On Auburn's Pro Day, Specifically About Newton and Fairley

Arguably the biggest pre-draft pro day was at Auburn on Tuesday. With both QB Cam Newton and DT Nick Fairley in attendance, and both expected to be taken in the Top 10, the interest is obvious. The Green Bay Packers had a representative in attendance, but they weren't one of the five teams that sent their head coach to it. Both players will be long gone by the time the Packers draft, and I've got no reason to believe they're interested in trading up for either player, but these are two of the more intriguing players in the draft.

Pro Football Talk wrote about a call with Mel Kiper who gave Newton the dreaded QB Akili Smith comparison as a "one-year wonder." Smith comparison aside, Kiper does have a good point in general. Quarterbacks who stay in school, and give scouts a good 27+ starts to evaluate, typically are better evaluated prior to the draft. And it may explain why QB Aaron Rodgers might have slipped in the 2005 draft. There might have been some concern because he was only a starter for two seasons at Cal. Obviously most scouts were wrong, but hindsight is 20-20.

They also posted an article about the outstanding workout by DT Nick Fairley. There are some legitimate concerns about him, and he too is a one-year wonder, but as PFT said, "his talent is obvious." He could become a bust, but I would take my chances with him at the top of the draft, especially since there isn't a clear Top 10 this year.