Britton getting draft buzz

BURBANK — Although the 2009 NFL Draft is more than three months away, there is plenty of talk and buzz about the event.

That buzz includes former Burroughs High and University of Arizona offensive lineman Eben Britton, who has forgone his senior college season and had made himself eligible for the draft.

The draft is scheduled to take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York April 25-26. The draft will have two rounds on the first day and five rounds on the second day.

Even before the draft, football prognosticators and experts have been busy across the Internet. They have been predicting where players will be drafted and who will go to what team.

Britton, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound left tackle, has gotten his share of attention. Here is a sample of what is being written, and predicted for the local:

FOX Sport’s Pete Fiutak: Projected: First round. Good or bad move?: Obviously good move. Arguably the best tackle in the Pac-10, he was ready to come out last year. While he won’t be the first offensive tackle taken in a good draft for the position, he’ll be seen as an incredible value pick late in the first round or early in the second.

NFL Draft Bible: [Although Britton] is leaving a Wildcat team that could be on the verge of becoming a contender in the Pac-10, there is very little left for him to do or prove.

Britton had a solid season — he ended up on the 2008 All-Pac 10 Conference first-team a year after he was named to the second team. He has been a part of the best offensive line that Arizona has had in some time and ended up with an iron-man-like 37 consecutive starts at tackle.

He’s an outstanding pass-blocker with very good balance and footwork, and is also pretty solid in the run game.

Collegefootballinsiders- .com: Britton will likely find himself drafted earlier than he might have been in another year by a team in need of a solid offensive tackle.

He’s good enough to be drafted on the first day either way, but there’s a good chance he’ll get taken in the first by a team not wanting to risk missing out in another year of top end linemen.

Clearly Britton is making a fine decision by leaving Arizona a year early. He’s received accolades from the coaches within his own conference as well as the scouting community.

With a constant hunger for good, pass-blocking linemen in the NFL, Britton is poised to be drafted in a good spot, perhaps better than he might even have been able to do had he waited a year and worked on his game.

In an interesting footnote, Britton has made himself eligible for the draft the same year as USC quarterback Mark Sanchez. The two have been linked together before.

The pair faced one another in 2003 in the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs. Sanchez’s Mission Viejo squad defeated Britton and the Indians, 35-3, in a first-round game at Memorial Field.

Burroughs actually led in that game, 3-0, on a 28-yard James Cullen field goal.

Burroughs’ defensive back Matt Patterson intercepted Sanchez twice in the first quarter of the contest.