Reggie Bush or Reggie bust?

Choose wisely. Sure, NFL general managers, coaches and owners are not in search of the Holy Grail -- but Draft Day may have more similarities to April's holy holidays than you'd think. It is a day full of hidden surprises, when NFL players fall from the sky, seemingly coming from nowhere. It is a day when teams can rise from dead-last place in their divisions. It is a day when the word "fast" is also a guideline to live by. It is a day when students become athletes after years of dedicated training.\nOh what, Little 500 isn't a holy day in April?\nThe No. 1 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft will be USC running back Reggie Bush to the Houston Texans. Yet most of the focus on this year's draft has been on Vince Young's Wonderlic test and whether or not the New Orleans Saints will trade their No. 2 pick after acquiring quarterback Drew Brees. I say there should be more focus on the No. 1 pick.\nSo, why hasn't there been?\nReggie Bush is simply too good. His potential is too good. His stock could not be higher, and his 40-yard dash time could not be lower. The story that no one wants to talk about is that Bush is one NFL hit away from injury and athletic -- as well as financial -- ruin. Who will protect Bush from linebackers such as the Dolphins' Zach Thomas, the Giants' LaVarr Arrington or the Bills' Takeo Spikes? Certainly not the Houston offensive line. Last year the line surrendered a league-high 68 sacks for 424 yards while "protecting" their quarterback David Carr -- imagine the protection Bush will get. It's a good thing our own president, George W. Bush, has better protection than this. Then again ... \nWhoops. Anyway, no quarterback in the NFL has been sacked more often in the last four seasons than Carr. Since 2002 he has been sacked 208 times for a total loss of 1226 yards. Bush's only chance for a gain is to be so fast that he leaps over the defensive line milliseconds after the snap. What's frightening is that Bush is capable of doing this. \nThe New Orleans Saints will either trade their pick or hold on and choose defensive end Mario Williams from North Carolina State or offensive tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson from Virginia Tech. The Texans would benefit the most from Ferguson's services, but as I mentioned before, you just can't turn your back on Bush.\nAs long as the Saints maintain the No. 2 spot, USC quarterback Matt Leinart should land with the Tennessee Titans. Last season, the Titans wooed Trojan offensive coordinator Norm Chow to the NFL, a move that may pay off if Leinart and Chow can duplicate their championship success from college. If Leinart has star power in the NFL, watch out for Nick Lachey to be "the guy" on Leinart's couch in five years. \nThere is the possibility that the Saints could trade their pick to the New York Jets, who will grab Leinart, leaving the Titans to choose Texas quarterback Vince Young. Otherwise, if every team stays in place, the Jets, Oakland Raiders or Arizona Cardinals will choose either Young or Vanderbilt quarterback Jay Cutler.\nOther notables: Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk is expected to be chosen by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 5 pick overall. Memphis running back DeAngelo Williams could become a quiet but commanding commodity for teams such as the Cleveland Browns (No. 12), Denver Broncos (No. 15) or Minnesota Vikings (No. 17). Ohio State wide receiver Santonio Holmes could be chosen as early as No. 11 with the St. Louis Rams or fall to either the Baltimore Ravens (No. 13) or Miami Dolphins (No. 16).\nWhich brings us back to choosing wisely. The Colts had the first two picks in the 1992 Draft -- and as it turned out, Steve Emtman and Quentin Coryatt were not franchise players. That same year the Cincinnati Bengals chose Dave Klingler, who did anything but cling to NFL success despite being the No. 6 pick overall. Neither the Bengals nor the Chicago Bears have had much success at choosing a franchise running back in the past. One year after the Colts foolishly selected Trev Alberts, the 1995 NFL Draft served both the Bengals and Bears with Ki-Jana Carter and Rashaan Salaam, respectively. The Bears were so embarrassed with Salaam that by the 1998 NFL Draft they selected Curtis Enis who, oddly enough, pulled a Salaam. The Bengals and Bears wanted to fill their quarterback quarrels in 1999 when they chose Akili Smith and Cade McNown. Go ahead and fill in your own punch line with those picks. Try: "Smith, you're Akilling me!" or "Dude, your name is Cade."\nSaturday and Sunday, the NFL's finest will gather together to pick apart and praise after months of preparation. This, of course, is their holy day. Their destinies are guided by their choices. They are in search to fill that void physically, if not spiritually. They must choose wisely.\nSo will it be Reggie Bush or Reggie bust?