THEY’LL SPEND THE DAY WORKING WITH WAITS : Locals Have Varying Expectations in Draft

With the National Football League’s annual gamble on college talent starting this morning, San Diego State draft hopefuls Alfred Jackson and Mario Mitchell are in Las Vegas trying not to dwell on the idea that their futures are being determined by the dealers and pit bosses of the NFL.

The Aztecs’ Kevin Wells, who turned 23 Friday, said he will probably go shopping with his wife, Marilyn.

All said they won’t watch the draft on television.

But Oregon’s Matt Brock, who attended University City High, and Northern Arizona’s Shawn Collins, who attended Kearny, will watch intently. Brock, a defensive end, and Collins, a tight end/wide receiver, are expected to go in the first two rounds, possibly the first.

“I don’t want to watch it,” Wells said, “because I don’t want to sit around and make excuses for myself if guys that I think I’m better than get drafted ahead of me. It could be too frustrating.”

Said Mitchell: “Clarence Nunn told me, ‘Don’t sit at home and watch it. It’ll drive you crazy.’ ”

Nunn, a defensive back, was the second of five Aztecs taken in last year’s draft (ninth round by New Orleans). Fellow defensive back Harold Hicks was picked by Washington in the seventh round.

SDSU does not figure to have five players drafted this year, but it’s possible.

Wells, a center, and Jackson, a wide receiver, are the highest-rated Aztecs. They are projected to go after the fifth round, which might be on Monday (no round can start after 6 p.m. PDT today).

“You never know,” Wells said. “We’ve heard everything from the second round to not being drafted at all. Those (predictions) are wrong every year. If they could predict so perfectly, why bother having a draft?”

Mitchell, a defensive back, could go in the later rounds. Tight end Kerry Reed-Martin and running back Paul Hewitt are listed in draft publications as having outside shots. Defensive back Casey Copeland and kicker Tyler Ackerson have been worked out by a couple of teams but aren’t expecting to be selected.

Texas fullback Darron Norris, who graduated from El Camino High, is expected to be taken in the middle rounds.

For Brock to be considered a possible first-round selection would have been startling news five years ago when he was a 6-foot-5, 210-pounder for University City. Oregon was the only Pac-10 school that offered him a scholarship. This season, Brock weighed 270 and had 81 tackles and eight sacks.

“It wasn’t until after my junior year that I started realizing I might get a shot,” said Brock, who was All-Pac 10 first team and played in games such as the Senior Bowl, the Hula Bowl and the East-West Shrine.

According to Joel Buchsbaum of Pro Football Weekly, Brock is the third best defensive end in the draft. Both Buchsbaum and Mel Kiper Jr. of Draft Publications, Inc. have Brock going in the first round. Kiper rates him sixth.

Collins (6-2, 205) played tight end for Northern Arizona but could be used as a wide receiver in the pros. He set a school record for receptions (201) and scored 24 career touchdowns.

Like Brock, Collins was not highly thought of out of high school because of his size (165 at Kearny).

Buchsbaum, who rates Collins as the 10th best receiver, says he is a “big strong receiver with courage to catch inside. Powerful blocker for his size. Could also be an H-back.” Kiper rates him seventh at his position.

Wells (6-5, 270) is rated 11th by Buchsbaum and 12th by Kiper among centers. Buchsbaum says Wells is “big, strong and durable. Can hold his own in a limited area. Knows how to pass block.”

Wells, a three-year starter, was one of the bright spots for the Aztces this season. He was an honorable mention All-American, first team All-WAC and played in the Blue-Gray all-star game.

Jackson (6-1, 185) missed three games his senior season with a broken finger and a dislocated finger and one with a bad back. In three seasons at SDSU, he caught 69 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns.

His best moments included a 44-yard touchdown against Iowa in the 1986 Holiday Bowl and a 45-yarder in traffic that set up a go-ahead field goal in that game.

He began his career as a defensive back and blocked a punt that was recovered for a touchdown on his first play as an Aztec.

Buchsbaum, who ranks him the 16th wide receiver, says, “fine all-around athlete with very good hands and quickness. Reacts to the ball in a crowd. Can also fill in as a ‘dime’ defensive back in the secondary.”

Says Kiper, who ranks him 20th: “Due to the wide-open, pro-style attack employed, this particular program has a history of producing quality NFL wide-outs, including Haven Moses, Isaac Curtis and Webster Slaughter. Look for Jackson to continue the tradition.”

Mitchell (5-10, 185) came to San Diego State five years ago because to the NFL, SDSU was Defensive Back U. After redshirting his first year, Mitchell became a four-year starter.

Says Kiper, who ranks him 20th, “Excelled early on at the collegiate level. However, he seemed to regress each year, failing to show the coverage skills that were his trademark early on. Will have to revert back to his old form when he was regarded as one of the top young DBs on the West Coast.”

Hewitt, who led the nation in scoring in 1987 with 24 touchdowns, had only 10 last year, despite having more attempts (240 to 233) and more yards (1,104 to 1,074) in 1988.

Norris rushed for 2,079 yards and 13 touchdowns at Texas while blocking for Eric Metcalf. He is fourth on the San Diego Section career scoring list with 278 points while playing for El Camino and third in career yards (3,339) and touchdowns (45).