Robert Gallery: Possible Candidate For Oakland Raiders Next Breakout Player?

When the Oakland Raiders drafted Robert Gallery in 2004, they were badly in need of a left-tackle. So, they went with the man from Iowa.

Well, that turned out to be a big mistake.

Robert Gallery seemed to only be good at letting people go by him, which was a factor in why the Raiders let up so many sacks.

But look at the picture above. He’s smiling. Here’s where that comes in.

Robert Gallery has since been switched to guard and turned out to still not be too good, but a little better. However, during the last few games, Gallery has blocked for JaMarcus Russell well. He turned on some weird, hypothetical switch or something.

So lets quickly recap: A Raiders’ player starts out a career as a bust and then unceremoniously turns it around.

Sound familiar? Names such as Jim Plunkett, Gorge Blanda, and Rich Gannon might come to mind.

The main difference though, is that Robert has been with the Raiders his whole career. And that he is an OT/OG, as well.

Jim Plunklett was drafted by the New England Patriots, and had a great year as a rookie. But after that, he started getting worse and worse. He than went to the San Francisco 49ers and wasn’t any better there either..

His last team was the Raiders, where he was a back-up for QB Kenny Stabler. After playing a while, he then went to Al Davis wanting a new team but Al wouldn’t let that happen.

When Stabler left for the New Orleans Saints, the Raiders brought in Dan Pastroni instead of turning to Plunkett. Pastroni then got injured, and it was finally Jim’s turn.

Jim went on to win two Super Bowls, and was even MVP for one of them.

Gorge Blanda started with the Chicago Bears, and played QB and even a bit of linebacker.

He then retired in 1958, but came back in 1960 and went to Houston to play for the Oilers. This is where he lead them to their first success as QB and place holder for the team.

The last, (but definitely not least) team for George was the Raiders. His arm was amazing, and he got to compete in Super Bowl ll, but lost 33-14 to the Packers.

Blanda’s 26- year career was a great example of Raiders’ comeback players.

Rich Gannon was drafted by New England, and was supposed to play DB. He then made it know that he wanted out! So, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings.

In 1993, Gannon was then signed by the Washington Redskins after coming back from a surgery.

He only started three games, and was released after the season. He went to the Kansas City Cheifs, and was a back-up there for two years. He got to the playoffs, but didn’t get any playing time and the Chiefs lost.

The Raiders then picked up Gannon as a free agent. In his first year with the silver and black, he was voted to the Pro bowl.

He went on to win the Pro Bowl MVP two years in a row. He also got to participate in the Raiders’ most recent Super Bowl as well.

Can Robert Gallery start something like this for Raiders lineman?

Looking Back at The Browns 2005 Draft

This begins a two-part series on reviewing the Cleveland Browns 2005 and 2006 drafts. It’s way too early to look at success or failure from the ’07 and ’08 draft, as those players are still developing. Also, I think it’s irrational to grade a team’s selections based solely on whether or not the players developed, without factoring in what was available in that round.

Therefore, in reviewing these picks, I will compare the player’s performance that the Browns drafted to the next player drafted at the same position. This assumes the Browns correctly determined two things: 1) Its needs 2) The relative strength at each position (e.g. WR was a top heavy position in the draft, and there was depth at DT).  

First Round:

Browns Pick: Braylon Edwards

Next WR Drafted: Troy Williamson, Mike Williams

Clearly, the Browns drafted the right WR here, regardless of what you think of Braylon’s drops. Williams was out of the league in two years, and Williamson finally caught for 1,000 yards last year—for his entire career.

Much has been said about the Browns potentially grabbing Demarcus Ware or Shawn Merriman, but remember two things: First, both of these guys were from smaller football schools (Troy St., and Maryland respectively) and thus were considered less “safe” than Edwards. Second, the Browns had recently failed in the top 5 with Couch, Warren, and Brown, and as such, the “safest pick” was probably very attractive to them.

Second Round

Browns Pick: Brodney Pool

Next FS Drafted: Josh Bullocks, Nick Collins

If the Browns were going to go after a free safety in the second round, this was the year to do it. Bullocks and Collins have both enjoyed success in the NFL, and it’s a close call to say which of the three is the best. Pool has the best numbers, so I’d give a slight edge to him in this spot. This is somewhat biased, as I’ve never closely watched the other two play.

