Day one of the NFL 2008 NFL Draft has come to an end and there has been multiple questions that have been certainly answered.
For example: The Packers definitely raised some speculation about their direction with quarterback, as Brian Brohm was taken in the second round to bring some competition to Green Bay.
...Aaron Rodgers most likely isn't feeling too good about his situation right now.
Beyond Green Bay's statement, let's look at some other big moves that will have an impact on each organization:
1. Miami Dolphins.
- Jake Long isn't the only rookie Wolverine to be in Miami next year. With Chad Henne being taken in the second round, John Beck is probably not in the most comfortable position he could be in right now.
- Another note: Bill Parcells has always been a believer in the philosophy of a big, strong-armed quarterback to throw the ball down-field. Is Chad Henne the next to follow in the Parcells scheme?
- In all seriousness, this team could potentially take three players from the same team in this draft. I expect the Dolphins to take a WR down the road, and if Mario Manningham is on the board he most likely is the best available.
2. Atlanta Falcons.
- Nothing says "Out with the old and in with the new" than the Falcons getting the best quarterback in the draft with the 3rd pick overall. Whether Mike Vick's career is done or not, one thing is for sure - his Atlanta Falcons days are at an end.
3. New England Patriots.
- Similar to the Falcons, the Patriots used their early 1st rounder to get a point across that rebuilding their veteran LB core is their priority.
- One thing I don't understand is how if they wanted to stay young, why not sign Rosevelt Colvin to a long term deal? That might have been a mistake.
4. Washington Redskins.
- Apparently, getting turned down by the Bengals for Chad Johnson didn't hurt too much as they shut down any of the Bengals hopes for a better deal by drafting two WR's in Malcolm Kelly and Devin Thomas, along with TE Fred Davis.
- All three of these players should be able to make an instant contribution, as the WR was obviously shallow, along with Chris Cooley benefiting from having an extra TE on the other side of the line to help him out as well.
5. Chicago Bears.
- This is my least favorite. OK, so we all know that for the past couple years Lovie Smith has been saying that Rex was the QB, but seriously...
- The Bears were in position to take any of the top 3 quarterbacks (beyond Ryan, of course)...TWICE! This was a huge mistake for the Bears, as this was the perfect opportunity to get a new face into the mix and end the Grossman/Orton/Griese era potentially.
Of course, these aren't all the teams that have made statements on Day One, but these are certainly some of the higher "impact" moves that occurred. As the draft continues, I'm sure there will be many more stories like these to come.
Now, let's get through the 5 best team selections put together in the first two rounds of the draft.
#1. Miami Dolphins.
- Pick 1. Jake Long. OT.
- Great offensive lineman who screams "rebuild". This guy will be able to contribute for many, many years to come. Whether fans wanted a big name or so called "impact" player, I don't see how Miami could have gone wrong with this pick.
- Pick 2. Philip Merling. DE.
- Very strong and big defensive end that many didn't pay attention to due to a sports hernia. If healthy, many expected him to possibly have been in the top 10. This could very well have been a sleeper.
- Pick 3. Chad Henne. QB.
- The second Wolverine chosen by the Dolphins, and possibly could be an instant impact player especially in the quarterback situation that Miami is currently at. He fits the Parcells scheme completely, and with his trusted offensive lineman from college, I expect Henne to start his professional career off the right foot.
#2. Kansas City Chiefs.
- Glenn Dorsey. DT.
- Strong, big, and has a great football mentality. This is a player to revolve and build your defense around. The Chiefs should be very happy to have landed this player with their pick.
- Branden Albert. OG.
- A great college guard, but the question remains whether the Chiefs either keep him there or move him to tackle. Whatever they do, chances are this player will play at a very high level. Very athletic and has quick feet. Should help aid that offensive line that once was known as the best in the league.
- Brandon Flowers. CB.
- This kid may not have the best 40-yard dash or best size, but the intangibles are almost flawless on him. The only true problem he needs to avoid is not trying to make spectacular plays on each down. All he needs to do is play his own position and he'll be fine.
#3. Dallas Cowboys.
- Felix Jones. RB.
- The 2nd of the two RBs at Arkansas. I don't think he is a player who could be successful in a one-RB system, but with Marion Barber he'll play just as well as if he was still in Arkansas. He is a very good open field type of running back who is hard to tackle once he gets past the line.
- Mike Jenkins. CB.
- Very versatile player who can play at both corner and also safety. Whether Pacman Jones can play or not shall determine the role he is assigned in this organization.
