NFL Draft: Need Line Help? Don't Wait

Every year as draft time approaches, sports pundits, experts, and fans scramble to guess which players will be picked in the selection process.  Most eyes will concentrate on the first two rounds of players who are considered to be favorites in the quest for NFL stardom. 

However, if you look back to the last decade, you will see that some of the top performers in this league came out of the draft in the 200 and above selection slots. These players may now be in a position to demand top contracts, but there was a time when their pro-football careers were uncertain. When teams picked these players, they considered them risks.  Now, these same players would be considered the steals of a lifetime.

Some years had multiple players whose names would be recognized and some we were stretching to find one. Here is the list that PossessionPoints.com compiled of the best players taken in the draft at 200 plus in the years 1998 - 2007: 

1. In 1998, the Arizona Cardinals drafted Pat Tilman at the 226^th pick.  In his short career as a safety that spanned from 1998-2001, Tilman became an important piece of the Cardinals’ defense.  Recognizing his ability to make things happen on the field, the Cardinals offered Tilman a three-year, $3.6 million contract.  Tilman turned down the Cardinals’ instead opting to enlist in the Army Rangers.  Unfortunately, Tilman was killed in Afghanistan in 2002. Although his career was short, Tilman had proven how valuable he was to Arizona, and we are sure that had the Cardinals had to do it again, they would have picked him a whole lot sooner.
2. In 1999, the Packers selected Donald Driver at the 213^th pick.  An accomplished Olympic-caliber track star, Driver has excelled in the NFL as one of the most consistent wide receivers.  In his career so far, Driver has 577 receptions, 7,989 receiving yards and 43 touch downs. Driver definitely turned out to be a bargain for Packers who consider Driver one of their best receivers. He was also known as one of Brett Favre’s best targets.
3. We fudged the year 2000. Why? It is the year Tom Brady came into the NFL world, and he came into it as pick 199.  Yes, how could we omit Tom Brady, the man who led the Patriots to winning three Super Bowls? No need to go into this guy’s stats. We all know he is the quarterback’s quarterback. Plus, he supposedly married a supermodel this year. While this personal relationship has nothing to do with the NFL, it does prove how good life can turn out for even a lower-rated compensatory pick.
4. In 2001, the Bengals drafted T.J. Houshmandzadeh at pick 204.  As a wide receiver for Cincinnati, Houshmandzadeh has shown that he was worth the trouble. Since his career began, Houshmandzadeh has 507 receptions, 7,782 receiving yards and 37 touchdowns.  At the end of 2008, the Bengals lost Houshmandzadeh to free agency, and he was promptly signed by Seattle to a five-year, $40 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. We guess he is not so cheap anymore.  
5. In 2002, for their 207^th pick, The Baltimore Ravens selected Chester Taylor. Over the next four years, Taylor served as backup running back for Jamal Lewis.  Although his time on the field increased each year, Taylor wanted to be the starter.  In 2006, he was traded to the Vikings.  In Minnesota, Taylor set a Vikings’ franchise record when he ran for a 95-yard touchdown in a game against the Seahawks.  Today, Taylor and his teammate Adrian Peterson, are considered by many to be the toughest running back duo in the NFL
6. The Giants found David Tyree sitting there for the taking at pick 211 in 2003. Who would have guessed that four years later, this late-selection wide receiver pick would complete the Super Bowl catch that has gone down as one of the most incredible receptions of NFL history?  As famous as Tyree is for that catch, it is important to note that he has established himself as a formidable special teams player as well as a gifted wide receiver.
7. As the 235^th pick, Derrick Ward was the selection for the New York Jets in 2004.  Unfortunately, the Jets did not recognize the talent in this player and relegated him to the practice squad.  Then, the Giants came calling, and Ward answered. Ward proved to be a consistent player in 2007, but 2008 was his standout year, and his rushing contributions in the Giants’ game over the Panthers solidified the Giants’ home field advantage in the playoffs.   In March of 2009, Tampa Bay signed Ward to a four-year, $17 million contract. We have to say that this not too shabby for an ex-practice squad work horse.
8. Who saw Matt Cassel coming?  It was certainly not USC who never started him and barely played him during his stint as a college student.  However, he made enough of an impression on scouts that in 2005, Cassel was taken by the Patriots at the No. 230 pick. In 2008, Cassel became the Cinderella quarterback who stepped in and replaced the injured Tom Brady.  While many sports experts doubted Cassel’s ability and mental stamina, Cassel proved them wrong and took the Patriots to an 11-5 record. After his adept performance in 2008, the Patriots named him a Franchise quarterback which paved the way for a lucrative deal with the Kansas City Chiefs.  He may never have started in a college game, but who cares?
9. In 2006, the New Orleans Saints selected Marques Colston at the 252nd pick.  Although few thought that Colston would win a starting spot on New Orleans’ roster, an unexpected trade of Donte Stallworth to the Eagles that opened up the door for Colston who proved to be a valuable part of the Saints’ offense.  As of the end of 2008, Colsten has 215 receptions, 3,000 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns - not bad for a player who most thought would go undrafted.
10. In 2007, the 250^th pick went to the New York Giants, and they picked Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw was part of the “Earth, Wind and Fire” running back corps of the Giants which also included Derrick Ward and Brandon Jacobs.  Bradshaw struggled in his early games with the Giants, but when injuries sidelined Ward and Jacobs, Bradshaw came through for New York averaging 6.1 rushing yards per carry in 2008. While he is still a young player, we are sure that the Giants consider him a good steal

What have we learned from these selections? The infamous "skill" position players such as the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, etc. seem to be the positions that make a real showing in the later rounds of the draft.

You would think that these positions would be the most heavily scouted and the least likely positions to slip through the cracks. When we compared the list of players who were drafted at the 200-plus mark over the last 10 years to the starters and reserves on the last two pro-bowl teams, several of the names from our list popped up (Driver, Houshmandzadeh). 

However, no offensive lineman showed up and only one defensive lineman (Jay Ratliff), who was also drafted the same year as Cassel. Other Pro-Bowlers who we didn’t select for their year were quarterback Derek Anderson in 2005, and in 2006 defensive backs Cortland Finnegan and Antoine Bethea.  

The main moral of this little research project is this: The ranks of the 200 plus draftees contain few if any star offensive or defensive lineman. These players do not seem to stay around. So, teams in need of line help better address that need early in the draft, and not save these positions for the late picks. It seems a good gamble that later on down the draft road, they might be able to find a Houshmandzadeh, Driver, Cassel or even a Ward.

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