THE LAST FEW WEEKS have been a blast for former Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly. Like many NFL prospects, Kelly has been flying around the country talking to teams in preparation for Saturday's draft. Express caught up with Kelly shortly after he visited the Redskins to discuss what his life has been like leading up to the draft.

» EXPRESS: What have the last couple weeks been like for you?
» KELLY: I guess I went to about seven teams: Buffalo, Cincinnati, the Vikings, the Steelers. Then I went the next week from Washington to Dallas to San Francisco. I just got back from San Francisco early Saturday morning.

» EXPRESS: What has it been like?
» KELLY: It's been good being able to meet the coaches and stuff, but you're probably in the air more than you are on the ground. But it's been cool, like I said, to get a chance to meet the coaches and stuff. It's been worthwhile.

» EXPRESS: Tell me a little bit about your talk with the Redskins?
» KELLY: I talked to all of them, the head coach, the owner — I talked to all of them. They were real cool and down to earth. We just talked about football really and what I can bring to the table and stuff like that. It went real well. They showed me around the facilities and stuff like that. I sat down and met with [Santana] Moss for a little bit. It was cool. It was a real good trip.

» EXPRESS: How do those conversations go?
» KELLY: Really, it's more like they're trying to tell you about the team. They'll ask you what do you feel like you bring — sometimes, they didn't even ask I don't think. They saw all the film they're going to see. They watch the film and then after they watch the film, they really just bring you in and show you around. I was with the receiver coach for the most part. He kind of sat me down and ran over some plays with me a little bit.

» EXPRESS: If you were to go to the Redskins, you would be the biggest receiver on the staff. Could you step in and be a go-to guy right away?
» KELLY: I want to. Santana is probably their go-to guy though, but a lot of time, he gets double covered and stuff like that. [Antwaan] Randle El is on the other side, so they have other guys also who are big-play threats. I believe that I could be, but I would have to come in and work at it at first before I would say anything like that.

» EXPRESS: Do you think you would fit in well with that offense?
» KELLY: I do. I think I complement them well. Especially with the good quarterback they have and the great running game they have — having a big receiver to go along with the smaller speedier receivers, it would be something for defenses to worry about. Especially as the third receiver. They already have some great receivers as it is, but bringing in another guy who can contribute, it would be good for the program.

» EXPRESS: Do they give you any hints about whether they're going to draft you?
» KELLY: Not really. They'll say stuff like, we don't know if you're going to be on the board or we think you still might be on the board. But at the same time, you never know how the draft works. You never know who gets who, who trades up and who trades down. They'll let you know that they're interested in you, they're high on you and stuff like that. But you have to work until draft day to find out.

» EXPRESS: What about the other teams? Were there other teams that made an impression on you in particular?
» KELLY: Probably Washington and I'll say Buffalo made a pretty good impression. They did and then Dallas did this past weekend.

» EXPRESS: After your disappointing pro day, you said you'd be willing to run for anybody. Did anybody as you to run for them?
» KELLY: No, they all told me that when they turn on the film I run a lot faster than when I put my hand down. When you play football, you have to run with pads on and stuff like that. A lot of teams brought up the Anquan Boldin situation where he came out, what he ran and then he made it to the Pro Bowl his rookie year.

» EXPRESS: If you had stayed at Oklahoma, you could have set all sorts of school receiving records and probably had another good season as a team. Why did you decide to leave?
» KELLY: More than anything, I just looked at where I was among other receivers — where I felt I was talent-wise compared to other receivers who were coming out. I just felt like I was in that top tier or receivers. Then the older guys who had left Oklahoma, I had them asking their teams what they thought and stuff like that. And just hearing everybody's opinion, I just made the decision I was going to come out.

» EXPRESS: Can you compare yourself to Limas Sweed or Devin Thomas or Jim Hardy or some of the other top receivers like DeSean Jackson?
» KELLY: I don't know if I can compare to any of them — everyone has their own game. Obviously me and James Hardy and Limas Sweed, we're all bigger receivers. But I think everyone brings something different to the game. Obviously, you have DeSean who's the fastest of the whole bunch, who's just a blazer. But there are other guys who are bigger, who can run down the field and make plays on the ball. Everybody brings something different to the table.

» EXPRESS: So what would you say you bring to the table?
» KELLY: Probably being aggressive is one thing I pride myself in being — as far as either going to get the ball, being aggressive in the run game, blocking and everything, or just catching the ball downfield and making plays downfield. That's what I feel like I bring to the team.

» EXPRESS: Who would you compare yourself to in the NFL right now?
» KELLY: If I would compare myself to anybody, I would say Larry Fitzgerald probably.

» EXPRESS: Why?
» KELLY: Just because of the way he makes plays on the ball. No matter where the ball is — if it looks like he can't catch the ball — he goes up and he catches the ball. There's a lot of other guys who are real great receivers. I think Brandon Marshall, who I trained with in the offseason, he's a very good player on the football field.

» EXPRESS: Has it been fun the last couple months? A lot of pressure?
» KELLY: At first it was fun. Then it came down toward pressure time. Then here toward the end, man, it went back to being fun. Going to different teams and hearing what they have to say. But at the same time, you're getting a chance to hear what they have to say and you only got a shot to do this once. You give yourself a shot and then just hope for the best this weekend.

» EXPRESS: Where will you be on draft day?
» KELLY: I'll be at the house back in Longview, [Texas] where I'm from ... with my family.

» EXPRESS: Have you thought at all about how your life is going to change?
» KELLY: A little bit. But I don't know. I'm kind of excited about it. It's a really good situation. I've been trying to do it since I was four or five years old and now I'm actually going to go out and do it. It's going to be a good day.

Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Posted by Ian Herbert at 2:25 PM on April 23, 2008
Tagged in Redskins , Sports