Hoosier guide to Saturday's draft

I'm not sure about you, but when I think spring, I think football. This Saturday marks the first day in a football fan’s nine–month crawl to Super Bowl Sunday, and for the first time in a long time, a couple of Hoosiers will matter.\nWide receiver James Hardy and cornerback Tracy Porter figure to fill out the rosters of a couple NFL teams when the countdown to draft day stops and the 10 minutes is put up on the clock for the Miami Dolphins (who, without much suspense, have already made their selection with Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long). \nThe puzzle, however, is not yet complete as to where exactly the two IU players will go.\nBoth men, according to many online mock drafts, are projected anywhere between the late first and early third rounds, depending on the team’s need. Even though the destination and selection time is unknown for the two players, one thing is certain about selecting these two: Whoever picks the top two Hoosiers this year will get solid results.\nWe have been witnesses to stellar careers of two spectacular athletes during their years at IU. Hardy torched the competition while becoming the only Hoosier in history to surpass 2,500 yards, 175 catches and 35 touchdowns. He has received more hype than any Hoosier since the days of Antwaan Randle El, who ended up being a low second-round draft pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2002 draft. Hardy differs from Randle El in many ways, but in today’s NFL his skill set might translate to better pro statistics. \nHardy is 6-foot-6, 217 lbs. Randel El is 5-foot-10, 190 lbs. The comparisons between the two should really end when the discussion of the two’s school and position end. Hardy is more in the mold of Plaxico Burress from the New York Giants and Vincent Jackson from the San Diego Chargers. NFL teams love to attack opponents with cornerbacks who look like gymnasts (i.e. the Indianapolis Colts), and the numbers Burress and Jackson put up in the postseason against Indianapolis and New England were very solid. Hardy would definitely benefit from having an accurate passer, with which we really have never seen him at IU.\nPorter is an athletic cornerback with speed and field knowledge. He is not as proven a commodity as Hardy, but those of us who paid attention to Hoosier football know when a defensive play had to be made, No. 9 did it. His appointment to team captain was no fluke as he worked on his game to be one of the few Hoosiers who stopped the run. Standing 5-foot-11, Porter became the first Hoosier in more than 25 years to record more than six interceptions in a season. Porter would surely benefit from some playing time at nickelback for a team with other quality veterans on it.\nI predict Hardy to hook up with either mediocre quarterback for the J-E-T-S and give that stagnant offense some big play capability at pick No. 36, while Porter is going to replace the aging Ronde Barber as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers select him with pick No. 52.