Every Swingin’ Dick

- Cardinals take Ben Patrick, TE from Deleware. I have seen him listed as the #2 TE on a lot of pre-draft lists, so either those lists are way off or the Cards got a good value.

- Steelers draft Dallas Baker, WR from Florida. Should be a factor in the red zone with his size. Not a real tough guy, but maybe he can learn by watching Hines Ward.

- Packers take DeShawn Wynn, RB Florida. An interesting guy who had a lot of injury trouble but has talent. Clashed with coaches often and probably needs to change his attitude.

- Chargers gram Brandon Siler, MLB Florida. Underclassman who was really hurt by coming out early. San Diego is a great place to end up for a MLB, especially with Donnie Edwards gone.

**I think the entire Florida team (except maybe Chris Leak) is going to get drafted. It’s good to be the National Champions.

**I’m surprised to see a couple of QB still left: Matt Moore from Oregon State and Tyler Palko from Pittsburgh. Rumpshaker favorite Jared Zabransky was also left out. Justin Hickman, a DE from UCLA had some big games rushing the passer and is still left. Dan Mozes, C from WVU was a 3-time all Big East player who is left out. I’ll be back in a couple of days to go over some of the notable undrafted players.

This was one hell of a long draft weekend. Almost 18 1/2 hours long. That’s a lot of ESPN even for me.

- The Vikings are delighted to snag Rufus Alexander, OLB Oklahoma. Not great size, and didn’t test very well. He was a great on-field performer. Should fit into that defense well.

- Redskins draft H.B. Blades, MLB Pittsburgh. Super productive player, but undersized at 5’11″. High motor, big hitter. Good value in the 6th round.

- Green Bay takes Mason Crosby, K Colorado. He’ll fight with Dave Rayner for the K job. Both have power legs, the Pack probably hope Crosby can be a little more accurate.

- Redskins take Carson’s brother, Jordan Palmer, QB from UTEP. Really lacks experience at QB, will need to get a lot of reps someplace. All the physical tools, doesn’t seem to read the field very well and throws a lot of INT’s. His lack of experience probably explains that. Project.

- Baltimore snags Prescott Burgess, OLB Michigan. Had a nice career at Michigan and was a part of their vastly improve defense last season. He’s got to be excited about going to Baltimore where he’ll get a chance to learn from some really good players and coaches.

- Cardinals must love those Michigan guys, as they get their third in two years. Steve Breaston, WR Michigan. He had a good career in college on punt returns, but wasn’t an impact guy at WR. Never played up to lofty expectations, but is talented. A good choice at this spot in the draft, Breaston should be able to get on the field immediately as a returner.

- Welcome back to the Redskins. They take Dallas Sartz, OLB from USC.

- Saints take David Jones, CB from Wingate. Not only have I not heard of Mr. Jones, but I’ve never heard of Wingate! The Saints are going to town on these small school guys on day 2.

- The Chiefs take Kolby Jones, RB from Louisville. He took over when Michael Bush got hurt and played really well. Could be a late-round steal.

- Bengals take Jeff Rowe, QB Nevada. He played in the “pistol” offense at Nevada and led them to a couple of bowl games. Developmental prospect.

- Chiefs grab Justin Medlock, K UCLA. Good accuracy, I’m surprised to see him go before Mason Crosby. He’ll have to get his own number in the NFL.

- Colts take another Ohio State WR, Roy Hall. Good player who didn’t get as much attention with Ginn and Gonzalez ahead of him.

- Troy Smith, QB Ohio State finally goes off the board to Baltimore. Really improved in college from year to year, and showed some maturity after some missteps early in his career. Probably not big enough to be an NFL starter, but sometimes you never know. I really like how he embraced being the leader of that team, he might surprise some people.

- Trades that happened before Day 2 starts: Randy Moss to the Patriots for a 4th rounder. Oakland HAD to get him out of town and if anyone can get his head on straight, the Pats can. They have a bit of history doing this sort of thing with Corey Dillon. 4th rounders are basically disposable for the Pats as they always seem to have about 13 trillion picks every year. They’ll replace that pick without any problem. I’m very surprised that Al Davis was convinced to part with Moss. I give credit to Kiffen or whoever got him to cave. Kiper reports that Moss was timed in the 40 yard at 4.29. Whoa. If that is true, then the Pats now have two of the fastest guys in the NFL lining up at WR (Stallworth being the other.) It looks like a win-win trade.

Also traded was Darrell Jackson from the Seahawks to the Niners, also for a 4th rounder. Jackson has had trouble staying on the field due to injuries, but he is pretty good when healthy. The Niners desperately needed to add some wideouts, and they won’t get anyone nearly as good in the 4th round. Great trade. From the Seahawks perspective, they clear a spot for Nate Burleson to play.

- The day starts out with Gene Washington putting the “Los Angeles” Raiders on the clock. Hilarious.

