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2006 Fantasy Rankings
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1 Detroit - QB Matthew Stafford - All signs are now pointing towards Stafford going #1 - With both Stafford and Jason Smith having the same representation, the agent will maximize his earnings as they go 1-2 in the draft with the more costly quarterback position in the lead - This kid can make all the throws and has the big arm - Which should do him well with all world wide receiver Calvin Johnson on the roster - We expect him to take over the position (from Daunte Culpepper) by mid season at the latest - ***Update Stafford just signed a 6 year $79 million ($41.7million guaranteed) dollar deal with Detroit - At least we will have gotten one pick right *** 2 St. Louis - LT Jason Smith - With Orlando Pace moving on, the Rams secure who we feel is the safest pick in this draft - Smith has both the pass blocking skill set and run blocking mind set to excel at the next level - This kid reminds us a lot of Walter Jones of Seattle and he should set the Rams up at the position for the next decade - 3 Kansas City - DE Tyson Jackson - Kansas City will be interchanging from the 4 3 to the 3 4 throughout the next season with new DC Clancy Pendergrast - Jackson offers the versatility to play the five technique in the 3 4 and while flipping inside to the tackle position in the 4 3 - Scott Pioli is committed to build this team from the inside out - Word out there from both NFL.com (Gil Brandt) and NationalFootballPost.com (Mike Lombardi) is that Jackson reminds him of former Patriots All-Pro Richard Seymour and is the expected pick here - 4 Seattle - QB Mark Sanchez - Matt Hasselbeck has been having some back difficulties over the past couple seasons and is in the last year of his contract - Sanchez can come in and sit for a year behind Hass - Jim Mora Sr was with the Colts his second time around (Saints) when they drafted Peyton Manning - Jim Mora Jr will follow suit in his second time around (Falcons) with Seattle in taking Sanchez - 5 Cleveland - WR Michael Crabtree - Cleveland has lost Kellen Winslow via trade, Joe Jurevicius to retirement, Donte Stallworth has legal issues - Current #1 WR Braylon Edwards has been rumored to be on the trade block - Whether Edwards is there or not they definitely need another offensive weapon - Crabtree is their guy - 6 Cincinnati - LT Eugene Monroe - The Bengals obviously need help at the tackle position to protect their Carson Palmer investment - The loss of Stacey Andrews to Philadelphia this offseason makes the Monroe pick here a no brainer - Several of the guys at NFL.com and the NFP have Monroe as the top rated player on their draft boards - 7 Oakland - LT Michael Oher - Mr. Davis sees an Art Shell like demeanor in Ole Miss tackle Michael Oher and HC Tom Cable took a real liking to this kid at the Senior Bowl - Oher should start immediately at left tackle over newly signed Kalif Barnes - While Barnes moves over to compete with Mario Henderson on the right side - Where a much weaker tackle Cornell Green had previously started and now has legal issues to boot - Mr. Davis definitely won't hold "The Blind Side" against this kid - 8 Jacksonville - DT BJ Raji - Head Coach Jack Del Rio and new DC Mel Tucker have made a commitment this off season to use some of the 3 4 defensive packages that Tucker used in Cleveland - Pairing up BJ Raji with John Henderson will conjure up memories of the days with Henderson and Stroud manning the interior of the Jaguars defense - Raji has the versatility to play the nose in the 3 4 and the tackle in the 4 3 - 9 Green Bay - OLB-DE Everette Brown - Green Bay needs to add another 3 4 rush end for new DC Dom Capers defense opposite Aaron Kampman - We don't believe Brady Poppinga is their answer - Brown in our view is the most ready of all the first round ends who project as an OLB in a 3 4, despite the resistance out there from the moral majority - Miami, New England and Kansas City didn't waste draft their visits with Brown in projecting him as a five technique end for their defense - Brown is our top rated defensive player in the draft and despite what many experts have said about him going late in round one...we believe Brown is closer to a top 10 pick - 10 San Francisco - OLB-DE Brian Orakpo - The 49ers are thin at the OLB position now with Tully Banta-Cain going back to the Patriots and Roderick Green in limbo as an unsigned UFA - Manny Lawson hasn't really lived up to their hopes thus far, although we are not ready to close the book on him