NFL Draft 2008

So, I think the five best drafts so far are:

1) Kansas City Chiefs: Filled three great positions with wonderful prospects. They got the #1 pick on some boards, and they got two picks that were projected to go in the top five in some mocks.

2) Carolina Panthers: The combination of Stewart and Otah gives their offense plenty of promise for the coming year. They're also picks that will allow them to play the type of game that John Fox wants to play, in a year he might need to win or be fired.

3) Dallas Cowboys: Landing Felix Jones and Mike Jenkins is a great way to start a draft. Throw in a project at tight end, and you've got the makings of a good draft, especially when your team doesn't have that many holes to begin with.

4) Pittsburgh Steelers: Great job not panicking when the O-Line was coming off the board at too fast a rate. They stood pat and got two quality players that will help their O-Line look better by taking pressure off of their $100 Million quarterback.

5) Washington Redskins: They can now have a good, physical passing game to compliment the speed of Randle El and Moss. Getting what many thought were the #1 and #3 overall WRs on the board, and getting both in the second round, is phenomenal. Plus, they got probably the best TE in the draft, too.

And, the five drafts that most left me scratching my head:

1) Tennessee Titans: You reach for a back who's only being drafted high because of a good 40-time, and then you take an okay DE project. But, you really needed to get some help at the WR position, and you missed out on a great opportunity in the first round to have your pick of anyone on the board, and you left a few good ones on the board in round 2.

2) Houston Texans: You only get one first-day pick, and you use it to reach for an O-Line prospect? Even when teams are trading up like crazy, you didn't want to get more picks? Hope day two is kinder ...

3) Detroit Lions: You traded up to reach for an O-Line prospect and left better, and more polished, linemen on the board. You were able to grab quality in the second round, but left some areas of need for your offense on the board.

4) Cincinnati Bengals: You weren't able to do anything to get the guy everyone thought you really wanted and seemed to be the best fit for you (Ellis) because another team jumped in front of you. Then, you take a WR in the second round who looks marginal at best, when several more established players were on the board for you. To top it off, after you took your first round pick, New England had the next pick and took someone at the same position ... if I had to bet on one of two beings a bust, I wouldn't bet against New England.

5) New York Jets: The first pick wasn't your fault. Gholston was the only of the elite who fell to you, and so you did what you had to do there, but it might have been better off to pay up to move up and grab a McFadden or a Dorsey. But then you do pay a price to move up to select ... Dustin Keller? What? Why?



An honorably mention (possibly on both) to Cleveland ... see you in round 4.

 

The 49ers got what could be one of the best deals of the draft, taking Reggie Smith in the middle of round three. He was projected as a second rounder, and he was an excellent corner/safety/returner at Oklahoma.

 

Today I will be posting the rounds after they are completed. Currently, it is the middle of the Third Round with some more interesting picks occurring. Also, once the draft is completed, I will post a team by team breakdown of their selected picks.

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[b]THIRD ROUND[/b]

