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Draft dish: USC edition

Sporting News, The, April 21, 2006

Although Matt Leinart's throwing performance at Southern California's pro day was graded a B+ by some coaches, he clearly separated himself from other quarterbacks in the draft. As expected, he showed good accuracy. He also worked through progressions to find the correct receiver in every situation.

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Scouts walked away with the conclusion Leinart doesn't have "a Carson Palmer arm," but they were impressed by his athleticism and ability to move around in the pocket. > Despite pulling up short during the 40-yard dash because he tweaked a hamstring, OT Winston Justice finished his workout and turned in a great performance. As one coach in attendance said, "He made a lot of money today" Don't be surprised to see Justice climb toward the top 10. Raiders senior personnel executive Mike Lombardi spent nearly the entire day following Justice around; Oakland has the seventh pick. The Cardinals, who have the 10th pick, also are interested in Justice. > TE Dominique Byrd played well at the Senior Bowl in January and had scouts thinking he was a potential vertical threat in the passing game, but his fastest 40 time was a 4.78--not good enough to outrun linebackers in the NFL. He likely will drop into the late third round. > Anyone who can add 60 pounds of bulk in two years without sacrificing agility--something G Taitusi "Deuce" Lutui has done--is going to draw significant interest. Lutui, who now weighs 330 pounds, looked terrific in position drills and likely will rise to the top of Round 2. > William Buchanon could be a good pick early on Day 2. The son of former NFL cornerback Willie Buchanon, he has great athleticism--William ran a 4.38 in the 40 and had a 40-inch vertical leap at the pro day--and played both wide receiver and cornerback for the Trojans. He likely will be a wideout in the NFL. > S Darnell Bing impressed scouts with a 4.53 40 and a 38-inch vertical, but he always looks good in shorts. His trouble is he doesn't use that athleticism in games often enough.

Draft dish: USC edition

Sporting News, The, April 21, 2006

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