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My 2004 NFL Draft
This is what I think might happened. Any thoughts?
1. San Diego Chargers-Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss (Brees is a decent QB, but Marty seems to have lost all confidence in him after letting 900-year-old Flutie start a few games midway through the season. SD will probably trade away this pick, but if they don't, I'm guessing they go with a QB with OT also a possibility.)
2. Oakland Raiders-Larry Fitzgerald, WR Pittsburgh (Another team better suited to trade down, but we all know what Al's about, "Just win baby!" Don't get me wrong, there will be some controversy over this pick as I'm sure Norv would love to have Roethlisberger, but Al seems to always have the final say and he'll take the polished Fitzgerald to take pressure off the fast but technically-flawed Jerry Porter.)
3. Arizona Cardinals-Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Miami (OH) (Denny Green has always liked the big-armed QB over the dink-dunk field generals. That's one reason he started Randall Cunningham over Brad Johnson in 99 even when Johnson was healthy. He'll take the strong-armed Roethlisberger to help ROY Anquan Boldin put up even better numbers, as scary as that sounds.)
4. New York Giants-Robert Gallery, OT, Iowa (This is the no-brainer pick of the draft. The Giants' O-line overachieved in 2002 and quickly came back to earth this past year. They need a strong LT to bookend Petitgout and keep Collins upright. The main reason for the Giants' collapse was the lack of a good or even average line.)
5. Washington Redskins-Kenechi Udeze, DE, USC (Bruce can feel better about walking away now knowing his LE spot will be well-represented by the speed-rusher Udeze. Winslow is a possibility, but Gibbs has never rated TE's as a high priority and they can easily get a decent one in later rounds.)
6. Detroit Lions-Sean Taylor, S, Miami (The Lions got surprising contributions from most of the youngsters on defense and now they have a great coverage safety to boot. No-brainer pick for the Lions here as James Stewart's return should lessen the need for RB, allowing them to go after the most talented defender in the draft.)
7. Atlanta Falcons-Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma (Would play DE in Atlanta's 3-4 scheme, leaving Ellis Johnson inside. His ability to rush the passer could provide a spark to a defense that often times couldn't come up with the big play when they needed to.)
8. Cleveland Browns-Shawn Andrews, OT, Arkansas (Good RT who plays with a mean streak on an offense that often didn't seem to have the intensity necessary to win. Definitely a Butch Davis type of player.)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars-Roy Williams, WR, Texas (Me-shawn will not be coming so the Jags can add to their receiving corps by taking this explosive playmaker. The Jags will now have a strong trio of Smith-Williams-Johnson to go with their strong running game.)
10. Houston Texans-Vince Wilfork, DT, Miami (The Texans may have to get rid of either Payne or Walker to save some cap room for FA's. In the meantime, they need to upgrade their anemic defensive line which was overmatched against the run and rarely pressured the passer. Having big Vince in the middle will allow the Texans to play the run better and give Walker more freedom to rush the passer.)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers-Steven Jackson, RB, Oregon St. (Pittsburgh's #1 need on offense is QB, as Maddox has proven to be little more than a one-year-wonder. Their next biggest need is RB and look for Jackson to effectively replace the aging Bettis as the Steelers' feature back so they can go back to playing the smashmouth style that made them AFC contenders in 2002. Trading for Henson would be huge if Pittsburgh could pull off that deal.)
12. New York Jets-Johnathan Vilma, MLB, Miami (The Jets need a spark on defense and by drafting Vilma, they can move Cowart outside so he can rush the passer while Vilma captains the defense.)
13. Buffalo Bills-Kellen Winslow Jr, TE, Miami (This could be a steal for Buffalo. One of the biggest problems in the passing game was the lack of a short target. Winslow can definitely give Bledsoe another target so he doesn't always look for Moulds.)
14. Chicago Bears-Darnell Dockett, DT, Florida St. (Dockett's stock is rising after a terrific Senior Bowl and he could help bolster the Bears' anemic run defense with some much-needed athleticism inside.)
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jacob Rogers, OT, USC (The Bucs' line is pretty average and Walker and Oben are inconsistent penatly machines. Rogers, who started at USC since day 1, might be more of the technically sound lineman Gruden is looking for.)
16. San Francisco 49ers-Reggie Williams, WR, Washington (With Owens and possibly Streets on the way out, WR becomes a primary need. Williams definitely has the size and athleticism to replace Owens while Wilson and Lloyd get more opportunities as the #2 and #3 respectively.)
17. Cincinnati Bengals-Chris Gamble, CB, Ohio St. (The Bengals stay local with this pick and upgrade the secondary with Gamble, who has an excellent feel for the game like most OSU corners.)
18. New Orleans Saints-Derrick Strait, CB, Oklahoma (Another corner comes off the board as the Saints also look to upgrade their secondary, something they were unable to do in last year's draft.)
19. Minnesota Vikings-Will Smith, DE, Ohio St. (Johnstone is probably not the every-down DE Minnesota is looking for but Smith can definitely fill that void, as he's an excellent pass-rusher as well as being decent against the run.)