- The Raiders pick up a 1st round talent who is coming off a huge leg injury by selecting Michael Bush, HB Louisville. Huge guy who was a monster in college. Broke his leg in the first game last year and was out for the year. Fantastic guy to take a flyer on in the 4th round.

- Jags take Adam Podlesh, P Maryland. Kiper said he runs a 4.45 40! Introduced the idea that it gives the Jags options on fakes. Interesting and astute observation.

- Cowboys get Isaiah Stanback, QB from Washington. Don’t know if he will stay at QB or move to WR. Either way, he is a project player albeit a talented project.

- Tampa gets Tanard Jackson, DB from Syracuse. I had seen him as a 1st rounder in some mock drafts, so some people must hold him in pretty high regard. Not great speed, which can be hidden in that defense. Could move to safety. Good value.

- Saints take Antonio Pittman, HB Ohio State. He is a guy that I liked better than most of the 2nd round back taken, so in my mind at least the Saints get good value here. He is a good inside runner which should be a nice compliment to the talents of Reggie Bush whenever Deuce moves on.

**They are now reporting that Josh Hancock, a pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals has died in an auto accident. Well, that is kind of a downer for a Draft that has already had the Virginia Tech tragedy looming over it. Sad.

- Denver takes ANOTHER defensive lineman. Marcus Thomas, DT from Florida. Was a really good player in college, but was suspended for a good chunk of the 2006 season for drug issues.

- Saints take one of the few T prospects left in this draft, Jermon Bushrod, OT from Towson. He is a project and will probably need to be coached up and sit for a while, but he has the athleticism and talent to be a good T down the line.

- Chargers get Scott Chandler, TE from Iowa. Decent receiver, OK blocker. Not a great athlete, but was a factor in the Iowa offense so he might just be one of those Steve Heiden types that isn’t a star but is a good contributor. Not like the Chargers are desperate for a starter at TE or anything either, so he can sit and develop.

- Oakland grabs Quentin Moses, DE from Georgia. Had a much better 2005 than 2006. Undersized. A “name” guy whose press clippings were better than his performance.

- Arizona gets Buster Davis, MLB from FSU. Tiny guy but a really good player. Size comparison is going to be London Fletcher. He turned out OK as I recall.

- Denver get Ryan Harris, OT from Notre Dame. Another guy who looks the part but didn’t play all that well. If the Broncos can’t make a player out of him, then it probably can’t be done. Helps replace the recently traded George Foster.

- Miami takes Lorenzo Booker, HB, FSU. Nice change of pace back to compliment Brown. Didn’t play up to expectations at FSU, but did have some game changing plays. Could thrive in a specialized role.

- Texans grab Jacoby Jones, WR from Lane. A small school player who intrigued scouts. Good size and speed, but he is raw and didn’t play against top notch competition. A bit of a reach, but I know lots of teams really like him so it isn’t a huge stretch.

- Niners take Jason Hill, WR Washington State. A lot of teams like Hill quite a bit, so the Niners did well to get him at this point. Productive and really fast. Fills a need for them, as they are thin at WR.

- Chiefs take DeMarcus ‘Tank’ Tyler, DT NC State. Good physical ability, good size and motor, but he has some maturity issues. Coach Edwards will try and get that corrected.

- Panthers select Charles Johnson, DE from Georgia. Had a really good 2006, but it was the only year he started. Could have benefited from staying in college for his Sr. year.

- Seattle takes Brandon Mebane, DT from Cal. Short but really strong. A good value in the mid-3rd round.

- Eagles take Tony Hunt, HB Penn State. Hopefully he can play the Correll Buckhalter role without getting hurt every 15 minutes like Correll Buckhalter does. Big physical runner that should fit what the Eagles want to do.

- Buffalo takes Trent Edwards, QB from Stanford. All day long the ESPN guys have been calling him the 3rd best QB in this draft. Stanford was so terrible the last few years that it is almost impossible to evaluate Edwards. I think the Bills are committed to Losman, but they don’t have a lot of depth behind him so it seems to be a decent pick.

- Bears take local product Garrett Wolfe, RB Northern Illinois. A productive small school player, there has been lots of speculation as to whether or not he can make it in the NFL. The Bears think enough of him to use a 3rd rounder on him.

- Colts take Daymeion Hughes, CB from Cal. Was a good college player and should fit into the Tampa 2 defense nicely.

- Niners take Ray McDonald, DE from Florida. Had some injury issues and will probably move to end in the 3-4. Good risk to take at this point.

- Colts take Quinn Pitcock, DT Ohio State. Always heard his name called repeatedly during the Ohio State games. Should help the Colts run defense. A guy who just plugs away all game long.

**Crazy long draft day. 11 hours and 4 minutes. I’m going to bed. I’ll recap things tomorrow but won’t have as much to say about the day 2 guys.

#33 – Cardinals give up a 4th rounder to swap 2nd rounders with the Raiders. They take Alan Branch, DT from Michigan. He is a huge talent but doesn’t play hard all the time. Comparisons to Gabe Watson (also a Cardinal) from last years draft.

#34 – Bills trade up (with the Lions) to take Paul Posluszny, LB from Penn State. Bills give a 3rd rounder and swap #2′s with the Lions. Another guy I saw go in the 15-20 area in most mock drafts. Super productive college player that they probably considered with their 1st round pick. Played both inside and outside so he has that versatility.

#35 – The Bucs take Arron Sears, G from Tennessee. Can play G and T. 1st round talent. The Bucs need OL help, but they seem to draft them every year and none of them ever end up being any good. Maybe they ought to hire someone who can coach them up…

#36 – Philadelphia Eagles make their first pick of the day. Kevin Kolb, QB from Houston. A bit of a surprise this early in the 2nd round, but not a stunner. The ESPN guys have been fawning over Beck and Edwards the last week or so, and I am not a big fan of either guys. I like Beck, but more as a backup than as someone you groom to start. 5th round seemed about right for him. Kolb did more in college than either of those other two guys. The Eagles have four QB’s now (McNabb, Feeley, and Holcomb being the others) so one will probably have to go. McNabb hasn’t played a full schedule in a while, and he will also have a late start to the season because of his injury.

#37 – San Diego trades with the Bears and takes Eric Weddle, SS from Utah. The Chargers did need a safety to replace Keil, but I have no opinion on Weddle. He is really versitile, able to play safety and CB. Smart and fast. Holy crap–ESPN just showed the trade terms. They swap 2nd rounders and the Bears get a #3 a #5 and NEXT YEARS #3. That is quite a haul. San Diego must REALLY love him.

#38 – Oakland takes Zach Miller, TE from ASU. He was a college star but his stock slipped when he didn’t run very well at the combine. Very productive in college and could be a nice addition. Will give their brand new QB a safety net to throw to.

#39 – The Falcons take Justin Blaylock, G from Texas. Petrino wants to establish a power running offense and they need to overhaul the OL that was built with smaller guys that used a cut blocking system. Blaylock is a good start. He played RT and G in college.

#40 – The Dolphins get a QB in John Beck. Too early for him in my book. He’s old with a seasonal age of 26 and doesn’t have a big arm. We’ll see if Cam Cameron knows more about QB’s than I do. I’m betting that Quinn ends up being a better pro than Beck.

#41 – The Falcons are back selecting as they trade with the Vikings. They take Chris Houston, CB from Arkansas. A 1st round talent, and a nice pickup in the early 2nd.

#42 – San Fran trades their pick to the Colts. David Harris? Nope. Tony Ugoh, OT from Arkansas. The consensus 4th best tackle. Athletic with long arms. Needs some coaching to pass protect better. The Niners get the Colts #4 and next years #1 (so they recover a first rounder to make up for the one they gave up to get Staley.)

#43 – The Lions take the hometown boy in Drew Stanton, QB from Michigan State. He is talented, but was really inconsistent in college. Mike Martz coaches QB’s better than just about anyone, so it is a really good situation for Stanton. Big and strong, tough, moves well in and out of the pocket. Didn’t really have a good supporting cast at MSU.

#44 – Vikings take Sidney Rice, WR from South Carolina. Not real polished. Good leaping ability and hands.

#45 – Panthers get Dwayne Jarrett, WR from USC off the board. Not real fast, but uses his body really well to shield off defenders. Good hands. Plays with a bit of an edge (read: can be a jackass.) Compares to Keyshawn Johnson, as he himself has been saying.

#46 – Steelers snap up LaMarr Woodley, DE / LB from Michigan. A high motor guy who will move to LB if they stick with the 3-4, or end if they shift to the Tampa 2. Really impressive player who gravitates to whoever has the football.

#47 – Packers trade with the Jets who finally take David Harris, LB from Michigan. Harris is just a football player, and will look great lined up next to Vilma. He isn’t a superb athlete, but makes up for that with football smarts and desire. Super pickup at this point in the draft. For the second straight year, the Jets are looking like they finally have a clue about how to draft.

#48 – Jags take Justin Durant, LB from Hampton. Small school guy who racked up a ton of tackles. We’ll see if that translates to the NFL.

#49 – Bengals take Kenny Irons, RB from Auburn. I guess this means the Chris Perry experiment is over. Irons was really good in his Jr. year but not as impressive in his Sr. year. He was nicked up most of last year, so he gets a pass. Could be a great pick.

#50 – Titans take Chris Henry, RB from Arizona. A workout warrior who didn’t really produce on the field. Way early to pick a guy like this who never really showed that much on the field. I think Antonio Pitman would have been a better fit at this point.

#51 – Giants take Steve Smith, WR from USC. Projects to a #2 guy, should help take some of the load off an aging Toomer.

**Oakland Raiders just traded a #4 to the Lions for Mike Williams and Josh McCown. I’m still not completely convinced that Williams is a bust. He was a great college player who had to sit out a year and got lazy. If they can keep him away from Moss (or just get rid of Moss) and get him to take football seriously…

#52 – Rams snap up Brian Leonard, FB from Rutgers. A football player. Played FB at Rutgers last season, but played HB previous to that. Great receiver out of the backfield and has some juice as a runner.

#53 – Cowboys trade this pick to the Browns who pick Eric Wright, CB from UNLV. Talented guy with a huge character red flag. He was taken off several team’s draft board, and probably with good reason. Wright was accused with rape and drug possession in 2005. He wan’t formally charged, but it is still not good.

#54 – Chiefs take Turk McBride, DE from Tennessee. Wasn’t a starter for the most part, played almost like a 6th man in basketball. Was a sparkplug off the bench for the Vols DL.

#55 – Seattle takes Josh Wilson, CB from Maryland. Small guy who is strong and a good tackler.

#56 – Denver takes Tim Crowder, DE from Texas. The Broncos are attacking their DL on day 1. An underachiever who has physical gifts.

#57 – Eagles take Victor Abiamiri, DE from Notre Dame. Another underachiever who doesn’t produce like he seems like he should. Has a good motor, but I think this is a little early for him.

#58 – Lions take Ikaika Alama-Francis, DE from Hawaii. They get their pass-rusher they passed up in the 1st round (Gaines Adams) here in the 2nd round. Good ability but probably needs to be coached up.

#59 – Panthers snap up Ryan Kalil, C from USC. I’m surprised he lasted this long as he is a really good looking center who can make all the line calls as well as move on pulls and sweeps. Can get to the 2nd level of the defense. Good value.

#60 – Miami takes Samson Satele, C from Hawaii. Centers are going like crazy! Not nearly as mobile as Kalil, but good strength in a more limited area.

#61 – Lions take Gerald Alexander, S from Boise State. I’ve got nothin’.

#62 – Bears take Dan Bazuin, DE from Central Michigan. Not optimal size for a DE, but has a strong motor and desire to get to the QB. Landed in a great spot with the Bears where he can get playing time in the line rotation and learn from some really good players. Nice choice.

#63 – Pack selects Brandon Jackson, RB Nebraska. Good short area quickness and acceleration. Good cutback runner. Not real big or fast. I think he is a better prospect than Chris Henry who was taken 13 picks earlier.

#64 – Tampa takes Sabby Piscitelli, SS Oregon State. Who? (There, I said it.)

The Draft is here! I’m not planning individual posts for all the 1st rounders like last year, I’ll just lump them into one mega-post. I’ll be editing this post until the round is over, so check back often.

#1 Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell (QB) LSU
Russell has all the tools, but I was never that impressed with him when I watched him play. He didn’t seem to be all that accurate, he forced balls, and he seemed to hang onto the ball forever at times. I don’t like him as much as Quinn this year, or Young and Leinart last year.

#2 Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson, (WR) Georgia Tech
Calvin was the consensus best player in the draft. He has unbelievable physical tools, and by all accounts is a good character guy (whatever that means.) He has a bit of TO’s tendency to not focus all the time and have some drops, but that isn’t a huge concern at this point in his career. A draft is still a possibility, so hang on.

#3 Cleveland Browns – Joe Thomas, (OT) Wisconsin
So it looks like the Browns have confidence that Charlie Frye can get better. I almost never have a problem with drafting inside out even for teams with other needs. All the skill players in the world won’t help if your QB is on his back all the time. Thomas will need to get stronger, but that is what the NFL off season weight lifting programs are for.

*aside*
The way the Bucs have been collecting QB’s, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Quinn go here. We’ll see…

#4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Gaines Adams, (DE) Clemson

Aaaaand, I’m wrong. Tampa drafts the heir apparent to Simeon Rice. Adams is a good fit for that Tampa 2 defense, with his speed off the edge. Probably won’t hold up that well against the run, but that isn’t a necessity in that defense.

*aside*
I’ve been hearing lots of buzz that the Cards love Levi Brown. They could probably draft down a bit and still get him (Dolphins maybe?)

#5 Arizona Cardinals – Levi Brown, (OT) Penn State
No trade, but the Cards take the OT as expected. A great pick for a team that desperately needs to upgrade it’s offensive line. Add Russ Grimm as the offensive line coach and this looks to be a much improved unit next season. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but the Cardinals are quite possibly a playoff team.

#6 Washington Redskins – LaRon Landry, (S) LSU
Kiper’s #1 rated defensive player. The Redskins must have gotten sick of watching Adam Archuleta do nothing last year, so they look to correct that problem. More of an in the box safety which means Sean Taylor will have to play in coverage. With discipline. That…could be a problem. Taylor is insanely talented, but he has a tendency to freelance and try to be everywhere which often puts him out of position. Hopefully the Redskin fans enjoy this pick, because it is the only one they have (barring a trade) until the 5th round tomorrow.

