INDIANAPOLIS—If the Green Bay Packers are in the market for a tight end, they might consider a marketing expert.

A day after parting ways with Brandon Bostick, Miami's Clive Walford used the platform of the NFL Combine to publicize himself and his avaiability for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Suffice to say, self confidence is not one of Walford's weaknesses.

"I am the best tight end in this draft," proclaimed Walford moments after taking to the podium for his press conference in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Such brashness probably shouldn't be a surprise for a player coming from "The U," known for their strong personalities and outspoken nature.

The product on the field at Miami in recent years, however, hasn't matched the individual talent in South Beach. And it doesn't come close to Miami's glory days in the eighties and nineties.

It's something Walford and rest of the Hurricane prospects are trying to overcome, especially coming off a season in which they finished with a losing 6-7 record. Hard to fathom when they're represented by eight players at the Combine.

"We were in some close games," said Walford. "I guess the one or two plays away from overcoming those seven losses that we had this year. No excuses. We’ve just got to be able to make those plays when it matters the most."

Walford most definitely has talent. He may not be first-round material, but he is among the best tight ends in this year's draft class.

Ranked second at his position by the NFL Network's Mike Mayock, Walford looks to be a potential Day 2 draft choice.

"As far as tight ends are concerned, Maxx Williams is going to go somewhere in the first, probably top of the second round," said Mayock in a conference call with reporters, "and Clive Walford from Miami is probably a third rounder, and then people are all over the board after that."

From the looks of things, it could be a crap shoot if the Packers don't go after one of the top two.

After releasing Bostick on Tuesday, Green Bay currently has only three tight ends on their offseason roster. That might be normal for the regular season, but it's considered undermanned when rosters expand to 90 players.

The Packers will add reinforcement at the position; it's just a matter of when. Presumably they'll also be looking for more consistency than what they got from Bostick.

It may be Bostick's botched onside kick recovery in the NFC Championship game that gets all the attention, but his inability to provide anything more than a modest contribution on offense may have actually his bigger downfall.

Walford, meanwhile, claims to be the complete package.

"Because I can block, I can catch, I can run after the catch," said Walford, "do everything that a tight end is expected to do."

To his credit, Walford looked the part in the Senior Bowl, at least before injury. In the week leading up to the game, he was one of the more impressive practice participants. He also says he's now back to 100 percent after being limited with a knee injury.

During his senior campaign, Walford was among the nation's leaders in receiving at the tight end position, hauling in a career-high 44 passes for 676 yards and seven touchdowns.

Walford indicated he interviewed with the Packers at the Combine, albeit on an informal basis. Next up will be his workout, taking place on Friday.

So hypothetically, what would Green Bay be getting if they were to invest a draft choice into the former Hurricane?

"A dominant player," said Walford. "A dual-threat tight end. A competitor. A will to win. I play with my heart, so they’re going to get somebody who will lay it on the line every down."

For the moment being, we'll just have to take Walford's word for it.

Brian Carriveau is the author of the book "It's Just a Game: Big League Drama in Small Town America," and editor at Cheesehead TV and its "Pro Football Draft Preview." To contact Brian, email [email protected].