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Instant analysis: A good night for Weeden-to-Blackmon and OSU
Published: 4/26/2012 11:37 PM
Last Modified: 4/26/2012 11:37 PM

Oklahoma State continues to reap the rewards of a nationally relevant football program.

Big 12 champions, Fiesta Bowl champions and now two players taken in the first round of the NFL Draft for just the fourth time in school history.

It's pretty hard to buy that type of positive publicity -- especially when there wasn't an Oklahoma or Texas player in sight on the Day 1 draft board.

As the publicity engine behind the most recent resurgence in Cowboys football, it was fitting quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon went to the next level in tandem.

Jacksonville moved up in the draft to take Blackmon with the fifth overall pick. Cleveland completed a months-long courtship with Weeden when it made him the 22nd pick of the first round.

With things like heights and 40-yard dash times often ruling the NFL, college success isn't necessarily a predictor of draft night success -- look no farther than Kansas City's pick of Memphis defensive tackle Dontari Poe with the draft's 11th pick.

But as Oklahoma State is learning, NFL scouts hardly ignore the BCS standings. On Thursday night, 11 of the first 25 picks played in a BCS bowl game last season.

Weeden and Blackmon, who celebrated together after winning the Fiesta Bowl in January, had separate celebrations Thursday. Blackmon hugged NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before holding up his Jaguars' jersey in front of the raucous crowd at Radio City Music Hall in New York.

Weeden celebrated with his family and friends at his parents home in Edmond.

Now comes the hard part... making it at the next level.

Blackmon and Weeden have different challenges. Blackmon is expected to be an instant star, the player who will make an NFL quarterback out of Blaine Gabbert -- the same Gabbert who was dead last in the league last season in quarterback rating.

Weeden must answer questions about his age and his value as he tries to unseat current starter Colt McCoy.

But those are storylines for another season. Thursday belonged to Weeden, Blackmon and an OSU fan base that should be savoring its time on top.

Reader Comments

4 Total

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P.OswaldBoone (10 months ago)

Good luck with that Gabbert to Blackmon connection.

Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters (10 months ago)

You never know, Blackmon might turn Gabbert into a star. We'll see.

Fat Will (10 months ago)

Michael, you already know that Cleveland has announced Weeden as their starter and are already working on a trade of McCoy. A new story line now!

Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters (10 months ago)

I've seen that Will. That's good for Weeden. I'll be really curious to see how he performs in the NFL. You definitely can't take a player like Weeden in the first round and not think he's a starter. We have his introductory press conference in Cleveland on the TV now.

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The Editor's Desk

Tulsa World Sports Editor Michael Peters has nearly 20 years of daily newspaper experience. A 1993 graduate of Texas A&M, he worked at papers in Bryan-College Station, Texas, Beaumont, Texas, and Galveston, Texas, before joining the Houston Chronicle as High School Sports Editor in 2008. While in Houston, he coordinated coverage of the 2008 Texas Class 5A state football championships and the 2011 NCAA Men's Final Four.

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