just yet - Head coach Mike Singletary and DC Greg Manusky need at least one guy who can pressure the quarterback on the edge - Don't be surprised to see one of the 3 4 teams picking in the 20's try and make a move up here with the 49ers (who are willing to deal) to land Orakpo - As there is at least one team back there who is very interested in this player - Miami has worked out Orakpo three times now and New England's Orakpo silence is deafening - 11 Buffalo - OT Andre Smith - Buffalo brought in Andre Smith back in March for a visit and must have liked what they saw enough to trade left tackle Jason Peters to Philadelphia - This gives the Bills the option of either Langston Walker at the left tackle, which apparently is the current plan - With Smith going over to the right side - Or Smith may show enough in camp for Buffalo to trust him on the left side, thus keeping Walker at the right tackle position - This could be a situation where Buffalo feels the need to move up in the draft, as Scout.com (Adam Caplan) pointed out - 12 Denver - RB Chris 'Beanie' Wells - New HC Josh McDaniels needs an infusion into his offense - The guaranteed money just isn't there for the runners (Jordan, Buckhalter, Arrington) Denver signed to free agent contracts this offseason - Neither is the longterm potential - While the Broncos obviously need some help on the defensive side of the ball to implement their 3 4 - A great running back can take a lot of pressure off the defensive side of the ball - Along with taking pressure off Coach McDaniels after the Cutler trade - 13 Washington - LB Aaron Curry - Curry lands in Washington where they have a huge need for a SAM linebacker - A perfect match as Curry will match up with the top tight ends in the division such as Jason Witten from Dallas - 14 New Orleans - CB-S Malcolm Jenkins - New Orleans has newly signed CB Jabari Greer manning one side and not much in the way of talent on the other side - They get their lock down corner here in Jenkins - Who can also eventually move over to the free safety position occupied by recent free agent signee, veteran Darren Sharper - 15 Houston - QB Josh Freeman - The big surprise of round one - Both Texans HC Gary Kubiak and OC Kyle Shanahan have been around when another big, mobile, strong armed quarterback made his impact at their former team in Denver, by the name of John Elway - Now we are not saying Freeman is the next Elway - But he is packaged similarly enough to remind this group of the kind of difference maker a kid like this can be in an offense with a great stretch the field receiver like Andre Johnson - Matt Schaub hasn't been able to play in even 2/3 of the Texans games (11 games each year) over the past two seasons - Schaub is due a $10 million dollar roster bonus at the end of this season, which may make this move a little easier to understand - 16 San Diego - ILB Rey Maualuga - San Diego adds another former USC linebacker whom they hope can be the disruptive force that the great Junior Seau (USC) was with the team for so many years - Maualuga will line up along side newly signed free agent Kevin Burnett with Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips manning the outside positions - 17 New York Jets - RB Knowshon Moreno - Thomas Jones will be 31 when the 2009 NFL season gets underway and it appears he could be headed for a holdout after setting a Jets running back record with 15 touchdowns last year - In free agency the Jets have been all about the defense, signing nothing but defensive players with the exception of resigning guard Brandon Moore and fullback Tony Richardson - Enter Knowshon Moreno - 18 Denver (from Chicago) - DE-OLB Robert Ayers - Solid versus the run with the ability to get stronger - Ayers who has visited Denver, New England and Cleveland should be the man to provide the pressure off the edge in new Denver DC Mike Nolan's 3 4 scheme - 19 Tampa Bay - DT Peria Jerry - Last years three technique tackle Jovan Haye has moved on to Tennessee leaving a void at the position - Jerry is an excellent fit here and new Bucs HC Raheem Morris is fully aware of the value of this position in his defense - 20 Detroit (from Dallas) - DT Evander 'Ziggy' Hood - New Lions Head Coach Jim Schwartz is looking for hard working, physical interior defenders along the line and Ziggy Hood fits the bill - A tenacious player who doesn't back down - This kid should step right in at the three technique for the Lions and provide the run support Schwartz desires - 21 Philadelphia - DE-OLB Aaron Maybin - The Eagles could use some more defensive pressure off the opposite end of Trent Cole - Aaron Maybin is the man to provide it for them - A natural pass rusher who has the skills needed to excel in Jim Johnson's defensive scheme in Philly - Maybin should work very well as a defensive end here -Good to hear you are feeling well again, coach Johnson - Our prayers are with you - 22 Minnesota - OT Eben Britton - The Vikings are in need of a right tackle with Ryan Cook proving incapable of performing at the necessary levels needed in both the run and pass game - Cook is currently working out at center, as his versatility will keep him on the roster - Eben Britton should step in immediately starting at right tackle and is a tremendous upgrade to the position - 23 New England - LB Brian Cushing - Cushing has all the versatility that a Bill Belichick defense looks for with the ability to line up inside or outside at the linebacker position - Cushing is strong, athletic and intelligent - Cushing will likely be the heir apparent to Tedi Bruschi when he finally hangs 'em up - Until then, pencil Cushing in at the WILL in taking Mike Vrabel's place - 24 Atlanta - CB Darius Butler - Atlanta really needs a shutdown cornerback and Darius Butler has continued to impress throughout the offseason grading period - A tremendously athletic corner who can play in both man and zone schemes - Butler is a much needed upgrade for the Falcons secondary - 25 Miami - WR Percy Harvin - The most explosive offensive weapon in this draft - This kid has superstar written all over him - Miami's wildcat package will take on a whole new dimension with Harvin on the field - Forget the recent negative character talk about Harvin, it was all a mirage - Now you know why Harvin canceled his Giants visit - 26 Baltimore - WR Jeremy Maclin - Baltimore has a need for a receiver and they get the last of the big three in Jeremy Maclin - Maclin will provide quarterback Joe Flacco with a stretch the field type player that the Ravens have been searching for on offense - Maclin can also compete with newly signed Chris Carr on special teams as a return man - 27 Indianapolis - MLB James Laurinaitis - Colts starting MIKE backer Gary Brackett has just one year left on his contract - And all indications are that the new staff headed by HC Jim Caldwell is looking to add more size to their front seven - Laurinaitis may be able to step right in this year and help this defense versus the run - 28 Buffalo (from Philadelphia via Carolina) - DE-OLB Larry English - Buffalo needs a pass rusher, as Chris Kelsay just never got it done for them - English who some project to be an outside linebacker, but he has shown to be able to play the run from the end - 29 New York Giants - TE Brandon Pettigrew - Coach Tom Coughlin and OC Kevin Gilbride will love this kid as he will add to their already potent offensive line - Pettigrew will cause mismatches versus the defense, especially zone - A dual blocking and receiving tight end that the Giants have been missing since trading away Jeremy Shockey - 30 Tennessee - C-OT Max Unger - Kevin Mawae is in the last year of his contract and will be 39 years old next year - It is about time for the Titans to consider his replacement - Tennessee also lost some depth at tackle when Daniel Loper moved on to Detroit - Unger's versatility across the line in being all conference for two years each at both center and left tackle seals the deal for the Titans here at pick #30 - 31 Arizona - OLB Clay Matthews III - The Cardinals could use some youth at the linebacker position with Chike Okeafor getting up there in age and not much depth with Victor Hobson and Pago Togafau on the bench - Matthews should come in a contribute right away and will definitely be a help on special teams for the Cardinals - 32 Pittsburgh - OG-OT Andy Levitre - Pittsburgh recently released starting guard Kendall Simmons, leaving Darnell Stapleton and Trai Essex to compete for a starting guard position - Their line is thin and they need a solid player who also offers versatility - Levitre should compete for a job from day one - |
| April 26 2009 A tale of two different drafting philosophies Most NFL teams prefer what I like to call the spread 'em out draft philosophy - Drafting various players at different positions throughout the draft - The spread the wealth philosophy is where one may see a running back drafted in round one, a defensive lineman in round two, a defensive back in round three, an offensive lineman in round four etc etc - This philosophy tends to lend itself to repeat picks over successive years - As drafters who follow this philosophy normally will miss out on the draft's true strengths - In doing so they take a lesser player to fill a team need, which eventually leads to taking that same position in a following draft - The majority of NFL drafts are generally more strong at certain positions, than at others - NFL General Managers and brass like to lay claim to "drafting the best player available" or the "best player on their draft board" - But if these claims were actually true, we would see more teams with multiple picks at the same positions in the same draft - Now let us look at the other drafting philosophy of drafting to the strength of the draft - Taught to Bill Parcells by the great George Young (RIP) - First a little history on the late great George Young - As we feel like he doesn't get the recognition deserved in being mentioned as an innovator and one of the greatest drafters in NFL history - In 1979 George Young was hired by the Giants as the teams General Manager - Prior to Young's hiring, the Giants had went 15 consecutive seasons without a playoff berth - From '79 to '95 George Young was responsible for 119 draft picks who made the NY Giants team and Young got every last one of them signed - Under the leadership of George Young the Giants made the playoffs 8 years - They won 2 Super Bowls and Young was named NFL executive of the year an unprecedented 5 times in '84, '86, '90, '93 and '97 - Players drafted under George Young's tenure include Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall, Mark Bavaro, Phil Simms, Joe Morris, Pepper Johnson, Mark Collins, Jumbo Elliott and the list goes on and on... Let's take a gander at the Parcells-Young drafting philosophy and history - Last year in '08 Miami took a combined 6 offensive and defensive lineman (Long, Merling, Langford, Thomas, Murphy, Dotson) out of their 9 draft picks under Parcells - In Dallas, when having the draft pull, Parcells during his 2nd draft in '05 saw him picking linebackers and defensive ends in rounds 1-4 (Ware, Spears, Burnett, Canty) - With the NY Jets in '99, Bill Parcells Jets took guards with his first two picks in the draft (Thomas, Loverne) - His last draft with the Jets in '00 he took pass rushing ends and passing game components in the first three rounds with (Ellis, Abraham, Pennington, Coles, Becht) - With the NY Giants we saw defensive ends drafted back to back in rounds 2-3 (Fox, Mark) in '90 - In '89 we saw interior lineman drafted in rounds 1-3 (Williams, Kratch) - In '88 we saw tackles drafted in rounds 1-2 (Moore, Elliott) - In '87 we saw receivers drafted in rounds 1-4 (Ingram, Baker, Turner) - In '86 we saw run stuffing interior players in rounds 1-3 (Dorsey, Howard, Johnson, Washington) - In '84 we saw lineman and linebackers taken in rounds 1-4 (Banks, Reasons, Roberts, Goode) - In '82 we saw running backs in rounds 1-2 (Woolfolk, Morris) - Now in '09 we have seen Miami under Parcells take corners in rounds 1-2 (Davis, Smith) and size receivers in rounds 3-5 (Turner, Hartline, Nalbone) - Once again, we see Parcells identified the strengths of the draft when his turn to pick came - And in doing so, Parcells will have collected a higher percentage of players primed for success than the rest of the league - Maybe this helps to explain how Parcells is able to create a positive turnaround with the teams he takes over in such a short time period - |
| April 26 2009 Over the next couple of days we will be putting together a per round breakdown on the players we like the best to impact this year - Until then, we are offering a Bill Parcells drafting breakdown - |
| 2009 NFL Draft - Round One (Comments) 1 Detroit - QB Matt Stafford - See mock 2 St. Louis - LT Jason Smith - See mock 3 Kansas City - DE Tyson Jackson - See mock 4 Seattle - LB Aaron Curry - Will replace Julian Peterson at the SAM 5 NY Jets - Mark Sanchez - Great trade for both clubs - Should step right in as a starter 6 Cincinnati - Andre Smith - Would have been better taking Eugene Monroe here to protect Carson Palmer 7 Oakland - Darrius Heyward-Bey - Reach 8 Jacksonville - Eugene Monroe - Great pick for a team whose line crumbled last year 9 Green Bay - BJ Raji - Will play the nose in Dom Capers new 3 4 - Solid pick 10 San Francisco - Michael Crabtree - Great value for a team that needs offensive help 11 Buffalo - Aaron Maybin - We had Orakpo and Ayers here in two of our previous mocks - They need a rush end 12 Denver - Knowshon Moreno - Went back and forth between Wells and Moreno here in our previous mocks - See mock 13 Washington - Brian Orakpo - Had him with Washington in two of our previous mocks - Here is what we said - Washington spoke early on with Orakpo about playing the strong side linebacker position and then dropping down to DE on pass rushing situations - The Orakpo slide stops here - 14 New Orleans - Macolm Jenkins - See mock 15 Houston - Brian Cushing - We had Maybin and Matthews here in two previous mocks - Fills the obvious need at linebacker 16 San Diego - Larry English - Merriman's contract is up at the end of this season 17 Tampa - Josh Freeman - Will have the benefit of learning behind Leftwich 18 Denver - Robert Ayers - See mock 19 Phildelphia - Jeremy Maclin - The weapon McNabb asked for 20 Detroit - Brandon Pettigrew - Oher would have been a much better pick here 21 Cleveland - Alex Mack - A little early for our liking - Would prefer Harvin or Oher here 22 Minnesota - Percy Harvin - Steal of the draft 23 Baltimore - Michael Oher - Excellent trade - Another steal here for the Ravens 24 Atlanta - Peria Jerry - Fits their scheme at the three technique - Very nice pick 25 Miami - Vontae Davis - A primary need discussed in detail here with previous mocks - Here is what we said - The Dolphins are another team in need of a shutdown cornerback - One with the size-speed to matchup against Randy Moss and Terrell Owens, with whom they get the pleasure of playing against in four games this year - Phins get their quarters corner - 26 Green Bay - Clay Matthews - Risky trade 27 Indianapolis - Donald Brown - Joseph Addai has never been able to carry the load 28 Buffalo - Eric Wood - Versatile interior lineman who fits in the division nicely 29 NY Giants - Hakeem Nicks - Excellent pick by Coach Coughlin and the Giants 30 Tennessee - Kenny Britt - Fills a big need 31 Arizona - Chris 'Beanie' Wells - The rich get richer - Another late steal in round one 32 Pittsburgh - Evander 'Ziggy' Hood - Will move over to the five technique - Nice pick |
| Take 'em to the bank - March 20 2009 Here are the 3 take 'em to the bank draft picks from this years NFL draft - The three can't miss prospects for this year - LT Jason Smith - Excellent pass blocker - Solid drive blocker - Versatile across the line, having played on both the left and right side, along with the tight end position - Moves well, has the necessary quickness, body control and great feet - Good reaction, nice lock and move, finishes strong - Capable of playing at a high level in any offensive blocking scheme - Solid strength with the ability to add weight and become stronger - Very coach-able kid - Skill set and play compares to Seattle left tackle Walter Jones - OLB-DE Everette Brown - Great burst - Excellent balance - Closes well, good change of direction, great spin moves, very solid rip and swim - Pursues, moves laterally and has tremendous explosion - Extremely quick off the snap - Nice technique, uses hands very well - Matched up all across the line in college, versatile player - Skill set and play compares to a cross between former Saints outside linebacker Rickey Jackson and Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney - WR Percy Harvin - Very rare elusiveness - Great speed and stop-start - Excellent vision, balance and agility - Strong and versatile with good hands - Willing to play hurt - Skill set and play compares to a cross between former Colts-Rams running back Marshall Faulk and former Oakland wide receiver-returner Tim Brown - Throw in former Cardinals do everything back-return man Terry Metcalf for the old school followers - In fact, Metcalf may be the better comparison of the three here - |
| 2009 NFL Mock Draft - April 21 2009 1 Detroit - QB Matt Stafford 2 St Louis - LT Jason Smith 3 Kansas City - DE Tyson Jackson 4 Seattle - QB Mark Sanchez 5 Cleveland - WR Michael Crabtree 6 Cincinnati - LT Eugene Monroe 7 Oakland - LB Aaron Curry 8 Jacksonville - DT BJ Raji 9 Green Bay - OT Michael Oher 10 San Francisco - OLB-DE Everette Brown 11 Buffalo - OT Andre Smith 12 Denver - RB Knowshon Moreno 13 Washington - DE-OLB Brian Orakpo 14 New Orleans - LB Brian Cushing 15 Houston - QB Josh Freeman 16 San Diego - WR Jeremy Maclin 17 NY Jets - RB Chris 'Beanie' Wells 18 Denver - CB-S Malcolm Jenkins 19 Tampa - DT Peria Jerry 20 Detroit - DE-DT Robert Ayers 21 Philadelphia - DE-OLB Aaron Maybin 22 Minnesota - OT Eben Britton 23 New England - WR Percy Harvin 24 Atlanta - CB Darius Butler 25 Miami - CB Sean Smith 26 Baltimore - ILB Rey Maualuga 27 Indianapolis - DT Evander 'Ziggy' Hood 28 Buffalo - DE-OLB Larry English 29 NY Giants - TE Brandon Pettigrew 30 Tennessee - C-OT Max Unger 31 Arizona - WR Hakeem Nicks 32 Pittsburgh - OG-OT Andy Levitre 2009 NFL Mock Draft - March 29 2009 1 Detroit - LT Jason Smith 2 St. Louis - LB Aaron Curry 3 Kansas City - DT BJ Raji 4 Seattle - QB Mark Sanchez 5 Cleveland - WR Michael Crabtree 6 Cincinnati - LT Eugene Monroe 7 Oakland - LT Michael Oher 8 Jacksonville - QB Matthew Stafford 9 Green Bay - OT Andre Smith 10 San Francisco - OLB-DE Everette Brown 11 Buffalo - DE Robert Ayers 12 Denver - RB Chris Wells 13 Washington - DE-OLB Brian Orakpo 14 New Orleans - CB Malcolm Jenkins 15 Houston - OLB Clay Matthews III 16 San Diego - WR Percy Harvin 17 New York Jets - RB Knowshon Moreno 18 Chicago - DE-OLB Aaron Maybin 19 Tampa Bay - DT Peria Jerry 20 Detroit (from Dallas) - DE Tyson Jackson 21 Philadelphia - TE Brandon Pettigrew 22 Minnesota - WR Jeremy Maclin 23 New England- OT Eben Britton 24 Atlanta - CB Darius Butler 25 Miami - CB Sean Smith 26 Baltimore - ILB Rey Maualuga 27 Indianapolis - DT Evander Hood 28 Philadelphia (from Carolina) - DE-OLB Larry English 29 New York Giants - OLB Brian Cushing 30 Tennessee - C-OT Max Unger 31 Arizona - C Alex Mack 32 Pittsburgh - RB LeSean McCoy 2009 NFL Mock Draft - March 14 2009 1 Detroit - LT Jason Smith 2 St Louis - OLB Aaron Curry 3 Kansas City - DT BJ Raji 4 Seattle - QB Mark Sanchez 5 Cleveland - WR Michael Crabtree 6 Cincinnati - LT Eugene Monroe 7 Oakland - LT Michael Oher 8 Jacksonville - QB Matthew Stafford 9 Green Bay - OLB Everette Brown 10 San Francisco - OT Andre Smith 11 Buffalo - DE Brian Orakpo 12 Denver - CB Malcolm Jenkins 13 Washington - DE Robert Ayers 14 New Orleans - RB Knowshown Moreno 15 Houston - OLB-DE Aaron Maybin 16 San Diego - ILB Rey Maualuga 17 NY Jets - RB Chris Wells 18 Chicago - DT Peria Jerry 19 Tampa Bay - WR Percy Harvin 20 Detroit - LB Clay Matthews 21 Philadelphia - WR Hakeem Nicks 22 Minnesota - DE Michael Johnson 23 New England - OT Eben Britton 24 Atlanta - CB Darius Butler 25 Miami - CB Sean Smith 26 Baltimore - CB Alphonso Smith 27 Indianapolis - WR Jeremy Maclin 28 Philadelphia - OT William Beatty 29 NY Giants - TE Brandon Pettigrew 30 Tennessee - C-OT Max Unger 31 Arizona - WR Darrius Heyward-Bey 32 Pittsburgh - RB LeSean McCoy |
| Draft Day Deals - April 24 2009 Some NFL team is gonna get a Draft Day Deal on the following players - TE - John Nalbone - This kid could end up the top tight end in this draft class at the position - Has the size, strength and speed needed to compete with NFL linebackers and safeties - Solid blocker, good hands with tackle breaking ability - CB/KR - Lardarius Webb - Aggressive corner with COD, closes and tackles very well - Was so dominant as a returner in the Southland Conference that teams stopped kicking to him - This kid is a play maker whenever he is on the field - QB - Tom Brandstater - Good size, arm strength and accuracy - Solid pocket presence, accuracy and the ability to throw on the move - Played under center in pro style offense - |
| Draft Day Deals - March 20 2009 Some NFL team is gonna get a Draft Day Deal on the following players - TE Chase Coffman - There is no reason why this kid cannot end up the top tight end in this draft - His pops Paul was a three time Pro Bowl tight end for the Packers - Chase has better hands, size, body control and moves better than his old man - Tough kid who is willing to play through injury - He is a baller who will be a force to be reckoned with at the next level - RB Jeremiah Johnson - People forget this kid was getting his looks with current Carolina Panthers Jonathan Stewart on the field together back in 2007 for the University of Oregon - Epitomizes game speed almost as much as anyone in this draft - His 40 time does not reflect the player on the field - He doesn't have Jerry Rice game speed - Johnson is more like former Denver Broncos Terrell Davis with respects to his game speed and running style - He has the vision, quickness, balance and he runs low - DT Dorell Scott - This kid is quick off the ball - Nice strength, rip and drive - He closes and redirects well - Tough kid who is willing to play hurt - Has the ability to play in all defensive schemes on the interior line - Scott is a hard worker who leads by example and will only get better with time - |
| April 29 2009 Our top 5 impact rookies round by round thru round 4 - Round One - 1 St Louis - T Jason Smith - This should come as no surprise as we have Smith rated as a can't miss prospect and the safest pick in the draft - The Rams will be able to plug this kid in right away and see immediate dividends in both the running and passing game - 2 Minnesota - WR Percy Harvin - Ditto on Harvin here being rated previously as a can't miss prospect - The Vikings got the steal of the draft here in landing him with the 22nd pick - They are already talking about incorporating specific offensive packages in their game for Harvin, namely the wildcat - With teams already keying on Adrian Peterson here, the chances of Harvin to explode onto the scene with an immediate impact remain strong - 3 Kansas City - DE-DT Tyson Jackson - Kansas City GM Scott Pioli has had a very successful history with New England in drafting defensive lineman early in drafts - In chronological order Pioli drafted Richard Seymour, Ty Warren, Marquise Hill (RIP) and Vince Wilfork - There is no reason to doubt his choice of Tyson Jackson here based on this - Jackson offers the necessary versatility in new DC Clancy Pendergast's 3 4 - 4 3 schemes to make a big impact in year one - 4 Washington - DE-OLB Brian Orakpo - Washington has had Orakpo targeted the entire draft, a rare happening to get your targeted player from day one - They envision playing Orakpo at the strong side linebacker early on, while dropping down in obvious passing situations - This is a lot to ask for out of a rookie, but lining up against the two Chris's (Samuels & Cooley) everyday in practice will close the gap on this transition in our view - 5 Miami - CB Vontae Davis - Davis college coach Ron Zook has made the comparison to former Zook defensive back Rod Woodson, quite the compliment indeed - Dolphins Executive VP of Football Operations Bill Parcells has a short but sweet history in drafting NFL cornerbacks early on with Ty Law and Terrance Newman - This kid is gonna be given the shot to compete for a starting gig immediately - The first guy we can remember since Bo Jackson to make extensive use of the third person - "But everybody who knows Vontae, knows that I am a great person." - Definitely not lacking in confidence - 5A Baltimore - OT Michael Oher - Six of the past seven Ravens first round picks have impacted for the team in their rookie season - With all 6 players starting at least 9 games - There is no reason to doubt the big man's ability to beat out veteran Willie Anderson on the right side of the Baltimore line - Let's go ahead and make the call now, it's seven out of eight after this year - Round Two - 1 Carolina - DE-OLB Everette Brown - We have made it perfectly clear in no uncertain terms that Everette Brown is one of our favorite players in this draft - The fact that a team like Carolina was willing to deal out of their first round pick in next years draft for this kid, only helps to solidify our initial projection of Brown as a big time baller - As the Panthers in the last decade have drafted Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Dan Morgan, Will Witherspoon and Jon Beason as their front seven defensive picks on the first day of the draft - That is some pretty good company to be in - 2 New England - SS Patrick Chung - Their heir apparent to Rodney Harrison, this kid flat out brings it on every play - A strong, powerful, explosive hitter who wraps his man up - Chung will make Patriots defensive guru Bill Belichick proud with his lead by example mentality on the defensive side of the ball - 3 NY Giants - OLB Clint Sintim - The Giants played a bit of musical chairs at the strong side linebacker position last year - Sintim will be given every opportunity to solidify that position behind an outstanding rotational defensive front four - Playing with that talented group up front, expect Sintim to put up some quality numbers - We have heard people say they are concerned about Sintim's transition to the 4 3 - We have two words for them...Don't be - 4 Seattle - C-G Max Unger - Unger was a 4 year all conference player and starter at the University of Oregon - At two positions no less, center and left tackle - We expect Unger to unseat Chris Spencer as the Seahawks starting center and provide an immediate impact with his nasty demeanor on the interior of Seattle's line - If Spencer manages to hold off this kid, left guard Mike Whale needs to be on notice - 5 Tennessee - DT Sen'Derrick Marks - Marks should at the very least be part of an interior defensive rotation with Tony Brown and Jovan Haye - Coach Jeff Fisher loves tough interior lineman and Marks went a long way to show him he fits the bill in playing through a couple of high ankle sprains at Auburn this past season - Honorable mention here to Miami QB Pat White and Philadelphia RB Lesean 'Shady' McCoy - Both guys are playing behind veterans in Chad Pennington and Brian Westbrook who have shown some propensity for injuries in the past - White will also be the facilitator of the wildcat formation - While 'Shady' should see plenty of time behind the soon to be 30 year old Westbrook this year - As the Eagles hope to make their run and keep Westbrook fresh for the playoffs - Round Three - 1 NY Jets - RB Shonn Greene - Thomas Jones has been nowhere to be found this offseason and could be looking at a holdout - Shonn Greene is a physical runner with great vision, who has a chance to open the season as the starting running back, if he can show some pass blocking skills - 2 Baltimore - CB- K/PR Lardarius Webb - Webb was a projected draft day steal here - The Nicholls State kid was recruited by several big time SEC schools and started at Southern Miss before transferring due to a personal issue - Webb will compete with Washington, Foxworth and Rolle for playing time in the secondary - He will also compete with Chris Carr for a return job - In the Southland Conference, teams got to the point where they stopped kicking to Webb due to his outstanding return abilities - This kid is a baller and we wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see him making a name for himself in Baltimore, both on the defensive side and return game by later in the season - 3 Tennessee - TE Jared Cook - The Titans were willing to give up next years 2nd round pick to the Patriots for the opportunity to draft Cook - Outstanding speed as Cook has reportedly run a few under 4.4 forties in his time - Cook could have the best skill set of any tight end in the draft and his former coach Steve Spurrier compares him to Calvin Johnson - He will have to outperform Bo Scaife or Alge Crumpler to see the field - 4 San Diego - G Louis Vasquez - Vasquez is expected to take over at guard for the departed Mike Goff - We have liked this kid quite a bit, although some out there have criticized his lateral movement and ability to be an NFL starting guard - This kid fires off the ball and is extremely strong and powerful - 5 Kansas City - DT-DE Alex Magee - Another versatile defensive lineman pickup for Kansas City - Magee has played both at the tackle and end - Magee shows good strength, hands and will hold up at the point - Should be another impact player for the Kansas City defensive line who like Tyson Jackson will help improve the run defense - Round Four 1 Indianapolis - WR Austin Collie - Collie has been proclaimed a Brandon Stokley clone - Projects to play in the slot as the Colts #3 wide receiver - Peyton Manning will work this kid hard running routes until they are in sync - 2 St Louis - DT Dorrell Scott - Scott as you know was another one of our projected draft day steals - A lead by example kind of player with a nice rip and shows some ability to split the double along with being strong at the point - Scott should at least work his way into a rotation with Adam Carriker and Clifton Ryan on the interior line - 3 Buffalo - TE Shawn Nelson - A favorite of NFP director of scouting Wes Bunting - Nelson is a versatile and athletic tight end who is a little raw as a blocker - Nelson will compete with the Derek's (Fine & Schouman) for playing time at the tight end position - He projects similar to the Titans Jared Cook - In that he could be very productive in the passing game working down the field - 4 Detroit - DT Sammie Lee Hill - New Lions head coach Jim Schwartz is on record saying that he is looking for some run stopping interior lineman on the defensive side - Enter Sammie Lee Hill with a nice bull rush - Hill was responsible for 44 stops behind the line in his collegiate career - He will start off as part of a rotation with aging veterans Grady Jackson (36), Chuck Darby (33) and possibly Jeff Zgonina (38) - 5 Oakland - OLB Slade Norris - Will be competing for a starting job there with Sam Williams, Ricky Brown and rookie Franz Joseph - Norris has the size and strength to be a factor - Previously a converted safety, he has also played some defensive end - In other Slade Norris news - Slade Norris can sneeze with his eyes open - Slade Norris destroyed the periodic table, because he only recognizes the element of surprise - Slade Norris doesn't read books, he stares them down until he gets the information he wants - When Slade Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down - Slade Norris' dog is trained to pick up his own poop, because Slade Norris will not take crap from anyone - |
| Take 'em to the bank - March 20 2009 Here are the 3 take 'em to the bank draft picks from this years NFL draft - The three can't miss prospects for this year - |