2007 Draft Recap: Round One, Picks 1-10
The top of this year's draft board was defined by two things: a historically deep linebacker class and the way in which the Packers controlled the board. Four middle linebackers came off the board in the first ten picks alone. Here's a full breakdown of picks 1.01 through 1.10, including size, key attributes, and a grade for each selection.
1.01 - CB Darrelle Revis, Raiders (Pitt)
The Raiders open the draft addressing the league's worst defense, one that allowed a league-worst 461 points during a 2-14 season, with as pure a shutdown corner as there is in this class. Revis pairs elite range with 99 SPD, 99 ACC, and 94 AGI, giving him the closing speed to erase any receiver in man coverage, and his ball skills (68 CTH) and tackling (68 TAK) already grade out ahead of most rookie corners. At 65 AWR he's better than most rookie CBs to diagnose routes before the snap, but the physical tools give him a huge margin for error as he develops. His only real knock is that at 5'11", 198 lbs he's a fairly average size for the position rather than a long, rangy corner — a minor nitpick on an otherwise generational prospect. Revis slots in as a true number one corner from day one.
Grade: A+
1.02 - MLB Patrick Willis, Packers (Ole Miss)
With the second overall pick, Green Bay lands the most complete linebacker prospect in the class after a 3-13 season that saw the Packers finish dead last in scoring at 13.4 points per game. Willis is a rare blend of size and explosiveness for the position, with 96 SPD, 99 ACC, and 93 AGI at 242 lbs, numbers that would be elite even for a defensive back. He already tackles at a high level (80 TAK) and his instincts (78 AWR) are advanced for a rookie, giving him a real chance to start immediately in the middle of Green Bay's defense. This is the first of what will become a very busy first round for the Packers, who came into the draft holding extra ammunition to move around the board. Willis projects as a true three-down thumper capable of anchoring a defense for a decade.
Grade: A+
1.03 - MLB Lawrence Timmons, Bears (Florida State)
Chicago follows suit at 1.03, taking the second middle linebacker off the board after a defense that surrendered 25.9 points per game (26th in the league) contributed to a 4-12 finish. Timmons offers blazing sideline-to-sideline range with 89 SPD, 89 ACC, and 84 AGI, and he backs it up with 86 TAK, making him an ideal fit for a defense that needs more speed at the second level. He is also about as durable as prospects come, grading out at 99 TGH and 99 INJ, which should ease any concerns about him holding up over a long season. At 21 he's the one of the youngest player off the board, and the tools suggest more development is still coming.
Grade: A+
1.04 - LT Joe Thomas, Buccaneers (Wisconsin)
Tampa Bay traded up into the Browns' original slot at #4 to grab the top offensive tackle prospect in the draft, and the fit makes plenty of sense for a team looking to protect its investment up front. Thomas is a mauler in the run game and steady in pass protection, grading out at 92 STR, 85 PBK, and 86 RBK at a big at 6'6", 312 lbs. He's also got good speed and quickness (58 SPD, 73 ACC), but that's simply not the job description at left tackle, and his football IQ (73 AWR) is already ahead of the pack for a rookie lineman. Durability is also a major selling point, as he checked in at 99 INJ and 94 TGH on the training table. This is about as safe a top-five pick as this draft has to offer.
Grade: A
1.05 - MLB Zak DeOssie, Saints (Brown)
New Orleans, coming off a 5-11 season with the league's 29th-ranked offense (16.6 points per game), makes it three middle linebackers in the top five, a run that says as much about the depth of this linebacker class as it does about the position's newfound value. DeOssie is an unusual prospect out of Brown, but his workout numbers stack up with anyone in this class — he has elite skills 92 AGI, 93 ACC, and 86 SPD, giving him range that belies his 6'4", 248-lb frame. He already profiles as a sure tackler (81 TAK) and a plus athlete in coverage (66 CTH), and for a rookie he has strong intelligence (61 AWR). Ivy League pedigree aside, the physical profile here is exactly what teams are chasing at the position in this draft. New Orleans gets an immediate piece to help rebuild a defense that took a step back last season.
Grade: A+
1.06 - WR Calvin Johnson, Giants (Georgia Tech)
The Giants, fresh off a 5-11 season and in need of a true difference-maker on the outside, take the first receiver off the board in Calvin Johnson. At 6'5", 237 lbs he offers the kind of size teams covet at receiver in this league, since tall, long-framed wideouts have real room to add speed over time — and Johnson is already no slouch there, coming in at 89 SPD with a massive catch radius to go with it. That said, this may be a bit of a reach at sixth overall: he lacks elite speed and below average agility. The tools and physical upside are undeniable, but the Giants are banking heavily on projection over polish with this selection. It's a swing for a superstar ceiling, with some real bust risk attached.
Grade: B
1.07 - WR Sidney Rice, Panthers (South Carolina)
Carolina, coming off a last-place finish in scoring at 16.4 points per game, adds a big-bodied target of their own one pick later, and the profile here might be even more exciting than Johnson's. Rice checks in at 6'4", 202 lbs with good speed and burst for the position, testing at 90 SPD, 90 ACC, and 92 AGI. His hands (78 CTH) are ahead of Johnson's, but durability may be a question at 80 INJ. For a team that finished last in the league in scoring, adding a vertical, high-ceiling weapon at 1.07 looks like excellent value this deep into the top ten.
Grade: A-
1.08 - DT Alan Branch, Packers (Michigan)
Green Bay is back on the clock just two picks after taking Willis, this time trading into the Texans' original slot at #8 — an early example of just how many first-round selections the Packers accumulated in this draft. Branch is the definition of a high-upside developmental piece: at a mountainous 6'6", 350 lbs, he still tests as fast as a lot of tight ends and linebackers, posting 82 SPD and 93 ACC to go with legitimate power (84 STR). He is massive and athletic but raw (40 AWR) that should improve with time. Instant added girth and length for whichever defensive front lands him.
Grade: A-
1.09 - FS Dashon Goldson, Lions (Washington)
Detroit trades into the Dolphins' original ninth pick to open a run of two straight defensive selections, addressing a defense that had slipped to 21st in points allowed a year ago. Goldson brings a rare blend of size and speed to the safety position, checking in at 6'2", 205 lbs with cornerback-caliber wheels — 91 SPD, 95 ACC — that let him range from sideline to sideline and close on the ball in a hurry. His ball skills (62 CTH) and tackling (75 TAK) are already solid building blocks, even if his instincts (51 AWR) are still a little raw for the position. It's the kind of premium athletic profile teams love to bet on at the back end of the secondary.
Grade: A-
1.10 - MLB Kelvin Smith, Lions (Syracuse)
Detroit doubles down immediately, trading into the Buccaneers' original tenth pick to grab a linebacker and complete a back-to-back push to upgrade the defense. Smith becomes the fourth middle linebacker to come off the board in the first ten picks alone, further proof of just how loaded this linebacker class is. He offers good range for the position at 88 SPD, 89 ACC, and 85 AGI, and his tackling (79 TAK) and both point to early playing time. At 68 AWR he trails the top linebackers taken ahead of him, but his athletic floor and strong durability marks (97 INJ, 92 TGH) make him a low-risk value pick this late in the top ten. Two trades, two defensive difference-makers — a strong start for Detroit's rebuild.
Grade: A-
|
