It’s late in the game and Joey Harrington is down once again.
But this time, he’s not getting the ball. He will not get the chance to direct an impressive 11th come-from-behind victory before entering the professional ranks. This time, the outcome is out of his control.
All he can do is wait, wait, wait … and perhaps wait some more.
At one point, Harrington was the potential top pick in the NFL Draft, which begins Saturday (9 a.m. ESPN). While many prognosticators still have him as a top-10 pick in Saturday’s NFL Draft, some have speculated that “Joe College” may fall all the way to the second round.
“I’m not assuming anything. … No matter what happens, I am going to end up far away from home in a new situation with a new offense,” Harrington said recently. “It’s all going to be a new, fun experience for me. I’m not getting my hopes set on anywhere or getting too picky because I have no choice in the matter.”
With the No. 1 pick, the expansion Houston Texans officially committed Wednesday to Fresno State’s David Carr, as he agreed to a seven-year deal worth more than $46 million. At No. 2, the Carolina Panthers are expected to select North Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers.
The Detroit Lions, with the third pick, have said they will not select Harrington. The Buffalo Bills, in need of a quarterback, are pursuing former Washington State star Drew Bledsoe from the New England Patriots, and are wary of Harrington’s arm strength, a point taken by many scouts.
The Chargers, Cowboys and Vikings, with picks five through seven, respectively, have shown no interest in Harrington.
The earliest possibility, many have presumed, is Harrington being called with the eighth pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.
“He’s the complete package,” Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil told The Kansas City Star. “We think he’s going to be a starting quarterback someday. He was bound to be a quarterback since he was born. His dad was a college quarterback. He’s been in a very sophisticated passing scheme.
“He’s played in huge games for college football, and his team has won games because of his performance. They haven’t had a ton of all-world players around him. He’s carried the program the last couple of years to very successful heights. He’s got a quarterback’s mentality and a good feel for the game.”
Kansas City, however, has not drafted a quarterback since Todd Blackledge in 1983, and several reports have said Vermeil may be reluctant to select Harrington.
But many agree that Harrington would be a steal if he slips out of the top-5.
“How can Carr go one and Harrington go eight or 10 when they’re equal?” ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper said. “It so happens whoever went No. 1, the other guy was going to drop because other teams don’t have the need. If the Chiefs get him, they’re getting a guy who’s equal to the No. 1 pick in the draft. They would be getting a heckuva bargain.”
If Kansas City passes on him, Harrington could reunite in Cincinnati with former Oregon quarterback Akili Smith, who was the third overall pick by the Bengals in the 1999 draft.
“He’s a great dude, all the leadership qualities you look for,” Smith told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “Smart. High-intensity. True competitor. It would be real ironic. I would be in my fourth year here. He would be a rookie. It was the same situation at Oregon. It may happen again. If Joey is the luck that I need, please draft him.”
Regardless of when he is selected, Harrington will not be on hand to greet his new team. Instead of being at the draft in New York — which may of the top picks usually do — Harrington will watch it all unfold from his family’s home in Portland.

Five other Ducks await word
Rashad Bauman nearly has it all. Confidence, ability, speed, confidence, knowledge and confidence. But there’s just one small note about the cocky Phoenix native: The former Oregon defensive back lacks the height that most NFL scouts say is necessary to contain the league’s tall receivers.
“My height is about the only (bad) thing the scouts can say about me,” said the 5-foot-8-inch second-team all-Pacific-10 Conference selection. “Two inches taller, and I’d probably be in the first round.”
Instead, draft experts have Bauman projected a late-second-round or early-third-round pick, behind many taller defensive backs.
“Look, if you can find a cornerback who is 6-2 and runs well, take him,” Bauman told reports at the NFL pre-draft combine last month. “I just don’t see many of those guys around. I know that I’ve made as many plays as anyone the last four years, and the tapes show that.”
Other Oregon hopefuls this weekend include defensive back Steve Smith, running back Maurice Morris, tight end Justin Peelle and linebacker Wesly Mallard. If they are not drafted, they could sign with a team as free agents.