1.Carolina Panthers - MLB DeMeco Ryans, 6’1” 247 lbs - 22 years old
(90 SPD—77 STR—71 AWR—91 AGI—92 ACC—87 TAK)
Carolina has formally announced Ryans will be the pick, much to the surprise to the rest of the league. He’s a great player to center the defense around, and I understand the Panther’s move here. However, given the depth of the draft at linebacker and the scarcity of Marshall’s combination of size and speed at a more valuable position, I still think he should have been the pick. Looking at the movement at the top, they could have gotten a nice haul and still have been able to draft Ryans, or Greenway at the very least. I’m sure he’ll put up great numbers and may have a HoF career anyway though, and I’m glad they didn’t grab a player to frustrate me like the SFL champion Dolphins WR duo that I hated to play.
2. Arizona Cardinals - CB Antonio Cromartie - 6’2” 210 lbs - 22 years old
(90 SPD—73 AWR—89 AGI—91 ACC—71 CTH—73 TAK)
I’ll just listen to the reports coming out of Arizona that they’re in love with Cromartie and he will be the pick. He’s got elite size and awareness, plus good though not great athleticism. At 22, he’ll have plenty of training camps available to improve on it and should near or at 99 AWR by the end of 25. Cromartie also has excellent hands and is a plus defender in the run game. The cornerback room is now among the best in the league.
3. Minnesota Vikings - WR Brandon Marshall - 6’5” 232 lbs - 22 years old
(97 SPD—52 AWR—88 AGI—99 ACC—83 CTH)
Minnesota just traded star WR Randy Moss for a tremendous haul, and now find themselves in a position to replace him with someone who can reach his level. He is the best player in the draft in my estimation so it hurts to see him become a Viking. I was hoping for a break after Moss’ trade to Pittsburgh but nope. He’ll be a franchise WR and make multiple Pro Bowls before it’s all said and done. Someone should trade up and stop this please. Thanks.
4. New York Giants - TE Leonard Pope, 6’8” 264 lbs - 23 years old
(90 SPD—49 AWR—92 AGI—89 ACC—70 CTH)
Pope is a bit raw for a 23-year-old, but his upside is too intriguing to pass up. He’s an absolute freak with 90 SPD at 6’8”. It’s a matchup nightmare, and he can start at WR3 even if he’s TE2 next to Jeremy Shockey. He’ll get plenty of snaps between the two roles and make the Giants offense unique with a nutty weapon for Romo, who is looking to take the next step in his development.
5. Minnesota Vikings - OLB Chad Greenway - 6’3” 237 lbs - 23 years old
(99 SPD—72 STR—52 AWR—84 AGI—95 ACC—86 TAK)
Welcome home? This version of Greenway looks to be truly special—a 99 SPD linebacker. We all see what EJ Henderson has done thus far in his career, but he’s not even as fast…which should scare opposing offenses. At 6’3”, I wouldn’t eliminate the possibility he’s moved to cornerback, where he would excel as well at an even more valuable position. I doubt it though, as piling up the sacks early should keep him in the Vikings front seven for a long, long time. Just like in real life.
6. New York Jets - TE Vernon Davis - 6’3 248 lbs - 22 years old
(85 SPD—83 STR—49 AWR—90 AGI—99 ACC—79 CTH)
We’re six picks in and we already have two tight ends off the board. I know the positional value isn’t there for some, but they’re pretty freaky. Davis has tremendous YAC potential and, with a couple of training camps, can be a serious problem out of the slot. Sophomore QB Alex Smith gets a playmaker to utilize, and the rebuild is looking good thus far.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars - DT Haloti Ngata - 6’4” 340 lbs - 22 years old
(69 SPD—92 STR—63 AWR—72 AGI—77 ACC—93 TAK)
Running up the middle vs the Jags now, with Henderson already there, will get opposing running backs a whole lotta Ngata. This is a blue chipper for sure. He’s got everything you want in a defensive tackle in a jumbo size. His TAK is a lock to end up at 99 in little time, and his AWR is good to begin with anyway for a 22-year-old rookie. He should contribute immediately and eventually become a dominant player in the trenches.
8. New York Jets - WR Greg Jennings - 5’11” 197 lbs - 23 years old
(99 SPD—59 AWR—97 AGI—94 ACC—80 CTH)
The Jets don’t need to look far to see what 99 SPD can do for an offense, as they have surely been burnt, along with the rest of the league, by Buffalo receivers in the past couple of seasons. This class seems to be lacking that high-end elite speed compared to past classes, so maybe Jennings goes a tad earlier than expected for some. His hands are pretty good at 80 to start as well. In the totality of things, adding a 99 SPD receiver to previous picks (Davis, Mathis last year) gives them a pretty dangerous offense that can make something out of a short, next-to-nothing pass by their young QB.
