Draft Prospects final positions

[Ole Miss Texan]

Well, we all had some assumptions on certain players and where they would/should get drafted. We won't know if the players really deserved their low/high draft places for a couple years though, so we just have to go off on what happened draft day.

Here's some players we had an eye on and talked about that either affirmed our views or surprised us/me. What were some of y'alls thoughts on the overall draft and people we talked about?

1. I'll start with strictly positions. 5 Defensive Linemen taken in the top 8.
2. 8 Offensive Tackles taken in the 1st round. (5 taken before pick #18)
3. Zero (0) WR's taken in the 1st round. We knew it was a weak class but still a surprise to me.
4. Rashard Mendenhall slipping to #23. Lance called it right before the draft- I didn't know he was a "p-word".
5. Jaguars traded to #8!? wow.
6. Flacco trade/selected at #18.
7. Sam Baker taken at #21 (via trade)
8. Big surprise the Cowboys taking Felix Jones (sarcasm)
9. Tennesse taking Chris Johnson in the 1st. muah ha ha
10. Duane Brown at #26- kind of surprise but he was a fast riser, could of been late 1st/early 2nd so I don't think its that big of a reach, but somewhat of a surprise nonetheless.
11. Antoine Cason was a 1st rd pick!
12. Matt Forte and Ray Rice- Zero chance they last to 3rd rd
13. Kevin Smith- thought he may last to us but def. worthy of a 3rd
14. Jammal Charles, Anthony Collins, Reggie Smith all lasted longer than I thought they would
15. Thought Xavier Adibi was a 2nd/3rd rounder, surprised me we got him in the 4th
16. Ali Highsmith/Erin Henderson (LB's)- can't believe they didn't get drafted
17. Jacob Hester- taken in 3rd rd!
18. Andre Woodson falling to the 6th, Peyton Hillis falling to the 7th

[TheDrifter]

After the Giants Superbowl win, I figured DLinemen would come off the board fast. Everyone likes to jump on the hot trend.

Then I smugly reflected on how we are already miles ahead of many teams in having a killer Dline.

[bah007]

Originally Posted by Ole Miss Texan

...Antoine Cason was a 1st rd pick!...

Hmm. Who are those two posters (among a few others) that have been saying this for months despite the draft "experts" who had him rated anywhere from early 2nd to mid 3rd?...

[kastofsna]

yeah didn't understand how Cason could be dropping. Talib, either.

[Second Honeymoon]

Originally Posted by kastofsna

yeah didn't understand how Cason could be dropping. Talib, either.

Talib dropped purely due to marijuana issues. To test positive for weed on three separate drug tests at Kansas, then lying about it, then misleading teams about it, was really bad for his stock. I don't have a big problem with someone smoking marijuana but if you have a free ride on scholarship or are under a million dollar contract with an NFL team, you aren't supposed to be getting high. it's in the rule book and with the league cracking down on bad behavior, you can't be sure that Talib won't run afoul of the substance abuse policy. No one wants the next Charles Rodgers.

[Porky]

I didn't understand the Jacob Hester pick that high, but I REALLY didn't understand trading up to get him.

Then again, I didn't understand the flaming meatballs entire draft.

[Lucky]

Originally Posted by Ole Miss Texan

3. Zero (0) WR's taken in the 1st round. We knew it was a weak class but still a surprise to me.

I don't know if it should be considered weak. There were 15 WRs taken in the 1st 3 rounds, tied for 2nd most since 1994. It's just that none were considered #1 WRs. A lot of #2's & #3's. I think teams looked back on the last several drafts and saw the mistakes reaching for WRs early. Especially those that didn't display #1 WR qualities in college. Devin Thomas had equal measurables and production to Troy Williamson in '05. Teams went to school on those errors and kept to the basics, taking linemen early and often.

[threetoedpete]

It wasn't a bad class of receivers. only poor personel people evaluating them.

[Bubbajwp]

Originally Posted by threetoedpete

It wasn't a bad class of receivers. only poor personel people evaluating them.

Most likely the same people that evaluate them every year. Unless there was some major scouting strike that I dont know about.

