Looking ahead to the NFL draft

As I write this, it's exactly 60 days and 7 hours until the 2006 NFL Draft. (No, I'm not anxiously watching the clock. They have a counter on the Falcons Web site.)

I began my hunt for late-February pre-draft info not so much out of some fanatic obsession with the draft itself, but to satisfy my curiosity as a Gamecock fan -- I wanted to know where former Jacksonville State DB Darren Williams (6-2, 199) is projected to go.

So far, it's not looking too good for young Mr. Williams ... Apparently playing on a 6-5 I-AA team doesn't do much to enhance your draft standing. He's not at the Combine this week in Indy, so he's going to have to explore other means to get on the NFL radar.

After satisfying my curiosity there, I started snooping around for other schools' draft-eligible players. It started with Furman's Ingle Martin (aka He who dashed Gamecock hopes with minus-1 second on the clock back in September). He's at the Combine -- one of only a handful of I-AA players to be invited -- so his job is a lot easier. He's only rated as a 2-star prospect by Scout.com, but that's one star more than any player from the OVC. Bully for him.

Ah, the OVC. Apart from Williams, who else is on the table from our beloved conference?

Conference champs Eastern Illinois have two players to watch. Pascal Matla (6-5, 309) is the No. 11-ranked center in the draft. He's joined by fellow Panther Kory Loathe, a 6-4, 265 DE.

Colonel fans will be watching former Eastern Kentucky WR Andre Ralston (5-11, 180). On the other side of the ball, CB Cortland Finnegan (5-11, 195) hopes to makes Samford fans (and some lucky NFL team) happy on Draft Day.

Strangely, the team with the most draft-eligible players this year is Murray State, who finished a miserable 2005 season with only 2 wins against 9 losses (and no conference victories).

The Racers are led on the draft board by 6-2, 290 FB Matt Webber, ranked by Scout.com as the No. 11 FB in the draft. Joining him from the Racer backfield are RBs Ron Lane (5-10, 180) and Nick Turner (5-10, 182). Rounding out the Murray contingent is WR Danny Rumley (6-5, 210).

No players from Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, UT-Martin or Southeast Missouri made the list.

Good luck to all the draft-eligible players from the OVC and the rest of I-AA. (Even Ingle Martin.) Your success in the pros may not make the major media outlets pay closer attention to I-AA, but it will at least give us some more ammunition for the cause.

Bowls are for the weak! Long live championship football!