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ager Chris Grier told the South Florida Sun Sentinel, "You see the plays, the height, the vertical jump. You see that, him going up and high-pointing the ball. For us, finding that skill set was very im- portant." The Dolphins like to flex their tight ends out wide, which helps explain why Gesicki was more appealing than South Dakota State's Dallas Goedert, who went to the Eagles seven picks later. The knock on Gesicki as an NFL prospect, as it was when he was at Penn State, is that he's not a formidable blocker. But Grier said that Gesicki's po- tential as a downfield playmaker made him too good to pass up, adding that any concerns about his blocking can be ad- dressed as he gains experience. "Jimmy Graham was not a good blocker coming out," Grier said, referring to the five- time Pro Bowler with the Saints and Seahawks. "Name a good tight end with those types of builds who are good blockers at the line of scrimmage. Most of the time, it's leverage and stuff, and taller guys at the point of attack have a hard time getting down. This guy can bend and do it, and it's [a matter of] de- veloping strength." TROY APKE Apke only started one sea- son at Penn State, but boy, did he make it count, posting 55 tackles, five pass break- ups and an interception as a senior strong safety. And as effective as he was for the Lions, he was even better at the various stops on his draft-prep itinerary, espe- cially the NFL Combine, during which he ran a blazing 4.34-second 40-yard dash. Those performances culminated in his selection by the Redskins in the fourth round with the 109th overall pick. Apke had been listed as a potential fifth- or sixth-rounder by NFL.com, with analyst Lance Zierlein noting that he "may need to find his niche on special teams to earn any early playing time." Special teams may indeed be Apke's entree into the league, but the Redskins were also impressed with his perform- ance as a senior at Penn State, citing it as evidence that he can have a role in their secondary. "I think he improved as the season went on," coach Jay Gruden told Redskins.com. "I think he's a very good safety. He's got great range. You've seen him fill in run support, and I think he's going to get better and better. I think the sky's the limit for him as a player. He takes good angles to the football and he's not afraid. It was a win-win not only as a safety but as a special teams player. I think he'll fit right in." DaeSEAN HAMILTON Penn State's all- time leading receiver went to Denver with the 13th pick in the fourth round (113th overall). One of two receivers taken by the Broncos – they also chose SMU's Courtland Sutton in the second round – he's been hailed as a potential starter in the slot for a team that finished 20th in the league in passing last season. At the very least, he will have a very enthusiastic mentor showing him the ropes in Emmanuel Sanders. An eight- year NFL veteran, Sanders said he's looking forward to working with the rookies. "I'm going to teach those guys everything that I know," he told Denver- Broncos.com. "That's my job. You see a lot of these cats, when they get up in age, they kind of shy away from the rookies. I will never, ever be the type of receiver who says, 'No, I'm [not] going to teach this guy.' I'm going to teach you every- thing that I possibly [can]." MARCUS ALLEN A four-year starter at free safety for the Nittany Lions, Allen had to wait a while to hear his name called. He ended up going to Pittsburgh in the fifth round with the 148th pick over- all. There's no guaranteed roster spot awaiting any late-round selection, but the Lions' fifth-leading all-time tackler is stepping into a potentially advantageous situation. The Steelers jettisoned Mike Mitchell and Robert Golden after wrap- ping up their season with a 45-42 playoff loss to Jacksonville. They drafted Virginia Tech's Terrell Edmunds in the first round and signed free agent Morgan Burnett, but safety remains an area of need. Allen grew up in Maryland, but his fa- ther, Shawn Allen, is a Pittsburgh native, and the family often visited the city dur- ing Marcus's childhood. He described his selection by the Steelers as "a perfect situation." "This is my home," he told Pennlive.com. "It's my hometown. My grandmother is from there, my whole family. I'm just so excited." CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL The veteran cor- nerback became the third member of last year's starting secondary to be drafted when the Cardinals grabbed him with the eighth pick in the sixth round (182nd overall). Arizona had been look- ing to take Tre Flowers with the pick, but Seattle snapped up the Oklahoma State safety late in the fifth round. Eager to select a defensive back, the Cardinals were happy to land Campbell. General manager Steve Keim said the former Nittany Lion made a good impression in practice leading up to the Senior Bowl. "He's a guy who has played inside and outside," Keim told CardsWire.com. "He's a long corner, 6-1, 200 pounds, and he ran well. He's got great athleti- cism, change of direction, the ability to play off and play press coverage. So he's got a lot of versatility for us." Enough versatility to compete for a starting spot in the secondary? Probably not, at least not right away. But he will likely have a chance to contribute on special teams. ■ DRAFTEES RD NAME TEAM 1 Saquon Barkley New York Giants 2 Mike Gesicki Miami 4 Troy Apke Washington 4 DaeSean Hamilton Denver 5 Marcus Allen Pittsburgh 6 Christian Campbell Phoenix FREE AGENTS – Saeed Blacknall Oakland – Jason Cabinda Oakland – Tyrell Chavis New York Giants – Curtis Cothran Minnesota – Parker Cothren Pittsburgh – Tyler Davis Bu0alo – Grant Haley New York Giants – Brendan Mahon Carolina – Brandon Smith Bu0alo N F L D R A F T D R A F T E E S F R E E A G E N T S I G N E E S R O O K I E M I N I C A M P I N V I T E E

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