NFL Draft 2005: Day 1 + Day 2 too

That Cal QB has dropped quite a bit.

EDIT: Oh, I see GB picked him up at 24.

"Badferret" wrote:

Fair analysis, but will not be suprised if he achieves T. Bruschi type sucess, just has that knack, and he has a way of willing balls into his hands.

Quite possibly. Bruschi isn''t a superstar either (he would have very little name recognition on a lesser team - he''s an excellent linebacker but it took some time to get there). I think Pollack''s impact will come more quickly than Bruschi''s - though without any superb DTs in Cincy, he is liable to face some more of those double-teams.

Great job Legion, just reading your coverage here.

Great to hear. I''m hoping someone''s enjoying this stuff, though if it''s just a masturbatory exercise, that''s OK too (that should bring some comments from the peanut gallery)

Pick 25 - Washington - Jason Campbell, QB (Auburn)
Campbell was expected to be a 2nd rounder, but Washington''s trading to get pick #25 was well known to be a move to get Campbell without risking someone else taking him first. Campbell is an accurate passer who impressed me with his ability to throw on the move, even moving left and having to throw across his body. Campbell will have every chance to win the starting job away from Patrick Ramsey (who, despite best buddy Jon Jansen''s heartfelt support on air, has shown very little promise in his opportunities to play).

Again, I go back to the top half of the draft. If Washington is taking Campbell, they sure as hell should have been taking Mike Williams at #9. That''s a combination that you could quite possibly build a team around. As it stands now, Campbell''s potential receiving targets are pretty sad.

Pick 26 - Seattle - Chris Spencer, C (Mississippi)
Uhm, no. I have nothing bad to say about Spencer other than his time at center was limited in college and he will need some work at the position before you can stop worrying about his snaps. But that will come. What I do have bad to say, though, is the fact that this draft is loaded with interior lineman talent, with many starters-to-be waiting to be picked in round 2 and round 3. There''s no need to reach for it in round 1. There are way too many players that are just as good in the next couple of rounds. Only points Seattle gets is that they traded down 3 spots before making this pick, and added an extra 3rd rounder thanks to it (where they could take another interior lineman if they wanted!). The Seahawks need receiving help, and the value at WR will drop off very soon, while the value at center and guard will still be there next round.

Let''s get back from commercial and have Atlanta pick already. Damn.

Pick 27 - Atlanta - Roddy White, WR (Alabama-Birmingham)
I may like this guy better than Troy Williamson too. The thing about White is that he sufferend a hamstring tweak during the Senior Bowl practices, and missed the Bowl game as well as the Combine workouts. People knock his size but he''s the same size as Williamson, just not quite as fast (but he timed equal to Braylon Edwards, so he''s no slowpoke). He was productive at UAB and didn''t drop many passes. Some think he has game-breaker potential, but I''m a bit more reserved. He was expected to go in round 2, but I think he''s better than a couple of the guys that haven''t gone that were expected to beat him out.

Time to switch to ESPN2!

"Bear" wrote:

BTW, speaking of RB''s, check out this video of the KState RB Darren Sproles. Barry Sanders anyone?

I missed this post in my earlier rush to keep up with the early picks, but I have something to say about Darren Sproles. I watched his ass get chewed up and spit back out by the Fresno State defense last year (11 carries, 37 yards). Fresno runs a pro-style 4-3 defense with a couple of draft prospects today and tomorrow. Sproles was impressive against some smaller college defenses, but against a big defense like Fresno, whose players are more NFL sized, he was eaten alive.

That said, he''s worth a later pick for a 3rd down back.

Pick 28 - San Diego - Luis Castillo, DT (Northwestern)
Stupid pick. Castillo was not really considered a 1st round pick BEFORE he tested positive for steroids at the Combine. Both of SC''s tackles, especially Shaun Cody, grade out far better than Castillo. Castillo''s steroid issue was a result of him tearing his elbow and desperately trying to speed up his rehab in time for the Combine, and he''s gone out there and confessed his sins and done everything possible to make teams understand it was a one-time mistake. He''s probably telling the truth, but in terms of pick 28, he''s coming off of ''roids and a torn elbow, and I don''t think he''s better than Cody even on a level playing field.

Pick 29 - Indianapolis - Marlin Jackson, CB (Michigan)
Nice size corner whose lack of speed will be masked a bit by Dungy''s Cover 2 scheme. Won''t be asked to man-up on fast receivers very often. Has character issues - was suspended from Michigan in 2003 after pleading guilty to aggrevated assault. A bit of a reach - Jackson''s a 2nd round talent. Clemson''s Justin Miller is a better prospect IMO. Jackson could end up at safety at some point.

Pick 30 - Pittsburgh - Heath Miller, TE (Virginia)
I had this name typed out before Tagliabue hit the podium. Pitt wanted the impressive pass catching TE and it''s surprising he fell that far. I was looking at Miller as a Jaguars pick if not for Matt Jones. Miller had hernia surgery and hasn''t been able to run for a few months, but he showed enough on tape to be a slam dunk as a player. Massive blocker who abused Shawne Merriman like he was a sissy girl. Roethlisberger will love having him to throw to.

