The 2011 NFL Draft is underway Thursday evening despite the ongoing labor situation yet to be settled.
Tonight, one round, 32 picks. Over the three day span however, there will be a total of 254 selections spread across seven rounds.
Nobody can even guess what some of these general managers are thinking. Sure, we can all speculate but that nonsense gets overdone and is just a waste of time.
What will I be watching for tonight—two things: The Colts pick and a possible Tandon Doss selection.
I have three specific interests in the 2011 NFL Draft. Chad Spann, Tandon Doss and Ben Chappell.
Former North Central stud Chad Spann who I watched tear it up for four years North Central High School. I also had the pleasure of broadcasting his games for two of those years. He is a strong character guy that is undersized but will outwork the competition. He’s a no-nonsense guy. And I like that. I foresee Spann getting chosen in rounds five to 7.
Next up is former Ben Davis and IU standout Tandon Doss. He darted one year early for the draft and NFL scouts just rave about his game. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked him as the second best wide receiver and said Doss had the best hands. The Hoosiers will greatly miss Doss who has the chance to be a very talented No. 2 option. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him go late in round one or two.
Finally I’ll be keeping my eyes on Ben Chappell who just wrapped up his fifth year at Indiana University. Chappell is a brilliant, first-class guy that will be a strong asset to any organization that picks him up. The trouble is that the league is favoring a more athletic quarterback and that wouldn’t be Chappell. If drafted, it will be in a late round but I suspect he will get picked up in free agency. Ben has slimmed down nearly 20-30 pounds since the season and looks tremendously fit. And if the NFL isn’t for him, he’ll take a high profile job at an accounting firm because that’s just who he is.
The all day coverage, mindless “he said, I’m hearing” talk is overboard and I’m tired of hearing it. Despite the labor issues, the NFL remains the most popular game in the United States and will retain that title if things get done soon.
When commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the podium in memory of those in Alabama, the crowd let him know their feelings chanting, “We want football.” Fifteen minutes later, the tech-savvy commissioner tweeted the following:
“I agree with fans here at Radio City. We want football. I’m with you, I get it.”
This is a special time for players around the country as team look to improve their rosters. No player trades can be made but things will certainly get interesting. I’ll be keeping my eyes on the Indianapolis Colts picks along with Chad Spann, Tandon Doss and Ben Chappell.
Good luck boys.