Saturday, April 28, 2007

NFL Draft Special Part 1

The top ten picks are in and we are beside ourselves in disbelief. What follows is our analysis of the top ten picks. We had a funny feeling after the first three picks, but nobody was prepared for the bombshell at nine.
  • Jamarcus Russell, LSU
    Oakland Raiders. This makes sense and it was expected, so we won't spend too much time on it. Big guy, big arm, fits the Raider mentality. Maybe Randy Moss wil be happier with him throuwing the ball.
  • Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech
    Detroit Lions. While this may have raised some eyebrows a month ago, this became a virtual lock earlier in the week. It remains to be seen whether the Lions will try to package him and trade with another team or not. If they can't, then they still end up with the consensus best player in the draft.
  • Joe Thomas, Wisconsin
    Cleveland Browns. A mild surprise that would foretell more and bigger surprises in the top ten. Even though Thomas is a solid player, we're not sure that he was the best value at three. Brady Quinn would have been an ideal pick here, but Cleveland decided to go in another direction for some reason. Poor Brady. More on him later.
  • Gaines Adams, Clemson
    Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expected to be off the board early, we're surprised that he lasted all the way to four, and even more surprised that he was taken by Tampa. This slot was generally thought to be where Calvin Johnson would go if he was still available, and if not, then Brady Quinn. The freefall continues for Quinn.
  • Levi Brown, Penn State
    Arizona Cardinals. Considered by some to be the top rated offensive lineman in the draft, we are a little gun shy about players from Penn State. Too many busts out of there in the last few years. Certainly fills a desperate need for the Cardinals.
  • Laron Landry, LSU
    Washington Redskins. Another surprise in that everyone expected Washington to trade out of this spot. We're a little disappointed that Landry didn't last to eight, where the Falcons have a big need at safety. Good player, and we're kind of a fan because his brother played at Georgia Tech.
  • Adrian Peterson, Oklahoma
    Minnesota Vikings. Great value for Minnesota. Brady Quinn would have been a nice fit, but the Vikings have cast their lot with Tavaris Jackson. Peterson should excel on the carpet in the dome, and he will split time with Chester Taylor, allowing him to preserve himself a little.
  • Jamaal Anderson, Arkansas
    Atlanta Falcons. After losing Patrick Kerney, the Falcons had a huge need on the defensive line. Anderson is, in our opinion, a little overrated. Not great value here, but he might be a solid contributor. We think that the Falcons were a little shellshocked by the Redskins taking Landry at six, and they had to scramble to find a fit. We're just glad the Falcons didn't waste a pick on Leon Hall from Michigan, who is slower than all of our contributors.
  • Ted Ginn, Jr., Ohio State
    Miami Dolphins. The first real "wow" moment of the draft. Quinn seemed like a lock, given the fact that Daunte Culpepper is unreliable, and their other two options are Cleo Lemon and some dude from Indiana that we have never heard of. Certainly the worst pick in the top ten in terms of value, we're not sure why the Dolphins made this selection. Ginn doesn't make sense on any level. He doesn't fill a need, and he's not a good route runner. If the Dolphins were not going to take a quarterback, then Dwayne Jarrett or even Steve Smith make more sense. Good for Ginn, bad for the Dolphins.
  • Amobi Okoye, Louisville
    Houston Texans. After trading for Matt Schaub, quarterback was not a need, so another disappointing selection for Quinn. We are of the opinion that Houston is taking the right mindset in trying to build defense, since the only way for them to succeed in their division is to try and stop the offensive juggernaut in Indianapolis. Okoye is only 19 years old, but he is a genetic freak along the lines of Lebron James. They are both grown men before the age of twenty. Tremendous upside here. He might be a bit of a project, but the Texans have the time to invest in him.


Poor Brady Quinn. Not selected in the top ten, he and his family left the green room to have some privacy. He may not be selected until 23 by Kansas City, and we don't know why. First Cleveland, then Miami passed on him, and the freefall was on. We will have more posts throughout the day, so stay tuned.