Petty had the right idea, though; even the this-might-not-last tone fits. Today, it's good to be King Dunlap, the humongous 6-9, 325-pound rookie offensive tackle from Auburn the Eagles drafted in the seventh round. It might not be so good to be King a month from now - the injuries and inconsistencies that led to Dunlap's senior benching at Auburn could recur - but Dunlap has done nothing at Lehigh but look like an up-and-coming NFL left tackle.

The coaches watching Dunlap work understand that, of course. Yet, they didn't draft the guy just to dismiss the promise he shows on the grounds that he turned out to be a huge disappointment in college, after being named to the preseason all-Southeastern Conference team last year.

As offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg put it yesterday: "[The benching] certainly meant something throughout the evaluation leading up to the draft. That was one reason we had the opportunity to select him in the seventh round. But he gets into our training camp, now it's a clean slate - let's go. He's got every opportunity to make the most of this."

Mornhinweg said Dunlap "has done a fine job to this point."

"There's no question he has the measurables - size, the long arms. It appears like he has the skill and ability to really be a good tackle," Mornhinweg said. "Now, we're early - he's got a lot of hard work and preparation left to go."

The other day, Dunlap was matched against defensive end Trent Cole in one-on-one drills. Cole, a Pro Bowl selection last season known for wide-eyed ferocity even in drills, kept finding himself steered wide of the imaginary pocket by the big rookie's long reach.

"He's going to find a place on this team," Cole predicted yesterday. "D-ends hate people with long arms."

Dunlap said he "definitely" feels encouraged. After Monday's practice, coach Andy Reid, who takes quite an interest in the offensive linemen, grabbed him for a few words as he left the field.

"He was telling me to keep working hard, he asked me how I thought it was. [Offensive-line coach Juan Castillo] told me going in it was going to be a battle; it's about what I expected," Dunlap said. "I guess I'm doing something good - he didn't really get on me about anything."

Over the weekend, when Reid was asked about Dunlap, he said: "He's a good athlete. He's got a little bit of a sore ankle, but he's played through that, and he's done very well with it. It hurts him a little bit, when he's being bull-rushed, because he can't put his foot in the ground, like he wants to. He's moving around very well. He's got very long arms and knows how to use them. He's not afraid to play the game out in front of him. I've been impressed with the way he's handled himself."

Dunlap's right ankle remains taped. He said he injured it late last season and posted slower-than-expected times at the draft combine because it was bothering him.

Dunlap, who said he has gained 15 pounds of muscle since being drafted, was asked if he feels he needs to prove himself to teammates, many of whom are aware of how his college career unfolded.

"Not really my teammates, more just everybody who had doubts about me," said Dunlap, who is officially King David Dunlap V. His father, King IV, played at Tennessee State and was a fifth-round pick of the Colts in 1969. "Coming in here, the coaches believe in me - they wouldn't have taken me if they didn't. But proving [outsiders] wrong, everybody who didn't think I would be any good, that's really my motivation right now."

Birdseed