THE DRAFT'S BIGGEST ?

By T.J. SIMERS

April 14, 1998 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

He’s the top offensive playmaker, maybe the best athlete and certainly the most complete player available in Saturday’s NFL draft. He could be spotlighted both on “SportsCenter” and “Cops.”

He’s bigger than Dallas wide receiver Michael Irvin, faster and--holy Penthouse magazine!--more devilish.

His credentials are striking, a resume and rap sheet chock full of highlights and low lights, making it the mystery of the draft: Just where will Marshall wide receiver Randy Moss land?

The quarterbacks are supposed to go 1-2, Tennessee’s Peyton Manning to Indianapolis and Washington State’s Ryan Leaf to San Diego, followed by Florida State defensive end Andre Wadsworth to Arizona and Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson to Oakland.

Take away Notre Dame’s rejection, Florida State’s dismissal, the “malicious wounding” charge later reduced to misdemeanor battery, the marijuana bust, jail time, the domestic skirmish with the mother of his child, which required police attention, and the guilt by association after driving with a friend who was stopped and arrested on marijuana possession charges, and Moss might be already gone or about to be picked as the fifth selection in the draft.

Chicago, still reeling from Alonzo Spellman’s barefoot walk out of a hospital in sub-freezing temperatures, the Rick Mirer trade and Bryan Cox’s temper tantrums, picks fifth--with caution.

“The guy’s got problems--we all know that,” said Bear Coach Dave Wannstedt of Moss. “And now you’re going to give him $4-5 million dollars? Are those problems going to go away? Are you sure how he’s going to respond? That’s the question.”

Wannstedt, who might be looking for work after this season if the Bears continue to flounder, might consider “going for broke,” said one NFL general manager. “This is the playmaker in the draft, and it might be worth the gamble.”

No gamble, said Bob Pruett, Moss’ coach at Marshall.

“Randy Moss will have more impact next season in the NFL than any other player out there,” he predicted.

But not in St. Louis. The Rams, still trying to recover from using the sixth pick in the first round two years ago on another challenging young man, Lawrence Phillips, pick sixth again--with conviction.

“He won’t be on our board on draft day,” said Ram Coach Dick Vermeil. “I don’t need any more problems. No reflection on Lawrence Phillips, but I just don’t believe in taking Georgia Frontiere’s money and making that kind of investment.

“If he was a New York stock and going down all the time, would you put $6 million of your savings into that stock? I just can’t justify taking a kid with continual problems. Hey, kids don’t have to be choirboys, but he has a pretty good track record and there’s probably a lot we don’t know.”

New Orleans picks seventh, and as one Chicago observer who remembers dealing with Coach Mike Ditka noted, “He says he won’t take him, so that’s a sure sign he will.”

The Saints have run background checks on Moss, who is 6 feet 5 and can run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds. They also have had him go to dinner with several veteran players. Ditka, as confusing as ever, has spoken positively and negatively about Moss, heightening the draft-day intrigue.

“I’d rather play with him than against him,” said Ditka. “But I don’t know that he’s our biggest need right now.”

Unless he can play both quarterback and running back.

Dallas spruced up its image a year ago but stopped scoring touchdowns. Will team owner Jerry Jones abandon the good-guy move and add Moss with the eighth pick to go with Irvin?

“He’s obviously an outstanding football player,” said Jones, and the question will not be answered until Saturday.

“On the field there is no question in our mind that he’s as talented at his position as any other player in this draft at their respective positions,” said Bill Kuharich, general manager of the Saints. “But you have to factor in the off-the-field things. It’s a risk-reward situation. We had this before with running back Craig Heyward and that didn’t work out. But Tampa faced this when it took Warren Sapp and it turned out positive. They don’t all turn out bad.”

Of course, that’s the one thing about draft day free falls. Sooner or later, character stops mattering, or someone says, “Everyone deserves a second chance.” Especially if he can score touchdowns.

Last year, safety Tremain Mack and running back Corey Dillon were the draft’s wild cards. Both were projected first-round picks with troubled backgrounds, but Dillon fell into the second round and Mack into the fourth, Cincinnati giving in to temptation on both. Dillon played well before getting his DUI. Mack did not before getting his and checking into a rehab center.

Cincinnati has two picks in the first round this year, Nos. 13 and 17--two chances to be tested again--and no chance of being saved by Atlanta, picking just ahead at No. 12.

“Why should we take a guy who has had some things happen that I’m not sure won’t happen again,” said Reed Johnson, director of college scouting for the Falcons.

New England has a pair of first-round picks and needs a wide receiver, but neither choice will be used on Moss.

“We’ve had discussions, and Randy Moss is not on our draft board,” said Bobby Grier, Patriot vice president in charge of player personnel.

Grier doesn’t believe Moss will be available when New England picks 18th but said anyway, “Quite a few players are off our board because of the character issue.”

Moss, who irritated Heisman Trophy officials by showing up for festivities wearing sunglasses, after having been asked to abandon them, has been traveling from team to team in an effort to soften his image.

“The thing that sticks out the most with Randy is that he’s still immature,” said Mark Hatley, Bear vice president of player personnel.

In Chicago, reporters also wanted to know about comments he had made before last season in The Los Angeles Times, when he talked about sitting in jail and “how much hate I have for people.”

Upon reflection, Moss said, “I hate nobody. It’s just dislike and like.”

And for those who pass on him Saturday, he said, “When [teams] see what kind of player and what kind of guy I really am, then, yeah, they will regret it. Because we will meet up on the field.”

On the field, there has been no stopping Moss, who scored an NCAA Division I-A-record 25 touchdowns as a third-year sophomore at Marshall and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. So, despite the protestations to the contrary, some team will eventually call his name.

“I don’t blame anybody but myself for what’s happened to me,” said Moss after winning the Fred Biletnikoff Award as college football’s best receiver. “I made some mistakes and I’ve paid the price. I feel blessed that I was able to land at Marshall and turn my life around. I’m confident I’m headed in the right direction.”

It will be draft day before it’s evident who else feels that way.

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DRAFT ’98

Five Things to Know

What to look for in the draft, which will be held Saturday (9 a.m. ESPN, 4 p.m. ESPN2) and Sunday (8 a.m. ESPN, 10 a.m. ESPN2) in New York:

1. UCLA’s Shaun Williams, the top-rated safety available, to be the first Bruin or Trojan selected--and in the mid-to-late first round.

2. Penn State running back Curtis Enis to be the fifth player taken, but not by Chicago, which is picking fifth. Jacksonville, New England and St. Louis want Enis and are talking trade with the Bears.

3. Charger General Manager Bobby Beathard to get in some surfing after taking Washington State quarterback Ryan Leaf with the second pick, waiting then until the fifth round--123 players later--to make his team’s next choice.

4. Nebraska center and Outland Trophy winner Aaron Taylor to have a productive career and be the steal of the draft after waiting all day Saturday and much of Sunday to be selected because he stands only 6 feet 1.

5. Two players from San Diego State, tackle Kyle Turley and wide receiver Az-zahir Hakim, being taken before two players from USC, cornerback Brian Kelly and ???

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Draft Order

1. Indianapolis

2. San Diego (from Arizona)

3. Arizona (from San Diego)

4. Oakland

5. Chicago

6. St. Louis

7. New Orleans

8. Dallas

9. Jacksonville (from Buffalo)

10. Baltimore