By CARL KOTALA
Florida Today

The college stats have been memorized, the 40-yard dash times have been scrutinized and an extra order of Mel Kiper Jr.'s bulletproof hair gel has been placed on the set - just in case.

The NFL Draft.

There's nothing like it.

Where else do you hear men who are 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds described as "undersized"? Or see fans show up dressed in their game-day war paint, even though there are no games to play?

Every pick is broken down. Every pick has its own video. And just like the Oscars, you have a pretty good idea who is going to have their name called, but there are always a few that surprise you.

This is the time for NFL teams to put their best size 16-foot forward. To address their needs. To get fans excited again. And it's less than a week away.

With that in mind, here's a guide to this year's NFL draft.

The Houston Texans are on the clock.

The sure things

We know, we know. The Cincinnati Bengals have the No. 1 pick and the Detroit Lions are at No. 2.

But here is something else we know about this year's draft. The Bengals won't fool around. Whoever the No. 1 pick is - the top candidates are Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer, Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich or even Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman - will be signed, sealed and well-known to the public.

Of course, it will still take them at least half of their allotted 15 minutes in the first round to announce the pick. Just like it will take the Lions 10 minutes to announce they've taken Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers with the second pick - even though Detroit's interest him is the worst-kept secret in the draft.

That's when the fun begins.

Trade winds blowing

The Texans have a number of ways they can go with the third pick. They can take Utah tackle Jordan Gross and fill their biggest need. Or they can go for University of Miami receiver Andre Johnson.

They could also pull off the first of several draft day trades. There are a number of teams - including the New York Jets - who would like to move up in the draft and get Johnson. There's even talk the Texans will try to use their 13 picks to work a deal with the Bengals in order to move ahead of Detroit and take Rogers with the No. 1 pick.

Whatever happens with the No. 3 pick could determine how the rest of the top 10 falls into place. If the Texans don't trade their choice, somebody else in that group will.

Inside dirt

ESPN will have live coverage of the draft for the 24th consecutive year and although the network has gone almost exclusively to videoconferencing, there will be two live reports from the Dallas Cowboys and the Jets with Ed Werder and Sal Paolantonio.

Throughout the day, you'll hear about trade rumors. Draft rumors. All that kind of inside stuff that adds a little flavor to the mix.

Werder's reports should be especially interesting. He'll be covering Bill Parcells' first draft with his new boss, Jerry Jones. Rest assured, the one-big-happy-family angle will be played up big.

Shock and awe pick

If Las Vegas hasn't thought of this one, it should.

How many picks will it take before Kiper becomes aghast? You know it's going to happen. Somebody, somewhere in the draft will cross swords with the ESPN draft guru and the fur will start flying. Heck, a stray hair may actually move on his head.

So when will it happen? My guess is Arizona at No. 6.

Sure, the Cardinals will probably take Arizona State defensive end Terrell Suggs. But when was the last time the Cardinals followed form? They may be the worst draft-day team going.

Secrets, secrets, secrets

Deception is a big part of the draft. In fact, it's actually pretty funny what kinds of lengths teams will go to not discuss what players they're interested in.

New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi, famous for being tight-lipped about the draft, spent 20 minutes in front of the media last week and didn't mention a single name.

"I'm not going to offer any information," Accorsi siad. "I think the best thing to do is to try to dodge your questions."

Asked if it was fair to say defensive line is a high priority, Accorsi said, "No."

OK, how about this - are you interested in a defensive lineman at all? "Next," Accorsi said.

How far will they fall?

Another draft tradition is watching how far a player who was thought to be a first-round - even a top-10 - pick will drop because of injury or off-the-field concerns.

Suggs is this year's prime candidate. Despite setting the NCAA single-season record with 24 sacks, his workouts for pro scouts have been horrible. His 40-yard dash times were in the 4.8 to 4.9 range.

Newman may also be a question mark. He has a shoulder injury that has some scouts concerned.

Have plenty of snacks ready

This year's TV draft coverage will be a four-day affair with a Friday night program reviewing the hits and misses of previous drafts and a special edition of Monday Night Countdown that will follow up what happens on Saturday and Sunday.

ESPN, which handles the draft better than anybody ever has, will have everything you could ask for, including the thoughts of Tampa Bay Buccaneers John Lynch and Simeon Rice.

The network even has a little something if you want to switch around a little bit to watch the NBA and NHL playoffs, or even Sunday Night Baseball.

For the first time, all four major sports will be presented on ESPN and ESPN2 on the same day and Kenny Mayne will attempt to make a live on-air appearance at each event, including the NFL Draft in New York and the Sunday night baseball game in Anaheim.

Hey, Kenny, we'll give you $20 if you mess up Kiper's hair.

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