PITT FINISHES NICELY

The Pitt Panthers ended the 2009 NFL draft with a flurry of players selected, starting with RB LeSean McCoy in the second round and ending with a trifecta of Panthers past and present chosen in the seventh.

With the 240th overall pick, the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals snagged "The Johnstown Jet", Pitt RB Larod Stephens-Howling. Stephens-Howling saw his workload greatly decreased once McCoy became the BMOC, with his carries falling from 178 to 78 to 77 from his sophomore to senior season. But Stephens-Howling persisted, contributing five touchdowns and 421 yards of offense in the Panthers' 2008 campaign, and here he is with a home on draft day. He could be a nice fit in the Cardinals' Pittsburgh-heavy system.

With the 251st pick, the Chicago Bears took 6'1", 210-pound Pitt WR Derek Kinder, who now gets to catch passes from Joyful Jay Cutler. Following a 2007 season lost to injury, Kinder rebounded with a 36-catch, 422-yard, three-touchdown season, down from his 57-847-6 numbers in 2006.

Finally, a Pitt transfer was taken by Jacksonville with the 250th overall pick: running back Rashad Jennings, who ran for 411 yards and 4.8 yards per carry with the 2005 Panthers. He was Pitt's starting running back in Dave Wannstedt's first game as coach, that memorable nationally-televised defeat to Charlie Weis and Notre Dame which we will no longer speak of.

Jennings transferred to Liberty University for family reasons in 2006, and subsequently ran for 1020, 1113, and 1507 yards in his three seasons there. And before you ask, yes, that's the same Liberty University that produced former Steeler TE Eric Green and Pirate-turned-Pirate Killer Sid Bream.

Jennings is a bruising back, at 6'1", 230 pounds. He's got a great burst for his frame and would seem to work well with the power rushing attack that Jack Del Rio's instituted in Jacksonville. If all goes well in the next few years, I'm sure we will constantly be reminded that Jennings transferred from Pitt, a la Joe Flacco. That's something to look forward to, right?

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SHADY CHANGED HIS MIND

The odds of Pitt winning the Big East in football next season just got a little big longer, as Shady McCoy apparently changed his mind and decided he wants to play in the NFL after all. An official announcement should be coming tomorrow.

This is good news and bad news for Pitt. The good news is that this is another feather in the program's cap from a draft point-of-view. McCoy will join a growing list of prominent Panthers in the league, including recent first-rounders Larry Fitzgerald, Darrelle Revis, and Jeff Otah. The bad news is that he was one of the few bright spots on offense this season for the Panthers, and no one they have on the roster is another Shady McCoy-in-waiting. He was a special talent.

The NFL draft advisory board graded McCoy as a first rounder, but as Kevin Gorman points out,in his story, running back will be a crowded position in this year's draft. Already, five underclassmen have declared, including Iowa's Shonn Green, Connecticut's Donald Brown, Ohio State's Chris Wells, Wisconsin's P.J. Hill and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno. Also in the mix among the top running backs are Michigan State's Javon Ringer and Pitt transfer Rashad Jennings, who ended up at Liberty. That's right, another Pitt guy who finished his college career at a small school is going to get picked fairly high. Maybe Baltimore can draft him so he and Joe Flacco can line up in the "What Could've Been" formation.

While I would've liked to have seen Shady stay, I understand the rationale. Sure, his stock could rise next year at Pitt. Of course, it could also fall. Or he could get hurt, which is a factor considering the fact that he fractured his leg a few years ago in high school. It's a risky proposition either way, but all we can do is wish him the best at the next level and appreciate the excitement he brought to the Pitt program while he was here.

McCoy to declare for NFL [Trib]

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