Toon, Miller face big challenges in NFL

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Nick Toon and Lamar Miller know all about tough tasks. Their challenges won’t get any easier as they head to the NFL.

Toon, the son of former New York Jets standout Al Toon, was selected in the fourth round of Saturday’s draft by the Saints. He can be comforted about going to play with Drew Brees in New Orleans, but Toon recognizes he will be compared to his father — just as he was at Wisconsin.

“My dad was a great football player,” Nick Toon said of Al, who retired prematurely because of concussions. “I don’t think anyone would debate that. To go to the same school and play the same position, I think is a challenge. At the same time, I think that the expectations of that challenge follow you to anywhere you are playing football.”

That would be the Big Easy, no easy chore if the expectations are he will immediately replace Robert Meachem, who left as a free agent.

“No. 1, I think he has a great pedigree,” interim coach Joe Vitt said. “He’s a polished route-runner, can catch the ball outside the framework of his body and can make the big play.”

Just like his dad did with the Jets from 1985-92.

“He has been a great sounding board for me throughout my career and my entire life,” Nick Toon said. “He has been a great blueprint (for me) as a football player. He is just a good person and a good leader.”

Miller stayed home in Miami and had two more years of eligibility with the Hurricanes when he chose to enter the draft. So who traded up to grab him?

The Dolphins.

Miami jumped six slots in a move with San Francisco to get Miller, one of the faster running backs in this crop and also a kick return prospect. It’s difficult enough dealing with being a college player where you grew up. Now he is a pro there.

“I was upset at first,” he said after waiting more than 36 hours to hear his name announced. “But now I’m happy with where I’m at. To be in my hometown, to get a chance to play for a Super Bowl, that’s always a great thing. I’m just ready to put the team on the map.”

Miller rushed for 1,272 yards and nine touchdowns last year.

Wide receivers and more trades were trendy on the final day of the draft, which ended when Indianapolis selected North Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnisch as Mr. Irrelevant — 252 picks after taking Andrew Luck to open the proceedings.

Hours earlier, Chris Givens was taken by St. Louis to open the fourth round. Givens also can help the Rams in the return game. He had some injury issues at Wake Forest, but had 1,330 yards on 83 receptions in 2011.

“Yesterday was a little frustrating and a little humbling at the same time,” Givens said of not going on Friday. “I really felt like they liked me a lot and I thought they were going to get me and then they got Brian Quick (to begin Round 2), and then I thought OK, well, they’re not going to get me anymore. Then today I was pleasantly surprised.”

Cleveland, desperate for offensive playmakers, might have added one in Miami Hurricanes receiver Travis Benjamin, and Carolina went for Arkansas wideout Joe Adams, all in the first nine selections Saturday. There were eight wide receivers chosen in the round, including Toon.

Another three wideouts were chosen in the fifth round, four in the sixth and five in the seventh for a total of 33.

San Francisco received Miami’s pick in the fourth round and two sixth-rounders, one this year and one in 2013, in the Miller deal. After 18 trades on the first two days of the draft, there were three in the first few minutes Saturday and four in Round 4, followed by eight more in the next round. Altogether, 27 trades were made.

Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, projected by many to go late in the first round or early in the second, lasted until No. 102, when the Redskins took him. Of course, Washington selected Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III second overall to be its franchise quarterback..

“I was trying to forecast which teams would be looking at a quarterback and I didn’t see the Redskins thinking along those lines, but coach Shanahan’s words to me were that he couldn’t pass me up,” Cousins said.

Another Robert Griffin from Baylor was selected — a tackle who went to the Jets at No, 203. He calls himself RG2 and Big Griff.

“He is like a brother,” Griffin said of the quarterback . “We have the same name, but didn’t treat each other any differently. It was an everyday thing, but I was the one putting my hand in the dirt and he was the one putting his hand on the ball and throwing the rock. I felt I had to do a little extra just for him because we have the same name.”

