The Lions’ Real Draft vs. My Dream Draft, Part One: Picks 1-5

Earlier this week, I posted a slideshow article showing my “dream draft”. The theme of the article was about how the Lions always figure out a way to ruin the draft.

After my friends had read the article, some of them wanted to call me out; to campare my picks to that of the Lions. OK, I’ll be their huckleberry.

Lets’ take a look at how my “picks” had fare up against that of the Lions and I’ll leave it to you to decide who had done better.

Today, we’ll cover picks 1-5, tomorrow picks 6-10.

Let’s get on on!!!

Jets Draft Theory: Quality over Quantity, Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene

The New York Jets may have very well been one of the biggest stories for the 2009 NFL Draft.

First, the Jets started off the draft by trading Brett Ratliff, Abram Elam, Kenyon Coleman, the 17th overall pick (first round) and the 52nd overall pick (second round) for the fifth overall pick (first round) owned by Eric Mangini and the Cleveland Browns.

The New York Jets went on to select Mark Sanchez, who is viewed by many as the franchise QB of the future for this Jets organization. This was the only draft selection the Jets had on the first day of the draft.

Mark Sanchez has received plenty of positive remarks from scouts and coaches across the nation. Many fans have a good feeling reading about his arm, accuracy, and football knowledge.

As a matter of fact, I also believe Mark Sanchez has received much more publicity compared to the first overall pick, QB Matt Stafford.

The Jets could not end the 2009 NFL Draft without another move that garners attention. To start Day Two of the draft, the Jets traded their third, fourth, and seventh-round picks to select Iowa RB Shonn Greene with the 65th overall pick (first overall pick in the third round).

Many fans immediately questioned drafting a running back over a more urgent position, wide receiver. After looking over the situation with Thomas Jones and the potential of Greene, I started to love this pick.

Greene lead the nation with 20 touchdowns, was second in the nation with 1,850 yards (only behind Donald Brown, selected in the first round), averaged over six yards per carry (almost half a yard more per carry than Donald Brown), and was the winner of the Doak Walker Award given to the nation’s top running back each season. 

This 235-pound pick has outstanding feet, decent speed, and great endurance. Watch out for Greene being one of the steals in this draft

I would go far enough to say he may also become one of the best running backs out of  this draft class.

Greene is a good story, as well. He was ruled academically ineligible in 2007, forcing him to enroll in community college and stop playing football. He came back onto the scene in 2008 where he had to compete with five other tailbacks for the starting Iowa RB job.

He proved he was the best choice while earning his way to the top of the nation’s running backs.

Overall, the Jets gave up three players and five draft picks for two rookies this draft.

The Jets followed the motto “quality over quantity” for this draft when acquiring two top-line players in Mark Sanchez and Shonn Greene in the first three rounds.

Now, let’s see how the Jets combine their recent free agent pick-ups, highly touted draft picks, and new coach entering the 2009 NFL season.

 

The Ten Best Picks of the First Round: Good and Bad

The 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft was filled with many trades (ie: Browns and Pats) and many surprises to fans and even teams. Some of the picks made were predictable and some of the picks made were rather shocking.

I spent the whole day watching the draft. I never left my seat one time. I analyzed every pick that I could and that is what I am here for today. Today I will share with you my ten favorite picks of the 1st round. Some were very good and some, well some were very interesting.

Philadelphia Eagles Continue to Improve with Fifth Round

So how many Eagles fans were frustrated when the team traded out of the third round (twice) for more fifth-round picks?

But it turned out to be a very productive move after the fact. Philly traded two of those picks for Ellis Hobbs, an established cornerback and explosive returner, and they also got a players many coveted with their selections in the fifth.

By the time No. 153 finally rolled around, the Eagles were lucky enough to select a player that should excite fans: Florida tight end Cornelius Ingram. He’s a 6’4″, 245-pound athletic wonder, a terrific route runner with the speed to stretch defenses,and also has very good hands and the ability to make tough catches on poorly thrown balls.

Ingram is non-entity as a blocker, but the Eagles will find a way to hide his weaknesses. The real major concern is his recovery from a torn ACL; he missed all of 2008, and it remains to be seen how healthy he actually is.

But health permitting, Ingram could go a long way toward answering the questions the Eagles have in the red zone.

Four picks later, Philly drafted Virginia Tech cornerback Victor “Macho” Harris. He lacks the pure speed to be an elite corner, so he may switch to free safety.

But that aside, Harris is a true playmaker. He may be groomed as the eventual successor to Brian Dawkins, as he’s a physical player who hits hard and has a nose for the ball.  Over the past three seasons, Harris has 15 interceptions, four of which he returned for TD.

