Radio City Music Hall in New York was the site of the 2009 NFL Draft. (Ben Liebenberg / NFL.com)

The NFL confirmed reports that the league is considering the idea of starting the 2010 draft in prime time on a Thursday night and making it a three-day event but added that no decision has been made.

The Dallas Morning News reported that the NFL was considering holding the first round of the draft on a Thursday night, the second and third rounds on a Friday night and rounds 4 through 7 on a Saturday. “We think it can be very appealing from a fan’s standpoint and an audience standpoint,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in the story.

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy posted the same details on his Twitter channel, asking his “followers” to let him know what they thought.

Last year, the NFL shortened the time between first-round picks from 15 minutes to 10 minutes, and this year’s first round took 3:23 — making it the fastest first round since 1990 (when there were four fewer teams in the league).

What do you think about the idea of a three-day draft? Post a comment below.

Standout Canadian running back Jamall Lee has agreed to a free-agent contract with the Carolina Panthers after not being drafted this weekend.

Lee played at Bishop’s College in Quebec and, at 225 pounds, ran the fastest 40-yard dash time — in the low 4.3 range — at the Canadian Football League combine.

Wake Forest wide receiver D.J. Boldin, younger brother of Cardinals Pro Bowl wideout Anquan Boldin, signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions after going undrafted this weekend.

D.J. Boldin was one of the most productive wide receivers in the ACC last season. He led the Demon Deacons with 81 receptions for 848 yards and three touchdowns.

Wide receiver Michael Crabtree was introduced to the Bay Area media contingent Sunday, one day after he was taken No. 10 overall by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL draft. Crabtree spoke about a number of topics, including the stress fracture in his left foot, training with NFL veterans in the offseason, and his reputation as a shy guy.

Crabtree said he is close to being able to run on his injured foot, and will likely play with a surgically inserted screw for now.

“Probably later on down the road I might do something different,” Crabtree said. “But, right now, (the screw) is in my foot, and I’m ready to go.”

More from Crabtree…

On meeting Jerry Rice:
“It was like a motivational meeting –- just really telling me to keep my head, keep a level head, keep up what I’ve been doing. I learned a lot from him.”

On playing injured against Texas last season:
“That’s part of being a football player, because you’re always going to have nicks and that. It’s just how strong you are, how determined you are, to go out there and play the game of football. I was very determined.”

On what he attributes his good hands to:
“When I was younger, my brother used to throw the ball as hard as he can. He’s six years older than me. And I got tired of catching it with my chest -– it was kind of hurting my chest. So I started using my hands more. It turned around some.”

On when he realized he was ready to make the leap to the NFL:
“Last year when it felt like I was playing above my level in the college level. I felt like I had kind of mastered it. Once I start seeing two and three people covering me, I felt like I needed a bigger challenge.

On his reputation for being shy and reserved:
“As soon as I got to college, I didn’t really want to do interviews or nothing like that because I didn’t ever want to be labeled as a talker. I always wanted my field play to speak for itself. I had to get used to it. It’s something that every NFL player has to do. I’m just really having fun with it.”

And the title of Mr. Irrelevant goes to …

South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop was the last pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, going 256th overall to the Kansas City Chiefs.

“I don’t really mind it. I don’t plan on being irrelevant,” Succop told The Associated Press of being picked last. “I’ve been very blessed, and I plan on making an impact right away. I’ve been blessed with the ability to do it, and I’m looking forward to doing it.”

As Mr. Irrelevant, Succop will be honored in Newport Beach, Calif., with an opening reception on June 23. The All-Star Lowsman Trophy Banquet and Rams reunion will be held at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel on June 25. Succop will wrap up Irrelevant week with a Main Street welcome and closing ceremonies in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 27. For more information, visit the Mr. Irrelevant Web site.

Last year’s Mr. Irrelevant, Idaho LB David Vobora, turned out to be quite relevant to the Rams. Vobora played in eight games, including a start in a Nov. 30 game against the Dolphins, and made 15 tackles.

Spanning the globe, the Chargers drafted DT Vaughn Martin from Western University in Ontario, Canada, in the fourth round (113th overall).

Martin was a guy the team had targeting all along, Chargers director of college scouting John Spanos told the team’s official Web site:

“Our northeastern scout (Tom Gibbons) went up to Canada for a workout that was attended by multiple teams,” Spanos said. “We looked into everything about his background and ability on the field. We felt lucky he was still there when we picked because we liked him all along.”

“They said they would start me out at right defensive end and then work my way to nose. I’m excited to play both positions and to play with the personnel they have.”

College teams in Canada play under Canadian football rules, which means Martin will have to adjust to NFL-style football. Canadian players line up one yard off the line of scrimmage, and Martin told the Chargers’ Web site that he has lot to learn:

“I have a lot to learn as far as technique,” Martin said. “My quickness helped me with having to play a yard off, so playing a yard closer will be nice.”

