NFL Draft 2008

Opening up this thread for the NFL Draft in two weeks.

I will post the picks as they happen on ESPN.

So, who goes where? There are all sorts of mock drafts on the internet. But, really, who is actually going to go to each team when there selection comes up?

 

Someone already started this thread at the end of the football season.

 

Yeah just look a couple pages back.

 

2008 NFL Mock Draft. Yeah, that was me. I started a mock draft thread right after the season ended. This thread is for the actual draft.

 

For some reason the draft seems like it starts later and later each year.

 

I'm not sure I've ever seen a draft quite like this. There is no slam dunk #1, nor a real consensus there.

I'm just hoping there's a quality O-Lineman there for the Stillers

 

well, one mystery is solved ... Jake Long signs with Dolphins

He'll be the #1 pick.


And that says a lot about this year's draft. Long is good. But I don't think he's #1 overall pick good ... not in most drafts, anyways.

 

The only person in the draft I think is really worthy of being #1 is McFadden... and he may fall out of the top 5.

 

Talent-wise, yes, McFadden is a #1-caliber player. But position-wise, I just don't see it. I don't see running back in the NFL as a #1 pick position. Careers are too short at that position, and freak injuries are too common at that position.

Give me a Franchise Quarterback (like Peyton Manning) or a real stud O-Lineman (like Orlando Pace) or a potential game-changing D-Lineman (like Julius Peppers) at the #1 position.

 

That's a good point and the Williams, Bush, Young draft is a good test case. It is still too early to say which player will have the better career, but here you have DE vs. RB vs. QB.

I tend to agree, I'd avoid the RBs and WRs unless that was the absolute last piece I needed, and I'd avoid a QB unless I'm starting from scratch and it would help to have "face" of franchise.

For example the Falcons have lots of needs and there is a ton of risk in picking Ryan, but it sure wouldn't hurt to have a new face of the team.

Also a good to great O-Line can make any back look good.

 

Also, as to the QB position, I'm not seeing a single QB out there that I would take in the top 15, maybe even later. Matt Ryan may be the best QB available, but IMO he's a late first round pick most years, or possibly even later. Maybe he'll prove me wrong, though.

 

I'm not high on Matt Ryan at all. I think his ceiling is "effective game manager". And rumors about Henne going in the first round are blowing my mind. He's just about never shown up for a pressure game in college, and I can't imagine what makes anyone think he'd do so in the NFL.

To me, the best quarterback out there is Brian Brohm. His team had a down year and he had some injuries, but he's got leadership qualities, arm strength, good decision making, and he's shown up in some big games. If he falls to the second round, I think the team that grabs him will be lucky. Although, for him, his best case might be to go late first to a team that wants him to sit 3-4 years behind an older incumbent and then start. Maybe a team like Tampa Bay?

 

QB's are such a crap shoot anyway, that's why I'm not a big fan of taking them early. In certain circumstances it works but for every Peyton, Eli, Ben there are tons of high failures.

I don't think it is such a bad idea to use a 2-4 round pick on a QB, pay him less have him safely sit on the bench for a year or two without the pressure to be a savior and then put him in there if he proved he can do it.

But to take a guy in the first rd and if he fails it is absolutely devasting to a franchise in that it sets them back not only for the 1-2 years he failed but for the next 1-3 years since you either need to draft a new one or find some type of stop-gap.

Again some case it warrents the risk but IMO you want your early picks to be as much of a sure thing as possible.

 

Pre-Draft question? Who is having a draft party today (or tomorrow)?

 

I'm headed to a Draft Party today! I love the draft


(And I loved it before it was fashionable to love it)

 

No draft party here - I have a wedding to go to tonight and some other stuff after that, so I'll have to look at the results later.

 

ESPN just announced (on TV) that the Rams will select Chris Long with their pick.

So that would make it the following:

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/MiamiDolphins.gif]

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long - OL - Michigan. Parcells begins rebuilding with a cornerstone tackle.

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[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/St.LouisRams.gif]

2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long - DE - Virginia. Long appeared in 30 games (24 starts) in his first three seasons (2004-'06), recording 108 total tackles (24 for losses) and seven sacks.

 

*waits for someone to make a comment about it being a Long two picks*

 

ESPN has now announced that Matt Ryan will be selected by the Atlanta Falcons, so:

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/AtlantaFalcons.gif]

3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan - QB - Boston College. In his four-year college career (2004-07), Ryan played in 45 games (32 starts), completing 807 passes on 1,347 attempts (59.9 percent) for 9,313 yards, 56 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. As a senior, he attracted attention as a Heisman Trophy candidate and finished the season ranked ninth in the nation in total offense (4,509 yards).

 

[image=http://img110.mytextgraphics.com/glittertextlive/2008/04/26/7b89c5fe5e88c04cf76fcaa47535834f.gif]

 

Go Dolphins.

 

Yeah Dolphins, go away.

 

Will be interesting to see who get Matt Ryan.

 

Yes, only Jake Long is set in stone. If the others change, then I will edit them.

Alright, the NFL Draft is now starting...

And now, Jake Long is officially selected as the number 1 pick...

[image=http://img110.mytextgraphics.com/glittertextlive/2008/04/26/7b89c5fe5e88c04cf76fcaa47535834f.gif]

1. Miami Dolphins - Jake Long - OL - Michigan. Parcells begins rebuilding with a cornerstone tackle.

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And now, St. Louis makes it official and selects Chris Long with the number 2 pick...

[image=http://www.logoserver.com/football/StLouisRams5.GIF]

2. St. Louis Rams - Chris Long - DE - Virginia. Long appeared in 30 games (24 starts) in his first three seasons (2004-'06), recording 108 total tackles (24 for losses) and seven sacks.

[hr]

The Atlanta Falcons select Matt Ryan with the number 3 pick...

[image=http://www.customtablefelt.com/images/nfl-billiard-felt/atlanta-falcons-150.jpg]

3. Atlanta Falcons - Matt Ryan - QB - Boston College. In his four-year college career (2004-07), Ryan played in 45 games (32 starts), completing 807 passes on 1,347 attempts (59.9 percent) for 9,313 yards, 56 touchdowns and 37 interceptions. As a senior, he attracted attention as a Heisman Trophy candidate and finished the season ranked ninth in the nation in total offense (4,509 yards).

[hr]

The Oakland Raiders select Darren McFadden with the number 4 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/OaklandRaiders.gif]

4. Oakland Raiders - Darren McFadden - RB - Arkansas. McFadden shattered the Arkansas' freshman rushing record with 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns on 176 carries.

[hr]

The Kansas City Chiefs select Glenn Dorsey with the number 5 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/KansasCityChiefs.gif]

5. Kansas City Chiefs - Glenn Dorsey - DT - LSU. Dorsey appeared in 38 games (17 starts) in his first three seasons at LSU (2004-'06), recording 110 tackles (14.5 for losses) and six sacks.

[hr]

The New York Jets select Vernon Gholston with the number 6 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/NewYorkJets.gif]

6. New York Jets - Vernon Gholston - DE - Ohio State. Gholston played sparingly in six games as a freshman in 2004 and was redshirted in 2005 after breaking his hand in the season opener. He emerged as a force a year later and didn't miss a start in his last two seasons. In 2006, he finished with 8.5 sacks, 49 tackles and an interception.

[hr]

The New England Patriots make a trade with the New Orleans Saints... who select... Sedrick Ellis with the number 7 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/NewOrleansSaints.gif]

7. New Orleans Saints (from 49ers through Patriots) - Sedrick Ellis - DT - USC. As a senior in 2007, he started all 13 games at nose guard and collected 58 tackles (12.5 for losses), 8.5 sacks and seven pass breakups on his way to first team All-America honors.

[hr]

The Baltimore Ravens make a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars... who select... Derrick Harvey with the number 8 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/JacksonvilleJaguars.gif]

8. Jacksonville Jaguars (from Baltimore Ravens) - Derrick Harvey - DE - Florida. Harvey stated all 14 games of the 2006 season and recorded 11 sacks that year. He started all 13 games of the 2007 season recording 32 total tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 quarterback sacks and three quarterback-hurries.

[hr]

The Cincinnati Bengals select Keith Rivers with the number 9 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/CincinnatiBengals.gif]

9. Cincinnati Bengals - Keith Rivers - LB - USC. As a senior in 2007, he played 12 games (11 starts) at weak-side linebacker, turning in 78 tackles (five for losses), three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and four pass breakups.

[hr]

The New England Patriots select Jerod Mayo with the number 10 pick...

[image=http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee129/cjnfl/NewEnglandPatriots.gif]

10. New England Patriots (from New Orleans