To boot, Macho has a history as a kick returner and will contribute right away on special teams.

At pick No. 159, the Eagles finally selected their first offensive lineman of the draft in Oregon offensive tackle Fenuki Tupou. While he’s not a big name, he is a good football player and a great value.

Tupou likely will move inside to guard, but will provide depth at right tackle as well. At 6’5″ and 313 pounds, he is a gifted athlete with great feet and has the ability to make blocks downfield.

He is a bit sloppy and lacks some technique, but that can be worked out with coaching.

All in all, the Eagles got four high-quality players out of their fifth round.

Besides the veteran Hobbs, they added a nice weapon to Donovan McNabb’s arsenal in Ingram, a possible difference-maker in the secondary in Harris, and some nice depth on the offensive line with Tupou.

So far, with four picks remaining, the Eagles have had a tremendous draft. They are a better team today than they were at the end of 2008.

The Seahawks Third-Round Pick’s Official Grade, WR Deon Butler: B

The Seahawks kept wheeling and dealing in day two of the draft.

They dealt their fifth-round pick, one of their seventh-round picks, 213th, and a third-round pick in next years draft to get the Eagles third-round pick this year.

To me, that’s way to much to give up and, considering who they drafted, they better be very high on Butler.

Players like FS Rashad Johnson from Alabama and CB Keenan Lewis from Oregon State among others, were still on the board.

Now, onto Butler. He’s basically a younger version of former Seahawks WR Bobby Engram. He’s 5’11” and had a 4.26-40 at the combine. Butler’s going to be a great slot WR for Seattle or fourth string WR.

I give the pick a “B.” I was going to give it a “C+,” because of what they gave up to get the pick and who was still on the board.

A Tribute to Troy Aikman from a San Francisco 49ers Faithful

Most fan bases have endured far harder times than those suffered by the San Francisco 49er die-hards.  I wouldn’t say I’m a die-hard—I reserve that adjective for my fidelity to the San Francisco Giants—but I am a loyal fan.  

Admittedly, it doesn’t kill me when the Niners lose. It does sting fiercely, though, to see rivals of days gone by— the Dallas Cowboys, St. Louis Rams, and to some degree, the Green Bay Packers—enjoy success.

Maybe it’s because I’ve become inured to the losses through some pretty barren recent history.  Certainly it’s because those recent struggles are the worst foils for the great Niner teams of years past.

Regardless, San Francisco’s overall success as a franchise garners its supporters very little sympathy, and rightly so.

However, I’d argue you would be hard-pressed to find a fan base whose agonizing moments were any more excruciating in terms of who authored them.

By that, I mean I’ll put the ‘pokes of the early 1990s up against anyone’s blood rival in a showdown of “Who Kept Getting Creamed by a Bigger Bunch of Urinal Cakes.”

Back in those days, my favorite quarterback of all time (Steve Young) was rampaging his way through the NFL.  The Stormin’ Mormon would have three championship rings…except for those Cowboys.

In 1992 and 1993, Young lead our championship-caliber Niners into the teeth of those Dallas squads in the postseason.  And, both years, Jerry Jones and his band of miscreants stomped out our Super Bowl dreams.

In both seasons, those Cowboys seemed like the only thing that could stop the 49er freight train. And in both seasons, they did.

The ordeal was all the more traumatizing because the agonizing defeats were trumpeted from the highest mountains and loudest microphones by such understated personalities as Ol’ Jerry, Jimmy Johnson, and Michael Irvin.  The rest of the Cowboys’ roster wasn’t exactly tight-lipped either.

Ken Norton Jr., Russell Maryland, Nate Newton, Leon Lett, Charles Haley—these were not men who listed “gracious in victory” amongst their bedrock life principles.

Then you had the excellence of Emmitt Smith and the uncanny leadership of Troy Aikman to stomach—it was a brutal assignment.

I HATED those teams.  Hated.

That’s a verb I also usually reserve for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But even my current brand of loathing for the Bums pales in comparison to the more youthfully exuberant version I harbored for Dallas as a 15-year-old.  

It’s something I’m proud to have outgrown because it is only a game, but as a teenager, the hate burned.

It burned so long that only recently have I been able to appreciate the guy who orchestrated the whole shebang—Aikman.

He doesn’t get a ton of love for those three Super Bowl titles and, in truth, the shadow over him makes sense.

The offensive line was revolutionary, with the big bodies of Newton, Larry Allen, Erik Williams, Mark Tuinei, Mark Stepnoski, and Kevin Gogan.  It allowed Smith to amass his superlative numbers, often without being touched until he’d covered three or four yards.  It gave Aikman ample time to find an open target among his many weapons.