Third Round

Browns Pick: Charlie Frye

Next QB drafted: Andrew Walter, David Greene

If the Browns were going to go after QB in the third round this was not the year to do it. Walter started a host of games for the Raiders, with little success. Greene on the other hand, hasn’t thrown a pass in the NFL.

The fact that Frye started almost 20 games for the Browns, and eventually got a sixth round pick for him latter, makes him the best of the three QBs.

Fourth Round

Browns Pick: Antonio Perkins

Next CB Drafted: Travis Daniels, Vincent Fuller

The Browns missed on this pick as Perkins never really saw the field, and ended up trading a sixth round pick for Daniel three years later. Fuller has never played regularly.

 

Fifth Round

Browns Pick: David McMillan

Next ILB Drafted: Adam Seward, Robert McCune

None of these three players did anything of substance in their careers, however both Seward and McCune are still in the league (neither on the team that drafted them). It’s important to note, Michael Boley (OLB-Falcons) was drafted later in this round, and has had great success in the league, but he’s 4-3 OLB who wouldn’t have fit the Browns system.

 

Sixth Round

Browns Pick: Nick Speegle

Next LB Drafted: Jared Newburry, Pat Thomas

Speegle played predominately on special teams, but was out of the league in three years. Newburry never made the 49ers roster after being drafted. Thomas, finally got regular playing time as an OLB last year for the Chiefs, starting nine games. However, he is also a 4-3 OLB, so he probably wasn’t on the Browns radar.

 

Seventh Round

Browns Pick: Joe Dunn

Next T Drafted: Jeremy Parquet, Patrick Estes

Dunn was let go after one year with the Browns, both Parquet and Estes are still in the league, though neither has ever started a game.

Undrafted Players

Percy Harvin or Eben Britton? Which Star Player Should The Vikings Pick?

The draft is less than a week away and the argument lately has been this: Should the Vikings get a play-maker like Percy Harvin or a need like EbenBritton? Let’s get to the talk.

Eben Britton

The Vikings have been starting Ryan Cook for quite a while now and have had almost a million penalties. So far, I am getting tired of it. Eben has been a good tackle for the offensive line and I would really like him to be Minnesota Viking.

Percy Harvin

Like I said in the introduction, Percy Harvin is a play-making wide reciever. I would like to have him on the Vikings. Percy Harvin is one of the best wide receivers in the draft and is on a ton of mock drafts to be selected by the Vikings.

Anquan Boldin

The Vikings can trade both of their first and third round picks, along with Andre Alison, for Anquan Boldin.

Which one would you do? Answer my poll and comment below.

The Philadelphia Eagles Big Splash: Jason Peters

The Philadelphia Eagles have signed premier left tackle Jason peters. Peters was disgruntled with his contract situation in Buffalo. He had not shown up to training camp and had made it public that he wanted a new contract. Peters is a two-time Pro Bowler and at 27 years old is very much in his prime.

The Eagles have signed him to a contract that would make him the highest paid left tackle ever.

The effect of Peters is great; Peters will anchor the offensive line. Peters will open up holes for Westbrook, Westbrook is expected to be 100 percent in week one and Peters will help Westbrook who is getting older put up similar numbers to the 2007 season.

If you noticed in the NFC championship game McNabb was getting pressured and had to run outside the pocket, a lot of the pressure was coming from McNabb’s left side. Peters will buy time for McNabb which will keep McNabb in the pocket longer in the pocket which will comfort McNabb and improve his accuracy.

I personally believe that getting Peters is more of a priority than making a trade for Anquan Boldin. I am not saying I would not have liked Boldin in an Eagles uniform but Peters was a much bigger need.

Not only will Peters anchor the offensive line, which now has become one of the elite offensive lines in football, but the reason I believe this is a smarter move than trading for Boldin is that the Eagles play in the rough NFC East, where they will have to face the 2008 leader in sacks DeMarcus Ware two times a year, they will face Osi Umenyiora two times a year, they will also face the biggest splash of the 2009 offseason Albert Haynesworth two times a year, they will be facing three dominant pass rushers six times in the regular season.

Even though this might rule out the possibility of trading for Anquan Boldin, the Eagles did not overpay for Peters and they still have pick No. 21 in the draft, they were going to draft a left tackle anyways, now they have one less need and can go draft a running back such as Knowshon Moreno or a wide receiver such as Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Can Slash Make a Comeback?

