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BY MIKE VORKUNOV
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
It's not easy being an NFL Draft prospect, but some of them have let us behind the curtain and agreed to be part of a journal series leading up to the Draft.
Kevin Haslam, from Mahwah, stayed home to play his college ball at Rutgers. After bouncing between positions he settled in at right tackle, where he started from the middle of his junior year on forward. ESPN Scouts Inc. has Haslam ranked as their 20th best offensive tackle, while DraftCountdown.com has him as No. 14 at the position.
With the NFL Draft finally here, Haslam let's everyone know what it feels like to be so close to the dream.
On how he's feeling:
Maybe a little anxious. It's a long time frame, waiting and doing workouts, I kind of want the day to comeOn whether he gets more nervous as the Draft approaches or if he's learned to deal with it:
I've learned to deal with it. All this waiting, I've been waiting since since Pro Day so another couple of days isn't gonna change anything.
OTHER N.J. DRAFT PROSPECTS
On which teams he's visited with:
I went to Jacksonville, I've gone to the Giants and I've gone to the Jets.
On he thinks they went:
I think they went pretty well, as good as it can go. I don't think I bombed anything.
Whether he has a general view of where he might go:
No, not really. You never really know. Every team is saying "We'll see what happens" and everything like that. I don't think any team will come out and say we have very, very high interest in you. They might say they have interest but they'll never tell their hand like that.
Whether he expects to get drafted:
I hope so. You kind of look for the worst and hope for the best.
On his plans for Thursday, Friday and Saturday watching the Draft and dealing with it:
My plan is to sit in my room, my bedroom. Watch it and stay away from everybody.
On if he will have a draft party:
No, no, no [laughing]. That's unnecessary.
Anthony Davis is having a party at the Menlo Park Mall:
That's Anthony.
Whether he'll stop by:
Yeah, I'll probably stop by. I see him enough as it is anyway.
On whether he and the other Rutgers prospects talk about how their feeling and help each other deal with the anxiety:
No, we really don't talk to each other about this kind of stuff. I think everybody just kind of waits, sees what happens, nobody really comes and says how they feel about it.
On what his pitch to an NFL general manager would be to draft him:
My versatility. I played it and I'm a hard worker and I love the sport.
On whether teams have talked to him about playing inside or at tackle:
Every team says that once you get to the NFL you have to play more than one spot anyway. It's not a really a surprise if they say you'll play guard or if you play tackle.
On his reaction if his name gets called during the Draft:
Relief now that it's over.
Mike Vorkunov can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