Alvin Harper paired up with Johnson for the first two titles to form a devastating duo of wide receivers.  Jay Novacek was no slouch at tight end, and Darryl Johnston was dangerous as both as blocker and a playmaker.

And the defense deserves just as much credit for its bevy of Pro Bowlers.

So Aikman didn’t have to carry the same burden most other NFL QBs have to carry in terms of on-field production.  But he had a unique and insanely burdensome cross to bear in the form of the Dallas Cowboy locker room.

Make no mistake about it—the current scrutiny cast upon the star is not an entirely new development.  The emergence of the 24-hour-sports gawkfest has taken it to a new level, but if you’re looking for a good NFL story, Dallas has always been the place to be.

The same guys who made losing to the Cowboys so painful had to have made Aikman’s job infinitely more difficult than any of us can imagine.  No matter how many stories leaked to the general public, the reports out of his locker room must’ve been merely the tip of the iceberg.

Even in an organization as notoriously porous to media leaks as the Cowboys, you have to figure most fires are put out in-house.  You also have to figure the quarterback, especially a leader like Aikman, was the point person to handle such conflagrations.

Sure, Aikman’s numbers don’t jump off the page. In an 11-year career truncated by concussion troubles, the Cowboy QB penned a record of 94-71 for a .570 winning percentage in 165 games.  He completed 2898 passes in 4715 attempts for a career completion percentage of 61.5.  

Those passes were good for 32,942 yards, 165 touchdowns, and 141 interceptions.  That’s 3.5 TDs and 3 INTs per 100 attempts, 11.4 yards per completion, 7 yards per attempt, almost 200 yards passing per game (199.6), and a career QB rating of 81.6.

Toss in over 1000 yards and 9 TDs rushing with 58 fumbles.

Like I said, nothing there will put him among the historic leaders at the position.

Of course, his three Super Bowl rings rank behind only those owned by Joe Montana in the modern era. They share the second rung on the ladder with Tom Brady’s shiny trio, just behind Terry Bradshaw’s four-pack from antiquity (just kidding…kind of).

And still it’s taken time for me to appreciate Aikman fully.

More so than any QB from the modern era, he gets judged by a different standard.  Usually, we find a way to shower adoration upon a quarterback who wins—even if he fails to put up staggering offensive totals.  The NFL is about winning when it counts and, nine times out of ten, the signal-caller will get the lion’s share of the credit if a team succeeds in doing so.

Troy Aikman was a monument to this concept—take it from the man himself:

“I’ve always believed if you win, it’s good enough. My career was based on that. So I don’t really have a lot of great things to say about anybody who comes out and vocalizes their displeasure because they’re not getting more passes or more throws or more carries. To me, that’s not what this game is about.”

In that same link, he points out Irvin was never shy about demanding the ball and his Cowboys had clubhouse tiffs as well.  Aikman also points out the vast majority stayed right there in the clubhouse and—judging from his words and actions—I believe his hand was a firm one in the process.

With the benefit of time and perspective, I’ve settled on viewing Troy Aikman as a different version of Peyton Manning or Young—a guy who played in the middle of a supremely talented offense, but put together an outrageous landscape of big wins instead of statistical brilliance.

But perhaps the most unappreciated aspect of Troy Aikman is his brain—that little organ he retired from football to protect.  I remember my dad and I making jokes about how little sense this made and his first several years in the booth seemed to confirm our suspicions.

Well, I’ll order another round of Crow for those jabs.

Aikman has proven to be a man of considerable intelligence and insight while possessing a raw ability to communicate that needed only a bit of polish.

His football IQ is demonstrated weekly through his work for FOX Sports.
His observations about the state of the current Cowboys—the impact of the departed Terrell Owens, for instance—are spot-on.

Take Aikman’s gem on Tony Romo’s attitude toward perception: “But to say, ‘I don’t worry about perception,’ you better worry about perception, because it’s a big part of making it through some very difficult times,” Aikman admonished. Aikman knows what it takes to win in Dallas, and doesn’t mind sharing it with the rest of us.

The signs of a great football mind are there. It’s time to roll back those shadows and shine some light on Troy Aikman.

Maybe he’s not the best quarterback of all time, but he was good enough to be a critical piece for a franchise that won three Super Bowls in four years.  And tortured the entire San Francisco Bay Area for many more.

San Francisco 49ers: Great Scot…Mcloughan

Ok Niner fans, here we go. I don’t think that any Niner fan out there will disagree that San Francisco has alot of holes to fill.  So please explain to me why you would give away your only second round pick this year for a first round pick next year…next year? What about this year?

So, so far this year they have picked up a wide receiver, a running back, and an inside linebacker.  They still have no pass rusher, and more holes than swiss cheese in the offensive line. 

Which brings me to another point. 

Who is going to throw the ball to this high powered wide out. I don’t mean to be doom and gloom, but would someone please wake up Scot and tell him the draft is almost over and they still havent addressed some glaring holes.  Oh well, Jed better call uncle Eddie and find out what he would do.

Green Bay’s Selection of Clay Matthews Four Years in the Making

Clay Matthews may not know how special he is.

After four years of trading down in the draft, Ted Thompson actually moved up into the first round. It was only the second time he has ever traded up since becoming the Packers general manager.

To the surprise, and seemingly approval of most Packer fans, Thompson’s moves on Day One give the team the opportunity to add two early impact players on defense.

It is all a result of the previous years of trading down and providing depth.

Looking at the recent swap with the Patriots, it seems the Packers gave up quite a bit. Just to move up 15 spots, Green Bay traded their second-round pick and both their third rounders to grab Clay Matthews.

When I first saw the details of the trade, I was horrified. But one thing that always keeps me calm is knowing Dom Capers is the draft room; if Capers thought it was worth getting Matthews, then that was good enough for me.

Of course, also consoling is the fact that the roster that Thompson has put together is filled with players from previous drafts: Pat Lee, Jordy Nelson, Josh Sitton, Brandon Jackson, the list goes on and on. The hit taken with Matthews can be absorbed considering the years of build-up through previous drafts.

Do I think the Packers gave up too much to get to Matthews? On paper, and right now, yes. But we have no idea how good Matthews will be. Considering what they gave up to get them, Clay will certainly be under intense scrutiny from the Packer faithful.

I hope Thompson moved up solely to fill a couple of those final holes rather than because he was in a panic after the 6-10 year. There was no doubt another OLB was needed; I guess the question is whether or not we could have picked up one with our original second-round pick.

Matthews does bring another element to the Packers. He was selected Co-Special Teams Player for three seasons in a row at USC, and that probably played into the decision as well.

And consider this one last factor, which I’ll admit borders on conspiracy theory: Thompson may have wanted to trade away the third rounder the Packers received for Brett Favre.

Whatever.

Back to the filling holes argument, the Packers are only a year removed from a 13-3 season. In ’08, Green Bay suffered injuries to Cullen Jenkins, Nick Barnett, Atari Bigby, Al Harris, and, of course, Justin Harrell. Assuming those players can come back to health, adding B.J. Raji and Matthews to the defense makes them look very formidable.

Matthews will most likely have a huge weight upon his shoulders in 2009. If he wins the outside linebacker spot opposite Aaron Kampman, there will be huge expectations.

An outside linebacker has incredible responsibility in the 3-4. He needs the power to combat defensive linemen and the speed to cover running backs in the secondary.

Now for the four-month wait to see if all this was worth it.

Patriots’ 2009 Second Day Draft Recap: Ellis Hobbles out of New England

 Patriot Pat says…

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Yesterday, the Patriots took a very conservative approach to the draft, and it set them up well for day two.

They chose four quality players on the first day, and managed through two first-round trades to effectively move our 124th and 199th picks up to the 73rd and 83rd picks. This gave them four third round picks to start day two.

The most distinctive move of the day was the trade of veteran starter Ellis Hobbs III to Philadelphia in exchange for two fifth round picks.

With that said, here is a recap of the Patriots’ second day, and my attempt at grading each pick.

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73: Traded

Traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars who drafted Derek Cox, a corner back from William & Mary. The Patriots received the Jaguars 2010 2nd-round pick, and this years 7th-round (232nd overall).

Trading into next year is certainly not a new concept for the Patriots, and this move will continue to help the franchise.

Grade = A-

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83: Brandon Tate, WR, North Carolina – 6’0″ 183 lbs

Just another example of why we will never truly understand what is happening under the “Grey Hoodie.” 

Described by Mike Mayock during the draft as “a first-round talent with problems,” Tate tested positive for marijuana at the combine, but where better than New England to help humble a basket case?

He is also “the best return specialist in the draft” according to the NFL network, but on the down side, he is coming off an ACL tear in 2008.

I believe that this is an excellent draft choice for future years, but not this coming one. Do not use Chad Jackson as a comparison when thinking about this choice.