[Ole Miss Texan]

Originally Posted by Lucky

I don't know if it should be considered weak. There were 15 WRs taken in the 1st 3 rounds, tied for 2nd most since 1994. It's just that none were considered #1 WRs. A lot of #2's & #3's. I think teams looked back on the last several drafts and saw the mistakes reaching for WRs early. Especially those that didn't display #1 WR qualities in college. Devin Thomas had equal measurables and production to Troy Williamson in '05. Teams went to school on those errors and kept to the basics, taking linemen early and often.

I think your dead on. Not necessarily weak, but no real stand out guys like there were in virtually all the other positions (LT,RB,DE,DT,LB,CB). I think this draft teams really took a hard look at what was really important... and that's why half the players taken played in the trenches, OL and DL. Throw in som decent to good prospects at RB, a couple LB's and some upside guys at CB and that pretty much wrapped up the 1st round addressing what teams feel are most important nowadays.

[NitroGSXR]

There wasn't a Calvin Johnson or Andre Johnson prospect but this was a solid WR class. Very solid. That's how I would describe it.

[Bubbajwp]

Originally Posted by Ole Miss Texan

I think your dead on. Not necessarily weak, but no real stand out guys like there were in virtually all the other positions (LT,RB,DE,DT,LB,CB). I think this draft teams really took a hard look at what was really important... and that's why half the players taken played in the trenches, OL and DL. Throw in som decent to good prospects at RB, a couple LB's and some upside guys at CB and that pretty much wrapped up the 1st round addressing what teams feel are most important nowadays.

You can thank the Giants superbowl performance for that. Everybody wants that dominant passrushing dline and everybody wants a oline that can stop it.

[The1ApplePie]

I think OT/DE are the new WR

A bunch of guys go a lot higher than they should because of the need for a playmaker (looking at you Sam Baker and Derrick Harvey)

[Bubbajwp]

Originally Posted by NitroHonda

There wasn't a Calvin Johnson or Andre Johnson prospect but this was a solid WR class. Very solid. That's how I would describe it.

Very solid with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th round talent.

[The1ApplePie]

Originally Posted by NitroHonda

There wasn't a Calvin Johnson or Andre Johnson prospect but this was a solid WR class. Very solid. That's how I would describe it.

I think combine numbers have a huge impact on WRs these days

Dwayne Jarrett was the most dominant WR in college last year and he went in the 2nd because of the combine

[Ole Miss Texan]

Originally Posted by NitroHonda

There wasn't a Calvin Johnson or Andre Johnson prospect but this was a solid WR class. Very solid. That's how I would describe it.

I'll agree with that too. Maybe addressing it as weak was a poor choice of words. But looking at virtually all of them there were big question marks. Point is, none were taken in the 1st round.

Desean Jackson- short and very light
Limas Sweed- wrist injury
Malcolm Kelly- hurt himself by running slow 40 times, bad pro day
Devin Thomas- seemed to be prettys solid
Donnie Avery- never saw him listed as a top 5 wide out and he was taken 1st

it was said leading up to the draft, that really none of them stood out as top 20 picks, but would have better value in the late first. I think having some good prospects at other positions definitely hurt the wr's though...

[BigBull17]

I think a small par to f it is the premadona complex some of these guys are starting to show. A-holes going nuts isnt fun on your personel.

[threetoedpete]

Originally Posted by Bubbajwp

Most likely the same people that evaluate them every year. Unless there was some major scouting strike that I dont know about.

Oh I trust the scouts and GMs....some of these guys will push verterans out the door in '09.

[threetoedpete]

Originally Posted by Porky

I didn't understand the Jacob Hester pick that high, but I REALLY didn't understand trading up to get him.

Then again, I didn't understand the flaming meatballs entire draft.

Well you don't have to fit the ball into a six inch hole down the feild if you're dinking and dunking the ball to Johnson.

[beerlover]

NICE POST

the number of trades seemed extraordinary (8)

Texans of course selecting Duane Brown. seems like the closest thing to Brandon Alberts in the draft, who they must have been in love with