Leon Hall’s room in the La Costa Hotel and Resort in La Costa, Calif. was quiet for more than three-and-a-half hours on Saturday. Until a cell phone rang.
As the former Michigan cornerback smiled and answered the call, his family and friends erupted in applause and shouts of joy.
“My heart just jumped,” Hall’s uncle Edward Green said. “You can’t express the feelings we all were having here. It just brought tears to my eyes to see that (Leon) finally accomplished what he set out to do.”
About a minute after the anticipated phone call, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted Hall with the 18th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, making him the first of seven Wolverines selected in this weekend’s draft.
The Bengals’ selection made Hall the first Michigan player picked in the first round since Braylon Edwards and Marlin Jackson went third and 29th, respectively, in 2005.
“Once you got past a certain point, you knew more or less he was going to be picked by Cincinnati,” Green said.
Rumors floating around Radio City Music Hall had Hall sneaking into the top 10. The Vista, Calif., native’s stock skyrocketed due to his performance at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
But as the first day of the draft dragged on, Hall continued to slip down the board.
When the New York Jets traded up to the 14th pick, many thought they would take the first cornerback of the day. But they passed on the 5-foot-10 Hall, and went with Pittsburgh cornerback Darelle Revis instead.
After the Jets selection, the ESPN analysts discussed Hall’s pros and cons. Their biggest concern – his performance against big-name receivers – had been following Hall since his last two games at Michigan. Both Ohio State’s Ted Ginn, Jr. and Southern Cal’s Dwayne Jarrett outplayed Hall in Michigan’s final two games last season.
“I’ll be interested to see if he runs a 4.38 or 4.40,” NFL Network draft analyst Mike Maycock said at the Scouting Combine. “Is it manufactured speed because he just went to a camp and learned how to run, or is it really functional football speed?”
Even with the concerns, Hall seems to be a nice fit in Cincinnati. The Bengals have been plagued by off-the-field issues, including numerous arrests. Hall’s character and clean record at Michigan should allow Cincinnati coach Marvin Lewis to focus on coaching, not policing, Hall.
On the field, Hall shores up the secondary of a defense that ranked 28th in the NFL last season.
“I think Leon would fit perfect in (the Bengals’) scheme of things,” Green said. “He would help turn them into a playoff team.”
The rest of the Wolverines had to wait until at least the second round to hear their names called.
Alan Branch went to the Arizona Cardinals with the first pick of the second round. He will most likely line up next to former teammate and defensive tackle Gabe Watson, who was drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round last year.
Branch left Michigan a year early with hopes of making it into the top 10 of the draft, but his stock fell significantly out of concerns about his ability to go full speed on every down.
“I think I showed what I needed to show at the Combine,” Branch said at Michigan’s spring practice. “And when it’s all said and done, they gotta look at the film.”
The next two Wolverines went back-to-back. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected LaMarr Woodley at 46th overall and the Jets traded up again to take David Harris.
The Steelers will most likely move Woodley from defensive end to outside linebacker. Combined with Pittsburgh’s first-round selection, Florida State linebacker Lawrence Timmons, Woodley brings versatility and strength to an already potent Steeler defense.
“I believe in getting young legs on defense,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber. “Both (Woodley and Timmons) showed position flexibility, both played on solid teams, and both add to what we already believe to be a rock solid defense.”
Harris’s selection was a bit of a surprise. The Grand Rapids native went from not even being mentioned at the beginning of the season to a possible first-round pick.
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper, Jr. was shocked Harris lasted as long as he did. Kiper praised Harris’s performance at the Combine and on the field at Michigan last season.
“He was all over the field,” Kiper said on the telecast. “He was a complete player this year, and he proved at the (Combine) workout that he’s an athlete with speed.”
Breaston will join Branch and Watson in Arizona after the Cardinals selected him in the fifth round with the 142nd pick. Because Arizona already has a group of talented receivers, Breaston will most likely see time as a returner.
Wolverines drafted
– Leon Hall – 1st Round (Bengals)
– Alan Branch – 2nd Round (Cardinals)
– LaMarr Woodley – 2nd Round (Steelers)
– David Harris – 2nd Round (Jets)
– Steve Breaston – 5th Round (Cardinals)
– Prescott Burgess – 6th Round (Ravens)
– Tyler Ecker – 7th Round (Redskins)