With the start of the 2009 NFL Draft two days away, it looks like this could be the best year ever for Ball State University in the Draft.
Scout.com NFL Draft analyst Chris Stueber said he thinks four former Ball State football players - offensive tackle Robert Brewster, quarterback Nate Davis, tight end Darius Hill and punter Chris Miller - could all be drafted in this upcoming weekend's NFL Draft.
"Their season last year, they did really well," Stueber said. "I think from that there has been pro prospects. They have pro prospects on their team, and there's some guys who have the chance to make the NFL."
Brewster, Davis, Hill and Miller will likely all be selected in the late rounds -¡- rounds five, six and seven - of the seven-round Draft, Stueber said. No other Ball State players will be selected, he said.
If four Ball State players are selected, it would be the most Cardinals ever taken in the NFL Draft. In 2005, the last time any Ball State football players were drafted, three Cardinals were selected in the sixth round of the Draft.
NATE DAVIS
When Davis declared for the Draft in January, Stueber and other analysts said the quarterback would probably be selected in the second round and had the chance to work his way into the first round. However, a sub-par performance at the Scouting Combine drastically dropped his stock, Stueber said.
"I think his workouts were very poor, and I think his interviews were even a little bit worse," he said.
There are a lot of questions about Davis, and he will be a developmental project in the NFL, Stueber said. Problems with the quarterback's mechanics -¡- such as not gripping the ball on the laces and his footwork -¡- and expected problems with learning the playbook have contributed to his slide, Stueber said.
"He's not like a guy that you can really bring in here right now and expect to start in a year or possibly two years because I think he's a project, and I think teams realize that at this point," Stueber said.
With Davis sliding so far in the Draft, it is hard to predict what team will select him, Stueber said. Davis' stock depends on what teams do in the earlier rounds and where other quarterbacks such as Rhett Bomar of Sam Houston State University, Pat White of West Virginia University and Stephen McGee of Texas A&M University go, he said.
"A guy like Nate Davis could be put on the back burner, and teams may not even be looking at him," Stueber said. "I mean he could go to a situation where it's a crowded quarterback situation and he's a guy who has to really work his way onto a team in a camp or maybe even a practice squad. It's really bad right now I think for Nate Davis."
This past season Davis was named the All-Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He was one of 10 finalists for the Manning Award, which is given to college football's top quarterback. He finished the regular season with the sixth-best passing efficiency in the nation.
Stueber said he is not saying that Davis will never be an NFL quarterback, but at this point there is a lot of uncertainty about what type of player he is going to be. Another year at Ball State could have helped him improve his stock, he said
"Nate Davis, I thought he played pretty well this past season," Stueber said. "But obviously, during this whole process, you get poked and prodded and turned every which way. And I think he's been turned every which way, and I think the end result was he wasn't the player [NFL teams] envisioned."
ROBERT BREWSTER
Like Davis, Brewster attended the NFL Scouting Combine. The problem he faces, however, is the depth at offensive tackle in this year's Draft, Stueber said.
"He'll be drafted, but I don't think he's going to be one of the early offensive tackles off the board," Stueber said. "It's too good of a class."
This past season Brewster was on the watch lists for the Rotary Lombardi Trophy -¡- which goes to college football's best offensive or defensive lineman - and Outland Trophy - which goes to college football's best interior offensive or defensive lineman. As Ball State's right tackle, the First Team All-MAC selection was part of an offensive line that allowed one sack per game - which was best in the MAC and fourth best in the nation in 2008.
"Maybe in another year where it was a little bit weaker of a class, he could probably be a fourth or fifth rounder," Stueber said.
DARIUS HILL
Hill has a lot of potential, but like Davis, he has to go to a team that will give him time to develop, Stueber said.
This past season Hill made 40 catches for 670 yards and seven touchdowns. As a junior he had 65 receptions for 926 yards and 11 touchdowns, which earned him a spot on the College Sports Report All-America Second Team.
At 6 feet 6 inches and 236 pounds, Hill has a great frame - but he has to bulk up, become a better blocker and become more consistent, Stueber said.
"I think ultimately he'll be a pretty good player, but it's just going to take him some time," Stueber said.
CHRIS MILLER
Miller averaged 43.5 yards per punt this season on 45 attempts. He put the ball inside the 20 yard line 19 times and had five touchbacks to earn All-MAC Second Team honors.
As a junior, he ranked third in the nation for punting average and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nation's most outstanding punter.
"He's among the best punters in the Draft," Stueber said.
2009 DraftTIME4 p.m. Saturday: Rounds one-two10 a.m. Sunday: Rounds three-seven
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