Reports that Nate Davis suffers from a learning disability might have scared away some teams on draft weekend. However, 49ers coach Mike Singletary (via the team’s official Web site) said the Ball State QB’s willingness to talk about what the coach referred to as dyslexia actually was one of the reasons San Francisco took a chance on Davis in the fifth round:

“I was very impressed with his openness,” Singletary said of Davis. “He’s the guy that brought it up. He said, ‘Coach, I’m going to tell you up front. I have a learning disability. I’m dyslexic. That’s one of the things I guess in the upcoming drafts some people have kind of knocked me down a little bit and kind of counting me out. I can learn, will learn, and I just have to get it my way.’”

In a conference call with local media, Davis admitted that he has been diagnosed with a learning disability since the seventh grade, but he denied being dyslexic.

Whatever term is used to refer to Davis’ disability, it ultimately doesn’t appear to be that important to Singletary, who believes the QB possesses first-round talent and a strong arm. Singletary said he spoke to Davis’ quarterback coach at Ball State, who assured him that Davis was fully capable of learning a complicated playbook, albeit at a different style and pace:

“I just think that we’re sitting there at five and we’re thinking, ‘Wow, we have an opportunity to get this guy,’” Singletary said. “And we were just hoping that we really did have the opportunity to come back and tag him and have him on our team before someone else did because he certainly has a heck of an arm. At the beginning of the season, he was one of those guys they were talking about going in the first pick. Maybe mid-season, something happened. Took a turn. But I’m very happy to have him.”

The Eagles neglected to bring in former Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin for a pre-draft visit. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

When the Eagles neglected to bring in Missouri WR Jeremy Maclin for a pre-draft visit, it wasn’t necessarily a strategic decision. Coach Andy Reid admitted to the team’s official Web site that the Eagles didn’t expect the speedy wideout to be there when they selected at No. 21, let alone No. 19, where they moved up to take Maclin through a trade with the Browns:

“Actually, we thought he was going to go a little bit higher than what he did,” Reid said. “This is not who we had targeted. He just happened to be one of those guys that fell a little bit, kind of fell in our lap there, so we wanted to take advantage of it. (We) strictly trusted our evaluation of him as a football player.”

“I got to talk to him down at the Combine. I didn’t bring him in. Again, I thought he would be gone long before it got to us.”

Maclin was pleased that everything worked out the way it did:

“I think it worked out for the best,” Maclin said during a conference call on Saturday. “I’m a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. I can’t complain going to this organization. I think everything happened for the best.”

The Chargers selected LSU WR Demetrius Byrd in the seventh round (225th overall), one week after he was injured in a car accident. The Shreveport (La.) Times reports that Byrd has been upgraded from critical to good condition at a Miami hospital.

Byrd was a star for LSU’s national championship team in 2007, but he struggled last season. Before the accident, he was expected to be drafted between the fifth and seventh rounds.

Despite finishing fourth in overall defense last season, the Redskins posted just 24 sacks — good for 28th in the NFL. With that stat in mind, the Redskins were in the market for an impact pass rusher in this year’s draft and fulfilled that need Saturday by taking Texas DE Brian Orakpo with the 13th overall pick.

“I just have a fire and intensity to get after the quarterback,” Orakpo told the Redskins’ official Web site. “I do whatever it takes. I don’t have a favorite move, I just get after it and bring the pressure.”

Joining free-agent DT addition Albert Haynesworth on the line certainly will help Orakpo’s cause, as will the fact that he is going to a team that recently released DEs Jason Taylor and Demetric Evans.

Orakpo told the Redskins’ Web site that he’s excited about playing with Haynesworth:

“Having one of the best defensive tackles in the game right now will make my job easier, I’ll tell you that much,” Orakpo said. “That is what you need, that force up the middle. It will be great.”

Broncos took RB Knowshon Moreno with the 12th overall pick. (Ed Andrieski / Associated Press)

While many people may have been surprised to see the Broncos take RB Knowshon Moreno with the 12th overall pick (the first time the Broncos had taken a running back in the first round since 1985), it should not have surprised anyone that Denver’s choice came from the University of Georgia.

Moreno became the third former Bulldog to join the Broncos since 1995, joining Terrell Davis and Olandis Gary. Davis, a former MVP, totaled 7,607 rushing yards and 60 touchdowns in eight seasons with the Broncos, while Gary rushed for over 1,000 yards in his 1999 rookie campaign. Moreno said that he was well aware of the Broncos recent tradition with Georgia running backs (via the Broncos’ official website).

“You know, Terrell Davis was a Georgia guy, late rounder, but he really blossomed. And I think a lot of that comes from how he was coached. Especially with (Running backs coach) Bobby Turner and the staff that was there. So I’m really excited to work with (Turner) and I can’t wait.”

The Broncos think Moreno possesses the same type of pass-catching ability out of the backfield that made Davis such an effective and versatile running back.

“He catches the ball extremely well — he has very good hands,” Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said of Moreno.

“So certainly on third down as the player grows in our system and he becomes more comfortable with what we are doing, I think he could definitely give us that versatility.”