64. Detroit Lions (From Dolphins) - Kevin Smith - RB - Central Florida

65. St. Louis Rams - John Greco - OT - Toledo

66. Miami Dolphins (From Chiefs through Lions) - Kendall Langford - DT - Hampton

67. Carolina Panthers (From Jets) - Charles Godfrey - CB - Iowa

68. Atlanta Falcons - Chevis Jackson - CB - LSU

69. San Diego Chargers (From Raiders through Patriots) - Jacob Hester - FB - LSU

70. Chicago Bears (From 49ers) - Earl Bennett - WR - Vanderbilt

71. Baltimore Ravens (From Ravens through Bills and Jaguars) - Tavares Gooden - OLB - Miami

72. Buffalo Bills - Chris Ellis - DE - Virginia Tech

73. Kansas City Chiefs (From Broncos through Vikings) - Jamaal Charles - RB - Texas

74. Carolina Panthers - Dan Connor - OLB - Penn State

75. San Francisco 49ers (From Bears) - Reggie Smith - DB - Oklahoma

76. Kansas City Chiefs (From Lions) - Brad Cottam - TE - Tennessee

77. Cincinnati Bengals - Pat Sims - DT - Auburn

78. New England Patriots (From Saints) - Shawn Crable - OLB - Michigan

79. Houston Texans - Antwaun Molden - CB - Eastern Kentucky

80. Philadelphia Eagles - Bryan Smith - OLB - McNeese State

81. Arizona Cardinals - Early Doucet - WR - LSU

82. Kansas City Chiefs (From Vikings) - DaJuan Morgan - S - North Carolina State

83. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Jeremy Zuttah - OG - Rutgers

84. Atlanta Falcons (From Redskins) - Harry Douglas - WR - Louisville

85. Tennessee Titans - Craig Stevens - TE - California

86. Baltimore Ravens (From Seahawks) - Tom Zbikowski - FS - Notre Dame

87. Detroit Lions (From Browns) - Andre Fluellen - DT - Florida State

88. Pittsburgh Steelers - Bruce Davis - DE - UCLA

89. Houston Texans (From Jaguars through Ravens) - Steve Slaton - RB - West Virginia

90. Chicago Bears (From Chargers) - Marcus Harrison - DT - Arkansas

91. Green Bay Packers - Jermichael Finley - TE - Texas

92. Detroit Lions (From Cowboys) - Cliff Avril - OLB - Purdue

93. Indianapolis Colts - Philip Wheeler - OLB - Georgia Tech

94. New England Patriots - Kevin O'Connell - QB - San Diego State

95. New York Giants - Mario Manningham - WR - Michigan

96. Washington Redskins (Compensatory selection) - Chad Rinehart - OT - Northern Iowa

97. Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory selection) - Andre Caldwell - WR - Florida

98. Atlanta Falcons (Compensatory selection) - Thomas DeCoud - FS - California

99. Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory selection) - Oneil Cousins - DT - Texas-El Paso

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[b]END of THIRD ROUND[/b]

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You always need a backup in this game, and he'll get an opportunity to catch up to the NFL before being thrown in. He's a marvelous talent; the biggest concern about him is how raw he is, but they can help him out in that respect. It also gives the Pats a good chip for trades.

 

FOURTH ROUND

100. Oakland Raiders (From Dolphins through Cowboys) - Tyvon Branch - CB - Connecticut

101. St. Louis Rams - Justin King - CB - Penn State

102. Green Bay Packers - Jeremy Thompson - DE - Wake Forest

103. Tennessee Titans (From Falcons through Redskins) - William Hayes - DE - Winston-Salem State

104. Cleveland Browns (From Raiders through Cowboys) - Beau Bell - OLB - UNLV

105. Kansas City Chiefs - Will Franklin - WR - Missouri

106. Baltimore Ravens - Marcus Smith - WR - New Mexico

107. San Francisco 49ers - Cody Wallace - OL - Texas A&M

108. Denver Broncos - Kory Lichtensteiger - OG - Bowling Green

109. Philadelphia Eagles (From Panthers) - Mike McGlynn - OT - Pittsburgh

110. Miami Dolphins (From Bears) - Shawn Murphy - OT - Utah State

111. Cleveland Browns (From Lions through Cowboys) - Martin Rucker - TE - Missouri

112. Cincinnati Bengals - Anthony Collins - OT - Kansas

113. New York Jets (From Saints through Packers) - Dwight Lowery - CB - San Jose State

114. Buffalo Bills - Reggie Corner - CB - Akron

115. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (From Dolphins through Bears) - Dre Moore - DT - Maryland

