There is a lot to be said about a college football program having players make it in the NFL Draft, especially from mid major schools.

Over the weekend, the MAC sent 11 alumni to their new teams. Unfortunately no Huskies were among this list of players.

Hours after the draft, seven of the prospective NFL athletes from NIU are committed to teams. This stat is more impressive than having just one player drafted with no free agents.

With four of the MAC-record 11 picks being offensive linemen, one could ask why Jake VerStraete didn’t hear his name called over the weekend. He was the only draft prospect listed for the Huskies at offensive line.

As of Sunday night, the Huskies had two offensive linemen under contract. VerStraete in Pittsburgh and Matt McGhghy in Chicago.

Central Michigan had two linemen taken during the draft but now find themselves sharing the MAC lead at this position with NIU.

The draft saw Akron’s Charlie Frye taken as the fourth quarterback overall in the third round by the Cleveland Browns. Arguably the best senior QB in the MAC last year, he finds himself sharing the NFL rookie spotlight in Ohio with Josh Haldi.

Although Haldi wasn’t drafted, he has the potential to stick around the NFL as a third stringer if not fight for a second string spot. This is a lot to say for NIU’s ex-signal caller.

Consider the fact that he has a contract for Cincinnati in the works while there has been no word, as of Tuesday night, on whether or not Oklahoma’s Jason White has signed anywhere. Does this mean that Haldi has better pro potential than the winner of the 2003 Heisman Trophy?

Not a single linebacker from the MAC was drafted either. Yet, NIU’s Brian Atkinson has found his ticket to the NFL as a Tennessee Titan. So out of all the talent at LB in the conference, the Huskies can lay claim to having the best of the bunch.

Dante Ridgeway of Ball State was the only wide receiver drafted, but as the trend continued, NIU was represented when Dan Sheldon’s speed and elusive moves made him one of the newest Arizona Cardinals.

The only positions where a MAC player was taken without a new Huskie football alum in contract talks are punter, defensive line and defensive back.

Don’t blink though, Lionel Hickenbottom is still roaming the free agent market with a good shot of being picked up.

Most NIU fans can’t place any thought into the lack of Huskies at defensive line not being taken. The core talent of the NIU d-line during the 2004 season were underclassmen.

The Huskies may not have won the MAC, but there’s no question who has more NFL caliber players.