The Big East, the draft, and the unexpected

By Darrell Laurant  |   Sunday, May 03, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

College Football
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One of the things that makes the NFL draft so much fun is its unpredictability. Beyond the first dozen or so picks, and even before, anything can happen. Heisman winners go undrafted. Cornerbacks from obscure Division III colleges break into the first round.

The sports pundits who churn out mock drafts generally do so on the basis of logic. That's their first mistake.

In the case of the Big East, here are some of the surprises and disappointments from the 2009 draft .

SURPRISES

1. Eric Wood was Louisville's starting center so long it's almost as if he was installed there. He's experienced, smart, durable and big (310 pounds), so it's not a surprise that he was drafted. Still, in the first round? Since when do two centers (Wood and Cal's Alex Mack, chosen by Cleveland with the 21st overall pick) go that early? Wood went to Buffalo 28th overall.

2. Tony Fiammetta of Syracuse to Carolina in Round 4. There were higher-profile fullbacks in the league than Fiammetta (Brock Bolen of Louisville and Pitt's Conredge Collins, to name two), but scouts picked up on his combine performance and the fact that he was woefully underutilized by departed Orange coach Greg Robinson.

3. The Cincinnati Bengals using a fifth-round pick on hometown (UC) punter Kevin Huber. Again, this is a position usually not tapped that early, good as Huber was in college.

4. Cincinnati's DeAngelo Smith and Brandon Underwood coming off the board before teammate Mike Mickens. No wonder the Bearcats were hard to throw against. Mickens was a first-team preseason All-American, but injury concerns might have caused him to drop through a trap door into Round 7.

5. Mike Teel of Rutgers being drafted at all. Seattle obviously picked the second-half Teel, as opposed to the senior who struggled mightily in September and October last season. An unlucky 13 interceptions probably scared off other possible suitors, but Teel is a classic pocket passer who fits the pro game.

6. LaRod Stephens-Howling of Pitt following LeSean McCoy onto an NFL roster, picked in the seventh round by Arizona. Completely overshadowed by McCoy the last two years, Stephens-Howling is quick off the mark and elusive out in the open. He's also 5-foot-7, 170 pounds.

DISAPPOINTMENTS

1. Teel's teammate, safety Courtney Greene, dropping to Round 7. The knock on Greene was apparently a combination of lack of top-end speed and inconsistent open-field tackling. Nobody questioned his ability to deliver a robust hit.

2. West Virginia's overall draft. Pat White did go No. 2 to the Dolphins, raising all kinds of speculation as what what might be done with him there (QB? Wideout? Slash? "Wildcat"?), but the Mountaineers got no respect after that. Cornerback Ellis Lankster and PK/punter Pat McAfee hung around until Round 7, and supposedly well-regarded offensive linemen Greg Isdaner and Ryan Stanchek didn't get picked at all.

3. Pitt's tackling machine, Scott McKillop, slipping to Round 5 (San Francisco). Somehow, you just know this guy is going to become an outstanding linebacker at the next level, one of those who compensates for being a step slow with great anticipation.

4. Hunter Cantwell, undrafted. Some draftniks had Louisville's QB ranked as the best prospect in the Big East at his position, but his not getting picked was largely about picks -- 16 of them. Plus, Cantwell was seen as an easy target out of the pocket.
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