20. Miami Dolphins-Phillip Rivers, QB, North Carolina St. (The Fins' line is terrible and they don't have a good possession receiver on the roster, but their incompetent front office has ignored those needs for so long that it's doubtful they address them now. In the meantime, this is the pick they make provided they don't get Henson.)
21. New England Patriots (via Baltimore)-Kevin Jones, RB, Virginia Tech (The Pats have managed to win two Super Bowls in three years despite never really having a marquee RB to scare opponents. Jones could definitely be that guy, making the offense that much harder to scheme against.)
22. Dallas Cowboys-Chris Perry, RB, Michigan (Hambrick only ran well against weak run defenses and disappeared against most. Perry should be a decent-but-not-great back but he'll be good enough to stablize the running game.)
23. Seattle Seahawks-Karlos Dansby, OLB, Auburn (Adds more athleticism and speed to Seattle's D and could be a nasty NFL pass-rusher.)
24. Denver Broncos-DeAngelo Hall, CB, Virginia Tech (The Broncos' secondary got absolutely exposed against the Colts and definitely needs a lot of help. Hall could prove to be a more disciplined corner than O'Neal with the same amount of speed.)
25. Green Bay Packers-Antwan Odom, DE, Wake Forest (The Pack is another team in the Henson sweepstakes and again, provided they don't get him, they'll go for Odom to compliment KGB on the other side.)
26. St. Louis Rams-Will Poole, CB, USC (The Rams' secondary was big-play prone and they need a corner who can make plays. That's all Poole did his senior year at USC.)
27. Tennessee Titans-Nat Dorsey, OT, Georgia Tech (Should eventually replace Fred Miller and is most noted in college for completely shutting down Julius Peppers in his freshman year.)
28. Philapelphia Eagles-DJ Williams, OLB, Miami (The Eagles' lack of speed at LB cost them again as the Panthers were able to run over, around and through their front seven.)
29. Indianapolis Colts-Randy Starks, DT, Maryland (The Colts struggled against the run because of a lack of size defensively. Starks will definitely help compliment Tripplett on the inside.)
30. Kansas City Chiefs-Dunta Robinson, CB, South Carolina (The Chiefs secondary got exposed in the second half of the season and repeatedly gave up big plays that cost them.)
31. Carolina Panthers-Ben Troupe, TE, Florida (The one element missing in the Panthers' offense is a short passing game. Troupe should provide an excellent target for Delhomme.)
32. New England Patriots-Vernon Carey, OT/OG, Miami (Look for him to replace FA Damien Woody on the inside.)
1. San Diego Chargers-Eli Manning, QB, Ole Miss (Brees is a decent QB, but Marty seems to have lost all confidence in him after letting 900-year-old Flutie start a few games midway through the season. SD will probably trade away this pick, but if they don't, I'm guessing they go with a QB with OT also a possibility.)
2. Oakland Raiders-Larry Fitzgerald, WR Pittsburgh (Another team better suited to trade down, but we all know what Al's about, "Just win baby!" Don't get me wrong, there will be some controversy over this pick as I'm sure Norv would love to have Roethlisberger, but Al seems to always have the final say and he'll take the polished Fitzgerald to take pressure off the fast but technically-flawed Jerry Porter.)
3. Arizona Cardinals-Ben Roethlisberger, QB, Miami (OH) (Denny Green has always liked the big-armed QB over the dink-dunk field generals. That's one reason he started Randall Cunningham over Brad Johnson in 99 even when Johnson was healthy. He'll take the strong-armed Roethlisberger to help ROY Anquan Boldin put up even better numbers, as scary as that sounds.)
4. New York Giants-Robert Gallery, OT, Iowa (This is the no-brainer pick of the draft. The Giants' O-line overachieved in 2002 and quickly came back to earth this past year. They need a strong LT to bookend Petitgout and keep Collins upright. The main reason for the Giants' collapse was the lack of a good or even average line.)
5. Washington Redskins-Kenechi Udeze, DE, USC (Bruce can feel better about walking away now knowing his LE spot will be well-represented by the speed-rusher Udeze. Winslow is a possibility, but Gibbs has never rated TE's as a high priority and they can easily get a decent one in later rounds.)
6. Detroit Lions-Sean Taylor, S, Miami (The Lions got surprising contributions from most of the youngsters on defense and now they have a great coverage safety to boot. No-brainer pick for the Lions here as James Stewart's return should lessen the need for RB, allowing them to go after the most talented defender in the draft.)
7. Atlanta Falcons-Tommie Harris, DT, Oklahoma (Would play DE in Atlanta's 3-4 scheme, leaving Ellis Johnson inside. His ability to rush the passer could provide a spark to a defense that often times couldn't come up with the big play when they needed to.)
8. Cleveland Browns-Shawn Andrews, OT, Arkansas (Good RT who plays with a mean streak on an offense that often didn't seem to have the intensity necessary to win. Definitely a Butch Davis type of player.)
9. Jacksonville Jaguars-Roy Williams, WR, Texas (Me-shawn will not be coming so the Jags can add to their receiving corps by taking this explosive playmaker. The Jags will now have a strong trio of Smith-Williams-Johnson to go with their strong running game.)
