| NFL 2008 Draft Notes |
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| Tuesday, 22 April 2008 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Two players this weekend can become part of an exclusive NFL club. Virginia defensive end CHRIS LONG and UCLA safety MATT SLATER can become the fifth and sixth sons of Pro Football Hall of Fame players to be drafted into the league. Chris can follow his father HOWIE (HOF, 2000) and Matt his father JACKIE (HOF, 2001). The Hall of Fame father/drafted son rundown:
An impressive number of players who will be drafted this weekend already have earned their college degrees, with majors ranging from international business to history.
“These guys should be applauded for what they did,” says Oregon offensive coordinator CHIP KELLY, who coached quarterback DENNIS DIXON, a sociology graduate. “They’re exactly what’s right about college football.”
A list of 25 draft-eligible players who already boast their college degrees:
Division I-AA quarterback JOE FLACCO of Delaware is aware that playing on that level may lead some people to question his ability. Only two Division I-AA players (CB RASHARD ANDERSON by Carolina and WR SYLVESTER MORRIS by Kansas City, both first-round selections out of Jackson State in 2000) have been drafted in the top 30 selections in the past 10 years.
But Flacco doesn’t let that hinder his confidence. “I feel like I’m the best quarterback in the draft,” he says. “Hands down.”
A former Delaware quarterback, SCOTT BRUNNER, who led the Fightin’ Blue Hens to the 1979 Division II championship and played six years in the NFL, believes that Flacco has all the tools. “Without a doubt, he’ll play at the next level,” says Brunner, now a banker in New York City. “He’s one of the top five quarterbacks in the country. It’ll be fun to have another Blue Hen quarterback to root for.”
To back up Flacco’s feeling of confidence, look at this stat: three non-BCS quarterbacks finished in the top 10 in passer rating in the NFL in 2007:
Small School QB – Big Rating
Ohio State defensive end VERNON GHOLSTON, a sure first-round choice, can be the first this weekend in what the Buckeyes hope will be an onslaught of draft picks that will retain their No. 1 ranking as the school with the most selections over the past 10 years (since 1998):
The highest Connecticut has had a player chosen in the draft in the past 10 years was No. 82 overall (LB ALFRED FINCHER by New Orleans in 2005). That could change this weekend, thanks to cornerback-safety TYVON BRANCH, who last year became the only Husky in history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same season.
At the NFL Scouting Combine this past February, Branch earned another distinction that only five other players have achieved in the past five years, according to NFL.com draft expert GIL BRANDT. Branch joined the unique quintet comprised of players who weigh at least 200 pounds, ran the 40 in under 4.4 seconds and lifted 225 pounds at least 15 times. Four of the five were starters in 2007:
Class of the Combine:
* 2007 starter
Ten Interesting notes on the draft class of 2008: Did you Know?
Miami Florida safety KENNY PHILLIPS is expected to be a first-round selection this Saturday. If he and any other Hurricanes are, they would continue the school’s impressive streak.
Miami has had at least one first-round pick in the last 13 NFL Drafts (since 1995, DT WARREN SAPP, No. 12 overall by Tampa Bay), the longest such active streak of a school in the draft.
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New York, New York - A compendium of off - and on - the field notes for the 2008 NFL Draft, which starts at 12:00 PM PT this Saturday at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall:
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