Unofficial (Butch Davis) 2006 NFL Draft Guide To Long Snappers

 

April 24th, 2006

By: CRS Staff

 

So, the NFL Network announced recently that former Browns Coach Butch Davis will be one of the cable channel's 'expert' analysts during the upcoming NFL draft.  While that may seem like a punch line to those of us in northeast Ohio, apparently the smart folks at the NFL really feel he has a lot of insight to offer on the subject (seriously?).  Anyways, that announcement got us thinking - how exactly is this year's crop of long snappers looking?  Yes, as we Browns fans fondly remember, Butch once used a valuable 5th round pick on long snapper Ryan Pontbriand in 2003 (sadly, one of Butch's best picks in retrospect).  Rumor even has it Pontbriand, so sure he wouldn't be drafted, was actually out mowing his lawn when the call came in that he was a new Brownie.  In honor of Butch, and as a complement to all other scouting guides (most of which egregiously overlooked this critical position), we offer you, the CRS reader, the Unofficial 2006 NFL Draft Guide To Long Snappers.  Enjoy.

 

1) Boone Stutz, 6-6, 259 lbs, Texas A&M

 

Projected Round: #7 (according to NFL Draft Scout)

 

Summary: Boone Stutz from Texas A&M? Dude, if there ever was a player with Butch Davis written all over him, it's this guy.  The only thing that could be better would be if he came from the same Texas directional school that produced Chaun Thompson (Texas Southern A&W, or wherever he came from).  The blue chip prospect of the bunch, Stutz is projected by NFL Draft Scout to be the only Long Snapper drafted this year.  I can hardly wait to hear Butch drool on himself over this guy on Saturday:

 

3rd Round, Pick #70 - Buffalo Bills on the clock.....

 

Butch (foaming at the mouth):  Pick Stutz!  Pick Stutz!  He'll snap his guuuts out!

 

"With the 70th pick in the draft, The Buffalo Bills select......Charles Spencer, Offensive Guard, University of..."

 

Butch: (passes out cold on network desk)

 

Likely Draft Day Activity: Since Stutz may realistically be drafted, he might actually turn his TV on to ESPN or the NFL Network sometime during the 6th Round on Sunday.

 

2) Jeff Mullins, 6-2, 247 lbs, Marshall University

 

Projected Round: Undrafted

 

Summary: According to his Combine info, Mullins actually ran a 5.14 40-yard dash, the fastest official time of the Long Snappers.  Hmm, we all remember how much Butch loved his speed guys, don't we?  If this guy isn't gone by the 4th round, I think Butch may call up some of his former buddies and intervene on Mullins' behalf.  I mean, you just can't teach speed to a long snapper, right?

 

Likely Draft Day Activity: Since he went to college in West Virginia, we're going to guess on draft day Mullins will either be hunting, or out on a date with his cousin.

 

3) Gavin Tarquinio, 6-3, 253 lbs, Georgia Tech

 

Projected Round: Undrafted

 

Summary: Went to college in the South, another favorite attribute of Butch as we all know so well.  If Butch were still Browns GM, he'd probably draft Gavin simply because he played ball so close to the state of Florida.

 

Likely Draft Day Activity: Hm, he did go to Georgia Tech, so we'll say maybe Gavin will be at the computer lab solving math equations.

 

4) Landon Schrage, 6-4. 228 lbs, Iowa State

 

Projected Round: Undrafted

 

Summary: As the #4 rated long snapper, not much is known about young Landon Schrage, but I'm sure he's off somewhere practicing his chosen craft right now.  According to the NFL Draft Scout, it does not appear Schrage was invited to the Combine, even though it was held in neighboring Indiana (ouch!).

 

Likely Draft Day Activity: We'd say shucking corn, but that seems so cliche for an Iowa State guy.  Out drinking with Larry Eustachy?

 

5) Drew Lane, 6-1, 238 lbs, Alabama

 

Projected Round:  He's the 5th rated long snapper.  What do you think?

 

Summary: Ran the slowest 40 (5.38) of any of the top long snapping prospects, so he's got that working against him.  Personally, I think if the Steelers are looking for a slash-type replacement for Antwaan Randle-El, this is clearly their guy.

 

Likely Draft Day Activity: Reading the Sunday Classified ads looking for a more realistic career? (OK, so that was mean)

 

UPDATE (April 29th): Inexplicably, all 32 NFL teams passed on the studly Boone Stutz, the 'can't miss' long snapping phenom of the 2006 NFL Draft.   His fellow deep snappers were also all looking for invites to NFL camps as of Monday morning.  Attention now turns to where these game-changing monsters of the gridiron will take their initial steps towards the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  I know I'll be watching, and somewhere, you know Butch Davis will be watching too.