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The Way We Hear It — draft edition
Sooners' injured juniors disappoint; Otah recovers; Top prospects invited to draft
By Nolan Nawrocki
April 10, 2008
PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki will post "The Way We Hear It — draft edition" Tuesday through Thursday every week preceding the NFL draft.
A strong contingent of NFL personnel showed up in Norman, Okla., to watch a pair of Sooners juniors, WR Malcolm Kelly and CB Reggie Smith, work out, including four members of the Buffalo Bills' organization who were watching closely.
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Oklahoma WR Malcolm Kelly
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The way we hear it, Kelly could slide as far as the third round after a very disappointing performance. According to two evaluators in attendance, Kelly was clocked between 4.69 and 4.75 at 222 pounds, roughly five pounds heavier than the weight at which he played during the season and probably at least 10 pounds heavier than he needs to play at in the pros to maximize his ability.
“He’s a 4.6 guy on tape,” one evaluator in attendance said. “(Defenders) don’t catch him. He’s 6-4 with long arms, great hands and impressive tape. He just does not run fast.”
There have been a lot of good NFL receivers who did not time fast on the clock but consistently showed up big on tape, including Larry Fitzgerald, Braylon Edwards, Anquan Boldin and Michael Irvin. However, a poor showing in the 40 often has proven it could drop prospects a round, if not more, on Draft Day, equating to the loss of millions of dollars.
Kelly’s workout in many ways compares to that of former USC WR Dwayne Jarrett, who was stacked in the third round on many draft boards a year ago prior to being drafted in the middle of the second round by the Carolina Panthers. Jarrett struggled to get on the field as a rookie, and his immaturity frequently was apparent.
The way we hear it, the immaturity Kelly displayed following his poor workout, when he openly criticized the Sooners’ coaching staff and got into a heated discussion with Sooners strength coach Jerry Schmidt regarding the FieldTurf surface, which he blamed for creating his poor times, was even more disappointing than the workout itself.
“He could be a headache,” a veteran scout said. “He showed up out of shape and made a lot of excuses. He was pointing blame at everyone but himself. He needs to grow up. We would not even think about (drafting) him.”
Kelly's 32-inch vertical jump and average performance in agility drills also did little to impress scouts. He said following the workout that he had private visits scheduled this week with Cincinnati, Minnesota and Pittsburgh, all of which could use additional help at the WR position.
Fellow teammate Reggie Smith ran slower than expected, as well, clocking in the low 4.6s at 192 pounds. He did, however, vertical-jump 39½ inches and perform very well in agility drills, clocking just above four seconds in the short shuttle and showing the short-area quickness desired for a zone scheme.
“The question with him is where do you play him,” an evaluator in attendance said. “I think he is a better safety than corner.”
The range of rounds projected for Smith that were given by three different evaluators in attendance spanned from the second to the fourth rounds. However, a cornerback with his size, experience and overall athletic ability rarely sneaks past the third.
 Pittsburgh OT Jeff Otah also performed again Wednesday for scouts after having clocked surprisingly slow times ranging from 5.55 to 5.6 at the Combine. According to one evaluator in attendance, he moved around noticeably better and clocked in the low-to-mid-5.3s. The workout did not draw as much interest as Oklahoma’s, with only 13 teams and 21 overall representatives from teams said to be in attendance. Offensive line coaches from the Kansas City Chiefs and Chicago Bears were in attendance, not to mention full contingents from the nearby Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers, both of whom are in need of a powerful tackle.
The NFL has extended invitations to six players to come to New York for Draft Day at Radio City Music Hall. In alphabetical order, they are Glenn Dorsey, Vernon Gholston, Chris Long, Jake Long, Darren McFadden and Matt Ryan. All have yet to accept the invitations, but no others are likely going to be invited.
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2008 Draft Preview
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If you would like to read more about the players who are about to enter the April 26-27 NFL draft, Pro Football Weekly has two publications that will fit the bill — the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide.
The 200-page 2008 Draft Preview book, which sells for $19.95, contains detailed scouting reports on nearly 500 prospects with each player's height, weight, 40-time, positives and negatives. You'll also get our rankings of more than 900 draft prospects and a breakdown of each NFL team's needs, by position. Written by PFW personnel analyst Nolan Nawrocki and the editors of PFW, the Draft Preview book is widely recognized as the "bible of the draft." Books are now ready to be shipped.
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2008 Draft Guide
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Meanwhile, hot off the presses, the 2008 Draft Guide is a 152-page magazine that sells for $6.99, showcasing feature stories on Arkansas RB Darren McFadden and the secret to drafting success, a sleeper watch, a fantasy forecast and more. In addition, you'll find scouting reports on more than 350 players, draft previews for all 32 teams (including each club's top five areas of need and a "hot list" of prospects who fit the team's schemes) and rankings of the prospects by position.
The 2008 Draft Guide is available now at newsstands and bookstores throughout the country. Both of the above publications can be ordered now from the PFW store. You will receive a discount if you purchase both the 2008 Draft Preview book and the 2008 Draft Guide magazine from the PFW store with our Combo-Pack offer.
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Links to our online draft coverage
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