Some love for Lofton
Published: 2/21/2008 10:01 PM
Last Modified: 2/21/2008 10:01 PM
Curtis Lofton's decision to leave Oklahoma a year early was much more scrutinized than Malcolm Kelly's or Reggie Smith's, mostly because of the belief that Lofton wasn't ready to make the jump after just one year as OU's starting middle linebacker.
Ultimately, the decision won't be best judged until the NFL Draft weekend of April 26-27. For the time being, however, Lofton's stock appears to be on the rise.
The scouting service The Sports Xchange rated Lofton the 39th best player in the draft, just behind Smith as a matter of fact, with a report that read: "Lofton has good key-and-diagnose skills and does a great job attacking the run. Although he is an explosive hitter and reliable tackler, his lack of size might dictate that he play in a defense in which he is 'covered,' so he does not need to take on the NFL's big guys head-on."
The folks at Patriots Football Weekly (they'd have to know a thing or two about football, right?) rank Lofton as the No. 2 inside linebacker in the draft, behind Dan Connor of Penn State.
Frank Coyle of Draft Insiders Digest stuck Lofton among the outside linebackers and rated him No. 5.
With all the would-be's and could-be's swirling around, Lofton is due to arrive at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis Friday morning. Where, as he told the Cincinnati Enquirer, "Pretty much all the years of my life are dependent on these few days in
Indy."
No pressure there.
-- Guerin Emig
Written by
Guerin Emig
Sports Writer
