The hard work is over.
Now it’s time to turn on the television and see if it all pays off.
For a few former Kansas University football players, leaving the tube even for a split second just isn’t going to happen for the next couple of days — not until their names are called.
The NFL Draft starts at 11 a.m. today on ESPN (Sunflower Broadband channel 33). Rounds 1-3 will take place today, with rounds 4-7 starting at 10 a.m. Sunday. The event will take place at the Javits Center in New York.
Any of four former Jayhawks — defensive end David McMillan, wide receiver Brandon Rideau, tight end Lyonel Anderson and center Joe Vaughn — could be claimed by a team before the end of the draft, and if they aren’t, several of them likely will be scooped up in a free-agent signing bonanza that will take place Sunday night.
McMillan, by all accounts, is likely to get drafted at some point. The 6-foot-3, 262-pounder was a durable pass-rushing defensive end at KU, but he’s quick enough to play outside linebacker if teams are willing to develop him there.
Almost half of the teams have shown interest in McMillan, including Dallas, New England, Kansas City and Atlanta. His agent, Craig Domann, anticipates McMillan going somewhere in the middle rounds. A strong showing in February at the NFL combine, where he ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash, boosted his stock.
“I think it put him in a different light with the teams,” Domann said. “It’s pretty normal to have a temperature reading on a player, and then if he shows athleticism, they modify their interest. David compares extremely favorable to a lot of the big-name guys in the draft.”
Anderson, Rideau and Vaughn aren’t so solid, but they’re attracting a good share of attention nonetheless. Anderson, a 6-3, 250-pound tight end with good speed and good hands, has worked out for several NFL teams and has received extensive interest from the New York Jets, who flew him to New York a couple of weeks ago for closer examination.
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“If I don’t get drafted, I’d be disappointed,” Anderson said. “But I know I’d be a free agent, and it would just fuel me and make me want to go out there and prove to everybody that it was a mistake.”
Scouts also are excited about Rideau’s size. At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, Rideau had 131 catches for 1,636 yards in his four-year career. Some services see Rideau as a possible sixth- or seventh-round pick, but it’s possible he’ll slip into the free-agent pool, as well.
Vaughn, meanwhile, has proven to be a polished center with NFL talent, but his height (6-foot) could hurt his chances.
KU had one player drafted last year: offensive lineman Adrian Jones, who went in the fourth round to the New York Jets.