#7 Minnesota Vikings – Adrian Peterson, (RB) Oklahoma
AD (All Day) will bring an explosive force to an offense that lacks that very thing. They have a good back in Chester Taylor to pair him with. Add that to a solid offensive line, and the Vikings should be able to run the ball. They’ll need to, as right now Tarvaris Jackson is their starter. Yikes.

*aside*
This would be an opportune time for someone to trade up for Brady Quinn. The Falcons aren’t going to draft him, and they are sad to see their targeted players (Landry and Brown) off the board. I’m happy to see him continue to wait though, as each time the cameras point his way we also get a good look at his girlfriend Lindy Slinger.

#8 Atlanta Falcons – Jamaal Anderson, (DE) Arkansas
Still no trades, so all the pre-draft talk about everyone trading down was either bull, or no one can find a trading partner. Anderson should be an immediate starter for the Falcons replacing Patrick Kearney.

*aside*
I will be STUNNED if the Dolphins don’t take Quinn with their pick.

#9 Miami Dolphins – Ted Ginn Jr., (WR) Ohio State
WOW. Stunned. Ginn has bust written all over him too. I hate this pick by the Dolphins. Ginn can be an impact player as a returner, but I don’t think he’ll ever be a great WR. Not real big, not real strong and he can’t run routes. Troy Williamson?

*aside*
So now the door is open for someone to trade up and get a top-10 QB. If Quinn drops enough, he might even come into play for teams who passed on him early like the Lions and the Browns. Let me throw out a couple of mid-1st round possibilities: Bills and Jags. The Chiefs would fall over themselves if he drops that far.

#10 Houston Texans – Amobi Okoye, (DT) Louisville
The Texans attack the defensive line for the second straight year. Really young at 19, he isn’t physically mature yet. Will need to add weight and strength, but has a lot of talent and is by all accounts is a remarkable young man. Graduated from HS at 16. One of the players identified (along with Johnson and Adams) as having smoked some weed during college. I’m guessing the percentage of players eligible for the draft this year that smoked up during college at some point is hovering somewhere around 100%. Not a big deal unless that is all he wants to do, ala Ricky Williams.

#11 San Francisco 49ers – Patrick Willis, (LB) Mississippi
Tackles everything. Adds another ILB to that 3-4 defense. Doesn’t have to make the defensive calls right away with Derrick Smith on the field next to him which should help him adjust to the league. I’m worried that losing Norv Turner will hurt them on offense a lot. Maybe an improved D can help pick up some of the slack.

#12 Buffalo Bills – Marshawn Lynch, (RB) Cal
They needed a replacement for McGahee, and they get one. A need pick. I love him just for the cart-driving celebration.

#13 St. Louis Rams – Adam Carriker, (DE) Nebraska
Can play end, and might slide into the DT position on passing downs. Not a dominating pass-rusher, but a hard worker. Grant Wistrom or Shaun Ellis type maybe?

#14 New York Jets (trade from Carolina) – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
Carolina trades #1 and #6 for the Jets #1 #2 and #5. A steep price for a team that still has lots of holes, let us hope that Revis is worth it. CB was a need area for the Jets, and they weren’t going to get Revis or Hall if they stayed put at #25.

#15 Pittsburgh Steelers – Lawrence Timmons, (LB) Florida State
A great athlete who doesn’t have a lot of experience. Only started one year at FSU. Should be able to play either the 3-4 or the 4-3.

#16 Green Bay Packers – Justin Harrell, (DT) Tennessee
I don’t have much of an opinion on Harrell. He can’t hurt that defense any–it stinks.

#17 Denver Broncos (Trade from Jacksonville) – Jarvis Moss, (DE) Florida
Jacksonville trades #1 for Denver’s #1 #3 and #6. Denver doesn’t have as many holes as some teams, so they can probably afford to burn a couple pick on a trade. Moss is super fast and explosive. Needs to add strength. Had some character flags.

#18 Cincinnati Bengals – Leon Hall, (CB) Michigan
This made too much sense not to happen. Bengals had a need, and Hall was a great value still on the board at #18. I hear people calling him a shutdown corner. He isn’t. I has skills, but he isn’t going to lock down a top-flight WR. Productive player in college.

*aside*
I’m looking at a WR for the Titans in this slot. Bowe maybe? Alan Branch should be a consideration too, as he is sliding down the board to a point where he will be a value for someone.

#19 Tennessee Titans – Michael Griffin, (S) Texas
The impact of the Pacman Jones suspension is seen in this pick. The Titans had a the 32nd ranked defense last season, so they go in that direction. WR is a fairly deep position in this draft, so they elect to wait on that position. Griffin is a thumper. Smart player who was a team leader at Texas.

#20 New York Giants – Aaron Ross, (CB) Texas
CB was a disaster for the Giants last year. They have several big time needs – OT, LB to name a couple. CB was probably the best value for them at this point. Ross is fast who should be able to keep up with most (if not all) NFL receivers. Good returner too.

