The 2009 NFL Draft has come and gone, and not without its share of surprises. For Cal fans, the biggest news on Day One was how high center Alex Mack was taken on Day 1 (21st Overall to Cleveland). Day 2 had far more surprises, but to the detriment of the Cal players involved.
Only two other Cal players were drafted on Sunday, both in the seventh and final round. Zack Follett was drafted 235th to the Detroit Lions, and Cameron Morrah went 248th to Seattle.
7th Round
26. (235th Overall) Detroit Lions – Zack Follett, OLB
The day must have been a bit of a letdown for both Follett and Morrah. Follett was projected to go anywhere from the 3rd to 6th round in most mock drafts, and I thought he wouldn’t slide any lower than the fifth. The news out on Follett is that his neck injury continued to be a big concern for NFL teams, and some reported that he didn’t even pass their team physicals. Still, given that Follett led the nation in tackles for loss last year, I did think that some teams would pull the trigger a bit sooner than the seventh round.
However, true to Follet’s style, the Pain Train isn’t going to whine about it.
"I'm excited because they're going to give me a good shot with the Lions," said Follett. "They're the ones that put their neck out and drafted me. I think the reason why I fell [in the draft] is because of my medical history with the neck problems and shoulder stuff that other teams didn't want to risk and take that pick. I think that's the reason I fell, but I'm not the one to make excuses. I'm excited to get out there and play."
"I'm seriously not disappointed," added Follett. "I'm glad to be drafted."
The Lions will look at Follett as either an inside or outside linebacker. They will likely evaluate his performance in the camps to see where they would most like to put him, and look for Follett to make plays on special teams for the first few seasons before they give him a chance to wreak some havoc in the backfield.
39. (248th Overall) Seattle Seahawks– Cameron Morrah, TE
Despite there being some strong questions about whether Cameron Morrah should have stayed another year, he was thought to go as high as the 4th round after a solid combine and pro workouts. Morrah will fight for a roster spot in Seattle this year, and can still turn out to be a productive tight end in the pros if he continues to develop. I’m certainly glad that Morrah got his wish to give his ailing grandmother and opportunity to see him play in the pros, but I will continue to wonder what might have been, both for the Bears and for Morrah’s pro prospects if he had stayed for his senior year.
Morrah also appeared to be upbeat about his draft situation.
"They called me on the phone and told me that they really liked me, and I was excited about that," said Morrah. "I just feel like I'm in a great situation going to Seattle. It's a great place, and I have met a couple people up there so I have got to make the most of it."
Undrafted Cal Players
The day was also disappointing for a number of Cal seniors who never received a call during the draft.
Linebackers Worrell Williams and Anthony Felder were both considered possible late round picks, and although not being drafted, will both likely end up sign as Free Agents soon.
DE Rulon Davis who certainly fit the mold of an NFL DE also wasn’t drafted, but it’s being reported by Jonathan Okanes at the Contra Costa Times that he just signed a free agent contract with the Denver Broncos.
QB Nate Longshore, FB Will Ta’ufo’ou, and long snapper Nick Sundberg should also get signed to be in some NFL camps as well.
[Edit: California Golden Blogs is reporting that Will Ta'ufo'ou has signed with the Chicago Bears.]
All in all, it was much more disappointing showing for Cal players in the draft than most, if not all, had expected. After last year’s strong showing, in which 6 Cal players were taken (3 in the first three rounds), I had hoped that Cal would continue its trend of strong representation in the draft. To be honest, I actually thought that only Mack, Morrah, and Follett would get drafted, with either Williams or Davis as a possibility. I was surprised at how late Follett and Morrah went though.
Honestly, by the time it gets that late in the draft, it’s often better for a player not to get drafted so they have the chance to choose which they get to sign with. However, I’m sure no player grows up wanting to be a free agent, so it has to be somewhat disappointing in the regard. They’ll be given a chance to compete for a spot though, which is a lot more than what thousands of college football players can say.
I think this continues to illustrate just how difficult it is to make it in the NFL, and how much of an enigma the entire draft process continues to be. As Follett himself stated, “I was a little disappointed how Cal guys don’t get much respect. We have a lot of good players here. I don’t know what it is.”
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