Linebacker Nigel Bradham became the first Florida State player chosen, going No. 105 overall to Buffalo. College powers Texas and Florida waited until deep in the fourth round to have someone selected: Gators defensive tackle Jaye Howard to Seattle at No. 114, and Longhorns linebacker Keenan Robinson at No. 119 to Washington.

Houston, which was ranked 18th to finish the season, had no players selected.

Tight end, generally considered a weak spot in this year’s crop — only three were taken through the first two days — became popular in the fourth round, with five going. But only one was drafted in the fifth.

Randy Bullock of Texas A&M was the first placekicker taken, at No. 161 overall by Houston. The All-American kicker, Bullock won the Lou Groza award, connecting on 25 of 29 field-goal attempts in 2011.

Players undrafted include record-setting quarterbacks Kellen Moore of Boise State and Case Keenum of Houston.

First Round

1. Indianapolis, Andrew Luck, qb, Stanford.

2. Washington (from St. Louis), Robert Griffin III, qb, Baylor.

3. Cleveland (from Minnesota), Trent Richardson, rb, Alabama.

4. Minnesota (from Cleveland), Matt Kalil, ot, Southern Cal.

5. Jacksonville (from Tampa Bay), Justin Blackmon, wr, Oklahoma State.

6. Dallas (from Washington through St. Louis), Morris Claiborne, db, LSU.

7. Tampa Bay (from Jacksonville), Mark Barron, db, Alabama.

8. Miami, Ryan Tannehill, qb, Texas A&M.

9. Carolina, Luke Kuechly, lb, Boston College.

10. Buffalo, Stephon Gilmore, db, South Carolina.

11. Kansas City, Dontari Poe, nt, Memphis.

12. Philadelphia (from Seattle), Fletcher Cox, dt, Mississippi State.

13. Arizona, Michael Floyd, wr, Notre Dame.

14. St. Louis (from Dallas), Michael Brockers, dt, LSU.

15. Seattle (from Philadelphia), Bruce Irvin, de, West Virginia.

16. N.Y. Jets, Quinton Coples, de, North Carolina.

17. Cincinnati (from Oakland), Dre Kirkpatrick, db, Alabama.

18. San Diego, Melvin Ingram, lb, South Carolina.

19. Chicago, Shea McClellin, de, Boise State.

20. Tennessee, Kendall Wright, wr, Baylor.

21. New England (from Cincinnati), Chandler Jones, de, Syracuse.

22. Cleveland (from Atlanta), Brandon Weeden, qb, Oklahoma State.

23. Detroit, Riley Reiff, ot, Iowa.

24. Pittsburgh, David DeCastro, g, Stanford.

25. New England, (from Denver), Dont’a Hightower, lb, Alabama.

26. Houston, Whitney Mercilus, lb, Illinois.

27. Cincinnati (from New Orleans through New England), Kevin Zeitler, g, Wisconsin.

28. Green Bay, Nick Perry, lb, Southern Cal.

29. Minnesota (from Baltimore), Harrison Smith, db, Notre Dame.

30. San Francisco, A.J. Jenkins, wr, Illinois.

31. Tampa Bay (from New England through Denver), Doug Martin, rb, Boise State.

32. N.Y. Giants, David Wilson, rb, Virginia Tech.

(x-compensatory selection)

