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 up his fourth offensive lineman with the 75th overall pick.
Draft ticker: Nos. 1-74
As others have picked up offensive linemen in the last several rounds, I've felt like the best still remains: Rob Turner.
And considering four more guards need picked in this draft, at least to fill out starting lineups, I'd better take him now. Turner was a solid Boilermaker from 1999-2002, making 23 starts at right guard across three seasons. The 6-foot-4, near 300-pounder was part of a line that allowed only 20 sacks in 2002 and just 10 in 2000, when he started three games during the Rose Bowl season and played in the others as a reserve. (Let's disregard the line's play in 2001, when Turner started the first seven games, then broke his leg before returning for the bowl game vs. Washington State. It struggled).
I'm left with only three starting slots left — at left guard, running back and slot receiver — and understand the last spot has become a bit of a storyline. But the guy I want there is still available, and hopefully will remain so. Others have filled up their receiver slots, so I should be fine unless someone goes four wide.
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