- Martellus Bennett. TE.
- Personally, I see this pick as one of the "hit or miss" type of players. Many are hoping that this guy can end up like Antonio Gates, who has very similar attributes and previous experiences (played college basketball for two seasons). If this pick ends up being successful, the tandem of Jason Witten and Bennett will be more than what any can handle along with a strong WR core.
#4. Pittsburgh Steelers.
- Rashard Mendenhall. RB.
- Strong, big, and surprisingly fast for his size. Mendenhall perfectly fits the Pittsburgh mentality. Great steal in the draft.
- Limas Sweed. WR.
- Good speed and hands. Most likely will never become a highly feared down-the-field threat, but he most certainly would be a great possession wide receiver, somewhat similar to TJ Houshmanzadeh from the Cincinnati Bengals.
#5. New England Patriots.
- Jerod Mayo. LB.
- The definition of what type of versatile player that the Patriots strive for. As Vrabel and company grooms Mayo, this guy could possibly be a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.
- Terrence Wheatley. CB.
- Very similar to Brandon Flowers, but with higher speed capabilities. Could be a very good shut down corner in the league if he can stay healthy.
That rounds out my top Day One Selections in the NFL Draft. Now onto the disappointments.
#1. Cleveland Browns.
- Unfortunately for one of my favorites, this draft is simply an abomination. They have absolutely no picks until the 4th, and yet they still only will get 4 picks overall, all coming on the 2nd day of the draft. Most likely, there will be no instant or possibly ever impact players they can get at that point available. At least they got what they needed to solidify their offense as one of the best during the off-season with Donte Stallworth.
#2. San Diego Chargers.
- Antoine Cason. CB.
- It's one thing to take need over value of a pick, but seriously. Antoine Cason definitely wasn't 1st. round material. Inconsistency and other problems have plagued his college career. Not having any other picks until the 5th round also is a huge setback towards this year's draft stock.
#3. Detroit Lions.
- Gosder Cherilus. OT.
- Even though this guy is still is good player, he frankly isn't worthy of a top 17 pick overall in the NFL draft. There were multiple better linemen available that Detroit could have chosen that would have made more sense. Still, he is a very good pass-blocker.
- Jordan Dizon. LB.
- Not very big, and the biggest thing I've heard about this player is that he "plays above his expectations". Don't get me wrong, it's good that players can overachieve, but in the NFL, that only takes you so far.
#4. Chicago Bears.
- Chris Williams. OT.
- Good player, but wasn't the best on the board at the time of the pick. Still, he is a very good pass-blocker.
- Matt Forte. RB.
- This is when the Bears killed their draft. I understand that Cedric Benson hasn't been that great, but not picking a QB or another RB over Forte is completely ludicrous. After all of the drama with Orton and friends struggling, this was the chance they had to put that all away and get a new face into the system.
#5. Minnesota Vikings.
- Tyrell Johnson. S.
- Unfortunately for the Vikings, their draft was destined for mediocrity with only one pick in the top 4 rounds. This pick was simply used for a need, and respectively so. Most likely the Vikings will get the least talent out of this draft, but at least they are making the best they can out of it instead of wasting the picks (cough, Bears, cough).
There you have it folks.
Please comment on anything you agree or disagree with and please share your opinions.
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2 months ago
I'm not questiong anything the Patriots do in the draft. They once selected a quarterback in the sixth round. Guess what, that quarterback is now in the converstion for the greatest QB ever.
2 months ago
I don't think Minnesota should be on any list, much less the disappointment list. Tyrell Johnson is a great defensive back in my opinion, and will have a great career.
The more I think about it, the more I like Tyrell Johnson.
from 2 months ago
Andrew,
In my comment of Minnesota, I never criticized Tyrell Johnson by any means. I said that Minnesota took the best talent available at a needed position, which is the same thing I would do in that situation.
The reason I have Minnesota on the list though is because of their lack of higher-tier picks. This year's draft could have benefited the Vikings immensely, as DT's, DE's, and LB's were fairly deep this year, along with solid QB's to bring in some more competition for Tavaris.
2 months ago
Do your homework Anthony. Stop being lazy. Henne isn't any bigger than Beck and doesn't have a stronger arm. Henne was 10 lbs heavier than Beck in college, but Beck has put on a lot of muscle in the off-season. Beck's numbers in college were much better than Henne's and he played one year less. Man, you total feed into the stereotype of talking heads that steal info from other clueless media-types.
from 2 months ago
You don't just decide to go with a quarterback of a team just because he apparently gained muscle during the off-season. And I never said that Henne will instantly be the starter.
