Draft Tracker
April 23, 2008 11:24 AM | General
April 23, 2008
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| Dingle | Reynaud |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia’s recent NFL draft history hasn’t been all that impressive but that could change on Saturday. Perhaps as many as five Mountaineer players could be taken in this year’s NFL draft which commences Saturday afternoon in New York City.
That would equal the total number of West Virginia players drafted since 2004, and comes within two of matching the total number of WVU players taken since 2001.
Three underclassmen – the largest number of underclassmen to leave school early in school history – make up a large portion of this year’s West Virginia draft class.
Running back Steve Slaton, wide receiver Darius Reynaud and defensive end Johnny Dingle each chose to forgo their final season of eligibility at West Virginia for the lure of the NFL. All three are expected to be drafted although it may not be until Sunday.
Slaton is rated anywhere from the ninth to the 11th-best running back available and should go between the third and fifth rounds. Rivals.com rates Slaton the 67th-best player in the draft while NFL Draft Countdown has Slaton ranked 99th, showing the wide disparity in people’s opinion of the West Virginia back.
“The NFL has always been a dream for me, and when the opportunity comes you have to take it,” Slaton was quoted in Wednesday’s Philadelphia Inquirer.
Slaton ran for more than 1,000 yards for three straight seasons but West Virginia’s all-time touchdown leader’s 1,051 yards rushing in 2007 was nearly 700 yards off his sophomore total when he was a consensus All-American and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year.
Junior Darius Reynaud was West Virginia’s most productive receiver since Chris Henry in 2004. Reynaud caught a team-best 64 passes for 733 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2007 and his three-year totals include 133 catches for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns in the Mountaineers’ run-first pass-second offense.
Johnny Dingle had his best season in 2007 leading the team with nine sacks to go with 19 tackles for losses and 48 total stops. His 28 negative yardage plays were easily the most on the team in 2007.
Dingle and Reynaud, rated 12th and 18th at their positions by NFL Draft Scout.com, should be second-day picks.
Historically, West Virginia’s underclass players that have declared early for the draft have had varying degrees of success in the NFL. Running back Amos Zereoue left school a year early and was the 95th player taken in the 1999 draft. He played seven NFL seasons, mostly with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Juniors Pacman Jones and Chris Henry were the sixth and 83rd players taken in the 2005 draft but both have experienced off-the-field troubles. Henry was recently released by the Cincinnati Bengals and Jones is awaiting reinstatement by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
Major Harris chose to leave school early in 1990 and wound up being taken in the 12th round by the Los Angeles Raiders. Fullback Rodney Woodard chose to leave early after the 1992 season and was not drafted.
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| Dykes | Slaton | Schmitt |
Meanwhile, West Virginia’s highest rated position player for this year’s draft is Owen Schmitt, considered by many to be the No. 1 fullback available. Schmitt showed his all-around ability in 2007 running for 272 yards and catching 12 passes for 121 yards. For his career Schmitt accounted for 1,231 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns.
Schmitt had a setback when he injured his knee during workouts prior to the Senior Bowl but he says his knee is now healthy.
“It was a bummer when it happened. I really wanted to play,” Schmitt told the Charleston Gazette.
Defensive tackle Keilen Dykes could be an appealing late-round pick. Dykes had 32 tackles, three sacks, four tackles for losses and an interception last year as a senior. He is rated 15th among defensive tackles by NFL Draft Scout.com.
Free safety Ryan Mundy, rated 14th by NFL Draft Scout.com, Marc Magro, ranked the 15th best inside linebacker, and strong safety Eric Wicks, ranked 18th, are also draft candidates.
West Virginia’s biggest draft class since the NFL paired the draft down to seven rounds came in 1999 when six players were taken. Defensive tackle John Thornton and linebacker Gary Stills are still in the league.
The 2008 NFL draft will commence at 3 pm on Saturday with the first pick already being determined. Last night the Miami Dolphins and former Michigan tackle Jake Long agreed to a five-year deal that includes $30 million in guaranteed money.