Pick 31 - Philadelphia - Mike Patterson, DT (USC)
Nobody had Patterson going ahead of his teammate, Shaun Cody. Patterson''s lack of height, however, isn''t as much of an issue in a one-gap scheme like Philadelphia''s. He gets low and can explode into gaps, even if he doesn''t have Cody''s hands or quickness. Bit of a surprise, Patterson would''ve fit into the late 2nd round, but he''s not too much of a reach in the early 1st.

Chris Berman tells us that the Patriots winning 3 out of 4 Super Bowls in this era is ""almost amazing"".

Maybe if they win one more, they can qualify for full-blown ""amazing"".

Pick 32 - New England - Logan Mankins, G (Fresno State)
Mankins was not expected to sneak into the 1st round, but after watching him his whole career here in Fresno, nobody should be surprised. He is a dominant blocker who epitomizes New England''s focus on high character. A workhorse who does everything off the field you want, he bounced back from a 2003 ACL tear to play top-level ball in 2004. Deserves to be the top guard taken. Was likely to be a high 2nd round pick otherwise. A little bit of a reach for the Patriots, but they are where they are because they take the sure-thing player with high character instead of the better physical talent with questionable character.

END OF ROUND 1

Now the draft begins!
Round 1 is where you reach for potential stars. Round 2 players are your starters, guys that don''t often become stars, but the building blocks of your team. Winning teams are the teams that get solid starters from round 2 and round 3. This is where the men are separated from the boys.

Pick 33 - San Francisco - David Baas, C (Michigan)
Pick 34 - Cleveland - Brodney Pool, S (Oklahoma)
Pick 35 - Philadelphia - Reggie Brown, WR (Georgia)

Baas is like Mankins - high character and work ethic, not necessarily perfect athleticism but will be productive in the middle. Pool''s a smart center-field safety that isn''t ideal in man coverage, but has some atheleticism that Romeo Crennel will certainly find a use for. Brown was thought by some to be a certain 1st round pick - a very hard-working receiver whose value is hurt due to an injury history.

Will the Bucs pick McPherson?

"karmajay" wrote:

Will the Bucs pick McPherson?

Now? Not likely. But I won''t fault anyone for picking McPherson, even this early.

What happeend? Did they trade the pick?

ESPN''s ticker says that Mike Williams is the 1st USC receiver to be taken in the 1st round since Keyshawn Johnson.

Guess they forgot about R-Jay Soward.

Pick 36 - Tampa Bay - Barrett Ruud, LB (Nebraska)
Pick 37 - Tennessee - Traded to Detroit for Pick 41 and 4th rounder (Pick 113)
Pick 37 - Detroit - Shaun Cody, DE (USC)
Pick 38 - Oakland - Stanford Routt, CB (Houston)

Ruud is an intelligent player that isn''t as physically gifted as some of the other linebackers still on the board. Shaun Cody is a STEAL and will help get the Lions a lot of ""A+"" grades in draft reviews - no other team will be able to match the overall talent of their first 2 picks. Routt is a typical Raider pick - another track star with questionable football skills.

Who needs ESPN when we have Legion! Good Job!

Pick 39 - Chicago - Mark Bradley, WR (Oklahoma)
Pick 40 - New Orleans - Josh Bullocks, S (Nebraska)
Pick 41 - Tennessee - Michael Roos, OT (Eastern Washington)

Bradley went way earlier than expected, was 2nd fiddle to some of Oklahoma''s other receiver options. Bullocks is the top safety still available at this spot, picked off a lot of passes in college but wasn''t going up against pass-happy competition. And as for Roos, did the Titans forget Khalif Barnes is still available? Or Adam Terry for that matter? Barnes was a certain 1st rounder that will be a steal for someone - I''m hoping Jacksonville trades up to one of these spots to take him.

Pick 42 - Dallas - Kevin Burnett, OLB (Tennessee)
Pick 43 - NY Giants - Corey Webster, CB (LSU)
Pick 44 - Arizona - J.J. Arrington, RB (California)

Another fast linebacker for the Dallas defense, Burnett is a good value for Parcells'' 3-4. Webster is a first round talent who looked less impressive in his senior year because he battled a bad hammie all year. Was one of those guys I wanted the Jags to go for, had he slid down long enougn in the 2nd. Arrington is a nice grab for Arizona, especially since they missed out on the 3 stud backs at the top of the 1st round.

anyone still reading?

Pick 45 - Seattle - Lofa Tatupu, LB (USC)
Pick 46 - Miami - Matt Roth, DE (Iowa)
Pick 47 - NY Jets - Mike Nugent, K (Ohio State)

Tatupu... too many better LBs still on the board. Two head-scratching picks from Seattle. Matt Roth, however, is an ogre. He''s a brutal pass rusher that could''ve been a first rounder if more 4-3 DEs had been taken. Nugent is a superb kicker, but a 2nd round pick? Too many ways to get a kicker to spend a 2nd rounder.

Great work Legion.

Reading this thread is much better than listening to 3 hours of inane TV blithering.

Thanks again, you know your football buddy!

Oh, I am padding my post count

This is better than going to ESPN.COM.

Thanks guys. Draft day is one of my annual holidays. I even watch Day 2, though I won''t be doing quite this sort of thing tomorrow. Got too much classwork to catch up on, but today is a HOLIDAY!