9. New Orleans Saints - CB Jonathan Joseph - 5’11” 186 lbs - 22 years old
(90 SPD—65 AWR—95 AGI—95 ACC—67 CTH—77 TAK)
Joseph’s high awareness pops out at his age, and his physical tools aren’t too far behind. He’ll need a training camp or two to bump the long speed, but the rest could get to 99 in little time. He can get plenty of playing time to start in the slot and eventually take over for when the uber-talented former second-round pick Greg Brooks gets hurt yet again with that 8 INJ. By the time he hits 25, he can potentially be around 90 AWR, which is elite.
10. Cleveland Browns - OLB James Anderson - 6’2” 235 lbs - 23 years old
(91 SPD—77 STR—40 AWR—84 AGI—92 ACC—64 TAK)
Cleveland has a desperate need for outside linebacker, and though Anderson is on the older side at 23 with piss-poor awareness, he’s still an athletic freak. His speed profile at outside linebacker can only be matched by EJ Henderson and draft gem Ryan Reynolds. With that, he can fill the stat line and progress pretty quickly. Double-digit sacks are never out of the question, and the numerous pressures he can accumulate would impact the game more than his less-than-desirable traits would lead you to believe. And he’s not injury prone!
11. San Diego Chargers - OT DBrickashaw Ferguson - 6’6” 310 lbs - 23 years old
(73 SPD—93 STR—62 AWR—73 AGI—62 ACC—93 PBK—92 RBK)
The Chargers get the best lineman in the draft at 10, and it’s a position of need. They were linked to numerous tackles throughout the offseason, including RFA Mike Pearson. If DBrick falls, that search could be over. He has great speed, even if it takes a couple steps to hit top gear, good strength as well, but his blocking skills are unmatched in this class. He can have 99/99 PBK/RBK in a very short time and would be good value here outside of the top 10.
12. Chicago Bears - DT Kyle Williams - 6’1” 300 lbs - 22 years old
(72 SPD—90 STR—65 AWR—69 AGI—77 ACC—90 TAK)
Any other year Williams would be DT1, but unfortunately for him, he’s in Ngata’s class. Nevertheless, Williams is still a stud. His biggest knock is the size, but he hits the 300 lb threshold. Everything else is on point. He’s got good starting points in awareness and tackle as well, so the skill/mind portion will match the elite athletic traits with some playing time. Paired on the inside with last year’s first-round pick Wilfork makes the line on paper look pretty good. The interior of offensive lines around the league better come prepared when they line up against them.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - QB Vince Young, 6’5” 232 lbs - 23 years old
(75 SPD—59 AWR—71 AGI—77 ACC—97 THP—96 THA)
It wouldn’t surprise me to see a QB-needy team (probably the Raiders?) trade up to take Young. He may be a scrambler, and a slowish one at that, but we just saw it work for the Falcons and Michael Vick. Either way, it can be switched if deemed necessary, leaving us with a pretty incredible throwing arm, which could be potentially 98/99 without touching it in training camp. So maybe you can make him faster that way as you have an extra point to spare. Now that I think of it, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t go sooner if private workouts hold up. Young is a stud.
14. Washington Redskins - DE Mario Williams - 6’6” 300 lbs - 21 years old
(78 SPD—87 STR—51 AWR—62 AGI—86 ACC—72 TAK)
Do you recall the sack machine they used to line up at LE (who’s doing the same on another team)? Well, I forget his name too, and this guy is better with a name easier to remember. The 300 lb defensive end is better suited for the right side (or either side for that matter in a 3-4 scheme), but he has the tools to excel wherever he’s lined up, built in a similar mold to the Patriots star defensive end Richard Seymour (minus the agility!). At just 21, part of the intrigue is the extra time to invest in him.
15. Chicago Bears - CB Jarrett Bush - 6’0” 200 lbs - 22 years old
(95 SPD—70 STR—47 AWR—99 AGI—93 ACC—53 CTH—55 TAK)
The Bears could use some athletic talent on the outside, and Bush fits the mold. Although a bit raw with his lack of awareness, he’s only 22 with the potential to hit 99/99/99 early on in his career after a couple of training camps. As a bonus, he can return kicks. It’s a project, but it’s better than what they currently have, so the huge ceiling will have to do this go-round for the Chicago faithful.
16. Washington Redskins - TE Al Fasano - 6’4” 258 lbs - 22 years old
(86 SPD—84 STR—46 AWR—82 AGI—90 ACC—73 CTH)
Yes, again. And yes, he’s still worth it here, too. The ‘Skins have had a busy offseason where they traded away their young TE Witten to the Chargers. Fasano could potentially be more physically gifted, even if his AWR sucks at the moment. He can also play the slot if needed, especially if he skews up. The talent at the position is deep, but a slight drop off, I believe, starts after him. Whoever starts at QB for Washington this season will benefit from a playmaker of this caliber.
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