Four former Hoosiers anticipate finding teams during NFL Draft

The day has finally come for four former football Hoosiers.

With the NFL Draft beginning today, quarterback Ben Chappell, offensive lineman James Brewer and wide receivers Tandon Doss and Terrance Turner will wait to hear their names called.

The draft consists of seven rounds during three days. It starts at 8 p.m. today at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Brewer and Doss are considered the best prospects among the former IU players. They were projected to be picked anywhere from the second to the fifth round.

Chappell and Turner could be drafted late, but signing as undrafted free agents could be a more likely proposition.

Doss, who left IU after his junior season, wasn’t able to work out at the NFL Combine in February due to surgery on his groin and abdominal muscles.

When he completed his pro day April 6, he still wasn’t 100 percent, according to his agent. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.56 seconds.

ESPN’s Todd McShay has Doss going off the board in the second round.
McShay said Doss has “the best hands in the draft” and may be “the most underrated wide receiver in the class.”

Pro Football Weekly doesn’t see him going nearly as high. The publication projected Doss to be taken in the third or fourth round and noted he is “too easily bumped off routes” and is “not explosive in and out of cuts.”

Brewer gained national media attention during the Senior Bowl.

McShay is impressed by Brewer’s speed, a 5.27 second showing in the 40-yard dash, for his 6-foot-6-inch, 323-pound frame.

However, McShay said it could take him a while to become a starter at the NFL level.
Pro Football Weekly offered a similar analysis.

“Clearly possesses developmental tools and could help as a swing backup tackle,” the publication wrote. “A two-year project who may hit gold if he can mature into a starting left tackle.”

Turner, who played with Brewer for four years, expects his former teammate to be successful at the next level.

“He’s a big, big, big guy,” Turner said. “And he’s very athletic for his size. He’s a smart young man, a high-character guy and a hard worker. He’s definitely going to bring a lot to the team he plays for.”

Several scouts attended IU games last season to see Chappell, who threw for 3,295 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2010.

Chappell has dropped between 20 to 25 pounds since the season ended.
Pro Football Weekly named Chappell the 24th best quarterback in the draft and projected him to be signed as a priority-free agent.

“He’s worked hard,” Turner said. “He’s become more agile. That shows commitment right there. He really wants it. Hopefully teams see how hard he worked, how big of an arm he has, how accurate he is and how smart he is.”

Turner said he realizes that he may not have the size or quickness of some of the other receivers in the draft, but said his intangibles set him apart.

The 6-foot-1-inch, 220-pound prospect was called a “tough, smart, consistent possession receiver with top-notch intangibles” by Pro Football Weekly. The publication said his average speed and injury history could keep him from being drafted.

Turner, who has been home in Detroit for the last several weeks, said he has been trying to keep the draft off his mind. He said he doesn’t plan to watch any of the draft coverage on ESPN; he’ll just wait for a call to come.

“I’ll have my phone on, but other than that I won’t really be paying attention,” Turner said. “Hopefully it will just happen the way it’s supposed to happen. I’ll be waiting, but I won’t be watching.”

And if the call doesn’t come?

“I know, drafted or not, I definitely have a shot,” he said. “As long as I get a shot, that’s all I can ask for.”