After four years of college football, four months of workouts and a four-hour drive home to New Jersey, David Tyree still has no expectations for the NFL Draft. But he knows at least one thing: The car comes first.

“If I get drafted, I know the first thing I’ll do,” said Tyree, a wide receiver. “I’ve never had a vehicle before. I’m gonna get one of those first and foremost. If I get a larger amount, I’ll put it in the bank for my family.”

Tyree, along with Chris Davis and Will Hunter, will be anxiously watching this weekend’s draft with the future of their careers on the line.

Though none of the three participated in individual workouts, teams saw each player on two separate Syracuse pro days. The workouts serve as a venue for scouts to view all of a school’s NFL-bound players.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Tyree has talked to the Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and, just yesterday, the Detroit Lions. He anticipates a team drafting him anywhere from the fourth to fifth round but realizes he may not be drafted at all.

“The teams I talked to, they want to know where you’re going,” Tyree said. “So they ask me, ‘Where do you think you’re going to go?’ I said, ‘I don’t know.’ They said that’s good, because it could really be anywhere. I’ve gotta remember that.”

A year ago, scouts didn’t consider Tyree an NFL player. But after a season in which Tyree started all 12 games and a pro day on which he ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash, Tyree’s stock jumped.

“Everyone would want a Randy Moss-type,” Tyree said. “And there aren’t a lot of those. So you just have to show the scouts that you can help out in other ways, like on special teams. But I think I’ll play wide receiver next year.”

Hunter, however, has seen his stock drop since last year. After being named a preseason first-team all-Big East defensive back, Hunter led SU to the No. 117 pass defense, worst in the nation.

Hunter will watch the draft from the home of his high school coach, Michael Irvin.

“Our hope is he’ll be drafted anywhere from the second to fourth round,” Irvin said. “The thing about Will last year was the Syracuse linemen didn’t get any pressure on the quarterback. When Will played with (current Colts defensive end) Dwight Freeney, he was a completely different player. Scouts know that.

“I’ll tell you this right now: Will Hunter will play in the NFL.”

Hunter, meanwhile, is more humble about where he’ll end up. Even if he’s passed over, Hunter would consider a trip to the Canadian Football League but not the Arena League.

“I’m afraid of the Arena League,” Hunter said. “It’s too small of a field. And the walls are right on the sidelines. I wouldn’t want that.”

Davis and linebacker Clifton Smith were the only two Orangemen who participated in February’s NFL Combine. It allowed Davis to exhibit his athletic ability. The fullback struggled getting touches last season, something his agent, Mark Lepsetter, points to as a hurdle for Davis.

“That would be the only question mark,” Lepsetter said of Davis averaging 7.1 yards. “Teams have to decide whether he’s a running back or a fullback.”

The Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants have expressed interest in Davis. Lepsetter said there’s a strong possibility Davis will be drafted, though he refused to predict a round.

“Come July (training camp), it doesn’t matter what round a guy’s drafted,” Lepsetter said. “But he’s playing in the NFL. If he has to sign as a free agent, it’ll happen.”

Published on April 24, 2003 at 12:00 pm