Vittorio Tafur, Chronicle Staff Writer / Wednesday, April 27, 2011
In this age of over analysis, this is going to be hard, but let's give it a try: Tune out the NFL draft experts, put away the stopwatch, the scale and the tape measure, and file away all the interviews and the tests. Let's close our eyes - or better yet, pop in the videotape - and remember all the way back to Jan. 10.
Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley turned in one of the dominant performances in recent memory, bullying the Tigers to a 19-11 win over Oregon and the national championship.
Fairley fought through double-teams and had five tackles (three for a loss), a sack and a forced fumble, not to mention a dozen other occasions where he was a play-wrecking menace. He was the surefire, no-doubt-about-it No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. Now, zero snaps and three months later, Fairley has apparently fallen out of the top 10. The Associated Press mock draft has him going 30th to the Jets.
SNIP
"The technology and information-gathering age got him," former 49ers, Rams and Cardinals scout Dave Razzano said. "These teams gather so much info that they talk themselves right out of players."MORE:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/04/27/SPLN1J81A8.DTLNote: I posted this in another thread but it seemed too relevant to be buried. That post has been updated.