Football: Pitt stars look for chance at pros

It’s that time of year again.

The NFL combines have passed. NFL scouts haven’t slept in weeks. Part of that consistency is Pitt’s contribution to the draft.

Maybe the biggest difference for the draft this year is that a complementing movie starring Kevin Costner will hit theatres to depict the “Draft Day” havoc.

It all hits center stage May 8, when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will begin announcing each team’s selections, verifying the hypothetical “mock draft” choices of some analysts while proving others’ lists wrong.

With 289 Panthers selected in the history of the draft, Pitt has been very kind to the NFL. In a recent ESPN survey, Pitt was rated third historically in “most fertile” NFL pipelines, while taking a back seat to just LSU in Football Outsiders’ Historical Draft Efficiency ratings.

This year’s draft should solidify both recognitions. Former Pitt players Aaron Donald, Tom Savage and Devin Street are expected to be picked, and each has been slotted in different rounds on different mock draft boards — that is, some analysts have them being drafted significantly higher than others do.

Donald, one of the most highly accomplished defensive players in University history, will likely become the 25th first-round selection to hail from Pitt. He’s fallen no lower than No. 16 on most analysts’ mock draft boards. 

According to NFL Network analyst and former NFL player Charles Davis, Donald, a defensive lineman, could crack the top 10.

“I think the prevailing thought would be when you look at the No. 14 pick in the first round with the Chicago Bears,” Davis said. “That’s where it would start for Aaron Donald, but it might actually start higher than that.”

Davis noted that the Detroit Lions could welcome Donald with open arms at No. 10. After all, Lions general manager Martin Mayhew recently announced that his front office won’t exercise defensive tackle Nick Fairley’s $5.5 million option for 2015, providing an excuse for bringing Donald to Motown.

“Donald could be a guy who they might make a move on right then and there,” Davis continued, while adding the New York Giants at No. 12, St. Louis Rams at No. 13 and the Dallas Cowboys at No. 16 as other possible destinations.

Each year, only a limited number of draft prospects receive invitations to attend the draft, annually held at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.

Last year, a total of 23 players accepted invitations to attend the draft, and 19 of those players were selected in the first round.

Donald reportedly received an invitation to join Goodell and company for the nationally televised jamboree, but Donald respectfully declined the offer.

Savage, another former Panther, received an invitation, as well.

Savage’s agent hasn’t revealed if his client will attend, but he’s been viewed as a “sleeper” in the eyes of many scouts, probably because of underwhelming statistics in his senior season at quarterback — 2,958 yards, 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions — because of a poor offensive line.

“He took a lot of sacks, and I kind of worried about his ability to just navigate within the pocket, to get out of trouble,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said.

Savage was sacked 43 times — the most of any Division I quarterback.

“I look at what happens when things are muddy around them, not when things are clean. At the NFL level, you’re not going to have clean pockets consistently like that. That was my concern with him. I watched some later tape on him, and I watched him get out of trouble a little bit. He isn’t quite as immobile as I first thought,” Jeremiah, a former scout, added.

Before Savage took part in the NFL combine for quarterbacks on Feb. 23, many projected the 6-foot-5, 230-pounder to be taken as late as the sixth round.

Since the combine, Savage has been raided with a series of meetings and workouts with various teams, and his stock has skyrocketed. He was even pinned as “the hottest guy in the draft,” by NFL.com’s Gil Brandt.

Savage was not available for comment because of his busy schedule.

“You can tell there’s buzz and some excitement building on with the number of teams talking to him and working [him] out,” Jeremiah said. “That’s hard data there.”

ESPN’s Todd McShay has Savage going 33rd — the first selection in the second round — to former Penn State coach Bill O’Brien and the Houston Texans.

“I think he fits in with what Bill O’Brien wants to do,” Jeremiah added.

In a correlating effort, McShay projects the Texans to take former South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney with the first overall pick, a move that could help Savage’s case.

If Houston selects quarterbacks Johnny Manziel or Teddy Bridgewater first overall, the Texans will not need a quarterback when round two rolls around.

Jeremiah said that if the Texans pass on Savage, he could be snagged by the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 39.

“[Jaguars] GM David Caldwell has spent time with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis and Matt Ryan in Atlanta, so a pure pocket passer could be an option for them, as well,” Jeremiah said, listing Savage’s strengths as arm strength, accuracy and pass velocity.

If Savage gets drafted, he would become only the second Pitt quarterback in 31 years to do so.

Savage’s No. 1 wide receiver target in 2013, Devin Street, caught 53 passes and became Pitt’s all-time leading receiver. The 6-foot-4 athlete opened some scouts’ eyes during his combine day.

Street leaped 37 inches in the vertical jump (14th place of 37 contestants), completed the 20-yard shuttle in 4.01 seconds (T-eighth) and he extended 10.33 feet in the broad jump (T-eighth).

“He’s one of my favorite guys who we don’t talk about nearly enough,” Davis said of Street. “I think in a normal draft, and when I say normal, I mean the normal numbers at each position, this guy might be a second-round pick, but I think because wide receivers are so stacked this year, he might get pushed down in the draft.”

Davis sees Street going in the later-to-middle rounds, and he mentioned one potential landing spot.

“Teams who are wide-receiver needy, if they don’t get guys who they want early, then Devin Street could really fit for them later. I look at the Carolina Panthers, who could probably pick four receivers in this draft and not get any criticism for it,” Davis said.

So perhaps Street, a redshirt senior last season, will be granted a sixth season as a Panther, after all.

Davis liked the chances.

“I think he’d be ideal for a place like that.”