Charles Gordon’s camp has heard the whispers ever since the Kansas University junior turned pro.

He’s not fast enough, and certainly not big enough, to be an early entry for this weekend’s NFL Draft.

“People say he shouldn’t have come out of school,” said Kenny Zuckerman, Gordon’s agent. “But he’s never trained harder than he did this year. He’s a football player, not a track guy.”

Besides, Zuckerman said, look at Gordon’s shortcomings, the ones critics point to when saying the utility player made the wrong decision: Was he going to get faster his senior season? Bigger?

Gordon and Zuckerman believe Gordon’s strengths were ripe for the 2006 NFL Draft, which starts Saturday in New York. They’ll find out this weekend if the forecast was well-informed.

“He excels in three facets of the game and has proved he could do that at a major school,” Zuckerman said. “His versatility is what’s exciting teams.”

Gordon and former KU teammates Nick Reid and Charlton Keith all could be picked in the seven-round draft. By Sunday, a few other Jayhawks could sneak in or get free-agent offers, including wide receiver Mark Simmons and safety Rodney Fowler.

But Gordon is the intriguing wild card. After excelling at cornerback, wide receiver and as a punt-return specialist in three seasons, Gordon chose to go pro in January. The move appeared to surprise even KU’s coaches – Mark Mangino said before the Fort Worth Bowl that he didn’t expect Gordon to even consider it – but Gordon never looked back.

Just where he’s picked this weekend remains a real mystery. While his versatility is a definite plus, NFL scouts pay close attention to the stopwatch. At the NFL Combine in February, Gordon ran the 40-yard dash in 4.60 and 4.65 seconds, not impressive times to NFL personnel.

But many experts agree Gordon can contribute at the next level. NFL.com analyst Gil Brandt ranks Gordon the 15th-best corner in the draft, while Todd McShay of Scouts, Inc., picks Gordon going in the fourth round to the New England Patriots.

“One comparison most teams make is that (Gordon) is a more versatile Nathan Vasher,” Zuckerman said, referring to the Chicago Bears’ undersized defensive back out of Texas. “That’s what people really like about him. He’ll probably go a little higher than some people think.”

Zuckerman said Gordon was getting considerable interest from Pittsburgh, New England, Philadelphia, Jacksonville and others. Keith, meanwhile, said the Cleveland Browns had shown the most interest in him – though he hopes it’s not because of a good word put in by former Jayhawk and current Browns linebacker David McMillan.

“That’s my hometown,” said Keith, who hails from nearby Akron. “I hope that (McMillan) wouldn’t have to.”

Keith, who has added 15 pounds and now weighs 243, likely will be an outside linebacker project in the NFL. Like McMillan, Keith was a standout defensive end at KU, but the athleticism and lack of weight might force a move away from the line.

Reid, meanwhile, may teeter between the seventh round and free agency. The Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals and a few other teams have shown interest, and calls from several other franchises have picked up in the last week.

“I’m excited,” said Reid, who’s flying to Atlanta to visit family and watch the draft this weekend. “But I’m just ready to get it over with. It’s a big weekend in my life. Hopefully, it works out well.”

Rounds 1-3 of the NFL Draft will take place beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday from Radio City Music Hall. Rounds 4-7 will be Sunday, and the free-agent flurry will begin minutes after the last pick Sunday night.

All seven rounds of the draft can be seen on ESPN (Sunflower Broadband channel 33).