NFL Draft 2011: Mark Ingram to Face Fate of Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart?

The draft day slide.

No player wants to hear his name associated with the draft day slide.  It is, however, inevitable.  Like gravity, the draft day slide is a scientific fact.  Every year has one.  To say it won't happen is like saying a ball thrown in the air won't fall to the ground.  It is ridiculous to even attempt to argue against it.

Remember back to 2006.  Matt Leinart was the golden boy from the University of Southern California.  He won the Heisman Trophy his junior season and was the leader of the most potent offensive attack ever seen in college football.  He was expected to be a top pick in the 2006 NFL Draft.  He was certainly expected to be the first quarterback taken.

The Tennessee Titans drafted Vince Young with the third overall pick.  The Jets, 49ers, Raiders, Bills and Lions all passed on Leinart.  He was finally drafted by the Arizona Cardinals with the 10th overall pick.  Although it wasn't a huge slide, it was certainly a slide.

Fast forward one year to the 2007 NFL Draft.  Brady Quinn leaves Notre Dame as one of the most decorated Fighting Irish quarterbacks of all-time.  He was considered a lock to be drafted in the top 10.  Some experts even had Quinn getting drafted with the first overall pick.

The Cleveland Browns were on the clock with the third pick and everyone expected to hear Quinn's name called.  However, the Browns drafted Joe Thomas and Quinn waited another 19 picks to hear his name called.

Let's not forget about Aaron Rodgers or Randy Moss.  The draft day slide is inevitable.  It will happen.

The candidate for the biggest slide this year appears to be Alabama's Mark Ingram.  He is clearly the top rated running back.  Early mock drafts had Ingram being drafted by the Miami Dolphins with the 15th pick of the first round.  Current draft picks paint a different picture for Ingram.

Ingram has all the physical tools a team could desire in a franchise running back.  He has power, vision, and is extremely competitive.  More and more teams are going to a split-carry backfield.  That is what is hurting Ingram.

It is very possible that Ingram could be drafted late in the first round by a team like the New England Patriots.  If the Patriots pass on Ingram, he could be waiting a long time to hear his name called.  He might even wait until the middle of the second round to finally walk up to the stage and grab a jersey.

The draft day slide is unfortunate.  Some players never fully recover from a draft day slide.  Both Leinart and Quinn, once elite prospects, will almost certainly spend the rest of their careers as back-ups. 

Other players use the draft day slide as motivation.  Randy Moss became one of the best receivers ever.  Aaron Rodgers just won his first Super Bowl and doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The draft day slide is often a difficult thing to watch.  As the player patiently sits, waiting to hear his name called, our hearts are torn at with compassion.  All we want to do is hear the player's name called so we can burst into cheers.

Hopefully, teams will see the potential of Ingram and the draft day slide with be proven to only be a theory.  Most likely though, Ingram will wait a while to hear his name called.