116. Arizona Cardinals - Kenny Iwebema - DE - Iowa

117. Philadelphia Eagles (From Vikings) - Quintin Demps - FS - Texas-El Paso

118. Houston Texans - Xavier Adibi - LB - Virginia Tech

119. Denver Broncos (From Redskins) - Jack Williams - CB - Kent State

120. Chicago Bears (From Buccaneers) - Craig Steltz - S - LSU

121. Seattle Seahawks - Red Bryant - DT - Texas A&M

122. Dallas Cowboys (From Browns) - Tashard Choice - RB - Georgia Tech

123. New York Giants (From Steelers) - Bryan Kehl - OLB - BYU

124. Washington Redskins (From Titans) - Justin Tryon - CB - Arizona State

125. Oakland Raiders (From Jaguars through Ravens) - Arman Shields - WR - Richmond

126. Tennessee Titans (From Cowboys) - Lavelle Hawkins - WR - California

127. Indianapolis Colts - Jacob Tamme - TE - Kentucky

128. St. Louis Rams (From Packers) - Keenan Burton - WR - Kentucky

129. New England Patriots - Jonathan Wilhite - CB - Auburn

130. Pittsburgh Steelers (From Giants) - Tony Hills - OT - Texas

131. Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory selection) - Jack Ikegwuono - CB - Wisconsin

132. Buffalo Bills (Compensatory selection) - Derek Fine - TE - Kansas

133. Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory selection) - David Hale - OT - Weber State

134. Tennessee Titans (Compensatory selection) - Stanford Keglar - OLB - Purdue

135. Green Bay Packers (Compensatory selection) - Josh Sitton - OG - UCF

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[b]END of FOURTH ROUND[/b]

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Yeah, but we could have waited until the fourth round or possibly later to pick him up, or pick up another QB. I'd rather them be adressing other needs (I still want us to get younger at linebacker, in particular). Scouts Inc projected him no higher than a fifth round pick.

 

Good to see both Lavelle Hawkins and Craig Stevens were drafted by the Titans. The Falcons gained a real worker in DeCoud.

I'm extremely bored with the 49ers picks right now. I know that linemen are a priority, but they don't carry the same flash and "name" that other position players do. I agree that Reggie Smith is a steal, so I'm a little excited.

 

Obese, I know there not sexy picks, but you need to remember the great teams are built from the inside out. You have to solidy the lines first and then you go after the skill position players.

 

Glad to see that Pittsburgh finally drafted an O-Lineman. Took 'em long enough.

 

The Steelers, like usually, are having a good draft. Instead of reaching for OL, like everyone doing at the end of the 1st and 2nd rounds, the Steelers stole two sliding skill players: Mendenhall and Sweed.

 

I don't think you have to worry about the Patriot's organization decisions on building their team for the next season, they seem to have been doing it competently for the last decade.

 

Yay! Three Aggies drafted!

And Bennett gets to stay fairly close to here, which is nice. Red Bryant is a beast on the line, btw. A beast!

 

I'm aware. But where's the fun in not second guessing at least one pick?

 

FIFTH ROUND

136. Detroit Lions (From Dolphins through Chiefs) - Kenneth Moore - WR - Wake Forest

137. Minnesota Vikings (From Rams through Packers) - John David Booty - QB - USC (is the Tavaris Jackson experiment over)

138. Atlanta Falcons - Robert James - OLB - Arizona State

139. Denver Broncos (From Raiders) - Ryan Torain - RB - Arizona State

140. Kansas City Chiefs - Brandon Carr - CB - Grand Valley State

141. Carolina Panthers (From Jets) - Gary Barnidge - TE - Louisville

142. Chicago Bears (From Panthers) - Zackary Bowman - CB - Nebraska

143. Dallas Cowboys (From Bears through Bills and Jaguars) - Orlando Scandrick - CB - Boise State

144. New Orleans Saints (From Lions) - DeMario Pressley - DT - North Carolina State

145. Cincinnati Bengals - Jason Shirley - DT - Fresno State

146. Detroit Lions (From Saints) - Jerome Felton - FB - Furman

147. Buffalo Bills - Alvin Bowen - OLB - Iowa State

148. Denver Broncos - Carlton Powell - DT - Virginia Tech

149. Arizona Cardinals - Tim Hightower - RB - Richmond

150. Green Bay Packers (From Vikings) - Breno Giacomini - OT - Louisville

151. Houston Texans - Frank Okam - DT - Texas

152. Minnesota Vikings (From Eagles) - Letroy Guion - DT - Florida State

153. New England Patriots (From Buccaneers) - Matt Slater - WR - UCLA

154. Atlanta Falcons (From Redskins) - Kroy Biermann - OLB - Montana

155. Jacksonville Jaguars (From Browns through Cowboys) - Thomas Williams - OLB - USC

156. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dennis Dixon - QB - Oregon (Very interesting pick here)

157. St. Louis Rams (From Titans through Redskins) - Roy Schuening - OG - Oregon State

158. Chicago Bears (From Seahawks through Jaguars and Buccaneers) - Kellen Davis - TE - Michigan State

159. Jacksonville Jaguars - Trae Williams - CB - USF

160. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (From Chargers through Patriots) - Josh Johnson - QB - San Diego (How many QB's does Tampa Bay need?)

161. Indianapolis Colts - Marcus Howard - OLB - Georgia

162. New York Jets (From Packers) - Erik Ainge - QB - Tennessee (Wow, another interesting pick here)

163. Seattle Seahawks (From Cowboys) - Owen Schmitt - FB - West Virginia

164. New Orleans Saints (From Patriots) - Carl Nicks - OT - Nebraska

165. New York Giants - Jonathan Goff - ILB - Vanderbilt

166. San Diego Chargers (Compensatory selection) - Marcus Thomas - RB - UTEP

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[b]END of FIFTH ROUND[/b]

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I love the Dennis Dixon pick. He would have been a first day pick had he not torn his ACL, so he's great value. Obviously, quarterback is not a need for the Steelers, but depth can be an issue. St. Pierre has not developed and Batch is getting old. I'd love it if we could transform Dixon into a WR and make him a taller version of Randle El, but if not and we get a #2 QB who can do some "slash" stuff, too, I'm happy with that in the 5th round, too.

 

SIXTH ROUND

167. Dallas Cowboys (From Dolphins) - Erik Walden - DE - Middle Tennessee State

168. Washington Redskins (From Rams ) - Durant Brooks - P - Georgia Tech

169. Oakland Raiders - Trevor Scott - DE - Buffalo

170. Kansas City Chiefs - Barry Richardson - OT - Clemson

171. New York Jets - Marcus Henry - WR - Kansas

172. Atlanta Falcons - Thomas Brown - RB - Georgia

173. Houston Texans (From Ravens) - Dominique Barber - FS - Minnesota

174. San Francisco 49ers - Josh Morgan - WR - Virginia Tech

175. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (From Bears) - Geno Hayes - ILB - Florida State

