Sunday Night Football Stuff
And That’s a Wrap!
The 2009 Draft is complete....
Now that the draft has concluded, there will be plenty written (if not already) about what teams did and how they all fared, but what will likely be written most are those that surprised. To say surprised could just be a nice way to put it.
Early in the first round….
Probably the first surprise came with the third pick, when the Chiefs chose LSU’s Tyson Jackson over Aaron Curry (Wake Forest). Jackson is considered a good pass rushing defensive end which clearly addresses a need, but many folks thought the Curry was the pick. At number four, the Seahawks were expected to be in the neighborhood looking for possibly a receiver or quarterback, but when Curry fell past three he became their first pick.
Shortly after, the next surprise of the day, but one that some may have seen coming with the activity that was being reported was the Jets move up to number five via a trade with Cleveland to select quarterback Mark Sanchez. There was a lot of talk back-and-forth over the wire and on the internet the past several days regarding the value of Sanchez. Despite what has been said, good and bad about the former Trojan, he was wanted and the Jets got their man.
The Bengals made a questionable call with Andre Smith at number six, only because with so many questions about his work ethic, there were clearly other options available at six.
The Raiders shook a few heads when they chose Darius Heyward-Bey with the seventh pick, but if you had talked to ESPN’s Chris Mortenson you may have seen it coming. Heyward-Bey was the fastest timed player at the combine, and this was something noted that has historically attracted the Raiders. Though it was a surprise, the pick does make sense with Heyward-Bey’s speed and Jamarcus Russell’s big arm, the two go together.
Perhaps the most intriguing move of the day came at number 12 with the Bronco’s first selection in the first round. Since his arrival, McDaniels has been criticized for his moves to reshape the offense, when the team’s biggest deficiencies are on defense. At 12, McDaniels and the Broncos selected running back Knowshon Moreno (Georgia), once again ignoring their most glaring needs.
Middle of the first round….
A couple of gifts in the first round came at number 10 and 13, when both wide receiver Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) and defensive end Brian Orakpo fell to their new homes of San Francisco and Washington respectively. With the Raiders making their surprise move, Crabtree was still available and fell into the laps of Singletary and the Niners. Orakpo’s journey down the board was similar, especially with Denver bypassing the Texas defensive playmaker.
A possible stretch pick I saw in the first round was the Vikings choice of wide receiver Percy Harvin. Some would suggest some questionable character flaws, enough that might discourage teams risking so much with a 1st round pick. There’s no question the Vikes got talent and great speed and they certainly addressed a specific need, but only if their pick pans out.
I’ve been seeing a lot of criticism focused on the Eagles camp leading up to the draft and while there is still work to do, I thought their move up to 19 to grab wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was a good move. The addition gives Donovan McNabb another possible playmaker to go along with wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Kevin Curtis.
Late in the first round….
The Dolphins immediately addressed their needs in the defensive secondary with cornerback Vontae Davis (Illinois) at number 25. After losing a couple of players via free agency, Davis gives the team much needed help at the corner. A great value pick and one that should pay dividends immediately.
With their second pick in the first round the Packers followed up their earlier pick (DL-B.J. Raji) with another defensive player selection, linebacker Clay Matthews (Southern Cal). The selection gives the Pack two players that could easily be opening day starters in 2009.
One of the last picks in the first round came with the Cardinals pick at 31 when they chose running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Ohio State). The selection addressed a strong need in the backfield with both James and Hightower not providing the type of production HC Whisenhunt needs at the position. Wells is a gifted runner with size and speed and will certainly be expected to compete for the starting position in camp. This move almost guarantees James departure from the team. It’s just a matter of time.
The two day event concluded on Sunday with a total of 256 players being chosen. With the draft complete it’s now time to take a look and evaluate the players that will be arriving to camp this summer and those that could make a splash in fantasy this season.....don't worry folks, there's plenty more to come.
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