#21 Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, (S) Florida
Got the player they wanted and got extra picks. THAT is how you run the draft. Nelson is a ballhawk at safety, can force game-changing turnovers. Not a big hitter, but they have Donovin Darius back there to thump people. Good looking pick.

#22 Cleveland Browns (trade from Dallas) – Brady Quinn, (QB) Notre Dame
Dallas trades a #1 for Cleveland’s #2 and next year’s #1. Probably a good deal value-wise, as they got two top-5 players. They probably wouldn’t have had a chance to get a player this good next season. A big splash for the Browns. They add a (hopefully) franchise LT, and then put a (hopefully) franchise QB behind him. Great work.

#23 Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe, (WR) LSU
WR has been a need area for the Chiefs forEVER. They finally look to address the position–the same year that they desperately need to upgrade the OL. I probably would have looked to add talent there, but I can’t argue with Bowe as a player. He is a big WR who in my mind was one of the reasons JaMarcus Russell looked so good. He’s a little raw, but that can be said about a lot of WR coming into the league. Had Lasik surgery last offseason and caught the ball much better this season.

*aside*
David Harris would seem to be a lock here, but the Pats could elect to go CB or take a look at Staley.

#24 New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, (S) Miami
The Pats just never seem to do what you expect them to. They always draft well, so I’m not saying they do anything wrong, they just do their own thing. Meriweather had a really good Jr. year, but not a great Sr. year. Miami kind of stunk last year, so I’m willing to give him a pass. Great speed and a good hitter. Harrison has to retire at some point, so it is probably a wise choice.

#25 Carolina Panthers – Jon Beason, (LB) Miami
Dan Morgan just can’t stay on the field, and Chris Draft left as a FA. Beason fills a need for that Carolina defense. Good chance he moves to the middle.

#26 Dallas Cowboys (trade from Philadelphia Eagles) – Anthony Spencer, (DE) Purdue
Eagles trade their #1 for Dallas’ #2, #3 and #5 picks. Not great value for the Eagles when you consider what Dallas got from the Browns, but they must just not have anyone they really like at this point. Spencer was the best pass rusher left on the board, and the Cowboys felt that was something they needed. Will probably move to OLB in that defense.

#27 New Orleans Saints – Robert Meachem, (WR) Tennessee
They look to replace Joe Horn with their 1st round choice. Good size, good speed, good hands. Nor sure how refined he is as a route runner. Can slip tackles and make things happen in the open field. Another weapon for that explosive offense.

*aside*
Mark May just said the Browns should have kept their picks and waited for John Beck because he is just as good as Brady Quinn. Mark May is a moron.

#28 San Fransisco 49ers (trade from New England) – Joe Staley, (OT) Central Michigan
New England trades their #1 for the Niners #4 and next year’s #1. The Pats love to add those future #1′s. Jennings and Harris never really worked out at T, so they try again to address that position. Will probably need a couple of years to really hit his upside. Good feet, started as a TE at CMU and was a SPRINTER in HS.

#29 Baltimore Ravens – Ben Grubbs, (G) Auburn
A mauler with good mobility to pull and trap. Kiper had him as a top-20 guy. The Ravens need to rebuild and replace some players on the OL, so it is both a good value and a need pick.

#30 San Diego Chargers – Craig Davis, (WR) LSU
The Chargers must have wanted a speed guy as they pass up on Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith. A reach, but AJ Smith has a great track record so I defer to him. Unless he’s wrong.

#31 Chicago Bears – Greg Olson, (TE) Miami
Far and away the best TE in this draft. Another in a long line of good Miami TE’s. Fast, can stretch the seam. Didn’t get too many opportunities the last couple of years because Kyle Wright is terrible.

#32 Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Gonzalez, (WR) Ohio State
I think he is a better WR than Ginn who went in the top-10. Runs good routes and just has a good feel for the position. Isn’t super-duper fast, but still runs in the 4.4′s. Will slide right into the slot in the Colts’ 3 WR sets. I’m a little surprised they didn’t go defense here, but I guess they really felt the need to replace Brandon Stokley.

*aside*
A record is set as the 1st round clocks in at 6 hours and 8 minutes. Only two rounds left today…

I wanted to take a look back at the 2006 Draft, even though one year isn’t really enough to tell how it all will turn out. I’m not going to focus on the first round pics (though I’ll mention a couple), as there wasn’t really a big bust anywhere and for the most part I had positive things to say about all of them.

The Hits:

NFL Draft 2006 – Pick #26
Buffalo Bills
(traded from the Chicago Bears for #42 & #73)
John McCargo, DT, N. C. State

The Bills must have really wanted this kid, and thought someone else was after him. Big reach. I don’t like it.

He was injured much of the year, but was pretty much useless when healthy too. DT often take time to develop so there is still time for him to turn it around, but for 2006 I look pretty smart.

