NFL Draft a yawn for Bruins this year

If you haven’t heard, this Saturday is the NFL Draft. This weekend, ESPN will devote 18 hours of coverage to this non-event that has become a yearly TV spectacle.

The network has promoted its telecast with endless speculation and ads proclaiming “the draft matters.” But does it? Is there a story that will convince anyone at UCLA to actually wake up at 8 a.m. to watch the marathon of NFL blather?

There is one Westwood-related subplot ““ two Bruins have a real shot at hearing their names called: kicker Justin Medlock and defensive end Justin Hickman. It probably won’t happen on the first day, though, as both are pegged as sixth-round picks on the mock draft Web sites.

It’s a shame that no Bruins will be taken in the first round like last year when the Jacksonville Jaguars used their first two picks on Marcedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew. As a result, this year’s first round will be just mildly interesting to the Bruin faithful. I wouldn’t recommend setting your alarm. The 15-minute gap between picks makes the early rounds almost unbearable to watch, only the true die-hards are able to listen to the analysts rant for that long.

But when you wake up you should at least check the draft board to see what’s happened.

There will be plenty of suspense at the top spot because the whimsical Oakland Raiders are selecting first. The Raiders will choose between JaMarcus Russell, a behemoth quarterback from Louisiana State, and flashy wide receiver Calvin Johnson from Georgia Tech.

Next comes the Detroit Lions. Over the past half decade the Lions have won the title of the league’s most inept drafting team.

This year, they’ll have the shot to select a sturdy Wisconsin offensive lineman, Joe Thomas, a quick Clemson defensive end, Gaines Adams, or the golden boy, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn.

Quinn will be the most carefully regarded prospect in the top 10 because of his Notre Dame pedigree. He beat the Bruins in October and has impressed scouts since losing in the Sugar Bowl.

But because of the need-based strategy most teams employ, Quinn could slip past the first few picks.

Trades are another recurring theme of the first round. The Lions could try to sell their No. 2 pick to the highest bidder, and there are plenty of teams looking at Johnson as the best player in the draft.

The Texans could be a player for that No. 2 spot, as they look to recover from last year’s blunder. It was Houston that passed up on Reggie Bush, deciding on Mario Williams. The NFL pundits are still scratching their heads over that move.

It could be a weak year for the Pac-10 at large in terms of first-round prospects.

Cal’s star running back Marshawn Lynch is the only first-round lock. Two Trojans, Ryan Kalil and Dwayne Jarrett, could be taken at the end of the first round.Amazingly enough, Trent Edwards has garnered plenty of buzz despite throwing just 36 touchdowns in his career at Stanford. Edwards’ size and arm strength have solidified him as a top pick in the second round despite the Cardinal’s 1-11 record last season ““ so goes the logic of the NFL scouts.

The lack of Bruin and Pac-10 involvement in the draft will make it a pretty bland event for a UCLA fan to watch.

UCLA fans should check out the Spring Game on Friday night instead if they want to see some future Bruin NFL prospects.

E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu if you’ll be sleeping in on Saturday morning.

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