Although not as a Brown, Smith is in the NFL
An end to an agonizing weekend came Sunday for five Buckeyes, including Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith, selected by the Ravens in the 5th round and running back Antonio Pittman, snatched in the 4th round by the Saints.
Of the two, Smith probably has the most cause for optimism, because he's going to a Baltimore team with an older starter in Steve McNair and a backup (Boller) who's entering the final year of a contract. Smith went a lot later than expected by most even as his free-fall over the last four months has been pretty well documented. But all he needs is a good shot and that he has. Some guys can just ball, while others have the numbers and we all know that the draft, much like recruiting is a crap-shoot.
Pittman, on the other hand, appears to have been dealt two blows. First, he slipped to being the 10th running back selected, even as pre-draft speculation had him rising. Then, to add insult to injury, he's picked by the Saints, a team with two awfully good running backs. If McAllister leaves town after this season, Pittman could find a small role with the team, but it's unlikely that he has the chops to take the primary spot from Reggie Bush.
The other Buckeyes selected on Sunday were defensive end Jay Richardson, wide receiver Roy Hall and center Doug Datish. Richardson was selected by the Raiders in the 5th round and has a shot to make the team although the only thing that the Raiders did reasonably well last season was play defense. Hall went to the Colts in the 6th round. He has the size and speed to play at the next level (Drew Carter anyone?) and has to be pumped, like Gonzo, to have been drafted by the explosive Colts. Datish also went in the 6th round, to Atlanta.
