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El Paso native John Skelton became the sixth quarterback taken in the 2010 NFL Draft when the Arizona Cardinals made him the 24th pick of the 5th round. Skelton starred at Burges High before taking his game to Fordham University. This is great news for El Paso area high school football. There is talent in El Paso and hopefully John Skelton's incredible success will shine a brighter light on it.
According to Pro Football Talk:
John Skelton of Fordham, taken late in the fifth-round, is known for his big arm and impressive size. In that regard, his profile is not so different than his new teammate Derek Anderson. Both players have accuracy issues, but Skelton is more athletic.
Look for Whisenhunt to develop Skelton this year, with an eye on him competing for a backup spot next year.
With Kurt Warner retiring, Skelton joins Matt Leinart and Derek Anderson as Arizona's quarterback options. Here's wishing John the best of luck in Arizona. If you want more Arizona Cardinals draft news, check out Revenge of the Birds.
Also, check out John Skelton's "Sport Science" segment from ESPN.
Other C-USA Draft Picks (So Far)
1. Torell Troup, the NT from UCF, was the highest league player drafted (2nd round, 9th pick) by the Buffalo Bills. Troup had 24 TFL's during his stellar career in Orland. He became the second highest draft pick in UCF history (second only to Daunte Culpepper). The selection is garnering mixed reaction over at Buffalo Rumblings.
2. Linval Joseph: 5 picks after Troupe went off the board, C-USA mate Lindval Joseph was drafted by the New York Giants. For a prospect profile on Joseph, click here. Joseph is known for wighing 370 pounds as a freshman but working very hard to cut his weight down to 300 pounds. If he can keep his weight at around 300, his incredible strength should fit in nicely in New York. To see what Giants fans think of the pick, click here.
3. Emmanuel Sanders: The wide receiver from SMU went to Pittsburgh at the 18th pick overall. Not a shocker since the Steelers brought him in for a personal workout and were looking for a big play receiver to replace Santonio Holmes. Sanders is really good and is a perfect fit for the Steelers offense. The guys at Behind the Steel Curtain seem excited about Sander's athleticism and potential.
4. Fendi Onobun: Onobun is an incredible athlete as proven by the fact he played basketball at Arizona. Now, the Houston Cougar tight will become one of Sam Bradford's weapons in St. Louis. He was the first overall pick of the sixth round. He's got incredible potential He's 6'7 and runs a 4.45 forty. If you're curious about Ram fan reaction on Onobun, check out the Turf Show Times. Check out the video to get a closer idea of how sick Onobun's pro day workout was.
5. Joe Webb: The former UAB quarterback was taken late in the 6th round by the Minnesota Vikings. Webb is an incredible athlete and has said he's willing to move to WR. The real question is, do the Vikings want him to switch? IMO he might be a better long term project at QB than Tarvaris Jackson. For Webb reaction, check out the Daily Norseman. Update: Here's the Norseman thread on the Webb Selection.
The 7th round is about to kick-off. I'll post free agent updates as they become available. Best of Luck to our former foes who are now off to NFL careers. Hopefully, the represent the C-USA well.
AM UPDATE: (2.45 p.m. MST): ECU has two more go in the 7th round.
6. Matt Dodge: ECU's star punter was the 14th pick of the 7th round by the New York Giants. Dodge has a booming leg and averaged 45.8 yards per punt last year. The Giants haven't drafted a punter since Brad Maynard in 1997. Dodge joins former teammate Linval Joseph who the Giants took in the second round yesterday.
7. C.J. Wilson: Another Pirate, Wilson was the 23rd pick in the draft's final round by Green Bay. Wilson was the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. He had 5.5 sacks last season and was a stud on ECU's defense for four years. For more on Green Bay's draft, check out the Acme Packing Company.