1. An afterthought, maybe. Am I the only one who wonders why there isn't a rookie cap in the NFL? Sure, JLong will probably be good. But I thought Robert Gallery would be crushing DL's too.
2. Unbelievable to hear the talking heads prattle about a ceiling on Chris Long. Short of blazing speed, the guy is a phenom. He's got burst, power and jumps out the room. Sure he got handled by OLiners who had 60-75 lbs. on him, but name one player this side of the real LT who didn't have that problem. Long will be an excellent NFL player and a worthwhile choice at #2.
3. Not just the start of a new era in ATL, but the end of another. Matt Ryan will return respectability to the QB spot for the Falcons. And the fact that they'll have a QB at QB won't hurt either. Don't let the Ryan pick exclude the possibility of Art Blank letting Mike Vick return to ATL, but thankfully it will be at Vick's natural position.
4. Hard to pick apart the Raiders choice of McFadden. Sure they could have used a trench player, but they can use someone at every position. When you suck as much as the Raiders, a good player is a good pick.
8. The Jags purged their DL and then may have reached desperately at #8. Good to see a defensive powerhouse dump a few highly paid, proven performers to overpay one, undersized unproven player in Harvey. Is Jax thinking he's the second coming of Dwight Freeny?
13. Johnathan Stewart will fit in Carolina, and he's a quality choice. But with Brian Brohm, Joe Flacco and Chad Henne on the board, and Jake Delhomme coming off Tommy John Surgery . . .??? Not sure who the Panthers are considering as an insurance policy, may JD Booty or Colt Brennan, but both lack starter size and ability.
18. Speaking of Flacco, I don't love the guy because he went to my alma mater, I just love that arm. Throws the ball like it's on a string, with awesome velocity and accuracy, yet has great touch downfield. Maybe the best physical specimen at QB in the last ten years. The knock on him is his footwork. Well you can teach footwork. You can't teach arm.
21. I like the Matt Ryan pick. Not sure about Baker at 21. The guy is not equipped to be an NFL Tackle. Maybe the Falcons are thinking they have the next Alan Faneca. The bad news is, Faneca thought he was a lot better than the film showed recently and he was getting worked pretty good for the last three years. Still if Baker pans out at guard, assuming the Birds put him there, it might be a good marriage at least for the first two contracts.
23. Mel Kiper, in his infinite wisdom, called this a "luxury pick" for Pittsburgh. The Steelers started 9-3 and finished 1-3. Where's the luxury for a team that collapsed down the Stretch? The Steelers aren't deep anywhere and their best RB broke his leg last year. They took the best player available, by far. Any player to take the heat of Big Sack Taker is a great pick.
26. Another player termed a reach? Depends on what reaching is. I don't think taking a good player (like Duane Brown) who fits what you do, a little early is a reach. I think taking an overrated player at any position is a reach.
CR...interesting observations, to say the least. If C. Long was handled by OTs that had 60-75 pounds on him in college, what do you think will happen in the NFL? You think the NFL OLs are going to be smaller?
Atl has no OL, no WR, no RB. So they take an overrated QB. Ryan will get maimed in ATL. Brohm will turn out much better in the NFL.
The Jags DL was a stong unit. Three years ago. They haven't laid a hand on P. Manning or Brady in 6 games in the last 2 years. Over the last 2 seasons, I was at the 2 Colts games and the Pat's game in J'ville. They didn't get within 10 feet of either QB. Not the way to go to the next level.
C. Long will get bigger, stronger and benefit from better talent alongside him in a one-gap line-up.
Ryan shouldn't be starting this year. Sacrifice Redman and Harrington.
Who did sack T. Brady or P. Manning the last few years? Oh yeah, the NYG. Who else? Nobody. Hard to rate the Jags D against two QB's that rarely see dirt. How about looking at Jax's rating as a unit instead of one example, completely out of context?
Chris...let me team up with Hanahan. Before the '07 season, the Jaguars pass defense was pretty good (McCray had 10 sacks in '06) which helped R. Mathis benefit off the pass rush and get 8ints...they could sack everyone, including elusive V. Young, except P. Manning. This past season, McCray didn't have half that total and Stroud was hurt/suspended most of the season. Amounted to very little pass rush and teams like the Texans scoring 40pts against them.
Yes it was a reach to get Harvey but it was a nice surprise to see that take place. And with the icing on the cake to get Groves 2nd rd! With the blitz-minded Greg Williams as the new Def. Coord. look out Manning and the rest of the schedule for that matter!!! Go Jaguars!
No question, the DL was not the force last season that it had been the year previous, but let's consider what Jax did as a team.
Here's another thought, the average completion against the blitz is a little over seven yards. Teams have learned to effectively neutralize blitz happy teams, with quick hitters, spread formations, slant routes and the like. I don't see getting smaller or gambling more as the answer to that. You still need to create a breakdown at the point of attack.
"Tell everyone. All the punks, junkies, gunsels, enforcers... all the wise guys, leg-breakers, muscle boys... tell them they're finished. Tell them the streets belong to the Batman."
