| The NFL Draft: Learn what teams got lucky with their picks and what teams didn’t |
|
|
| Written by Matthew Russell | |
|
The spectacle that is the NFL draft is over now. This year it started later and lasted half as long as the NFL enacted some measure to make the draft more fan friendly. Whether you watched it or not, your team now has some new faces to fill up the sidelines. First I’m going to run down some of the drafts biggest storylines then I’ll run give a run down on the local teams. The Miami Dolphins took some of the mystic out of the draft when they signed Michigan tackle Jake Long to a contract on Tuesday of the week leading up to the draft. Long signed a contract making him the highest paid offensive lineman in the league. While making a person that has not played a single down of football in the NFL the highest paid player in his profession is definitely debatable, taking an offensive lineman that allowed only one sack for the entirety of his senior year was a simple decision for the rebuilding Dolphins. The top story from the combine until draft night was former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. McFadden set the combine afire with his lightning quick 40 yard dash time, and was billed as the best talent in the draft. Many had already said that McFadden could have an immediate impact in the same manner that, last year’s rookie of the year, Adrian Peterson had. The Oakland Raiders ended McFadden’s wait in New York when they took him as the fourth overall pick in the draft. Many people have expressed concern about this pick as McFadden has had some character issues in the past and the Oakland locker room has not been the most stable environment over the past couple of seasons. The Raiders already had a stable of backs that included two 1000 yard rushers. McFadden will have a hard time making a splash while he is running behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines. This year’s draft included a record 34 trade. The draft has been billed as a need draft. Most teams need to use their draft picks to fill positions they were week at rather than being able to pick up the best talent available. Now let’s run down the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chief’s had just traded away NFL sack leader Jared Allen, and were expected to take a look at a quarterback to compete with Bodie Croyle. The Chiefs have been wildly touted as the biggest winner on draft day. They had a mind boggling 12 picks. The most notable of these, their fifth overall pick, was used to take defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey. They did not, however, bring in a quarterback at all to put some pressure on the inconsistent Croyle. Kansas City’s other major need was to shore up their offensive line which was woefully ineffective for the entire 2007 season. They used the 15th pick to select Branden Albert of Virginia. Albert who lined up most of his career at guard will probably see time as a tackle for the Chiefs. While that is a bit of a concern, most scouts seem to think with his physical tools he should handle the transition well. They also picked up two cornerbacks, a running back that should help in some more need positions for them. The selections that confuse me the most would be taking two tight ends and not a quarterback. That either says to me they have more faith in Croyle than most of the free world, or they just couldn’t get a signal to reach a caller they were high on. The St. Louis Rams were coming off of a disappointing season which saw quarterback Mark Bulger get pulverized. Their offensive line is an aging and fragile unit that, at one point or another last year, was missing a starter from every position. They addressed this need in the third round with tackle John Greco of Toledo. With their first round pick, the second overall pick, the Rams snagged Virginia standout defensive end Chris long. Chris Long is the son of Hall of Famer Howie Long, and has excellent fundamentals. He should be able to step in and make an immediate impact on the defensive line. In the second round the Rams picked wide out Donnie Avery from the University of Houston. I’ve yet to actually find anyone that actually liked this pick, and it is being widely considered one of the worst picks in the draft. Avery is small, but has the speed to be a deep threat. Overall, the Rams had what would seem to be a very mediocre draft, but will probably figure to be back in the thick of things in the dismal NFC west. |
| Next > |
|---|