For 43 years, former Utah State star Merlin Olsen has set the standard. No other player from the state has been a higher National Football League draft pick. In 1962, Olsen was taken third overall by the Los Angeles Rams.
The record, however, faces a serious challenge Saturday. That's when University of Utah quarterback Alex Smith may go as early as No. 1. As such, he's an invited guest for the proceedings in New York City.
"It'll be a great deal for Alex," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham. "The size of his contract is going to be astronomical."
Some media reports project a signing bonus in the neighborhood of $20 million. The mere mention thereof has had a positive trickle-down effect on the Utes, who are still basking in the glow of being the first outside team to cash in on the lucrative Bowl Championship Series.
"The exposure and the national recognition that brings is invaluable in recruiting," said Whittingham. "It's a lot like going to the BCS in some respects."
Both, obviously, offer hope for players at schools outside the elite conferences.
"You get an athlete who as aspirations, which most of them do, to go to the next level," said Whittingham. "And they can see that a player from the University of Utah can indeed be the first pick in the draft."
Player agent Ken Vierra, a former Utah quarterback, said the attention Smith has received has changed the way the Utes are perceived nationally.
"You can't pay for that kind of exposure and marketing," said Vierra, who is hopeful his alma mater can keep the ball rolling. "Top to bottom, it's the biggest class and best class they've had."
After going 12-0 and winning Mountain West Conference and Fiesta Bowl titles, Vierra predicts that six and as many as eight Utes could be taken in this weekend's NFL Draft.
Besides Smith, offensive lineman Chris Kemoeatu is projected to be taken Saturday when the first three rounds take place. Nose guard Sione Pouha is also a first-day possibility. The New York Jets and New England Patriots have shown a lot of interest.
 | Deseret Morning News graphic NFL prospectsRequires Adobe Acrobat. |
"For a 325-pound man, he moves pretty well," said Whittingham. "Sione, what he also has going for him, is the intangibles — the character and the leadership he brings to the table.
"The NFL is getting a lot more picky than they used to be as far as background checks and making sure that they get good people and good citizens rather than just pure athletic ability," he added.
Pouha's personality and speed in tests have increased his draft status. Another player on the rise is defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene. Vierra projects he'll be taken in the fifth or sixth round. That's also where receivers Steve Savoy and Paris Warren could go.
Savoy, who gave up his final two years of college eligibility to pursue an NFL career, was hurt by slower-than-expected times at the NFL Combine. His agent, Andre Colone, said Savoy "had some bites at the apple" and did "the best he could."
Colone said Savoy's workouts with Smith were beneficial and may land him a telephone call in the third or fourth round. Savoy, he continued, is ready to go wherever he's taken. Colone noted that the draft is a starting line, not a finish line.
Derrick Fox, who represents record-setting receiver Paris Warren, said his client's status has remained relatively unchanged since the NFL Combine and his days at Utah.
"We still feel like he's projected between the third and fifth rounds," said Fox.
Warren has had in-depth contact with all 32 teams since sharing co-offensive MVP honors with Smith in the Fiesta Bowl. Utah's 12-0 season has brought increased attention to all of the team's NFL prospects.
"It's huge," said Fox. "You can't buy the publicity the University of Utah received."
It could pay off in terms of draft depth. Vierra believes that defensive back Morgan Scalley and running back Marty Johnson are "on the cusp" of being drafted as well. If not, they'll most certainly be priority free-agent guys.
Linebacker Corey Dodds is another player likely to sign a free-agent deal. Defensive lineman Tevita Kemoeatu is also a possibility.
Draft Weekend
What: 2005 NFL Draft
When: Saturday-Sunday
Where: New York
Begins at: 10 a.m.
TV: ESPN
On the clock: 49ers
E-mail: dirk@desnews.com