Groves leads AU draft prospects

Quentin Groves is tired of waiting.

Who can blame him? Waiting for months — with a potential million-dollar payday on the line and no way of knowing your fate — has to be exhausting.

That’s exactly the situation Groves has faced since the final snap of Auburn’s Chick-fil-A Bowl win against Clemson last December. The former AU star defensive end has been forced to wait — and wait, and wait — for the start of the NFL’s annual draft.

The wait ends today.

Groves hasn’t waited alone, of course. Hundreds of prospects, including a half-dozen of Groves’ former AU teammates, have also been in suspense since early January, preparing for the draft, which begins today and concludes Sunday.

The wait hasn’t gotten easier since AU’s Pro Day, held all the way back on March 10.

It wasn’t that Groves didn’t impress at Pro Day. Far from it: He had scouts buzzing about his 6-foot-3, 254-pound frame, his athleticism and his ability to shine in drills at linebacker and defensive end.

All that, combined with his 26 ½ career sacks at AU — tying the school record — has NFL teams excited about Groves’ potential.

“Where do I go from here?” Groves asked, rhetorically, at Pro Day. “I just pray I get drafted as high as possible.

“The people in the front office, those are the only ones that know. Right now, I don’t know what they’re saying.”

Mostly, they’re saying that Groves will be picked late in the first round or early in the second. But until one of the NFL’s 32 franchises actually calls his name on draft day, the suspense will continue to build.

And Groves, who is widely expected to be the first Tiger selected, is the lucky one.

His former teammates have even more hours of suspense ahead of them.

The first day of the draft, today, features just 63 picks — the first and second rounds. The remaining 199 picks — the third through seventh rounds — will unfold Sunday.

Two other former Tigers — in addition to Groves — could hear their names called today.

Defensive tackle Pat Sims, who passed up his senior season to declare for this year’s draft, could be the second AU player picked. The 6-foot-4, 316-pound Sims dominated as a junior, but in a draft rich with talented defensive linemen, he could slip into the middle of the second round.

Defensive back Patrick Lee might also be selected today. The 6-foot, 201-pounder wasn’t always consistent in pass coverage at AU, but NFL scouts love his speed and athleticism. Even if he doesn’t land in the second round, most draftniks believe Lee will be gone by the middle of the third round.

Longer waits are in store for the rest of the former Tigers in this year’s draft. That group — offensive lineman King Dunlap, fullback Carl Stewart, tight end Cole Bennett, noseguard Josh Thompson, linebacker Eric Brock and cornerback Jonathan Wilhite — will be hoping for second-day selections.

Stewart, who impressed scouts at the NFL combine in February, might have the best chance to be drafted. He’s versatile — he had 20 rushes and 14 catches as a senior, and proved himself a physical blocker — and athletic enough to fit in a West Coast offense.

Dunlap, despite a disappointing senior season that saw him benched in favor of true freshman Ryan Pugh, could draw interest from teams impressed by his 6-foot-8 frame.

The others will likely have to catch on as undrafted free agents, a route taken by several former Tigers now on NFL rosters, including former linebacker Travis Williams, now with the Atlanta Falcons.

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DE Quentin Groves

Height: 6-foot-3

Weight: 254 pounds

2007 stats: 28 tackles, 3 sacks

Draft projection: First round. Groves is a talented pass rusher who may play LB in the NFL. Pass rushers have never been in higher demand in NFL circles, and Groves’ pass-rush ability is top-notch.

DT Pat Sims

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 316

2007 stats: 37 tackles, 11 ½ tackles for loss, 4 ½ sacks

Draft projection: Second round. A short resume — he only started for one season — will likely keep Sims out of the first round. But his talent should earn him a spot among the top 50 picks.

DB Patrick Lee

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 201 pounds

2007 stats: 55 tackles, 4 interceptions, 10 pass breakups

Draft projection: Third round. Lee’s physical gifts have impressed NFL scouts, but his struggles with consistency will drop him out of the top 60 picks.

OT King Dunlap

Height: 6-foot-8

Weight: 312 pounds

2007 stats: Started six games at left tackle, but lost his starting job to true freshman Ryan Pugh midway through the season.

Draft projection: Sixth round. His senior year wasn’t great, but NFL teams are willing to take chances on big-conference players with Dunlap’s size and resume (he started 20 career games).

FB Carl Stewart

Height: 6-foot-2

Weight: 229 pounds

2007 stats: 20 carries for 49 yards; 14 catches for 214 yards; 2 total TDs

Draft projection: Seventh round. The fullback isn’t a popular position in today’s NFL, but Stewart’s versatility and athleticism — he wowed scouts at the NFL combine — should earn him a nod in the draft’s final round.

TE Cole Bennett

Height: 6-foot-4

Weight: 258 pounds

2007 stats: 11 catches, 108 yards

Draft projection: Undrafted. Bennett’s production was better than the numbers — he was a solid blocker — but he’ll likely have to start his NFL career as an undrafted free agent.

DB/LB Eric Brock

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 209 pounds

2007 stats: 59 tackles, 5 pass breakups

Draft projection: Undrafted. Brock isn’t fast enough to be a prototypical NFL safety or big enough to fit in at linebacker. He’ll get a shot as an undrafted free agent.

DT Josh Thompson

Height: 6-foot

Weight: 301 pounds

2007 stats: 67 tackles, 4 ½ tackles for loss

Draft projection: Undrafted. Last season’s leading tackler was a solid, steady college player, but NFL teams want more playmaking ability from the defensive tackles. He’ll receive free-agent interest.

DB Jonathan Wilhite

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 185 pounds

2007 stats: 30 tackles, 2 interceptions, 1 sack

Draft projection: Undrafted. Inconsistency cost Wilhite his starting job as a senior and will cost him on draft day as well, but a team will take a chance on a free-agent contract.