By Dave Goldberg
The Associated Press

NEW YORK - This year's NFL draft might see a third of the first round devoted to defensive linemen, but the tradition of quarterbacks starting it off remains intact.

Carson Palmer, signed by the Bengals Thursday, joins Peyton Manning (1998), Tim Couch (1999), Michael Vick (2001) and David Carr (2002) as QBs taken with the first pick.

The only non-QB taken in that stretch was a defensive end, Courtney Brown, who went to the Browns in 2000.

The decision by the Bengals to choose Palmer may lend some stability to the draft. Marvin Lewis, the Bengals' new coach, had indicated he might prefer a defensive player and might trade out of the top spot, setting loose a series of deals.

"That slows down the calls about trades," said general manager Charley Casserly of Houston, which picks third. "I don't see a lot of teams trying to jump way up now. I think now people will look to make short jumps. I think it's going to be draft day when you'll get calls."

Many of them are likely to be about defensive lineman - as many as a dozen, or more than a third of the 32 first-round picks are likely to be used on them. The top three are pass-rushing end Terrell Suggs of Arizona State and tackles Dewayne Robertson of Kentucky and Jimmy Kennedy of Penn State.

That extends all through the draft, meaning that if the projections pan out, last year's marked increase in scoring could be reversed.

"To have 10 or 12 in the first round and to know that there's probably even more out there later on in the draft in the third, fourth or fifth round is intriguing and fascinating," Cleveland coach Butch Davis said. "It's by far the most at that position that I can remember."

The draft starts noon EDT on Saturday at Madison Square Garden and will go seven rounds and 262 picks. Many teams have multiple extra picks in later rounds as compensation for losing free agents a year ago.

Seven players, all of them projected to go in the top 10, have been invited to the draft. They will spend Friday being wined and dined (or at least dined), then sweat out the first couple of hours Saturday backstage with their families and friends.

Palmer is in that group, along with Suggs, Robertson and Kennedy, who grew up in Yonkers, N.Y, 17 miles north of the Garden, and attended the 1998 draft with his high-school teammates. The others are Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich, Kansas State defensive back Terence Newman, and Charles Rogers, the Michigan State wide receiver who figures to go to Detroit with the No. 2 overall pick.

Leftwich and Kyle Boller of California seem almost sure to be the other quarterbacks taken in the first round.

Rex Grossman of Florida could go to Pittsburgh or Green Bay late in the round, and Chris Simms of Texas probably won't be chosen lower than early second round. In fact, it would not be a major surprise if Phil Simms' son becomes the fifth first-round QB, equaling the number taken in 1999.

But there is a risk of taking quarterbacks high. Think Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer and Akili Smith.

Of the five taken No. 1 in '99, only Donovan McNabb of Philadelphia, the No. 2 overall choice, is a bona fide star - even though his selection was roundly booed by Philly fans who wanted Ricky Williams. Palmer's selection by the Bengals makes Smith, No. 3 overall, a proven bust, and Cade McNown, taken by Chicago, already is in that class.

Defensive linemen are less risky, although Brown's career has been set back by injuries and Andre Wadsworth, No. 3 overall in 1997, never made it because of knee problems.

Suggs had 24 sacks for Arizona State last season, breaking the NCAA Division I-A record set the year before by Dwight Freeney. Suggs has run the 40-yard dash in an average of 4.85, about a-half-second slower than Freeney, who was taken 11th overall by the Colts last year and had 13 sacks as a rookie. Nonetheless, Suggs is unlikely to get past the No. 6 pick by Arizona.

Suggs, Kennedy and Robertson are followed among the defensive linemen by (in no particular order) William Joseph and Jerome McDougle of Miami; Kevin Williams of Oklahoma State; Johnathan Sullivan of Georgia; Michael Haynes of Penn State; Kenny Peterson of Ohio State; Chris Kelsay of Nebraska; Ty Warren of Texas AM and Rien Long of Washington State.

Take it from one of last year's star rookies, these whales are worth saving.

"I know them both, and I went against them at practice every day," Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey, one of last year's top rookies, said last week of Joseph and McDougle, his former college teammates.

"They're better than the guys I go against on Sundays."

Return to Bengals front page...