It all starts with No. 1

Steve Guiremand

Friday, April 25, 2003 | 10:15 a.m.

Draft at a glance

For the second consecutive year, there will be little suspense about the top pick when the NFL draft kicks off Saturday morning.

Last year the Houston Texans had quarterback David Carr signed to a contract well before Paul Tagliabue stepped to the podium to start pro football's second-most anticipated event behind the Super Bowl. And the Cincinnati Bengals got a head start and introduced Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Carson Palmer of USC as the No. 1 overall pick of the 2003 draft Thursday night.

Barring a major surprise, the Detroit Lions will take Michigan State wide receiver Charles Rogers with the second pick. That's when some intrigue finally pops up.

Most mock drafts have the Houston Texans selecting Miami wide receiver Andre Johnson as the next pick, giving Carr a much-needed home run threat. But a number of teams, including the New England Patriots and New Orleans Saints, both of whom have two first-round picks, have been actively trying to trade up into the top five picks to try and select premier defensive players like Kansas State cornerback Terence Newman or Kentucky defensive tackle Dewayne Robertson.

And the Baltimore Ravens, who would like to get their hands on Marshall quarterback Byron Leftwich and pick 10th, are another team that might be willing to trade up.

The Boston Globe reported on Thursday that the Chicago Bears, who have the No. 4 pick and are expected to take Robertson or perhaps even Leftwich, had turned down a trade offer of two first-rounders (No. 14 and No. 19) by the Patriots, who covet Robertson.

Two other teams who could trade out of the top 10 are the Dallas Cowboys, who own the No. 5 pick and are expected to take Newman if he's still around, and the Minnesota Vikings, who pick seventh and are always looking for a way to cut corners when it comes to signing a No. 1 draft pick.

Other than some possible last-minute shuffling, here are some other things to look for in this weekend's NFL draft: