Posted by ESPN.com's Graham Watson
It's always easier to question decisions after the draft, so that's what I'm going to do. I'm going to question whether Ball State quarterback Nate Davis made the right decision to leave school early.
Initially, everyone thought Davis leaving early was the right move because he had a lot of momentum and many thought he could be a first-round pick. But from the moment he entered the draft and teams started picking him apart, his draft stock plummeted.
There were questions about his height and the glove on his throwing hand. He struggled at the NFL combine and just one team came to his pro day. Red flags also went up because of Davis' well-documented learning disability.
Five quarterbacks were selected before Davis went to San Francisco in the fifth round, including Texas A&M's Stephen McGee and Sam Houston State's Rhett Bomar, who were both ranked below Davis on many draft boards.
And San Francisco hasn't exactly become a place known for its quarterbacks. The team has three and there's no telling where Davis will fit in. Mike Sando, ESPN.com's NFC West blogger, said Davis would likely be a practice squad player behind Shaun Hill, Alex Smith and Damon Huard because the team won't keep four quarterbacks.
And there's no telling whether Davis will have a support system for his learning disability in San Francisco like he did at Ball State.
Seattle Seahawks backup Seneca Wallace also suffered from a learning disability, but took special classes arranged by the Seahawks during his first three years with the program. After serving as a backup for five years, Wallace started 10 games in place of an injured Matt Hasselbeck and played well.
Would another year have benefitted Davis? We could debate that until the cows come home, but it's clear that many scouts didn't feel he was ready to become a pro. Also, he lost a couple key cogs on the offensive line and in his receiving corps, but he would have gotten a chance to leave on a note that wasn't as sour as the GMAC Bowl.
Boise State receiver Jeremy Childs, who wasn't drafted, is another player who could be reconsidering his decision to leave school early. Childs, who decided to forgo his senior season, was picked up as a free agent by the San Diego Chargers, but will be one of at least nine receivers on the team's roster.
It's hard to believe that Childs couldn't have improved his draft status after another year with quarterback Kellen Moore, who is regarded as one of the best young arms in the country. Not to mention Boise State has a good chance to go undefeated next season and play in a BCS bowl.
As I said before, it's easy to second-guess these decisions now, but both players have to be disappointed in how their draft weekend ended up.
Watson joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four seasons covering the Missouri Tigers and the Big 12 Conference for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She also covered college football recruiting for the Dallas Morning News.
