The 2006 draft is officially in the books, ushering in a new generation of talent to the PTL. While the board was deep with potential, a few front offices clearly separated themselves, snagging foundational pieces that could redefine their franchises.
This isn't a deep dive into every single value pick; it is just a look at the teams that caught my eye in the Discord draft channel.
New England Patriots
Patriots are going to look good because they had 10 picks in the first 4 rounds of the draft, including two first round picks, but the players they selected look really good and should make for solid improvements for their roster. Pick 1.26 CB Kelly Jennings has elite speed and decent size. 24 years of age might be on the older side, but 53 awareness is a solid foundation to build from. Pick 1.31 HB DeAngelo Williams was the best HB in the draft. This is an interesting pick because they’ve dominated the running game with HB Willis McGahee the last few years, Williams will play the backup role and maybe they increase the splits between the two? The talent of Williams should be an instant impact, but I do have concerns if they will get the most amount of usage if he plays a 2nd role to McGahee. DT Jesse Mahelona was a good selection at 2.30 with 73 ACC and 95 STR. TE Tony Scheffler was a solid selection with 82 SPD, 77 STR, 50 AWR, 82 ACC, especially when a run of TEs happened in the 2nd round. He’s comparable with TE Anthony Fasano in this draft with speed, but gets a boost in AWR. LG Dan Stevenson was a solid selection at 3.23, with 58 SPD and 79 ACC. The position might not be as valuable as OT, but Stevenson has some good speed but build off of.
Kansas City Chiefs
Chiefs had 4 picks in the first round. Wow. The group of guys they brought in were really good. CB Jimmy Williams, pick 1.19, 6’2” size, elite speed and 51 AWR are all sold traits that makes him an instant starter in week 1. Additionally DT Johnny Jolly, pick 1.27, 68 SPD, 96 STR, 70 ACC makes for a solid inside defender. Pick 1.28 MLB D’Qwell Jackson with 85 SPD, 75 STR, 83 ACC, 78 TAK is a really good combo for a linebacker. OLB Clint Ingram at 1.32 was the last of his first round picks, but has elite speed, size, and smarts. Very solid group of guys with a handful of first round picks.
Jacksonville Jaguars
I thought the Jags nailed the picks that matter most. With a majority of picks in the first three rounds, they added a roster of new players. QB Jay Culter was the best balanced passer in this draft. WR Greg Jennings had the best stats for speed, he was a clear no. 2 WR off the board. Though I do have concerns of injury. RG Eddie Keel and SS Roman Harper were solid picks in the 2nd and 3rd round . And getting ROLB Keith Ellison with a late 3rd was the icing on their draft. Having a 81 SPD 84 ACC is a solid foundation, but AWR and TAK will need to improve quickly. All in all a solid foundation for them to build on.
Denver Broncos
Another AFC West team …. Even after pulling in Peyton Manning the Broncos are inline for the best offseason in the league because even their draft with 8 new rostered players lifts their team even higher than it was before the draft. The most impressive part of the Broncos draft is that with 8 picks, 7 of them were after the first round, and 4 of those were in the final rounds of the draft and they still managed to bring in some solid talent that could be potential starters with training. In my opinion, the most notable picks with incredible value were; CB DeMario Minter, pick 2.31, 5’11” size, 93 SPD, 94 ACC, found in the late 2nd is really good value for a CB in a class that didn’t have a ton of depth. DT Anthony Montgomery, pick 3.32, with 91 STR and 75 ACC is incredible value. FS Ko Simpson, selected at 4.08, 88 SPD, 90 AGI, 88 ACC is very solid. Even LE Elvis Dumervil and WR Sinorice Moss were solid picks in the 7th round. Incredible draft, solid guys from beginning to end. Expect the Broncos to be the darlings of the PTL Offseason.
Oakland Raiders
ANOTHER AFC West Team?!?! The Chargers are wetting themselves. The Oakland Raiders make my list mostly because of their first three picks. Working backwards, pick 4.19 WR David Brown, 6’0” size, 95 SPD, 56 AWR, 93 ACC are really solid. His 53 CTH is a real bummer though. Pick 3.05 LOLB Manny Lawson with 81 SPD, 84 ACC are good speed to build upon and a solid find in the early 3rd. And lastly, pick 1.08 TE Leonard Pope. This guy might be my favorite pick in the draft. 6’8” size, 90 SPD, 87 AGI, 89 ACC, 94 JMP, 74 CTH. Not only is he a unique position, his size and speed will make him a nightmare to cover. We expect the top talent to be gone in the first 5-6 picks, but Pope selected with the 8th pick with his kind of skew and size was fantastic value. Bravo!
Honorable Mention
Baltimore Ravens
Ravens make this list because I thought they might have gotten some of the best value in the draft with picks ROLB Tim McGarigle at 2.08, MLB Tim Dobbins at 2.17, and WR Todd Watkins at 3.17. All those players had great stats and fantastic talent to fall out of the first round.
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