176. Miami Dolphins (From Lions) - Jalen Parmele - RB - Toledo

177. Cincinnati Bengals - Corey Lynch - FS - Appalachian State

178. New Orleans Saints - Taylor Mehlhaff - K - Wisconsin

179. Buffalo Bills - Xavier Omon - RB - Northwest Missouri State

180. Washington Redskins (From Broncos through Rams) - Kareem Moore - DB - Nicholls State

181. Carolina Panthers - Nick Hayden - DT - Wisconsin

182. Kansas City Chiefs (From Vikings) - Kevin Robinson - WR - Utah State

183. Denver Broncos (From Texans) - Spencer Larsen - OLB - Arizona

184. Philadelphia Eagles - Mike Gibson - OT - California

185. Arizona Cardinals - Chris Harrington - DE - Texas A&M

186. Washington Redskins - Colt Brennan - QB - Hawaii (Another very interesting pick)

187. Minnesota Vikings (From Buccaneers through Chiefs) - John Sullivan - C - Notre Dame

188. Pittsburgh Steelers - Mike Humpal - LB - Iowa

189. Seattle Seahawks (From Titans) - Tyler Schmitt - LS - San Diego State

190. Cleveland Browns (From Seahawks) - Ahtyba Rubin - DT - Iowa State

191. Cleveland Browns (From Browns through Eagles) - Paul Hubbard - WR - Wisconsin

192. San Diego Chargers - DeJuan Tribble - CB - Boston College

193. Minnesota Vikings (From Jaguars) - Jaymar Johnson - WR - Jackson State

194. Pittsburgh Steelers (From Packers through Giants) - Ryan Mundy - FS - West Virginia

195. Miami Dolphins (From Cowboys) - Donald Thomas - OG - Connecticut

196. Indianapolis Colts - Tom Santi - TE - Virginia

197. New England Patriots - Bo Ruud - OLB - Nebraska

198. New York Giants - Andre' Woodson - QB - Kentucky (Another interesting pick)

199. New York Giants (Compensatory selection) - Robert Henderson - DE - Southern Miss

200. Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory selection) - Joe Mays - ILB - North Dakota State

201. Indianapolis Colts (Compensatory selection) - Steve Justice - C - Wake Forest

202. Indianapolis Colts (Compensatory selection) - Mike Hart - RB - Michigan (Interesting pick up here)

203. Philadelphia Eagles (Compensatory selection) - Andy Studebaker - OLB - Wheaton

204. Miami Dolphins (Compensatory selection) - Lex Hilliard - RB - Montana

205. Indianapolis Colts (Compensatory selection) - Pierre Garcon - WR - Mount Union

206. Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory selection) - Haruki Nakamura - FS - Cincinnati

207. Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory selection) - Matt Sherry - TE - Vanderbilt

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[b]END of SIXTH ROUND[/b]

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Yay! Another Aggie drafted!

A RB for the Colts? That's interesting.

 

Surprisingly, Cal's Justin Forsett hasn't been drafted yet. I would have thought he'd get taken in the 5th round, but I guess nobody is looking for a smallish RB this year.

But seriously, even Colt Brennan has been drafted already...

 

I'm pretty happy with the Pack's draft this year. We got a couple good steals, addressed some needs, and added depth. Not stand-out, amazing picks, but I'm not really sure that's what we need at this point. Just more depth...and we got that.

 

SEVENTH ROUND

208. Chicago Bears (From Dolphins) - Ervin Baldwin - DE - Michigan State

209. Green Bay Packers (From Rams through Vikings) - Matt Flynn - QB - LSU (Is Green Bay stocking up on QB's now?)

210. Kansas City Chiefs - Brian Johnston - DE - Gardner-Webb

211. New York Jets - Nate Garner - OT - Arkansas

212. Atlanta Falcons - Wilrey Fontenot - CB - Arizona

213. Jacksonville Jaguars (From Raiders through Cowboys) - Chauncey Washington - RB - USC

214. San Francisco 49ers - Larry Grant - OLB - Ohio State

215. Baltimore Ravens - Justin Harper - WR - Virginia Tech

216. Detroit Lions - Landon Cohen - DT - Ohio

217. Green Bay Packers (From Bengals through Rams) - Brett Swain - WR - San Diego State

218. Detroit Lions (From Saints) - Caleb Campbell - S - Army

219. Buffalo Bills - Demetrius Bell - OT - Northwestern State (LA)

220. Denver Broncos - Josh Barrett - S - Arizona State

221. Carolina Panthers - Hilee Taylor - OLB - North Carolina

222. Chicago Bears - Chester Adams - OG - Georgia

223. Houston Texans - Alex Brink - QB - Washington State (A pretty interesting choice here)

224. Buffalo Bills (From Eagles) - Steve Johnson - WR - Kentucky

225. Arizona Cardinals - Brandon Keith - OT - Northern Iowa

226. Oakland Raiders (From Vikings through Jets) - Chaz Schilens - WR - San Diego State

227. Denver Broncos (From Buccaneers) - Peyton Hillis - FB - Arkansas

228. St. Louis Rams (From Redskins) - Chris Chamberlain - DB - Tulsa

229. Tennessee Titans - Cary Williams - CB - Washburn

230. Philadelphia Eagles (From Seahawks) - King Dunlap - OT - Auburn

231. Cleveland Browns - Alex Hall - LB - St Augustine

232. Atlanta Falcons (From Steelers) - Keith Zinger - TE - LSU

233. Seattle Seahawks (From Jaguars) - Justin Forsett - RB - California

234. San Diego Chargers - Corey Clark - OT - Texas A&M

235. Seattle Seahawks (From Cowboys) - Brandon Coutu - K - Georgia

236. Indianapolis Colts - Jamey Richard - OL - Buffalo

237. New Orleans Saints (From Packers) - Adrian Arrington - WR - Michigan

238. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (From Patriots) - Cory Boyd - RB - South Carolina

239. Kansas City Chiefs (From Giants) - Mike Merritt - TE - UCF

240. Baltimore Ravens (Compensatory selection) - Allen Patrick - RB - Oklahoma

241. Carolina Panthers (Compensatory selection) - Geoff Schwartz - OL - Oregon

242. Washington Redskins (Compensatory selection) - Rob Jackson - DE - Kansas State

243. Chicago Bears (Compensatory selection) - Joey LaRocque - OLB - Oregon State

244. Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory selection) - Angelo Craig - DE - Cincinnati

245. Miami Dolphins (Compensatory selection) - Lionel Dotson - DE - Arizona

246. Cincinnati Bengals (Compensatory selection) - Mario Urrutia - WR - Louisville

247. Chicago Bears (Compensatory selection) - Kirk Barton - OT - Ohio State

248. Chicago Bears (Compensatory selection) - Marcus Monk - WR - Arkansas

249. Washington Redskins (Compensatory selection) - Chris Horton - FS - UCLA

250. Carolina Panthers (Compensatory selection) - Mackenzy Bernadeau - OG - Bentley

251. Buffalo Bills (Compensatory selection) - Kennard Cox - DB - Pittsburgh

252. St. Louis Rams (Compensatory selection) - David Vabora - OLB - Idaho

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[b]END of SEVENTH ROUND[/b]

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[b]END of NFL DRAFT 2008[/b]

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[b]TEAM BREAKDOWNS COMING UP NEXT[/b]

 

233. Seattle Seahawks (From Jaguars) - Justin Forsett - RB - California


There you go.

 

ARIZONA CARDINALS

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Round 1, Pick 16 (16) Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie CB 6'2" 182 Tennessee State

Pick Analysis:The Cardinals traded up to take Rodgers-Cromartie and help offset the move of Antrel Rolle to safety. Rodgers-Cromartie has great measurables, including running a 4.33 40-yard dash at the combine. Arrived at Tennessee State in 2004 and started every game (44) in the four years he was there. Despite playing against lesser competition, his speed and quickness will help him at the next level.

Round 2, Pick 19 (50) Calais Campbell DE 6'8" 282 Miami
Pick Analysis:A year ago Campbell would've been drafted a lot higher. He struggled a bit as he put on weight to play in a new defense and it just didn't work out for him. If you looked at what he did in 2006, though, he was very impressive. He posted 10.5 sacks and had seven consecutive games with at least one sack.

Round 3, Pick 18 (81) Early Doucet WR 6'0" 212 LSU
Pick Analysis:The Cardinals add another talented wideout to the their receiving corps - a guy who can be the slot receiver that the Cardinals need. Doucet was a highly productive college player and a good route runner at a major program, with 160 receptions.

Round 4, Pick 17 (116) Kenny Iwebema DE 6'4" 274 Iowa
Pick Analysis:Iwebema was solid at Iowa the past three years. He made 30 starts in college and had 14 sacks. He sheds blockers well and has good athletic ability. The only question is his motor. He sometimes seems to let up on plays.

Round 5, Pick 14 (149) Tim Hightower RB 6'0" 226 Richmond
Pick Analysis:This is a very good running back. He is an imitation of Marion Barber - a strong 225 pound runner with similar numbers. He is a hybrid player and can play either fullback or running back and excels in special teams.

Round 6, Pick 19 (185) Chris Harrington DE 6'5" 264 Texas A&M
Pick Analysis:Harrington is an undersized defensive end who can run fast. The hope is that he can be a good pass rusher, but he is more of a situational player at this point.

Round 7, Pick 18 (225) Brandon Keith OT 6'5" 343 Northern Iowa
Pick Analysis:A very large guy. Decent speed and quickness. He's extremely strong and will have a chane to develop as an offensive lineman for the Arizona Cardinals and renowned offensive line coach Russ Grimm.

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ATLANTA FALCONS

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Round 1, Pick 3 (3) Matt Ryan QB 6'5" 224 Boston College
Pick Analysis:Looking for a face of the franchise, the Falcons went with a quarterback. Ryan started 32 games over the past four years at Boston College. He will compete for the starting job in 2008 and is expected to lead the offense for years to come. The two-time captain is known for his character, leadership and intelligence.

Round 1, Pick 21 (21) (From Redskins) Sam Baker OT 6'5" 312 Southern Cal
Pick Analysis:To compliment their quarterback of the future, the Falcons traded up to take someone who will protect Matt Ryan. Baker allowed just 4.5 sacks on his last 889 pass plays at USC. Baker battled injury problems the last two years and missed time because of it.

Round 2, Pick 6 (37) Curtis Lofton LB 6'0" 238 Oklahoma
Pick Analysis:After going offense with their two first-round picks, the Falcons took Lofton. With a nose for the ball, he had 197 tackles in 39 games at Oklahoma, including 19 starts. He gives the Falcons a strong inside presence, where he will go a long way to helping stuff the run. Where he struggles is getting outside and changing direction.

Round 3, Pick 5 (68) Chevis Jackson CB 6'0" 188 LSU
Pick Analysis:Jackson is known as a tough and instinctive cornerback, who lacks top-end speed. He's not afraid to play press coverage with his long arms or get involved in supporting the run. The Falcons traded DeAngelo Hall leading up to the draft and needed to address the position.

Round 3, Pick 21 (84) (From Redskins) Harry Douglas WR 5'11" 176 Louisville
Pick Analysis:The Falcons get a weapon for quarterback Matt Ryan. Douglas makes up for a small frame with good speed and has been productive at Louisville with Brian Brohm throwing him the ball. He had an exceptional three-cone number at 6.75, which indicates that he has great ability to get in and out of breaks. He is a good route-runner and can pile up the yards after catch.

Round 3, Pick 35 (98) (Compensatory selection) Thomas DeCoud FS 6'2" 196 California
Pick Analysis:The Falcons use a second third-round pick on the defensive backfield. DeCoud had solid production at California. He has exceptional special teams skills and good coverage ability. He even has the quickness to play cornerback at times. He is not real big, but has shown a willingness to come up for run support.

Round 5, Pick 3 (138) Robert James OLB 5'11" 219 Arizona State
Pick Analysis:James is willing to give up his body in order to make a tackle. He should be a special teams contributor early in his career. Considering his size, he could move from linebacker to safety at the next level.

Round 5, Pick 19 (154) (From Redskins) Kroy Biermann OLB 6'3" 242 Montana
Pick Analysis:Biermann started four years at a very good program. He'll be a middle linebacker in the NFL. He played a lot with his hand on the ground in college, but at the pro level he'll be used more in space and has the speed and athleticism to do so.

Round 6, Pick 6 (172) Thomas Brown RB 5'9" 204 Georgia
Pick Analysis:Brown is an experienced starter at Georgia who shared the load his senior season. He has good speed and can break tackles. He was inconsistent and needs to work on his steadiness and ball security.