- Jacksonville takes Maurice Drew. This is a kid I really like. A KR / 3rd down / change of pace back that can catch out of the backfield and is quick and elusive. Reminds me of Brian Westbrook.

In his first year he was BETTER than Westbrook.

- Jets draft RB Leon Washington from FSU. Smaller back who plays big. Thick body and can be a factor as a receiver. I like him in round 4, now lets get him in camp and see if he can carry the load.

Didn’t carry the load, but was a nice player for them. Helped as a change-of-pace guy and a receiver.

- Bears add to their defense with DE Mark Anderson. Really played well at Alabama, I’m surprised that he lasted this long. A little light at 258lbs, but he can add pounds in the weight room. A great choice in round 5. Even if he doesn’t live up to his college numbers he can still help out just by being a part of the rotation.

Anderson had a really good rookie year with 12 sacks for the NFC Championship defense.

- Bucs take a QB I liked, Bruce Gradkowski from Toledo. Doesn’t have ideal size at 6-1, but is a very competitive guy who played well. Doesn’t have the measurables like the top guys, but he looks like a QB to me. Passes the eyeball test on the field.

Gradkowski didn’t have great numbers, but he impressed Jon Gruden enough to become the starter when Simms went down to injury.

The Misses:

- Bears take Devin Hester. I think he is a waste of a 2nd round pick, HOWEVER–the Bears really needed a spark in the kick return game. He fits a need for them, and they will have a chance to see in practice if he can develop some WR or CB skills.

I was right about him having no impact on offense or defense, but it seems I underestimated his impact on special teams.

- Titans take LenDale White. Finally. I still wish he would have gone to a power running offense like Carolina or Pittsburgh, but Norm Chow should remember how to use him.

It seems like all LenDale wants to do is eat. He had the inside track to the starting job this year after the Titans let Travis Henry go, and he shows up to camp at about 260 lbs. What an undisciplined jackass. Maybe all the other teams knew what I didn’t know and that is why they passed.

- Saints take WR Mike Hass from Oregon State. Not real quick, not real fast, but catches everything.

I talk about Mike Hass but ignore Marques Colston. Oops.

- Dolphins FINALLY get one of the Auburn WR’s off the board by selecting Devin Aromashodu. He has size as well as the speed to be a deep threat. Give him the coaching to refine his route running and I think he can be a good one.

- The Seahawks take the other Auburn WR who’s name I always have to look up to spell, Ben Obomanu. Raw, but talented.

These two combined for ZERO catches. I might have slightly overestimated their talents…

AL East:
Yankees
Red Sox
Orioles
Blue Jays
Devil Rays

I’m really not sold on either the Yanks or the Red Sox, but the sheer magnitude of their payrolls forces me to put them at the top. Both teams have flaws, but I fully expect them to address their issues during the season through waiver pickups and trades. The Yanks are old. I fully expect Posada to go through a serious decline one of these years, and I think Jeter is due for a decline as well. I’m also not wild about the idea of giving Mientkiewicz very many at bats, and don’t think he will really get them. I wonder if Melky Cabrera tried on a first basemens glove over the winter…The Red Sox are depending on JD Drew, who will be injured for a chunk of the season because that is what he does. They do have a little depth with Wily Mo Pena, but if Eric Hinske gets written in the lineup card too often they may be in trouble. I like the O’s pitching at the top of the rotation, and Markakis could be due for a breakout season which is why I’m sliding them above the Blue Jays. I just don’t trust Toronto for some reason, and I really can’t put my finger on why that is. I love their bargain basement signing of John Thomson for the back of the rotation, but I don’t trust Chacin to perform and I don’t trust Big Frank to stay healthy. Wait, I know why I don’t trust them–Royce Clayton is penciled in as their starting SS. ‘Nuff said. The DRays were my choice to surprise last year. That didn’t work so well. They still have young talent all over the place, except for the mound. Which means their pitching stinks. I wonder why they don’t try BJ Upton there since they can’t seem to find anywhere else on the field they will play him.

AL Central:
Indians
White Sox
Twins
Tigers
Royals

I think the Tigers are going to experience a return to mean. I love the Sheffield addition to the lineup–he can flat out rake. I don’t think Mags is going to play a full schedule again with his injury history. Pudge has got to show his age at some point, and I’m not a big Sean Casey guy. I have a feeling that all of their young pitching is going to struggle this year as the rest of the league catches up. Rogers is starting the year on the DL, and Todd Jones is like 407 years old. I don’t trust them. I like the Indians lineup with it’s nice mix of experience and youth. It looks like Peralta actually worked this winter to get better, so maybe he won’t be a huge useless lump this season. Their rotation is really good, and though the bullpen is unsettled, there is always opportunity to rent a closer at some point in the season. My darkhorse prediction is that they will tread water for a while, and then Eric Wedge will get the boot for a new manager which will fire up the team towards a nice finish. The White Sox are old, and plan on batting Podsednik and Erstad 1-2 in the batting order. That is a .342 and .341 OBP respectively, which doesn’t look too terrible on the surface, but both of them have a lot of .310′s and .320′s in the history mixed in with some really good years (which I feel are behind them.) The Twins have arguably the game’s best player in Joe Mauer, and the reigning AL MVP in Morneau, but they also have Sidney Ponson and Ramon Ortiz in their rotation. Yuck. The Royals remain the Royals. They stink. Hopefully Alex Gorden will come up at some point this year and give their fans some reason to watch their games.

