It’s that time of year again when NFL Scouts drool over a player’s leaping and running ability more than anything else. What the guy did in college doesn’t matter; if he can’t run a 4.2 and cut on a dime, he won’t make it in the NFL.

Such is the overrated hype of the NFL Combine, an event that has become more circus than spectacle.

This year will surely produce some guys that aren’t that good but be drafted and paid as if they’re the next big thing. It happens every year. Some guy runs fast (Donte Stallworth, who wasn’t a bust, but isn’t top 10 material), some guy throws far (Kyle Boller), some guy seems really agile as an offensive lineman (Robert Gallery), or some linebacker shows freak stats all the way around (LaVar Arrington).

I have a sleeper for this year’s Got Picked Way Too High Award. DeShawn Jackson, who’s sure to run a 4.3 or better, and because of his punt returning ability, will slide his way up into the top 15.

This thing kicks off Wednesday. From there we’ll watch guys rise and watch guys fall, all on the basis of numbers that don’t matter. But it does help keep us busy until next season, and with Spygate dying down, it’ll have to do.