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 Turn to DRAFT, f’.tgo 1? Oscar the Freshman Neal Skorpen / i Weasel’s World Kraig Norris m : tha; «;oe biocuss wo iojst hk> fiti GOF€M SkxC it &CATfHV/m kea: v r ft v, 'ty \ J 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 Turn to SCOUTS, Page 1? 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