Second Round

33. St. Louis, Brian Quick, wr, Appalachian State.

34. Indianapolis, Coby Fleener, te, Stanford.

35. Baltimore (from Minnesota), Courtney Upshaw, lb, Alabama.

36. Denver (from Tampa Bay), Derek Wolfe, dt, Cincinnati.

37. Cleveland, Mitchell Schwartz, ot, California.

38. Jacksonville, Andre Branch, de, Clemson.

39. St. Louis (from Washington), Janoris Jenkins, db, North Alabama.

40. Carolina, Amini Silatolu, g, Midwestern State.

41. Buffalo, Cordy Glenn, ot, Georgia.

42. Miami, Jonathan Martin, ot, Stanford.

43. N.Y. Jets (from Seattle), Stephen Hill, wr, Georgia Tech.

44. Kansas City, Jeff Allen, g, Illinois.

45. Chicago (from Dallas through St. Louis), Alshon Jeffery, wr, South Carolina.

46. Philadelphia, Mychal Kendricks, lb, California.

47. Seattle (from N.Y. Jets), Bobby Wagner, lb, Utah State.

48. New England (from Oakland), Tavon Wilson, db, Illinois.

49. San Diego, Kendall Reyes, de, Connecticut.

50. St. Louis (from Chicago), Isaiah Pead, rb, Cincinnati.

51. Green Bay (from Arizona through Philadelphia), Jerel Worthy, de, Michigan State.

52. Tennessee, Zach Brown, lb, North Carolina.

53. Cincinnati, Devon Still, dt, Penn State.

54. Detroit, Ryan Broyles, wr, Oklahoma.

55. Atlanta, Peter Konz, g, Wisconsin.

56. Pittsburgh, Mike Adams, ot, Ohio State.

57. Denver, Brock Osweiler, qb, Arizona State.

58. Tampa Bay (from Houston), Lavonte David, lb, Nebraska.

New Orleans Forfeited

59. Philadelphia (from Green Bay), Vinny Curry, de, Marshall.

60. Baltimore, Kelechi Osemele, ot, Iowa State.

61. San Francisco, LaMichael James, rb, Oregon.

62. Green Bay (from New England), Casey Hayward, db, Vanderbilt.

63. N.Y. Giants, Rueben Randle, wr, LSU.

Third Round

64. Indianapolis, Dwayne Allen, te, Clemson.

65. St. Louis, Trumaine Johnson, db, Montana.

66. Minnesota, Josh Robinson, db, UCF.

67. Denver (from Cleveland), Ronnie Hillman, rb, San Diego State.

68. Houston (from Tampa Bay), DeVier Posey, wr, Ohio State.

69. Buffalo (from Washington), T.J. Graham, wr, N.C. State.

70. Jacksonville, Bryan Anger, p, California.

71. Washington (from Buffalo), Josh LeRibeus, g, SMU.

72. Miami, Olivier Vernon, de, Miami.

73. San Diego (from Carolina through Chicago and Miami), Brandon Taylor, db, LSU.

74. Kansas City, Donald Stephenson, ot, Oklahoma.

75. Seattle, Russell Wilson, qb, Wisconsin.

76. Houston (from Philadelphia), Brandon Brooks, g, Miami (Ohio).

77. N.Y. Jets, DeMario Davis, lb, Arkansas State.

Oakland Exercised in Supplemental Draft

78. Miami (from San Diego), Michael Egnew, te, Missouri.

79. Chicago, Brandon Hardin, db, Oregon State.

80. Arizona, Jamell Fleming, db, Oklahoma.

81. Dallas, Tyrone Crawford, de, Boise State.

82. Tennessee, Mike Martin, dt, Michigan.

83. Cincinnati, Mohamed Sanu, wr, Rutgers.

84. Baltimore (from Atlanta), Bernard Pierce, rb, Temple.

85. Detroit, Dwight Bentley, db, Louisiana-Lafayette.

86. Pittsburgh, Sean Spence, lb, Miami.

87. Cleveland (from Denver), John Hughes, db, Cincinnati.

88. Philadelphia (from Houston), Nick Foles, qb, Arizona.

89. New Orleans, Akiem Hicks, dt, Regina (Canada).

90. New England (from Green Bay), Jake Bequette, de, Arkansas.

91. Atlanta (from Baltimore), Lamar Holmes, ot, Southern Miss.

92. Indianapolis (from San Francisco), T.Y. Hilton, wr, FIU.

93. Cincinnati (from New England), Brandon Thompson, dt, Clemson.

94. N.Y. Giants, Jayron Hosley, db, Virginia Tech.

95. x-Oakland, Tony Bergstrom, g, Utah.

