ON THE TUBE
National Football League
NFL Draft, Saturday,
ESPN, (34) Noon
Effufakl
Jets trade
No. 1 pick
to Rams
■ TRADE: With the top pick
in the draft the Rams will
likely pick Orlando Pace
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y, — The St.
Louis Rams obtained the first pick
in the NFL draft from the New
York Jets today, giving them the
chance to select Orlando Pace, the
offensive tackle coach Dick Ver
meil desperately seeks.
In return, the Jets received the
sixth overall choice and the Rams’
choices in the third, fourth and
seventh rounds. That will allow
Jets coach Bill Parcells to get the
defensive player he wants.
Vermeil, who didn’t have a first
or second-rounder his first two
years in Philadelphia, didn’t
specifically say he would take
Pace.
“Needless to say I’m very excit
ed,” he said. “It’s so super to be in
this situation. To be in a position
to start a new program with the
number one, number one is al
most overwhelming.”
Parcells was equally happy.
“At the sixth spot we’ll still get
a real good player and the addi
tional picks let us address our
pressing needs,” Parcells said.
“It’s a win-win situation for both
teams.”
In effect, the Jets are reclaiming
the third- and fourth-round picks
they gave up to New England as
compensation for Parcells’ release
from his contract with the Patriots.
The Rams, who consider offen
sive tackle their most pressing
need, are certain to use the pick
Saturday to take Pace, the 340
pounder from Ohio State who is
rated the best player available.
The Jets, who wanted a defen
sive player rather than Pace, now
will have a shot at either Alabama
linebacker Dwayne Rudd or Texas
cornerback Bryant Westbrook.
They might even have a shot at de
fensive end Peter Boulware of
Florida State if Baltimore, as ex
pected, trades out of the fourth
overall spot.
In Parcells’ mind, there was no
clear-cut top prospect this time.
D-Day for former Ducks
MARK McTYRE/Emerald
Former Oregon offensive tackle Paul Wiggins is expected to be selected no earlier than the third round in
this weekend’s NFL Draft. Six other former Ducks should hear from an NFL team some time this weekend.
Seven former Ducks
could be drafted or
picked as a free agent
By Ben Kwasney
and Ryan Frank
Oregon Daily Emerald
Seven former Oregon foot
ball players will surely be sit
ting within arm’s reach of their
telephone this weekend.
The 62nd NFL Draft begins
at noon Saturday in New York,
and there is a possibility that
seven former Ducks could ei
ther be selected in the draft or
be picked up as a free agent fol
lowing the draft.
Former Oregon cornerback
Kenny Wheaton, who left the
Ducks after his junior season,
and former Oregon offensive
tackle Paul Wiggins will most
likely be the first two former
Ducks selected in the draft.
Five other former Ducks
could also receive a call this
weekend. Quarterback Tony
Graziani said he could be tak
en as early as the third round,
and tight end Josh Wilcox, de
fensive end Mark Schmidt and
linebackers Reggie Jordan and
Derrick Barnes will all most
likely be taken in the latter
rounds or picked up as a free
agent following the draft.
The following is a projection
for each player in the draft.
Paul Wiggins: Listed by
some as the sixth best offensive
tackle in the draft, Wiggins’
stock may have dropped some
what because of injuries.
Wiggins played most of the
1996 season while injured.
Expect Wiggins to be taken
no earlier than the third round.
Projection: Third round or
later
Tony Graziani: Several NFL
teams looking to fill needs at
quarterback have contacted the
Turn to DUCKS, Page 16
St. Louis expected to select Orlando Pace with top pick
■ FIRST ROUND: Seattle is
expected to take Shawn
Springs with the third pick
1. St. Louis (6-10)
NEEDS: Overall defense, offen
sive line.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: RB
Craig Heyward, LB Mike Jones, K
Jeff Wilkins, QB Mark Rypien,
who returns as backup for second
year-man Tony Banks
PROBABLE PICK: Orlando
Pace, ot, Ohio State
2. Oakland (7-9) (from New Or
leans)
NEEDS: Offensive line, line
backer, defensive line.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: QB
Jeff George, WR-KR Desmond
Howard.
PROBABLE PICK: Pace was the
choice until the trade. Now it’s
Shawn Springs, cb, Ohio State or
Derek Russell, dt, Southern Cali
fornia.
3. Seattle (the higher pick from
Atlanta)
NEEDS: Offensive line, run
stopping linebacker, perhaps run
ning back.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: LB
Chad Brown and CB Willie
Williams from Pittsburgh, plus S
Bennie Blades and QB Warren
Moon, who will back up John
Friesz.
PROBABLE PICKS: Springs,
Russell: Peter Boulware, de, Flori
da State; Bryant Westbrook, CB,
Texas, with the high choice. With
other spot, LBs James Farrior or
Jamie Sharper, Virginia; Tom
Knight, CB, Iowa; Rae Carruth,
WR, Colorado; Jim Drucken
miller, QB, Virginia Tech.
4. Baltimore (4-12)
NEEDS: Overall defense — sec
ondary, linebackers, and front
four, hurt by injury last season.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: OL
Leo Goeas, DE Michael McCrary,
who satisfies need for pass rusher
and probably forces trade down to
save cap money.
PROBABLE PICK: Trade down
with team that wants Boulware.
Probably draft day deal.
5. Detroit (5-11)
NEEDS: Overall defense, partic
ularly at linebacker, where the Li
ons tried and failed to replace the
departed Chris Spielman. Sec
ondary, where Blades defected to
Seattle. Fullback to block for Bar
ry Sanders, a nonexistent position
in the old offense.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: P
John Jett.
PROBABLE PICK: Westbrook,
Springs, Boulware or Dwayne
Rudd, lb, Alabama.
6. New York Jets (1-15)
NEEDS: Defense, particularly
the line, where only four players
Eire signed; offensive line.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: LB
Pepper Johnson, RB Lorenzo
Neal, DE Ernie Logan.
PROBABLE PICK: Westrbook
or Rudd.
7. New York Giants (6-10)
NEEDS: Offense, Offense, Of
fense, particularly line, wide re
ceiver and perhaps quarterback.
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS:
None.
PROBABLE PICK: Rudd; Jones;
Yatil Green, WR, Miami; Warrick
Dunn, RB, Florida State; Farrior.
8. Tampa Bay (6-10) (the lower
pick from San Diego)
NEEDS: Offense, particularly at
wide receiver, where Alvin Harp
er has never become the consis
Tum to FIRST ROUND, Page 16
NFL DRAFT
■ WHAT: 62nd NFL draft.
■ WHERE: The Theater at
Madison Square Garden, New
York City.
■ WHEN: Noon EDT, Satur
day, April 19 (Rounds 1 -3); 11
a.m. EOT, Sunday, April 20
(Rounds 4-7).
■ TIME LIMITS: 15 minutes
per team for Round 1; 10 min
utes per team for Round 2; 5
minutes perteam Rounds 3-7.