Piscitelli will be returning home as he played prep ball in Boca Raton, Fla.
where he grew up cheering for the Buccaneers with his family and friends. Tampa
Bay loves Piscitelli's hitting ability as they are trying to get meaner in the
secondary. Scouts have compared Piscitelli to St. Louis' Terrence Holt,
but some people are reminded of former Bucs safety John Lynch.
“There’s a lot of upside [to him],” Tampa Bay head coach John Gruden
said. “He’s Pac-10 All-Conference. Watching him against USC, the number one-team
in the country – Oregon State beat them this year and he was a big reason why.
The guy played tremendous football in key situations.
“He will hit you. He seems to enjoy it, and he plays the game with speed. They
do a lot of things at Oregon State, a credit to their defensive scheme; they
have a system that he’s handled well. He’s been a physical tackler, and he’s
intercepted and recovered a lot of balls. He’s an opportunistic guy that we
need back there.”
Piscitelli is expected to help out on special teams immediately.
Offensive tackle Adam Koets become the second and last OSU
player selected in the 2007 draft when the New York Giants drafted him in the
sixth round (189th overall). Koets is the first offensive lineman drafted since
Doug Nienhuis (2001-04) was selected by the Seattle Seahawks
in the seventh round last in 2005.
“Adam Koets is a very interesting guy in that he played left tackle at a very
high level at Oregon State,” Giants head coach Tom Coughlin
said. “He is a guy that is athletic, that has done a good job in pass protection.
"We think he’s a guy that has great upside and has it all in front of
him. He’s very smart. You want to put a little strength into his game and teach
him a run blocker as well as a pass protector. So there is some developmental
Quarterback Matt Moore and tight end Joe Newton
went undrafted, but are expected to sign free agent contracts shortly.
Notes:
- Oregon State has had at least one player drafted for seven consecutive
years.
- In last year's draft receiver Mike Hass and linebacker Keith Ellison were
drafted.
- The son of former Oregon State quarterback Joe Francies
(1955-57), Hawaii defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis, was
drafted by Detroit in the second round.
Newspaper articles:
NFL.com's Gil Brandt's analysis:
On Piscitelli -" Piscitelli grew up in Florida and played
prep football there. He's built more like a lineman than a defensive back. He
ran the short shuttle in 3.90 seconds and the three-cone drill in 6.84 -- two
big indicators of possible success in the league. Physcially, he doesn't look
that fast. He has very good ball skills."
On Koets - "He has long arms, very good technique and
5.08 speed. He needs to improve his strength and be competitive on every down."