I just wanted to post something I heard around last year’s draft. In a statement to WCNN 680, Kordell Stewart expressed interest that he would like to make a return to the NFL. Stewart claims that he has been working out and is ready to play again.

Since these comments were made last year, I have no idea if Kordell Stewart still intends to return. Kordell Stewart is now 36-years-old, which is normally retirement age for a quarterback (unless you are Brett Favre, the age is 90). The question now is does Kordell Stewart still have the strength and speed to play in the NFL?

The problem I see is that nobody would want him. If the Steelers were to ever re-sign him, I would have to contemplate suicide. Kordell Stewart is not a game winner, he is a game loser. Slash, if you are by some chance reading this, please stay retired. We know you mean good, but you’ll just make it worse.

Washington Redskins Jersey Numbr History: No. 12 and No. 13

Washington Redskins in for Mark Sanchez?

New York Giants Gearing Up for Draft Day

With less than a week until the first selection is made in the NFL Draft, the New York Giants are finishing up their preparations, and the picture that is their draft plan is coming into focus.

 

In the Past few weeks, New York has brought the following players to Giants’ Stadium for a look-see.

 

CB Vince Anderson– Webber International (Fla.)
WR Ramses Barden -Cal-Poly
WR Maurice Covington Virginia
DE Larry English– Northern Illinois
WR Johnny Knox -Abilene Christian
LB Tyrone McKenzie – South Florida
DE Everette Pedescleaux – Northern Iowa
LB Clint Sintim Virginia
LB Spencer Adkins – Mia. (Fla.)
TE Travis Beckum – Wisconsin
TE Carson Butler – Michigan
WR Dobson Collins – Gardner-Webb
OT Xavier Fulton – Illinois
LB Kenny Mainor – Troy
RB LeSean McCoy – Pitt

WR Kenny Britt– Rutgers

TE Kevin Brock– Rutgers

DB/KR Michael Ray Garvin -Florida State University

 

Now, in Jerry Reese’s tenure as general manager, he has yet to draft a player in round one whom he also brought in for a visit. None the less, there are some very intriguing names on the list.

 

If I were a betting man, I would wager that the proverbial first round selection will be dealt to The Cleveland Browns as part of a deal for Braylon Edwards. That still leaves New York with a duet of second and third round selections.

 

A number of the players New York has brought in are projected to come off the board in those rounds.

 

Scouting Reports and Analysis

Clint Sintim- During his visit with New York, Sintim reportedly enjoyed the presence of Tom Coughlin, as well as the rest of the coaching staff, and his overall visit went extremely well.

 

Sintim played on the outside as a 3-4 linebacker in Virginia’s system, but projects very well on the strong side in a 4-3 or even in the middle.

 

His strength lies in his physicality, he takes on blocks very well, works well in traffic, and has a non-stop motor. He can struggle in space at times, but he makes up for that with incredible pass rush skills. His intensity and physicality are exactly what New York is looking for in their linebacking core.

 

Lastly, Tom Coughlin and the Virginia head coach go way back in their friendship.

If available, I fully expect Sintim to be New York’s selection with their first second round pick.

 

Ramses Barden- From what I understand, wide receivers coach Mike Sullivan is in love with this guy, and understandably so, he stands at 6’-6” and set just about every NCAA receiving record there is.

 

While he did that against some weaker competition at Cal- Poly, so did Terrell Owens, who attended Tennessee-Chattanooga and Jerry Rice who attended Mississippi Valley State. Respectively, those two are the top two receivers of all time statistically; sometimes there are just cant-miss prospects regardless of where they hail from.

 

I believe Barden is one of them.  Regardless of whether or not New York gets Braylon Edwards or not, I do expect them to think hard about Barden if he is sitting there in round three.

 

LeSean McCoy- Nicknamed “shady”, McCoy was one of the best running backs in the country during the 2008 season. During his time at Pittsburgh, he showed the ability to be an every down back, as he carried the load both in between the tackles and catch the ball out of the backfield.

 

McCoy is a very tough runner to bring down, as he shows fight until the whistle is blown on every play. What makes him so dangerous though, is his incredible open field moves. Not only does he pack a punch, but McCoy can make the best of them miss in the open field.

