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Two thousand, four hundred and thirty-three miles of America separate Los Angeles from Jacksonville, but soon a Westwood connection will become a South Florida spark.

UCLA tight end Marcedes Lewis was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft. Lewis, the winner of the 2005 Mackey Award, is the first UCLA player to be taken in the first round since linebacker Robert Thomas was chosen by the St. Louis Rams in 2001. Almost three hours later, Jacksonville drafted the second half of the Bruins’ red-zone tandem in running back Maurice Drew.

With the uncertainty of transitioning from college to the rigors of the NFL, Lewis is warmed by the fact that he will be going through the whole process – from rookie camp to opening day – with an old teammate.

“It’s ridiculous ... something that I couldn’t even think could happen,” Lewis said. “It will be easier to go through everything having Maurice there to bounce things off of.”

Lewis’ selection was anything but a surprise, as rumors had been swirling for the past two weeks that Jacksonville had set its sights on the 6-foot-6 tight end after he held an impressive private workout. Lewis credits tight ends coach Alfredo Roberts as his biggest advocate within the Jaguars’ organization.

“(Roberts) told me that if I was there when they picked, he was going to jump up and down on the table until they chose me,” Lewis said.

Lewis and Drew are expected to factor into Jacksonville’s short-term and long-term plans. Lewis will compete for the starting tight end position, while Drew, a 2005 All-American special teams player, is projected to return punts and kickoffs for the Jaguars.

But the draft was not all smiles for the Bruin program. Senior safety Jarrad Page was the next UCLA player to come off the board – the Kansas City Chiefs drafted him with the 228th overall pick, which came in the seventh round.

“It was a relief to finally get it done with and go to a place where I will be able to compete,” Page said.

But Page was the last Bruin to hear his name called on Sunday. Only three members of a 10-2 UCLA club were selected this year, as compared with four in 2005.

Linebacker Spencer Havner surprisingly fell completely off everyone’s draft board despite leading UCLA in tackling the last two years. He was projected as a fifth-round pick at worst and hoped to be drafted as high as the second round.

Page wasn’t surprised more of his teammates weren’t drafted, citing a lack of attention given to players in the Pac-10.

Following the draft, a number of undrafted free agents signed non-guaranteed contracts with organizations of their choice. Havner signed with the Washington Redskins. Senior quarterback Drew Olson, who set a school record with 34 touchdowns in 2005, signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

Tackle Ed Blanton, coveted for his 6-foot-9-inch, 346-pound frame, reached an agreement with the New York Jets. Cornerback Marcus Cassell was signed by the Carolina Panthers.