European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 23, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday april 23, 1994 sports the stars and stripes Page 29 big daddy overshadows Field draft order new York a the it Odeon order for the 1994 or. Draft to be held tomorrow an monday.  15,8anfrm.2 Indianapolis 16, Miami 3. Washington 17, rttsburflh4,. 18, a 5, la rams 19. Minnesota6, Tampa Bay 20, Green Bay 7, Indianapolis 21, detroit8, Seattle 22. La. Raiders 9, Cleveland 23. San fran.10, Phoenix 24. . Giants 11 cute too 25.kansascy12, 26, Houston 13 . Jets 27, dallas14, pwtedelphta28, Buffalo Yada Teicher Kansas City Star every year the nil publicly discourages College underclassmen from declaring themselves eligible for the draft. ,. \ every year the nil makes a handful of them Rich As High selections. The league is privately celebrating the premature Arri Val of a big defensive tackle two quarterbacks and running Back who could be the first four players picked tomorrow. Dan Wilkinson Heath Shuler Trent Dilfer arid mar shall Faulk Are part of an underclass that is saving the draft which was t deep to begin with and is now watered Down with extra picks Given teams As compensation for departed free agents. The Quality is going to drop off quickly especially with the compensatory picks added to it said Mike Allman Seattle s director of player personnel. I Don t think you la get near the Quality player you might have in the Middle .,., rounds in previous years. In 1990, we got running Back Chris Warren in the fourth round. But you won t see someone like that Avail Able in the fourth round this  Twenty nine underclassmen Are in this draft that s fewer than the three previous years. A number were scared away by the Rookie salary Cap which in most cases limits what players can make in. Their first pro sea son. A v ,. Cincinnati has the first Choice and if does t Trade the pick is expected to take big daddy Wilkinson a 6-3, 315-Pound tackle from Ohio state with Speed and strength to stir comparisons to Reggie White. The bengals Are being hit with Trade offers for the pick. Some of the interested teams new England and Phoenix among them crave Wilkinson. The former Ohio state Star is 6-foot-3, 315 pounds and runs the 40 Yard dash in 4.75 seconds. I think about it All the time Wilkinson said of being the no. 1 pick. It would be a dream come  Indianapolis is More Coy about the second , no. 3, will go for a quarterbacks Shuler of Tennessee if he s available or Fresno state s Dilfer. New England with the fourth Choice May Trad Down. But Faulk the san Diego state running Back is a probable in the top four mix. At least eight other underclassmen Are possible first round choices. This Junior class would t be so prominent if several of last year s juniors Abdrew Bledsoe res Garri son Hearst and Jerome Bettis and la Marvin Jones had stayed in College. They were among the top 10 picks last season. Neither Shuler nor Dilfer is rated As highly As was Bledsoe when he left Washington state to become the draft s top pick by new. England in 1992, four of the first five players chosen were underclassmen. Last year it was three of the first four. It photo 2 Heath Shuler file photo Likely no. 1 pick Dan Wilkinson of Ohio state regardless of How High they go or what position they play underclassmen have often been regarded As play ers who need More grooming before being ready for starting nil jobs. Because of free Agency those Days Are Over.  kids Are going to have to play sooner Allman said. With free Agency four years Down the Road you could be losing these Guys. If you take a Guy and it takes you two years to train him and another year to get Himon the Field Well he s almost gone. Guys who Aren t ready to play could be in trouble. The draft is considered strongest in running backs wide receivers and outside linebackers. Running backs Greg Hill of Texas am Charlie Gar Ner of Tennessee Leshon Johnson of Northern Illinois Chuck Levy of Arkansas Derrict Rhett of Florida William Floyd of Florida state and by Rort Bam Morris of Texas Flo photo Fresno state quarterback Trent Dilfer tech have a Chance to join Faulk in the first round. Possible first round wide receivers include Charl Sjohnson of Colorado Johnnie Morton of Southern Cal Derrick Alexander of Michigan Darnay Scott of Sandiego state and David Palmer of Alabama. Audrey beavers of Oklahoma and Jamir Miller of Urcla Are the top outside linebackers after Alberts and Thierry. Other possible first rounders include offensive line men Aaron Taylor of notre Dame Wayne Gandy of Auburn Bernard Williams of Georgia Todd Stussie of California tre Johnson of Temple and Isaac Davis of Arkansas defensive linemen Sam Adams of Texas am Willie Mcginest of Southern Cal Bryant Youngf notre Dame and Tim Bowens of Mississippi and cornerback Antonio Langham of Alabama Aaron Glenn of Texas am and Dewayne Washington of North Carolina state. Fear Accorti panes of being 7 byh Albock the associated press what s it like to be no. 1, the. First player picked in the nil draft  pros As a franchise Guy who will turn things around for some woebegone team scary  the first pick there Are a variety of extra dimensions that Are not Felt by other players said agent Leigh Steinberg. He ought to know. He s represented five of the last six no. Is including Ohio state defensive lineman Dan Wilkinson who seems set to be tomorrow s top pick. Three of those picks Troy Aikman Jeff George and Drew Bledsoe Are quarterbacks. Being the Centrepiece of the offence and the no. 1 pick As Well that s a Load to handle. At least Wilkin son like Steinberg s other no. 1, Russel Maryland plays in the defensive line where mistakes Are less obvious. No 1 is a Mantle that carries with it a level of prestige and pressure Steinberg said. Only one player can be no. 1 and be remembered that Way. The expectations Are massive. The first pick is a celebrity figure. Some people shy away from  1989, Aikman was t thrilled with All of the baggage that goes along wit being no. 1. He did t love it Stein Berg said. He wanted to get it Over  was so full of trepidation the night before the draft in new York i called him Crocodile Dundee Dallas owned the first pick that year the team had been sold to Jerry Jones two months earlier and this was the new administration s first foray into the dynamics of the nil. The Arkansas oilman arrived Surprise Surprise playing  and Jones began negotiating one trying to get his Price the other try ing not to pay it. At one Point the owner played his Trump card. Take this offer he told Steinberg or Well draft ton Mandarich and Troy can go no. 2 to greenbay.". At that Point it became psychological warfare and a High stakes game of Chick in. -.  Jones really do that How much does he need Aikman is he prepared to use the no. 1 pick Foran offensive lineman who might come cheaper and How important is it to Aikman to be no. 1? important enough to accept Jones Price questions. Questions. Questions. Eventually they All got  and Steinberg agreed on $11.037 million for six years a figure that would explode upwards in 1993 after Aikman won his first of successive super  went to Green Bay a pick the packers would later regret. And from 3-13 the year before the cowboys with Aikman at quarterback went 1-15 not exactly the idea. Aikman has called that humbling sea son the worst experience of his football life. All that losing though made the winning that followed that much More  it is Wilkinson s turn. Since hey not a quarterback and since the nil swearing a Rookie salary Cap now the numbers won t be astronomical. Comfortable yes. Astronomical no. With those numbers though comes Burden. Call it the Aikman Factor. Bar ring trades no. 1 picks Are owned by Ter Rible teams. Cincinnati earned this one on the merits of a 3-13 season. New eng land got Bledsoe As the prize for suffer ing through a 2-14 year. The message for no. 1 is make us bet Ter and by the Way do it right now