GoldandBlack.com's 20-year Purdue player draft: Pick No. 59
To help commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Purdue's magical turnaround 1997 season, GoldandBlack.com's staff will break up the rosters and select the best players to wear a Boilermaker uniform since Coach Joe Tiller's first season on the sidelines.
GoldandBlack.com's 20-year Purdue player draft will have 100 players chosen — two picks each weekday over 10 weeks. Boilermakers who were on Purdue rosters between 1997-2017 are eligible for selection. The draft order is Alan Karpick, Stacy Clardie, Kyle Charters and Brian Neubert.
Charters picks yet another on the defensive side at No. 59 ...
Draft ticker: Nos. 1-58
Thirty-two picks ago, I couldn't decide whether I should select Adrian Beasley or Ralph Turner.
Turns out, Beasley might have been the right choice then, because Turner is still available now, and I'm taking the former safety at No. 59. Multiple reasons to like this pick: The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder was a great athlete with a ton of experience, starting 38 games from 1999-2002. His best season came his senior year, when he had 71 tackles, a couple interceptions, two sacks and two forced fumbles.
But there's some strategy in this selection, as well. The pool is thinning at safety, and Alan, who some declared the winner of our summer draft after the fifth overall pick, hasn't yet picked one. And even though I've got two safeties, in Beasley and Turner, I'm thinking of taking another defensive back soon — one who can play either spot — as my second cornerback.
As for my team, I'm nearly complete on defense, with an opening at corner and linebacker. Two are on my list at LB, but am looking at only one at CB. Not sure how long I can wait, though.
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