Who Picks Nicks? Former receiver for UNC says he doesn't know

Hakeem Nicks has finished all the preliminary work he needed to do for this weekend's NFL Draft, and all that's left for him now is to sit and wait to be selected.

Nicks, a former North Carolina receiver, doesn't know what might develop for him during Saturday's early rounds despite an extensive set of workouts and interviews with NFL coaches and player-development personnel.

"I kind of thought I would have some kind of clue, but honestly I don't," Nicks said. "I always thought I would have a little bit of clue, but right now I'm clueless. I'm just going to wait for my name to be called and go from there."

Nicks, who left UNC a year early and as the most prolific receiver in program history, probably will not have a long wait. Many draft analysts project him as a first-round selection.

Some projections have Nicks going late in the first round, among the last five picks. He could wind up with the New York Giants, who need a receiver after cutting ties with troubled Plaxico Burress last month.

Nicks is encouraged to hear that early draft projections put him in the first round, but he isn't going to rely on them as a gauge for what might happen.

"I don't want to be expecting something and then something else happen," he said. "I'll just pray for the best to happen."

Nicks' last workout was Monday in Chapel Hill for the Cleveland Browns, a team said to be interested in the draft's top receiver, Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech. Nicks worked out in Chapel Hill last Friday for the Baltimore Ravens and the Indianapolis Colts.

He also has worked out for the Carolina Panthers, the Miami Dolphins and the Chicago Bears. He visited six other teams for interviews with team officials but did not work out for those teams.

"It was always positive feedback," he said. "They would always tell me I look great and they would love to have me. It was nothing but good feedback."

The travel, along with the workouts and the interviews, were demanding, but Nicks is confident that he did all he could to show teams he's worthy of being a first-round selection.

"I won't say it was not what I expected, because making this transition right now is a big step," he said. "It's just a matter of me knowing how to handle everything and knowing how to stay in shape at the same time that I'm traveling to make all these visits.

"It became a hassle toward the end, because everything was one after another at the last minute, but I feel like I've handled it well. I've got everything out of the way. I'll sit back and wait on Saturday now."

Nicks isn't the fastest receiver in the draft, but he developed steadily at UNC by spending extra time on the practice field, running precise routes and making tough, sometimes spectacular catches.

He capped his career in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, making eight catches in a loss to West Virginia, including one on which he moved the ball from his right hand to his left hand, behind his back, while on the run. He set a UNC bowl record with 217 yards receiving and scored three touchdowns.

Nicks will leave UNC with 14 school records, including career records for most catches (181), most receiving yards (2,580) and most touchdowns (21). He is the only receiver in UNC history with a 1,000-yard season, after finishing with 1,222 yards last season.

"I haven't had any second thoughts," he said. "I'm satisfied with my decision. I feel like I'm ready for a new challenge. My dream is coming true, and I'm ready to keep fulfilling it."

Nicks will be in Charlotte on Saturday and will spend the day with his immediate family. An uncle will be cooking while everyone waits for a team to call. Nicks grew up not far from Bank of America Stadium, where the Panthers play, but said he doesn't foresee an outcome he would consider perfect.

"I really don't know what would be perfect," he said. "I just look at it as long as I'm getting my chance, I'm not really worried about where I'm getting drafted at. I'm pretty sure it will be the first day.

"I'm not really big on first or second round. I just want to get my opportunity to play and prove to myself that I can play with the best."

■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.