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rr , o d a y hype needs to NEWS STREAMED LIVE TO NAZTODAY.COM be tempered

|he beginning of May is when ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd Featuring Lee Born, Staff Meteorologist McShay make the most TV appearances, giving out their annual draft grades for the NFL draft on hour-long SportsCenter specials and shows like NFL Live. On the NFL Network, Mike Mayock does his own draft specials, Northern Arizona’s only like a first-round mock the night before the draft. Websites owned by companies Local TV News, Sports, and Weather like ESPN — the NFL network, CBS and Fox Sports — all have multiple writers who do their own mock drafts and give out draft grades hours after the third Monday — Friday 6:00pm & 10:00pm ZACH ASHTON day is complete. Sidebars on the Laremy Tunsil debacle and Myles Jack slipping Suddenlink Cable • Channel HD 104 SPORTS EDITOR to the second round have been headlining almost every football section of these ------websites. Flagstaff, Sedona, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, and Payson The draft concluded April 30 with 253 players being picked by NFL teams instead of the usual 254, thanks to the Deflategate saga and Roger Goodell stripping the Patriots’ first-round www.naztoday.com • facebook.com/NAZToday • twitter@NAZToday pick. To the surprise of no one, no NAU players were selected in the draft, however, former NAU tight end R.J. Rickert has been invited to the Bears’ rookie minicamp. Rickert finished his senior season with 352 receiving yards and four receptions. In the past couple years, former tight end Beau Gardner and running back Zach Bauman were invited to the Falcons and Cardinals’ minicamps, respectively. Writers and TV personalities have created immediate post-draft grades for a couple of decades now, and when you look back at some of these pieces, there is a lot of disagreement as to who won and lost drafts. Some of the best classes in the past five years, like the 2010 Pittsburgh Steelers draft class with receivers Emmanuel Sanders and , got post-draft grades ranging from an A to a C. The 2012 draft class, with linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback , got a D and an F by separate writers on Bleacher Report and a C- from Kiper. Part of what played into the widespread confusion surrounding the Wilson pick was that the Seahawks had just signed quarterback Matt Flynn to a big contract that offseason and he was the presumed starter heading into training camp. Draft experts claimed he wasn’t a fit for their system or they did not need him because they had Flynn. No one could have predicted Wilson would become one of the best quarterbacks in the league so early on, but looking at reports written by “experts” on him coming out of Wisconsin proves a point about being so quick to guess what players will do in the league before they even play a snap against an NFL team. Defensive lineman Malik Jackson was a fifth-round pick by the Broncos in 2012 and just signed a $90 million contract with Jacksonville. Brown was picked in the sixth round and is arguably the best receiver in the NFL and quarterback was also picked in the sixth round. Brady’s accolades say everything you need to know about him. The saying, “The draft is an inexact science,” is one that has been uttered by many people over NAU/Locals Wednesdays 40% OFF and FREE Coozies! the years, but it seems to be a fact that is forgotten by football fans and experts alike around this Only trolley in town with electric assist time of year. Draft pundits who scout hundreds of players each year may know more about these BYOB - Only trolley you can drink on! (all riders must be >21 for BYOB) prospects than your average fan, but even guys like Kiper, McShay and Mayock will guess wrong VIP discounts at all stops on a lot of these prospects. Post-draft grades released in May should not be taken as gospel; in fact Buy seats individually or rent the whole trolley they should almost be ignored. Undrafted free agents will make teams and shock the entire league Great for families around graduation time too! the way quarterbacks Tony Romo and Kurt Warner have in the past. A grade of a draft should not BOOK a t: be taken seriously until players have enough time to prove whether or not they truly belong in the Alpinepedaler.com NFL. or call 928-213-9233