Most likely, Beck will start the season as a starter, but as a team rebuilding they will certainly exercise their options.
And please, don't trying playing the statistics card. Henne was in a completely different offensive scheme that basically would only pass once per every 4 downs.
... If stats were that focused on by the NFL, Colt Brennan would be in Atlanta.
So please, how about you not becoming lazy and using comparison stereotypes with statistic-looking and rumor-believing with gaining muscle.
Thanks.
2 months ago
The Lions as a disappointment? They finally take a position of NEED and not a WR and people complain about another terrible draft. Gosder is a unbelievable run blocker, and he will come in and start at RT, making our running game alot stronger.
from 2 months ago
Like I said, the Lions took need over value.
In some situations when the difference of picks is minimal and understandable, that's OK. But this is someone that they could have gotten at trading down if they wanted him so much.
Put that aside though, they still did get a need that I'm sure Jon Kitna is happy about, and they finally didn't fall into that WR daze of the past.
As I said about Dizon, I don't see him faring well in the NFL. Playing above expectations only goes along way before physical ability takes over.
from 2 months ago
And for Dizon, physical abilities are of no concern in my eyes. With being the Big 12 Defensive player of the year and recording a slew of tackles, this guy has the physicality to play in the NFL. And about his size remember Tatupu the MLB from Seattle, he is only around 6 foot 240 lbs, and he is a pro bowl LB. Dizon was a much better pick than people think.
2 months ago
What about the raider's, could've gone w/ Dorsey.
2 months ago
What about the Raider's?
from 2 months ago
For the Raiders, I think quality is over quality over quantity is theme.
Only have one pick in the first four 3 rounds is pretty tough, but that pick might have been the best talent in the draft. Really, the Raiders were possibly in the best situation when they either could have taken McFadden or Dorsey. Simply, they couldn't go wrong.
McFadden's potential in the NFL is very, very high... so like I said, quality over quantity for the Raiders.
Granted, they still had many needs for their team and might have been able to trade down to get more picks, but I'm still satisfied.
2 months ago
Forget all these comments--I think it was well-written and well-researched. I mean, are you a draft expert? Probably not. But I'm not sure Kiper is as good as he thinks he is, much less your comment naysayers!
Besides, you made a reference to my favourite Western (excepting the comedy Blazing Saddles!) and my favourite movie title in any genre!
2 months ago
Anthony,
You are way off on Michigan's pass to rush ratio. Michigan's ratio was roughly 40% pass 60% run. BYU's ratio was rougly 50% pass 50% rush. Hawaii's ratio is roughly 65% pass 35% run.
BYU's offence combined both a pro-set and a spread offence. They ran out of the shot-gun a little more than a pro-set, but quite a bit less than a spread.
I don't know hardly anything about Colt Brennan aside from stats I read, but I wouldn't count him out in the NFL. It may take him a few years before he gets a chance but he might be a sleeper.
Did you change your article since I read it the first time? If not, I may have transposed your article in my head with another article that stated Henne was bigger and stronger than Beck. The point I was making was that Beck and Henne are basically the same size.
from 2 months ago
I haven't edited the article in any way (how do you even do that?)
About Colt Brennan:
-The prime of his football career is most likely at an end. Scouts constantly criticize his size (weight, more specifically) and his arm strength. From what I've seen from him, he has an accurate throw with a very quick release. In my opinion, he still has a shot to become a decent quarterback in the league, but it will take a lot of hard work for him to get physically and mentally ready for the speed of this game. I don't think we will hear from Colt very much in his first two years or so in the league, but I think later down the road he might get a shot.
About the ratios:
-I stated that Michigan passes once every four downs. If one of those downs are a punt, that makes a 2:1 of run to pass. that seems like a standard series for Michigan in standard situations. (now that Rich-Rod is there, expect either the same ratios or more running)
-For BYU, I never had the chance to watch them with John Beck or ever for that matter. I don't know much about their offense. I'll just go with what you said about their schemes since I'm sure you know about them much more than I personally do.
All things aside, I think the QB competition present at Miami will be good overall for the organization.
