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Not going first (or 30th) no big deal, Long insists

April 24, 2008 12:15 am

BY TAFT COGHILL JR.

Chris Long tries his best to avoid the Internet chatter about his strengths and weaknesses leading up to the NFL Draft.

He just can't.

The former Virginia star defensive end relishes every bit of motivation he can get to prove people wrong.

"I'm just obsessed with [what people say]," Long said. "You tend to hear the negatives louder than you hear the positives. So I couldn't tell you what anybody has said good about me, but I could tell you what they said bad about me."

One thing's for certain: Long won't be the No. 1 overall selection on Saturday in New York City.

That possible scenario was put to rest on Tuesday when the Miami Dolphins signed Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long to a five-year, $57 million contract.

But now that Chris Long doesn't have to wonder if he'll be Virginia's first No. 1 overall draft choice since Bill Dudley in 1942, he can ponder what team might invest a top-10 selection in a defensive end with a non-stop motor.

Except there's one problem: Long doesn't care what team calls his name.

"I have no preference where I go. I have no preference where I'm picked," said Long, who will be in New York for the draft. "What's important is the career after that--whether you're picked one through 30, or [later]."

Long probably doesn't have to worry about going later than the top 10.

In fact, not many draft analysts have him falling outside sixth-overall to the New York Jets.

He could possibly go fifth to the Kansas City Chiefs, especially since they traded defensive end Jared Allen to Minnesota yesterday.

He could also land with the Oakland Raiders at No. 4, the same team his father, Howie Long, starred on from 1981-93.

The Atlanta Falcons are at No. 3, but they drafted defensive end Jamal Anderson in the first round last season, so they're an unlikely destination. St. Louis could take a look at No. 2 overall.

Rams head coach Scott Linehan said there isn't much to dislike about a player who registered 14 sacks as a senior at Virginia.

"I can only speak for one team, but I think you can't go wrong with a player like this," Linehan said following Long's Pro Timing Day workout at Virginia. "He's got an unbelievable amount of football ability, but his character on top of that is unbelievable. So when you get that kind of package, you're looking at a guy that's going to impact a team right away."

That part will come later, but a team has to draft Long first.

Since he's so highly regarded, he's been thoroughly picked apart by NFL scouts and team executives.

The most talked about weakness is his perceived lack of speed. His best time in the 40-yard dash is 4.68 seconds.

Tony Pauline, the draft analyst for Sports Illustrated's Web site, said speed is a legitimate concern for a team that wants to use Long as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, but it's not a problem for his natural position, defensive end. Long performed linebacker drills for scouts at his Virginia workout.

"There are holes in everybody, whether it's Chris Long or whether it's [Arkansas running back] Darren McFadden," Pauline said. "People, especially on the outside, are going to try to manufacture holes in guys' games that just aren't there."

In addition to the speed concerns, Pauline said draft experts have also questioned Long's stature (6-foot-3, 270 pounds) that could leave him somewhere between the size of a prototypical defensive end and linebacker.

Cavaliers head coach Al Groh said the most important tool when evaluating Long is the game-film from back-to-back all-Atlantic Coast Conference seasons and an All-America campaign this past year.

Pauline agreed.

"The fact is, he's been a dominant player for a long time at Virginia," Pauline said. "He's got those intangibles and that intensity you've just got to love."

Taft Coghill Jr.: 540/374-5526
Email: tcoghill@freelancestar.com