Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / April 18, 1991, edition 2 / Page 10
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NFL DRAFT PREVIEW . ' ? ' ? . Pholo by Mark Gail Scouts like WaHer Dean ol G rambling because of his ability to get the ball in the end zone. Four could go in the first round Call the 1991 NFL Draft the year of the Fabulous Four for predominantly black schools. As many as four players from those schools could be selected in the first round. And nine could be taken by the end of the fourth round - which would be the first third of the draft The Fab Four consists of Jackson State wide receiver Tim Barnett; Gram bling running back/wide receiver Jake Reed; Southern cornerback Aeneas Williams; and Arkansas-Pine Bluff run ning bock Ivory Lee Brown. Five other players to watch closely, are are Central State tackle Eric ' Williams; Florida A&M running back Amir Rasul; Winston- Salem State wide receiver Yancey Thigpen; Grambting . ' running back Waller Dean; and Delaware State tight end/wide receiver David' Jones. Other interesting players to watch during the April 21-22 draft are Central State wide-out Eddie Britton; Tennessee State wide receiver/kick returner Antho ny Owens; Grambling defensive end Darryl Nfilburn; Jackson State defensive tackle Chris Gale; and Tennessee State comerback Roger Jones, , , . . . . . Reed, a 6-3, 215-poundcr who played wingback in Giambling'* patented system, will most likely be positioned at wide receiver in the NFL. But can you imagine him a* a combination H back/wingback in the pros? According to Mel Kiper Jr.'s Draft Report 1991, the Gramblmg star "is a smooth, agile 215 poundcr with a gliding running style thai lulls cornefbackj into a false sense of securfi^ Bui it's also important to noie thai Reod ran a 4.44 iff the 40 at the scouting combine at igttgnqpolis bock in Febru ary. ^ f. "He's a big, strong guy," says David ; Razzano*. San Francisco 4$ers scout. "He'dbe belter as a wide reoefrfe^ He has size, running ability and lands. He can block, too. He knocks people out down field." -v. Joel Buchsbaum, author of Scout's Notebook, an annual publication, predicts that Reed will go in the second round. "He lacks polish, doesn't cut thai well, is inconsistent and doesn't switch the ball," he says. Barnett, a 6-1 1/2, 209-potmder who ,ip i a 4.55,. "really concentmes on lock ing the ball into his hands," Kiper wrote, "then operates like a power fullback in the open field, lowering his head and shoulders to take on defenders. Speed allows him to run by cornerbacks on deeper routes, averaging 23.5 yards per catch last season/ Adds Razzano, "Barnett's a good receiver and had a heck of a Senior Bowl. He's got all the qualities to be a good NFL receiver. He's fast, can jump, can catch." -y* \ :y- ^ Buchsbaum feels that tike Reed, Bar nett won't be a first round ctytice because of speed. "Re's a real good player," Buchsbaum says, "but I wish he were faster. He lacks blazing $peed."? . ^ i Southern's Williams, a 5-10,189 pounder who has been timed at 4.39 in the 40, appears to be somewhat of an enigma. Kiper is not as high on Williams as other scouts. "After studying film of him from the past season and watching him closely at the Senior Bowl, I really can't see how he is regarded so highly by some elite in the NFL," Kiper explains. "He is smooth, quick and agile, but seems to , lack the Instinctive qualities in coverage needed to make the tough transition from the small college ranks to the NFL." Nevertheless, Williams still recorded 11 interceptions for 193 yards in returns. He also had 79 tackles, 17 pass break-ups and three blocked kicks. "He has great quickness," says Raz zano. "He can cover man-to-man, can run. Not afraid of physical contact 1 saw _ him as a corner. He can stay with peo ple." Buchsbaum contends that Williams won't go any higher than the second round and may wind up being taken in the third round. "He didn't cover that well in the Senior Bowl," Buchsbaum points out "That hurt him," > Brown, 6*1 1/2, 233,. rushed for 2,829 yards in his career at UAPB; aver aging 7.5 yards per carry and scoring 36 touchdowns. Says Kiper. "Physically and athletically. Ivory Lee has everything you want in a first-round draft choice." He added however, that Brown "has the nec essary talent to make his mark at the pro level, but he appears to be the type who needs to be constantly poshed and driven lo reach his maximum potential" "Brown is a great talent who ended
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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April 18, 1991, edition 2
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