As NFL Draft Nears, Opinions Vary on Kentwan Balmer

More than a month after the NFL Combine and just a few weeks from the draft, UNC defensive tackle Kentwan Balmer is still an enigma. FanHouse's Michael David Smith reported that Balmer used the Combine to improve his stock, particularly since Glenn Dorsey didn't participate.

But after his Pro Day earlier this week, Balmer's draft status is more unclear than ever. At least to hear ProFootballWeekly.com's Nolan Nawrocki explain it:

Disheartening to scouts who watched him clock a good time [in the 40-yard dash] was the way Balmer reacted, claiming that he tweaked his hamstring and could not run a second time. Despite the so-called injury, the career underachiever was able to go through a full positional workout, leaving scouts feeling like they had just been misled about an injury.

"He has no career production," one evaluator said. "He's got excuses for everything, and he did the same thing (Tuesday) when he pulled himself out of the workout. I would be surprised if he gets drafted in the first round."

Wow, way to hold back, Nolan. Interestingly, I came away feeling exactly the opposite about Balmer after reading MDS' report. Maybe Nolan's source is just really down on Balmer, or maybe something's changed in the last six weeks. Whatever, Balmer's still the third-best defensive tackle in the draft behind Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis. And as has been the case all off-season, the only question is when he'll get drafted.

Despite Nawrocki's doubts, he admits that the Packers and Giants, two teams picking late in the first round, are interested. And there's never been a first-round pick who proved to be a shiftless layabout, so it can't be as bad as all that.*

* This does not include Lawrence Phillips, Charles Rogers, Mike Williams, Ryan Leaf and countless others.