John Moffitt had the opportunity to enter the NFL draft last year. He decided to wait.
So if Moffitt is not selected on the first day of the draft (April 28) when only one round is chosen the wait won’t be too agonizing. After that, however, he hopes his name is called soon.
The Guilford native who played his high school football at Notre Dame-West Haven is regarded as one of the top five collegiate interior offensive linemen eligible for the 2011 draft.
“It’s exciting and it’s nerve-wracking too,” Moffitt said. “I’ve done all I can and now I just have to wait.”
Moffitt could have ended this waiting game after his prized junior season at Wisconsin. He says he’s glad he didn’t make the leap to the NFL then.
“The biggest thing is that we had a good season,” Moffitt said. “But I also think I improved my stock by staying. I’m projected to go higher in the draft and I got stronger and I got better technique-wise.”
Moffitt, a 6-4, 320-pounder, is a rare breed of NFL hopefuls who said his biggest attribute at the NFL Scouting Combine over the summer was his intelligence.
“I actually think I did the best in the interview process,” he said. “And that’s what impressed most people. I didn’t think my workout was that great. I didn’t have a great day on the bench (where he did 23 reps of 225 pounds) and I don’t remember my speed but it wasn’t great. But I know I did well in the interviews and got some good feedback.”
Moffitt said he doesn’t know where he’ll get selected. Several mock drafts have slotted him in the fourth round and another has him going in the third round to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Prior to the combine, projections had him ranked as a possible second-round pick, but he ran a 5.55 40-yard dash and the bench press was subpar.
But Moffitt’s personality is such a positive that he could go anywhere in the draft.
“I try not to look at the mock drafts,” Moffitt said. “I don’t worry about any of that. I have an agent and I’ve worked out for some teams. I had a good pro day (at Wisconsin) and that helped.”
Moffitt did the body of his work anchoring a powerful offense at Wisconsin for four years. This season the Badgers went 11-2 and earned a berth in the Rose Bowl.
Moffitt worked out privately for some NFL clubs but didn’t say which ones. That’s as much a secret as what teams are thinking about him.
“They like to keep those things close to the vest,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll get selected, I just don’t really know when.”
Moffitt said the current NFL lockout will not impact any of the draft day routines.
“The only thing that’s going to be affected is after the draft I can’t go to rookie camp until the lockout is settled,” Moffitt said. “I’d like to be able to report to my team and learn the playbook and begin working with the team. But that will have to wait.”
Moffitt said he will watch the draft at his grandmother’s house. He expects to be selected as a left guard, but his versatility on the line is another positive as he can play center.
“I don’t care where I play,” he said. “I’ll do whatever they need me to.”
Moffitt was a Register All-Stater and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors this season.
He started 36 of the last 37 games for the Badgers, including all 13 this season, and was a key part of an offense that ranked fourth in the nation scoring 45.2 points per game, the second highest in Big Ten history. Wisconsin ranked 12th in the country in rushing and also featured Gabe Carimi, an offensive tackle, who is projected to go in the first round.