Round 7, Pick 5 (212) Wilrey Fontenot CB 5'9" 171 Arizona
Pick Analysis:Fontenot started four years at Arizona. He actually started one more game than Antoine Cason and was part of a record-setting relay team in high school. He has sprinter straight-ahead speed more than lateral quickness. His cover skills are questionable.

Round 7, Pick 25 (232) (From Steelers) Keith Zinger TE 6'4" 250 LSU
Pick Analysis:Zinger had a solid workout at LSU's Pro Day. He's a prototypical blocking tight end who is not much of a weapon in the passing game. Zinger's not fleet of foot.

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BALTIMORE RAVENS

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Round 1, Pick 18 (18) (From Texans) Joe Flacco QB 6'7" 236 Delaware
Pick Analysis:The Ravens get their quarterback in Flacco, who should compete for a starting spot, with Steve McNair having retired. The Ravens traded down from the 8th spot to the 26th, only to move back up again to nab Flacco with the 18th selection. At 6-foot-6, Flacco's height and arm strength give him the potential to be the best quarterback in this draft down the road.

Round 2, Pick 24 (55) (From Seahawks) Ray Rice RB 5'8" 199 Rutgers
Pick Analysis:Rice is an undersized back, but he doesn't play like it with his vision at the line of scrimmage and willingness to take on tacklers. With some underrated speed (he ran a 4.47 at the combine) Rice could be a valuable change of pace back for the Ravens and Willis McGahee

Round 3, Pick 8 (71) (From Ravens through Bills and Jaguars) Tavares Gooden OLB 6'1" 233 Miami
Pick Analysis:The Ravens take a guy that may take some time to develop as a linebacker in the NFL, but who will be a strong special teams player right away. Looking back in a few years, Gooden might be the best player taken on the second day. He has great athletic ability and gives the Ravens depth in a linebacker corps that is aging.

Round 3, Pick 23 (86) (From Seahawks) Tom Zbikowski FS 5'11" 210 Notre Dame
Pick Analysis:A hard-nosed safety who can hit and play strong in run support. Also a special teams return man who can be a valuable contributor in the kicking game, something new coach John Harbaugh will love in Baltimore. Not extremely quick, but has a good sense of the game.

Round 3, Pick 36 (99) (Compensatory selection) Oniel Cousins OG 6'4" 308 Texas-El Paso
Pick Analysis:At this point in the third round, Cousins is a good value. He's a converted defensive tackle that has solid skills along the offensive line and is a decent depth player at the pro level.

Round 4, Pick 7 (106) Marcus Smith WR 6'2" 221 New Mexico
Pick Analysis:The Ravens get a young target for their first-round pick Joe Flacco. Smith is a good route-runner, but there are some questions about his ability to separate from defenders. He caught 153 balls for 2,073 yards at New Mexico.

Round 4, Pick 34 (133) (Compensatory selection) David Hale OT 6'6" 308 Weber State
Pick Analysis:Hale put himself on the map with a solid performance at the East-West Shrine Game. He has the size to play at the next level, but lacks athleticism. Coming from lesser competition, it could take a few years for him to develop.

Round 6, Pick 40 (206) (Compensatory selection) Haruki Nakamura FS 5'10" 190 Cincinnati
Pick Analysis:Not only is Nakamura a safety, he's a very good kick returner. He's small but has quickness and speed.

Round 7, Pick 8 (215) Justin Harper WR 6'4" 198 Virginia Tech
Pick Analysis:Harper has excellent size and speed, but he played only about half the snaps at Virginia Tech. He showed good hands at the combine.

Round 7, Pick 33 (240) (Compensatory selection) Allen Patrick RB 6'1" 198 Oklahoma
Pick Analysisatrick replaced Adrian Peterson at Oklahoma. He's a steady player, capable of picking up yards on a consistent basis. Patrick's not an explosive player, but has polish and experience coming from an elite program.

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