The University of Miami has produced some of the finest players in NFL history. But judging by the results of this weekend’s draft, the pipeline from Coral Gables might be drying up.

An NFL team didn’t select a Miami player until the Atlanta Falcons spent a sixth-round pick (176th overall) on LB Spencer Adkins. That ended the school’s 14-year streak of having a player selected in the first round and a 22-year run of having a player taken in the first three rounds.

Miami has been a go-to school for NFL teams looking for talent. In fact, you could build one heck of an all-star team using only former Hurricanes who are currently playing in the league.

How about these offensive skill players? RBs Frank Gore (49ers), Edgerrin James (Cardinals), Willis McGahee (Ravens) and Clinton Portis (Redskins); TEs Bubba Franks (Free agent), Greg Olsen (Bears), Jeremy Shockey (Saints) and Kellen Winslow (Buccaneers); WRs Devin Hester (Bears), Andre Johnson (Texans), Santana Moss (Redskins) and Reggie Wayne (Colts).

And what about these guys anchoring the defense? DTs Damione Lewis (Panthers) and Vince Wilfork (Patriots); LBs Jon Beason (Panthers), Ray Lewis (Ravens) and Jonathan Vilma (Saints); DBs Phillip Buchanon (Lions), Ed Reed (Ravens) and Antrel Rolle (Cardinals).

“The U” has left its mark on the NFL — just not in this year’s draft.

Looking for a pass rusher with their first pick, Buffalo went back to Penn State, where they found success drafting linebacker Paul Posluszny in the second round of the 2007 draft. This time the Bills took DE Aaron Maybin with the 11th overall pick.

“It’s a great opportunity for me,” Maybin told buffalobills.com. “And I’m going to get a chance to play with some Penn State guys that are already there in Bryan Scott and Paul Posluszny. I’m really anxious to get up there and start putting in work.”

Maybin spent one year as a starter at Penn State, where it didn’t take long for him to make an impact on the field, something the Bills are hoping he can do in his first year in the pros.

“All I can do and all I plan on doing is coming in and working as hard as possible,” said Maybin. “I’m a guy that likes to keep his mouth shut and let his game do the talking on the field. So I’m going to come in with a humble mindset, ready to work hard and ready to get a lot of work done.”

The Raiders created quite a stir Saturday when they drafted Ohio safety Michael Mitchell in the second round, drawing criticism from numerous television pundits and journalists alike. But there was a method to the Raiders’ perceived madness.

Outsiders might have been surprised by Mitchell’s selection, but he was rapidly moving up draft boards. Raiders coach Tom Cable said Mitchell had visited as many as 15 teams during the past three weeks.

The Bears told Mitchell to wait by the phone because they planned to take him with the No. 49 overall selection (the same pick that the Bears dangled to the Cardinals in a trade offer for WR Anquan Boldin.) Mitchell told the media he believed he would be a Bear (via the Raiders’ official Web site):

“I was thinking about going to Chicago, because they told me to stay close to my phone. Oakland was able to get to 47 and thought there was still a chance there. It’s just so amazing how this happened and worked out, I’m just pumped.”

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo told the Chicago Tribune that after Ohio State WR Brian Robiskie (another player whom the Bears had targeted) went to the Browns and Mitchell was taken by the Raiders, it was time to move out of the second round:

“Unfortunately the players we targeted at 49 did not fall to us and we weren’t in a position that we were able to move up we just didn’t have enough,” Angelo said.

It’s always a snap judgment to immediately evaluate the success of a team’s draft. With that disclaimer aside, it’s easy to see that several teams exited the first day of the draft with several potential starters. Among those are the Vikings.

The Vikings hit the daily double with WR Percy Harvin and OT Phil Loadholt — landing highly rated players at two positions of need.

League sources say the Vikings really did their due diligence in getting to know Harvin. Vikings coach Brad Childress flew down to Florida to visit with Harvin last week after reports surfaced of a failed drug test at the NFL Scouting Combine — and Childress must have walked away convinced that he could live with whatever issues (or non-issues) surrounded Harvin. Remember, this is the same front office and coaching staff that traded for DE Jared Allen after investigating his alcohol issues and came away convinced they wouldn’t be a concern. This also is the same organization that not so long ago treaded the waters of the Love Boat scandal, resulting in the Wilf family putting a premium on “character” players.

The Vikings do take players off of their draft board because of such concerns — but Harvin wasn’t one of them.

As for Harvin on the field, league sources say he’ll be able to play any of the receiver positions, including the slot. That’s likely his best position, but he has the ability to get off the line of scrimmage, which will allow the Vikings to use him in multiple spots. Think of the way the Panthers use Steve Smith.

The Vikings have Loadholt slated for right tackle and expect him to beat out Ryan Cook, the incumbent starter there. With Bryant McKinnie (6-foot-8, 335) on the left side and Loadholt (is there a more appropriate name for a monster tackle?), who goes 6-8 and 332 pounds, the Vikings give new meaning to the term “bookend tackles.”