Grade = B+

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89: Traded

Traded to the Tennessee Titans. The Titans selected tight end Jared Cook from South Carolina. The Patriots received the Titans 2010 second-round draft choice.

This is now the second extra 2010 second-round pick the Patriots have acquired today.

Grade = B+

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97: Tyrone McKenzie, OLB, South Florida – 6’2″ 242 lbs

Can’t trade this one!

Finally, a linebacker! One thing we know for sure about McKenzie is his deep seeded family ties (loyalty). He transferred schools twice in attempts to be closer to his mother.

I expect McKenzie will fit in well with New England; obviously, they did pick him.

He is okay in coverage, will hustle to wrap up plays, and has potential to create turnovers. He is most likely more of a two-down player, though, who will come out in nickel situations, according to nfldraftscout.com.

Grade = B+

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123: Rich Ohrnboberger, G, Penn State – 6’2″ 291 lbs

There is always room for improvement and depth on the offensive line. Rich provides strength and youth, and may push someone out of a job. His biggest impact comes from his ability to excel in a zone-blocking system, which is something the Patriots have liked to run in the past and will in the future.

Grade = B-

 

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137: Traded

Traded with the 141st pick to acquire the 123rd pick and the 198th pick from Baltimore.

(Acquired from Philadelphia in trade for Ellis Hobbs III.)

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141: Traded

Traded with the 137th pick to acquire the 123rd pick and the 198th pick from Baltimore.

(Acquired from Philadelphia in trade for Ellis Hobbs III.)

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170: George Bussey, T, Louisville – 6’2″ 306 lbs

Another offensive lineman to add depth to the line and challenge for future spots on the roster. He is a low-ranked tackle in the draft. He could play either guard or tackle, but needs work at both positions before he could make a real impact.

Grade = D+

 

 

 

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198: Jake Ingram, LS, Hawaii – 6’3″ 232 lbs

Since Lonnie Paxton left, the Patriots signed Dan Haley away from Arizona to perform the long snapping duties. I like the pick of an extra long snapper, and potential future long snapper for the Patriots.

He is a natural leader, and accurate with his snaps, but could stand to get stronger.

Grade = B-

 

 

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207: Myron Pryor, DT, Kentucky – 6’0″ 319 lbs

Another defensive tackle makes me truly wonder the plans for Vince Wilfork in the future. Specifically next year, when his contract is up.

Myron was a four year starter in Kentucky, but he is short, and may be only just decent at stopping the run and pushing the pocket. He would more than likely not play a starting role if Wilfork were to depart after next year. 

Grade = C-

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232: Julian Edelman, QB, Kent State – 5’10” 195 lbs

Wow. I have to say that I am truly excited about this kid. He may be a giant sleeper who could make an immediate impact on this team.

Everyone is talking about Pat White, and what he brings to the table, but we really need to look into this kid in a Wildcat type formation. He is fast, runs a 4.5 40-yard dash, and could even play in a slot type receiver roll like Welker.

Grade = A-

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234: Darryl Richard, DT, Georgia Tech – 6’4″ 290 lbs

Okay, three defensive tackles in one draft before Vince Wilfork’s contract year. I really don’t think that they plan on keeping him around. 

Darryl had a monster junior year, but his senior year might be why he fell so far in the draft. He as well as the other defensive tackles will surely be fighting for a spot behind Wilfork this year.

Grade = C-

 

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I am definitely thrilled that the Patriots managed to secure two more second-round picks in the 2010 draft. 

Overall, I am satisfied by the Patriots approach, seeing we are currently tight on the cap, and our roster is full of serviceable players.

It still is interesting that with all the trading and talk of bundling picks, we still managed to draft twelve players. 

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Andrew Cahill is a true Boston sports fan. Check out his website, “Patriot Pat’s Patsies.”

What did you think of the Patriots approach?

Vikings Trade Up to Select Linebacker Jasper Brinkley

The Minnesota Vikings found the guy that they had been looking for. With the 150th pick in the 2009 draft, the Minnesota Vikings select…Jasper Brinkley

Minnesota had to trade up with the Redskins to get him.

Jasper was a middle linebacker from South Carolina. He won the Defensive Player of the Year for the Gamecocks.

Minnesota was weak on linebacker depth for all of last season.

Brinkley will be able to provide depth and could possibly start at outside linebacker in the future, if need be.

Jasper is 6″2, 255 pounds. He is a phenomenal tackler and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.72 seconds. He also benched 26 reps.

I love this pick. I, personally, think that Jasper Brinkley is a steal this late in the draft.

The Vikings have gotten the great defensive player that they needed. Good pick for Childress in the fifth round.

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