The NFL Draft is always an exciting experience. College football’s best players are analyzed and scrutinized over before eventually being selected to play for pro teams. This year’s draft was particularly exciting for the city of Philadelphia as five Philly area players were selected. I had the honor to see several of these players compete at the high school level and followed their college careers closer. As a Philly area native, I am extremely proud of the talent that comes from the city. In my opinion, Philadelphia plays the best big city high school football in the country. Although I do have a bias, I believe all the Philadelphia players selected in this year’s draft will have successful NFL careers.
The first Philly kid to be selected was Will Fuller, the speedster Wide Receiver from Notre Dame by way of Roman Catholic High School. Fuller was selected by the Houston Texans with the 21st pick of the Draft. My Freshman year of high school, my high school team, Chestnut Hill, played Will Fuller and Roman Catholic the second week of the season. On the very first play from scrimmage, Will Fuller, then just a Junior, blew by our defensive back and hauled in a 45 yard bomb. Fuller terrorized our team and set the city record for receiving yards with 276 yards on 10 catches with two touchdowns. This kid is legit. The next year when we played Roman, I distinctly remember sitting in defensive meetings with our coach telling us “make sure we check #7 (Fuller) wherever he is, we need two guys on him”. See for yourself how that went. Fuller is a legitimate burner. He ran an astounding 4.3 40 time at the combine. He combines this otherworldly speed with soft hands and smooth route running. In Houston, Fuller will team up with another Philly native Jaelyn Strong who was a third round pick last year, as well as Pro Bowler and all around stud Deandre Hopkins. Hopkins, Fuller, and Strong will terrorize NFL secondaries. The Texans passing game will be fun to watch.
With the 44th pick of the Draft, the Oakland Raiders selected Jihad Ward from Illinois, by way of Edward Bok High School. I can not think of another player in the Draft who better represents the bad boy attitude that is synonymous with the Oakland Raiders. Bok High School is now closed, but when Ward was there he was an animal. Ward attracted attention from several Division 1 schools but was not able to qualify academically. After attending a Juco for two years, Ward transferred to Illinois where he immediately made an impact. His first season he was an Honorable Mention for the All Big Ten Team. Ward is an impressive pass rusher from the interior, in the same mold as Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins, and Muhammad Wilkerson. Ward’s high motor, quick feet, and size make him a potential superstar in the league. Ward can play inside or out, but wherever you put him he will make his name known.
Carl Nassib was drafted 66th overall by the Cleveland Browns. Nassib was a walk on at Penn State by way of Malvern Prep. Although Malvern is not within the city limits, it is perennially one of the top teams in the area. They also play in the same league that my high school did. I never played against Carl but I did play against his “little” brother John, who is a 6’7 280 lbs. Defensive End at the University of Delaware. Carl’s older brother, Ryan, is Eli Manning’s backup for the Giants. The Nassib family has some serious athletes. As a walk on, Carl Nassib always played with a chip on his shoulder. In his fifth year at Penn State, he was perhaps the most dominant player in College Football. He won the Lombardi Award for best lineman/linebacker after recording a school record and leading the country with 15.5 sacks with 6 forced fumbles. Nassib combines size, speed, and strength of will. Not many players go from walk-on to one of the best College Football players in the country. Nassib is clearly one of the hardest working players in the Draft. Although Nassib is 6’7, he has incredible technique and is able to keep a low pad level despite his size. He plays with great instinct, always knowing where the ball is. In Cleveland, Nassib will team up with Safety Ibrahim Campbell another Philadelphia native and personal hero of mine. Nassib probably won’t be able to dominant right away the League but with proper coaching and his amazing work ethic I wouldn’t bet against this guy becoming a force for the Browns in the near future.
Daryl Worley was selected 77th overall by the Carolina Panthers. Worley came from West Virginia, by way of Penn Charter High School. I played against Worley twice in my career as Penn Charter was my team’s arch-rivals. Although Worley would line up at Running Back and Wide Receiver, I could tell he was far more interested in playing on the other side of the ball. As a Defensive Back, Worley used his quickness to cover a lot of ground quickly. Worley played predominantly at Corner Back in college. As a Corner, Worley provides good size and wingspan as well as above average ball skills. He was All-Big 12 last year as a Junior after recording 6 interceptions. Worley’s weakness is his speed but I believe his size makes up for this. Worley will be most effective in press coverages where he can make the most of his long arms. In Carolina he will take the challenge of filling the void left by Josh Norman’s departure. The Panthers clearly felt he was up to the task as they traded up 16 spots to make the pick. It would be remiss of me not to mention Worley’s checkered past. In 2014, Worley grabbed a girl by the neck and slammed her to the ground at a nightclub. Worley was charged with misdemeanor assault, suspended from the team, and plead no contest at his court date. The Panthers taking Worley brings up memories of former Panther’s Defensive End Greg Hardy and his troubles. Violence to women is never acceptable, but in a league that is finally becoming more aware of violence directed at women, I believe this shows that the Panthers had done their due diligence and trust Worley’s character that this was an isolated incident and not a reflection of who he is as a person.
The last Philadelphia player selected was Will Parks. Parks was selected 219 overall by the Broncos out of Arizona by way of Germantown High School. Germantown is another Philadelphia high school that was closed in 2013. Parks is a hard hitting Safety who has impressive football IQ and good play recognition. Parks doesn’t necessarily have the speed to be an elite cover guy, but will find his way on the field because of his smarts and strong tackling. Parks has an uphill battle to earn a roster spot but his ability to read plays lead to some absolutely huge plays in college.
Philadelphia always displays some of, if not the, very best big city High School Football. Pennsylvania in general has always been an elite football state, but the Philadelphia area schools routinely excel in producing impressive athletes that perform at all levels of College Football and the pros.
