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Former Kansas University tight end Derek Fine was drafted in the fourth round of the NFL Draft on Sunday by the Buffalo Bills. He was the 132nd pick overall.
Many mock drafts didn't place Fine in the middle rounds. But his strong showing in pre-draft workouts, including the prestigious NFL Combine, made him a wanted man by several NFL teams.
Fine, a 6-foot-3, 250-pound Oklahoma native, caught 46 passes for 394 yards and four touchdowns in 2007. He's considered a balanced tight end who can both catch and block, though he's smaller than traditional NFL tight ends. Still, his special teams play and unique talents make him an asset in certain offenses as an H-back.
That said, Buffalo Bills scout Brad Forsyth said he was drafted to be a traditional tight end for the Bills.
"We like his toughness, love his versatility," Forsyth said. "You can move him around. Extremely smart guy, and also he's a special teams guy."
Fine was the third Jayhawk drafted, joining Aqib Talib (Tampa Bay) and Anthony Collins (Cincinnati). Marcus Henry (New York Jets) was drafted later on in the sixth round.
"I was trying to relax and let everything take its course," Fine said. "(Where he was picked) was out of my control so I was just trying to think more about the football aspect."
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Comments
jhawk4life1976 (anonymous) says...
I'm happy for Derek and all but this seems like quite a reach to me.
April 27, 2008 at 12:44 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wi_jayhawk (anonymous) says...
Derek was listed pretty high on the list of TE's available. That counts greatly on draft day!Big congrats, Mr. Fine!
April 27, 2008 at 1:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...
Wished he'd been drafted sooner ...but the Bills are a good fit.Good blue-collar town and fans, they'll treat him right!Gonna be cold as hell, though!Good luck Mr. Fine!***Almost all of the Hawks have gone to AFC squads, at least there's a good chance we'll seem them every now and then at Arrowhead!
April 27, 2008 at 2:34 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )