Over the last decade, and especially in the last 5 years or so, the NFL Draft has undergone a small phenomenon in which some teams are taking a chance and occasionally drafting an "athlete" rather than a true position player.  Not sure what I mean?  Well, we have a number of candidates in this year's draft that will be a part of this phenomenon as well; players who played a certain position in college, but are being asked to change that position in order to make it in the NFL. 

            In the history of the NFL Draft, teams have drafted players to play the position they played in college.  Thus, quarterbacks were drafted to play quarterback, linebackers to play linebacker, so on and so forth.  Players that did not excel at a position, or whose skills did not translate to the NFL, went undrafted or made futile attempts to play their college position in the NFL.  A new era donned upon us however with the Pittsburg Steelers drafting of Kordell Stewart, the quarterback from Colorado, in the 2nd round of the 1995 draft.  Stewart was an above average college quarterback with elite athleticism and an innate ability for making the big play.  However, Stewart's arm strength and accuracy were questioned, as was his ability to be a field general.  Thusly, the Steelers drafted him as an athlete, where during his career, he played QB, WR, RB, and even punted.  He instantly became a sensation both on the field and off.  The moniker of "Slash" was attached to him as he played QB/WR/RB.  I am sure we all remember the play he made in the playoffs early in his career where he rolled right, reversed field to the opposite sideline and delivered a strike in the end zone.  He became the most versatile weapon in the NFL.

This is not a new concept in the college game, as players switch positions all the time, and some of the top prep players are faced with the difficult decision of deciding (or their coaches deciding) which side of the ball they will be relegated to in college.  Some players of note that have been moved around significantly during their time in college are Hines Ward, who played everywhere, Champ Bailey, Charles Woodson, Antwaan Randle-El who played WR one season, Matt Jones who also started a season at WR, Jevon Kearse, Michael Robinson, Leonard Davis, Marcus Outzen, etc.  There are more than one can name in a single article.  College coaches have more flexibility and want to maximize the ability and impact each player on his team can make, thus the reasoning behind players moving positions.  The single most important part of this trend in the college game is that coaches want their "best 11" on the field at a given time, and as such, will move players to accomplish this goal.

    As for the NFL, most of the time, getting the "best 11" on the field did not involve this phenomenon as coaches were dealing with the best of the best at every position, so the necessity was not there.  Recently however, some players' athletic abilities have been too good to ignore, and while they may not play a position a team is not in need of, the raw athletic ability of these young men stirs a front office to draft someone on the potential one possesses.  Thus, the trend began over a decade ago with Kordell Stewart and is alive and well today.  Some prominent NFL players who are part of this new wave of NFL player are:

*    Hines Ward: Ward showcased his versatility at Georgia, playing a variety of positions from QB to safety, and has translated his tremendous athletic ability into a NFL game that ranks him as one of the top receivers in the league.  All of this too while playing without an ACL in one knee.
*    Antwaan Randle-El: It seems the Steelers are the leaders of this trend, as Randle-El played QB, WR, and PR in the NFL, with most of his time spent as an option QB.  His versatility has added a dimension to the Steelers' offense, as he is always a threat to run a reverse, take a snap at QB, run an option, or throw the ball off a reverse.
*    Matt Jones: a freak athlete at 6'6", 247 lbs, 4.4/40, Jones made the transition from QB to WR seem virtually effortless as shown by his decent rookie production and highlight reel catches that are played over and over again.
*    Jevon Kearse: Kearse is the epitome of a team drafting someone based on raw athletic ability.  Kearse started his career at Florida as a hard hitting safety.  The coaching staff continued to add muscle to his lean frame, eventually moving him to linebacker.  The Titans saw a rare physical specimen, drafted Kearse, and moved him to defensive end where he had 14.5 sacks as a rookie.
*    David Pollack: Pollack was highly productive at Georgia, but a bit undersized to play defensive end in the NFL.  As such, the Bengals took a chance on his good athletic ability and high motor, drafted him, and moved him to linebacker where he started to make an impact at the end of the season.
*    Ronald Curry: Curry was Mr. Football and Mr. Basketball a high school senior and because of this, was highly recruited in both sports.  Curry chose North Carolina where he had an immediate impact in both sports.  A torn Achilles tendon in college hampered his development as a quarterback and point guard, but his athletic ability was too hard for the Raiders to ignore.  He was drafted originally to return kicks, but settled in as a wide receiver.  Curry was starting to break out both in 2004 and in 2005 before two more torn Achilles tendons put his seasons to an end and possible career in jeopardy.
*    Patrick Crayton: Crayton went undrafted, but has made a good transition from quarterback to wide receiver.
*    Brian Mitchell: though now retired, Mitchell was an excellent option quarterback in college, but the NFL game caused the need for him to make a switch, which he did.  As a running back, Mitchell made an average impact, however his kick and punt return skills made Mitchell an invaluable player throughout his career.
*    Scott Frost: Frost ran the Nebraska option attack like a pro, however the absence of the option in the NFL created the need for Frost to make himself valuable to the NFL.  To do so, Frost made the move to safety where he was drafted by the Jets and proved to be a solid backup and special team's player.
*    Eric Crouch: again, another Huskers QB forced to make a position switch, which he was almost defiant to.  Was drafted in the third round by the Rams, who hoped to move Crouch to WR, but a nagging hamstring injury and his inability to learn the nuances of the position led to his abrupt retirement before his rookie season.  Crouch attempted to make a comeback with the Packers as a safety, but was promptly cut during training camp.
*    Michael Boulware: a linebacker at Florida State, Seattle did not think Boulware had the size to stay injury free at linebacker and since he had elite speed and coverage ability for a linebacker, the Seahawks moved him to safety where he has thrived in his two seasons.  He is a major impact player in the ball-hawking Seattle secondary.
*    Thomas Davis: a hard-hitting safety at Georgia, Davis started the season as the starter at safety in Carolina; however he often looked lost and eventually lost his starting spot to Marlon McCree.  Later in the season, he was used as a spy LB when the Panthers played the Falcons, as he has the speed necessary to keep up with Michael Vick.  Since he has marginal coverage skills, Davis will probably remain a fulltime LB for the rest of his career.
*    Cato June: another college safety who was deemed too slow to play it in the NFL, June was moved to LB by Indy, and as this season showed us all, June is a playmaker.  If he can fight off the injury bug, June will continue to make an impact in the NFL.

As you can see, many teams have taken a chance on guys that would be average prospects at their "natural" positions and drafted them based on athletic potential alone.  Some teams have reaped the benefits of this (Steelers) while others have been burned, namely the Rams drafting Eric Crouch.  To be successful at this switch, a player need be flexible, hardworking, confident in his athletic ability, and have a desire to learn.  Crouch was stubborn about the position change and not willing to put in the work necessary to succeed at a new position.  Ward on the other hand, has turned himself into one of the best WRs in the NFL, be it catching, running routes, or blocking.

            There are a number of players in the 2006 draft who face the possibility of getting drafted because of their status as elite athletes.  Here is a short highlight of some of those.

*    Michael Robinson, QB Penn State: Robinson has played RB, WR, QB, and even some defense during his time in Happy Valley.  Unfortunately for him, he lacks the pure arm strength and accuracy necessary to be productive as an NFL quarterback.  Thus, Robinson will have to put on one of his many hats and will get drafted by a team that can afford to give Robinson two seasons to become acclimated to a new position.  He will be an immediate threat as a kick returner however.  At 6'1" 210lbs, Robinson has great size and above average speed.
*    Barrick Nealy, QB Texas State: Nealy had an amazing season, leading Texas State to the Div. 1-AA semifinals.  However he lacks the accuracy and big-time game experience necessary to enjoy success as an NFL quarterback.  This was shown in the Hula Bowl, where Nealy looked lost and could not hit a WR.  However at 6'5" 225lbs and a 40 in the 4.5 range, Nealy is intriguing as he has similar measurables to Matt Jones.  Nealy will be best served as a WR in the NFL.
*    Greg Blue: Just like former fellow teammate Thomas Davis, Blue might make the move to LB because of his limited coverage abilities.  No matter what team gets him, Blue is one of the hardest hitters in the nation who has a knack for making the big play.
*    Garrett Mills: Tulsa's great TE is very small at 6'3" 230lbs, so will probably make the move to more of a H-back or FB role, much like Chris Cooley did.  Mills' ability to catch the ball will make him an invaluable contributor on a team that runs a version of the west-coast offense and will be valuable on special teams as well, as he has a big "motor" as well.
*    Devin Hester: at around 6'0" 180lbs and running a sub 4.4, Hester will be in hot demand in the second round.  Hester has no true position, though he was slated to be the next great 'Cane DB.  Most of his time and also abilities were spent as a RB, WR, PR, KR.  Some team will draft him and find creative ways to utilize his rare athletic ability.  He probably would have been best served by remaining in school another season however. 

This trend looks like it will remain around in the near future, as with the evolution of offensive and defensive schemes, teams are looking to put the best players on the field in the NFL now, and if that means drafting a player in hopes of them having success at another position, so be it.  Teams are more willing now than ever to gamble, as many teams are not hinging their franchises on the draft anymore.  Here is wishing success to all of those that are facing this decision.  In the opinion of most NFL scouts, players should do whatever it takes to make an impact, and if that means utilizing one's athletic ability at a different position, so be it.  Only three more months...