April 7, 2011

After three days and about 250 draftees, the NFL draft will be completed and fans and media will have many of their questions answered. One of those questions: Which round will Jake Locker go in? After shocking scouts and deciding to return to the University of Washington for his senior year, the once-projected top pick is now facing the 2011 draft with a not-so-stellar season behind him. In “A Matter of Perspective,” The Mag asked some experts—including an offensive coordinator, two directors of college scouting, Locker’s brain specialist and QB coach—to break down his best game from last season and evaluate his skills.

ESPN The Magazine’s NFL Draft issue, on newsstands Friday, also highlights a crew of mid-round draft prospects who won’t get a chance to grace Radio City’s stage but still got a taste of the Big Apple when The Mag brought them to NYC for star treatment and a photo shoot. “Kings for a Day” features Rashad Carmichael (Virginia Tech), Casey Matthews (Oregon), Stevan Ridley (LSU), Tyler Sash (Iowa), Colin Kaepernick (Nevada) and Jeremy Kerly (TCU).  Video  |  Cover

NFL Draft Issue Features:

True Grit
The Wonderlic is the standard for assessing a draftee’s IQ. But fortitude, not smarts, is what makes a great football player. By Jonah Lehrer

Three-Sport Star
Morgan State’s Kemar Scarlett and Nick Adams hope to add their names to the very short list of black kickers who have made it to the League. By Scott Ostler

Hard Count
Behold, 2,046 NFL players from 2010, by the numbers. By Andrew Garcia Phillips of Chartball

Grading on a Curve
Which of the four major sports gets the most value from its draft? The results may surprise you. By Peter Keating

The Legend of Big Rich
It takes a strong man to turn his back on football’s millions. There’s no one stronger than former lineman Rich Williams. By Allison Glock

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