Corey DeMoss
OKBlitz.com Staff Writer

NORMAN, Oklahoma – Bob Stoops said Tuesday that injured tight end Jermaine Gresham will enter the NFL Draft after this season.

“Jermaine’s going to go into the draft,” Stoops said.

The discussion arose during Stoops’ weekly press conference. He was asked if he regrets not encouraging Sam Bradford and Gresham to enter the draft after last season.

“I don’t get that and I don’t think most people do,” Stoops said. “For me to force a guy out … What if it isn’t the right decision? I don’t need to tell you how things can always go in a draft, so in the end it’s not my job to force a guy to come out.”

Bradford and Gresham both have sustained injuries this season, and there has been speculation that the injuries could negatively impact their draft position. Stoops emphasized that such projections are made prematurely and often inaccurately.

“For instance, everybody says, ‘Oh, he’ll be the first or the second or the fourth guy picked,’” Stoops said. “But now [experts] start dissecting [players]. ‘Why shouldn’t they take him in the first 10 picks?’ My point is that they make all these projections without the Combine.”

The NFL Scouting Combine occurs in February, and can greatly influence a player’s position in the Draft. Jermaine Gresham’s surgery, which was performed Sept. 8, generally has a recovery time of five months. If that timetable holds, Gresham might not be completely healthy when the Combine occurs.

Do you think Gresham’s injury will affect his draft stock? Discuss it on the OKBlitz.com forums.