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Senior offensive tackle Chad Walker lifts fellow senior wide receiver Marco Thomas over his head after Thomas scored a touchdown against Illinois State.

Draft watch: Preparation has begun

By: Kyle Dierking

Posted: 11/29/06

Western Illinois' football season has been over for nearly three weeks now, but two outgoing seniors have hopes of taking their skills to the NFL.

Offensive lineman Chad Walker and wide receiver Marco Thomas are both hitting the weights, but right now Walker is more concerned about shedding pounds.

"If I lose the weight, other things will go up as well," said Walker, who ideally needs to be between 310 and 315 pounds after playing at heavier than 330 pounds all season.

"I'm not a real flexible guy - I need to get more flexibility. The thing is if I lose the weight, it's less stress on my joints, and I can be faster," he added.

The last time Walker spoke with NFL representatives was during the pro day the Leathernecks held earlier this year.

It was there Walker attempted a running drill and injured his groin.

"A scout from the New York Jets told me that Bill Parcells always said 'fat people get injured,'" Walker said. "If you're out of shape and try to do something you can't, then you're going to get hurt. It's something that's always stuck in my head."

Wisconsin's Joe Thomas is the top-rated offensive lineman in the upcoming draft and is listed number two overall on Mel Kiper Jr.'s "Big Board" on ESPN.com.

"I'd be a lot cheaper of a buy," said Walker jokingly, comparing Thomas to himself.

Marco Thomas is taking a different approach to getting ready for the draft by joining the Western Illinois track team.

Speed has always been a critical factor concerning Thomas' game, as his 40-yard dash time has been clocked at 4.40.

"Everybody that's come to look at me has said they love the speed," Thomas said. "My goal is to get it down to a 4.33."

Scouts have also told him his ability to get big yardage after catches is a huge asset, but Thomas said sometimes he jumps the gun before the ball is in his hands.

"I had two or three crucial drops where I wanted to get up the field before I had control of the ball," Thomas said. "There's a lot to improve on, but that's just one of the things."

Several teams have spoken with Thomas, including the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans and the Jets.

ESPN.com along with Scouts Inc. have Thomas listed as the 75th-rated wide receiver in college football, while giving him an overall rating of 30, which puts him in the category of a "borderline draft prospect."

However, the description goes on to say, "A lot of times, teams will take chances on character players or developmental type athletes with this grade. And often, these are players that come from smaller schools."

All three criteria seem to fit Thomas with his speed, athleticism and personality.

"NFL scouts want to buy a product," Thomas said. "It's important that I don't start slacking off."

The last Western player to be drafted was punter Mike Scifres, who was taken in the fifth round in 2003 by the San Diego Chargers.