Sports > May 1, 2008

By Matt Six | Guest columnist

They may not have been in the green room, but that doesn’t mean the three Deacons taken in the 2008 NFL Draft won’t have a major impact on the professional level.

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Jeremy Thompson, the first Wake player off the board, went in the fourth round to the Green Bay Packers. He went as the 102nd pick overall and the Packers traded up in order to draft Thompson.

The Lions took wide receiver Kenny Moore with the first pick in the fifth round. Like Green Bay, they traded up to draft Moore.

Center Steve Justice rounded out the Deacon draft picks as the Indianapolis Colts took him in the sixth round.

In addition to the three Wake draft picks, tight end John Tereshinski signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers. He joins former Wake teammate Jyles Tucker, who saw a significant amount of playing time at the linebacker position after signing as a free agent last year.

Other Wake graduating seniors hope to take a similar route to Tereshinski in becoming undrafted free agents. Long snapper Nick Jarvis will likely make an NFL roster.

Micah Andrews, Zac Selmon, Matt Brim and Kevin Marion, among others, may also work their way into the professional ranks. The new roster limit of 80 for NFL teams does not help their chances. The players will hope to get the opportunity to practice in the upcoming summer camps and play in the preseason games, showing their talents and work ethics with hopes of earning a spot on a team’s roster.

Defensive end Jeremy Thompson addresses a need for the Packers. Currently Green Bay starts Pro Bowler Aaron Kampman at one end and veteran Cullen Jenkins at the other end.

However, they are not deep at the position and Thompson hopes to see some playing time behind these two veterans.

“(He) has a similar attitude and motor to current Packer Aaron Kampman,” ESPN NFL Draft guru Mel Kiper, Jr. said regarding Thompson.

Moore, the 136th overall pick, was selected by the Lions to become their kick returner and to compete for a receiver position. Moore set an ACC record for receptions in a season at 98 receptions and he is known for his ability to catch anything thrown near him.

The wide receiver position in Detroit features Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams, so playing time will be limited barring injuries to these two starters.

Wide receivers are plentiful on their roster, with Brandon Middleton and Ron Bellamy waiting in the wings along with Moore. However, Moore brings dependability and consistency to a team lacking such characteristics in the receiving corps.

Look for Moore to see most of his time returning kicks.

Steve Justice went to the Colts in the sixth round.

Scouts love his ability to snap the ball and get into position very quickly. He earned consensus All-American honors last season, being named to the first team by Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association, CBS Sports and ESPN.com.

He was a second team All-American on the Walter Camp and Sports Illustrated teams.

He learned a lot about his position from former linemen Steve Vallos, who currently plays in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. Vallos went in the seventh round in last year’s draft.

“(Vallos) was a four year starter so I went under his wing and learned from him how to be a leader on the offensive line,” Justice said at an NFL Combine interview in Indianapolis, Ind.

“Then once he left I had to take that role. I wasn’t a vocal leader like he was, so I showed the guys what to do (so that they) trusted me since I’ve been here and I know what to do.”

With regards to playing time, Justice will be behind one of the best centers in the league, veteran Jeff Saturday. However, he could be taking snaps from Peyton Manning sooner rather than later as Saturday only has one year remaining on his contract. Colts President Bill Polian’s multiple visits to watch Justice play would suggest he is looking for Saturday’s successor.

The Colts selected Mike Pollak of Arizona State with their first pick in the draft. Pollak also played center in college. He is expected to start at guard this season replacing guard Jake Scott, but he could compete with Justice for the starting center position if Saturday elects to leave via free agency.

In his Combine interview, Justice talked about the ascent of the Wake Forest football program and how it helped him as a pro prospect:

“I’m sure it helped out a lot. We got a little bit of coverage but it was more of (scouts) watching other guys play us in the past,” Justice said.

“But after we had our ACC run and then this last year, we drew a lot of attention from a lot of people.”

From last year’s class, Josh Gattis, Steve Vallos and Jyles Tucker all currently play on NFL rosters. This year three players were drafted, with Tereshinski also signing as an undrafted free agent, and several others hope to follow in Tereshinski’s footsteps.

These two classes – as well as next year’s graduating class – are primarily responsible for the turnaround of the Wake Forest football program and their excellent level of play is evidenced in the NFL Draft.