 

Despite seemingly being loaded at running back, I believe that McCoy would be a great selection for the Giants in round two (with the later pick). Ahmad Bradshaw had an amazing post season run in 2007, but reportedly gained weight and could not overcome fumbling issues in 2008. With Jacobs needing good relief, McCoy is the man for the job.

 

Larry English-English, a defensive end in college, has some of the best pass rush moves in the entire nation, and proved it with multiple double-digit sack seasons at NIU. English projects as an outside linebacker in college, which may be why New York is looking at him.

 

Though he isn’t as tough at the line of scrimmage as Sintim, great pass rushers always catch New York’s eye.

 

If Sintim is off the board but English isn’t, I expect New York to make a move.

 

Tyrone McKenzie- McKenzie is a pure, tough, run- and- chase linebacker who has a real nose for the ball. Much like Brandon Jacobs, he bounced around from school to school and thus flew under the radar, but he certainly has the skills to get it done in this league.

 

If New York has yet to go linebacker when the third round rolls around, this diamond in the rough will undoubtedly be their selection. Make no mistake, McKenzie can play.

 

Xavier Fulton- Before 2008, Fulton played defensive line then moved to offense where he really found his game. He is a very raw talent and has a lot of upside. Offensive line is a bigger issue with New York than some believe, as the depth in that area is horrid. Don’t be surprised if New York spends a day one selection on a linebacker.

 

With their first three selections, I see The Giants either dealing for or selecting a receiver, then taking a linebacker or offensive linemen. Running back and safety are also possibilities, but it is simply a matter of where the value lies.

 

New York doesn’t exactly have a boat load of needs come draft day, so if a stud player falls into their lap, regardless of position, New York will be taking a long look at them.

 

The remainder or the players who visited New York (other than well documented receiver Kenny Britt) are late round or un-drafted free agent possibilities. Several of the names above should don blue in 2009. All one can do now is wait.

 

published from blogNYG.com

2009 NFL Mock Draft: Composite of Experts

You can barely go to a sports site without stumbling over at least one mock draft.  So, we at PossessionPoints.com, decided to take on a project that we have not seen elsewhere. 

We constructed a composite mock draft based on mock drafts completed this week from 10 football “experts.”

The first thing we noticed about the experts’ drafts is that they are all over the place. While some players have made their way to everyone’s list, there are some highly-touted players who made very few lists. We did notice that the first three top picks were the same on most mock drafts.

Although our composite draft cannot take into account every expert’s picks, it does give insight into the relative value of certain players as seen through the eyes of many experts.

Each mock draft has just 32 players, but our composite draft contains 45 because that is the number of unique names on these 10 mock drafts. For our purpose, we took these names and put them in order based on what we call a “composite score”.   

The composite score was generated quite simply—really, we swear.  We added together the selection number that a particular player held in each of the mock drafts.

 For example, Matthew Stafford was picked No. 1 in all 10 mock drafts we looked at; therefore, he had a composite score of 10. 

If a player was not on a particular mock draft, he was given a score of 33 (32 being the last pick) for that mock draft. For example, Michael Johnson was picked for only one of the 10 mock drafts. Amazingly, on that draft, he was picked at No. 9.  In the other nine drafts where he was not included, we gave him a score of 33 making his composite score 306.

Let’s see where the players fell out in our composite draft:  

1.   Detroit – Matt Stafford, quarterback from University of Georgia 

Composite Score 10–As we said before, Matt Stafford was the No. 1 choice in all 10 of the mock drafts we studied.

 

2.   St. Louis Rams – Jason Smith, OT from Baylor 

Composite Score 26 – Jason Smith was picked in the No. 2 spot in eight of the 10 drafts we looked at.  On the other two, he was picked at No. 4 and No. 6 which makes him a pretty solid No. 2 composite pick.

 

3.   Kansas City Chiefs – Aaron Curry, LB from Wake Forest  

Composite Score 34 – Curry was picked as early as two in one draft and as late as eight in another. He wound up at No. 3, and eight of the ten drafts had him at No. 3.

 

4.   Seattle Seahawks – Eugene Monroe, OT from Virginia

Composite Score 42 – Monroe was also picked as early as No. 2 in one draft and as late as No. 6 in three drafts. The other six drafts had him at No. 4 four times and No. 3 twice.