Fourth Round

96. St. Louis, Chris Givens, wr, Wake Forest.

97. Miami (from Indianapolis through San Francisco), Lamar Miller, rb, Miami.

98. Baltimore (from Minnesota), Gino Gradkowski, g, Delaware.

99. Houston (from Tampa Bay through Philadelphia), Ben Jones, c, Georgia.

100. Cleveland, Travis Benjamin, wr, Miami.

101. Denver (from Jacksonville through Tampa Bay), Omar Bolden, db, Arizona State.

102. Washington, Kirk Cousins, qb, Michigan State.

103. Carolina (from Miami through San Francisco), Frank Alexander, de, Oklahoma.

104. Carolina, Joe Adams, wr, Arkansas.

105. Buffalo, Nigel Bradham, lb, Florida State.

106. Seattle, Robert Turbin, rb, Utah State.

107. Kansas City, Devon Wylie, wr, Fresno State.

108. Denver (from N.Y. Jets), Philip Blake, c, Baylor.

109. Pittsburgh (from Oakland through Washington), Alameda Ta’amu, dt, Washington.

110. San Diego, Ladarius Green, te, Louisiana-Lafayette.

111. Chicago, Evan Rodriguez, te, Temple.

112. Arizona, Bobby Massie, ot, Mississippi.

113. Dallas, Kyle Wilber, de, Wake Forest.

114. Seattle (from Philadelphia), Jaye Howard, dt, Florida.

115. Tennessee, Coty Sensabaugh, db, Clemson.

116. Cincinnati, Orson Charles, te, Georgia.

117. San Francisco (from Detroit), Joe Looney, g, Wake Forest.

118. Minnesota (from Atlanta through Cleveland), Jarius Wright, wr, Arkansas.

119. Washington (from Pittsburgh), Keenan Robinson, lb, Texas.

120. Cleveland (from Denver), James-Michael Johnson, lb, Nevada.

121. Houston, Keshawn Martin, wr, Michigan State.

122. New Orleans, Nick Toon, wr, Wisconsin.

123. Philadelphia (from Green Bay), Brandon Boykin, db, Georgia.

124. Buffalo (from Baltimore), Ron Brooks, db, LSU.

125. Detroit (from San Francisco), Ronnell Lewis, de, Oklahoma.

126. Houston (from New England through Denver and Tampa Bay), Jared Crick, de, Nebraska.

127. N.Y. Giants, Andrien Robinson, te, Cincinnati.

128. x-Minnesota, Rhett Ellison, te, Southern Cal.

129. x-Oakland, Miles Burris, lb, San Diego State.

130. x-Baltimore, Christian Thompson, db, South Carolina State.

131. x-N.Y. Giants, Brandon Mosley, ot, Auburn.

132. x-Green Bay, Mike Daniels, de, Iowa.

133. x-Green Bay, Jerron McMillian, db, Maine.

134. x-Minnesota, Greg Childs, wr, Arkansas.

135. x-Dallas, Matt Johnson, db, Eastern Washington.

