This coming weekend is the NFL Draft, which means many things for sports fans at the University. First, it means you will see more of Mel Kiper, Jr. and Todd McShay on ESPN than you ever cared to see. Second, it means that in three weeks, you won’t have to see them anymore! And third, it means that six former Virginia Cavaliers have a good shot at having their names called at the podium at Radio City Music Hall.
Some of the potential NFL draftees from Dear Old Virginia are: inside linebacker Antonio Appleby, offensive tackle Eugene Monroe, wide receiver Kevin Ogletree, running back Cedric Peerman, tight end John Phillips and outside linebacker Clint Sintim. Of this group, only Ogletree was not a senior on Virginia’s roster last year; the junior decided to forego his last season of eligibility in favor of the draft.
For those numbers people out there, here are ESPN/Scouts Inc.’s ratings of these players. Four of the Cavaliers are listed in the overall top 150: Monroe is listed as No. 5 overall (No. 2 tackle); Sintim is No. 40 (No. 5 outside linebacker); Peerman is No. 105 (No. 10 running back); Phillips is 148 (No. 10 tight end). Additionally, Ogletree is listed as the No. 25 receiver, and Appleby is rated as the No. 11 inside linebacker prospect in this year’s draft.
Interestingly, the only Virginia Tech player in the Scouts Inc. top 150, or in the top 15 at any position, is No. 112 overall Victor “Macho” Harris (also the No. 14 corner). I don’t include this fact as a jab at the Hokies — or maybe I do — because their team has been better than Virginia’s as of late. But, maybe this says something about our school’s ability to churn out better pro prospects.
Kiper and McShay are “draft analysts,” meaning they make their living by grading college players and yapping about them for the months preceding and weeks following the draft. As much as I get tired of them by this time every year, they provide insight about players several people have never heard of. This bodes well for the Cavaliers, who don’t play in the same national spotlight as prospects from schools like Southern Cal, which will see three linebackers ranked in the top 25 go on the first day of the draft, or Georgia, which has five players in the top 101 — including split end Mohamed Massaquoi, running back Knowshon Moreno and probable No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Kiper has three Cavaliers going in the first four rounds, with consensus top-10 pick Monroe headed to the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 4 pick. He also has both Sintim and Peerman going to the Miami Dolphins, at No. 56 and No. 87 overall, respectively. Agreeing that Peerman has potential to be a top third-round pick, McShay has the former Virginia stud as one of five players on a list of “Day Two Diamonds in the Rough.”
Phillips, Ogletree and Appleby all could get picked up in the later rounds, and they should. In case NFL general managers need a reminder, here are some tidbits that should be on their scouting reports: Phillips is a very good blocker for his position, catching 48 passes for 385 yards and a pair of scores at Tight End U last year, his only season as the Cavaliers’ feature tight end. Ogletree, who already has graduated from the University, has great hands and speed, and was responsible for five of Virginia’s nine touchdowns through the air last year. Phillips and Olgetree could be taken in the fifth round, and Appleby should get drafted but will be able to latch on as a free agent if he goes undrafted. Appleby recorded more solo tackles and total tackles than Sintim last season and had a ridiculous 12 solo tackles in the game against Wake Forest — the highest single-game total for the program last year.
Maybe this draft is more meaningful for me because it’s the third draft I’ll have witnessed as a student here, and these players have truly helped carry the Virginia football program during my three years. I want to wish these players good luck this weekend at the draft and down the road during their NFL careers. Thanks for giving everything you had to the Virginia football program.
Read More
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | 22 minutes agoThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
Men’s soccer, totally discombobulated, capitulates early to No. 5 Pittsburgh
By Michael Liebermann | 2 hours agoPittsburgh set a program record for the quickest cluster of three goals.
No. 4 field hockey shut out for first time of season in defeat at No. 2 North Carolina
By Eleanor Lynch | 14 hours agoThe Cavalier offense had its worst outing of the season as they were once again defeated by the rival Tar Heels.
