Cornish awaits pro fate

Ex-Jayhawk hopes to be tapped in draft

Jon Cornish won’t be by the television this weekend watching the NFL Draft. He’s going to try to make the weekend as normal as possible.

“Me and my girlfriend,” he said, “are probably going to do laundry.”

The former Kansas University running back will have his cell phone nearby, though, should someone choose to make him a professional.

The NFL Draft starts at 11 a.m. today from New York. Rounds 1-3 are today, and rounds 4-7 will be conducted Sunday.

Cornish likely is the only Jayhawk with a chance to get drafted, though defensive end Rodney Allen is expected to get at least a free-agent contract. Other players, like defensive tackle Wayne Wilder and wide receiver Brian Murph, could get free-agent offers as well.

Even then, it’s only a chance for Cornish. Scouts have told him to expect nothing on the first day, and most mock drafts have Cornish getting picked in the seventh round. Some think he’s going to fall into free agency, which is a flurry of offers and agreements made immediately after the seventh round finishes Sunday.

If Cornish is drafted, he’d be the first Mark Mangino recruit at Kansas to get selected and the first Jayhawk since David McMillan was picked by the Cleveland Browns in 2005.

Cornish’s cell phone has been ringing constantly the last couple of weeks. Though he singled out the Kansas City Chiefs and the Chicago Bears as calling more than most, about every team has phoned to check in – sometimes scouts, sometimes members of the coaching staff.

“I actually think my stock has gone up a little bit,” Cornish said. “Most of the teams are saying a lot of good things.”

Cornish scouting reports

Here’s how some scouting services feel about former Kansas University standout Jon Cornish:

NFLDraftScout.com

Positives: Considered good at everything, but not great at anything. : Has a smooth gliding style that is deceptive to defenders. : Good quickness and acceleration. : Obvious production when given the opportunity.

Negatives: Not a truly explosive runner and lacks physicality and determination in his running despite his size. : Struggled to get onto the field as a freshman and sophomore. : Some wonder if Cornish is a product of Mark Mangino’s offense.

ESPN.com’s Scouts, Inc.

Positives: Shows good vision, reads blocks well and shows good patience. : Shows good focus when ball is in the air and rarely drops passes that he should catch. : Has good intangibles and sells play action. : Has experience returning kicks and can contribute on special teams.

Negatives: Lacks elite top-end speed and isn’t going to outrun defenders when he gets a seam. : Gets into good position and flashes the ability to cut blitzing defenders, but doesn’t play with a mean streak and needs to be more aggressive when asked to help out in pass protection.

This weekend will complete a four-month whirlwind of testing, appearances and phone calls by professional teams intrigued by his abilities. Cornish played in the East-West Shrine Game in January and soon after was invited to February’s NFL Combine.

There, while still not 100 percent from a season-long injury, Cornish ran a sub-par 4.62-second 40-yard dash. The next month, he ran a 4.52 at KU’s Pro Day in Anschutz Pavilion. That’s better, but he claims he has run in the 4.4s during his KU playing days.

While Cornish has no super strengths among his testing and his game – besides an elite Wonderlic score at the Combine – he doesn’t have a glaring weakness, either. The wild card that could push him onto an NFL sideline might be his special-teams prowess. For his first three seasons at KU, Cornish was the Jayhawks’ top special-teams player, before his expanded duties as a featured running back took him away from it.

“I think it’s going to be the thing that keeps me on the roster,” Cornish said. “If it comes down to it, and they’ve got to make a decision whether to cut a guy or not, I won’t be that guy because I’m the guy that can play on special teams.”

Cornish has had the NFL as a target for a long time, but the goal-oriented Canadian already has met several of his other aspirations. He wanted KU’s single-season rushing record last year and got it, rumbling for 1,457 yards on 250 carries. He’s set to graduate in May with a degree in psychology.

And now he’s close to starting a professional football career. The next two days will say plenty about where he’s going next.

“I thought I was going to be a little nervous,” he said. “But I’m actually feeling excited. This is something not a lot of people get to do.”