Draft quickly approaching for McCoy

As the Pitt campus focus is no longer on the men’s basketball team, some football fans on… As the Pitt campus focus is no longer on the men’s basketball team, some football fans on campus have been anxiously awaiting another important event: the 2009 NFL Draft.

And with the April 25 Draft just weeks away, many students on campus might wonder what NFL team ex-Pitt running back LeSean McCoy will be playing on. With the Steelers drafting running back Rashard Mendenhall in the first round last year, that leaves it nearly impossible for the Steelers to draft him. But as McCoy is likely a late-first round selection or early second-round catch, there are a lot of teams interested.

With the way that the tailback jukes and jives side-to-side, it looks like you’re watching a game of pingpong and not a game of football.

In only two seasons, McCoy surpassed what some college running backs struggle to do in a four-year career. McCoy had 584 carries, totaling 2,816 yards on the ground. Along with the groundwork he put on, McCoy also caught 65 balls for a gain of 549 yards. He also had 36 total touchdowns.

Last season, McCoy was a semifinalist for two of the biggest awards given to college football players: the Doak Walker and Maxwell awards.

Breaking down McCoy

STRENGTHS

Body control

Acceleration/ burst/ quickness

Receiving skills

Fluid runner

Elusiveness

Vision

Versatile

Breakaway speed

WEAKNESSES

Blocking ability

Inside running

Fumbles on outside runs

Power

McCoy has a nice blend of skills to be a feature back in the NFL. He’ll likely stay in on third downs because of his ability to protect the quarterback and catch the ball.

But many NFL scouts have compared McCoy to Tampa Bay running back Warrick Dunn and a more familiar face, former WVU superstar and now Houston Texans running back Steve Slaton.

Expected Draft results

Reviewing 15 experts’ NFL mock drafts, 10 of the 15 have McCoy being drafted 31st overall to the Arizona Cardinals. That’s right, the team the Steelers defeated in the Super Bowl a couple months ago.

The other five experts predicted that the Cleveland Browns would select McCoy in the second round of the draft with the 37th pick.

The Cardinals are in desperate need of a top-flight running back. And McCoy will fit the bill perfectly.

Odds are in favor of McCoy being a Cardinal or a Brown for the 2009 NFL season.

At this point, Pittsburgh fans can only hope he’s not wearing the colors of their hated rival.