Post by TheShadow on May 2, 2006 18:34:13 GMT -5
www.planetblacksburg.com
by Neal Turnage
May 1, 2006
With the fans at Radio City Music Hall chanting “Marcus Vick, Marcus Vick!” for ten minutes straight, Paul Salata strolled to the podium to announce the final pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
The title of “Mr. Irrelevant”, as the pick is called, did not go to Virginia Tech’s former signal caller. Instead, a chorus of boos arose after the Oakland Raiders took Kevin McMahan, a wide receiver from the University of Maine.
This is not the end of the road for Vick as he can still make it onto an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent. Bryan Randall went undrafted in last year’s draft, but managed to still sign with the Atlanta Falcons.
The future looks a bit more certain for the nine Hokies who were selected over the weekend. In addition to day one selections Jimmy Williams (37th overall), Darryl Tapp (63) and James Anderson (88), day two saw Jeff King (155), Jon Lewis (177), Jimmy Martin (227), Justin Hamilton (222), Will Montomery (234) and Cedric Humes (240) all found new teams.
The Atlanta Falcons used their first pick on a Tech cornerback for the second time in three years when they chose Williams to join DeAngelo Hall on defense. The Falcons had the opportunity to take Vick in the seventh round but chose to go with University of Georgia quarterback D.J. Shockley instead.
The Carolina Panthers can make a case for being called Hokie football’s grad school after choosing three Tech players. If Anderson, King and Montgomery make the final cuts, the Panthers will have a league-high seven Hokies on their roster.
The Cleveland Browns selected Hamilton, who spent day one with his representatives at a Blacksburg sports bar. “I’m excited just to get a chance at the next level,” he said Saturday.
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted Humes with their final pick. His straightforward, downhill style of running and his favorable size may allow for him to be used in similar situations as newly retired running back, Jerome Bettis.
The Arizona Cardinals solidified their already strong draft class by choosing Lewis in the sixth round. NFL.com writers predicted that Lewis would be drafted lower than his talent warranted due to his lack of ideal height. He possesses excellent speed, strength and technique, but at 6’1” he runs the risk of getting pinned on the line by larger linemen.
The Seattle Seahawks selected Tech’s other standout on the D-line, Darryl Tapp, in the second round. Some consider Tapp, like Lewis, to be a bit undersized for the NFL. The Seahawks may try him as a pass-rushing outside linebacker, similar to how the Baltimore Ravens have successfully done with Terrell Suggs from Arizona State Univeristy.
Offensive lineman Jimmy Martin will go to the San Diego Chargers. His intellect and awareness will prove valuable in the NFL, as he will likely need to learn a new position such as center in order to make the final roster.
Undrafted thus far from Virginia Tech are Vick, Mike Imoh, Jason Murphy, and Tim Sandidge. Besides NFL free agency, these former Hokies can still make a living through professional football by joining other leagues such as NFL Europe or Arena Football League. Current NFL players who came into the league as undrafted free agents include Jake Delhomme, Priest Holmes, Antonio Gates and Adam Vinatieri.
Every player picked in the draft and any player signed through free agency will still have to make it through training camp before earning the right to be called a professional football player. From there they will do their best to not be labeled “irrelevant”.