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Football draftees fighting for jobs

Tiger Talk

By Jason Dupuy

The graduating seniors from the football team won’t play again in Tiger Stadium, but that doesn’t mean Tiger fans won’t be watching them at the next level. This offseason has been a mixed bag of success for these 2008 Tiger draft picks.

Throughout his senior season at LSU, Tiger fans marveled at the toughness of Jacob Hester, but assumed he would amount to no more than a solid blocking fullback at the NFL level. Hester has indeed seen action at fullback for the Chargers this offseason, but the third round pick is also playing some snaps at halfback and wide receiver. With Hester’s blend of speed, good hands and strong build, the team thinks he could prove invaluable lining up in the slot.

The Chargers already have a solid possession receiver in tight end Antonio Gates, so it will be interesting to see how the scenario plays out. Still, it seems like the former Tiger will play the bulk of his snaps backing up LaDainian Tomlinson and sharing carries with Darren Sproles.

Fellow third round pick Early Doucet’s summer has been slightly less impressive. Drafted by the Arizona Cardinals to be their slot receiving complement to the threatening duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, Doucet has been outplayed by returner Steve Breaston. Doucet simply has too much talent to sit for long as a fourth-string receiver. With an aging Edgerrin James penciled in to start the season at running back, there should be enough focus on the pass to give Doucet enough looks to prove he belongs on the field.

Also in a positional battle is the man who once threw to Doucet, quarterback Matt Flynn, who was taken in the seventh round by the Green Bay Packers. Matt Flynn is battling fellow draftee Brian Brohm (second round) for second-string behind starter Aaron Rodgers.

For a while, it looked like Brohm had the position locked up. His arm is stronger than Flynn’s and reports from Green Bay indicated that Brohm seemed to pick up the offense much quicker than Flynn. However, Flynn has begun to get a handle on things and is a superior scrambler. At this time, though, it appears Brohm will hold onto the number two spot on the depth chart. It’s a wildly different scenario for Green Bay fans who are used to iron man Brett Favre lining up behind center for the past 16 seasons.

On the defensive side of the ball is fifth overall pick Glenn Dorsey, taken by the Chiefs. If the two sides come to terms on a deal soon, Dorsey is a lock to start on the defensive line from day one. Actually, if the two sides come to terms on a deal five minutes before kickoff, Dorsey will probably still start on the defensive line from day one.

Third round pick Chevis Jackson will probably not fare quite as well in his initial season. Drafted by a team with an already-solid corps of corners, Jackson will fight for playing time. He should see the bulk of his action as a nickel back and on special teams. The Falcons are reportedly concerned about his speed, but confident that with his total array of skills and his size, he could one day become a starter for their squad. Unlike Dorsey, Jackson has already agreed to a deal with his franchise.

Likewise, safety Craig Steltz reached a deal with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the fourth round. He is currently listed at strong safety and competing with Brandon McGowan for the starting job at the position, a job that looks like it’s McGowan’s to lose. Steltz has also been seeing action at free safety and could play there if Mike Brown misses time with another significant injury which has become a trend over the past few years. Brown has played in nine games in the last four seasons.

Originally Published: June 25, 2008

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