Woelk: NFL Draft Should Showcase CU's Talent For Developing DBs

BOULDER — A couple things continue to bubble to the surface as I peruse the possibilities surrounding next week's NFL Draft:

One, CU head coach Mike MacIntyre knows a few things about defensive backs.

Two, the Buffs' recent drought when it comes to hearing Colorado players' names called in the draft seems to be over — not only this year, but for the foreseeable future.

Neither should come as a surprise to anyone who follows the Buffs.

As to the first, there's never been a doubt that MacIntyre knows the secondary. While he has coached on both sides of the ball as an assistant, he clearly has a heavy dose of DB in his DNA. He played safety in college and coached defensive backs at several stops as an assistant, including five years in the NFL under legendary head coach Bill Parcells. As a head coach, his teams have always had solid secondaries, and last year was simply the product of four years of cultivation in Boulder.

Next week, if all goes well for the Buffs in the draft, Colorado could see three defensive backs selected, with one — Chidobe Awuzie — a potential first-rounder.

Awuzie is one of 22 players who will be attending the draft on Thursday's opening night in Philadelphia. Fellow cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, meanwhile, is seen as a second- or third-round pick while safety Tedric Thompson is being projected as a later-round selection.

None of the three was a highly recruited, can't-miss prospect out of high school. But MacIntyre obviously saw something in each of them, and all three blossomed into outstanding players in Boulder — another testament to his talent evaluation skills as well as talent development.

(If you want to extend that line of cultivating DB talent in Boulder, don't forget that cornerback Ken Crawley signed as a free agent with New Orleans a year ago and made the final roster.)

In Colorado's lengthy draft history (266 all-time picks, 22nd most in the nation), the Buffs have had three DBs taken in the same draft three times.

In 1977, Mike L. Davis went to Oakland, Mike Spivey to the Bears and Horace Perkins to Miami. IN 1980, Mark Haynes went to the Giants, Jesse Johnson to the Jets and Mike E. Davis to Atlanta. In 2000, Ben Kelly went to the Dolphins, Damen Wheeler to San Diego and Rashidi Barnes to Cleveland.

The interesting tidbit here? The first DB drafted in each of those years went on to either win a Super Bowl Ring (Mike L. Davis and Kelly) or become an All-Pro performer (Haynes).

If that trend holds true, Awuzie has some hardware in his future.

LOOKING AHEAD: As for the 2018 draft (too early?), it seems likely some Buffs will be hearing their names called a year from now.

Of course, such projections don't take into account next fall's development, something that can't be overestimated in importance. After all, a year ago, nobody was projecting Witherspoon as a second- or third-round pick, but an outstanding senior season helped him make a significant climb up the charts.

Seniors from next season who could hear their names called?

Start with offensive lineman Jeromy Irwin, a tackle who can also play guard — a valuable commodity in the NFL. Wide receivers Shay Fields, Bryce Bobo and Devin Ross will all have the opportunity to solidify their NFL stock, and another 1,000-yard rushing, 47-catch season from running back Phillip Lindsay could be enough for him to turn some heads. (CU's solid fleet of WRs, by the way, is one reason the Buffs' defensive backs improve — they work against each other every day in practice.)

On defense, senior DE Leo Jackson III will have the opportunity to make a name for himself, as will safety Afolabi Laguda, particularly with the growing Buffs DB "pedigree."

Other seniors who could make a jump next year are offensive linemen Jonathan Huckins and Gerrad Kough and tight end/H-back George Frazier. They are players who are by no means on anyone's draft list today, but with good senior seasons could push their value up.

But the 2017 Buff who might have the highest draft stock could be junior cornerback Isaiah Oliver, whose athleticism, size and playmaking ability will be hard for NFL scouts to ignore — and it wouldn't be a surprise to see Oliver become CU's next first-round draft pick.

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu