Friday, April 17, 1998 | 8:30 a.m.
Deshone Myles never dreamed that it would be like this.
ESPN. Mel Kiper. Waiting for your name to be announced before millions of viewers during the NFL draft.
"I never thought I had a chance to play pro football," Myles, a Cheyenne High School product who went on to star at Nevada-Reno, said. "The only schools that recruited me were Reno, UNLV and some small colleges."
Of course Myles was only 6-2 and 185 pounds at the time. Not exactly NFL linebacker dimensions.
But Myles tips the scales at 6-2 1/2 and 240 pounds these days, runs a 4.7 40-yard dash and is rated one of the top 10 linebacker prospects in this weekend's NFL draft by noted draft guru Kiper.
Jon Drenning, author of the Drenning Draft Report and a contributor to CBS Sportsline, projects Myles to be a second- or third-round selection.
Myles, who will watch the draft from his Las Vegas home with family and friends, said he isn't sure which NFL team will select him.
"I've talked to a lot of teams, but you never know, they could change their minds," said the former all-state linebacker who shattered Nevada-Reno's school record for tackles. "Sometimes it's a team that doesn't talk to you that drafts you. I'll just take it as it goes. Hopefully I'll go in the first three rounds."
Myles said 15 teams attended a personal workout he conducted for NFL clubs on March 9 at Reno. There he was clocked in the 40 in 4.73, a big improvement over his Indianapolis scouting combine time but still a notch below the times of projected first round outside linebacker picks Keith Brookings (4.5) of Georgia Tech, Brian Simmons (4.6) of North Carolina, Anthony Simmons (4.5) of Clemson and Sam Cowart (4.5) of Florida State.
"A lot of teams have called and come down and talked to me," Myles said. "But I still really don't have any idea who will pick me."
Myles isn't the only former Las Vegas prep linebacker expected to be drafted this weekend.
Clark High product Ron Merkerson, despite an injury-plagued senior year at Colorado, was rated the eighth best outside linebacker prospect by Kiper while Drenning predicted the 6-2, 255-pounder would be selected in the fourth or fifth rounds.
Entering his senior year, Merkerson was regarded as a potential first- or second-round pick by some scouts before torn ankle ligaments forced him to miss six games. He, like Myles, also struggled somewhat at the Indy combine.
"I didn't get the desired results," Merkerson, who has been timed at 4.75 in the 40, admitted.
Merkerson didn't seem fazed by some mock drafts that have projected him going as high as the second round or as low as the fifth.
"From what I've seen in the past, it's best not to even think about it," Merkerson said. "It's not about the (draft) position anyway. It's about going to camp and proving yourself."
Another prospect with Las Vegas ties, Utah wide receiver Kevin Dyson, is expected to be selected in the first round.
Dyson, who attended grade school for several years in Las Vegas, is generally rated the second best wide receiver available in the draft behind Marshall's controversial Randy Moss.
The 6-1, 195-pound Dyson has been timed at 4.42 in the 40, has a 37-inch vertical leap and benches 365 pounds. He has been projected to go as high as the tenth pick to the Baltimore Ravens and as low as the 26th selection by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
UNLV head coach Jeff Horton said it was unlikely any Rebel players would get picked this weekend. However, he expects both running back Roderick Johnson, sidelined most of the year with a dislocated hip, and wide receiver Todd Floyd to sign free agent contracts with NFL teams.
"I've had several teams call in the last couple of days to make sure they have their phone numbers," said Horton. "But I don't think either will get drafted. I think they'll both probably sign free agent contracts. That's not all bad. You have a choice about which team you want to sign with. That can provide you a better situation sometime than being drafted in the late rounds."
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