Another lean year for UW

For the University of Washington, it's another NFL draft to watch tumbleweeds skim across campus this week.

Only two players — quarterback Isaiah Stanback and defensive back Dashon Goldson — are widely projected to be chosen. If those predictions hold true, it would be the third consecutive draft in which two or fewer Huskies were picked.

Neither Stanback nor Goldson will be first-round picks, so UW will stand pat with just two No. 1s over the last 12 drafts. It's another indicator of how much rebuilding remains.

"I remember when Washington was known for being dominant, especially on the offensive and defensive lines," said local NFL draft expert Rob Rang, referring to when the Huskies' land was fertile enough to produce the likes of Steve Emtman, Lincoln Kennedy and Olin Kreutz, among others. "You just can't say that anymore about Washington. They just haven't been able to recruit the same caliber guys at any positions."

No Lawyer Milloys, no Corey Dillons.

No Reggie Williamses, no Dana Halls.

It's so bad you must use Jerramy Stevens to defend UW's recent draft record.

It's so bad Rang and other draftniks have forecasted Stanford as having more draft-worthy players than UW.

Yes, players from the same Cardinal team that finished 1-11 last season.

Well, no wonder; that one victory was against the Huskies.

Coach Tyrone Willingham didn't create this problem. He inherited it. Now he must fix it along with so many other things.

In order to brag in college athletics, you must be proficient in these areas: recruiting, winning and exporting talent to the pros.

That's the three-piece suit that will make any program look dapper. They all work in unison. Get good players, develop good players, win with good players, and watch good players move onto the highest level. Then recruit again with the standard you've set and stare deliriously at the cycle as it goes 'round and 'round.

This Huskies draft class represents the holdovers from the Rick Neuheisel era. He so believed in that group that he told all those players he wanted to redshirt them.

Neuheisel had just signed a six-year contract extension. He had gone 19-5 the two seasons before that class came to campus. He felt he had job security and wanted to make sure a class ranked as high as No. 16 nationally by one recruiting service developed into a monster.

Well, as you remember, it all fell apart in 2003. First came Neuheisel's controversial firing, then Keith Gilbertson failed as the coaching substitute, and now Willingham is two losing seasons into revamping the program. Amid all the turmoil, the celebrated 2002 recruiting class, this 2007 draft class, faltered.

Rang projects Stanback, who's recovering from an obscure Lisfranc foot injury, as a third- or fourth-round pick. He'll likely get the chance to play quarterback, but Rang believes wide receiver will be his best NFL position.

Goldson should go in the fourth or fifth round, Rang says. He ran a slower-than-expected time in the 40-yard dash (4.6 seconds), so he's considered a better prospect at safety than cornerback now.

Beyond those two, the Huskies have two players — safety C.J. Wallace and punter Sean Douglas — who could be selected late but figure to be undrafted free agents.

Over the next few years, we'll find out how well Willingham and his staff have recruited. They now have recruited two full classes, and the upcoming season will feature the start of an era featuring quarterback Jake Locker, the most prized signee of Willingham's short tenure.

"I hate to add more pressure on the poor kid, but he's one of the few guys UW has that everybody in the country wanted," said Rang, who also considers running back J.R. Hasty, should he remain eligible, another potential high NFL draft pick. "He's got to be the guy to bring them back, and he certainly has the talent to do so. If he doesn't, they could have three or four more long years."

The Huskies will have to win next season by playing above their heads, much like they did early last season, and then hope for a huge recruiting windfall. Then maybe they can start a more pleasant cycle: more good players, more victories, more pro talent.

"I think winning enhances everything," said Willingham, who subscribes to the common theory that pro prospects are more easily recognized if the team is good. "Everybody wants to be around a winner. You look at anyone looking for talent, at any level, and they look for people in winning programs first."

The coach's concepts are accurate. Now it's time for action.

Recruit. Win. Export.

It's the only way to take the boredom out of these April drafts.

Jerry Brewer: 206-464-2277 or jbrewer@seattletimes.com

Danny O'Neil