between 12 and 15 juniors could go in the first round alone. From a pass-rush gem like North Carolina's Julius Peppers to Miami's can't-miss cornerback Phillip Buchanon, to the raw speed of wide receivers Donte Stallworth of Tennessee and Ashley Lelie of Hawaii, the class of this weekend's draft lies with the underclass.
The wide receiver and running back crop benefited most from this year's juniors. Five of the top 10 running backs, starting with the two best in Michigan State's T.J. Duckett and Boston College's William Green, are juniors. Six of the top 10 wide receivers are underclassmen. Four juniors turned a mediocre crop of defensive backs into a deep one, starting with Buchanon at the corner and Oklahoma's high-impact safety Roy Williams.
Redshirt junior Stallworth actually turned in the fastest 40-yard time of any receiver, jumping his stock into top-10 status.
“I think he's going to be an outstanding pro player,” Falcons scout Mike Hagen said. “He's got all the intangibles it takes to maximize your athletic talents.”
Teams should draft underclassmen with care, though. Former Cowboys personnel director and draft analyst Gil Brandt said there's a big difference between a true junior like Buchanon and a redshirt junior like Williams.
“When you take a younger player, No. 1, you haven't done as much due diligence as you have on a four-year player,” Brandt said. “Roy Williams, everyone's done so much due diligence on him. Is it the same as (Florida tackle) Mike Pearson? Probably not.
“You probably do a better job evaluating success and failure on guys you've watched. These guys come out and we haven't watched them in spring games and fall practices. We don't know as much about those people.”
And those people don't generally know as much about the game as the seniors. That's especially true at wide receiver.
“Wide receivers who come out early historically don't do very well,” Brandt said. “They haven't learned how to play the game. They don't know how to get off the press coverages.”
Physical immaturity makes it tough on underclass linemen. Running backs have the best chance of succeeding because of the emphasis on speed over strength or the ability to adjust to defenses. So don't be surprised to see tackle-breakers Duckett and Green make immediate impacts.
Others present riskier propositions. Lelie has battled hamstring problems, and Tennessee defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth has maturity problems.
Even Stallworth, rated by some as the best wide receiver out there, might have benefited from a senior season. And he nearly took it, as he changed his mind after declaring for the draft Jan. 10. Only the loss of his NCAA eligibility turned the issue concrete for him.
“I think I've been getting better and better every year,” Stallworth said. “I plan on continuing that next year. As the days go on, I get more and more comfortable with getting ready to play in the NFL.”
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Underclassmen changed tone of draft