Fifth Round

136. Indianapolis, Josh Chapman, dt, Alabama.

137. Denver (from St. Louis), Malik Jackson, de, Tennessee.

138. Detroit (from Minnesota), Tahir Whitehead, lb, Temple.

139. Minnesota (from Cleveland), Robert Blanton, db, Notre Dame.

140. Tampa Bay, Najee Goode, lb, West Virginia.

141. Washington, Adam Gettis, g, Iowa.

142. Jacksonville, Brandon Marshall, lb, Nevada.

143. Carolina, Josh Norman, db, Coastal Carolina.

144. Buffalo, Zebrie Sanders, ot, Florida State.

145. Tennessee (from Miami), Taylor Thompson, te, SMU.

146. Kansas City, DeQuan Menzie, db, Alabama.

147. Buffalo (from Seattle), Tank Carder, lb, TCU.

148. Detroit (from Oakland), Chris Greenwood, db, Albion.

149. San Diego, Johnnie Troutman, g, Penn State.

150. St. Louis (from Chicago), Rokevious Watkins, g, South Carolina.

151. Arizona, Senio Kelemete, g, Washington.

152. Dallas, Danny Coale, wr, Virginia Tech.

153. Philadelphia, Dennis Kelly, ot, Purdue.

154. Seattle (from N.Y. Jets), Korey Toomer, lb, Idaho.

155. Miami (from Tennessee), Josh Kaddu, lb, Oregon.

156. Cincinnati, Shaun Prater, db, Iowa.

157. Atlanta, Bradie Ewing, rb, Wisconsin.

158. Oakland (from Detroit), Jack Crawford, de, Penn State.

159. Pittsburgh, Chris Rainey, rb, Florida.

160. Cleveland (from Denver), Ryan Miller, ot, Colorado.

161. Houston, Randy Bullock, k, Texas A&M.

162. New Orleans, Corey White, db, Samford.

163. Green Bay (from Green Bay through New England), Terrell Manning, lb, N.C. State.

164. Atlanta (from Baltimore), Jonathan Massaquoi, de, Troy.

165. San Francisco, Darius Fleming, lb, Notre Dame.

166. Cincinnati (from New England), Marvin Jones, wr, California.

167. Cincinnati (from N.Y. Giants), George Iloka, db, Boise State.

168. x-Oakland, Juron Criner, wr, Arizona.

169. x-Baltimore, Asa Jackson, db, Cal Poly.

170. x-Indianapolis, Vick Ballard, rb, Mississippi State.

171. St. Louis, Greg Zuerlein, k, Missouri Western.

172. Seattle (from Indianapolis through Philadelphia), Jeremy Lane, db, Northwestern State.

173. Washington (from Minnesota), Alfred Morris, rb, Florida Atlantic.

174. Tampa Bay, Keith Tandy, db, West Virginia.

175. Minnesota (from Cleveland), Blair Walsh, k, Georgia.

176. Jacksonville, Mike Harris, db, Florida State.

177. Arizona (from Washington), Justin Bethel, db, Presbyterian.

178. Buffalo, Mark Asper, g, Oregon.

179. New Orleans (from Miami), Andrew Tiller, g, Syracuse.

180. San Francisco (from Carolina), Trenton Robinson, db, Michigan State.

181. Seattle, Winston Guy, db, Kentucky.

182. Kansas City, Cyrus Gray, rb, Texas A&M.

183. Miami (from San Diego), B.J. Cunningham, wr, Michigan State.

184. Chicago, Isaiah Frey, db, Nevada.

185. Arizona, Ryan Lindley, qb, San Diego State.

186. Dallas, James Hanna, te, Oklahoma.

187. N.Y. Jets (from Philadelphia through Indianapolis), Josh Bush, db, Wake Forest.

188. Denver (from N.Y. Jets), Danny Trevathan, lb, Kentucky.

189. Oakland, Christo Bilukidi, dt, Georgia State.

190. Tennessee, Markelle Martin, db, Oklahoma State.

191. Cincinnati, Dan Herron, rb, Ohio State.

Detroit Forfeited

192. Atlanta, Charles Mitchell, db, Mississippi State.

193. Washington (from Pittsburgh), Tom Compton, ot, South Dakota.

194. Philadelphia (from Denver), Marvin McNutt, wr, Iowa.

195. Houston, Nick Mondek, ot, Purdue.

196. Detroit (from New Orleans through Miami and San Francisco), Jonte Green, db, New Mexico State.

197. New England (from Green Bay), Nate Ebner, db, Ohio State.

198. Baltimore, Tommy Streeter, wr, Miami.

199. San Francisco, Jason Slowey, ot, Western Oregon.

200. Philadelphia (from New England), Brandon Washington, g, Miami.

201. N.Y. Giants, Matt McCants, ot, UAB.

202. x-N.Y. Jets, Terrance Ganaway, rb, Baylor.