10. Houston Texans-Vince Wilfork, DT, Miami (The Texans may have to get rid of either Payne or Walker to save some cap room for FA's. In the meantime, they need to upgrade their anemic defensive line which was overmatched against the run and rarely pressured the passer. Having big Vince in the middle will allow the Texans to play the run better and give Walker more freedom to rush the passer.)
11. Pittsburgh Steelers-Steven Jackson, RB, Oregon St. (Pittsburgh's #1 need on offense is QB, as Maddox has proven to be little more than a one-year-wonder. Their next biggest need is RB and look for Jackson to effectively replace the aging Bettis as the Steelers' feature back so they can go back to playing the smashmouth style that made them AFC contenders in 2002. Trading for Henson would be huge if Pittsburgh could pull off that deal.)
12. New York Jets-Johnathan Vilma, MLB, Miami (The Jets need a spark on defense and by drafting Vilma, they can move Cowart outside so he can rush the passer while Vilma captains the defense.)
13. Buffalo Bills-Kellen Winslow Jr, TE, Miami (This could be a steal for Buffalo. One of the biggest problems in the passing game was the lack of a short target. Winslow can definitely give Bledsoe another target so he doesn't always look for Moulds.)
14. Chicago Bears-Darnell Dockett, DT, Florida St. (Dockett's stock is rising after a terrific Senior Bowl and he could help bolster the Bears' anemic run defense with some much-needed athleticism inside.)
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Jacob Rogers, OT, USC (The Bucs' line is pretty average and Walker and Oben are inconsistent penatly machines. Rogers, who started at USC since day 1, might be more of the technically sound lineman Gruden is looking for.)
16. San Francisco 49ers-Reggie Williams, WR, Washington (With Owens and possibly Streets on the way out, WR becomes a primary need. Williams definitely has the size and athleticism to replace Owens while Wilson and Lloyd get more opportunities as the #2 and #3 respectively.)
17. Cincinnati Bengals-Chris Gamble, CB, Ohio St. (The Bengals stay local with this pick and upgrade the secondary with Gamble, who has an excellent feel for the game like most OSU corners.)
18. New Orleans Saints-Derrick Strait, CB, Oklahoma (Another corner comes off the board as the Saints also look to upgrade their secondary, something they were unable to do in last year's draft.)
19. Minnesota Vikings-Will Smith, DE, Ohio St. (Johnstone is probably not the every-down DE Minnesota is looking for but Smith can definitely fill that void, as he's an excellent pass-rusher as well as being decent against the run.)
20. Miami Dolphins-Phillip Rivers, QB, North Carolina St. (The Fins' line is terrible and they don't have a good possession receiver on the roster, but their incompetent front office has ignored those needs for so long that it's doubtful they address them now. In the meantime, this is the pick they make provided they don't get Henson.)
21. New England Patriots (via Baltimore)-Kevin Jones, RB, Virginia Tech (The Pats have managed to win two Super Bowls in three years despite never really having a marquee RB to scare opponents. Jones could definitely be that guy, making the offense that much harder to scheme against.)
22. Dallas Cowboys-Chris Perry, RB, Michigan (Hambrick only ran well against weak run defenses and disappeared against most. Perry should be a decent-but-not-great back but he'll be good enough to stablize the running game.)
23. Seattle Seahawks-Karlos Dansby, OLB, Auburn (Adds more athleticism and speed to Seattle's D and could be a nasty NFL pass-rusher.)
24. Denver Broncos-DeAngelo Hall, CB, Virginia Tech (The Broncos' secondary got absolutely exposed against the Colts and definitely needs a lot of help. Hall could prove to be a more disciplined corner than O'Neal with the same amount of speed.)
25. Green Bay Packers-Antwan Odom, DE, Wake Forest (The Pack is another team in the Henson sweepstakes and again, provided they don't get him, they'll go for Odom to compliment KGB on the other side.)
26. St. Louis Rams-Will Poole, CB, USC (The Rams' secondary was big-play prone and they need a corner who can make plays. That's all Poole did his senior year at USC.)
27. Tennessee Titans-Nat Dorsey, OT, Georgia Tech (Should eventually replace Fred Miller and is most noted in college for completely shutting down Julius Peppers in his freshman year.)
28. Philapelphia Eagles-DJ Williams, OLB, Miami (The Eagles' lack of speed at LB cost them again as the Panthers were able to run over, around and through their front seven.)
29. Indianapolis Colts-Randy Starks, DT, Maryland (The Colts struggled against the run because of a lack of size defensively. Starks will definitely help compliment Tripplett on the inside.)
30. Kansas City Chiefs-Dunta Robinson, CB, South Carolina (The Chiefs secondary got exposed in the second half of the season and repeatedly gave up big plays that cost them.)
31. Carolina Panthers-Ben Troupe, TE, Florida (The one element missing in the Panthers' offense is a short passing game. Troupe should provide an excellent target for Delhomme.)
32. New England Patriots-Vernon Carey, OT/OG, Miami (Look for him to replace FA Damien Woody on the inside.)