Darnell Dockett draft journal: Thinking Round 1

Florida State defensive end Darnell Dockett gives his thoughts on the upcoming NFL Draft, as told to SportsLine.com's Pete Prisco. In his first installment, Dockett chronicles the anticipation of the big day and the pride of believing he is as good as anyone.

By Darnell Dockett
NFL Draft prospect

With the draft just two weeks away, my thinking is it can't get here soon enough. I'm ready to know where I'll be playing next year.

After my combine workout in February, I didn't do much at the Florida State pro day in March, because I thought my workout at the combine was good enough. I worked out there, because I had nothing to hide. A lot of guys didn't, but why not? That's what it's for.

I weighed 295 at the combine -- I was less at the pro day -- but now I'm back up to 300. I want to play at 295. I think that's a good weight for me.

Until the draft, I will be in Maryland, where I played high school football, working out and getting ready and spending time with my family. I know that will change in a couple of weeks, so I'm spending time with them.

I wake up, eat, run, play basketball and lift twice a day. That's my day until the draft. Just trying to stay in shape.

I do have to go to Kansas City next Tuesday to meet with them, and then my agent says there might be a couple of more teams I will visit.

A lot of teams asked me the past couple of months about me as a person. They have heard a lot of things about me, and I wanted to clear that all up. My character is something they asked me about. But the people who have written things about me don't know me. They just need something to write about.

You either like me or you don't. Half the people who say they don't like me just read the newspaper and go by that.

Around here, the talk is who will go first, me or Maryland tackle Randy Starks. I try not to get into that, but people bring it up. I met Randy. He's cool, so it's no big deal.

The people I hang with don't talk football, especially now since they know how hectic it is for me. That's fine, too. I can't just hang out and not worry about the draft.

I'm just hoping to go in the first round. I hear this guy and that guy will go in front of me, but I know I am just as good -- if not better -- than those guys. You just wait and see when I get to the league.