First-round fullback looks likely
Posted: Friday March 12, 1999 11:36 AM
The last fullback picked in the first round of the NFL draft was Tommy Vardell by Cleveland in 1992. Seven years later, it appears that the next first-round fullback will join the league.
Most people I've spoken with this week feel Syracuse's Rob Konrad will go in the top 31, and for good reason. At 6-foot-3 and 251 pounds with 4.6 speed, he can give an offense multiple dimensions. Plus, he's a throwback and he actually participated at the combine, something coaches love to see.
Sensational center
There's also a good chance a center will be drafted in the first round for the first time since 1993, when Steve Everitt was taken by the Browns. Line coaches I spoke with believe Damien Woody of Boston College will be that choice. He's 6-foot-3 and 328 pounds and he impressed scouts at the combine with a 5.15 40. As one coach told me, "He'll start for 12 years in this league."
Unique year for black QBs
Another unique thing about this draft is the likelihood of three black quarterbacks being drafted in the first round -- there have only been three drafted in the first round since the NFL-AFL merger. The great news is that they're recognized as the best at their position coming out of college ... and not as middle-round picks that will "surprise" everyone. GMs, coaches and scouts expect Donovan McNabb, Daunte Culpepper and Akili Smith to become top-flight QBs in the NFL, and they'll prove that by drafting all three in the top 15.
Kicking kudos
Teams love players who can do more than one job. And both Hunter Smith of Notre Dame and Jeff Hall of Tennessee demonstrated the ability to punt, kick off and, in the case of Hall, kick field goals, too. According to a special teams coach with whom I spoke, both players have a good chance of being drafted, which isn't the norm for kickers.
Short on height, no problem
And finally, it's been my experience that when a player gets an "undersized" grade for height, there's one position where that's not as much of a factor -- defensive tackle.
Three of the best DTs in the NFL -- John Randle, Warren Sapp and Henry Thomas -- are all 6-foot-1. And this year, the top two DTs in the draft are LSU's 6-foot Anthony McFarland and Florida's 6-foot-1 Reggie McGrew. Both should go in the first round.
Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years in the NFL as a coach and scout, is an NFL analyst for CNN/SI.
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