2 months ago
On another note- If Kiper was correct that the Henne pick was an indictment of Beck, why didn't Miami take Henne for their first second round pick? I think it showed a little more confidence in Beck to risk losing out on Henne by choosing a DE while Miami hasn't even traded JT yet. I just think that the media is over-hyping the Beck vs. Henne. I think Beck should be more concerned about his battle with McCown.
from 2 months ago
Parcells didn't take Henne at #32 because Phillip Merling was available, Parcells would've had to be a moron to pass on a stud like that in the second round. John Beck will get one more year in my eyes but he is similar to Quincy Carter in my eyes in that he was the questionable incumbent starter of a Parcells team that Parcells didn't choose. Parcells wants his guy in there and while the Dolphins apparently like Beck, he, like Carter did, only has one more year to prove himself. If Beck disappoints, Henne will be the starter so fast it'll make your head spin.
2 months ago
drafting brian brohm isn't bothering aaron rodgers. aaron rodgers was the only quarterback the packers had and they needed to get a second guy. also, aaron rodgers is an injury concern, and as steve young said over and over yesterday, brohm will be ready to play if some one needs him in a west coast style offense, which means timing patterns like slants, ins, and curls...sorta like the offense the packers ran all year last year. rodgers knows that he's gonna be the guy. he's been learning the system for four years...do you really think the packers are gonna draft some guy late in the second round to take the job from him?
from 2 months ago
Please, picture yourself in Aaron Rodger's shoes.
...you we're drafted about 3 years ago, and you have been sitting on the bench behind one of the greatest QB's in NFL history. You have had absolutely no shot in becoming a starter, and your career has been determined by someone else's decisions to either stay in the league or retire.
Now, finally after 3 years of waiting patiently for your shot, your own opportunity... your team drafts another very talented QB who is specifically known for being able to adjust in systems quickly and be able to become an impact early.
Please explain to me how you wouldn't be mad if you were Aaron Rodgers.
(also, why would they be taking a QB in the first round just to get a backup for a living legend when the rest of your team at the time is miserable?)
2 months ago
aaron rodgers was drafted three years ago for this exact situation...replacing brett favre when he retired. he's the starter...there will be no controversy in training camp or anything like that, especially after the way he filled in against the cowboys last season. there were no other quarterbacks on green bay's roster until after the draft. the packers know they won't be able to get away with only having two quarterbacks on the roster any more like they have in the past
2 months ago
cleveland might have been the biggest winner in the draft by using their first 3 picks to get brady quinn, and solidify their d-line with shawn rogers and corey williams. comeon now man. established players are always better than boom-or-bust players they could have taken
from 2 months ago
Cleveland might have been the overall winner of the offseason, but not the NFL Draft.
My evaluations were determined by the draft only and who they received from it in 2008, not everything that was related with picks given away as parts of another deal.
And trust me, I agree more than 110% about taking established players over the boom-or-bust's that you gamble on.
Good comment, and good perspective with with bring Brady Quinn and friends being brought to Cleveland.
(by the way, I'm a big Cleveland fan so I am indeed happy of their off-season moves)
2 months ago
my name is aaron rodgers.
i could've been the number one overall pick in my draft class. brian brohm wasn't even close.
i've been learning the same offense for four seasons behind a legendary quarterback. brian brohm just got here.
i have experience running the offense in a big regular-season game. brian brohm's never taken a pro snap.
the same teammates have been around me the whole time. brian brohm's teammates are still going to class.
my coaches and team management have expressed their confidence in me over and over again. they don't know anything about how brian brohm will play.
i'm the only quarterback on the roster and most teams have three, so my team will have to get backups at some point. why not get one that will be competent but who also won't threaten my job the way a veteran like daunte culpepper might?
i'm not too upset with this situation...unless i really think brian brohm might be better than me
from 2 months ago
This debate could go either way. It just depends on what our personal thoughts tend to lean for.
There are reasons to be worried, while there are also reasons to be relaxed and confident. From what I've heard, Rodgers is more than with what Green Bay and he understood the move completely. Both of us also understand the move, as it's obvious they needed an extra QB.
Thanks for the comment, as it was well thought out and expressed.
2 months ago
Not including the second day, I would have to give the best to Chiefs.
Glenn Dorsey, Brandon Flowers, and Branden Albert will all see significant game time as rookies, and Dorsey was easily the best player in the draft.
from 2 months ago
If you rank the teams by instant impact, I think its unanimous that the Chiefs certainly seem to be arguably the best, along with the Steelers with Sweed and Mendenhall.
I think Henne, Merling, and Long in the long run will become the best tandem on a team from this year's draft though.
2 months ago
When you look at the Browns draft you have to look at the fact that Brady Quinn is a part of this draft also so are the 2 defense players they traded picks for so i think that had a pretty good draft
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