| Pittsburgh Sports Report April 2002 |
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Pitt Looks To Lead Local Draft Parade For the first time in recent memory, the University of Pittsburgh should be the local college of choice when the NFL does its annual spring shopping April 20-21. While the Panthers don't exactly have a multitude of top-flight NFL talent - it's possible only two Panthers could get drafted - neither Penn State nor West Virginia have their usual horde of draft-level talent. Only two local players, both Panthers - receiver Antonio Bryant and safety Ramon Walker, both early entries - are likely to be drafted on the first day. Both Bryant and Walker left Pitt after their junior years for the NFL, and while both are likely to be selected early, both have seen their stock fall a little in recent weeks. Several other players from Pitt, Penn State, and West Virginia will endure nervous Sundays waiting for their names to be called. The following are capsules of local draft prospects and a list of others to keep an eye on. Antonio Bryant, WR, Pittsburgh 6-2, 180 Bryant, who won the 2000 Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best collegiate receiver, made the decision to turn pro in January. At the time, the word was Bryant would be a potential top 10 selection. That was in January. Bryant's stock began to fall when a few other underclassmen, particularly Donte Stallworth of Tennessee and Hawaii's Ashley Lelie, committed for the draft. It fell even further after a poor showing in the NFL Combine, where he ran two very pedestrian 40 times, at 4.64 and 4.59, and did not stand out catching the ball. Despite the slow 40 times, Bryant still projects anywhere from the middle of the first round to early in the second. A season-long ankle injury appears to have cleared up. Chris Evans of NFL DraftView projects Bryant as a first-round player and says its highly probable he'll start for whoever takes him. "You can't deny his kind of talent," says Evans. "He wants the ball. He should be a first-round pick, despite his off the field problems, but reports have all those straightened out." Ramon Walker, S, Pittsburgh 6-0, 195 Walker's stock has also fallen a little recently, though not as far as Bryant's. In the meticulous world of NFL scouting, Walker's stock suffered when he pulled out of drills with a pulled muscle at the NFL Combine. Walker is a massive hitter and plays the run as well as any safety in the draft. His durability has been questioned, and his coverage skills need work, but he can play either safety position. According to Evans, Walker "has fine range and size for a safety. Sure, there are some things he needs to work on, but he's a fine prospect with a bright future ahead." Expect him to be taken sometime in the second round, though he could slide into the third. Houston, Arizona, and the Rams all like him. Bryan Knight, OLB, Pittsburgh 6-2, 233 Knight is the classic "tweener," a successful college defensive end who will have to move to outside linebacker in the NFL. He got to the passer with great frequency in college, but was neutralized by top-flight tackles. Knight will have to make the transition to OLB. He looks to be a fourth or fifth rounder. John Gilmore, TE, Penn State 6-11/2, 260 Gilmore could turn into a sleeper pick late in this draft. He has good size, good hands, and is a decent blocker. Gilmore has the potential to be a good second tight end in the NFL. "He's a pretty big guy," says Evans. "He could be better if he wanted to be. He has good hands, but seems to lack concentration at times. Also, he's not the fastest and isn't a threat over 10 yards. John is in the fifth to sixth round area." Eric McCoo, RB, Penn State 5-10, 209 McCoo is sort of a mystery heading into the draft and could go anywhere. He has great speed and is elusive in the open field, but he never showed the size or power to get past the line of scrimmage up the middle at Penn State. "He has the talent to be a third-rd down guy, which could get him drafted," said Evans, "though it's more of a potential projection than on merit." Omar Easy, RB-FB, Penn State 6-1, 242 Easy may wind up getting picked earlier than any of his Nittany Lion teammates as his stock continues to soar. He never got much playing time in college, however, and that may weigh more than his very solid all-star efforts and stellar combine performance. This is a big man with great hands who runs a 4.47 at 240 pounds. Easy may not be selected until late in the draft, but he could be a steal. Rick Sherrod, S, West Virginia 6-3, 195 A tall and rangy free safety, Sherrod is a proven player with good all-around skills. He's a fierce hitter and has great football instincts but lacks ideal cover skills. An intense, vocal leader, Sherrod has a nose for the football and could work his way into a special teams job right away. Sherrod projects to the sixth or seventh round. Shawn Hackett, S, West Virginia 6-1, 195 Similar to his Mountaineer teammate, although not as explosive. Hackett has quality cover skills, though, which probably gives him a higher ceiling. Probably a sixth or seventh rounder. Bruce Branch, CB, Penn State 5-11, 190 Branch could sneak into the later rounds, but should get a free agency look no matter what happens on draft day. He has fine size and speed, though he struggled against Iowa's Kahlil Hill and other pure speed wide receivers in drills at the East-West Shrine Game practices. He was a standout special teams performer at Penn State, on both the return and coverage teams, and that could be his ticket to the NFL. R.J. English, WR, Pitt 6-2, 215 Finished his senior year with 41 catches, averaging 18.5 yards per catch. He doesn't have great speed after several knee injuries in college, but the NFL loves size at receiver these days, and English could work his way into the later rounds.
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