It’s a big week for former Notre Dame stud wide receiver Golden Tate. College football’s best receiver is good enough to play in the NFL-but is he good enough to be more than a third receiver-type? The scout’s have questions about his size, and ability to separate (losing defensive backs while running his routes), but his play-making and yards-after-catch ability are intriguing enough to have him projected as a second rounder-or sometimes even sneaking into the first round.

Where he actually ends up will be determined in a large part due to his combine performance (which can have roughly the same importance of a director casting Kevin Spacey as a villain, unless the receiver in question is a Larry Fitzgerald-type with no question marks on film). Golden knows this, and therefore has his trusty to-do list that hits on the points he needs to address to make first round money.

And, the Blarney has it.

1.) Run a legit (electronically-timed) 4.4. In a land of skyscraper receivers (6′5 is prototype), elite speed still rules. Despite going so far as to borrow a page from the Mark McGwire playbook (page 1, paragraph 1-inject anything to enhance performance) and “shoot up” milk (”it does a body good”) into my system, I ain’t growin’ any taller. A great 40 will negate that problem.

2.) Be explosive on the 3-cone drill. Scouts are doubting my ability to separate from defensive backs, partly because many of my big catches were in traffic-with the defender right on or near me. What they don’t realize is that defenses played us zone heavy-having 7 or 8 defenders back in coverage. So, a defense always had someone around. As smart as Charlie was, he fell in love with passing a little too much (defenses didn’t have to respect the run), and his playbook turned into a Tecmo Bowl-like “throw it deep on every other play” because of me and Mike’s skills.

3.) Run a legit 4.4. (See above.) At the very least, Al Davis will draft me.

4.) Put hands in a hyperbaric chamber (just like David Duchovny in Zoolander). Gotta protect the strongest and best hands in the country.

5.) Show improved route-running. Another reason that Mel Kiper thinks I will have trouble losing defensive backs. I’m still a converted running back-learning the nuances of route- running.

6.) Run a legit 4.4. Did I mention that already?