Rendell: Birds should have taken USC receiver

Gov. Rendell, who, as Philadelphia's mayor, wanted the Eagles to draft running back Ricky Williams over Donovan McNabb in 1999, has some more free advice to the team about its draft choices.

The team picked the wrong guy when it selected quarterback Kevin Kolb, Rendell said yesterday on Bloomberg Television's "Political Capital With Al Hunt."

Rendell said the Eagles should have taken Southern California wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett.

"It boggles the entire mind. It was stunning to all of us," Rendell said.

Before the 1999 draft Rendell urged fans to call the Eagles express their preference for Williams, the Heisman Trophy winner out of Texas with the second overall pick.

Rendell now says that McNabb, a five-time Pro Bowler, has many good years left and that the team made a mistake in using its first draft pick this year, No. 36 overall, to select Kolb, who could be McNabb's successor.

Jarrett, who was drafted by Carolina in the second round, has a bright future, Rendell said.

"I think," he said, "we are going to rue the day we didn't pick him." *