Welcome to Second Guess Tuesday. Here are the warm and sunny opinions of the day.
Surprise, surprise, surprise.
No, this isn’t a Gomer Pyle fun festival. Instead, it is a commentary on all the surprises that occurred in last week’s NFL draft.
Oh, sure, there were lots of no-brainers — especially in the first round. But later in the draft, there were lots of surprises and eyebrow-raising.
It all began with Pittsburgh drafting Fairmont native and West Virginia University All-American Zach Frazier in the second round. Frazier is expected to step right into the Steelers’ starting center spot.
That wasn’t a surprise.
This was, however. No one expected Marshall University running back Rasheen Ali to be selected in the fifth round by the Baltimore Ravens. His injury-prone status alone was thought to be enough for Ali to fall into free agent status.
That wasn’t the case, however.
The interesting part is the Ravens always seem to struggle to keep running backs healthy, which — again — describes Ali. After all, he missed one season with a knee injury. Then, in consecutive games late in the 2023 season, he played in only the first half, while sitting out the second half. That included the second half of the Frisco Bowl.
Next, in early February during a Senior Bowl practice, Ali ruptured a biceps tendon that put him on the shelf.
That’s why it was such a surprise when the Ravens selected Ali.
But, then again, it also shows just how talented the 6-foot, 206-pound Ali really is. Baltimore obviously was convinced Ali was worth the gamble.
The next selection — cornerback Micah Abraham — really wasn’t a surprise. The Indianapolis Colts tapped Abraham in the sixth round with the No. 201 pick.
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The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Abraham appeared in 62 games at MU, finishing his career with 12 interceptions, 150 tackles, 43 pass break-ups and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Besides all that, Abraham is a chip off the old block — his father, Donnie, was an NFL cornerback for nine years.
Marshall also had four players sign NFL free agent contracts.
Local favorite Owen Porter, a former Spring Valley High School star, signed with Minnesota.
Offensive tackle Ethan Driskell — all 6-8, 313 pounds of him — signed with the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Offensive lineman Dalton Tucker joined Abraham with the Colts as a 6-6, 307-pound guard/offensive tackle.
Not to be forgotten, linebacker Eli Neal signed with the Rams. The 6-0, 222-pound Neal is a well-known playmaker.
Not bad for the Mountain State, huh?
But I saved the most perplexing signing for last.
The Minnesota Vikings signed ³ÉÆ·ÈËÊÓƵ’s Doug Nester, a Kenova native, as a free agent. Surprised? Do be. To be honest, I just assumed the 6-7, 319-pound behemoth, who can play both guard and offensive tackle, would be drafted. After all, while playing mostly right tackle during the 2023 season, Nester didn’t allow a single quarterback sack.
That’s pretty darned impressive.
Yet, Nester ended up a free agent despite starting 52 of 57 games for the Mountaineers. He also participated in the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl.
But don’t be surprised if Nester sticks with the Vikings.
