NFL draft looks hopeful for Ducks
By Jayson Jacoby and Dave Cnarbonneau
Ernarad Sports fleporte's
The NFL will hold its annual college draft this
Sunday, and a few nx-Uutis will ho keeping their
fingers crossed in hopes of continuing their loot
hall earners
Although it is unlikely any Oregon player will
he selected in the earlier rounds, it is possible a
few players will lie picked later in the draft
"Thoro's really not a for sure' guv from our
team this year." said Oregon defensive coordina
tor Denny Schuler
The players that seem to have the ties] chance
of getting a shot at the pros are tight end Jeff
Thomason, cornerhack Muhammad Oliver, nose
tackle Marcus Woods, defensive end Matt
LaBounty and linebacker Andy Conner, said Joe
Schaffeld, the Ducks' defensive line i oach
Of those players, Oliver has been given the
most positive signs The Cincinnati Bengals went
as t.ir as flying Oliver to Ohio to lake a physical
and visit the city
Bui Cincinnati is not the onlv team th.it h.is
shown interest in Olivr Oliver said the Clove
land Browns. New York Ciants and Washington
Redskins have also expressed an Interest m lum
liven with all those teams interested in him, Ol
iver is not anticipating an early round pick and
really doesn't care who drafts him. as long as he
gets drafted.
"I'm prohahly a middle-to-lato-round pick," he
said. ''I'll basically take whatever I tan get I'm
really not in a position to be picky
Oliver said he feels he will make it in the NI L
if he is drafted, and Schuler seems to feel the
same
"Oliver's best days are definitely down the
road." Schuler said
Oliver began to consider the NFL as a career
option when Schuler brought it up during Oil
ver's junior year
"Coach Schuler told me I had the ability to
play pro football." Oliver said, “and I knew I had
a chance when scouts started showing up a! prai
tlees to watch mo.”
Besides Oliver, Thomason and Woods seem to
he the other Ducks with the best c hence of getting
their names called on draft day
Oregon offensive coordinator Mike Bellotti
thinks a lot of teams could benefit Irom Thoma
son s ability at the tight end position, csptx tally
teams that use multiple tight ends
" There are several teams that use two or three
tight ends," Bellotti said "I think those teams
could really use Joff.
Bellotti added that although Thomason needs
work in areas, he no doubt has what it takes to
play in the NFL
r*'X*U t-y jmT P Mlt)
Former Duck noae lac kit Marcus Woods will be
crossing his fingers come draft day
"He may need a little more weight .uul work on
Ins blocking," he said " Hut as a receiver, he
could really help some teams I think lelf's best
football is ahead of him
Thomason, along with Woods was invited to
I fie latest NIL combine, vv here si outs get a look a I
all ol the top pros pet is in the nation
Oregon hood r oach Rich Brooks said .111 mvila
Hon to a combine is usually a good sign
Normally that means they have .1 good 1 ham e
to fie drafted," fie said, "but where is hard to
say ."
Conner and I.allounty are long sliots to get
drafted, and Ixith are realism afxiul tfieir 1 fiances
"I just wish for the fiest.' laiBounty said "I've
boon contacted fiy three teams 1 tfiink my
chances are pretty slim I've boon running to keep
in shape in case I am drafted
Conner, who has talked w itfi Cl nr inriati, the Cl
ants, Cleveland, the Seattle Sea hawks and the
Phoenix Cardinals, was a little more optimism
"Some guys who never exper t to get drafted are
drafted," he said I'm |us! hoping lor tile lies!
Schuler thinks l.aBounty's biggest setfiai k
could lie his tar k id size
Matt's a little undersized Ni l. wise," Schuler
said "But tie is .1 good, solid football player
Connor said if lie isn't drafted, lie would 1:1111
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NFL scouts like look
of Thomason, Woods
By Jake Berg
f f'tjr jk1 Sports l Clilor
Joe St ha fluid will Imt filing
into his tilth mis son us < Jr»»
gon’s dufunsivu linn roach
next fall, but ho said his ox
purionco doesn't make him
any more knowledgeable
about how NR. loams dm ft
"If you find out. makti
sure to loll mo." said
Sohiiffuld. the Oregon (ouch
designated to hundln NFL
scouts "It’s a guessing game,
You ran never say that this
is the gospel this is the
way it's going to lie."
Several Oregon football
players will keep a close eye
on that guessing game come
Sunday, when the NFL
holds its annual college
draft
SchafTeld said no has boon
called by scouts from nearly
every loam In Iho NFL dur
ing (ho put! year, but a num
ber of leu ms -- from iho
Denver Broncos to the
Washington Kedskins
have recently coma lo Oro
gon
When scouts visit Oregon
to look at the talent,
SchafTeld said they ask near
ly everyone for information
about the players
" They talk lo the trainers
maybe to the janitors,“
SchafTeld said "You know,
anybody."
A tot of the talk bus surely
centered around nose tackle
Marcus Woods, a student of
Schaffeld's WixmIs has per
haps the highest potential
draft value of any of the
graduated Ducks, said Billy
Wilson, the Sun Francisco
■Piers scout who looked at
Oregon last fall
"He plays pretty well."
Jeff Thomason
Wilson said "He shows
some pretty good strength at
point. The (Oregon) roaches
recommended him ”
Doug KreU. who scooted
Oregon for the Seattle Sea
hawks, said Woods may
definitely have moru NFL
qualities than uny of the oth
er Ducks, hut he also saiil
Woods would have a hard
time fltllng into the Seattle
defense, which uses a four
man front, thus eliminating
the nose tackle position
"Marcus Woods is a good
nose tackle, hut we don't use
a nose tackle anymore,"
Krel/. said. "He probably
wouldn't Ire as high on our
list."
Who's high on the Seattle
list, though. Is Oregon tight
end Jeff Thomason Krot*
said ho was Impressed with
Thomason's abilities when
visited Oregon last spring
and full
“Jeff Thomason is a roul
good athlete." Krot/. said
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