Wednesday, February 22, 2006

If You're Anticipating the Draft, Check This Out

If you're one of those fans who gets into studying the draft, mock drafts, the annual scouting combine, etc., you might be interested in checking out this ongoing column from Yahoo Sports. The author says, "The plan is to update the first-round forecast roughly every two weeks, with changes reflective of free-agent signings, personnel tips, scouting reports, player visits and various pro days over the next two months." It starts with initial impressions and a mock draft. As with a number of other mock drafts, he also shows Mario Williams, defensive end from North Carolina State, coming to the Pack with the #5 draft pick. He acknowledges that Ohio State linebacker, A. J. Hawk, would also be a great pick up for the Packers given needs at linebacker. But he then points out that some scouts think Williams could be the next Julius Peppers. He notes that, "Hawk is more polished at his position and has a more consistent track record, but Williams could be a major game-changer." Stay tuned.

If you want to watch the actual draft combine events, you can check out the NFL Network. You can find the schedule of combine events carried by the NFL Network here.