Xavier Paul

Paul would have been an early-round pick as a high school sophomore in 2001, and being under the microscope for that long has diminished him in the eyes of scouts. He hasn't grown bigger than 5-foot-9 and he didn't run well this spring, and while he's a polished two-way player he's not appreciably better than he was two years ago. Paul has been throwing in the low 90s since he was a freshman, but he'll be an outfielder as a pro. He's a gifted hitter with a quick bat and some juice in his 195-pound frame. He has the instincts but maybe not the speed for center field, and he's more likely to play in right. Paul is now more of a third-round choice than the first-rounder he figured to develop into, and that might not be enough to sign him away from Tulane.