AL West:
A’s
Rangers
Angels
Mariners

I’m still on the A’s bandwagon. They still have a good solid rotation with some depth, and their bullpen is excellent. Piazza should thrive in the DH role and be an adequate substitute for Big Frank. Chavez should be over his tendinitis that contributed to his offensive problems last year, and my fingers are crossed that Bobby Crosby can stay on the field. I love Ron Washington, the new Rangers manager, and think they may thrive now that Buck Showalter’s foot is off their neck. The Angels have a chance to be really good and win the division, but I have some questions about their rotation. Lackey and Santana are great, but Colon is still suffering from injuries, and Weaver may hit the sophomore slump. Their bullpen is still pretty good, and they have Vlad. Kendrick and Brandon Wood (who I think will be up sooner rather than later) can both hit and are / will be instant improvements of the incumbents. Gary Mathews Jr. won’t have the season at the plate he did last year, but he is really good in CF. That contract he signed is going to be an albatross in a year or two though. The Mariners are a mess. Their bullpen (save Putz who has been experiencing some injuries this spring) stinks, their rotation is OK at best (though Hernandez may be a monster), and their lineup is “eh.”

NL East:
Mets
Braves
Marlins
Phillies
Nationals

Last year I said, “I will not pick the Braves any lower than first until they don’t actually finish first.” So this year I have them second. The Mets are still the best team in the NL East. Their lineup is quite good. I’m not sold on Shawn Green, but he’ll be OK. Jose Valentin will be hard pressed to repeat last year’s numbers as well. However, like the Yanks and Red Sox, the Mets have the resources to add pieces to the puzzle later this season. If the Braves can get their rotation back on track, they could be contenders again. They added two really nice bullpen guys in Soriano and Gonzalez, so that may help their rotation out. If Francoeur could learn to be slightly selective at the plate, he could have a “Sammy Sosa with the Cubs” type explosion in his offense. So long as he keeps swinging at the first pitch or at sliders in the dirt, he will simply be a mistake hitter who shows great talent but not enough success on the field. The Phills are OK, but I don’t think they scare anyone. Howard can’t possibly repeat last year’s success (can he?) and giving Wes Helms 500 ABs probably isn’t the best idea. The Marlins are still super young and have no payroll. They won’t be much of a treat. The Nats flat out stink. Ryan Zimmerman looks like a great player in the making. I feel sorry for him.

NL Central:
Brewers
Cardinals
Astros
Cubs
Pirates
Reds

I like the Brewers a lot. They are very A’s-like in that they don’t really have a big star, but they do have balance and talent in their lineup. Fielder and Weeks both look like nice players, and Hart could become one as well. Add Ryan Braun somewhere during the season and they have about the best collection of young hitters in the game. Their rotation lacks star-power, but they are all good pitchers and there is depth in AAA as well. The Cards really don’t look that good on paper, but they have Pujols and Carpenter. That may be enough. The Astros have an ace in Oswalt, and a pretty good lineup that plays in a matchbox sized stadium. They will score runs and pitch well enough. If Clemens is added at some point, they become instant contenders again. I’m not drinking the Kool-Aid on the Cubs. They spent a lot of money this offseason, but I’m not sure they spent it wisely. Soriono just isn’t as good a player as his big stats make him look. Last year he was really good, but it was also a contract year. I don’t believe he will approach those numbers again. The Pirates stink. The Reds stink.

NL West:
Diamondbacks
Dodgers
Padres
Rockies
Giants

I really like the Diamondback’s pitching, and they have a collection of nice young hitters in Chris Young and Carlos Quentin, Stephen Drew and Connor Jackson. The Dodgers did some good things this winter (Jason Schmidt) and some terrible things (Juan Pierre.) We’ll see. If the Padres get a return to form from the younger Giles, they could be a pretty good offensive club. The pitching looks to be pretty solid, and they could be in the mix. Continued improvement from guys like Atkins, Holliday and Hawpe will keep the Rockies out of the cellar. I don’t know how that team will ever win anything, it is just impossible to keep a pitching staff held together in that stadium of theirs. It just takes too much of a toll on their guys. The Giants just get older and older every year, and I feel this will be the year is finally kills them. Zito and Cain are a good start to a rotation, but Russ Ortiz is a terrible way to round it out. Bonds will hit when he plays, but will anyone be on base in front of him enough to make it matter?

I’m going to try and get a MLB preview up in the next couple of days. Cross your fingers…