NFl Draft week avalanche

Yes, it's NFL Draft week and this is going to get crazy. I have been tracking down players and agents and what not for the last week trying to get a feel.

What's striking to me is how many guys are going to get NFL opportunities out of Connecticut. That, and the difference between being a Donald Brown at the top, and an undrafted guy like a Dahna Deleston. It's a different world for both.

Donald Brown spoke to us today as part of a teleconference setup by the Connecticut Sportswriters' Alliance. Brown is being honored at the Gold Key Dinner on Sunday for being the Athlete of the Year.

He won't be at the dinner because he will be heading to someplace to start his pro career, and that is making him anxious. Brown has been on the high-life circuit traveling the country, doing media interviews, and hanging out with Tiki Barber in New York.

Don is a pro already. Always polite and polished (except when he loses) he is going to host a leadership contest out at RedBank Catholic this week. Brown may be the most polished and professional player in this draft. No maintenance.

As far as the rest, Darius Butler is traveling all over the country and I caught up with him yesterday. He is thinking maybe first round, definitely second though. It depends on how the draft unfolds. He will be home in Florida for the draft.

Beatty and Cody Brown may also go on Saturday which would be amazing for UConn.

That's just the start. Just in the central Connecticut area others set to get drafted or at worst be free agent signings are five more guys.

Windsor defensive tackles Chris Baker (Hampton by way of Penn St.) and Terrence Knighton (Temple) were boyhood friends. Knighton dragged Baker out on the football field as a sophomore in high school. Baker figures to be a DT or a 3-4 DE after a great year at Hampton. He was kicked out of Penn St. for a much-publicized fight. Baker maintains that it was miss identification and he was in the wrong place. He is still miffed he got kicked out, but he is looking at a middle round to late selection. He is 6-3 320.

Knighton looks to be a late round selection and can play the nose in a 3-4. He is 6-3 310 pounds about. He is still in school at Temple and will be around there Saturday.

Caught up with UConn and East Hartford's Dahna Deleston and they are looking at 5th, 6th 7th round pick. If not, a priority free agent.8 teams are looking at him and the Jaguars flew him down. The Patriots also have a lot of interest . Watch the Jaguars with 4 picks in the 6th and 7th rounds. They have been watching Deleston since November.

Also talked to Manchester native Kory Sheets, who is back in town and waiting to see where he lands. He projects as a 3rd round pick to late rounds. If he is a priority free agent he is a steal.

Sheets backed off a UConn commit and Donald Brown ended up starring in Storrs. Sheets also chose Purdue over Iowa, which had Shaun Green. Funny how things works out. Sheets said he was a bit disappointed in his career and he did have much-publicized run-ins with the coach. Sheets still can't figure out why he didn't click with the coaching staff. Here is Sheets on how he compares with Chris Wells of Ohio State and Shaun Greene from Iowa.

"I can run with them,"Sheets said. "They were in an offense that ran the ball most of the time. I was in an offense that passed the ball most of the time. I wonder what I could have done if I was in a running offense."

Julius Williams is also in the late round free agent category.

That's nine guys from Connecticut. 6 UConn guys which is amazing, and three more from Central Connecticut.

Also talking to some agents got an update on former UConn guys. Danny Lansanah is doing well with the Packers and will have a prime shot to backup at linebacker after making the roster last year. Also, Donald Thomas' foot is healed and he should be ready to go come camp.

I still have more work to do. Talk to you all soon.