By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The phone rang

          Cortez Broughton finally got the good news around 6 p.m. Saturday, that the Los Angeles Chargers were taking him.
          The former Veterans standout was the 242nd pick, going just ahead of Penn State’s Nick Scott and right behind Oregon’s Jalen Jelks.
          Broughton will have a familiar face in L.A. It’s the home of Perry grad Casey Hayward.
          More to come Sunday.

The NFL Draft is unlikely to finish up on Saturday without at least on Central Georgia alum getting a call.

The final day gets started a little after noon on ABC, ESPN, and the NFL Network with the fourth round. And odds are that former Veterans standout Cortez Broughton’s phone will ring.

If it doesn’t during the draft, the Cincinnati defensive lineman will likely go to bed having come to an undrafted free agent agreement with somebody.

Broughton first emerged as an athlete to watch, well, nine years ago when he was a big part – literally and physically, at 5-11 and 225 points, according to LittleLeague.org - of the Warner Robins Little League team that reached the Little League World Series and lost 11-10 to California in a U.S. semifinal.

Former teammate Blake Jackson is also finishing up his college career, in baseball, at Middle Georgia State.

A glance at Twitter on Friday showed fans of scores of teams hoping they’d see Broughton’s name called.

Broughton was a key member of Veterans’ lone region title, coming in 2013.

The 6-2, 290-pounder showed versatility in college with the Bearcats, playing inside and outside on the defensive line, earning two all-conference selections with the American Athletic Conference and starting 49 games in four years.

Had he not suffered a season-ending injury early in 2014, he might be watching this year’s draft as a pro.

As it is, Cincinnati got its money’s worth out of Broughton.

Some media outlets expect him to get picked on Saturday.

From CBSSports.com:

“Watching Broughton two years ago was maddening but illuminating. At nearly 290 pounds, he spent the majority of his time the edge. Strange coaching choice. While he was awkwardly out of position, Broughton flashed impressive bend around the corner.

“In 2018, in which he predominantly played inside where he belonged, Broughton exploded for 18.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. No, his hand work isn't Aaron Donaldian. His first step is as dynamic as any defensive tackle in this class not named Ed Oliver, and his hips are extremely fluid, which allows him get to the ball even when he has to change directions.

Cortez Broughton consults with manager Randy Jones during the 2009 Little League World Series.

“Broughton is a plus athlete with a high motor and requisite power to play inside. He will be a steal late in the draft.

From the Athletic, by way of Rotoworld.com:

As (writer Dane) Brugler notes, Broughton was not on many draft radars coming into the 2018 season, but he really saw his stock rise after his monster 2018 season where he posted 17.5 tackles for loss. "He has the upfield quicks and competitive edge that equal backfield production," Brugler writes, "projecting best as a three-technique tackle." Broughton (6-2, 293) should see himself in an NFL camp even if he isn't selected late on Day 3.

A summary from thedraftnetwork.com lists Broughton’s hand work – as do other scouring reports – as a weakness but noted he had no red flags.

Sports Illustrated lists Broughton entering Saturday as the 36th best edge/defensive tackle left, while Bleacher Report has him 19th in his position group still available.