 

5.   Cleveland Browns – Michael Crabtree, WR from Texas Tech 

Composite Score 67 – Crabtree was only picked at No. 5 in two of the ten drafts.  He was picked at No. 4 three times, but that is the earliest any of the mock experts had him selected.  The latest any of our experts had him was at No. 13.

 

6.   Cincinnati Bengals – B.J. Raji, DT from Boston College 

Composite Score 75 – Raji was selected at No. 6 in three of the mock drafts. This is the earliest he was selected, but the latest he was selected was No. 10. This is a tight range, so we find it hard to argue with his No. 6 position.

 

7.  Oakland Raiders – Brian Orakpo, DE from Texas 

Composite Score 79 – While the composite has Orakpo ending up at No. 7, none of the mock drafts have him in this position. Orakpo’s earliest position in the mocks was at No. 5, and surprisingly, he was put there six times.  So, it would appear many experts think a more likely destination for this defensive end is Cleveland rather than Oakland.

 

8.   Jacksonville Jaguars – Mark Sanchez, quarterback from USC

Composite Score 88 – Sanchez was picked as early as No. 4 and as late as No. 12 in our 10 mock drafts.  Three mock drafts had him at No. 8 where he wound up on the composite.  Three other mock drafts also put him at No. 12.

 

9.    Green Bay Packers – Aaron Maybin, DE from Penn State

Composite Score 103 – Maybin was selected as early as No. 9 and as late as No. 13 in the ten mock drafts.  His most frequent selection spot was No. 10 where he appeared five times.

 

10. San Francisco 49ers – Andre Smith, OT from Alabama 

Composite Score 112 – Smith was picked as early as No. 6 and as late as No. 16.  The most common selection in the mock drafts for Smith was No. 13 where he appeared four times. Three experts had him going at No. 6. The tendency of a composite is to split the difference which is why he is on our composite at No. 10.

 

11. Buffalo Bills – Jeremy Maclin, WR from Missouri 

Composite Score 119 – The selections were highly varied for Maclin as he had the largest spread of any of the first 12 composite picks. His earliest pick was at No. 7 and the latest was way down at No. 26.  He was most frequently picked at No.7 which was where he showed up in four of the mock drafts. 

While the composite puts him at No. 11, none of the mock drafts had him at this number. We side with all the experts here as well since the Bills have picked up the one and only Terrell Owens.

 

12.  Denver Broncos – Everette Brown, DE from Florida State. 

Composite Score 122 – The Mock Drafts have Brown being selected as early as No. 5 and as late as No. 14.  He is most frequently picked at No. 11 where he appears in three of the mock drafts.  We can see Maclin sliding down and Brown sliding up without too much trouble.

 

13. Washington Redskins – Tyson Jackson, DE from LSU. 

Composite Score 128 – Jackson was picked as high as No. 9 and as late as No. 18.  His most common selection spot was at No. 12 where he showed up four times.

 

14.  New Orleans Saints – Malcolm Jenkins, CB from Ohio State 

Composite Score 144 – This one is really surprising. Next to Matt Stafford, Jenkins has the tightest range on the 10mock drafts. He was either selected No. 14 or No. 15 in all 10 expert mock drafts with No. 14 being the most frequent spot at six times.

 

15. Houston Texans – Michael Oher, OT from Mississippi  

Composite Score 168 – There is a pretty wide range with Oher as some mock drafts have him going as early as No. 8 while some having him go as late as No. 22.  He shows up most often in the No. 16 spot where he appears four times.

 

16.  San Diego Chargers – Brian Cushing, LB from USC

Composite Score 178 – The selection numbers on Cushing are broad as well. He is picked as early as No. 12 and as late as No. 25.  It is a tie as to where he falls most often in selection.  He appears in three mock drafts at No. 15 and in three mock drafts at No. 18.

 

17.  New York Jets – Josh Freeman, quarterback from Kansas State. 

Composite score 183 – Freeman is the third quarterback in most mock drafts.  He shows up as early as No. 11 and as late as No. 22.  He actually does show up at No. 17 in two mock drafts, but he is found most often at No. 19 where he appears three times.

