Finally, the NFL teams have started drafting Conference USA players. After Sebastian Vollmer surprisingly went in the second round yesterday to the hated New England Patriots, it was a long time until Southern Miss TE Shawn Nelson came off the board in the fourth round to the Buffalo Bills.
Buffalo is a terrific spot for Nelson. Tight end is a position that the Bills were thin at, so Nelson has a chance to make an immediate impact in Western New York. The only downfall is sharing a locker room with Terrell Owens.
Nine picks later in the fourth round, his teammate Gerald McRath was taken by Tennessee. A tackling machine at Southern Miss, McRath should be able to play both linebacker spots for the talented Titans.
The Titans grabbed a C-USA guy for the other side of the ball five picks later when they took Tulane OL Troy Kropog. A big offensive tackle, he will help provide for Tennessee and perhaps help guide the way for former East Carolina RB Chris Johnson, one of the top rookies last year.
In the fifth round, the incredibly productive Jarett Dillard was taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars. The owner of nearly every Rice receiving record, Dillard set an NCAA career record with 59 touchdown receptions. Jacksonville should be a good spot for him, as the Jaguars completely re-work their receiving corps. Hopefully, Dillard can learn some things from new Jags wideout Torry Holt.
Five picks after Dillard went, Baltimore grabbed East Carolina TE Davon Drew. Overshadowed by more productive tight ends in C-USA, Drew is viewed as an ideal H-Back at the NFL level.
