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Hawk could have three first-day draft picks

Posted January 16, 2008

I set aside a little time today to take a peak at some of the NFL mock draft sites and it appears three players who have been coached by CU coach Dan Hawkins could be picked in the first three rounds in April.

Boise State offensive tackle Ryan Clady is the one sure thing. Clady, who was recruited to Boise State by Hawkins in 2004, is ranked among the top 20 players in this draft by almost every site. I guess if you're a CU fan, that's a little reason to be optimistic about the future and Hawkins' ability to spot talent.

Of course, Clady isn't the only NFL player Hawkins has coached, just the latest.

NFL Draft Dog.com ranks former CU cornerback Terrence Wheatley as the No. 53 overall pick and former CU linebacker Jordon Dizon is ranked No. 68. The rankings will probably fluctuate quite a bit over the next few months with the scouting combine coming up in February.

I'm dumbfounded by the lack of respect for Dizon. He was one of three finalists for the Butkus Award in 2007 and the other two are considered first-round picks. They are Dan Connor from Penn State and James Laurinaitis from Ohio State.

I'm going to be fascinated by the Dizon situation because Hawkins said earlier this season that every NFL scout who came to Boulder told him Dizon was the best linebacker in the country in 2007. Hawkins would have no reason to make up such a dramatic statement.

Regardless, one group of people is going to be dramatically wrong about Dizon come draft day. It could be the mock draft folks (the smart money goes here) or it could be all those scouts Hawkins referred to.

Anyway, if so many scouts feel that way about Dizon, who is a little undersized at 6-foot-, 225 pounds, then his stock is bound to rise and he should be picked in the first three rounds.

If Dizon doesn't go on the first day, Hawkins might be a little apprehensive about sharing what scouts tell him in the future.

Several sites already are listing Wheatley as a sleeper who could be picked as high as the later part of the second round. That would be quite an accomplishment for a player who didn't know if he would be able to continue his career after the 2004 season.

Sounds like offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus has been impressing people at practices for the East-West Shrine games this week. Maybe Tyler can work his way into being drafted instead of being considered a priority free agent.