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**Professor** · 04-25-2006, 03:41 PM

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/fo...p-348294c.html

Brick builds strong case

L.I.'s Ferguson may be Jet

BY RICH CIMINI
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

L.I. product D'Brickashaw Ferguson would love to block for Jets.
The Jets haven't used a top-four pick on an offensive lineman since Chris Ward in 1978, but that could change Saturday. Chances are, they will have a shot at Virginia left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, a local kid with an unusual name and an uncommonly good game.

"He's one of those rare left tackles that come out every five or six years," an NFC offensive line coach said yesterday. "It would be a match made in heaven for the Jets."

With only two experienced tackles (Adrian Jones and recently acquired journeyman Anthony Clement), the Jets' need is obvious. They're high on Ferguson, the best offensive-line prospect in the draft. He's 6-6, 307 pounds, with a 7-3 wingspan and the athleticism of a power forward. That he grew up in Freeport, L.I., 10 minutes from the Jets' facility in Hempstead, makes him a natural.

"Being a New Yorker, I've got friends back home who tell me, 'We want you to come to the Jets,'" Ferguson said yesterday. "It would be great if that happens."

Ferguson was a four-year starter at Virginia, where he played under former Jets coach Al Groh. As freshman, he weighed only 245 pounds, drawing wisecracks from opponents. A Florida State defensive end took one look at Ferguson and quipped, "Son, you should've red-shirted."

Even now, Ferguson is small by NFL standards - the average left tackle is about 320 pounds - but his lack of bulk won't hurt him, according to many talent evaluators. The game is evolving. Premier pass rushers are getting smaller, but quicker (see the Colts' Dwight Freeney), so left tackles can't be plodding behemoths.

Ferguson is almost obsessed with protecting the quarterback, one of the Jets' weaknesses last season. He recently described himself as a bodyguard, personally responsible for the health of his quarterback. That means playing like "a beast," he said. "I definitely try to play with a controlled rage," said Ferguson, who was named after the Ralph de Bricassart character in the novel-turned-TV miniseries, "The Thorn Birds," that aired in 1983.

Titans coach Jeff Fisher said Ferguson is "a sure bet. There's no doubt." Recent history suggests otherwise. Of the seven tackles picked in the top 10 since 2000, only one has made the Pro Bowl - the Redskins' Chris Samuels. Some teams don't like to pick offensive linemen that high, preferring to build with middle and low-round picks. The Patriots do it that way, and the Jets' new regime seems to be following the New England blueprint.

GM Mike Tannenbaum acknowledged teams have succeeded with that philosophy, but he added, "The flip side of that coin is you can look at Walter Jones, Orlando Pace and Jonathan Ogden (all former high No. 1's). I do think that kind of cuts both ways. Obviously, D'Brickashaw is a talented player. I know he's a player that's been linked to us. Philosophically, we'll take the best player, regardless of position."