The Questions Start at the Top

Eli Manning is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

The San Diego Chargers hold the top pick.

Maurice Clarett had hoped to be selected in the first round, as did Mike Williams.

So much for what we know about today’s draft.

What we don’t know takes longer to outline and is subject to last-minute changes.

Manning’s unwillingness to play for the Chargers could mean San Diego trades the No. 1 pick to a team that meets with the former Mississippi quarterback’s approval. Or the Chargers could simply ignore history and Manning’s objections to playing for them and take him.

As for Clarett and Williams, their hopes to bypass the NFL’s draft eligibility rules were dashed Thursday by Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens.

Clarett, a sophomore running back from Ohio State, and Williams, a sophomore receiver from USC, must hope the NFL holds a supplemental draft in which they can be selected despite being only two years removed from their high school graduations. Under league rules, players must have been out of high school for three years to be eligible for the draft.

Clarett’s attorney, Alan C. Milstein, declined to comment Friday on his next move.

USC Coach Pete Carroll said that he spoke Friday with representatives for Williams, but that he did not expect the former Trojan receiver to make a quick decision regarding his future.

Williams dropped his classes at USC in February and hired an agent.

However, USC could petition the NCAA to restore Williams’ college eligibility.

Williams said last week that he would probably sit out a year and prepare for the 2005 draft if he was barred this year. But he did not rule out a return to USC.

“They’re going to wait it out and see what happens,” Carroll said. “There’s no reason to rush anything.... I’m not really worried about it.”

Meanwhile, it was anyone’s guess what the Chargers might do today, having been told by Manning’s father, Archie, that they should not bother drafting his son. The younger Manning told reporters he was prepared to sit out the season if San Diego, which hasn’t made the playoffs in eight seasons, does select him.

“It’s my decision, my career and my life,” said Eli Manning, whose father played most of his career for the New Orleans Saints and whose brother Peyton now plays for the Indianapolis Colts.

“It’s never been important to me,” Manning said of the possibility of being the top pick. “I’ve never said I have to go one or wanted to be the first pick in the draft. I just wanted to go to a team that wanted me. I want to go somewhere that’s a good program and a good place to play football.”

Manning did not name a team he would rather play for but said there have been talks with the New York Giants and Oakland Raiders about trading for the top pick and selecting the 23-year-old All-American.

This wouldn’t be the first time a top draft pick decided he didn’t want to play for the team with the No. 1 overall selection. John Elway told the Colts not to take him 21 years ago, threatened to become a professional baseball player, then refused to sign when the team ignored his wishes. The Colts then traded Elway’s rights to the Denver Broncos.

If the Chargers draft Manning today and fail to sign him, the player could be returned to the 2005 draft. Manning could then be joined by Clarett and Williams, provided they aren’t selected in a supplemental draft.

Andy Geiger, Ohio State athletic director, said Friday he “cannot envision a scenario where [Clarett] would be able to play football next fall” for the Buckeyes. Clarett and Williams would be eligible for a supplemental draft if the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals eventually upholds the decision of a District Court judge, who in February ruled in favor of Clarett.

All of which has overshadowed other story lines leading to the draft, including the expected order of quarterbacks rated slightly behind Manning.

After Manning goes today, it’s generally assumed that Ben Roethlisberger of Miami of Ohio and Philip Rivers of North Carolina State could be the next quarterbacks selected. J.P. Losman of Tulane, and Venice High, also could be in the mix despite questions about his size.

At 6 feet 2, Losman is shorter than the 6-5 Roethlisberger and the 6-4 Rivers, and wasn’t invited to participate in the pre-draft festivities in New York. But he’s said to be every bit the playmaker the others are and a potential first-round pick.

Pittsburgh’s Larry Fitzgerald probably will be the first receiver selected.

Defensive end Kenechi Udeze of USC is expected to be a first-round pick and perhaps the first defensive lineman chosen. Certainly, he will be the first of the local players to be selected. Udeze was tied for the national lead last season with 16 1/2 sacks.

Other Trojans who might be selected in the first few rounds include defensive backs Will Poole and Marcell Allmond, receiver Keary Colbert, offensive lineman Jacob Rogers and defensive end Omar Nazel.

UCLA isn’t expected to have a player selected in the first round and maybe not in the second, but defensive tackle Dave Ball, linebacker Brandon Chillar and defensive back Matt Ware might be selected in the third or fourth round.

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Times staff writers Gary Klein and Lonnie White and Associated Press contributed to this report.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

*--* Passing Fad Five quarterbacks have been selected No. 1 overall in the NFL draft since 1998. A look: Player, College Pos NFL Team 2003 Carson Palmer, USC QB Cincinnati 2002 David Carr, Fresno State QB Houston 2001 Michael Vick, Virginia Tech QB Atlanta 2000 Courtney Brown, Penn State DE Cleveland 1999 Tim Couch, Kentucky QB Cleveland 1998 Peyton Manning, Tennessee QB Indianapolis

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NFL Draft

The first three rounds of the NFL draft will be held today (9 a.m.-4 p.m. ESPN; 4 p.m.-end ESPN2), and the next four on Sunday (8-10 a.m. ESPN; 10 a.m.-end ESPN2). The first-round order:

*--* No Team Rounds of other picks 1. San Diego 2, 3, 4, 5 (2), 6, 7 (3) 2. Oakland 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (4) 3. Arizona 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 4. N.Y. Giants 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (2) 5. Washington 5, 6 6. Detroit 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 7. Cleveland 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (2), 7 8. Atlanta 2, 3, 4 (2), 5, 6 9. Jacksonville 2, 3 (2), 4, 5 (2), 6, 7 (2) 10. Houston 2, 3, 4 (2), 5, 6 (2), 7 (2) 11. Pittsburgh 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (3), 7 12. N.Y. Jets 3, 4 (2), 5, 6, 7 (4) 13. Buffalo 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 (2) 14. Chicago 2, 3, 4 (2), 5, 7 15. Tampa Bay 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (3) 16. San Francisco 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 (2), 7 17. Denver** 2 (2), 3, 5, 6 (2), 7 (3) 18. New Orleans 2 (2), 3, 6, 7 (2) 19. Minnesota 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 20. Miami 3, 4, 6, 7 (2) 21. New England* 2, 3, 4 (2), 5, 7 22. Dallas 2, 3, 4, 5 23. Seattle 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 24. Cincinnati** 2 (2), 3 (2), 4 (2), 5, 6, 7 25. Green Bay 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (2) 26. St. Louis 3, 4 (2), 5, 6, 7 (2) 27. Tennessee 2 (2), 3, 4, 5 (2), 6, 7 (3) 28. Philadelphia 2, 3, 4 (2), 6 (2), 7 (3) 29. Indianapolis 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 30. Kansas City 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 31. Carolina 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 32. New England 2, 3, 4 (2), 5, 7

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* Via 2003 draft-day trade with Baltimore;

**Exchanged selections in trade