 

18.  Denver Broncos – Robert Ayers, DE from Tennessee

Composite score 200 – Talk about your wide ranges! Ayers shows up as early as No. 11 and as late as not-picked-in-the-first-round.  While two mock drafts left him out completely, two had him at No. 11 and two at No. 13.  None had him going at No. 18 where the composite score landed him.

 

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Chris Wells, RB from Ohio State 

Composite Score 204 – Wells gets the award of “widest range” of anyone we looked at.  Given that we only assigned 33 numbers, we were impressed that his range was 28.  He was selected as early as No. 5 and as late as not-picked-in-the-first-round. 

It is pretty clear to see that the mock draft experts have no idea what to do with Wells.  His most frequent selection fell at No. 14 where he appeared twice, but two mock drafts left him entirely off the first round.

 

20.  Detroit Lions – Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR from University of Maryland 

Composite Score 214 – Heyward-Bey came close to Wells’ “widest range” mark as he was picked as early as No. 7 and as late as not-in-the-first-round. Given that Detroit has greater needs than WR, we doubt that Heyward-Bey will wind up where the composite left him. The most frequent selection number he held was No. 17 where he showed up in three of the mock drafts. 

 

21.  Philadelphia Eagles – Knowshon Moreno, RB from University of Georgia 

Composite Score 229 – Moreno showed up in all ten mock drafts as early as No. 16 and as late as No.31.  He did appear at No. 21 twice where the composite score left him, but he was more often selected at No. 31 where he was found in three of the mock drafts.

 

22.  Minnesota Vikings – Peria Jerry, DT from Mississippi

Composite Score 230 – Jerry was picked as early as No. 15 and as far the down the list as not-picked-in-the-first-round.  He was only left off of one of the mock drafts. He showed up most frequently at No. 27 where he was found four times.

 

23.  New England Patriots – Brandon Pettigrew, TE from Oklahoma State 

Composite Score 232 – Pettigrew has the distinction of having the highest composite score while being included in all 10 mock drafts.  The earliest he appeared is at No. 17 and the latest was at No. 31.  He can be found most often at No. 21 where he appeared four times. While he does not show up at his composite position of 23, he does show up three times at 24.  We think 24 might be more accurate.

 

24.  Atlanta Falcons – Rey Maualuga, LB from USC

Composite Score 240 – We would love to tell you there were 10 times when Maualuga showed up at No. 24, but, alas, that is not the case. He appeared as early as No. 15 on the mock drafts and as late as not-picked-in-the-first-round.  He tied in his most frequent selection spots appearing at No. 20 and No. 30 two times. 

 

25. Miami Dolphins – Clay Matthews, LB from USC

Composite Score 245 – Just like the other USC linebacker above, Matthews was left off the first round picks once and selected as early as No. 15 once. He most frequently appeared at No. 25 where the composite score placed him, and he showed up at this selection spot three times.

 

26. Baltimore Ravens – Vontae Davis, CB from Illinois 

Composite Score 245 – Davis tied with Matthews in the composite score, but because Matthews’ earliest selection was at No. 15 and Davis’ was at No. 19, Matthews got the 25th slot.  Davis, also like Matthews, most frequently showed up in the mock drafts at No. 25 where he appeared twice.

 

27.  Indianapolis Colts – Eben Britton, OT from Arizona   

Composite Score 249 – Britton was picked as early as No. 20 and was left off the first-round list as well.  None of the mocks had him No. 27 as the composite did, and he most frequently landed at No. 22 where he appeared three times.

 

28.  Buffalo Bills– Larry English, DE from Northern Illinois.

Composite Score 270 – Some mock drafts picked English as early as 23, but he was left entirely out of the first round in three of the 10 drafts we studied. None of the mock experts picked him at No. 28, and the most frequent spot where he showed up was at No. 23 where he appeared four times. 

 

29. New York Giants – Percy Harvin, WR from Florida 

Composite Score 280 – Harvin was picked as high as No. 22 and as late as not-picked-in-the-first-round.  His most frequent selection spot was No. 26 where he showed up twice.  He did show up in one mock draft at No. 29 where the composite score left him.

 

30. Tennessee Titans – William Beatty, OT from Connecticut

Composite Score 286 – This selection is hard to figure since Beatty was left off the first- round in six of the 10 mock drafts we examined.  However, he did show up at No. 20 in three of the drafts and at No. 28 in one which is why his composite is at No. 30.

