Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley will make an announcement regarding his eligibility for the draft on Friday. Here’s the big sentence:
Fairley’s high school football coach says the announcement will come at the player’s alma mater, Williamson High School in Mobile. Underclassmen have until Saturday to declare for the draft.
It sounds like Fairley is entering the draft. If you were a likely first-round pick, would you go back to your high school just to announce you were staying in college for a year? I’d think you’d only go back if it were a momentous occasion.
Anyway, Fairley will probably be a first-round pick, and will probably go earlier in the round rather than later. SB Nation’s latest mock has him going to the Texans with the 11th pick:
Wade Phillips is in as the Texans’ new defensive coordinator, and he’ll bring his one-gap 3-4 defense with him. Fairley has the length to play 3-4 end, and the quickness to penetrate effectively in Phillips’ scheme.
It wouldn’t be a surprise, though, if he went earlier than that.