Two days before, it was Pitt’s pro-day. Not looking for a lot of draft picks from Pitt outside of tight end.
Dickerson, an All-Big East selection last season, posted a 4.4-second clocking in the 40-yard dash and ran near-flawless routes Tuesday during pro timing day at Pitt to enhance his NFL Draft stock.
Dickerson, who totaled 49 catches and 10 touchdowns in helping the Panthers record their first 10-win season since 1981, figures to be an early-round draft pick next month, according to several draft analysts, who compare him to Indianapolis tight end Dallas Clark.
Already, the New England Patriots and Arizona Cardinals have seemingly committed to adding Dickerson to their draft boards.
“I’ve been talking to almost everybody (in the NFL),” said Dickerson, who became the first Pitt tight end to be named first team All-America (Football Writers Association of America) since Mike Ditka in 1960. “So, it’s been hard trying to get a feel for which team will pick me up, but everyone has some interest.
“My interviews went well and we got along well. They (Cardinals and Patriots) use the tight end in a versatile way, so we’ll see what happens. I did everything they expected me to do at the NFL Combine, and I turned some heads.”
27 teams had reps on hand. Nate Byham is also looking forward to his opportunity in the NFL.
The other players like Adam Gunn and Bill Stull just want to make sure the scouts take note of them so they can at least get an invite to sign as a free agent after the draft. They hold no illusions that they will be drafted.
Today starts spring practice. Already we know that there will be some more competition at the center spot.
The “big” news of the day (which should tell you what a slow news day it was) is that Jack Lippert, a redshirt freshman defensive tackle from the Harrisburg Area (Central Dauphin), has been moved to center and will compete, at least according to Dave Wannstedt, for that starting position. This is a good development because, as we’ve discussed, center is a trouble spot in terms of a lack of depth, and by moving Lippert to center it means Greg Gaskins, who is the third best tackle on the roster, can stay at tackle. At least for now. Wannstedt said he likes Lipperts athleticism and his quickness and at 6-foot-4, 270 pounds, he has good size for a center.
If he can play it great. It is a somewhat surprising position move, since Lippert was one of the bigger gets from the 2009 recruiting class. Of course, DT is a position of depth, so it is not a bad choice for Lippert.
It really wouldn’t feel like spring (or even summer training camp) without concerns about the O-line.
Pitt also will try to replace two starting guards along the offensive line as well as two NFL-caliber tight ends.
In all, there are 11 starting positions that need to be filled, but Wannstedt said that is the nature of spring football as it is a time to reload and get ready for the fall.
“We [had] a big group of seniors so there’s a lot of opportunity for younger players, and most of these guys see this as an opportunity to get in there and an opportunity to play,” Wannstedt said. “Offensive line is the biggest concern. [Offensive line coach] Tony Wise has a challenging job trying to figure out not just the starters but the depth.
I mean, as much as I look forward to the season where I have no worries about the O-line other than fear of injuries — I’m not sure I won’t default to worrying about it from habit.
Then there is the guy putting it all together for the offense, OC Frank Cignetti who spoke positively about both QBs.
Sunseri was Stull’s backup last year and has long been a fan favorite.
“First of all, I like his mental makeup,” Cignetti said of Sunseri. “He’s competitive, he’s tough, he’s functionally intelligent, he expects to win. He’s a very good passer who can make all the throws. He can throw the ball deep, he can throw the intermediate route. And I like his mobility — not only can he play within the pocket, but he has good movement outside the pocket.”
Bostick has won big games in his career already (at West Virginia in ’07, at Notre Dame in ’08) and spent last year honing his game while redshirting.
“He has made tremendous strides,” Cignetti said. “When you talk about functional intelligence, he’s got it. Pat can think and react as fast as anybody, and that’s why probably why, in practice when I’ve been around, he completes so many balls. He’s a decisive decision-maker and he has tremendous leadership skills and the respect of all his peers.”
I also like what Cignetti said about making sure that Baldwin is not forgotten (if that’s possible) or wasted.
“It’s my job and my responsibility to make sure Jon gets his touches,” Cignetti said. “He’s legitimately as good a playmaker as there is in the country. We’re looking forward to increasing his production.”
Should be quite the information overload in the next week or two.
