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Draft Dish: 'One of the best groups of returners'
April 21, 2006
Dan Pompei
The forecast for draft day: It's going to be raining return men.
"This is one of the best groups of returners I can remember," says Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, who runs one of the teams in need of one.
Several candidates -- Boston College's Will Blackmon, Colorado's Jeremy Bloom, Virginia's Marques Hagans, Miami's Devin Hester and Fresno State's Adam Jennings -- are primarily return specialists.
Others -- UCLA running back Maurice Drew, Kansas cornerback Charles Gordon and wide receivers Skyler Green (LSU), Willie Reid (Florida State), Cory Rodgers (TCU) and Brandon Williams (Wisconsin) -- have value as position players, too.
THE NEXT GATES?
Blame it on Antonio Gates.
Because Gates made such a remarkable transition from college basketball player to Pro Bowl tight end, NFL scouts now have to evaluate nearly every hoopster who can post up.
That explains the fascination with George Mason forward Jai Lewis. He has been on the radar of NFL teams for more than a year, and there is a chance the 6-7, 275-pound Lewis will be drafted as a tight end in the late rounds because of his size and athleticism.
Lewis played high school football, but scouts are cautious. In addition to his inexperience, he doesn't appear to have ideal speed.
Chargers GM A.J. Smith, who signed Gates as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State three years ago, says he is tracking five college basketball players. But nobody expects to find another Gates.
"Look; we got lucky with Gates," Smith says. "His agent did a great job marketing him, and 19 teams wanted him. He just wanted to be here."
GREENWAY VS. HODGE
If Chad Greenway had played for Maine and Abdul Hodge had played for Hawaii, no one would be using one as a reference point for the other.
But both potential first-round picks were competing for every tackle while standing just a few feet from each other as starting linebackers for Iowa. So everything Greenway did is measured against Hodge. Each of Hodge's strengths and weaknesses is graded against Greenway's.
The 6-2 3/8 Greenway makes the 6-0 3/8 Hodge look small. Greenway's speed makes Hodge look slow. Greenway's athletic ability makes Hodge look ordinary.
But Hodge's instincts make Greenway look late to react. Hodge's ability to disengage makes Greenway look plodding. Hodge's natural punch makes Greenway look less explosive.
So it goes with teammates who play the same position. Others in the draft include N.C. State defensive ends Mario Williams and Manny Lawson; Ohio State linebackers A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel; LSU defensive tackles Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams; and Miami offensive tackles Eric Winston and Rashad Butler.
The truth is Greenway and Hodge both are fine prospects who were very productive in college, whether they are being compared or not. But this is what stands out on tape: Hodge usually beats Greenway to the ball. That means something.
April 21, 2006
Dan Pompei
The forecast for draft day: It's going to be raining return men.
"This is one of the best groups of returners I can remember," says Bears general manager Jerry Angelo, who runs one of the teams in need of one.
Several candidates -- Boston College's Will Blackmon, Colorado's Jeremy Bloom, Virginia's Marques Hagans, Miami's Devin Hester and Fresno State's Adam Jennings -- are primarily return specialists.
Others -- UCLA running back Maurice Drew, Kansas cornerback Charles Gordon and wide receivers Skyler Green (LSU), Willie Reid (Florida State), Cory Rodgers (TCU) and Brandon Williams (Wisconsin) -- have value as position players, too.
THE NEXT GATES?
Blame it on Antonio Gates.
Because Gates made such a remarkable transition from college basketball player to Pro Bowl tight end, NFL scouts now have to evaluate nearly every hoopster who can post up.
That explains the fascination with George Mason forward Jai Lewis. He has been on the radar of NFL teams for more than a year, and there is a chance the 6-7, 275-pound Lewis will be drafted as a tight end in the late rounds because of his size and athleticism.
Lewis played high school football, but scouts are cautious. In addition to his inexperience, he doesn't appear to have ideal speed.
Chargers GM A.J. Smith, who signed Gates as an undrafted free agent out of Kent State three years ago, says he is tracking five college basketball players. But nobody expects to find another Gates.
"Look; we got lucky with Gates," Smith says. "His agent did a great job marketing him, and 19 teams wanted him. He just wanted to be here."
GREENWAY VS. HODGE
If Chad Greenway had played for Maine and Abdul Hodge had played for Hawaii, no one would be using one as a reference point for the other.
But both potential first-round picks were competing for every tackle while standing just a few feet from each other as starting linebackers for Iowa. So everything Greenway did is measured against Hodge. Each of Hodge's strengths and weaknesses is graded against Greenway's.
The 6-2 3/8 Greenway makes the 6-0 3/8 Hodge look small. Greenway's speed makes Hodge look slow. Greenway's athletic ability makes Hodge look ordinary.
But Hodge's instincts make Greenway look late to react. Hodge's ability to disengage makes Greenway look plodding. Hodge's natural punch makes Greenway look less explosive.
So it goes with teammates who play the same position. Others in the draft include N.C. State defensive ends Mario Williams and Manny Lawson; Ohio State linebackers A.J. Hawk, Bobby Carpenter and Anthony Schlegel; LSU defensive tackles Claude Wroten and Kyle Williams; and Miami offensive tackles Eric Winston and Rashad Butler.
The truth is Greenway and Hodge both are fine prospects who were very productive in college, whether they are being compared or not. But this is what stands out on tape: Hodge usually beats Greenway to the ball. That means something.