203. x-N.Y. Jets, Robert Griffin, g, Baylor.

204. x-Cleveland, Emmanuel Acho, lb, Texas.

205. x-Cleveland, Billy Winn, dt, Boise St.

206. x-Indianapolis, Lavon Brazill, wr, Ohio.

207. x-Carolina, Brad Nortman, p, Wisconsin.

208. Indianapolis, Justin Anderson, g, Georgia.

209. St. Louis, Aaron Brown, lb, Hawaii.

210. Minnesota, Audie Cole, lb, N.C. State.

211. Tennessee from Cleveland through Minnesota), Scott Solomon, de, Rice.

212. Tampa Bay, Michael Smith, rb, Utah State.

213. Washington, Richard Crawford, db, SMU.

214. Indianapolis (from Jacksonville through N.Y. Jets), Tim Fugger, lb, Vanderbilt.

215. Miami, Kheeston Randall, dt, Texas.

216. Carolina, D.J. Campbell, db, California.

217. Washington (from Buffalo), Jordan Bernstine, db, Iowa.

218. Kansas City, Jerome Long, dt, San Diego State.

219. Minnesota (from Seattle through Detroit), Trevor Guyton, dt, California.

220. Chicago, Greg McCoy, db, TCU.

221. Arizona, Nate Potter, ot, Boise State.

222. Dallas, Caleb McSurdy, lb, Montana.

223. Detroit (from Philadelphia through New England and Minnesota), Travis Lewis, lb, Oklahoma.

224. New England (from N.Y. Jets through Green Bay), Alfonzo Dennard, db, Nebraska.

225. Seattle (from Oakland), J.R. Sweezy, ot, N.C. State.

226. San Diego, David Molk, c, Michigan.

227. Miami (from Tennessee), Rishard Matthews, wr, Nevada.

228. Jacksonville (from Cincinnati), Jeris Pendleton, dt, Ashland.

229. Philadelphia (from Atlanta), Bryce Brown, rb, Kansas State.

230. Oakland (from Detroit), Nate Stupar, lb, Penn State.

231. Pittsburgh, Tony Clemons, wr, Colorado.

232. Seattle (from Denver through N.Y. Jets), Greg Scruggs, de, Louisville.

233. Tampa Bay (from Houston), Drake Dunsmore, te, Northwestern.

234. New Orleans, Marcel Jones, ot, Nebraska.

235. New England (from Green Bay), Jeremy Ebert, wr, Northwestern.

236. Baltimore, DeAngelo Tyson, de, Georgia.

237. San Francisco, Cam Johnson, lb, Virginia.

238. Kansas City (from New England), Junior Hemingway, wr, Michigan.

239. N.Y. Giants, Markus Kuhn, dt, N.C. State.

240. x-Pittsburgh, David Paulson, te, Oregon.

241. x-Green Bay, Andrew Datko, ot, Florida State.

242. x-N.Y. Jets, Antonio Allen, db, South Carolina.

243. x-Green Bay, B.J. Coleman, qb. Chattanooga.

244. x-N.Y. Jets, Jordan White, wr, Western Michigan.

245. x-Cleveland, Trevin Wade, db, Arizona.

246. x-Pittsburgh, Terrence Frederick, db, Texas A&M.

247. x-Cleveland, Brad Smelley, rb, Alabama.

248. x-Pittsburgh, Kelvin Beachum, ot, SMU.

249. x-Atlanta, Travian Robertson, nt, South Carolina.

250. x-San Diego, Edwin Baker, rb, Michigan State.

251. x-Buffalo, John Potter, k, Western Michigan.

252. x-St. Louis, Daryl Richardson, rb, Abilene Christian.

253. x-Indianapolis, Chandler Harnish, qb, Northern Illinois.