By Darius Joshua
Syracuse football greats such as Art Monk, Donovan McNabb, Jim Brown and Jim Ringo successfully transitioned from University Hill to NFL gridirons. Now, it's time for other Orange greats to make their mark in the NFL. Four former Orange football players could be selected this weekend at the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall - Delone Carter, Ryan Bartholomew, Doug Hogue, and Derrell Smith.
The four players were invited to the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana to display their talents in front of many scouts. It was their chance to prove that they belong in the NFL. Here is a look at how they faired and where they stand on draft boards today.
Running back Delone Carter is favored to be drafted first among the SU players. Carter rushed for 1233 yards and scored 9 touchdowns in his last season in Syracuse and was named Pinstripe Bowl MVP after his 198 yard, 2 TD performance. He performed well at the combine and his draft stock reflects that. Most scouts have him being selected in the third or fourth round.
Center Ryan Bartholomew also had a very good combine. He benched more than any offensive lineman at the event, as he put up 34 reps. Bartholomew showed serious speed, running the 40 yard dash in only 4.97 seconds, second among all offensive linemen. With his performance at the combine, it appears that Bartholomew will be selected late on the second day of the draft.
Linebackers Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith led the Orange defense in their senior seasons. Hogue finished the season with 60 tackles, 3 sacks and 2 interceptions while Smith tallied 72 tackles, 1.5 sacks and an interception. However, they struggled to impress scouts during their combine workouts. Hogue has a better chance than Smith to make it in the league due to his elite athleticism. It is also possible that Hogue is converted to a different position, if an NFL team sees that potential in him. It appears that both of these former SU linebackers will be chosen on the third day, if it all drafted.
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