 

31.  Arizona Cardinals – Evander Hood, DT from University of Missouri. 

Composite Score 302 – Hood was left out of the first round in five of the 10 mock drafts we studied.  When he was included, Hood showed up most frequently at No. 27 where he appeared three times. 

 

32.  Pittsburgh Steelers – Michael Johnson, DE from Georgia Tech 

Composite Score 306 – This one almost seems ridiculous. Johnson was left out of the first round in nine of the 10 mock drafts we looked at. The only mock draft that included him selected him way up the list at No. 9 which is how he found his way to the 32nd spot. 

 

As we said at the start, there were 45 unique players that showed up in these 10 mock drafts. We are listing players 33-45 and their composite scores so you can see who the remaining players are and where they fell: Always keep in mind, that draft experts re-evaluate their choices daily.

If we were to re-run our composite again tomorrow, there might be changes due to the experts’ changes.

 

33.  Darius Butler, CB from Connecticut – Composite Score 306

34.  Hakeem Nicks, WR from North Carolina – Composite Score 307

35.  Kenny Britt, WR from Rutgers – Composite Score 314

36.  Alex Mack,  C from California – Composite Score 315

37.  Donald Brown, RB from Connecticut – Composite Score 319

38.  Jarron Gilbert, DE from San Jose State – Composite Score 321

39.  Connor Barwin, LB from University of Cincinnati – Composite Score 322

40.  Clint Sintim, LB from University of Virginia – Composite Score 323

41.  James Laurinaitis, LB from Ohio State – Composite Score 323

42.  Shawn Nelson, TE from Southern Miss – Composite Score 325

43.  LeSean McCoy, RB from University of Pittsburgh – Composite Score 328

44.  Max Unger, OT from Oregon – Composite Score 328

45.  D.J. Moore, CB from Vanderbilt – Composite Score 329   

2009 Bills Mock Draft

After the completion of the deal between the Bills and the Eagles for Jason Peters, the Bills draft outlook looks much different than it did prior to the deal. 

Here I will look at the potential use of the Bills’ first three picks in the upcoming draft, as well as other potential choices in those same slots.

First Round

No. 11—Andre Smith OT (Alabama)

Smith has been a starter and solid contributor for the Crimson Tide since his freshman year.  Going into the end of the season Smith was viewed by most as the best tackle prospect in the draft, but has slid since then for multiple reasons. 

He didn’t play in Alabama’s Sugar Bowl loss to Utah due to violating team rules by contacting an agent.  Smith also appeared at the NFL Combine looking out of shape and flabby.  He has subsequently been passed on draft boards by Baylor’s Jason Smith and Virginia’s Eugene Monroe.

Other potential choice

Given the high-likelihood that someone may take a chance on Smith prior to the Bills’ selection, Michael Oher OT (Mississippi) is another highly ranked SEC tackle who hopefully would be able to step into the slot vacated by Peters.

No. 28—Larry English DE/OLB (Northern Illinois)

English was extremely productive when healthy during his career at Northern Illinois. He showed he could still change the game, even when playing against top competition.  At 6’2″ 255 lbs. English can immediately contribute to the Bills anemic pass rush and should be able to develop into either a very good OLB in the Bills 4-3 scheme.

Other potential choices

If any of these players are available the Bills would immediately snatch them up: Everette Brown DE/OLB (Florida St.), Tyson Jackson DE (LSU), Robert Ayers DE (Tennessee).

Second Round

No. 11—Jared Cook TE (South Carolina)

Cook, a converted WR, is the pass-catching TE the Bills desperately need.  At 6’5″ 250 lbs. he lacks the bulk necessary to be an effective in-line blocker in the NFL. 

What he does possess is sub 4.5 40 speed, great hands, and ball recognition skills that will immediately allow him to stretch defenses in the seams as well as serve as a large safety valve when Trent Edwards gets into trouble.

Other potential choices

In the unlikely scenario Cook is already taken, the Bills may try to grab one of the two top centers in the draft Alex Mack (Cal) or Max Unger (Oregon) if either one is still on the board. 

If they are both gone then the Bills will be forced to use the pick on one of the other highly ranked tight ends in the draft such as Shawn Nelson (Southern Miss.), James Casey (Rice), or Chase Coffman (Missouri).

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